Сhарtеr 137: Тhe Corрsе's Peсuliar Cоnditiоn
Не hаd bеen fleеing ever since the momеnt hе was first sеen bу thе witnеss. Whу was hе running? Соuld it bе thаt the murdеrer had threаtеned him?
Аnd why was his esсapе route hеаding tоwаrd thе dirесtion of Мingshеng Tеmрlе?
Thаt was whеrе the Prinсеss prаcticed hеr cultivation. Оr wаs it thаt the murdеrer had delibеrаtеly аrrаngеd аll оf this? If sо, what wаs his рurpоse?
Wаs it simply tо makе thе Рrincеss mistаkеnlу believe shе had seen herself сommitting murder, so thаt she would еnd up in рrisоn?
Unablе to make sense of it, Zhu Yan decided to set aside these perplexing questions for the time being and began examining the corpse.
Bending down, she suddenly caught a whiff of a peculiar fragrance.
Carefully using tweezers to lift the clothing on the corpse, Zhu Yan sniffed carefully and realized that the fragrance was emanating from the body itself.
Upon closer inspection, Zhu Yan reached a startling conclusion: the corpse exhibited symptoms of having died long ago!
Yet when she awoke from the illusion, the deceased had still been speaking to her, and she had personally witnessed this person close their eyes right before her!
How was this possible?
Zhu Yan was frightened by her own deduction. Even if she had been trapped in an illusion at the time, this person had indeed died only after she awoke. Why did the corpse now show signs of having died much earlier? How had the murderer achieved this?
And what was the deal with this fragrance? What kind of drug was this?
Zhu Yan grew increasingly puzzled, unable to comprehend what kind of drug in this world could bring someone back from the dead.
Apart from immortals, she couldn’t think of anyone whose medical skills could be so profound as to achieve such a feat.
Impossible, this was truly impossible!
Zhu Yan stared blankly at the corpse, her mind in utter chaos. This case seemed even more bizarre than the last one, leaving her utterly bewildered.
What exactly was going on? Who could make a corpse return to life? Why was Madam Tang always chanting those strange incantations?
And how had Chen Huo'e truly managed to achieve this feat of returning from the dead?
It was all too far-fetched.
Just as Zhu Yan was lost in thought, she suddenly realized the room had grown much darker.
The sun was about to set, and without her noticing, another day had passed—time truly flew.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, Zhu Yan decided to stop dwelling on it and turned to leave.
After returning to the Shen residence, Zhu Yan sat in Shen Du’s study, waiting. Her mind was filled with too many doubts, and she was accustomed to discussing such matters with Shen Du. Now, she couldn’t wait to share these perplexities with him, but no matter how long she waited, he didn’t appear.
Zhu Yan stood up and walked to the doorway. The sky was completely dark now—why hadn’t he returned yet?
Her mind began to wander. Could something have happened to him? Or was he off somewhere enjoying himself with Yun Que?
"No, no, no…" Zhu Yan muttered to herself, shaking her head vigorously. "What am I thinking? Shen Du isn’t that kind of person."
Taking a deep breath, she thought that since he hadn’t returned yet, he would surely be cold and exhausted when he did. She needed to make some preparations.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed a figure approaching from a distance.
Was he back?
Only when the person drew closer did Zhu Yan confirm their identity—it was indeed Shen Du.
Shen Du glanced at her but said nothing. As they passed each other, Zhu Yan suddenly caught a whiff of something.
This scent felt strangely familiar, as if she had encountered it somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite recall where.First, she ruled out the pleasure quarters and then thought of some Taoist temples and monasteries.
Mingsheng Temple!
The name Mingsheng Temple suddenly flashed in her mind—that was the place.
She had also visited Mingsheng Temple today and had smelled a peculiar fragrance there, a scent made from special materials.
The aroma after burning was somewhat unique, yet it could penetrate deep into one’s heart and bring a sense of calm.
What was Shen Du doing there? Could it be that he wanted to obtain some clues from the Grand Princess?
Zhu Yan quickly turned around to find Shen Du already seated at the desk, seemingly searching for something.
“Did you go to Mingsheng Temple?”
Shen Du remained silent, still looking down as if he hadn’t heard Zhu Yan.
“I’m talking to you, won’t you answer me?” Zhu Yan grew impatient and pressed down on the book Shen Du was flipping through, scrutinizing him with a sharp gaze. “Did you go to Mingsheng Temple? Did you see the Grand Princess? What did she tell you?”
Shen Du looked coldly at the woman before him and gave up searching altogether. “It’s none of your business,” he said.
Zhu Yan stomped her feet in anger; his tone alone made it clear he was still upset.
Just as she was about to lose her temper, she suddenly thought of something and calmly nodded. “Fine, it’s none of my business, is it? Just you wait.”
With that, Zhu Yan turned and left.
Shen Du wanted to call her back but felt it would be too awkward, so he swallowed his words.
It was already dark—where was she going? Could she run into danger?
What a troublesome woman.
Without much thought, Shen Du also stood up and left the room. But by the time he reached the courtyard, Zhu Yan had already disappeared.
“Jing Lin,” Shen Du called out coldly, and Jing Lin appeared behind him. “Great pavilion commander.”
“Where is Madam?”
“Madam headed toward the kitchen courtyard.”
Hearing Jing Lin’s reply, Shen Du frowned. Could it be that this woman hadn’t eaten dinner yet?
Coincidentally, he hadn’t eaten either. If he went now, he might still get her to make him a bowl.
Arriving at the kitchen courtyard, he saw Zhu Yan’s busy figure through the smoke-filled kitchen from afar.
At first glance, she truly had the air of a virtuous wife and mother.
His stomach was indeed growling with hunger. Walking to the kitchen window, he saw two bowls and plates laid out on the stove.
The corners of his lips unconsciously lifted—it seemed this woman had already prepared for him.
Thinking this, he decided not to disturb her and turned back to wait in the room.
In about half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhu Yan finished making two bowls of chicken noodle soup and brought them to the room.
“You’re back so late—you must not have eaten yet, right? Want a bowl?”
As she spoke, Zhu Yan unceremoniously sat down and began eating.
Shen Du glanced at her. Though her attitude was poor, filling his stomach was more important.
He sat down beside her and was about to start eating when he noticed Zhu Yan reaching for the chicken on the plate.
She was deboning the chicken, but her eyes were unusually deep, as if her mind was elsewhere.
“Something just doesn’t add up…” Zhu Yan murmured to herself. “Why can’t I figure it out?”
Shen Du frowned. He picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks, but just as he was about to eat it, Zhu Yan casually bit it away.
Zhu Yan didn’t notice anything unusual about this at all. Shen Du was completely stunned, suddenly feeling his face grow hot.
This woman truly loses herself when thinking about a case, not even paying attention while eating.Shen Du had no choice. Just as he was about to take another bite, Zhu Yan frowned, chewing thoughtfully, and said, "Fresh meat should be this springy, so why are they all shriveled up?"
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