Strange occurrences could be explained, but how to explain the ghost knocking on doors?

Regarding this, Ji Yunshu looked toward the entrance and called out, “Zijin.”

Shi Zijin pushed through the crowd and came in from outside, her face cold and stern. In one hand she gripped a long sword, while in the other she carried a large bundle wrapped in black cloth.

“Master, the items have arrived.”

Ji Yunshu gave her a look, and she threw the bundle in her hands onto the ground.

All the contents spilled out with a clatter.

Upon looking, they turned out to be speaking tubes made from bamboo!

Each bamboo tube was connected to fine steel wires—wires so thin that if one didn’t look carefully, they couldn’t be seen at all.

“What are these?” Tang Si asked.

Ji Yunshu explained, “These are what they used to transmit children’s voices throughout the residence. There’s one hidden in almost every courtyard in the residence. They achieved the sound transmission effect through the steel wires connected above them, which is why one could only hear the sound but not see the person.”

Tang Si was extremely curious. She picked up two that were connected together, putting one to her ear and one to her mouth, and spoke a few words softly.

Shocked, she said, “It really works!”

She had seen many strange gadgets, but this was the first time she’d seen something like this.

At least in Hou Liao, she had never seen it before.

But she asked again, “Then that night I clearly heard someone knocking on my door.”

Ji Yunshu explained once more, “You just need to tie a string to a small pebble, throw the pebble out and then pull it back—naturally it’s quite easy. Combined with imitating children’s laughter through the speaking tubes, it became the so-called ghost knocking on doors.”

Oh!

The truth was revealed!

Zhou Wen laughed loudly several times. His bloodshot eyes widened as he looked at Ji Yunshu, his tone exceptionally calm. “I truly underestimated you.”

“You overestimated yourself.”

“Yes, I did indeed overestimate myself somewhat.” He began to mock himself, his gaze vacant as he looked at the ceiling of the hall. “A month ago, I secretly transported in that batch of newly made fakes, just waiting for the ghost haunting matter to blow up before switching the items. I just didn’t expect that the Prince would invite you here. I originally wanted to wait until after you left to make the switch, but at this very time, Cai Da and Granny Lin died. The ghost haunting matter was therefore blown up even bigger—it was the best opportunity, and I couldn’t miss it. So I still took the risk and secretly switched the items overnight.”

“What exactly happened to Cai Da and Granny Lin?” Ji Yunshu asked.

Hehe.

Zhou Wen said, “He went out to slaughter pigs every day and would return at midnight. The rockery, the tangled trees—all those strange occurrences were created by him, because only he had an alibi and wouldn’t be suspected by anyone. But unexpectedly, Granny Lin found out and was determined to persuade him to stop. But Cai Da wanted money, wanted to be a rich man, so mother and son struggled, and Cai Da accidentally killed his mother. He was a filial son and felt guilty, so he bit off his own tongue and committed suicide. What a fool!”

He shook his head with a cold laugh.

In everyone’s eyes, the current Zhou Wen was utterly twisted. For the sake of those treasures, he had actually created so many incidents, causing Cai Da and Granny Lin to die. To protect himself, he had even burned alive those dozen or so people who had helped him.

Selfish and twisted.

After a long while—

He stopped laughing and looked at Ji Yunshu. “If I had known it would come to this, I should have killed you on the road when bringing you to Jingzhou City.”

Hehe!

“You think that if you had killed me, you would have succeeded?”

“At least you wouldn’t have uncovered all these matters.”

Jingrong suddenly spoke up, “If you had harmed her in the slightest, today you wouldn’t be kneeling here—you would have already been torn apart by five horses by this Prince.”

Anyone who dared to touch his woman deserved to be torn to pieces even in death.

Ji Yunshu was happy in her heart. Without realizing it, she had actually come to somewhat like this man’s domineering nature.

However, Wu Weiwen was someone who feared death. Seeing that the situation was settled, he knelt on the ground and began begging for mercy. “Marquis, please spare me! It was all Zhou Wen—he instigated me to do this with him. I was just momentarily blinded by greed, which is why I agreed to him. Marquis, considering that I’ve followed by your side for many years, please spare me! I only wanted wealth, not people’s lives. Zhou Wen was the one who set the fire, and he was the one who wanted to kill you, Marquis. It has nothing to do with me.”

He kowtowed repeatedly.

At this moment, Marquis Kang felt as if he had been stabbed several times—stabbed directly in the heart. He walked up to Zhou Wen, but Wu Weiwen suddenly grabbed his thigh, still desperately begging for mercy. “Marquis, please spare me! This matter truly has nothing to do with me. I beg you to spare me!”

Crying out to heaven and earth, his voice hoarse from screaming.

However, Marquis Kang mercilessly kicked him and commanded, “Someone, drag this thing out and kill him.”

Fighting violence with violence!

Several residence soldiers dragged Wu Weiwen off the ground.

“Marquis! Marquis…”

His cries were like a wolf’s howl!

Growing farther and farther away.

Marquis Kang looked in disbelief at Zhou Wen, who had followed him for many years, his heart twisting in pain.

He suddenly asked, “You’re not doing this for money at all. Speak—what exactly is your true purpose?”

Hm?

Astonishment!

Not for money?

Even Ji Yunshu was slightly shocked. Her gaze swept between Marquis Kang and Zhou Wen, confusion arising in her heart.

Zhou Wen on the ground seemed to suddenly have his skin stripped away. He looked up at Marquis Kang. “As expected, the Marquis understands me best.”

“You’ve been by my side for decades. If it were for money, as long as you asked, I would never shortchange you. How could you do such things for money? Tell me, what is it really for?”

“To make you die!”

A murderous aura, even hatred, suddenly burst forth from Zhou Wen’s eyes.

Both hands clenched into tight fists!

Those eyes seemed to come from the depths of hell itself—full of extreme hatred, extreme rage.

Marquis Kang’s steps faltered. He shook his head, truly unable to think of what wrong he had done to him that would make him hate him enough to want to kill him.

“I treated you as one of my own, as the only person I could trust. From the capital to Jingzhou, I always brought you with me. Did I ever try to take your life? Or harm you? That you would want to kill me?”

“You killed my son—how could I not kill you?” Zhou Wen roared in fury.

His face flushed bright red. He slowly rose from the ground, while residence soldiers nearby drew their swords and surrounded him.

Marquis Kang froze!

His son?

Zhou Wen, you’re a bachelor. Although you’re advanced in years, you’ve never married or had children. Where would you get a son?

“Your son?” Marquis Kang’s voice trembled violently.

Zhou Wen ground his teeth and said harshly, “The young master you pushed into the pond back then—he was my son.”

Ah!

A bolt of lightning struck viciously at the top of Marquis Kang’s head!

He was shocked, but not absurdly so.

Instead he said, “So that’s it—he was your son.”

Does this mean Marquis Kang also knew that his son who died in the pond all those years ago wasn’t actually his?

Everyone present was stunned!