Yang Zhen watched her closely, his expression unreadable.
One of the servants hesitated, then cast a glance at the corpse before urging,
“Master, this place is too dangerous. We can settle his affairs later—what matters now is that we…”
Yang Zhen cut him off with a wave of his hand.
“The culprit is still at large,” he said coolly.
“If we dismiss this as some ghostly nonsense, wouldn’t that be playing right into their hands?”
He turned to his men.
“Escort the two Ladies to Chong Zhou Manor. I will remain here for now.”
The servants paled in horror.
They immediately fell to their knees.
“Master, you mustn’t!”
Even the two concubines, who had been too terrified to leave their rooms, rushed out to plead with him.
But the moment he glanced at them, they fell silent, too afraid to speak further.
One of the servants hesitated before speaking again, his voice cautious.
“Master… if word of this reaches Lord Wang—”
He stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the rest of his words.
Yang Zhen’s expression remained cold.
“Escort the Ladies to Chong Zhou Manor. I’ll follow soon after.”
Then, with a mocking smirk, he added,
“Ghosts? Fox spirits? Nothing but superstitious nonsense. I’d like to see for myself what’s truly at work here.”
Hong Ning suddenly spoke.
“If you’re that determined, I won’t stop you.”
“But if you lose your life, you’ll only be dragging others down with you.”
Instead of getting angry, Yang Zhen laughed.
“So, you actually believe it’s the work of spirits?”
“It’s not just a suspicion—I am certain.”
Hong Ning chose to remain silent, unwilling to engage in a futile argument.
She lowered her gaze and continued examining the corpse.
Placing her hand under the man's head, she tried to lift him upright.
But the moment she applied force, she sensed something was wrong.
A sudden thought struck her.
Her hands tightened as she carefully tilted the man’s head forward for a closer inspection.
Slowly, a cold smile curved at the corner of her lips.
So, it’s here after all.
Truly, "what you seek may come without effort."
Suppressing the surge of satisfaction, Hong Ning calmly repositioned the body, making it look as though nothing had been touched.
Then, without a word, she turned and headed back toward her room.
“Stop.”
The low command cut through the air like a blade.
Just from the tone alone, Hong Ning could tell—this was a man accustomed to giving orders.
An immediate dislike stirred within her.
She knew exactly what he wanted to ask.
Pausing, she said,
“If you value your life, I suggest you listen to them and leave this place as soon as possible.”
Yang Zhen’s gaze sharpened.
“You know something.”
He had seen through her?
That was unexpected.
Hong Ning turned slightly.
“You think it was me?”
Yang Zhen did not answer.
She understood his reasoning.
The victim’s disheveled clothing suggested he had been lured in, and she was the only unfamiliar woman staying in the courtyard.
It was only natural that she would be suspected.
But Hong Ning was in a good mood today.
So, instead of taking offense, she simply smirked.
“If you wish to accuse me, you’ll find a reason. But for now, it’s nothing more than your speculation—you have no proof.”
“Impudent!” Zhao Xing forced himself to speak boldly, his voice still shaky.
“Do you even know who our master—”
Hong Ning cut him off.
“I have committed no crime, so what business is it of mine who you are?”
Zhao Xing’s expression darkened.
Just as he was about to speak again, Yang Zhen raised a hand, signaling him to be silent.
His piercing gaze lingered on Hong Ning for a long moment.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
His tone was now calm, polite—almost warm.
“I won’t deny that I had my suspicions.”
“But for a woman to ignore the rumors and live here alone—with such courage—that is something even a man would struggle to do.”
“I admire that.”
“And since I have no proof, how could I possibly trouble you?”
A smile lingered in his cold eyes, so familiar yet so distant, that Hong Ning instinctively looked away.
His words were surprisingly straightforward, and pursuing the matter further would only make her seem petty.
So, after a brief pause, she simply nodded.
“This place is dangerous. You should—”
“The priority is finding the killer.”
Yang Zhen interrupted her mid-sentence.
“Wang Hu’s death must not be in vain.”
“It was our man who died. I allowed you to examine the body without interference.”
“So if you’ve discovered anything, I ask that you share it. You will have my gratitude.”
Hong Ning knew this man was stubborn—once he decided on something, he wouldn’t let go.
She saw no reason to hide it any longer.
Turning toward her room, she tossed out a single sentence over her shoulder.
“Check the back of his head.”
Zhao Xing panicked.
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