Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

"What? Dead?!"

Upon learning of the death of Ruyan, the courtesan of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, King Yu Zhao Xing's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed into his chair.

Under the blazing midday sun, he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him to the bone.

Ren Fengjue picked up the hot tea on the table, took a sip, lowered his eyes, and parted his thin lips slightly: "She is indeed dead. I saw her with my own eyes when I went to her room this morning."

Zhao Xing's expression became even more complicated: "You... went to Hongxiu Tower?"

"Yes."

Ren Fengjue nodded: "In order to investigate the origin of that bead, and not wanting it to be too chaotic at night, we chose to visit in the early morning."

"..."

Zhao Xing was speechless for a moment.

If word gets out that this happened, he, the young marquis, would definitely be the first person to be caught going to a brothel in the early morning.

Ren Fengjue continued, "It's a pity that she died before she even got to see Miss Ruyan."

"Moreover, he's been dead for more than a day."

Zhao Xing felt a surge of unease, unable to sit still, his mind a jumble of emotions: "How did the person die?"

"The cause of death is suspicious," Ren Fengjue said, adding, "The coroner examined the body and found no external injuries or signs of poisoning."

"But it's the coldest time of winter now, and based on the degree of decomposition, the body has been dead for at least ten days."

"What?!"

Zhao Xing was now truly slumped into his chair, too afraid to move.

Ten days…

He had seen her at the Red Sleeve Pavilion just a few days ago.

Ren Fengjue immediately saw through the deception and hurriedly asked, "When was the last time Your Highness saw Ruyan?"

Zhao Xing was trembling all over, his face turning from white to green, looking quite unsightly.

"It was... five days ago."

He uttered those words softly.

Even Ren Fengjue's expression changed.

"Your Highness, think back carefully. Was there any strange smell in Ruyan's room the last time you saw her?"

"Or perhaps she herself is behaving strangely?"

Zhao Xing remembered that five nights ago, he first went to Zuihualou for drinks.

On the way back, we passed by Hongxiulou and couldn't resist going in for a while.

It was very cold that night. After getting off the carriage and walking a few steps, my cheeks were stinging from the wind.

Once inside the room filled with smoke and warmth, the effects of the alcohol suddenly kicked in.

At that time, a peculiar fragrance was burning in the room, unlike any other incense recipe.

"It smells so good..."

He sniffed the air, trying to find the incense burner, but nearly fell over.

"Is the prince drunk again?"

Ruyan stepped forward to help him sit on the small couch and brought him a hot towel to wipe his face.

She was a girl from the South, and her voice was always gentle and soft, which made people feel comfortable.

"I asked the kitchen to cook a bowl of hangover soup and send it over."

Zhao Xing quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. "Don't go, I'm not drunk."

Ruyan lay quietly in his arms, hugging his waist, and asked, "Will Your Highness return to the Prince's Mansion?"

Zhao Xing did indeed want to stay in this brothel, but then he thought that his father had just bestowed the marriage upon him, and it wouldn't look good if word got out that he had stayed in a brothel.

"No, I have official business tomorrow morning. I'll stay with you for a bit and then I'll leave."

Hearing him say that, Ruyan didn't get angry at all. She was always gentle and obedient, and she would listen to whatever he said and was willing to consider everything for him.

even…

"Your Highness, I've acquired something new and would like to give it to you..."

As Ruyan spoke, she got up and took out a brocade box from her dressing case, handed it to him, and said, "I guess Miss Zhuang will like this bead. You can make a hairpin or hair ornament for her, and she will surely be happy."

Zhao Xing opened the box and saw a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg lying inside, shining brightly in the candlelight at night.

"It's so kind of you to think of everything..."

He took the beads and then embraced the beauty.

Unable to resist the warmth and beauty in his arms, he did not return to the palace that night.

At this point, Zhao Xing felt a chill run down his spine and found it hard to believe.

"That night... I stayed overnight at Hongxiu Tower. Ruyan was clearly still alive back then!"

"Could I be with a ghost...?"

Ren Fengjue, however, seized on the key point: "You said there was a strange fragrance burning in her room that was different from usual?"

Is burning incense meant to cover something up?

Zhao Xing gave a perfunctory reply: "The fragrance is indeed different from usual."

Ren Fengjue then asked, "And, the bead she gave you was for you to give to Miss Zhuang?"

Zhao Xing was stunned.

Considering the cause and effect of the matter, he came to a conclusion that left him terrified…

Does Ruyan want to harm Zhuang You?

Ren Fengjue continued, "To be honest, the moment I entered the room, I smelled a strong stench of corpses."

"Moreover, Ruyan was sitting in front of the mirror combing her hair at the time."

"But she is indeed dead."

"..."

Zhao Xing could no longer sit still, feeling that the matter of being possessed by an evil spirit was now confirmed!

He was even afraid that Ruyan's ghost would come knocking on his door...

"Guards! Guards!"

He summoned the palace steward: "Send more men to search, and find me several more Taoist priests to exorcise the evil spirits!"

Seeing Zhao Xing's alarm, Ren Fengjue could only offer a few words of comfort before preparing to take his leave.

Suddenly, a Golden Feather Guard stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, there is a Taoist priest outside the door requesting an audience."

Zhao Xing's eyes lit up: "Then why don't we hurry up and invite them in?!"

Jin Yuwei obeyed the order and left. A short while later, he brought in a young Taoist priest who was dressed in rags and looked disheveled.

Zhao Xing glanced at the person and was greatly disappointed, instinctively feeling that the other party was most likely a swindler.

He instinctively covered his mouth and nose, looking disgusted: "You can exorcise evil spirits?"

The Taoist priest smiled slightly. Although he looked disheveled, it was not easy to tell his age at a glance.

But his eyes were bright and alert, and his voice sounded quite young.

"Of course, I only need to give you a protective talisman to ward off evil spirits and ensure that those demons and evil spirits will not dare to approach."

He spoke with considerable arrogance, but Zhao Xing remained skeptical.

But given the current situation, we have to try anything, even if it seems hopeless. "Now give me one."

As he spoke, he gave the butler a wink.

The steward understood and immediately handed over a silver ingot.

The Taoist priest ignored him and arrogantly declared, "Is His Highness King Yu's life only worth a single ingot of silver?"

Zhao Xing was very displeased.

The butler immediately rebuked, "How dare you! You haven't even given us the talisman yet, and you're already asking for money. How are we supposed to know if you're a swindler?"

The Taoist priest laughed heartily, quickly calculated with his fingers, and said, "Your Highness has shared a bed with the 'evil spirit' for one night, so it's inevitable that you will be tainted by the evil spirit's aura."

"However, that 'evil creature' might have feelings for you and no intention of harming you; otherwise, how could it have survived until now?"

These words not only changed Zhao Xing's expression, but also stunned Ren Fengjue.

This young Taoist priest does seem to have some skill...

Zhao Xing, as if grasping at a straw, hurriedly said, "Give him one ingot of gold! No, give him two!"

"..."

He immediately changed his demeanor, stepped forward, and respectfully asked, "May I ask your name, Abbot?"

The Taoist priest replied with a smile, "Yan Zhengchu, the chief disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Master of Yunhe Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Ren Fengjue was shocked, and his expression changed.