Chapter 72: Madness

Hearing this, Su Tingting was stunned and hurriedly spat out the grave dirt. "Not there? How... how could it not be there? Could it be that Master Bai and the others killed them somewhere else?"

"Or perhaps they carried the bodies with them the whole way. A child's body isn't very big; they could have easily put it in any crate," Su Tingting reasoned, setting her mind to work.

Looking toward the direction of the Soul Suppressing Pagoda in the distance, Yang Xiao's expression also turned grim; now, only the tip of the pagoda was visible. "That makes no sense. This is the best place to bury a body. They wouldn't have traveled long distances carrying a corpse—the risk is too high. Besides, burying the body here allows them to use the pagoda to suppress it. The child's Resentful Soul would be trapped and unable to leave, which would also eliminate the possibility of them seeking revenge."

Putting himself in their shoes, Yang Xiao truly could not find a better burial site. If he were Master Bai, on the journey from the Feng Mansion to the wharf, this place would be the only choice.

After a moment of silence, Kuang Hongyi finally said the words that had been weighing on his heart: "Could it be... that the child didn't actually die?"

Su Tingting froze. She briefly suspected that something was wrong with her ears and exclaimed, "Brother Kuang, what are you saying? How could she not be dead? If she isn't dead, where is the child? Also, you weren't there so you might not know, but Shopkeeper Liu from the coffin shop also said that if the child hadn't died, there would be no reason for Chun Jie's Resentful Soul not to find her."

However, Yang Xiao seemed to have thought of something. Gradually, a bold guess took shape in his mind, even though he himself felt it was impossible. "Let's go. Let's head back first."

"Back... back where?"

"Back to the carriage, of course. We're going to Wohu Zhuang to find Shopkeeper Liu." Yang Xiao gave Su Tingting a hint with his eyes. "Remember, when we see Martial Master Zhao and those people later, don't mention what just happened. Just say that the matter is more complicated than we anticipated, but we've already found a lead and just need to make some preparations."

"Miss Su, in short, just don't say anything. If there are any questions, Brother Chu and I will handle them for you." Su Tingting's reactions and composure were too ordinary; Kuang Hongyi was worried she would reveal a flaw.

Beside the yellowish-brown road, two carriages were parked one after the other. The driver of the front carriage had plucked a handful of fresh grass and was feeding the horses.

Behind them, Martial Master Zhao and his men were gathered together in a patch of shade, their gazes staring grimly at the road from which Yang Xiao and the others were returning.

A young Martial Master with a square face and a scar on his right cheek leaned toward Martial Master Zhao and lowered his voice: "Boss Zhao, it's been so long, why haven't they come back yet?"

"What's the rush? They went to the Soul Suppressing Pagoda. Do you think this is you visiting a brothel, you useless thing?" The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master frowned and glanced at his three subordinates. "You know what to do in a moment, right?"

Another bare-chested Martial Master grinned, revealing a cruel smile. "As soon as they show their faces, no questions asked—just hack them to death, then bury them on the way..."

But before he could finish his sentence, he was struck on the head with a fist. A surge of anger rushed to the top of the Zhao-surnamed Martial Master's head. "Damn it, you'd hack them to death without even asking a question? Then how are we supposed to report back? Is the job done? If the Master asks, what are we supposed to say? How are we supposed to collect the reward?"

"Remember, don't be hasty when you see them. First, pry information out of them. Once we confirm the job is done, it won't be too late to strike."

"Right, right, right. We brothers all listen to Boss Zhao. Working under Boss Zhao is always satisfying and we don't get the short end of the stick!" another Martial Master who was good at reading the room flattered him.

"Also, that fellow surnamed Kuang isn't quite right. I noticed his footwork is very proper; he has some martial arts training. I'll deal with him personally later; the other three are for you." The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master instructed.

"Three?" The square-faced Martial Master was stunned.

The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master tilted his chin toward the driver feeding the horses not far away. "Him too. He's driven for these Lucky Guests before; there's no guarantee he hasn't overheard some secrets. We can't leave him alive either."

"This..." The bare-chested Martial Master hesitated, his expression troubled. "Boss Zhao, he's just a driver. What could he possibly know? Besides, even if those Lucky Guests had secrets, they wouldn't tell them to him."

"That's right, that's right. This... this Wu Laotou is also an old hand in the mansion. He's always been honest and dutiful. Back when my mother was sick and I was on duty and couldn't get out, it was him I entrusted to buy the medicinal herbs and deliver them to my mother."

The other three Martial Masters were all speaking up for the driver, but the Zhao-surnamed Martial Master grinned and said indifferently, "Fine. Anyway, the Master is offering a total of 200 taels of silver for this job. One more person means one more share of the silver. Originally, it was 50 taels each for us brothers; now, with Wu Laotou added, it's 40 taels each."

"There's such a thing!" The square-faced Martial Master's expression changed. "Then don't blame our blades for being fast."

"Slaughter him, and it'll give them company on the road to the Yellow Springs!" The bare-chested Martial Master's eyes gleamed with malice, and the remaining one chimed in as well.

"Hey, hey, hey, they're here!"

Three figures were seen emerging from the woods in the distance, walking toward the carriages. The Zhao-surnamed Martial Master felt a surge of joy and hurriedly stood up. "Get ready, and watch for my signal!"

After they drew near, the Zhao-surnamed Martial Master put on that sycophantic face again, trotted forward, and cupped his hands: "Three Lucky Guests, how did it go?"

"Sigh, we ran into a bit of trouble." Yang Xiao waved his hand impatiently, sat down with a thud, and panted heavily as if he were exhausted.

Su Tingting, knowing her acting skills weren't as good as Yang Xiao's, used the excuse of feeling dizzy to get into her carriage first to rest.

Hearing that the job wasn't finished, the Zhao-surnamed Martial Master hacked Yang Xiao dozens of times in his heart, but his face remained full of smiles: "No matter, no matter. Then, what do you think we should do now..."

"Set off. We're going to Wohu Zhuang."

After a brief rest, the group set off for Wohu Zhuang. This time, Yang Xiao lifted the carriage curtain and, while looking at the scenery, struck up a conversation with the old driver. This was the same man who had driven them to Laoniu Bay Wharf earlier, so they were somewhat familiar with each other.

After chatting about this and that for a while, Yang Xiao brought up the main topic. "Brother Wu, your Second Young Mistress is truly beautiful. Is she also from this town?"

"You mean the Second Young Mistress? She's not a local. I don't know exactly where she's from, but she comes from a wealthy family. It's just that her family fell on hard times later. The Master and the Second Young Mistress's family were old acquaintances, and the Master is kind-hearted, so he brought her here."

"Master Feng is truly benevolent!" Yang Xiao sighed, then changed the subject. "By the way, when did the Second Young Mistress enter the mansion?"

This time, the driver thought for a moment and gave a wry smile: "Oh, I really don't know that. The Second Young Mistress stays behind closed doors in the mansion; most people never get to see her. But... but it's been many years, at least 7 or 8. Oh, right, I once heard Rong Ma, who cooks in the mansion, mention that the Second Young Mistress had a madness when she was a child and was kept inside the mansion for treatment, which is why the Master didn't let her come out to see people."