Chapter 129: The Bait

Lingyun Hall.

The corpse of Mingqing, along with several skeletons discovered in the tomb of the Taoist nun Mingjing, was placed in the center of the room, awaiting someone to clear their names and redress their grievances.

Following the customary practice, Wen Jing applied sesame oil around her mouth and nose and held a slice of raw ginger in her mouth. Ji Changge followed suit and did the exact same thing.

Glancing at Dongsheng not far away, Wen Jing handed over the last two slices of ginger in her hand.

Dongsheng’s expression stiffened. He reached out and took the ginger slices, but did not put them in his mouth.

"Is Young Master Dongsheng not planning to observe from the side today?" Wen Jing asked, looking at Dongsheng with a smile.

"Observe... naturally I will observe," Dongsheng said, putting on a brave front. There was no way he would let a young woman look down on him. He refused to believe this could be more horrifying than Qingliu's corpse last time; the only reason he panicked previously was because he hadn't been mentally prepared.

Dongsheng took a deep breath. He was going to risk it!

Ji Changge glanced at Wen Jing, then at Dongsheng, and let out a helpless, light sigh.

The three of them walked inside together.

Four oil lamps were lit in the room, but it still appeared somewhat dim. Wen Jing ignited the Atractylodes and soap bean pods in the corner of the wall, and the room was soon filled with smoke.

Looking at the white bones on the floor, Dongsheng let out a sigh of relief. He had expected some terrifying scene awaiting him, but it turned out to be just a pile of skeletons.

"Let's examine Daoist Priest Mingqing's corpse first. These white bones are of a very ancient age, and piecing them together will likely take some time. Please wait for a moment."

Wen Jing nodded, as that had been her original plan.

She put on her gloves—speaking of gloves, they were actually sewn from sheepskin. Compared to modern latex gloves, sheepskin gloves were much thicker, and their flexibility was vastly inferior.

Lifiting the hemp cloth covering Mingqing, under the dim, yellowish lamplight, Mingqing's face appeared exceptionally horrifying.

Dongsheng lingered on Mingqing's face for three seconds before letting out a loud scream!

"Ghost! There's a ghost!"

Ji Changge hurriedly held him down. "It's not a ghost. Her mouth was simply cut open by the killer. Take a closer look."

Refusing to take another look even if it meant death, Dongsheng turned around and bolted out on the run. He had known she didn't have good intentions; he had fallen into this little girl's trap once again!

Ji Changge cast a sideways glance at Wen Jing. Wen Jing gave a dry laugh. It wasn't that she deliberately wanted to frighten Dongsheng; she merely thought that after seeing such things often enough, one would stop being afraid.

Lowering her head, Wen Jing examined the wounds on Mingqing's face. The eyelids had also been cut, and the tendons in her hands and feet severed. The method of death was completely identical to that of the Abbess, with death likewise resulting from excessive blood loss. The only difference was that the Abbess's mouth had not been slashed, whereas Mingqing's mouth had been cut all the way to the earlobes. The killer's aberrant psychology was escalating.

Wen Jing thought of the infamous "Black Dahlia" case, but this should merely be a coincidence. The Black Dahlia case had occurred hundreds of years later, so the killer could not have been imitating that crime; perhaps it was just a random, impulsive act.

Comparing the wounds with those of Abbess Feng and Mingxi, the cut angles and force applied were remarkably similar.

"The killer should be the same person who murdered Abbess Feng and Mingxi," Wen Jing said.

"All the exits have been sealed. It seems the killer is hiding within the Taoist temple," Ji Changge noted.

That might not necessarily be true, Wen Jing muttered inwardly. Hadn't Lian Cheng eluded the guards' eyes and ears just two days ago, running off to Qinglian Residence? As long as one's martial arts were formidable enough, those guards simply couldn't stop them. However, the probability of an outsider doing this should not be high; the killer clearly harbored an immense, deep-seated hatred for the Abbess, Mingqing, and Mingxi. They had gone to great pains to direct this horrifying grand drama—what on earth was the answer to the mystery?

***

Thinking this, Wen Jing had already started working on piecing together the skeletons on the ground. This was truly a massive undertaking.

"Qi Niang, you start assembling them. I'll go ask Ruan Qinglian for the household register. These corpses might be the Taoist nuns who went missing within the temple," Ji Changge said.

"Mn." Wen Jing didn't even raise her head, wholly absorbed in the assembly work.

Ji Changge gave a wry smile. It seemed Qi Niang's interest in bones far surpassed her interest in him.

...

Qinglian Residence.

"Daoist Priest Ruan, have you retired for the night?" Ji Changge knocked on the temple door, though he knew full well that Ruan Qinglian was in no mood to sleep; he merely asked out of courtesy.

"I'm asleep."

A lazy, cat-like voice drifted from inside the room.

Ji Changge curved the corners of his mouth and said indifferently, "Then I shall not disturb the Daoist priest's rest."

Hearing the footsteps fading away outside the door, Ruan Qinglian stamped her foot in secret. This man was truly dense and devoid of romantic sentiment. She hurriedly got up and opened the door, only to find Ji Changge looking at her expressionlessly.

"Didn't Daoist Priest Ruan retire for the night?"

Ruan Qinglian flashed a brilliant smile. "I can get up even after retiring, especially when the person who came is Young Master Ning, the number one handsome man in the capital."

Ji Changge was not moved in the least by Ruan Qinglian's title of "number one handsome man in the capital," stating only, "Then I apologize for disturbing Daoist Priest Ruan. I wish to view the roster of all disciples since the founding of Huaqing Temple. Might I ask if Daoist Priest would be willing to lend it?"

"Daoist Priest Ruan this, Daoist Priest Ruan that—how grating to the ear. Just call me Qinglian, little brother," Ruan Qinglian said as she stepped closer, her eyes rippling with watery light. Her naturally alluring features appeared even more bewitching.

Ji Changge's gaze turned cold as he took two steps back. "Daoist Priest Ruan, please lend me the roster for inspection."

Ruan Qinglian took another step forward, looking at Ji Changge with her red lips parted slightly. "This humble servant doesn't know where the roster is kept either. Those registers have always been kept personally by the Abbess."

Seeing the words "beg me" practically written across Ruan Qinglian's face, Ji Changge smiled faintly. A flash of cold light crossed his eyes as he said softly, "I must ask Lady Qinglian to help me find the roster. There will certainly be a generous reward."

A smile bloomed on Ruan Qinglian's face. Hearing the title "Lady Qinglian" made her heart flutter with joy. Whatever she wanted, she had to get; regardless of the method used, she had always cared only for the result.

"I truly don't know where the roster is," Ruan Qinglian said lazily, turning her body sideways.

Ji Changge grabbed Ruan Qinglian's arm, narrowing his eyes as he asked, "What on earth do you want?"

Hearing the tone laden with danger right beside her ear, Ruan Qinglian's gaze shifted as she smiled seductively, "I want you."

Ji Changge sneered, "Do you know why I have never married?"

"I do not."

"An eminent monk once divined my fortune, saying that my fate is too harsh, and any woman who comes close to me will meet a violent death—without exception," Ji Changge said calmly.

Ruan Qinglian turned around, her jade-like fingers lightly stroking Ji Changge's face. "Even if you are poison, Qinglian is willing to taste it."

Seeing Ji Changge remain silent, Ruan Qinglian continued, "Once this matter is concluded, I can naturally help you find the roster. Furthermore, as you know, there are very few things in this capital that I do not know. If you are willing, I can assist you..."

Ruan Qinglian gripped Ji Changge's lapels with both hands, sliding them further inward.

Listening to Ruan Qinglian's soft, lingering voice and the blatantly provocative undertones in her words, Ji Changge removed her fingers. His gaze carried a hint of disgust as he said coldly, "You may be willing, but I am not."

Compared to the roster, the capital secrets tucked away in Ruan Qinglian's stomach were undoubtedly far more attractive. Unfortunately, the other party was Ji Changge—that black-bellied fox who always played the role of the hunter. He had no desire to become Ruan Qinglian's "prey."

Watching Ji Changge slam the door and leave, Ruan Qinglian's exquisitely made-up face instantly twisted. She had already laid her cards out this far and thrown out her biggest bargaining chip, yet this iceberg of a man remained completely unmoved. He had flatly rejected such a foolproof, wholly beneficial wonderful arrangement. Heh. Hehehe.

Yet why did she feel that burning sensation in her heart grow even more intense? Ji Changge, you just wait. Whatever Ruan Qinglian wants, she will obtain—even if it means shattering everything to pieces together.

...

Wen Jing, who was wholly engrossed in piecing together the skeletons, looked at the three and a half completed skeletons and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking at the remaining large pile of bones, she estimated she could piece together four more complete individuals. That would make a total of eight skeletons.

Raising her head, Wen Jing glared at Ji Changge, who was watching her with a smile. When had this fox slipped in?

Observing Wen Jing's look of astonishment, the corners of Ji Changge's lips curved upward. He had been inside for quite a while, yet this woman, abnormally obsessed with bones, hadn't even noticed his entry. He had quietly watched her for quite a long time without feeling the least bit bored. Yet just moments ago in Qinglian Residence, he hadn't wanted to stay a single second longer. Perhaps this was why he had rejected Ruan Qinglian without a second thought; by comparison, one immediately knew where one's heart truly lay.

Meeting Ji Changge's exceptionally tender gaze, Wen Jing felt her entire body prickle with goosebumps. A lone man and a single woman—what was this fox trying to pull?

Seeing Wen Jing reflexively pick up a bone from beside her to shield her chest, Ji Changge let out a dry, helpless laugh. With a pile of corpses lying right here, who would dare do anything to her?

An embrace arrived unbidden. Ji Changge pulled her and the bones together into his arms. All the way back here, the only thing on his mind had been holding her.

Wen Jing felt her body enveloped by a wave of warmth, her stray hairs gently stirred by the breath near her ear. She wanted to push him away, yet couldn't muster the strength. She discovered that she didn't hate this feeling at all—much like a seagull that had flown across the boundless ocean for a very long time, suddenly discovering a reef to perch upon when utterly exhausted.

"Regardless of whether you are the original Qi Niang or not, the way you are now is wonderful," Ji Changge murmured softly beside her ear.

Her heart gave a jolt. It seemed he had already accepted the reality that she was not the original Wen Qiang. Wen Jing felt a slight stir of emotion; Ji Changge was the only person who knew her true identity, and she hadn't even dared to hope he would accept it. For him to leave it unsaid was already more than enough.

"What did you say?" Ji Changge straightened up. He seemed to have heard Wen Jing mutter something just now, but hadn't caught it clearly. Seeing her face flushed slightly pink, he couldn't help his imagination running wild.

Wen Jing pointed toward the ground. "I said, they're watching."

*They?*

Ji Changge followed the direction of her finger, and his expression darkened. The "they" Wen Jing referred to was obviously the several skeletons lying on the floor.

At her reminder, Ji Changge felt as though those eight dark, hollow eye sockets were truly staring right at him, and a chill instantly ran down his spine.

Did this woman have even an ounce of romance in her?!

Ji Changge roared inwardly in frustration.

Was now really the time to bring up skeletons?! Besides, these were all dead people—did she really view these bones as living beings?!

Wen Jing felt slightly awkward. Her occupational hazard was acting up again. Then again, this place was indeed an autopsy room; was it really suitable to discuss topics that made one's face flush and heart race?