The shock was so extreme that Ming Huashang made no sound at all. Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan had been outside dealing with Jiang Ling when the scream erupted from the courtyard. Ming Huazhang was startled and immediately ran inside.

He entered the room. His first look found Ming Huashang standing motionless in the doorway — then his second found those bloodied, hollow eye sockets inside.

His eyes were black as lacquer, no warmth to read in them. He covered Ming Huashang’s eyes with his hand and said, “Don’t look. Come outside first.”

Ming Huashang had been staring at the body. Her eyes were suddenly blocked by a warm, dry hand. She caught the faint, cold, clean scent of the person beside her and recognized that it was Ming Huazhang.

The rigid terror that had taken hold of Ming Huashang’s body began, slowly, to ease. She let Ming Huazhang’s gentle pressure turn her around. Darkness was all around her now — she could see nothing — and when she raised her foot, instinctive fear seized her. But she reminded herself that the person beside her was Ming Huazhang, and her heart steadied.

She gave her entire body over to him and let him guide her. Ming Huashang stumbled awkwardly over the threshold, and felt a rush of wind strike her from the side. Then someone stopped beside them: “Jingzhan, what happened?”

The chest behind her shifted slightly, and Ming Huazhang’s voice, clear and cool and beautiful, rang out: “Someone has been in this courtyard. Look inside and you will understand.”

Xie Jichuan took in the sight of Ming Huazhang’s arm loosely curved around Ming Huashang and said not a word — he lifted his robe and stepped through the doorway. Jiang Ling had followed to see what the fuss was about. When he saw that Ming Huazhang was covering Ming Huashang’s eyes, his expression still perfectly cool, he let out an “Oh” and asked, “What’s this — has she gone blind?”

Ming Huashang had been drifting in a haze of those two hollow, staring pits of black — but Jiang Ling’s words cut right through the fog and every last shred of that feeling evaporated in an instant. She pushed Ming Huazhang’s hand aside and glared at Jiang Ling with no attempt at disguise: “Who are you calling blind? You’re the one who’s gone blind!”

Ming Huashang held Ming Huazhang’s fingers in both hands, her back leaning unconsciously against him. From outside, it looked as though she was enclosed in his arms. Jiang Ling, knowing the two were fraternal twins, did not think much of the closeness of their posture, and strode curiously inside. “You were fine just now — so why the screaming?”

Jiang Ling stepped boldly over the threshold and had only gone a few paces when he came face to face with the scene inside. He froze, sucked in a sharp breath of air, and said, “Well, well — your courtyard is really quite exciting.”

Ren Yao sat slumped on the edge of the bed, unable to respond for a long moment. Xie Jichuan had also seen everything, and he immediately began searching the room rather than dwelling on the dead woman. People were already dead — what else was there to look at? He was more concerned with whether someone might still be hiding in the room.

Jiang Ling had a close-up look at the scene of the crime — grim and horrifying, but exciting enough to make his eyes gleam. A dead body tucked inside the quilts — it was absolutely thrilling. He could not help inching in for a better look. His peripheral vision landed on Ren Yao sitting blank-faced on the floor, and he gave her a nudge with his elbow. “Hey — what’s wrong with you?”

It was the nudge that pulled Ren Yao out of the nightmare at last. She became acutely aware that the corpse was very close behind her, and her back went rigid. She wanted to get away as quickly as possible but could not, for the life of her, make her body cooperate. In the end it was Jiang Ling who grew impatient and reached out to pull her to her feet.

The moment he took hold of her, Jiang Ling noticed that for all Ren Yao looked like a man, her arm was still slender and delicate.

Seeing how pale she had gone from fright, Jiang Ling had no heart to keep grudging her for what she had done to Baobao. He gave her a good-natured, brotherly pat on the shoulder and said, “This isn’t something a young lady should be looking at. Go outside and get some air.”

When Ren Yao still had not moved, Jiang Ling simply saw the thing through and ushered her outside.

Going back out, he found the sibling pair still pressed closely together — especially Ming Huashang, who had let her full weight lean on Ming Huazhang, her eyes fixed blankly on the air. Ming Huazhang was patiently supporting her without the least sign of impatience.

Jiang Ling glanced at Ming Huashang and asked offhandedly: “Ming Er-lang, your sister hasn’t gone stupid, has she?”

Ming Huashang was jolted back to herself by that booming voice, and only then realized she had been leaning against Ming Huazhang. She quickly drew back, flustered: “Thank you, Second Elder Brother.”

Ming Huazhang said evenly, “That you had to see any of this is a failing on my part — I did not protect you well enough. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Ming Huashang shook her head. In the first instant of seeing the body, she had certainly been afraid — but once the shock passed, she had slipped into that strange, floating state. It was as though she had ceased to be Ming Huashang, and the dead woman was staring at her in despair, somewhere between making a plea and casting a curse.

The sensation was nebulous, and Ming Huashang had no way to describe it. To an outsider it must have looked exactly like she had been frightened speechless.

Ming Huazhang saw that Ming Huashang’s composure had steadied, and said, “Then rest here for now. I’ll go and have a look inside.”

Ming Huashang gave a wooden nod. Ming Huazhang settled her, then walked into the room with the untroubled expression of carved jade and ice — without hesitation, he crouched beside the bed to examine the body.

One rather unfortunate piece of news: the deceased was someone they recognized. It was the very maidservant they had questioned that morning — the one who had shared a courtyard with Wei Zi.

Jiang Ling had followed him in and crouched close behind Ming Huazhang. “Isn’t this the maidservant we were asking questions of this morning? Has Wei Zi come to collect her as a scapegoat now? Then why did she end up in your courtyard?”

That was a very good question. Ming Huazhang’s mind was beginning to form a dim, rough shape of something — but before he could pull the thought together, a startled shout erupted at his back.

Ren Yao’s scream earlier had been so piercing that it had drawn people from other courtyards. They came over to investigate, saw the door wide open, and walked naturally inside — only to encounter a body with its eyes gouged out.

“This — this…” The young lord who had come in looked at Ming Huazhang, then at Ming Huashang and Ren Yao standing at the door, horror written across his face. “How is there a dead person in your quarters? Did you kill her?”

Another thought struck him, and his expression grew even more horrified: “Or — is one of you possessed by a ghost?”

This was simply too absurd. Ming Huashang had finally had enough: “Young lord — one should not speak carelessly. You have spent your life steeped in the words of the sages. Do you truly believe in such nonsense as a snake ghost claiming lives?”

“Then how do you explain the corpse in your room!” he cried in fright. “Today there was hardly a soul moving outside — except for you lot!”

A ring of onlookers had been slowly gathering outside. Someone said: “That’s right — Lianxin was nowhere to be seen all day. Only those few were out and about. And when Chi Lan died, the Second Young Miss of Ming and Young Miss Ren were right there on the scene. Then there was Wei Zi — the Second Young Miss of Ming saw her as well. All three of those dead women had some connection to the Second Young Miss of Ming!”

All three victims had encountered Ming Huashang before their deaths — an uncommonly unpleasant coincidence. The young lord retreated step by step, looking at Ming Huashang as though she were some kind of creature: “What exactly are you — person or ghost? Could it be that ‘those who look upon me shall die’ doesn’t mean whoever the dead woman looked at will die — but rather that whoever looks upon you will die?”

This was laughable in the extreme, and even Ming Huashang was surprised to learn she had such abilities. Ren Yao had barely recovered from the shock and had not yet steadied herself, only to be met with this utter nonsense.

She was furious and indignant in equal measure, and shouted: “That is a load of complete rubbish! Who would choose to stumble across ghosts? Is this our fault somehow?”

The crowd was already far from calm, and Ren Yao’s outburst only fanned the flames. Gripped by fear, people believe only what they want to believe. The mob’s emotions surged as one toward the physically smaller and more beautiful-looking Ming Huashang.

“It must be her — she is the one who has brought disaster down on us! She has surely been possessed by a ghost for some time now.”

“Yes — how else could she keep stumbling across ghosts, and yet look completely unafraid every time?”

The crowd was trading accusations, growing more agitated with every passing moment, when someone stepped out from within the room. He was tall and upright, his handsome face full of a cold and commanding air. Those eyes in particular — black as the depths of a cold, still pool — said not a word, yet his cold and imposing dignity crashed down upon the crowd like a wave.

The voices instinctively dropped. Ming Huazhang’s gaze passed slowly over the crowd. “All three were in my presence as well when they died. Why do none of you suspect me?”

Ming Huazhang stood perfectly straight — slender-limbed, broad-shouldered and long-legged, his hands lean and distinctly boned. Even those who had never heard of the handsome young lord of the Ming family could see at a glance that he was formidable.

People are by nature followers — but also by nature, they prey on those who yield. In the face of absolute physical dominance, the malice and extremity that had burst free began rapidly to cool. No one dared respond. The young lord who had first voiced the suspicion against Ming Huashang felt somewhat ashamed but forced himself to hold his ground: “I only made a reasonable conjecture. She does appear at every scene first — one cannot help but find that suspicious.”

Ming Huazhang stepped forward until he stood in front of Ming Huashang. He made no dramatic gesture, but those few quiet steps were the clearest statement he could make: “She is the one and only young miss of Zhenguo Duke’s household. She is my sister. As long as I am here, I will not permit anyone to bully her. If any of you intend to do anything to her — then step over my body first.”

“All right.” A clear, measured voice came from behind the doors. Xie Jichuan lifted his robe and stepped out, looked at the two clearly divided and faintly opposing sides, gave a light smile, and said, “Whether the killer is human or a ghost, a new body has appeared — which means the cycle of death is still continuing. There is no urgency in finding the one behind it all, so what purpose does this internal conflict serve? The night is deep. Outside is likely not safe. Everyone, go back. Whatever must be argued can wait until morning, when you can raise it with the Princess and Prince Wei.”

The crowd had no real desire to provoke Ming Huazhang into an open confrontation. Now that Xie Jichuan had offered them a way down, they took it, and before long they had dispersed.

Ming Huashang watched the last figures leave the courtyard gate and finally let out a long, slow breath.

It was a good thing Ming Huazhang was here. If she had come to the banquet alone, tonight might well have ended very badly for her. Even if these people had not dared lay hands on her out of respect for the Duke, locking her up to “cooperate with the investigation” — keeping her confined for a night, letting the cold do its work — would have been more than enough to deal with Ming Huashang.

And in this villa, being alone was more dangerous than cold and hunger combined.

Ming Huashang breathed out at last and said sincerely to Ming Huazhang ahead of her, “Thank you, Elder Brother.”

Ming Huazhang cast a cold glance at the courtyard gate, then unfastened his own cape and laid it over Ming Huashang’s shoulders. Though Ming Huazhang was tall and lean, his clothing was still far too large on Ming Huashang. In an instant she was swathed in it entirely.

Ming Huashang reached her hands out from the oversized sleeves and quietly took hold of the sash.

Ren Yao was not afraid of those cowardly, self-deceiving fools who preyed on the weak. She had no need of a father or brother to come to her rescue either — she had her spear, and in a pinch she would simply fight. But watching the wordless, quiet warmth between Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang, she was seized by a sudden, unexpected pang of loneliness.

So this is what it felt like to have family.

Xie Jichuan watched silently as Ming Huazhang finished tying Ming Huashang’s sash for her. Once it was done, he gave a quiet cough, drawing everyone’s attention back to him, and said: “Whether the one behind this is human or ghost, it is clear enough that they have set their sights on us now. There is a body in the room — what do we do about it?”

Ming Huazhang considered for a moment. “It is dark now. Going to Princess Taiping again would likely be useless. Leave the body for the time being. The most urgent matter is to find a safe place for the two of them to stay.”

With a dead body in Ming Huashang and Ren Yao’s room, staying there was out of the question. But even between siblings, men and women were still kept separate — Ming Huashang could hardly sleep in the same room as Ming Huazhang. Xie Jichuan thought for a moment. “What if we move them back to our original guest quarters?”

For this trip, the two women had shared a courtyard. Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan had originally had a different lodging, but Ming Huazhang, unwilling to leave Ming Huashang unattended, had moved to share the courtyard with them. Hearing the suggestion, Ming Huazhang still frowned: “That would not be wise. The other party was able to lure us all away and deliver a body into our room without anyone knowing. Clearly they are thoroughly familiar with this villa. The two of them staying somewhere separately may not be safe.”

Jiang Ling had been inside the room “hunting for ghosts” all along. Hearing this, he poked his head out and said, “My courtyard has several extra rooms — plenty of space. And Baobao keeps watch at night. Would you like to move there?”

Under any other circumstance, Ming Huazhang would have refused without a second’s thought. But this time, he hesitated. Ming Huashang reached her fingers out from under the robe and quietly hooked the corner of his garment. “Second Elder Brother, I think that sounds good.”

Jiang Ling’s father was Princess Taiping’s right-hand man, and Jiang Ling himself was given preferential treatment throughout Feihong Garden. His courtyard was undoubtedly grand and well-appointed. Not that Ming Huashang was after luxury — she was mainly drawn by the prospect of the lynx.

There was a spy inside Feihong Garden. Ming Huashang had lost faith in the so-called guardsmen of the villa. People could lie to them — but animals would not.

A dark night, a snow-sealed mountain, and what could be more reassuring than a large cat by nature alert, cunning, and supremely skilled at ambush and hunting?

Ming Huazhang had thought of this too — it was precisely why he had hesitated. But he was still uneasy. He and Jiang Ling had no deep acquaintance. For no apparent reason, why would Jiang Ling show them such goodwill and invite them to stay?

Ming Huazhang’s eyes remained sharp and searching. He asked, “Marquis Jiang’an’s heir is very kind. But as we are not family or close friends, how could we impose on the young heir in such a way?”

“It’s nothing.” Jiang Ling had not caught the probing note in Ming Huazhang’s words. He waved a magnanimous hand and let slip his real motivation: “I was lying in wait all of last night expecting to see a ghost, and not a single one came. My bodyguards said it must be because I have too much yang energy. When I think about it, that does make sense — the Second Young Miss of Ming has stumbled across ghosts in three separate places. She must carry a heavy yin energy. If you all move into my courtyard, maybe she’ll draw the ghost to us instead. I’ve never seen a living ghost before!”