Jingrong listened quietly to what Ji Yinshu had to say.

However, he was extremely eager to know what happened next, so he pressed on, asking, “So what happened after he killed someone? And what does this have to do with his clean clothes?”

“Of course there’s a connection!” Ji Yinshu said firmly. “At the time, he accidentally killed Old Woman Lin. He felt both grief and fear, but he was even more worried about being held accountable. So he had no choice but to drag the corpse back to the room and create the illusion that she had fallen to her death, or that ghosts were at work. During the short distance he dragged the body, the heel of Old Woman Lin’s shoe wore through. Then he hoisted the corpse up, which caused pig fat from his body to stain her clothes from below the abdomen down to the thighs, as well as under her right arm. During this process, Cai Da’s clothes also got blood on them. Therefore, after fabricating the scene, he changed into a new set of clothes. Then he quietly left again, and only returned at daybreak with the pig he had finished slaughtering before the hour of the Rat. That’s why his clothes were so clean, without a trace of pig fat. To verify this, one only needs to ask those pig sellers whether he left during the hour of the Rat. The truth will be crystal clear. Of course, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that he and those pig sellers have already colluded, but he is the murderer—there should be no mistake about that.”

Jingrong thought to himself that he didn’t know what was inside this woman’s mind. She was so clever that if she were truly a man, even the shrewdest people probably couldn’t match her.

Setting that aside, another question arose in his mind, and he pondered aloud, “Then why did he quietly return during the hour of the Rat?”

“That… I’m not entirely sure either.”

“Could it be related to the ghost hauntings at the marquis estate?”

Hmm?

Jingrong’s words suddenly enlightened her.

She paced a few steps lightly, and a beam of inscrutable light burst forth from her intelligent, clear eyes. After a long moment, she muttered to herself, “The people in the estate said that every time Cai Da went out to slaughter pigs, he would only return at daybreak. If that’s the case, how would Old Woman Lin know he would return during the hour of the Rat? Had they arranged it beforehand? But since they’re mother and son, why would they need to meet at that time? And why so furtively? So it must be that Old Woman Lin deliberately went to wait for him in the kitchen’s back courtyard. This means that Cai Da appearing in the kitchen during the hour of the Rat was already a regular occurrence, which is why Old Woman Lin could time it precisely to wait for him. But he was clearly out slaughtering pigs—why would he frequently sneak back midway? What was he doing that required such secrecy? And this time, what caused the mother and son to quarrel? To the point where Cai Da accidentally killed someone?”

The mystery that had just been unveiled suddenly shrouded her mind once again.

Jingrong was a straightforward master. After hearing her confused remarks, he directly ordered the two guards who were eavesdropping on the case at the door.

“You two, go and invite Marquis Kang over, and also bring Cai Da here. This prince wants to pry open his mouth and question him properly, to sort out all these various circumstances one by one.”

The two guards had been secretly listening at the “wall” and had already learned the general outline of the case. They were anxious to know the truth.

They quickly responded, “Yes.”

And flew out of the courtyard!

One went to invite Marquis Kang, the other to bring Cai Da.

Ji Yinshu crouched down and covered Old Woman Lin’s body with that piece of white cloth, then left the room. Facing the cold wind, she suddenly thought of that ancestral hall and called out into the air, “Zijin.”

At her words, Shi Zijin lightly descended from the rooftop and stood beside her, awaiting instructions.

“Guard outside the room and wait for Marquis Kang to arrive.”

A nod.

She then turned and said to Jingrong, “I want to go to the ancestral hall.”

The implication being: you accompany me.

Jingrong agreed and went with her all the way to the ancestral hall.

As before, one carried the lantern walking in front, the other followed behind with hands clasped.

In a short while, one in front and one behind, they arrived outside the eerie, ominous ancestral hall.

With Old Woman Lin dead, the ancestral hall was being guarded by a bold young servant. He squatted in the ancestral hall’s courtyard, back against a large red pillar, eyes fixed on the ground, not knowing what he was thinking. When he heard someone entering, his whole body trembled. He jerked his head up with lingering fear still in his eyes, but when he saw who it was, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, sprang up from the ground, and immediately went to greet them.

“Your Highness, Master Ji, what brings you here so late at night?” His tone couldn’t conceal his excitement as he thought: finally, someone to keep me company.

However, Jingrong gave him a cold sidelong glance, barely acknowledging him.

Ji Yinshu was a polite child. She nodded slightly at the young servant and said courteously, “This one and the prince have come to take a look.”

“Look? Look at…” what?

“The estate has been haunted by ghosts, so we’ve come to catch them.”

“Eh!”

No matter how bold the young servant was, upon hearing this, his heart immediately went cold. He felt as if there was someone behind him. When he turned to look, he could only see the chillingly cold ancestral hall. Inside the hall, incense and candles created swirling smoke that rolled through the air, as if transforming into human shapes, drifting back and forth. The young servant felt certain he had seen ghosts. Hugging his arms as a chill ran through his body, he quickly retreated back to where he had been sitting, leaning against the red pillar for some comfort.

Thus, Ji Yinshu and Jingrong entered.

The vast ancestral hall was filled with the thick scent of incense and candles. Dozens of memorial tablets were lined up in rows. The incense burners in front and around them were full of incense sticks, and a row of candles had been lit. Because wind blew in from outside, the candles flickered, their flames wavering, causing one of them to go out.

Ji Yinshu looked at the small shelf placed on the topmost row. The shelf was empty.

Jingrong stood beside her, raising the lantern and following her gaze. He remarked, “The child’s shoe disappeared without a trace, and the person guarding the ancestral hall at the time was Old Woman Lin. Perhaps Old Woman Lin’s death truly is related to ghosts.”

“Perhaps.”

As she spoke, Ji Yinshu took the lantern from his hand and slowly approached those memorial tablets. She raised the lantern, bringing it bit by bit closer to that empty shelf, searching for a long time without finding anything unusual.

Suddenly—

“Ha ha ha ha.”

The laughter of a child came through from the side door of the ancestral hall, echoing inside.

A gust of wind also rushed in at the same time!

Ji Yinshu’s palm froze, and the lantern stopped in midair.

She turned and exchanged glances with Jingrong, neither speaking.

The young servant leaning against the pillar heard the laughter and was immediately frightened, his face turning pale green and his lips white. He quickly ran into the ancestral hall, trembling as he hid behind Jingrong, saying, “Your Highness, Master Ji, it’s… it’s the young master, the young master has come…”

Terror!

Jingrong shot him a sideways glance. “There are no ghosts in this world.”

But the young servant fearfully looked around. “But that is the young master’s voice, the young master has returned…”

The child’s laughter continued to echo within the ancestral hall, wave after wave, growing fainter and more distant…