Zhong Heqing brought four Taoist priests and rushed all the way to the backyard. Jiu Ji couldn't help but guess that Zhong Heqing had discovered something about her and brought Taoist priests who could catch monsters to surrender her.
But Zhong Heqing, the four Taoist priests, and the carriage that followed them all headed straight for a small courtyard in the backyard.
The carriage went directly to the entrance of the small courtyard, and whoever was carrying on the carriage entered the courtyard.
The courtyard is called Fuyu Garden. The study that Jiu Ji was going to just now was separated from the garden by a stream.
The study and the Lotus Garden are the only two places in the backyard of the Zhong Mansion that have been properly repaired so far.
Jiuji originally wanted to let go of her hearing to hear what was going on in the Lotus Garden, but she didn't want her hearing to be blocked back as soon as she extended her hearing——
The Taoist priest actually set up a separate boundary within the Zhong Mansion and used it to enclose the outside of the Lotus Garden.
Jiuji was surprised. Although she saw that they didn't seem to be coming towards her, she was careful not to get close to inquire and returned to the main courtyard from time to time.
... ...
For several days, Taoist priests came and went in Fuyuan. Zhong Heqing seemed to be very busy. Jiu Ji did not see him come to the main courtyard for three days in a row.
When he didn't come, Grandma Liu became anxious again.
Jiu Ji avoided her for two days, but was still entangled by her.
"Why is my wife such a careless person now? There is something wrong with Furui Garden. Your husband doesn't come to the main courtyard. He only stays in Furui Garden every day, or he stays in the study next to Furui Garden. The old slave heard that there is a man in Furui Garden. Woman, madam, go and have a look!"
Jiuji was really not very interested in Furuiyuan, but when she heard Aunt Liu say, "My husband seems to be away today, I would like to go there at this time." After hearing this, Jiuji thought about it for a moment and agreed. .
There is only a small stream between the study room and Lotus Garden. In the warm spring, the setting sun dyes the stream fiery red.
The surroundings were quiet, and there seemed to be no one coming and going. Aunt Liu dragged the heroine to the Lotus Garden.
Jiu Ji took a few steps towards the entrance of Fuyuan Garden, but when she got closer, she found that there was a concierge in front of the courtyard door, and there were servants guarding the road.
"Look, madam, this Lotus Garden is guarded like an iron barrel by the husband. Maybe he is really hiding his beauty in the inner golden house!"
Jiu Ji couldn't help but think of Zhong Heqing, who looked like a tenant going to work when he faced her. He pursed his lips and didn't want to talk to her, let alone a gentle expression on his face.
Maybe it was just as Aunt Liu said, his beauty was hidden in Fuyuan.
Jiuji silently glanced at the door of Fuyuan, turned around and left.
"Since there are so many people guarding it, it's useless for us to look at it. Why don't we go to the study and take a look around."
Although Aunt Liu was anxious, she knew she couldn't get in, so she could only follow Jiu Ji to the study.
The study is facing water on three sides and is located in a quiet location. The two-story building that has just been renovated has beautiful eaves. Just looking at it from the side, you can feel that there is an aura of agility in this place.
Sure enough, in the wide-sleeved gown Jiuji wore today, there was a hairy ball with a hairy head. It was excitedly wrapped around her arm, eager to get out of her sleeve.
There should be space in this study together with the Yushu Cave.
Jiuji was secretly happy to see that the study was not like the one in Fuyuan with people holding hands from front to back, but the front door was empty.
She was about to move over when she suddenly noticed a gaze falling on her from top to bottom.
The man wore a dark blue plain brocade robe, without the gold and jade accessories of the wedding day, and his bun was only tied up with a brocade ribbon. He stood by the wooden railing under the eaves upstairs, his eyes staring deeply at the skylight.
Jiu Ji looked at him and saw that the corners of his lips were pressed down.
He still had no intention of talking to her. He just turned around and said something to Chang Sui Guanxing. After that, he turned his back and returned to the building.
Jiuji was still okay, but Nanny Liu couldn't bear it any longer.
"What is the attitude of Mr. Lang? Now that he is rich, he treats his wife like this?!"
Jiuji is not as grand as Aunt Liu, and she rarely knows about the affairs between Zhong Heqing and Tang Yirao. At this time, she only saw Stargazer coming out of the building quickly.
"Why are you here, madam? What's the matter?" Guanxing asked carefully, leaning on his waist.
Aunt Liu opened her mouth to scold Guanxing, but Jiu Ji blocked her.
Jiu Ji said, "It's nothing."
"If you have nothing to do, Madam, please go to the side." Guanxing's voice was much lower, and he was obviously a little embarrassed to speak, but he still said, "The study is the place where the husband is the director. Madam, please don't go in if you have nothing to do."
Although the voice was small, the meaning of expulsion was strong.
Aunt Liu immediately glared, so hard that Guanxing took a step back, as if Aunt Liu was about to hit someone.
Jiuji didn’t know why Stargazing was so frightened by Grandma Liu, but she quickly called out to Grandma Liu.
"Then go back first."
Anyway, Zhong Heqing was in the study, so it was not convenient for her to let Xu Chi check around.
If she had waited for him to be away from home someday, it would never be too late for her to come again.
She asked Aunt Liu to leave, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Stargazing returning to the building with a sigh of relief.
*
Two days later, Zhong Heqing still didn't come to the main courtyard. Jiuji became more and more unconcerned, which made Grandma Liu very anxious.
"What's going on, Madam? Why don't you care about the things in this house at all? It's okay if your husband doesn't come. He still raises a vixen in the backyard and watches over it every day. How can Madam swallow this?! "
Vixen?
Jiuji was suspicious, thinking that there were many Taoist priests coming to Fuyuan every day.
"How do you know? That vixen...how many tails does it have?"
Aunt Liu snorted, "I was lying on the wall and heard it! That vixen is very naughty. With so many people waiting on her, she must have nine tails!"
Nine-tailed demon fox, which is rare in the Central Plains, can actually be found in Zhong Heqing's house?
Jiu Ji became more and more surprised and suspicious, and heard Nanny Liu say again.
"I don't know where that woman came from. She just coaxed her husband to stay in the study all day long. Isn't she just a vixen who supported her? You can't just sit back and wait for death!"
When she said this, Jiuji immediately understood.
Jiuji was so funny that she was nervous for a while.
It has nothing to do with what the young minister of Dali Temple raises, so what if he has a sweetheart?
But there is one thing Jiuji doesn't quite understand.
Why do ordinary people still want to marry someone into their own family when they clearly don't like their bride? They are happy with each other, but at the same time they dislike her again and again?
She sat in her chair and thought about why mortals behave like this, but she was destined to come up with no results.
Aunt Liu repeatedly urged her not to sit still and wait for death, "Madam, you must use some means to get rid of that vixen and gain a firm foothold in the Zhong Mansion. That's the right thing to do!"
Jiuji glanced at this nanny in surprise.
She thought that if the person in the Lotus Garden was really Zhong Heqing's sweetheart, and she had touched his sweetheart, would Zhong Heqing be afraid that he would call all the demon-catching Taoist priests in the capital, set up a barrier formation, and kill her on the spot?
Jiuji is not one who is full after eating.
Seeing that Aunt Liu had a troublesome attitude all day long, she wanted to send her away from the Zhong Mansion, but after asking a few questions, Aunt Liu was unwilling.
After all, Aunt Liu was Tang Yirao's nanny. If she sent her away without any reason, she would be afraid of arousing suspicion, so we had to ask her not to worry about many things and just calm down.
Another day passed, and there were still Taoist priests coming and going in Fuyuan. However, in the afternoon, the Taoist priests and Zhong Heqing all left the mansion.
This time Jiu Ji didn't hesitate anymore and immediately went to the study.
She originally wanted to turn into her original body and go there, but her original body was more evil than her human body and she was afraid of attracting the attention of Taoist priests.
Nanny Liu didn't know where she was going. Jiu Ji secretly thought that it was just right, so she took a little maid and pretended to be strolling to the backyard.
When she arrived at the door of the study, she saw Stargazing.
Guanxing was a little surprised to see her approaching, "What are your orders, madam?"
Jiuji still said no, but this time she kept walking inward.
"I have nothing to do. I want to go into the study and read a book."
"This..." Guanxing became nervous, "Mr. Lang always takes care of business in his study, and he doesn't really like to be disturbed by others."
This was what Lang Jun meant. Since the last time Lang Jun saw his wife wandering at the door of the study, he immediately asked him to take her away and signaled his wife not to disturb her.
Obviously the man doesn't want his wife to come to his place.
But the lady seemed not to understand and said with a smile.
"Isn't he not here? I'm here to read a book, so I can't disturb him."
Stargazing was so told that he couldn't answer, and saw his wife striding into the study.
Study on the first floor.
Jiuji took a rough look around here and felt that the study was full of spiritual energy, especially in the small building. Under the breath of the book, it was full of spiritual energy spreading in the air.
Most of the places where spiritual energy gathers in the world are in mountains, forests, and lakes. Demons take form due to spiritual energy and rely on spiritual energy to survive in the world, so they often live in the hidden realms of these mountains, forests, and lakes.
It's just that in recent years, the spiritual energy in places where monsters gather has not been so abundant.
Jiu Ji thought that in this mortal city, the atmosphere of the mortal world was very strong, and the spiritual energy was naturally scarce. However, during the past few days when she went down the mountain to enter the mortal world, she only felt that there was a lot of scattered spiritual energy in the mortal world, and there were also abundant ones like the Zhongfu Study Room. land.
Jiuji couldn't help but take a few deep breaths.
Some of the beards on the sleeves' beards that were originally drooping began to stand out after she entered the small building, and most of the beards were straightened, and she was eager to go up to the second floor.
Jiuji secretly sensed something was going on and climbed up the stairs to the second floor.
The small study building has a total of two floors. The second floor is brighter than the first floor. There is a large book table between the rows of bookshelves. Jiu Ji glanced at it and saw that it was all related to the case in Zhong Heqing's hands.
Guanxing followed her closely, as if he was afraid that she would do anything.
Jiu Ji was not interested in the young minister's official affairs, but she also didn't want Guan Xing to follow him step by step.
She stopped and said, "I don't like to be disturbed by others when I'm reading. Just go down and stay at the door."
Stargazing was stunned. When his wife gave him a questioning look, he had no choice but to go downstairs.
After watching the stars from time to time, Jiuji used her hearing to hear that there was no one else in the study, so she shook her sleeves and shook out a thread dumpling.
The thread ball jumped up as soon as it fell in the air, and the stubbles were as excited as a civet cat smelling a mouse, scurrying between the bookshelves.
Jiuji followed Xu Chi as he wandered between the bookshelves. After walking a few steps, Xu Chi suddenly stopped and squeezed his furry ball into the gap between the two bookshelves.
But she couldn't squeeze in, as if she hit something and was ejected, hitting Jiuji's arm.
Jiuji's eyes lit up and she recited a spell.
In an instant, the spiritual energy in the room suddenly took shape, and a white mist seemed to appear, vaguely flowing around this gap.
Xu Chi jumped excitedly in front of the gap. Jiu Ji whispered another spell, and saw a pale yellow light emitting from the gap, like countless fireflies gathering here, and like the thin morning sunlight. One layer spreads out.
Xu Chi couldn't bear it anymore and hurriedly flew forward. He was a round ball and was submerged in the light, but he was bounced back just as he was half submerged.
The whiskers at the top seemed to be broken by a collision and could not be straightened for a while, while the whiskers at the back seemed to be mocking, with their branches trembling wildly.
Jiu Ji also smiled.
"The barrier has just been revealed and it hasn't been opened yet. Why are you so anxious?"
She sat down cross-legged.
Revealing the barrier is just a small plan, breaking the barrier and entering quietly is the big deal.
She crossed her legs and closed her eyes and recited a few spells. A layer of silver body-protecting aura appeared around her body, like armor. Xu Chi became smarter this time. Before closing, he got in and lay obediently on her arm.
As soon as the protective aura closed, Jiu Ji recited another spell, and at the same time drew a talisman in the void, and a blue-purple flame emerged from her fingertips.
The flames grew stronger and stronger as Jiuji slowly stood up, and then slowly moved forward as Jiuji stepped forward.
Just when the purple fire touched the pale yellow light emitted from the barrier, it burned in mid-air like fire meeting oil.
The glowing green-purple fire grew stronger and stronger, and a vertical fire ribbon nearly as tall as a man was opened out of thin air.
Jiuji was protected by silver energy and stepped into the fire belt.
The fire belt expanded, and after she entered, it suddenly closed, and the purple fire disappeared without a trace.
The study room was also empty.
*
Tokyo City, Outer City Pingjiaofang.
In the small, narrow courtyard, all the women couldn't help crying, while the men's eyes were red and veins appeared on their foreheads.
The yard was not big, and there were three layers of people inside and outside. Those who were crying, those who were angry, and those who were frightened were all crowded together, looking at the tall man in the middle.
Zhong Heqing was surrounded by a group of people.
"Mr. Du is the best private tutor in our village. He is one of the few good people in the world. Shaoqing must find out this case!"
"Yes, since Mr. Du's death, no one dares to stay on the street as long as the sun sets."
"Who dares to go out on the street casually? Mr. Du died in a strange way. It must be a monster killing someone. If Shaoqing can't make the decision for us, monsters will kill people randomly in Tokyo City from now on!"
Someone knelt down with tears streaming down her face. It was Mr. Du's old wife.
Zhong Heqing quickly went to help her, but the old woman knelt down and couldn't get up.
"Master Shaoqing, you must make the decision for us!"
... ...
That day, the woman's screams and shouts attracted everyone who was looking for her in the middle of the night.
As soon as everyone arrived, they found the old gentleman's body.
However, at first glance, they all fell to the ground in shock.
I saw the old gentleman's chest was full of bite marks and blood was flowing all over the floor, but his body was extremely cold in the dark night.
In mid-spring, the severe cold of winter has long ceased to exist, but within half a foot of the old man's body, condensation was as thick as nine cold days.
And on his pale face, in full view of everyone, ink appeared between his eyebrows. The black ink connected to his eyebrows and extended downward until a strange round black spell was printed on his entire face!
"ah--"
Everyone present screamed.
Some people thought of the woman who passed out beside her and shouted before she fainted.
"There are monsters, there are monsters... monsters are killing people!"
... ...
"Master Shaoqing wants to make the decision for us!"
Everyone knelt down.
People in Pingjiaofang were so panicked after this incident that even their children did not dare to cry in the middle of the night. They, the common people in the outer city, were not protected by people who knew magic like the dignitaries. The only person they could count on now was this person. The young Dali Temple Shaoqing was involved in this case.
I have long heard that this young minister is good at planning and making decisions, and his grandfather is a famous former minister of Dali Temple. However, he has been living among the people since he was a child. He grew up eating food from hundreds of families and wearing clothes from hundreds of families. He is well aware of the suffering of the people.
If they can't count on such a figure, no one will make decisions for ordinary people like them.
Everyone fell to their knees.
Zhong Heqing stood in the center of the crowd, and all he could see was that the people in the outer city were looking down in fear.
"Everyone, please get up quickly!"
He went to help people from left to right, but saw that the frightened people refused to get up.
Zhong Heqing pondered for a moment and straightened his voice.
"This case is very strange. Zhong knows that everyone is frightened, but since I have taken it, I must get to the bottom of it. Whether the murderer is a human or a demon, anyone who kills people will be punished. Dali Temple must We won’t let him go unpunished!”
Really loud.
As soon as he said this, everyone looked up, some couldn't help but shed tears, and everyone thanked him profusely.
However, several days passed, and there was not much progress in the case. Zhong Heqing quickly took advantage of this opportunity and asked his officials to question everyone again, detailing everything.
In the past, Dali Temple would not accept these cases involving monsters and ghosts.
Whenever local officials cannot handle such matters, they will ask local Taoists to report to the Department of Records, which will send special personnel to handle the matter. However, they will not notify the public of the final results like the yamen trial case, but will find a The excuse was put in plain sight so as not to shock the people.
But in recent years, there have been more and more strange cases, and the unexplained actions of the Daolu Division have made the people feel confused and frightened.
Therefore, when the private school teacher died on the street, it caused an uproar that night and shocked the whole palace.
The matter was such a big deal that the palace simply asked Dali Temple to take over the case. However, ordinary people would not dare to take on such a case. In the end, it was Zhong Heqing who took the responsibility.
Now that he has taken responsibility, he must find out. Just as he promised in the crowd just now, no matter whether the murderer is a human or a monster, he must be brought to justice.
For almost a whole day, people in Dali Temple were asking about the trivial details of the private school teacher's life.
It was not until noon that the questioning came to an end.
Zhong Heqing asked his clerk to transcribe all the results of the past few days' inquiries into a book, and also asked his clerk to copy several copies for him alone.
He took these paper pads back to Zhong Mansion, and when he entered the door, he saw Star Gazer who was sweating anxiously.
"What's the matter?" Zhong Heqing asked.
Stargazer stepped forward quickly.
"Mr. Sir, my wife has to go into the study today. She is still in the study in the backyard."
