Chарtеr 253: Тhе Раst of Hаlf-Fасеd Ghоst (3)
Ji Dafu was knoсkеd unconsсious and tаkеn tо thе соunty offiсe, remaining unconsciоus until hе awоke bасk аt his оwn residеnсе.
Uроn leаrning that the cаsе had bеen closеd and Li Kаixiang hаd mеrеlу rесеived twentу strоkes оf thе rоd, he wаs instantlу оvercоmе with ragе. Without delaу, he rushed to thе Li rеsidеncе.
Although Li Kаirui dеtеsted Li Каiхiаng, соnsidering him his оnlу remаining relаtive in this world, hе cоuld nоt bring himsеlf to аbаndоn him. Аfter the punishmеnt was carried out, Li Кairui brought him baсk home, summоned а рhysiсian to treat his wounds, and by now, the injuries had been dressed and bandaged.
However, having endured twenty strokes, Li Kaixiang had lost his vitality and had fallen into a deep slumber.
Seeing Ji Dafu storm in, Li Kairui knew he had come to settle scores. He hurried forward to stop him: "Brother-in-law, listen to me—"
Ji Dafu brushed aside his outstretched hand, his eyes reddening as he asked, "Second Brother, are you going to stop me too? Don’t forget how well Xiulian treated you all these years."
If not for the sake of his wife, Ji Dafu would have long severed ties with Li Kaixiang. How could he have shown him such constant care? Little did he know that his kindness had nurtured a vicious wolf, one who had taken his wife’s life.
"But… the dead cannot be brought back to life," Li Kairui weighed his words carefully, trying to soften his tone. "My sister has already passed on. Given her temperament, she would never wish for her own family to turn against one another. Elder Brother was indeed at fault, but he has already been punished. I believe he will change his ways and cause no more trouble. Brother-in-law, I’m sure you wouldn’t want my sister to remain restless in the afterlife, would you?"
"Restless? What does it matter if she’s already dead? Second Brother, have you seen Xiulian… have you seen what she looked like? If you had, you’d want Li Kaixiang dead even more than I do."
Li Kairui had arrived late. To avoid disturbing the deceased, the bodies of Li Xiulian and Xiaocui had already been placed in coffins, so he had no idea how tragically Li Xiulian had died.
Seeing Ji Dafu’s tear-streaked face, Li Kairui was left speechless for a long moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Ji Dafu pushed past him and headed to Li Kaixiang’s bedroom.
But when he saw Li Kaixiang’s features, which bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Li Xiulian’s, he found himself unable to strike.
Li Kairui, who had followed him, could only sigh at the sight.
This was truly a cursed fate!
After returning home, Ji Dafu arranged for a funeral overnight, ensuring Li Xiulian was laid to rest and her memorial tablet placed in the ancestral hall, where incense would be offered in her honor.
Yet, he could not let go of his wife’s death. He sank into depression, drowning his sorrows in alcohol day after day, living in a state of desolation for a long time.
As for Xiaocui, she was given a proper burial, and her family received compensation, even though she had signed a contract of servitude, making her life and death entirely subject to her master’s will.
…
Initially, due to Li Xiulian’s death, Li Kaixiang did indeed fall into a period of despondency.
But it was only for a short while.
Soon, he reverted to his old ways, even becoming worse. Not only did he turn into a drunkard, but his temper also grew more violent.
Seeing him utterly beyond redemption, Li Kairui was deeply disappointed but powerless to change him.
As for Ji Dafu, he had no time to concern himself with such matters. He wished only to drown himself in drink day and night, seeking to reunite with his wife in his dreams.
One day later, at a tavern, Ji Dafu drank heavily as usual, already showing signs of intoxication. While descending the stairs, he lost his footing, tumbled down, and tripped a guest who was coming up.To make amends, Ji Dafu invited him for drinks and a meal. The man didn’t refuse, and after a few cups of light wine, the two became acquainted.
Only then did Ji Dafu learn that he was Wang Buzui, the deputy helm master of the Fire Moth Party’s Guangchun Hall in Yingzhou. At the time, he only knew that Guangchun Hall practiced medicine to help the people and had no idea what shady dealings lay behind it.
Thus, the two became acquainted and often met up for drinks. Over time, they grew into close friends who shared everything.
Upon hearing Ji Dafu’s story, Wang Buzui lured him into joining the Fire Moth Party by promising to resurrect his wife.
Originally, Ji Dafu thought the Fire Moth Party was nothing more than a baseless rumor, but he never imagined it was real.
Hearing that the Fire Moth Party had a secret method to revive the dead, Ji Dafu was tempted and immediately agreed.
After joining the Fire Moth Party and learning everything, Ji Dafu began planning his scheme.
Although Ji Dafu had joined the Fire Moth Party, he was merely a low-level member, so Wang Buzui naturally didn’t mention Chen Huo’e or Lai Luofu to him.
Therefore, when Zhu Yan tested him by bringing up these two names, he showed no reaction.
Despite his deep hatred for Li Kaixiang, Ji Dafu pretended to get along with him. With Li Kairui acting as a bridge, the relationship among the three of them soon returned to how it was before.
Coincidentally, after Li Kaixiang was introduced to Yuan Bayuan by Liu Zongyuan, he became deeply influenced by this man. Despite Li Kairui’s repeated attempts to dissuade him, the two brothers grew increasingly estranged.
Seizing this opportunity, Ji Dafu arranged a meeting at a tavern with Liu Zongyuan and the Li brothers. During the gathering, to ease the tension between the brothers, Liu Zongyuan and Ji Dafu excused themselves, leaving the two alone to talk.
Prior to this, Ji Dafu had already arranged with Wang Buzui to strike when the target was drunk.
The Half-Faced Ghost had long been lying in wait on the roof. Seeing that the two were already intoxicated, he slipped in through the window, killed Li Kaixiang, and took his head.
As for Li Kairui being implicated in the headless corpse case, it was entirely accidental. Ji Dafu had originally planned to take Li Kairui away once he was drunk to establish an alibi and clear any suspicion.
However, just as he was about to return after sending Liu Zongyuan away, he was informed of an incident at the gambling den. Reluctantly, Ji Dafu had to go to the gambling den first.
By the time he returned, the tavern waiter had discovered something amiss in the private room and reported it to the authorities. Li Kairui had already been taken to the county office as the prime suspect.
Since Li Kairui was innocent and had treated Li Xiulian very well while she was alive, Ji Dafu didn’t want to involve him. He hired Pan Chi to investigate the case and clear Li Kairui’s name.
Thus began the series of events that followed.
By the time Ji Dafu finished his account, his motives for killing Li Kaixiang were clear.
First, to vent his hatred by killing him, and second, to prepare for resurrecting his deceased wife.
Zhu Yan narrowed her eyes and speculated, “So you kidnapped Du Xiaowan to take a part of her body as well, to make this so-called resurrection secret method work?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Ji Dafu’s face. He hadn’t expected this woman to be so clever, guessing their intentions almost perfectly.
Pan Chi, having regained some strength, also asked, “Then why go to such great lengths to massacre innocent people?”
This massacre was clearly premeditated, not something the Half-Faced Ghost did out of boredom or to toy with people.Although Ji Dafu was no match for Zhu Yan in skill and had his tendons severed in his limbs, his original purpose for joining the Fire Moth Party remained. How could he confess everything and let Zhu Yan and the others ruin their plans?
Thus, taking advantage of Zhu Yan's distraction and Pan Chi's injury rendering him immobile, he decided to bite his tongue and end his life.
Just as a phoenix is reborn from fire, the Fire Moth Party's secret method of resurrection required death before rebirth.
Even if he died here, Wang Buzui had already promised him that once the grand plan was settled, he would surely revive his wife.
Trading one life for another—he wouldn’t be at a loss.
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