Qin Guan frowned and immediately crouched down.
A moment later, she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, vigorously wiped the sharp edge of a small stone, and upon examining the cloth, found a smear of crimson blood.
Her expression instantly turned grave.
It had snowed earlier, and although the snow was thin here, all traces had been covered. Rising to her feet, Qin Guan lowered her gaze and scanned the area—aside from the bloodstain on the small stone, nothing else was discernible. She turned and surveyed the surroundings.
This was deep within the plum grove, where cobblestone paths crisscrossed, and the bamboo forest and pavilion complemented each other, forming a picturesque scene. Qin Guan circled from the bamboo grove to the front of the pavilion, looked up, and saw the characters "Tao Ran." Who had met Lu Jingcheng here in the dead of night?
For a moment, Qin Guan couldn't figure it out. Lost in thought, she suddenly caught a flicker of movement behind the bamboo grove.
She frowned sharply, "Who's there?!"
At her shout, Bai Feng also turned toward the bamboo grove and immediately darted behind it. Qin Guan, accompanied by Fuling and a few others, followed.
"Who are you?!"
Rounding the bamboo grove, Qin Guan spotted an elderly servant dressed in gray robes.
The man clearly appeared to be a servant of the estate, yet his presence here was puzzling. Restrained by Bai Feng, he seemed extremely tense. When he saw Qin Guan, his expression shifted between shock and guilt. Qin Guan sensed something amiss and demanded, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The old servant bowed his head, sweat instantly beading on his forehead. "This humble one... is called Lu Suiyong, the... gardener of this estate..."
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. Earlier, before her arrival, she had sent people to inspect the area. The snow hadn't stopped, and the wind was biting cold, so no visitors or even gardeners should have been present. How had this man suddenly appeared?!
"Why are you here?"
Lu Suiyong wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "This old servant... wanted to check how the plum blossoms in the garden were faring."
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes further. "If you don't speak the truth, I'll take you to see Madam Lu. You know her temperament."
Lu Suiyong glanced at Qin Guan again, who responded with a cold smile. "You need not know who I am. Since I can move freely here, I am a guest honored by Madam Lu. If I accuse you of trespassing and spying on me, how do you think Madam Lu would treat you?!"
Qin Guan refrained from mentioning her aunt, her tone dripping with condescending authority. Lu Suiyong, already suspicious of her identity, believed her words eighty percent. Lu You Xin ruled her household with strict discipline, especially in the presence of external guests, never tolerating any breach of the Lu family's decorum. Hearing this, Lu Suiyong's legs buckled, and he knelt in the snow.
"This old servant... came because something strange happened in the garden. I meant no disrespect toward you, young lady. Please spare this old servant's life!"
Lu Suiyong kowtowed and pleaded for mercy, his fear unmistakably genuine. Qin Guan studied him for a moment before suddenly remarking, "Not only has a murder occurred in your estate, but there are other strange happenings? Tell me what you know!"
Though terrified of Lu You Xin, Lu Suiyong remained a loyal servant of the Lu family and hastily clarified, "No, no, young lady misunderstands. What happened in our estate is not a murder case..."Qin Guan then said with a cold expression, "There's no need to hide it from me. I know that the fourth young master of your household was murdered. Given my status, Madam Lu wouldn't dare conceal this from me."
Upon hearing this, Lu Suiyong broke into a cold sweat, realizing that Qin Guan might hold an extraordinary status—if so, she would be even more formidable than Lu You Xin!
Swallowing hard, Lu Suiyong stammered, "Our fourth young master... wasn't murdered... he... he was merely haunted by an Evil Spirit..."
Qin Guan frowned immediately. "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Suiyong glanced up at Qin Guan, shrinking his neck nervously. "This... this garden has seen deaths before... Seven or eight nights ago... when this old servant went out late at night... I saw the fourth young master enter the plum grove alone. Not long after, he emerged laughing heartily..."
Thinking further, Lu Suiyong added, "And... half a month ago, one night... the fourth young master also entered the Plum Garden alone. In less than half an hour, he came out chuckling again. This plum grove is usually guarded only by this old servant. For the fourth young master to enter... it must... must be that he was ensnared by a Vixenish Evil Spirit!"
Qin Guan found these superstitious claims utterly absurd, yet observing Lu Suiyong's demeanor, she knew he wasn't lying!
Lu Jingcheng certainly couldn't have been haunted by an Evil Spirit. It was far more likely... he had been meeting someone here every few days, and that person was the one who killed Lu Jingcheng.
Qin Guan's brow furrowed deeply. She had come here seeking clues, and though she hadn't found any leads, encountering this man was an unexpected gain. Feigning shock and doubt, she asked, "Why do you assume there's something evil in this garden?"
Lu Suiyong widened his eyes. "The fourth young master was notorious for his lustful nature. Coming here at night and leaving in the dead of night—isn't that just like the tales of being haunted by evil spirits in storybooks? Because... because this old servant later went to check once and found not a single soul, nor any woman in the garden..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Guan's frown deepened slightly...
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