Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The county office in Feng County was not far from the inn where we were staying. Despite the rain making the roads difficult to navigate, we arrived quickly.
The county office was a standard building, much like those depicted on television. Outside, there was a drum for announcing grievances, and inside hung a plaque that read "Clear Mirror Hanging." At this late hour, there was no one around; the intimidating staffs were propped against the wall in the lobby, alongside signs that read "Mighty" and "Silence," creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a movie set.
The body lay in the center of the lobby. Captain Hu had us sit on some chairs while he hurried off to the inner courtyard. Before long, Captain Hu returned with someone who walked briskly out. Upon seeing us, the man greeted us with a respectful bow.
"I am Ge Qing Song, the magistrate of Feng County. I apologize for not welcoming you properly upon your arrival."
Ge Qing Song was dressed in plain clothes and appeared to be in his thirties. He lacked the typical rotundity associated with officials and instead stood tall and composed. His speech was straightforward, devoid of any bureaucratic jargon.
Meeting this County Magistrate and Captain Hu elevated my impression of Feng County significantly. It seemed that the local officials were quite capable!
Ge Qing Song explained that Feng County bordered Yichuan County, making interactions between the two magistrates quite necessary. Nie Qiuyuan stood up, returned the greeting, and briefly introduced us while exchanging pleasantries.
In the meantime, the coroner had been summoned. Ge Qing Song gestured for them to begin the examination but hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have arranged accommodations for Lord Nie's party. Would it be better to escort the two young ladies back to rest? After all, there is a dead person here, which is rather ominous."
I stood gently behind Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun, feeling anxious inside. If we were sent back now, we would miss seeing the results of the autopsy!
Qiu glanced at us and then at the coroner before suddenly saying, "Thank you, my lord. Please have someone take them downstairs."
This time he was completely lacking in understanding. I turned around to see that the coroner had already begun to remove the corpse's clothing.
After all, it was a man who had died; it was only normal for him to ask us to step aside.
Melan and I exchanged polite farewells. I felt conflicted but had no choice; I quietly called out to my ally when I had a chance:
"Night, are you there? What’s happening? You need to pay close attention and tell me later!"
But this time, Night Phantom failed to respond.
The guest room in Feng County's inner courtyard was simply furnished but very clean, making it comfortable enough to stay in. I lay on the bed, tossing and turning without being able to sleep; my mind was filled with ghost stories.
Midnight passed. Normally, midnight is when spirits appear at night, but he did not come. I squirmed on the bed for half an hour more, yet he still did not show up.
Where could he be? Did he not hear me calling him? Or was there something else going on?
A sense of inexplicable unease lingered within me.
Outside the window, a faint light flickered.
"Night?" I felt a surge of joy in my heart as I rolled out of bed and pushed the window open to look outside.
The rain had stopped, and the night breeze, carrying the fresh scent of damp earth, rushed towards me.
Yet my heart froze for a moment, halting its rhythm.
A dimly lit Pink Lantern floated gently towards the left side of my window, drifting into the garden in no time.
I inhaled sharply. That looked like a Peony Lantern!
I rubbed my eyes vigorously, but the lantern had vanished. In my shock, I hadn’t clearly seen whether it had flown by itself or if someone was holding it. It should have been floating on its own, right? I felt uncertain for a moment.
But this Peony Lantern must be connected to the case!
I grabbed the dagger from the nightstand and tucked it into my clothes before heading to knock on Han Meilan's door.
I wasn't sure why my first instinct was to knock on her door. Perhaps it was because she was a woman, making it easier to approach her. Or maybe I sensed that she would blush and agree to anything I asked, making her easy to manipulate. In any case, I knocked hard on her door, but she was not there!
What could a woman be doing at this Late at Night?
Then I found myself at a loss for whose door to knock next.
We had both returned early last night, and I didn’t know which room Nie Qiuyuan and the others were in. Besides, I didn’t want them to know about my interest in the case.
Suddenly, I realized how dependent I felt on the presence of night.
But one clue... it was so tangled! And mainly, that ghostly lantern... it was just too frightening!
I hesitated for twenty seconds before finally calling out in the hallway, "Brother Luo! Where are you?"
No one answered me. In fact, the surroundings were eerily silent, devoid of any signs of human presence.
I suddenly fell into a sense of apocalyptic despair. When I woke up, it felt as if I was the only living person left in the world, along with some cockroaches. Perhaps in the next moment, those familiar faces would appear before me, each holding a pink lantern. But upon closer inspection, I realized—none of them had feet!
I shook my head vigorously, trying to suppress what could only be described as an excess of imagination for a detective. Everyone had vanished; rationally thinking, what should I do now?
I touched the dagger hidden in my clothing and gritted my teeth, quietly making my way toward the garden where the Peony Lantern had disappeared.
The night was cool as water, and the ground was slightly muddy. There were no stars or moon; the surroundings were frighteningly dark.
I could hear my heartbeat clearly. A faint scent of grass and wood wafted from the garden, and in the center stood a pavilion, where a dim light flickered.
The light was a warm yellow, not the terrifying pale pink of the Peony Lantern, which made my heart settle back down. I quietly approached the pavilion, understanding in my heart the feeling of a moth drawn to a flame.
Inside the pavilion hung a bright lantern—an ordinary lamp with decent brightness. A person sat at a stone table, fiddling with something.
It was a man—a young man—who had legs and feet; he was a living person!
The man appeared to be in his twenties, dressed in a simple azure robe. His hair was casually tied back, with a few stray strands falling forward, adding an alluring charm to his appearance.
I could only see his profile, but even that was stunningly handsome.
His looks were not inferior to Nie Qiuyuan's. While Autumn exuded a stable and dignified beauty tinged with a hint of aloofness, this man wore an unintentional smile at the corners of his lips even while focused on his task, warm like a spring breeze in March.
He was deeply engrossed in whatever he held in his hands; that kind of concentration was mysterious and charming. I found myself captivated for a moment because I always thought that men who were seriously focused on their work were incredibly attractive. But when I finally saw what he was holding, I was taken aback.
***Chang'an Evening News Breaking News***
Reporter Fungus: Hello everyone, I am Reporter Fungus, a new staff member at Chang'an Evening News. Today's news content is an exclusive interview. Sister Liu Ying, hello.
Ye Liuhui: Hello.
Reporter Fungus: With the author absent, no one is trying to torment you; you must be living quite comfortably and freely now?
Ye Liuhui: Hi, don't even mention it! That detestable Author should just go die!
Reporter Fungus: Oh? What happened to make you so furious?
Ye Liuhui: She! Before leaving, she was writing a rather urgent scene, and then she came up with a ridiculous plot twist where a guy suddenly tackled me to the ground. Then she just pushed her notebook aside and went off for training!
Reporter Fungus: Ah?
Ye Liuhui: So that guy was on top of me for a full three minutes!
Reporter Fungus: (Pfft~! No, hold it in, professional ethics...) Well... if it were a handsome guy, being like that for a lifetime wouldn't be too bad!
Ye Liuhui: You think it's great? You try it! After three minutes, he didn't change his position at all. If it were you, you'd feel like killing someone too!
Reporter Fungus: True... But if you killed Author, you'd never get up again!
Ye Liuhui: Oh right. Author, hurry up and come out, write faster, finish this scene before you go die!
Reporter Fungus: Ahem... So who is this man? Let's look forward to this brand new scene titled “The Most Ferocious Tackle” together...
Comment 0 Comment Count