A Death!
Translator: Jimmi Editor: Aruthea
"Ehh… Ehh…"
Rain water and sweat mixed with one another on Idiot Si’s face as he stared at Zhang Daqi with his mouth agape.
One might not notice such a change, but Ji Yunshu and Wen Shisan were very observant people.
Why is Idiot Si so afraid of Zhang Daqi? Has he been bullying him? That can’t be right! Zhang Daqi is a filial son, and is also known for his honest and sincere nature! Why would he bully an idiot?
Their eyes met as they retracted their gaze from Idiot Si.
Wen Shisan gave Ji Yunshu a meaningful smile, and received a glare in return.
"What is it?" asked Jing Rong, who noticed her expression.
"It’s nothing." she shook her head.
Jing Rong did not press Ji Yunshu for more answers, and instead directed a glare towards Wen Shisan before turning his gaze towards the weather outside, "The rain is getting heavier and it’s getting late. It seems that we’ll have to stay here."
"I don’t mind," replied Ji Yunshu, "But won’t it be a great inconvenience for a prince like you?" She smiled teasingly.
"I’ve traveled to all corners of the empire," responded Jing Rong, "There isn’t a place that I haven’t been to. I’ve even spent a night in a coffin home. Why would I be afraid to spend one night here?" he shot back.
Seems like it was a traumatic experience for him! I bet he will never forget about it for the rest of his life. Ji Yunshu averted her gaze and smiled sheepishly. She did not have a comeback for this particular punchline.
"I hope the rain will stop in the morning. We need to look for evidence at the ruined temple." she resorted to changing the topic instead.
"I believe that you can find sufficient proof even if the evidence is washed away by rain."
"Do you really trust me that much?"
"Yes. And only you." Jing Rong flirted as naturally as he breathed.
Ji Yunshu fixed her gaze on him and nodded in response.
Booooom… The rumbling of thunder could be heard as lightning struck a tree outside and split it in half.
It was followed immediately by another flash of lightning that illuminated the dark sky. Kacha!
The villagers in the hall shrunk back in fear. "Is the sky falling? What do we do?"
"Our harvest this year is doomed."
"My house was swept away by the flood. Everything is gone… Gone…"
"You lost your house? I don’t even have any livestock left anymore…"
"I wish the court could send us aid." The villagers wailed and groused about their hardships and suffering.
……
Kacha! Booom! The spectacle of lightning continued.
A strong gust of wind blew into the hall, extinguishing the two lanterns outside as well as the candles within, plunging the entire place into darkness.
"Ahhh!" Panic erupted within the hall. A series of rattles and crashes could be heard as objects fell to the ground due to the strong wind.
"Everyone remain calm!" shouted Chief Zhang in the dark, but his words fell on deaf ears as the villagers pushed and shoved against one another in their moment of panic. Even some of the tables within the ancestral hall were knocked over in the ensuing chaos.
Jing Rong grabbed hold of Ji Yunshu’s hand tightly the moment the candles were blown out. "Don’t worry, I’m here." he whispered.
She opened her eyes to see shadows moving around in the dark. A bright light flashed past her eyes for an instance before disappearing.
At first she thought it was lightning, but it turned out to be a reflection of some sort. It was just like that light that hurt her eyes earlier before. Just as before, she closed her eyes reflexively.
The wind subsided after a short while.
The panic died down when someone eventually was able to light a candle in the dark. One by one the rest of the candles were relit, and brightness returned to the ancestral hall.
Hwever, the villagers were still scampering around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Fallen tables, broken chairs and shoes and littered the ground. There were even people who had fallen onto the ground. And then, there was also something else.
A dead man.
"Ahhhhh!" a voice filled with fear pierced through the night. This person clutched at his mouth with one hand and pointed at the corpse with the other. "S-someone has died…" He backed away from the corpse as everyone’s attention was drawn towards the direction he pointed.
A body with blood pouring out of all of its orifices could be seen leaning against a corner of the hall, his head tilted to one side.
The victim was none other than Idiot Si.
Restlessness began to spread like the plague amongst the crowd.
Ji Yunshu stood up and made her way to the corpse with disbelief on her face. Wen Shisan had originally intended to join her in the investigation, but he was held back by Jing Yi, "Your most important task now is to solve the Case of the Dried Well for me. Leave something like this to people who like sticking their noses into other people’s business."
"But Your Highness…"
"Silence! Remember what I told you."
Truth to be told, Wen Shisan himself was reluctant to get involved, but he wanted to compete with Ji Yunshu. With the disapproval from Jing Yi, however, he was forced to be a bystander.
Jin Yunshu stood in front of idiot Si for a long moment to calm her emotions before kneeling down to inspect the corpse. She then wrapped her hand with a handkerchief before lifting up the man’s chin and sweeping aside his messy hair. He was indeed bleeding from all of his orifices.
"Wasn’t he alright just moments ago? How did he die? Can you tell what caused it?" asked Jing Rong.
"Under normal circumstances, blood pouring from the seven orifices of the head is a sign that the victim is suffering from internal injuries or a broken bone at the base of the skull. That’s what we call an internal bleeding within the skull. As all seven of a human’s orifices are connected, and that is why blood came pouring out of all of them."
Jing Rong was not a professional, but it did not mean that he was still able to understand part of what she said. "And what about him?"
"I need to have a closer look." She lowered Idiot Si on the ground and pulled open his clothes revealing his chest and stomach. His torso showed no signs of beatings, but it was covered with scratch marks.
She pressed down hard on his chest and stomach and came to a conclusion, "He did not suffer from internal bleeding."
"How can you tell?"
"Blood would’ve come out of his mouth otherwise." Oh! What a knowledgeable person!
"I think there is bleeding within his skull."
She began checking Idiot Si’s head. There were no signs of trauma or injuries. Could this be internal? And as she parted his pungent, messy hair, what she saw was…