Chapter 169: The Truth Was About to Surface!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As Qian Qiangyu entered the room, a profound silence fell upon the entire space, enveloping it in a stillness.
Wei Wenqiang was about to ask something when Qian Qiangyu leaned in gently towards Li Yidao, his voice tinged with sorrow and laced with traces of both resignation and longing.
“Is she… here?” he softly inquired.
The emotion in his voice seemed to carry a deep sense of sadness, and perhaps even a glimmer of affection, as discerned by his eyes.
This bold thought briefly stunned Li Yidao, who chose to observe in silence rather than respond immediately.
Qian Qiangyu seemed as though he had already figured out the answer and, without waiting for Li Yidao’s confirmation, he found a chair, sat down, and began sharing his experiences.
“I know she’s here. I can feel her presence,” he murmured. “She’s been my companion through countless nights, and I’m so familiar with her. I can sense her aura whenever she’s close.”
As he spoke, Qian Qiangyu seemed to exhale, his eyes transitioning from tension to a calm serenity, bearing a touch of relief.
To Li Yidao’s surprise, the spectral bride hovering in the air underwent a gradual transformation.
Her gaze suggested that she was revisiting past memories, and then it shifted to Qian Qiangyu, revealing a gaze that was complex, yet somewhat reminiscent and tender.
“You can see her, can’t you?” Qian Qiangyu asked, his eyes filled with hope.
Li Yidao contemplated for a moment before nodding. Displaying his unique abilities might encourage Qian Qiangyu to share what he knew.
“I was sure of it. I was sure she must exist! Haha,” Qian Qiangyu exclaimed with an almost ecstatic touch.
“Haha! She does exist! Haha!”
After more than a minute, he composed himself and took a painting from his pocket.
“Is she… like this?”
As Li Yidao gazed at the image on the painting, he nodded thoughtfully.
At this point, many of his earlier suspicions had been substantiated.
Qian Qiangyu, on the other hand, had finally received the confirmation he had been seeking, visibly exhaling and easing the tension that had gripped him.
He then proceeded to explain, “The inkstone… it wasn’t left behind when I purchased the house. I placed it in my study later on.”
“I’ve mentioned this before, but there was one time when I overindulged and ended up asleep in my study, using the painting as a blanket and the inkstone as a pillow.”
“In reality, though, it didn’t happen like that. While I indeed fell asleep in the study with the painting covering me, the inkstone was not there at the time.”
Qian Qiangyu chuckled ruefully, saying, “I used to have recurring nightmares every night, so eventually, I sought the help of many people to resolve this issue.”
“However, no matter how much money I spent or how many people I consulted, no one could solve this bizarre occurrence.”
“What frightened me the most was that I couldn’t get rid of this painting! I couldn’t burn it either!”
“I don’t know how many times I threw it away or burned it, but every time I woke up the next day, it would mysteriously reappear beside me.” “Or it would appear on a path I was taking or within a building I visited!”
“In short, this painting… it was indestructible!”
At this point, Qian Qiangyu’s eyes no longer reflected fear, but there was a palpable sense of trepidation etched across his face.
He continued, “Later, with the guidance of a friend online, I found an old man who gave me this inkstone.”
“The old man told me that the inkstone was called the ‘Soulbinding Seal’ and could seal away mysterious entities.”
“As long as I chanted the incantation he provided, I could seal whatever caused my nightmares.”
“But this thing had one drawback: it needed to be kept in a suitable place to maintain its effect.
Li Yidao frowned and asked, “For instance, a study imbued with scholarly ambience?”
With a wry smile, Qian Qiangyu confirmed, “Yes, that’s why I always kept it in the study.”
“But… what I never could have imagined was that it got chipped when a housemaid was cleaning the room.”
At this point, Qian Qiangyu didn’t elaborate further, but his meaning was crystal clear.
The inkstone had been damaged, and therefore, the seal had been broken. This, in turn, meant that the spectral bride had returned.
At this moment, Qian Qiangyu had evidently reached a point of no return, as he divulged everything without reservation.
Li Yidao could tell from his eyes and words that what he was saying was the unvarnished truth.
However, Wei Wenqiang, who was listening, seemed taken aback.
Furrowing his brow, he asked incredulously, “Are you saying that the inkstone was already chipped when you sold me the house?”
Qian Qiangyu glanced at Wei Wenqiang, his expression lacking any sign of remorse. He simply nodded faintly.
This left Wei Wenqiang utterly baffled. He involuntarily cast a glance at Li Yidao, who also couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
Observing Qian Qiangyu’s inquiry, he asked, “So, after your housemaid broke the inkstone, did you have it repaired?”
Qian Qiangyu shook his head directly.
“No, there was no need. The person who gave me the inkstone warned me that it must never be damaged. If it were to break, the sealed entity inside would be released. And when it did, there would certainly be great trouble. If it ever came to that, he told me the best thing I could do was to keep as far away as possible.”
His response prompted a puzzled expression from Li Yidao, who then shifted his gaze to Wei Wenqiang.
“Are you certain that, before your housemaid passed away from a heart attack, the inkstone was intact?”
Wei Wenqiang, the one being questioned, nodded firmly.
“Yes, I can confirm that, as I had specifically examined the inkstone previously. I also used it. Furthermore, when I discovered the housemaid’s body, I was at home, and I distinctly remember that the inkstone had just been chipped.”
“At the time, I even saw the missing piece.”
Wei Wenqiang’s tone was quite resolute.
Yet Qian Qiangyu appeared incredulous, exclaiming, “Impossible! How could this be? The inkstone was never repaired after it was chipped. I simply sold the house to you afterward, and no one tampered with anything inside the study.” “In fact, I locked up the study immediately after that, and only I had the key.”
At that moment, Li Yidao was also taken aback, his expression gradually growing more serious.
If neither of them was lying, there was another possible explanation.
This suggested the involvement of a third person or perhaps another organization in this enigma.
It even raised the intriguing prospect that they might be the ones responsible for the current situation.
This realization added another layer of complexity to the puzzle.
The bride in her wedding gown, the sealed inkstone, the enigmatic scroll, and an unknown faction—what untold stories lay beneath the surface?
Li Yidao immediately dismissed the notion that this might be a deliberate plot against him.
After all, this matter had been unfolding over several years.
Could it be that the other party had been laying the groundwork for years?
Then, what was the hidden hand behind all this for?
He couldn’t help but wonder if the old man was involved. This possibility shook Li Yidao to his core—the old man?
He couldn’t deny this possibility..
The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on fr(e)𝒆webnov(e)l.com