Chapter 139 – Ghostly Shadows In The Buddha Hall
“Nobody is there!” Wei Qiufu shouted angrily in a low voice, but she couldn’t help but become nervous. She had been thinking about killing Wei Yuewu secretly. Now, she calmed down and realized that the lights she saw were all eternal lamps. Moreover, most of these eternal lamps were dimmed, and only a few of them were burning, sending off ghostly shadows.
She was after all an unmarried young aristocratic lady who had long lived in her boudoir and had never experienced this before. Now, cold sweat began to run down her cheeks.
Although she scolded Ming Yan, she was so frightened that she started to tremble slightly.
“Ah!” It wasn’t Ming Yan this time. Instead, it was Wei Qiufu herself who was shocked. But before she could see it clearly, she felt a blow on her head. Her eyes darkened, and she almost fainted. She subconsciously pulled the curtain near her, trying to stabilize herself. However, she exerted so much force that a large piece of the curtain was pulled off, wrapping around her head and feet.
Before Ming Yan could even scream, she was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground.
“Fourth Younger Sister, hello!” In the darkness, Wei Qiufu seemed to hear Wei Yan’s voice and couldn’t help but be shocked. Even her struggling hands stopped moving.
Why was Wei Yan here? She was completely at a loss!
“Second… Second Elder Sister?” Wei Qiufu said, trembling with fear.
“Fourth Younger Sister, you’re setting me up!” Wei Yan’s voice seemed to be right beside her ears. Wei Qiufu was covered by the curtain, and now she could only tremble. She couldn’t even maintain a clear mind. In such a scene, not to mention an unmarried young aristocratic lady who had long lived in her boudoir, even those young masters from aristocratic families might not be able to maintain their composure.
“Second… Second Elder Sister, I didn’t!” Wei Qiufu said in panic.
“Fourth Younger Sister, you are the one who collaborated with Marquis Jing Yuan to harm Wei Yuewu, right? Why did you let me take the blame for this? Fourth Younger Sister, your heart is so ruthless!”
The voice was faint in the darkness, but it was the secret in Wei Qiufu’s heart. Wei Qiufu’s entire body seemed to have been pulled out of the water. No one knew about this, and Wei Yan could not have known about it. This… This was not Wei Yan.
“You… you’re not Second Elder Sister, who… are you?” She managed to reply with an effort.
“Fourth Younger Sister, of course I’m your Second Elder Sister. Perhaps when I am conscious, I don’t know about the matter between you and Marquis Jing Yuan. But now, it’s different. This is a Buddha hall. The Buddha hall took my soul here to confront you.”
Wei Yan’s voice was erratic. “Fourth Younger Sister, it has nothing to do with me if you and Marquis Jing Yuan plotted against Wei Yuewu, but why did you plot against me as well? You have made me end up in such a miserable situation, shouldn’t I come to seek justice from you?”
“No… no, it has nothing to do with me. It’s all Marquis Jing Yuan’s idea. It has nothing to do with me at all.” Wei Qiufu screamed almost out of control. Her hand that was entangled by the curtain powerlessly moved a few times in the air, as if she wanted to grab something that could support her.
Wei Yuewu held Shufei’s hand and stood behind a pillar. A dark light flashed through the corner of her eyes. She had always suspected that Wei Qiufu had played a big role in the assassination that almost took her life. She never expected that she had an unknown relationship with Mo Huating.
Since that’s the case, let’s hope that you wouldn’t cry too awfully later. As to that qin score, even if you didn’t want to play, you had no choice…
“Wei Yuewu isn’t dead, and the marriage contract was cancelled. So Marquis Jing Yuan wants to marry you, my Fourth Elder Sister. Alas! I’m still so infatuated with Marquis Jing Yuan like a fool.” Wei Yuewu imitated Wei Yan and spoke with a sharp voice. “Actually, I’m very curious. Marquis Jing Yuan can ask to cancel the marriage contract even if Sixth Younger Sister is alive. Why did you have to take Wei Yuewu’s life? Fourth Younger Sister, please explain it clearly to me in front of all the deities and Buddhas in the sky today!”
“It… it’s Marquis Jing Yuan’s idea. He… he has found a big secret, a big secret related to Wei Yuewu. Second Elder Sister, this matter really has nothing to do with me. Marquis Jing Yuan did not tell me, and he has always wanted to marry you, Second Elder Sister! It has nothing to do with me!”
“A big secret?” In the darkness, Wei Yuewu’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yes… it’s a secret, but… but I don’t know what it is. Second Elder Sister, I really didn’t harm you. It was Wei Yuewu, Second Elder Sister, Second Elder Sister…” Wei Qiufu explained incoherently. Her hand actually pulled off the curtain covering her face.
Jin Ling, who had been guarding at the side, came over and hit her in the back of her head, instantly knocking her unconscious.
The Buddha hall quieted down. Wei Yuewu let go of Shufei’s hand and slowly walked over. She squatted down and picked up the handkerchief that Wei Qiufu had dropped on the ground.
One corner of the handkerchief was embroidered with a hibiscus flower…
“Miss, let’s hurry up and leave. When I was outside a moment ago, I saw a long queue of lamps in the backyard, as if people were searching something.” Jin Ling said anxiously. She had specially jumped onto the treetop to take a look. It was the location of the courtyard where the aristocratic young ladies lived.
The ones holding the lamps and torches were actually a group of male guards!
Wei Yuewu pondered for a moment and then said, “Take the small path and go back immediately!”
Sure enough, after the slaughter in the forest, that Heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu must have discovered something!
Fortunately, she was also prepared, so she naturally had to hurry up and leave.
When the hall quieted down, a small door at the back of the hall opened silently. An old nun walked out and looked at the Buddha hall where only a few lamps were left burning. She then looked in the direction Wei Yuewu in which had left. She was lost in her thoughts for a while, and then walked to Marquise Hua Yang’s eternal lamp.
The lamp was one of the few that were still on.
She reached out and rearranged the bowls of offerings in front of her according to her habits. She muttered a few words in a low voice. In the dim hall, the voice sounded both empty and strange. Then, the nun walked to Wei Qiufu who lay on the ground unconscious and looked down at her. She ignored her and turned around to leave…
“Miss, you’re back!” In the last guest courtyard, Huamo was anxiously walking around in the room. She heard a knock on the door and hurriedly opened the door. When she saw Jin Ling and Shufei following Wei Yuewu in, she closed the door and finally felt relieved.
“What’s going on?” Wei Yuewu asked as she walked into the room.
“I have inquired about it. It was said that the Heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu encountered a female thief. He is now searching the courtyards one by one accompanied by the nurse-in-charge serving the Fourth Princess.”
A thief? Moreover, it was a female thief. Wei Yuewu sneered and instructed Huamo, “Go prepare bath water for me.”
She had walked along a secluded path across the plum forest. Not only did she smell of plum blossom, her dress was also torn in several places. Her current appearance would definitely make people believe that she was in the depths of the plum forest at that time.
At that time, an assassination was taking place in the depths of the plum forest.
Wei Yuewu didn’t know how Lu Yeli knew there were other people in the plum forest at that time. However, she could tell that Lu Yeli didn’t know who she was. It was possible that when Yan Huaijing brought her down the tree, Lu Yeli’s people saw them from afar, but they weren’t sure who she was. That was why they were searching the courtyards.
“Yes, I have already prepared hot water.” Huamo nodded.
Huamo and Shufei helped Wei Yuewu wash and change her clothes, while Jin Ling stayed in the courtyard.
In less than fifteen minutes, the lamps and torches had already arrived in front of Wei Yuewu’s courtyard. Lu Yeli held his hands behind his back and nodded to the guards on the side, who went forward and knocked on the door forcefully.
Jin Ling opened the door with a confused expression on her face, as if she did not know what had happened. “You…”
She looked at the guards, then her gaze fell on Lu Yeli’s face before she hurriedly bowed to greet him, “Greetings, Your Heir-apparent.”
“Where’s your Miss? Ask her to come out.” Lu Yeli walked forward with his hands behind his back and examined Jin Ling.
After all, this was the courtyard where a young aristocratic lady lived, so Lu Yeli could not rush in with a large group of male guards.
Jin Ling hesitated for a moment. She didn’t know whether Wei Yuewu had finished washing up or not. “Our Miss went out earlier, and she has just been back and is having a rest. At this time…”
“What can I do for Your Heir-apparent?” The door of the main room suddenly opened. Wei Yuewu, who was dressed neatly, held Shufei’s hand and stood under the porch. Her black hair was still stained with water vapor and was casually held by a hairpin. Anyone could tell that she had just taken a bath and had not had time to dry her hair yet.
There were also traces of water on her exquisite little face, which looked exceedingly attractive and as white and tender as snow. Her pitch-black long eyelids flapped twice, staring at the crowd at the door in astonishment. Apparently, she didn’t understand what was going on.
“When did Sixth Miss Wei come back?” Lu Yeli’s eyes darkened, but he asked calmly.
“It should be about two hours since I came back, right? I fell asleep for a while, didn’t I, Jin Ling?” Wei Yuewu frowned slightly. It seemed that even she herself could not determine the time. However, if she did take a nap for a while, it was true that she really did not know for how long she had been back.
“Miss, you’ve been asleep for a while. It should be two hours since you came back.” Jin Ling replied.
Lu Yeli’s gaze landed on Wei Yuewu’s dress. The dress was new, so he really couldn’t see anything. His guard only said that he saw Yan Huaijing carrying a woman down from afar. However, he didn’t dare to approach because he was afraid of being discovered by Yan Huaijing’s people. It was too far away, and the sky had darkened at that time. Therefore, he couldn’t see the woman’s dress clearly.
She only knew that Yan Huaijing and that woman were very close.
This reminded Lu Yeli of the scene when he first met this Sixth Miss Wei. Was there really an intimate relationship between Sixth Miss Wei and Yan Huaijing?
Could that woman be this Sixth Miss Wei in front of him?
But how could Yan Huaijing be the kind of person who would reveal his emotions? How could he expose his shortcomings and allow others to detect his intentions so easily…
For a while, Lu Yeli was filled with countless thoughts. He only stared fixedly at Wei Yuewu, but did not say anything. The atmosphere in the entire courtyard inexplicably became strange.
Wei Yuewu wasn’t in a hurry. She allowed Lu Yeli to look her up and down. It seemed that Lu Yeli had indeed not seen her appearance clearly at that time. Otherwise, he would not be so hesitant now.
“Your Heir-apparent!” A guard hurriedly came over from behind and whispered a few words into Lu Yeli’s ear. Lu Yeli’s expression changed slightly and he withdrew his gaze from Wei Yuewu. Then he said indifferently, “I have come recklessly and disturbed the Sixth Young Lady. Please forgive me for any inconvenience caused by me.”
After saying that, he cupped his hands, turned around and strode away.
The Fourth Princess’ nurse-in-charge also came forward. She handed Jin Ling a red envelope and said smilingly, “Heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu encountered a female thief. The Fourth Princess feared that the thief might escape to the courtyards of the young ladies and disturb you. That’s why she asked the heir-apparent to bring his people to search the courtyards. If you find anything unusual, immediately report it to our Fourth Princess. Her Highness will definitely reward you generously.”
“Yes, I know.” Jin Ling took the red envelope and bowed respectfully. This was the money that the Fourth Princess gave her Miss for being disturbed by the search, and there was no need for her to pretend modesty and decline.
After everyone had left, the maids once again followed Wei Yuewu into the room. They immediately removed her hairpin and helped dry her hair.
“Miss, did the Heir-apparent of the Duke of Lu discover anything?” Shufei was surprised by Lu Yeli’s actions. Normally, since he had come over with such a big fanfare, he should at least ask a few more questions before leaving. It was bizarre for him to leave in such a hurry.
“Wei Qiufu was discovered.” In the makeup mirror, Wei Yuewu’s lips curled into a wisp of coldness as she said with an indifferent expression in her eyes.
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