"Alright." The incident was sudden, and Zhang Yajing knew she was not capable enough to interfere.
"I'll go with you." When it came to forensic examination, Chu Qingze was quite skilled, and Rong Zhi did not refuse.
The four of them first went to the inn and settled Zhang Yajing and Cui Xi. Afterwards, Rong Zhi and Chu Qingze went to find the aggrieved party, the Shi family, and gather information on the streets. As far as Rong Zhi knew, the Han and Shi families had some business dealings, and their young masters often met to drink and play together. They should have had a good relationship. Otherwise, if a young master from a wealthy family fell ill, they would seek out famous and skilled doctors, and would not let an amateur just randomly insert needles.
Rong Zhi guessed that Shi Yushu had jokingly asked Han Ke to treat him, Han Ke took it seriously, and his actions instead led to the other party's death. A few passersby they asked on the road confirmed Rong Zhi's guess.
"In business, everyone has to save face. If the Shi family plans to continue doing business with the Han family, this matter cannot be escalated. However, Mr. Shi lost a son and cannot just let it go. He will likely make a big fuss about Bai Cao Ge and heavily punish Bai Cao Ge."
Hearing this speculation, Chu Qingze felt the matter was increasingly serious: "Unless there is evidence to prove that this matter has nothing to do with Han Ke."
"The evidence is on the body. We need to find a way to open the coffin for examination."
Chu Qingze looked troubled: "The Shi family is already preparing to bury the coffin. I'm afraid they won't let us see it easily."
"This requires cunning. I have a plan." Rong Zhi leaned closer and whispered in Chu Qingze's ear for a while.
"This is too dangerous." Chu Qingze looked around and found no one paying attention. He continued, "The emperor has issued an order to strictly investigate witchcraft. Even the monks and Taoists performing rituals are not allowed to come out. What if we are caught?"
Rong Zhi said with confidence: "The Imperial Advisor is a Taoist. The Emperor has trusted the Imperial Advisor for many years. Everyone who wants to flatter the Emperor keeps one or two Taoists at home. For some reason, the Imperial Advisor suddenly retired twenty years ago. Although the Emperor has banned talk of ghosts and gods, old habits formed over so many years are not so easy to change. Let's first beat the grass to scare the snake and make the Shi family invite us."
Chu Qingze nodded, half-understanding.
At the Shi family's main hall, a coffin was placed, white cloths were hung everywhere, and the servants and maids were in mourning clothes. Those who lit lamps lit them, those who guarded the gates guarded them, and those who kept watch kept watch. Although it was night, it was as bright as day.
The servant boy in front of the coffin yawned. Suddenly, he felt a gust of cool wind. He shivered and was about to change his posture when he suddenly heard a dull thud from the coffin lid. The servant boy stiffened, slowly turned his head, and heard another noise. This time, he saw the source of the noise. The heavy coffin lid seemed to be pushed outwards, jumping up with a heavy sound. The servant boy rubbed his eyes, mustered his courage, and approached. Suddenly, the coffin lid jumped up again. His face instantly turned pale, and he shouted and ran away.
"Help! It's haunted! Come quickly!"
Just after he left, two figures appeared in the white banner behind the coffin. They were Rong Zhi and Chu Qingze.
Chu Qingze stared at the coffin lid and couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect your Qinggong to be so good, and you can also do magic tricks." The method of prying the coffin lid from a distance would indeed make people think it was haunted.
"There's no one here now. Why don't we go and see directly?"
Rong Zhi said: "Someone will come soon. Let's wait for them to invite us."
As they were speaking, they saw a middle-aged man in luxurious clothing holding a wooden stick and beating the servant boy who had just reported the news.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Ghosts? Do you know you'll lose your head if you say that? Do you want to kill us?"
The servant boy was beaten and had nowhere to dodge. He could only cover his head with his hands and pointed at the coffin lid to explain: "Master, I clearly saw the coffin lid jump up out of nowhere. I must have..." He stopped halfway and glanced at the stick in his master's hand. He changed his words: "I must have thought a thief broke into the house. Master, I was just about to find more people to catch the thief."
The master threw away the stick and walked towards the coffin suspiciously. As he approached, Rong Zhi used her internal energy and sent a gust of wind from her palm. The coffin lid was blown up by the wind and fell back with a bang. Mr. Shi was so frightened that his beard twitched twice. He widened his eyes and took two more steps closer.
"Bang!" The coffin lid jumped again. Mr. Shi's face stiffened, and he quickly retreated and whispered a few words to the servant boy.
The servant boy was shocked: "Master, if we're caught, we'll lose our heads."
"Stop talking nonsense, be quiet, and hurry up."
Mr. Shi kicked the servant boy. The servant boy scrambled out and quickly went to do his business.
Rong Zhi brushed off her clothes: "Alright, the next part is up to you."
Outside the imperial city was a stretch of earth-built houses. Most people here wore coarse cloth. This was the commoner's district. Although it belonged to the imperial city, the management was lax. Things that were explicitly prohibited by law could still be found if one searched carefully.
Chu Qingze stroked the fake beard he had just attached and looked at his Taoist robe and the winding dirt road in front of him. He still felt a little uncertain.
"There's even a place like this. Won't we be caught by the soldiers?"
"Do you know what they mean by 'darkness under the lamp'? We'll wait here for the Shi family to invite us."
Chu Qingze had no choice but to sit in the courtyard Rong Zhi had temporarily borrowed. The courtyard walls were very low. From inside, one could still see the hats of passersby. When Rong Zhi and Chu Qingze arrived in disguise, the courtyard owner warmly pulled them in and guaranteed to bring them reliable guests. It seemed the courtyard owner was a middleman and had done a lot of matchmaking.
Not long after, Chu Qingze and Rong Zhi heard the courtyard owner enthusiastically introducing them from outside: "Young master, are you looking to drive away evil spirits and ghosts? I'll introduce you to a capable person. This capable person has just come out of seclusion. Legend has it that he can capture souls and ghosts, bring the dead back to life, and even make people immortal. Moreover, he's from out of town and has a clean background, so he won't cause trouble. Young master, you look like you're from a wealthy family. You can't go wrong with me. Please come this way."
The footsteps grew closer. Chu Qingze and Rong Zhi looked at each other. Looking at the hastily modified Taoist robes they were wearing, they both had the same thought: this courtyard owner really knows how to brag.
The door was opened, revealing a familiar face. It was the servant boy who had been so scared the night before. As soon as he entered, he looked them over, a hint of doubt on his face, but he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he turned to the courtyard owner next to him. The courtyard owner immediately understood and said to Chu Qingze: "Two gentlemen, this young master's family has encountered some difficulties. You two are capable people. If you can resolve it, you will be richly rewarded."
Rong Zhi asked: "What difficulties? Tell us honestly."
The servant boy looked wary: "What are your capabilities?"
"I don't dare to claim great abilities, but I can ensure the safety of the household and drive away things that shouldn't be there. I can do that."
The servant boy asked again: "Where are you from, what are your names, and do you have any companions?"
He asked quite a few details. Rong Zhi casually concocted a story: "We are from an immortal mountain outside Yaowang Valley. We have been in seclusion all this time. I didn't expect the Emperor of Tianque Kingdom to issue a ban, so now we have no money to return and can only try our luck here. We only earn enough for travel expenses and then we'll leave." She also gave two random names, her tone and demeanor very serious. The other party's expression softened slightly.
"Since that's the case, this is a deposit. You wait here, and you are not allowed to take any other jobs. Someone will come to pick you up tonight." This servant boy was very cautious. After the two accepted the silver and thanked him, the servant boy left quickly, not forgetting to warn the courtyard owner not to leak any information.
"Don't worry, I've been in this business for many years. I wouldn't ruin my own livelihood." The courtyard owner politely saw off the servant boy and then warned the two: "You must be obedient, or all of us, including you, will lose our heads."
Seeing him say it so seriously, Rong Zhi couldn't help but ask: "Uncle, why is the situation so tense? Did something happen before?"
"Who knows?" The courtyard owner was also a little angry when he brought this up: "When the Imperial Advisor was in power, people like us relied on finding work for Taoists and monks. Now, the authorities are cracking down hard, and we can only operate in secret. I heard that recently the crackdown is even stricter. Soldiers often patrol the streets, and if they encounter anyone, they are to be killed on sight. So, you must be very careful."
Rong Zhi saw that the other party didn't know much and didn't ask any further questions.
The two waited until night, and sure enough, someone came to pick them up. It was the same servant boy from the day. Perhaps he was afraid of being discovered, so he came alone stealthily and told them to change their clothes and only bring necessary items, otherwise, if they were searched, it would be trouble. Chu Qingze had to change into that Taoist robe and carry some talismans and bells with him. He was then led by the servant boy to the Shi family.
This clandestine demeanor made Chu Qingze and Rong Zhi feel it was exaggerated. Was it necessary? However, halfway there, the three of them indeed encountered a group of officials. It was too late to dodge. The leader had already seen the three of them and ordered them to stop.
"Stop! Who are you?"
The three immediately stopped. The servant boy felt a chill down his spine and quickly organized his story in his mind. Rong Zhi directly reached into Chu Qingze's clothes and threw the props he was wearing onto a tree with her internal energy. The entire process happened very quickly. At this moment, the officials were questioning the servant boy. Fortunately, the servant boy had already thought of a story, saying that Rong Zhi and Chu Qingze were poor relatives from out of town who had come to rely on him. After asking for their names, the official relaxed his vigilance. However, they did not let Rong Zhi and Chu Qingze go. Two officials came over to search them. Sweat beaded on the servant boy's forehead. In the end, they found nothing.
"Don't wander around late at night. Hurry up and go!" The leader shouted at the few people. The servant boy was grateful and quickly thanked him. The group of officials then went to search for others. After they had gone far, the servant boy asked the two: "Where are your things?"
Rong Zhi pointed to the nearby tree, grabbed the trunk, and lightly jumped up. In no time, she came down with the items.
"Let's go." The servant boy was stunned by her swift movements. She didn't look like a martial artist at all, but rather like an immortal soaring through the clouds. He originally didn't think these two had any real skills, but now it seemed he was no match for them. Fortunately, they didn't encounter any more patrol officers and safely arrived at the Shi mansion. Someone was waiting for them inside and quickly let them in. Mr. Shi stood in the courtyard, as if he had been waiting. Seeing the people go in, he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he beckoned the servant boy over.
"Did you encounter anyone on the way?"
"We encountered a team of patrol officers, but they didn't find anything."
Mr. Shi breathed a sigh of relief and then turned his gaze to Chu Qingze and Rong Zhi: "Please come in."