Chapter 178: Opening the Coffin at Night?
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Yu Zhi Yi was quite pleased with this answer. While the young woman seemed overly consumed with thoughts of romance, she hadn’t yet crossed the line into hopelessness.
Turning to the doorway where Constable Song stood, Yu Zhi Yi gave her command, “Take a few men and open the coffin.”
Constable Song cast a wary glance at the pitch-black sky above. “Pardon?”
After a brief moment of hesitation, he couldn’t help but protest, “Madam, this is hardly the right hour to open a coffin. Shouldn’t we wait until midday tomorrow?”
It was only then that Yu Zhi Yi remembered the average person’s limited tolerance for yin entities. Deep in the night, even without the entities manifesting, their mere presence could saturate the area with yin energy, which ordinary people would inevitably absorb.
From her sleeve, Yu Zhi Yi pulled out a few talismans and handed them over. “Carry these talismans; no yin or malevolent spirits will harm you.”
Though still visibly shaken, Constable Song—bound by duty and Yu Zhi Yi’s authority—had no choice but to gather his equally apprehensive colleagues and head toward the graves of Miss Wei’s parents.
Yu Zhi Yi, maintaining her faint smile, turned to Li Qing Miao. “Confirming that Miss Wei’s parents were poisoned and identifying the toxin will prove that the aconite herb you purchased from the apothecary was used to kill the couple.”
Aconite herb, a poison native to Sheng, wasn’t particularly lethal on its own. When properly combined, it could serve as a remedy to nourish and protect the liver. However, used alone and over an extended period, it became deadly. Once the toxin accumulated past a certain threshold, death was inevitable.
Li Qing Miao’s expression darkened.
At that moment, the gates of a distant courtyard creaked open. A frail figure, limping noticeably, emerged. Her destination was clear: Miss Wei’s house.
The gate to the courtyard was already ajar. With a light push, Madam Zhang of the Li Clan stepped inside. She froze briefly, and then, as if struck by realization, she hastily raised her head and quickened her pace toward the house.
But her advance halted abruptly as she looked up, bewildered. “Who… who are you?”
The small courtyard was filled with a dozen constables.
From behind, Li Qing Miao’s voice burst with shock, “You… you can walk?!”
Madam Zhang opened her mouth but seemed unable to respond. The scene before her had completely overturned her expectations, leaving her dazed and unable to process the situation.
Yu Zhi Yi spoke calmly, “She regained her mobility two years ago. She’s been feigning immobility to lull you into a false sense of security, waiting for the right moment to expose your true nature and crimes.”
Turning to Madam Zhang, Yu Zhi Yi added, “I am a Fifth-Rank Official from the Ministry of Justice, appointed directly by His Majesty. I’m here to investigate Li Qing Miao’s murder case. If you have grievances, speak freely.”
Madam Zhang’s eyes widened in shock as she took in the young woman who looked even younger than herself. How could someone so youthful hold such a high rank? Yet, the constables surrounding Yu Zhi Yi lent undeniable credibility to her claim.
Finally, Madam Zhang fell to her knees with a heavy thud. “This humble woman greets you, Madam Official. I wish to accuse this man of being the murderer in the Li Family Village’s massacre thirty years ago, where seven lives were lost. He has been living under a false identity to escape justice. Furthermore, he killed my parents, and his actions left me with broken legs, almost permanently paralyzed.”
Her gaze bore into Li Qing Miao with pure hatred.
She continued, her voice trembling with fury, “Moreover, he’s here tonight to kill Miss Wei!”
Miss Wei—though she had known of Li Qing Miao’s murderous intent for the evening—felt like the ultimate fool as she realized everyone else had been aware of his plans. While she had dreamed of spending a romantic night with him, he had been plotting her demise. The bitter sting of betrayal and humiliation made her feel like the sole fool in the world.
She was utterly stunned, her face frozen in disbelief as a long-forgotten question resurfaced in her mind. Her words stumbled out, her focus slightly skewed: “Did he also kill your parents?”
Hearing the word “also,” Madam Zhang of the Li Clan paused, then managed a bitter smile. “Miss Wei, you know? Since you know he killed your parents, why have you remained entangled with him all these years?”
Miss Wei flushed slightly, embarrassed. “I only found out tonight, at the same time I learned he wanted to kill me.”
Relief flickered across Madam Zhang’s face as she began recounting her tale.
It turned out she had discovered the true nature of Li Qing Miao three years ago.
That day, Li Qing Miao had gone out drinking. Even after returning home, his thirst seemed unquenched, and he drank some more. For someone usually so proper, his mood that night was uncharacteristically exuberant. He even danced around the room after having one too many.
When he finished, he sat with Madam Zhang and started rambling. But the more she listened, the more uneasy she felt.
What Li Qing Miao shared was far from ordinary. He boasted about being a murderer.
With smug satisfaction, he spoke of how he had killed seven people who, in his words, sought to leech off him. He mocked their arrogance, describing how their commanding demeanor turned to terror when he brandished his knife, reducing them to pitiful, crawling creatures. To him, the scene had been immensely entertaining.
Madam Zhang was shocked to her core, unable to process such a horrifying truth. She even suspected that he was pretending to be drunk, trying to play a cruel joke on her.
Desperately, she shook her head, pleading with him to stop making such appalling jests.
To her horror, Li Qing Miao insisted he was serious. To prove it, he revealed he had also killed her parents, vividly detailing how he had done it.
Rage and terror gripped her. Unable to bear her disbelief, he threatened to demonstrate by killing someone on the spot.
Thankfully, his drunkenness overtook him, and he passed out before he could act. Although she was spared, Madam Zhang’s dread lingered. His final gaze before succumbing to sleep was chilling beyond measure.
She considered reporting him to the authorities, but she had no evidence.
Though the Great Sheng Empire’s laws were less oppressive towards women than a century ago, they still heavily favored men. Husbands were the heads of households, and for a wife to accuse her husband or seek separation required irrefutable proof of grievous wrongdoing, such as attempted murder. Even then, a husband could counterclaim that his wife was unfaithful. In such cases, not only would the wife fail in her pursuit, but she would also face punishment.
A wife accusing her husband was even more taboo, warranting an immediate twenty lashes upon entering the yamen.
With no other choice, Madam Zhang forced herself to remain calm and slowly gather evidence. She hoped to secure enough to expose Li Qing Miao’s crimes.
Luckily, on that fateful night, Li Qing Miao had been so intoxicated by his arrogance that he revealed key details, even suggesting where evidence could be found.
It seemed heaven was on her side. After that night, he forgot everything he had confessed, giving her a significant advantage.
But her fortune ran out.
When she finally collected enough evidence and prepared to report him, he stormed into her room, his gaze dark and menacing. He coldly demanded to know why she had betrayed him.
Afterward, he broke her legs, leaving her bedridden and crippled.
Heaven had not entirely forsaken her, though. Two years ago, she miraculously regained feeling in her legs.
Yet she dared not reveal her recovery, unwilling to risk her life again. She feared he might not spare her a second time.
Today, upon learning from her daughter that Li Qing Miao had met with Miss Wei the previous day—the final day of the thirtieth year—Madam Zhang’s unease grew. Concerned for Miss Wei’s safety, she braved the danger to deliver her warning.