In the courtyard, no one dared move. Everyone watched the family patriarch Xie Daozhi, waiting for him to speak.

But Xie Daozhi remained silent.

He gazed down at Lady Wu on the ground with a frightening depth in his eyes.

After a long while, he finally withdrew his gaze and spoke coldly.

“Eldest daughter-in-law.”

“Father?”

“You personally interrogate everyone in the Madam’s courtyard. Question them one by one.”

“Yes!”

“Steward Xie.”

“Master?”

“You interrogate the people from the small kitchen.”

“Yes!”

“Eldest son.”

“Father?”

“Help your mother back to her quarters.”

Xie Daozhi glanced at Lady Wu again: “The Madam hasn’t been well lately. From now on, she shall rest in her own courtyard.”

Was he confining their mother to her quarters in front of everyone?

Xie Erli secretly thought “this is bad,” but didn’t dare say a word. “Yes!”

“What’s wrong with my health? I’ve been wrongly accused! Didn’t any of you hear me?”

“Mother!” Xie Erli shouted.

Why couldn’t she understand?

Even if you were wrongly accused, this matter started because of you.

Only by punishing you first can Father severely punish whoever the real culprit is once they’re found, and give Yan Sanhe a proper explanation.

Xie Erli stepped forward to help her up. “Your son will escort Mother back to her courtyard first.”

Xie Daozhi turned his face, silently watching Xie Buhuo in the corner. The hand at Xie Buhuo’s side clenched tightly.

“Second son.”

“Father?”

“Go invite your aunt to Sien Hall.”

Xie Buhuo’s expression changed drastically. “Father, Aunt she…”

“Do as I say.”

After Xie Daozhi coldly interrupted him, his gaze shifted to Xie Zhifei at the courtyard gate: “Third son, see off your Uncle Pei for me.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t respond as he usually would.

Under the clear moonlight, his face showed no expression, his pitch-black eyes staring at the side room.

Staring silently.

Pei Mingting pushed him. “Your father’s talking to you?”

No reaction!

Pei Xiao quickly covered for his sworn brother. “He, he’s frightened. Father, we know the way well enough—no need for anyone to see us out. Let’s go ourselves!”

Thinking about the troublesome affairs in his own household’s inner quarters, Pei Yu sighed, walked to Xie Daozhi’s side, patted his shoulder, and left.

The courtyard that had been packed full suddenly became desolate and quiet.

Xie Zhifei remained in the same position, standing motionless at the courtyard gate, lost in thought.

Pei Xiao waved his hand in front of his eyes.

Still no reaction.

He turned his face away with lingering fear, asking with his eyes: What’s wrong with your master?

Zhu Qing shook his head: I don’t know!

The expression on Pei Xiao’s face crumbled instantly: With the Ghost Festival approaching, could this boy’s soul have been frightened away by little ghosts again?

The Ghost Festival meant fierce ghosts—those talismans and incantations would be useless. He needed to get something powerful to ward them off.

Just as he was thinking this, the person beside him came back to his senses. “Mingting, you should go back first.”

“Huh?”

“Go home first.”

“Like hell I will!”

Pei Xiao pointed at the side room. “I can’t rest easy about you, and I can’t rest easy about my Sister Yan either. Didn’t you hear what my father said? She nearly died.”

Xie Zhifei turned his head, staring coldly into Pei Xiao’s eyes.

Meeting his gaze, Pei Xiao stumbled back in alarm.

What kind of look was that?

Why were his eyes bloodshot?

“Xie Fifty, you…”

Xie Fifty had already withdrawn his gaze and was striding away.

Zhu Qing wanted to follow but felt it improper to leave Young Master Pei alone. As he hesitated, he heard Young Master Pei exclaim:

“Hurry up and follow him! Your master has been possessed by a fierce ghost—it’s the middle of the night and he’s heading toward the back garden?”

Zhu Qing: “…”

“There’s a powerful talisman at the yamen. I’ll go back right away to get it. You keep a close eye on him.”

Young Master Pei ran while shouting, “If all else fails, take him to the Divine Woman Yan’s room. As long as the Divine Woman still has breath, she can protect him.”

Zhu Qing hurried to catch up with his master. When he was just a few steps away, Xie Zhifei suddenly turned around, staring directly at him.

Only now did Zhu Qing understand why Young Master Pei said Third Master had been possessed by a fierce ghost.

Those eyes were excessively cold, giving off an inexplicably profound feeling. Anyone caught in that gaze would feel deeply uncomfortable.

“Master, you…”

“Zhu Qing.”

Xie Zhifei’s voice was as cold as his eyes: “In half an hour, go to Quiet Contemplation Residence and lure Li Buyan away.”

“What does Master intend to do?” Zhu Qing’s eyes widened in shock.

“Don’t ask. Just do as I say.”

Xie Zhifei’s thin lips pressed into a line as he walked to the pavilion and sat down.

There was no lamp in the pavilion. He was completely shrouded in darkness, motionless and silent as a mountain.

…

“Bang, bang, bang!”

In Sien Hall, the Old Madam pounded her cane forcefully, as if she wanted to hammer a hole into the stone floor.

“This girl has been quiet and well-behaved, never getting in anyone’s way. Why do you all have to come after her one by one?”

The Old Madam’s heart felt like it was being cut with a knife. “Why not poison me instead? If I died, this household would be at peace.”

“Mother!”

“Don’t call me Mother.”

The Old Madam wiped away tears: “If this girl really leaves, I won’t live either!”

Xie Daozhi patiently tried to persuade her: “She won’t leave immediately. Mother, rest assured—your son will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give her a proper explanation.”

“Give everyone a proper explanation.”

The Old Madam glared fiercely at her son, nearly shouting at him—

In this household, who has the ability and the wicked mind to use someone as a weapon while killing two birds with one stone?

“Old Madam, Master, Second Master and Aunt Liu have arrived.”

As they spoke, Aunt Liu and her son entered the room and paid respects to the Old Madam.

Before she could finish her bow, Xie Daozhi slammed the table and shouted sternly: “Liu-shi, kneel down.”

Aunt Liu glanced at the man and knelt down stiffly.

Xie Buhuo also knelt, raising his head defiantly: “Grandmother, Father, Aunt is not that kind of person.”

“Silence! You have no right to speak here.”

Xie Daozhi’s brows were dark and threatening. “Liu-shi, have you heard about what happened at Quiet Contemplation Residence?”

Liu-shi: “In reply to Master, on the way here just now, Second Master mentioned it.”

“Was the matter with the small kitchen your doing?”

“In reply to Master, it was not this concubine’s doing.”

If you didn’t do it, did a ghost do it?

The Old Madam’s chest heaved up and down. Unable to lash out in front of her son, she forcibly swallowed the words that had reached her lips.

Xie Daozhi’s tone was like ice and frost: “What evidence do you have to prove you didn’t do it?”

Aunt Liu’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she lowered her head: “This concubine has no evidence.”

Xie Daozhi stood and walked before Aunt Liu, looking down at her. “I’ll ask you one more time: was it you who did it?”

“Old Madam, Master, this concubine truly did not.”

“Very well!”

Xie Daozhi turned aside and glanced at his elderly mother.

“Today, in front of the Old Madam, I’ll lay it out: I will thoroughly investigate this matter. If you’re found to be even remotely involved, the Xie household will not tolerate you.”