Xiao Muyu seemed very certain and concluded that Miao Anli was the culprit.
Chen Kaijie frowned slightly, as if he was pondering something. Su Jin, who had already sensed something keenly, quickly added, “Captain Xiao, you said that Mei Qianqian is good at painting, but those paper dolls we encountered earlier had intricate lines, yet the eyes were painted very crudely.
So you think the paper dolls were made by Mei Qianqian, but she didn’t paint their eyes, and the person who did was Miao Anli?”
Xiao Muyu glanced at Su Jin, with a hint of appreciation in her eyes. “That’s right.”
After speaking, Xiao Muyu turned and held Shen Qingqiu’s hand. Shen Qingqiu understood and gently let go, but she continued to watch Xiao Muyu quietly. Her expression was no longer as anxious and tense as before, but there was a hint of wistfulness.
Xiao Muyu noticed this but knew it wasn’t the time to explain things to Shen Qingqiu.
She needed to handle the remaining issues of this scenario first. Only then would she have the opportunity to clear up the complicated entanglements between her and Shen Qingqiu. Xiao Muyu even felt that a significant part of the truth she was seeking was related to Shen Qingqiu.
Standing up, Xiao Muyu continued, “Those paper dolls hanging in mid-air and the eight girls—Mei Qianqian alone couldn’t have done it. So, regardless of Mei Qianqian’s role, Miao Anli’s crimes cannot be escaped.”
Zuo Tiantian nodded, “So should we increase our favorability towards Mei Qianqian?”
Xiao Muyu hesitated, “Let’s not rush to a decision. Let’s find Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin first.”
Shen Qingqiu got up to follow, and Xiao Muyu looked at her with some concern, “You’re still sick. Maybe you should rest here…”
But before Shen Qingqiu could respond, Xiao Muyu quickly shook her head, recalling the matter of the paper dolls. “Forget it. You better come with me. Chen Kaijie, you go ahead.” Shen Qingqiu hadn’t changed clothes yet.
After Chen Kaijie left, Xiao Muyu took a clean garment for Shen Qingqiu to wear and touched her forehead, “Still very hot.”
Shen Qingqiu smiled, “It’s okay. I feel quite good now. The symptoms are not much different from a common cold. Normally, I wouldn’t even need medicine.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, hoping they could pass this level smoothly so Shen Qingqiu could rest.
As they were about to leave, Xiao Muyu rolled up the paper doll that had turned into a piece of white paper and took it with her. Only then did she and Shen Qingqiu go to see Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin.
The inner courtyard of this inn was for lodging, while the outer area was for receiving guests. Chen Kaijie had arranged a quiet private room on the second floor for their discussions.
However, when Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu arrived, their eyes slightly darkened upon seeing the people inside.
They exchanged glances with Chen Kaijie and the others, who also looked a bit tense, clearly unprepared for what they saw.
“Father, Second Mother, Uncle Shen, Uncle Miao.” The people present were not only Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin but also Mei Qianqian and Miao Anli.
Although unexpected, it was reasonable, and Xiao Muyu quickly calmed down.
“Father, Uncle, Uncle Xiao, Aunt Mei,” Shen Qingqiu also greeted, then asked in surprise, “Uncle, why are you here too?”
Miao Anli glanced at Shen Qingqiu, his expression momentarily stunned before apologizing, “Your father told me you encountered Mr. Baihe and almost got into trouble, scaring your aunt terribly. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t foolishly let you go to the lantern festival, Mr. Baihe wouldn’t have had the chance to harm you.
Knowing you returned safely, your aunt and I stayed up all night. She was too tired, so I didn’t let her come, but I had to come and see how you were.”
Shen Qingqiu coughed a couple of times, shook her head, her face showing initial fear, then a hint of satisfaction as she said, “I’m fine, Uncle. Don’t worry. Apart from suffering a bit because of my birthdate, it was Mr. Baihe who ended up worse.
Originally, his whole family was in trouble. On his wedding night, he was murdered and his body thrown into the river. After being recovered and getting another chance at life, he was beheaded again. I guess he won’t have another chance to cause trouble.”
She spoke with a semblance of innocence, her words full of resentment and fear, but no one present could remain calm after hearing her.
Mei Qianqian, who had been anxiously watching Xiao Muyu, immediately shifted her gaze to Shen Qingqiu, the pretense in her eyes breaking down, revealing a trace of pain.
Miao Anli maintained his worried expression, but his mouth and the corners of his eyes twitched at Shen Qingqiu’s clearly sarcastic words, the suppressed malice in his eyes becoming obvious to Xiao Muyu.
As for Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin, their faces turned pale, and they unconsciously looked at each other. Their panic confirmed that Mr. Baihe’s words were true.
Xiao Qian had not realized the matter’s significance to him until now, but some buried things from the past can be unearthed with just a light touch, stirring up all the memories beneath.
“What wedding night, body thrown into the river?” he blurted out, the words triggering his nerves.
Shen Wanlin, trying to remain rational, continued, “Qingqiu, what do you know? Did Mr. Baihe not only want to marry you but also tell you about his life experiences? Did he abduct those young women to marry because he died on his wedding day?”
However, no matter how calm Shen Wanlin tried to appear, his clenched hands betrayed his unease.
At the same time, Chen Kaijie and the others clearly saw the cold and mocking glances Mei Qianqian and Miao Anli gave Shen Wanlin. Without any significant movements, just a glance revealed their cold and mocking expressions.
“That’s right. After Mr. Baihe took me, Captain Xiao and Mr. Chen rescued me. By some twist of fate, they beheaded Mr. Baihe.
Then things got complicated. We seemed to enter another Yingzhou City, like the underworld, filled with lanterns and paper dolls.
There, Mr. Baihe told us about his experience. We found it both strange and tragic. He merely saved two people out of goodwill, only to let wolves into his house, leading to…”
“Stop!” Shen Wanlin, now sweating, interrupted Shen Qingqiu with a trembling voice.
Shen Qingqiu stopped and just looked at him. Shen Wanlin, almost in collapse, muttered, “Stop.”
Miao Anli, however, laughed abruptly, “Why not tell the story? I’ve always been curious about what kind of experience makes a ghost so obsessed with wandering by the Baihe River in a wedding dress. Brother, Qingqiu is safe now. Why are you still so scared?”
Miao Anli is actually quite striking, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a tall, upright stature, truly a fine-looking individual. However, at this moment, his clear eyes are clouded with an unresolved gloom, as if a layer of dark aura has emerged from his brow, making him appear somewhat sinister.
Shen Wanlin, looking at him, sensed something was off. But he could never have imagined the deep-seated enmity his brother-in-law harbored against him, finding the situation difficult to comprehend.
“Anli, what are you talking about? What do you mean by this?”
Mei Qianqian, who had been quietly watching as if she wasn’t there, raised her head. She had been watching Miao Anli all this time, and upon seeing his demeanor, her expression changed drastically, her eyes filled with shock and anxiety.
This made Xiao Muyu’s heart sink slightly. She turned her back and discreetly sent a message to the group, “Miao Anli is acting strange, everyone be careful.”
Miao Anli glanced at Shen Wanlin with a peculiar look and said, “Brother, what Qingqiu encountered wasn’t some bandit, it was a ghost, and a murderous one at that. Who knows if it has really vanished? Without investigating and calming its resentment, who knows if it might return?”
Miao Anli’s words made sense, causing Shen Wanlin to break out in a cold sweat. Could the White River Lord truly be him? If so, has he returned for revenge?
Shen Wanlin’s expression changed repeatedly, but Shen Qingqiu still looked bewildered, as if she knew nothing, acting very convincingly.
“Father, what’s going on? Is there a problem with the White River Lord?”
She asked innocently, but only Xiao Muyu, who knew her well, could tell that Shen Qingqiu was actually watching Shen Wanlin, while her peripheral vision kept an eye on Miao Anli. Meanwhile, her fingers were tapping lightly, a habit she had when preparing to draw her knife.
Xiao Muyu felt more at ease, silently moving closer to Shen Qingqiu, keeping an eye on the movements of the four main people in the room.
Shen Wanlin, seeing Shen Qingqiu’s innocent look, felt a mix of panic and fear. He knew he had lost his composure, so he tried to calm down, suppressing the tremor in his voice, and asked again, “What did he tell you?”
Shen Wanlin’s behavior and his question essentially confirmed one fact: they had already connected the White River Lord’s matter with the Dong family’s massacre years ago.
“He didn’t say much, just that he died unjustly. His parents kindly rescued two nearly frozen outsiders, but they turned out to be roaming bandits, and during his wedding…”
This time, it was Xiao Qian who spoke up, “Qingqiu, stop talking! Don’t say any more.”
His flushed face gradually turned pale under everyone’s gaze, and finally, in a state of dejection, he said, “The past is the past. It’s good that you returned safely. The White River Lord… didn’t you say he’s already dead? Maybe he really is dead, and from now on, you and Muyu can live in peace. Those things had nothing to do with you to begin with, and his resentment isn’t your concern. He shouldn’t be coming after you.”
“Really unrelated to us?”
“Really unrelated to them?”
Xiao Muyu and Miao Anli spoke simultaneously, then turned to look at each other. One’s gaze was sinister and gloomy, the other’s calm and indifferent, yet both were equally tense.
Xiao Qian’s eyes widened as he looked at Xiao Muyu and Miao Anli. He realized that Xiao Muyu might have known about the matter, and there was also the unexpected factor of Miao Anli. He had spent more than ten years trying to forget the events of the past, doing everything he could to cover up the truth. But what had happened was like a carving etched in time; as long as time persisted, it would always exist. Just mentioning a little was enough to make him as skittish as a frightened bird.
Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin were caught off guard initially because no one had mentioned it for so many years. After the Dong family massacre, they had burned the Dong residence to the ground, leaving no clues. Additionally, all the Dong family members had died, and the bodies were handled by the authorities, leaving no survivors. So, after they washed their hands of the affair, they dared to return to Yingzhou City and establish themselves openly.
Now, the most heinous act they had committed was suddenly brought to light, and it was connected to the White River Lord, causing a stir in Yingzhou City. In this era, ghost stories were common, and those who had committed evil deeds were more likely to feel guilty, which is why Shen Wanlin and Xiao Qian were so frightened. But who were they? In their early years, they had roamed far and wide, robbing and pillaging with courage and ferocity, licking blood off their blades. After washing their hands of crime, they built their business empires with the gold and silver they had amassed, weathering many storms. So after the initial panic, they quickly realized something was wrong.
“Muyu, what are you talking about? Are you possessed? How can a person who has been dead for nearly twenty years have anything to do with you? He’s just trying to confuse you. What kind of grievances could a murderous ghost have? Those eight girls who died tragically are the ones who truly suffered unjustly.”
Xiao Qian quickly adjusted his expression. Though still pale, the panic had been concealed. After speaking, he immediately turned to Miao Anli and questioned, “My daughter is young and was frightened, hence her nonsense. But brother Miao, what do you mean by your words? I can’t quite understand.”
He glanced at Shen Wanlin. If Miao Anli’s words could be glossed over before, now they had confirmed one thing: he was involved in this matter.
“They are young and ignorant. Yes, they don’t know what you’ve done. In principle, it has nothing to do with them. But how can they be unrelated when they bear your dirty, vicious blood? They lie comfortably on the wealth you stole and enjoy the luxury, so how can they be unrelated?”
Miao Anli spoke calmly, watching the expressions of the two men crack again, a smile appearing on his face. Seeing the anger and panic in Xiao Qian and Shen Wanlin’s eyes, his smile grew broader until he burst into laughter.
“Did you really think you had hidden everything flawlessly, that no one would ever know? Look, even the dead can return to reveal the truth. What else is impossible? Didn’t the authorities tell you that the ancestral tablets in the old house in the northern suburbs are all named Dong?”
Miao Anli’s last words came faster and more ruthlessly, as he stepped towards Xiao Qian, his eyes filled with a crazed delight. He glanced at Xiao Qian, then at the incredulous Shen Wanlin, and finally fixed his gaze on Mei Qianqian, murmuring, “I’m the one to send your two families to the underworld for judgment.”
