Chapter 182

Chapter 182: You Bing Yue Unconscious

You Manor.

Du Zi Heng stared anxiously at the person on the bed.

You Bing Yue was unconscious.

Even though she reached the capital a day before the others, she did not take Cao Yao Zu to the Court of Judicial Review to make a formal report. She only handed him to the person who had posted the bounty.

Du Zi Heng knew the issuer well. He was the eldest brother of the Fan siblings who had died in Cao South Village.

After the last minister of the Court of State Ceremonies stepped down, the Fan Clan did not decline. The capable eldest young master of the Fan Clan rose through the ranks and was now the Vice Minister at the Ministry of Rites.

Even after thirty years, he had never forgotten his younger brother and sister. Lord and Lady Fan’s dying wish had been to find their two children.

When he learned that the siblings’ last known trail was in Cao South Village, and then heard about the serial murders by a female ghost there, Vice Minister Fan hired people to investigate the truth about Cao South Village.

It was not that he did not want to go himself. First, as an official at the Ministry of Rites, he could not leave the capital easily. Second, the Court of Judicial Review had failed to solve the case for many years. He was not trained to judge cases, so he offered a reward instead, hoping someone with talent in the martial world could help him fulfill his wish.

Facts proved he chose well.

Soon after the bounty went out, results came back.

He finally learned what happened to his brother and sister, though both had already died.

Still, having an answer was better than letting them drift outside without a final resting place. At least now their remains could be brought home.

When he heard the bounty hunter had truly found the truth from back then and even brought back the killer, he felt both sorrow and relief.

After thirty years, his brother and sister’s fate was finally settled. He could face his parents’ spirits at last.

Even though he was the one who paid, Vice Minister Fan remained deeply grateful to You Bing Yue. Many had taken the commission, but only she succeeded. The others who went to Cao South Village still had not returned.

So he was thankful to her.

He had heard rumors about You Bing Yue and Du Zi Heng and had looked down on her, thinking she was like a clinging vine who could only live by relying on men. He never expected her to be so skilled. With one move, she answered the doubt that had weighed on him for years and fulfilled his parents’ wish.

He was even planning to tell Du Zi Heng next time they met: “Don’t delay this young lady’s future.”

But before You Bing Yue even stepped out of the Fan estate, she fainted at the gate.

Vice Minister Fan was startled. He immediately summoned a resident physician, but the physician found nothing wrong.

Then he swallowed his pride and asked an imperial physician to come, yet the imperial physician also could not tell why You Bing Yue had collapsed.

Though he was grateful that she had brought back the murderer who killed his brother and sister, she was still an unmarried young lady with a well-known name. It was not proper to keep her at his house without a clear reason.

So when he heard that Du Zi Heng had returned to the capital, he sent someone to stop him and asked him to take his woman away.

Now, looking at Du Zi Heng’s worried and pained face, Vice Minister Fan asked: “Young Master Du, what exactly happened in Cao South Village? Did Miss You suffer some hidden injury?”

Du Zi Heng frowned.

He knew very well that You Bing Yue was not injured. She had chances to act the whole time.

It was Li Chang Huai and Ou Yang Shuo who were hurt. After resting one night, they also returned to the capital, almost back to back with him.

Vice Minister Fan lowered his voice and said: “Young Master Du, this may be improper for me to say, but Miss You is unconscious, so I must speak frankly as an official. I heard your madam also went to Cao South Village?”

Du Zi Heng’s face sank as he answered: “Vice Minister Fan, Zhi Yi is broad-minded. And as a director at the Ministry of Justice, she would never break the law.”

Vice Minister Fan frowned. He still suspected Yu Zhi Yi, but he said no more.

He did not press the point, yet he had already planted a seed of doubt.

Yes, only a few of them went to Cao South Village that day, and Bing Yue had always clashed with Zhi Yi. Most important of all, they all knew that without Yu Zhi Yi subduing the vengeful ghost Cao Zhao Di, they would never have solved the case so smoothly. But Bing Yue took all the credit for herself.

[No, I can’t be petty.]

Trying not to be petty, Du Zi Heng still ended up returning to the Chancellor’s Manor.

As soon as he stepped in, the steward told him: the Chancellor was off duty and resting at home today.

Du Zi Heng paused, then let it go. He asked: “Where is the young madam?”

“In the garden receiving guests,” the steward replied: “The madam from Marquis Wu’an Manor brought people to visit.”

Du Zi Heng’s steps halted.

He hesitated for a breath, then headed toward the garden.

In the garden, he found only Yu Zhi Yi. He asked the steward, but the steward did not know where the guests were. He was a man; he could not stand by the ladies at every moment, and he was not the young madam’s personal attendant.

Thinking of You Bing Yue’s shallow breathing and the slight rise and fall of her chest, Du Zi Heng could not care about anything else and called out: “Zhi Yi.”

Yu Zhi Yi was drinking tea. Hearing his voice, she set down her cup and looked up without hurry: “Young master, what is it?”

“Bing Yue fell into a coma after returning to the capital,” Du Zi Heng said, watching her face closely. If she showed even a hint of guilt or panic, he would see it.

She only said “Oh,” then added: “That is normal.”

Du Zi Heng blinked: “Normal?”

Yu Zhi Yi’s tone stayed calm as she said: “Not just her. Your friend Young Master Li is probably feeling awful too, though not as serious as Miss You. They were all invaded by yin energy, and they are ordinary people. It is normal that they cannot bear it and then something goes wrong.”

“In a mild case, they will be unlucky for a few months. In a serious case, there will be bloodshed.”

Du Zi Heng stared in disbelief: “You… knew this all along?”

Yu Zhi Yi looked more confused than he was: “I am a Daoist cultivator. I do not mainly catch ghosts, but this is still a required subject. How would I not know? Are you doubting my professional skill?”

Anger flared in Du Zi Heng: “Since you knew already, why didn’t you say it sooner? Why did you watch them get into trouble?”

Li Rou, listening on the side, felt her eyes burn with anger. She did not know all the details, but she guessed Miss You had gotten into trouble and that it was not her miss’s fault. Yet the young master blamed her miss for not warning them earlier.

She burst out: “Young master, how can this be my miss’s fault? It was not my miss who caused their trouble!”

Du Zi Heng was usually kind to the servants and rarely lost his temper. But now, hearing the young madam’s maid talk back while he was already upset, he snapped: “The master is speaking. Who said you could speak?”

Yu Zhi Yi’s face turned cold.