Immortalis

Corpse Demon Eight

When Cao Zhao received Shen Qingshi's letter, he was already in Yongyi.

Disguised after swapping outfits with the Ya Zi Envoy Tu Yuanliang, they sat on the second floor of a tavern. The secret message Shen Qingshi had covertly sent to the Yongyi County Office was directly intercepted and delivered to them.

"Why didn't you inform her of our arrival?"

The Northern Brightening Division Ya Zi Envoy was notorious for his ferocity. Originally, like his sister Tu Yuanyan, he had been born with delicate features. Unfortunately, fifteen years ago, while fighting for Prince Qi, Tu Yuanliang suffered a slash to his face, leaving him disfigured. Coupled with years spent in the Zhaoming Division, where he skinned and boned prisoners without batting an eye, he gradually earned the fearsome nickname "Tu the Blade."

After reading the secret letter, Cao Zhao chuckled. "Lord Tu, Qingshi may not necessarily want to see you."

Tu Yuanliang snorted coldly. Though hot-tempered, he was not entirely devoid of social awareness. He knew that Consort Hui hailed from the Northern Desert, and at this critical juncture, with unrest beyond the borders, the Emperor could not allow her to bear a royal heir. Thus, he had deliberately used the willful Tu Yuanyan to sabotage the pregnancy, causing Consort Hui to miscarry, and then assigned Shen Qingshi to investigate—clearly intending for Shen Qingshi to leave the imperial harem and venture into the martial world.

Perhaps this had been prearranged all along... destined from the moment Shen Qingshi entered the palace.

Both he and his sister were merely pawns of the Emperor and Cao Zhao.

Tu Yuanliang said coldly, "I wasn't the one who schemed against her."

Cao Zhao neither confirmed nor denied, simply smiling as he handed over the letter. "Lord Tu, we're in luck—there's an unexpected bonus."

After reading the letter, Tu Yuanliang's perpetually furrowed brow tightened further. "What connection does Hu Rui have with Handkerchief Street, to die here?"

In the letter, Shen Qingshi reported that Hu Rui's corpse had been discarded in the Meat Well outside the city. It was unclear how long he had been dead, but based on physical characteristics and the jade pendant he wore, it was undoubtedly Hu Rui himself.

Once again, the body had been discovered by Shen Qingshi.

Cao Zhao recalled how, earlier at the Hero's Tomb, Zhou Jinglei's corpse had also been deliberately left in a Meat Well, intended to be found someday to help Yang Ye execute his Cicada Molt escape.

However, the Meat Well was no place an ordinary person could descend into. Even Yang Ye had relied on mechanisms to transport the body. Only Shen Qingshi, with her unique constitution, could explore its depths.

Truly, she was different.

A deeper smile spread across Cao Zhao's face. He knew his gamble had paid off.

According to palace records, the Northern Xiang had excavated these Meat Wells to seek the Underground Heaven and commune with spirits for two reasons: to glimpse the secrets of fate and national fortune, and to pursue the Path of Longevity.

After all, it was during the natural disaster at the end of the Crimson Gold era that the Northern Desert people, through fissures in the earth, foresaw the fall of Crimson Gold. They spent three years training the Northern Desert Iron Cavalry, who could fight regardless of life or death. Simultaneously, Zhao Jian attained the art of longevity deep underground and authored the Longevity Heart Sutra, which could transform one's body and spirit, leading to immortality.

In other words, the Longevity Heart Sutra and the Underground Heaven beneath the Meat Wells shared the same origin. It was likely for this reason that Shen Qingshi, the Flesh Conduit who had survived being force-fed countless poisons by the Old Palace Master Guanri, remained unaffected by the illusions in the Meat Well and could enter the Underground Heaven.

To achieve longevity, one must first qualify to enter the depths. The so-called Cicada Molt might not only replenish blood and qi but also serve as a miraculous medicine granting the "ability to commune with the heavens."Just as he had considered when investigating Shen Qingshi's background years ago, releasing her into the jianghu one day to let this once-lost Flesh Conduit reappear would indeed lure out a big fish.

Cao Zhao smiled and said, "Qingshi wrote in her letter that Hu Rui did not die by jumping into the well but was stabbed to death with a knife. Both you and I know that Minister Hu’s son had practiced martial arts since childhood. Whoever could do this to him was certainly no ordinary person."

Tu Yuanliang naturally understood his meaning and said coldly, "There’s something sinister about Hu Rui’s death."

Cao Zhao took a sip of tea, also finding the matter quite intriguing. According to Shen Qingshi, the Meat Well outside Yongyi was straight up and down—if a body were casually thrown in, it would fall deep into the abyss and never be found again.

Yet Hu Rui’s body was placed on the intermediate platform. Although ordinary people would lose their senses upon entering the Meat Well, this varied from person to person. That platform was originally a resting spot for the miners who excavated the Meat Well, meaning that if someone wanted to avoid attention, leaving the body there was not entirely foolproof.

Could it be, like Zhou Jinglei’s body, that it was intentionally placed there?

Before Cao Zhao could figure this out, he heard Tu Yuanliang say, "Speaking of which, he came here to look for someone, didn’t he?"

Over the years, they had investigated the Minister of Works at least three or four times, and each time, they circled back to the marriage contract between Hu Rui and Zhao Lu'er, the daughter of the traitor Zhao Xinyuan.

Fifteen years ago, Zhao Xinyuan was the Minister of Personnel but was executed by the later Emperor Yongzhao for choosing the opposite side from Hu Lian during Prince Qi’s uprising. At the time, the seven-year-old Zhao Lu'er was sent to the Imperial Entertainment Bureau along with all the female members of her family.

For ordinary women, entering the Imperial Entertainment Bureau meant only one fate. Thus, from the day Zhao Lu'er became an Official Courtesan, the marriage contract between the Hu and Zhao families had become void.

However, Zhao Lu'er and Hu Rui, the youngest son of the Hu family, had been childhood sweethearts. Over the years, Hu Rui never forgot Zhao Lu'er. As he grew older, he even refused Hu Lian’s attempts to arrange another marriage for him, often shutting himself in his room, staring obsessively at a hidden portrait of Zhao Lu'er.

Then, one day, Hu Rui suddenly disappeared from the residence. Perhaps already heartbroken by this rebellious son, Hu Lian did not even search for him, leaving Hu Rui’s whereabouts unknown and occasionally being impeached for it.

Tu Yuanliang said, "When Hu Rui disappeared, Zhao Lu'er should have been fourteen years old and had been in the Imperial Entertainment Bureau for seven years. However, Feng Luan of the Imperial Entertainment Bureau had accepted bribes and sold Zhao Lu'er into the market when she was eleven, and this was only discovered after Hu Rui’s disappearance. I personally interrogated Feng Luan that day. Besides Zhao Lu'er, he had sold eleven other girls. I ordered a search of all the brothels in the capital but never found her."

In the past, it wasn’t unusual for Official Courtesans to be sold into the market if enough silver was paid, but those sold were usually ordinary courtesans with average looks and not from families of convicted officials. The Zhaoming Division typically didn’t intervene.

However, Zhao Lu'er had been beautiful and talented since childhood, skilled in singing and dancing, and was the daughter of a traitor. Selling her was an exceptionally bold move by Feng Luan. He suffered greatly in the Zhaoming Division but ultimately revealed nothing. Subsequently, the Ya Zi and Bi An divisions arrested several people, but by then, Zhao Lu'er had already been transferred to others, leaving no trace. It was unknown whether she was even alive."Zhao Lu'er was born into a lowly status, even if she entered the marketplace she couldn't redeem herself. Could it be that in the end, she was actually sold to this Handkerchief Lane?"

This cold case had unexpectedly gained new leads, putting Cao Zhao in high spirits. He took out paper and brush to reply to Shen Qingshi, adding: "Lord Hu's case has been weighing on His Majesty's mind as well, but it appears now that Hu Rui was merely a fool. Lord Tu, once Qingshi uncovers the results, you shall report to His Majesty—consider it my advance thanks for what's to come."

Tu Yuanliang knew exactly what he intended, his expression turning icy cold: "Lord Cao shouldn't celebrate too soon. Even if everything proceeds smoothly afterward, whether Shen Qingshi can accomplish what you've ordered remains uncertain."

"That matter requires no concern from Lord Tu."

Cao Zhao returned the letter to the constable, specifically instructing him to wait one day before delivering it back to Shen Qingshi.

He couldn't let Shen Qingshi know he was currently here. After all, she had already regained some emotions, and many things might not be performed as flawlessly as in the past.

He needed to hide when necessary, like a tiger lurking in the shadows, waiting for the prey to come within reach before striking.

"Lord Tu, just focus on your own duties."

Cao Zhao smiled: "Qingshi grew up by my side since childhood. She won't disappoint me."

"So, this person truly is the son of a high-ranking court official?"

A day later, when Shen Qingshi received Cao Zhao's letter, Hu Rui's body had already been sent to Yongyi County Office. Reading the end of the letter, she frowned deeply: "Zhao Lu'er..."

"Who is that?"

Yang Wujian hadn't expected that while pursuing the White-faced Guest, he would stumble upon official matters again. Without even guessing, he knew the letter in Shen Qingshi's hands must be from Cao Zhao.

Last time, the Chaofeng Envoy had already grown suspicious of his identity—not only that, but he had also seen through his true form.

Plus, back in Jingyang City, he had impulsively used his male form to rescue Baihe...

Even though Shen Qingshi had protected him both times, she was still a Zhaoming Guard. The more Yang Wujian thought about it, the more he felt that perhaps what he should do now was leave quickly and return to Longevity Palace to lay low.

Just as Yang Wujian was lost in thought, Shen Qingshi said: "She's Hu Rui's childhood sweetheart, whom he kept searching for. Due to court affairs, she was sent to the Imperial Entertainment Bureau and sold into the marketplace at age eleven."

"Sold into the marketplace?"

Both Yang Wujian and Zhou Huai's expressions changed simultaneously. They couldn't help but think of Zhu'er, who had disappeared six years ago... After changing hands multiple times, perhaps Zhao Lu'er's name had changed, but her status would not.

Once entered into the Music Register, one is trapped for life, never to escape.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Shen Qingshi added: "If they are indeed the same person, then Zhu'er's disappearance might be related to Hu Rui. This man abandoned both his arranged marriage and his official career to search for Zhao Lu'er, disregarding his own family. Rather than calling it devotion, it's more like he had gone mad."

Then Yang Wujian suddenly remembered what both Chu Qiao and Zui Xiang had mentioned earlier: although everyone knew the White-faced Fox ate people, few had actually seen it. In fact, they could only trace the silver he paid, but no one remembered him being there.

"It seems the one using misdirection isn't the White-faced Fox, but someone else entirely."

Yang Wujian understood immediately.Hu Rui was the son of a second-rank court official. If he came here looking for someone and actually took the girls away, the madams naturally wouldn’t dare say a word.

Not only that, but the entire Handkerchief Street could even turn a blind eye to Hu Rui’s presence, following Zui Xiang’s lead and pinning everything on a monster that crawled out of the Meat Well in the outskirts.

“I wonder if Young Master Guanhuo knows that a second-rank official’s son has already died here.”

Yang Wujian sneered, “One thing is certain, though: if we’re going to question people again this time, we can’t foolishly hand out silver anymore.”