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Ruyi Cosmetic Shop
"Indeed, it is not a rope." Chang Tai took the painting and pointed to the "rope" used by Lady Luo to hang herself, saying, "At the scene, I asked the Luo Family members to identify it, and it was confirmed to be the belt of Grandma who was beside Lady Luo. We also verified this at Grandma's death scene. Her outer garment was torn apart, and the missing item was exactly such a belt."
"Were there any suspicious findings at Grandma's death scene? It is absolutely impossible for someone to drown themselves in a washbasin."
"I also find this matter somewhat strange, which is why I had someone draw a picture. Although the death scene was somewhat bizarre, the Coroner did not find any signs of homicide on Grandma's body. Additionally, there were too many traces left at the ancestral hall, so we cannot rule out that other people visited the hall that night."
Despite the vividness of the drawing depicting Grandma's death scene, Xing Ruyi found no clues related to the case within it. Some details could only be discovered at the actual scene.
Xing Ruyi rubbed her temples, intending to share her conclusions with Chang Tai when A Niu announced, "The Young Lady of the Luo Family has arrived!"
Looking up, she saw A Niu standing at the door, followed by another person cloaked entirely in black, even their head concealed by a hood.
"Madam, is there something wrong with your health? Why are you out alone at this late hour without your husband?"
"I came out quietly; Luo Ping does not know."
Yunxi pulled down her hood and glanced around the room before awkwardly addressing Xing Ruyi, "Can Yunxi speak with you privately for a moment? This matter has troubled me greatly; I feel uneasy but cannot recall whom I should confide in. In my desperation, I thought of you. Now, at this Yun Family Gathering, you are the only person I can trust."
"Please come in!"
Xing Ruyi exchanged a quick glance with Chang Tai before leading Yunxi into her bedroom and carefully closing the door and windows.
Seeing Xing Ruyi's actions, Yunxi felt relieved and skipped any formalities, stating directly, "I was the one who sneaked into the ancestral hall; I was also the one discovered by my mother-in-law and had an argument with Grandma. But Ruyi, I did not kill either of them. When I left the ancestral hall, both my mother-in-law and Grandma were perfectly fine. Who would have known that by the next morning, things would turn out like this?"
Yunxi grew increasingly anxious; her face paled further as she began to tremble slightly.
"In these past few days, in front of my husband, I have always been afraid to tell the truth. I fear... I fear he might mistake me for the murderer of my mother-in-law and Grandma. But Ruyi, I am truly innocent. Although I resent my mother-in-law for her harshness towards me and sneaked into the ancestral hall to find something to threaten her with, I never intended to kill her. All I wanted was to safely give birth to my child and live a stable life with my husband. I do not wish to dwell on past matters or avoid future ones as much as possible, but... but I..."
Yunxi held her belly, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
"Madam, please do not be agitated! You are not yet three months pregnant, and excessive emotional fluctuations can easily harm the child in your womb." Xing Ruyi helped Yunxi to lie down on the bed. "Just wait a moment; I will have Deer Lady prepare some calming medicine for you. Since these matters have already occurred, there is no need to rush to understand everything right now."
"Thank you, Ruyi!" Yunxi bit her lip, her hand still protectively resting on her abdomen. It was only after she saw Xing Ruyi leave that she slightly closed her eyes and whispered to herself, "Yunxi, you must calm down. For the sake of the child inside you, you need to find peace."
After repeating this to herself four or five times, Yunxi felt her racing heart settle a little. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xing Ruyi sitting quietly in front of the bed, watching her.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes!" Yunxi nodded, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude as she looked into Xing Ruyi's eyes. "I heard that you are unwell too. I shouldn’t have disturbed you so late at night, but these matters weigh heavily on my heart. Since entering your home, I've been the one talking while you've been comforting and reassuring me. I haven't even asked how your illness is. Although I know little about medicine, if there’s anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask; I will not refuse."
"You are too kind! The Fox Demon’s illness is not serious; a few days of rest and observation will suffice." Xing Ruyi said as she pulled the blanket over Yunxi. "Please do not think poorly of it."
"Thank you, Miss!"
Yunxi looked gratefully at Xing Ruyi; her earlier agitation had now completely subsided.
"Madam, your late-night visit shows that you trust the Fox Demon. Could you please recount in detail what happened that night?" Xing Ruyi continued. "You also saw that the official assisting with the case, Chang Tai, is the Fox Demon’s male sibling. If you truly have no involvement in these two homicides, both the Fox Demon and Brother Chang will certainly do their best to help you and the Luo family find the real culprit."
Yunxi hesitated for a moment before recounting everything that had happened that night without omitting a single detail.
"So it seems that the girl named Xi’er in the dark room was indeed killed by Matriarch Luo?"
"It should not have been intentional. The matriarch did not want Xi’er to give birth to the child in her womb, so she deceived her into the dark room of the ancestral hall and forced her to drink a deadly potion. However, whether it was due to the potency of the medicine or Xi’er’s own frailty, she tragically died along with her child in that dark room. The matriarch must have panicked because she did not move or bury the body; even the furnishings in that dark room seemed untouched from what I could see."
Yunxi even had a bold speculation: perhaps the matriarch left everything in that dark room undisturbed so that it would be discovered by someone else and reported. She was not someone who shied away from responsibility.
What Matriarch Luo truly thought remained a mystery; after all, with the person dead, there was no way to inquire further. Wait a minute—questioning Matriarch Luo... This would be impossible for anyone else since dead people cannot speak, but Xing Ruyi and the Fox Demon could!
Thinking of this, Xing Ruyi couldn't help but laugh at herself. It had been so long since she had used ghostly arts that she had forgotten she still possessed a token granted by the Underworld Lord, which allowed her to summon and command ghosts at any time.
Since she could consult the spirits, the truth of the matter would soon be revealed. With this in mind, Xing Ruyi no longer fixated on the details of that night and casually began discussing other topics of interest with Yunxi.
"That night, Matriarch Luo mentioned in the dark room to my lady that her dislike for my lady was not only due to those old matters concerning my lady's maternal family but also because my lady's appearance resembled that of Xi'er, who died years ago. Their fates were similar, leading her to believe that my lady was a vengeful spirit come back to seek revenge."
"Indeed, my mother-in-law said such things, but I believe they should not be taken seriously."
"Why does my lady think so?"
"My mother-in-law has disliked Yunxi for quite some time. With her old grievances in mind, it is understandable that she sees Yunxi as increasingly resembling that person from years ago. Moreover, in our Golden Tang Dynasty, before a couple marries, they must consult someone to compare their fates. Although my marriage with my husband was somewhat different from that of common people and went through many twists and turns, everything that should have been done was done. If Yunxi's fate truly resembled that of Xi'er from back then, how could my father-in-law not know? If he knew, why did he not oppose it? In fact, he even encouraged my mother-in-law to allow my husband to marry Yunxi."
"I believe that if my lady's fate truly resembled that of Xi'er from back then, Old Master Luo would be more willing to let my lady enter the Luo family. Emotionally speaking, it would serve as a form of replacement. Of course, these are just our speculations. According to what my lady said, Xi'er remained an unnamed maidservant in the Luo family until her death; at best, she could be considered a concubine of Old Master Luo. Since the Luo family has no records on file, no one knows her exact birthplace, age, or fate details. Even the information she provided to Old Master Luo was likely false and unverifiable.
"Additionally, there is something that puzzles me as a Fox Demon. Matriarch Luo hid the bodies of Xi'er and her child in the dark room. Due to her inner turmoil and guilt, she became particularly attached to that place and spent most of her time there throughout the year. My lady also mentioned that a maid by Matriarch Luo's side was secretly lurking outside the shrine, intending to harm my lady when she went out. Thankfully, my lady reacted quickly and escaped danger."
"Yes! At that time, I had just argued with my mother-in-law in the dark room and heard those words. I felt a bit panicked and hurriedly fled with a lantern from the dark room. My mind was blank; I only followed my feet instinctively toward the exit. Just as I reached the door, I saw a flash of cold light. Without thinking much about it, I raised the lantern to defend myself. When the light illuminated the maid's face and she instinctively recoiled, I realized she was holding a short and sharp dagger. In fear, I struck her hand with the lantern, and afterward, her clothes caught fire. The image that remains most vividly in my mind is of the maid frantically trying to extinguish the flames on her sleeves while the air filled with the smell of burning flesh. I could hear her voice filled with coldness and hatred along with faint cries of pain. At that moment, I was particularly frightened; I didn't know what my mother-in-law had said; I just ran away. Oh right! When I left, I was holding another lantern given to me by my mother-in-law."
"Then have you ever wondered why Matriarch Luo knew about that dark room shrine while Old Master Luo did not?"
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