Ji Yinshu and Jingrong’s expressions were extremely grave.

Seeing this, Marquis Kang quickly asked, “Master Ji, what exactly is going on? Didn’t you send someone earlier to ask me to go to Old Woman Lin’s place?”

“Marquis, earlier it was because this one deduced that Old Woman Lin was killed by Cai Da, which is why the prince ordered someone to notify you.”

Everyone was in an uproar!

Old Woman Lin was killed by Cai Da?

A son killed his mother?

How was that possible?

Everyone in the estate knew that Cai Da was a filial son who took excellent care of his mother. How could he kill anyone? Impossible!

Pairs of extremely shocked eyes stared at Ji Yinshu, wanting to hear where she got such claims.

Marquis Kang was also astonished. He pointed at the dead man on the ground and asked, “You’re saying the person who killed Old Woman Lin was Cai Da? How… how is that possible?”

Ji Yinshu replied, “Based on the evidence at the scene, what this one says is true. The murderer was Cai Da.”

“Then why did he kill his mother?”

“This one doesn’t know. Perhaps… it’s related to the recent ghostly hauntings at the estate.”

How did this circle back to the ghostly hauntings again?

Marquis Kang and the others didn’t understand.

So Ji Yinshu told Marquis Kang about all the evidence she had found on Old Woman Lin’s clothes and the clues she had found at the artificial mountain.

After hearing it, Marquis Kang fell silent, seemingly still carefully digesting the information.

Ji Yinshu continued, “Originally, we wanted to bring Cai Da over to question him thoroughly, to ask what exactly happened between him and Old Woman Lin at the time, and whether he had any connection to the ghostly hauntings. But unexpectedly, he killed himself.”

At this point, Marquis Kang reacted, his eyes lighting up. “Does that mean that if the ghostly hauntings were truly Cai Da’s doing, now that he’s dead, won’t the estate be at peace?”

“The marquis seems not to have fully understood what this one said. Cai Da may truly have been involved in the ghostly hauntings, but he’s been dead for nearly two hours. Yet half an hour ago, this one and the prince heard a child’s laughter in the ancestral hall. If he were the only person causing mischief in the estate, where did that child’s laughter come from? Moreover, to leave a handprint on the estate’s signboard and to tangle those trees together at the entrance without being discovered—wouldn’t that be a bit too difficult?”

“Master’s meaning… is that there’s more than one person causing mischief in the estate?”

“Perhaps. Because only by covering for each other could these things be accomplished.”

Marquis Kang understood.

He immediately ordered, “Someone come! Immediately bring over the people who were guarding the gate the night the handprint appeared on the signboard.”

Several young servants rushed off.

Just as the servants left, Muruo and Tang Si arrived.

Upon seeing the corpse in the room, Tang Si immediately shrank back outside the door, feeling a chill run through her entire body.

Muruo cupped his hands toward Marquis Kang. “I wonder why you called me over?”

Marquis Kang said regretfully, “I originally wanted to invite Master Mo over to save someone, but now it seems unnecessary. The person has died like this—cannot be saved.”

Alas!

Muruo glanced at the thoroughly dead Cai Da, then looked at Jingrong, lightly nudging him with his elbow and asking quietly, “What exactly happened here?”

Unexpectedly, Jingrong looked meaningfully at Tang Si by the door and asked him instead, “What’s going on with you?”

“What could be going on with me? Just unlucky.”

“It seems tonight is full of drama everywhere.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing.” Jingrong coldly tossed him that line.

The two argued quietly!

Soon, the two people who had been guarding the gate were brought in. With a “thud,” they knelt on the ground.

Marquis Kang interrogated them, “Tell me, exactly who put that bloody handprint on the signboard?”

“Marquis, we don’t know!”

“You were guarding the gate that night. How could someone leave that bloody handprint without you seeing it? Are you blind?”

“We truly don’t know, Marquis. Even if you gave us both the courage of heaven, we wouldn’t dare deceive you.”

Marquis Kang’s expression became stern. “At a time like this, you still won’t tell the truth?”

The two people kneeling on the ground trembled, sweat pouring like raindrops from their foreheads and noses, yet their hands and feet felt cold.

The two pressed their heads even lower.

Repeatedly shouting their “innocence” and claiming they “didn’t know.”

Without evidence at present, there was indeed no way to convict them.

Marquis Kang was at his wit’s end too. Would this case just be shelved? After all, Cai Da, who might have been related to this case, was already dead. Wanting to know why he returned at night or what exactly the ghost hauntings were about—all unknowable now.

The only thing known was that Cai Da accidentally killed Old Woman Lin, then killed himself.

As for whether Cai Da had indeed joined forces with others to stage this elaborate performance, it was merely speculation in Jingrong and Ji Yinshu’s minds. Without concrete evidence now, even if the facts were truly as such, what could be done?

In the end, Marquis Kang could only dismiss everyone and order people to carry away Cai Da’s corpse. Along with Old Woman Lin’s body, they were moved to the charity morgue. Considering that Old Woman Lin had served in the estate for many years, Marquis Kang ordered people to find an auspicious burial site and properly bury the two.

“Master Ji, this matter is becoming increasingly mysterious. I still need you to continue investigating.”

“The marquis can rest assured, this one will certainly do their utmost.”

“Thank you. It’s getting late, so Master Ji should also rest early.”

She nodded.

Marquis Kang turned to Jingrong and said, “Prince Rong, you should also rest early.”

“Mm.”

Marquis Kang left.

Muruo twisted his neck, feeling sore all over. Late at night, calling him over to save someone already dead—did they really think he was some great divine immortal who could resurrect the dead and heal the wounded?

“I’m leaving. Tired all day long.”

He lifted his feet to head back, with Tang Si following close behind like sticky candy.

Jingrong escorted Ji Yinshu back to her courtyard.

“After you go inside, don’t come out again. This estate is strange. Even if there are no ghosts, you shouldn’t wander around at will.”

She obediently agreed.

Only then did Jingrong leave with peace of mind.

Just as Ji Yinshu returned to her room, from outside came a “Caw!”

The sound of a crow.

She turned to look at the courtyard and saw the crow that had been standing on the artificial mountain earlier now perched on a lantern hanging from a low eave outside. Its black body was illuminated by the orange-red candlelight, appearing somewhat ethereal. Its bright, gleaming eyes were staring intently at her.

“Caw!”

It cried out sharply again.

She stepped outside and walked lightly toward the crow, gazing into those black diamond-like eyes.

They say crows are inauspicious—when you encounter one, someone is about to die somewhere. Earlier, when she encountered it at the artificial mountain, Cai Da died. Now encountering it again, could someone else be about to die?

Ji Yinshu didn’t believe it!

In her view, crows were just a type of bird.

“Caw!” The crow nimbly twisted its glossy black head, looking this way and that.

“Little fellow, what are you looking at?”

“Caw!”

“Why have you appeared here?”

Another “Caw!”

Then, flapping its wings, it flew away.

Its pitch-black body disappeared from sight in an instant.