The fortress master continued walking deeper inside. Feng Jiu’er followed closely behind him.
Long Feiyan, Zhao Yusheng, Jian Yi, and Xiao Yingtao stepped a few paces in, then halted, positioning themselves on either side without going any further.
The fortress master walked over and took a gold ingot from the hands of an elderly man inside, then knelt before the body that lay furthest within.
After three deep bows, the fortress master rose and placed the ingot in his hands into the fire.
Throughout the entire process, he remained completely silent, paying no heed whatsoever to the two men who had spoken.
Feng Jiu’er stood beside him the entire time, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.
The dead are held in the highest regard. Customs vary from place to place, and as an outsider, being cautious was necessary.
After paying his respects to Old Liang, the fortress master stood and faced everyone present.
“I can understand how everyone feels. However, Miss Feng is not the culprit. The one who administered the poison is someone else entirely.”
“Someone else?” The man who had spoken earlier looked at the fortress master, his brow creasing.
“Yes.” The fortress master gave a firm and decisive nod. “Miss Feng has brought the old fortress master’s life back from the brink.”
“I have brought her here now precisely because I hope she can determine what poison everyone was given.”
“She truly managed to save the old fortress master?” An elderly woman asked in agitation.
“Yes, Grandmother Chen.” The steward stepped forward and looked at the woman who had spoken, giving a nod. “Miss Feng is a divine physician — she truly has brought the old fortress master back.”
“The fortress master has confirmed she is not the one who administered the poison. There is no need for anyone to regard Miss Feng with hostility.”
“Miss Feng has come this time not to prove her own innocence — she simply does not wish to see an outsider drive a wedge between us and them.”
“Everyone must understand: if a fight were to break out, the ones who would benefit are certainly the bandits in the surrounding area. We must not fall for this scheme.”
The steward’s words sent the crowd into deep thought, and the looks people directed at Feng Jiu’er and the other outsiders began to shift.
The fortress master exhaled a faint sigh, his voice low: “I will give everyone an explanation for this matter.”
“Brothers Liang — all three of you — please contain your grief. I will not allow your family to die without justice, and I will not let any outsider have their way.”
The moment the fortress master’s words fell, those kneeling all around began to murmur among themselves.
“To think she truly brought the old fortress master back.”
“Indeed — is she actually a divine physician? Did the physician not say that the old fortress master was…”
“Could it be that someone else truly did this?”
“Perhaps it really was not them.”
“The fortress master says it was not — then it probably was not.”
“Ah, the three Liang brothers are truly pitiable.”
“Just what kind of person could be so ruthless? With the old and the young alike, and even…”
The murmuring in the hall had not yet fully died down when someone began to sob, the sound of weeping rising without cease, and the hall was once again shrouded in a pall of grief.
Suddenly, one man stood up.
“Fortress master, since you believe it was not them, I will not doubt it either. My family lost twelve people in a single night — this debt of blood, our great Liang lineage will certainly be repaid.”
The man who had stood was Old Liang’s eldest son — known around the fortress simply as Da Liang.
Da Liang had lost his father. Even his wife, his two younger sisters, and several of his children were gone. The misery was immeasurable. In the span of a single day, half his hair had turned white.
“Fortress master.” Er Liang also rose to his feet.
His situation was the same as Da Liang’s. Though his hair had not gone white, the haggard look on his face was plain for anyone to see.
“Fortress master, what must be done to find the culprit? Whatever you say, we will follow. No matter what, I will avenge my family.”
San Liang knelt before his young wife — newly married less than a year — and said not a single word. The sight of him was enough to move anyone to tears.
“Fortress master, I would like to examine the scene of the incident, and… one of the deceased.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice rang out through the hall.
Examining the scene was straightforward — the fortress master had already had it sealed off, and only the three brothers were allowed inside.
But examining a body was not something everyone could easily accept.
The moment Feng Jiu’er’s words fell, the hall went silent.
After a moment, Da Liang turned and walked toward one of the bodies.
“If you want to look, look at my eldest son’s remains. He was a man who stood tall and upright — there is nothing to be afraid of.”
Da Liang waved a hand. Two of his brothers who had been standing outside turned and left, and before long returned carrying a stretcher.
Da Liang looked back at the fortress master, his voice grave. “Fortress master, where are we taking him?”
“To the rear hall — it will be more convenient there.” The fortress master replied in a low voice.
“Very well.” Da Liang bent down and personally lifted his eldest son into his own arms, placing him onto the stretcher.
A white-haired man carried away a black-haired one. The fortress master and Feng Jiu’er walked out alongside them.
In a cave dwelling on the other side, the main hall had already been tidied clean — only a pot of tea remained inside, and one person knelt in the center of the room.
The fortress master entered, and Feng Jiu’er and the others followed.
“Fortress master.” The kneeling servant looked up briefly.
“Tell me again exactly what happened yesterday — leave out nothing, no matter how small. Everything must be laid out clearly.” The fortress master walked in and settled into the seat of honor.
“Yes.” The servant nodded, then glanced around at the people standing on all sides before lowering her head again.
“Yesterday was the same as always. It was I and the three mistresses who prepared the evening meal together, and I stayed with them to serve while they ate.”
“Afterward, the First Mistress told me I could leave and that there was no need for me to clear up — so I left.”
“Often, the three mistresses do not need me. When the First Mistress told me to go, I returned to my own quarters.”
“Later, after I had eaten my own meal, I came by once more. At the time I saw the old fortress master and Master Liang drinking tea and chatting.”
“The Third Mistress spotted me coming and sent me away again. Fortress master, I truly do not know what happened.”
Feng Jiu’er walked a circuit through the hall, then came to stand before the servant and looked down at her.
The servant glanced up at her briefly, then lowered her head again.
“Fortress master, does every family within the fortress have a servant assigned to them?” Feng Jiu’er asked softly.
“Not all of them.” The fortress master replied quietly. “Old Liang rendered great service when Nanman Fortress was being established back then, and his three sons also devoted tremendous effort to Nanman Fortress over the years.”
“Their household is entitled to one or two servants — these matters are handled by my wife, and I rarely concern myself with them.”
“I see.” Feng Jiu’er gave a small nod. “Then I wonder — has this servant grown up here from a young age, or did she come to Nanman Fortress later?”
The servant looked up, met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze, and immediately shook her head. “I… came only last year.”
“I am an orphan. It was thanks to the fortress master’s wife taking me in that I did not end up wandering the streets.”
“Fortress master, it was not me. The Liang family always treated me as one of their own — how could I ever poison them?”
“They died so terribly. Fortress master, you must find the culprit and bring them to justice.”
“You said it was the fortress master’s wife who brought you here?” Feng Jiu’er asked softly.
“Yes.” The servant looked at her and nodded. “The fortress master’s wife is like a parent who gave me a second life. Without her, I would likely have died out in the deep mountains.”