Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 265 shrouded in mystery (4k2)

When guests visit a host's home, they should naturally follow the host's arrangements. There is no reason for guests to force themselves to go to places the host does not want them to go.

But they are here to investigate a case. The people investigating the case should be able to see what they want and where they should see. Logically speaking, the owner should not make the decisions for them.

Whether Li Fu's words were a condescending reminder or a warning, the implication was clear: Tang Fengzhi actually had no right to refuse or any room for choice.

Tang Fengzhi's smile froze for a moment.

If anyone else dared to speak to the eldest son of the Tang Clan like that, Tang Fengzhi would have already turned ruthless. Even if it were a detective from the Imperial Guards who came to investigate, he would have a way to make them disappear without a trace.

But the person standing in front of him was different; this was Li Fu, the Celestial Immortal, whose fame resounded throughout the martial arts world.

He glanced at Li Fu, remained silent for a moment, and finally said, "In that case, I will take you there now."

He turned and led the way.

"However, as you all know, the Tang Clan is full of traps and mechanisms. In some places, the walls, floors, doors and windows are coated with colorless and odorless poisons. This is not an exaggeration."

It would be best if you all refrained from wandering around.

The crowd followed behind him. Song Feizhang cast a grateful glance at Li Fu and quickened his pace, eager to see his beloved's old residence.

Li Fu walked behind, his gaze slowly sweeping across the roadside, gradually noticing some subtle details that he had already sensed were not quite right.

Tang Family Manor is not all cold traps and poisons; there are also flowers, trees, lawns, and trimmed hedges along the way.

However, the pruning of those flowers and trees was very rough. From a distance, it looked alright, but upon closer inspection, the branches and leaves were uneven, the cuts were rough, some places were over-pruned, revealing bare branches, and some places had missed pruning a few branches, which stood out awkwardly. It was quite different from the meticulously maintained courtyards of aristocratic families.

It looks like something a novice who doesn't know how to trim flowers and trees would do.

As Li Fu was thinking, his ear twitched slightly, and his exceptional hearing picked up the sound of voices coming from a courtyard not far ahead.

The sound was somewhat muffled by the wall and a few clumps of flowers and trees, but he still heard it clearly.

It was the voice of someone in charge, giving instructions in a stern tone, every word a rule.

"When you see your master, you must bow your head and never look him in the eye."

Walk quietly and without making a sound;

You may only answer when asked by your master; do not speak out of turn.

You must remember which courtyards you can enter and which you cannot.

Standing beside them were a group of newly recruited servants, their breathing revealing restraint and tension. There were quite a few of them, about sixteen or seventeen, and they all seemed nervous and reserved.

Li Fu frowned slightly.

The Tang Clan is a century-old family, not some small, insignificant family that gets rich overnight and hastily recruits people.

As the saying goes, new clothes are worse than old ones, but old friends are worse than new ones.

New servants are not as good as old servants. Old servants are familiar with the rules, quick and efficient, and know the servants inside and out. New servants are always clumsy at the beginning and need to be taught everything.

The Tang Clan has accumulated a considerable number of veteran servants over the years, so why are there suddenly so many new recruits?

Li Fu's gaze swept over the unevenly trimmed flowers and trees again—

Where have the old servants of the Tang family gone?

Li Fu's mind raced, but he suppressed his doubts and showed no sign of it on his face.

He knew that if he asked questions on the spot, it would be like alerting the enemy and making them more wary. So he followed Tang Fengzhi's footsteps at a leisurely pace.

The group walked through corridors and courtyards, winding their way for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, before finally stopping in front of a courtyard.

Tang Fengzhi turned around and said with a smile, "Everyone, this is where my younger sister Ling'er lives."

She preferred quiet, so my father allowed her to live in a secluded place, a bit far away, but still peaceful and quiet.

Li Fu looked up and saw that the courtyard walls were gray and the bricks and tiles were just like the Tangmen houses he had seen along the way, with nothing unusual about them.

Some vines climbed the wall, but they were neatly trimmed, with not a single branch or leaf escaping over the edge. If Tang Fengzhi hadn't pointed it out himself, anyone passing by would have thought it was just an ordinary courtyard.

However, the moment one steps through the gate, one's eyes are immediately drawn to the sight.

The courtyard was filled with blooming flowers, making it feel as if one had stepped into a garden in southern China.

Roses, peonies, impatiens, jasmine, and all sorts of flowers vie for attention, standing tall and short, arranged in a pleasing, orderly fashion; some are as red as fire, as white as snow, and as purple as smoke.

The fragrance of flowers is rich and intoxicating, sweet but not cloying, and refreshing.

The ivy in the corner had climbed halfway up the wall, its emerald green almost dripping with moisture, its leaves overlapping and rustling softly in the night breeze.

Two bamboo cages hung under the eaves, and inside, thrushes perched on horizontal branches, tilting their heads and curiously observing the visitors with their bright black eyes. The chirping sounds, in this quiet courtyard, had a somewhat ethereal quality.

Standing amidst the garden full of flowers and trees, Li Fu felt the chilly atmosphere he had experienced along the way vanish, and his heart felt lighter.

He glanced around and saw that the flowers and trees were arranged in a pleasing manner, the path was winding and clean, and there was not a single fallen leaf on the stone table and bench, which showed that someone had taken good care of it.

He secretly thought.

"The people who live here must be obsessed with flowers and have pure and kind hearts."

This vibrant place is a stark contrast to the somber and murderous atmosphere of Tangmen Manor—it's like comparing heaven and earth.

Just as they were pondering this, they heard a rustling sound coming from deep within the flower bushes, and a figure straightened up from behind the peony bushes.

She was a maid in her thirties, dressed in coarse cloth with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and carrying a copper kettle in her hand, clearly watering the flowers and plants.

She was startled when she saw strangers barging in, and almost dropped the copper pot in her hand. Only after she looked closely and saw that the person in the lead was Tang Fengzhi did she hurriedly put down the pot, lower her head, step aside, curtsy, and whisper, "Young Master."

Tang Fengzhi's Way.

"After Ninth Sister went missing, this is Lord Li Fu, the divine constable who came to the court to supervise the case and search for Ninth Sister; this is the Duke of Qinghe; this is Miss Song."

They came specifically to inspect Miss Jiu's residence; perhaps there are clues to be found.

"You can stand aside; don't get in the way of our distinguished guests."

The maid responded with a "yes," then retreated to the corner under the flower stand, clasped her hands in front of her, lowered her head and eyes, even her breathing was extremely soft, showing that she had the utmost respect for this young master.

Tang Fengzhi stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, looked around, sighed slightly, and said.

"What you all don't know is that..."

Within the Tang Clan, those who love flowers and trees as much as Ninth Sister are truly exceptional.

Our Tang family has a strict family tradition. One of our rules is to "show strength on the outside and restrain one's character on the inside," and we never allow our children to show any signs of leisure or weakness to outsiders.

In the eyes of his disciples, tending to flowers and plants was an activity that wasted their ambition.

Only Ninth Sister was loved by her father since childhood, and he made an exception and allowed her to plant whatever she wanted in this small world, which is why she has grown into the scene before us.

Song Feizhang has not spoken since he was admitted to the hospital.

He simply strolled slowly along the flower-lined path, his fingers gently brushing against the petals of a blooming rose, then bending down to look at the jasmine on the trellis. His fingertips touched the green leaves, and his expression seemed to be lost in thought, yet also somewhat melancholy.

There were tears welling up in his eyes, but he held them back.

His Ling'er, she used to water the flowers, prune them, and talk to herself like this every day. Would he ever see her again?

Or perhaps these flowers were her last keepsake for him?

Li Fu saw this and knew that he was being reminded of someone by the sight of the object, and that the scene was stirring up his emotions.

Every flower and every leaf in this courtyard has probably been touched by Tang Ling's fingertips.

Song Zhaoxue quietly walked to Li Fu's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Her gaze swept over the four corners of the courtyard wall, then looked at the meticulously trimmed vines, and she lowered her voice.

"It seems that Tang Ling doesn't actually receive much favor in the Tang Clan."

Li Fu nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the spot.

He had already seen through the clues.

From the outside, this courtyard looks no different from ordinary houses, with gray walls and black tiles, so plain that it is almost bland.

Although the ivy and morning glories on the wall are lush, they are trimmed neatly as if measured with a ruler. All the vines and flowers are kept inside the courtyard wall, and not a single bright color can see through the wall.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary courtyard; who would know that it contains a hidden paradise?

Li Fu understood perfectly well that the Tang Clan leader allowed his daughter to grow flowers in her own courtyard, but he would never allow her to reveal this "weakness" and "leisure" to outsiders.

Flowers can be grown, but only for one's own enjoyment, kept within these high walls, for self-pity and self-admiration.

It would be absurd for a sect leader to forbid his daughter from keeping a few potted flowers in her own courtyard; the Tang Sect wouldn't be that harsh.

However, to say that this is an extraordinary favor would be to underestimate the meaning of "favor".

Li Fu withdrew his gaze from the courtyard wall and slowly swept it across the courtyard again.

The maid kept her head down, seemingly obedient, but occasionally she would secretly raise her eyes and quickly glance over the group, her gaze lingering on Li Fu and Song Zhaoxue for a moment before hurriedly lowering it again.

There was something clearly hidden in those eyes: urgency, hesitation, and above all, fear.

Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but when she secretly glanced at Tang Fengzhi's back, his indifferent back and steady posture seemed like an insurmountable wall in the maid's eyes.

Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, her fingertips turning white, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

In the end, she said nothing, lowered her head even further, and almost shrank into the shadow of the flower stand, no longer daring to raise her eyes to meet anyone's gaze.

Song Zhaoxue noticed it too and exchanged a glance with Li Fu.

Song Zhaoxue's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at the maid before looking at Li Fu with a questioning look in her eyes.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: this servant has something to say.

Li Fu remained calm and merely nodded slightly, indicating that he was already aware of the situation.

The group lingered in the courtyard for about half an hour. Tang Fengzhi then led them to Tang Ling's study and bedroom, where she usually read and rested. Although the furnishings were simple, everything was spotless.

After he had finished looking around, Tang Fengzhi said, "It's getting late. You've all come a long way and must be tired. I've already ordered some guest rooms to be prepared. Please come with me to rest."

The group then followed him out of the courtyard and retraced their steps.

Li Fu walked last. As he was about to leave the courtyard, he caught a glimpse of the maid raising her eyes again and staring straight at their backs.

Li Fu's heart stirred slightly, but he did not turn around, only silently memorizing this scene.

Upon arriving at the guest room, we found ourselves in a separate courtyard. Although it wasn't as lush with flowers and trees as Tang Ling's courtyard, it was still clean and tidy.

Tang Fengzhi exchanged a few more pleasantries, nothing more than saying things like "Please rest well, and if you need anything, just tell the servants," before taking his leave.

After his footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor, Song Zhaoxue immediately closed the door, turned around, looked at Li Fu who was standing with his hands behind his back by the window, and spoke.

"That maid must be someone who serves Tang Ling."

Judging from her expression, she clearly had something she wanted to say to us, or something she wanted to remind us of.

But when she saw Tang Fengzhi, she was still afraid and ultimately gave up the idea.

Li Fu looked towards the road outside the courtyard.

"The people of the Tang Clan are known for their coldness and ruthlessness, and their rules are extremely strict."

As a maid who tends to flowers and plants, if she wanted to reveal anything to outsiders, she would probably think of the consequences as soon as she opened her mouth.

Fear is a natural human emotion.

Wei Ying, who had been sitting at the table, couldn't help but interject when she heard this: "But what exactly is she trying to say?"

Is this the inside story behind Tang Ling's disappearance?

Or is there some shady business hidden in this manor?

Song Zhaoxue shook her head and said, "No matter what she wants to say, it seems difficult now."

She seemed to have given up the idea and probably wouldn't speak up again.

Li Fu turned around, his eyes deep and unfathomable. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he said, "That's not necessarily true."

Whether he wants to speak again or not, he has a soul-shifting technique, and generally no one can keep a secret from him.

Song Zhaoxue, Wei Ying, and several others looked at him at the same time.

he mused.

"Tonight, I must go to that courtyard again."

Firstly, we can get the words out of the maid what she wanted to say but didn't during the day;

Secondly, after joining the Tang Clan, I discovered several other suspicious points, which might also be corroborated by her.

Li Fu looked up at the group and recounted what he had discovered earlier.

"It seems that the Tang Clan has recently lost a number of veteran servants, and has had to urgently recruit new people to fill the gaps."

Where did those elderly people who had served us for so many years go? Were they dismissed? Or—”

His voice turned somber.

Something happened?

And this maid, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the few servants who survived. Perhaps she knows something about this matter.

Hearing the implication in his words, Song Zhaoxue's heart tightened, and she asked, "You plan to sneak into the Tang Family Manor tonight?"

Li Fu nodded.

Song Zhaoxue was about to say something more out of concern when she was interrupted by a hesitant voice from the side.

When Song Feizhang was in Tang Ling's courtyard, his heart was completely devoted to the flowers and trees. His fingers brushed over every leaf, his gaze lingered over every corner, and his mind was filled with images of Tang Ling living there. On which stone bench was she sitting reading? Under which flower was she lost in thought, watching the butterflies?

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the maid's unusual hesitation or reluctance to speak.

Only when others mentioned it did he belatedly realize that such a thing existed, and he hesitated before speaking.

"Officer Li, could it be that the maid just wanted to tell us about Ling'er's daily life, introduce the flowers and trees in the courtyard, and chat a bit?"

However, the Tang Clan has strict rules, and seeing the eldest young master present, she dared not speak out, so it's possible she didn't say anything.

Seeing that Li Fu remained silent, he carefully added another sentence.

"Officer Li, at this juncture—shouldn't we avoid any conflict with the Tang family?"

Who knows when the group that kidnapped Ling'er will send a letter with conditions.

Even though we may appear to be on good terms with the Tang Clan, we are ultimately on the same page when it comes to saving Ling'er.

If we're going to join forces then, it wouldn't be good to tear each other apart first, cause conflict, and fall out.

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