Chapter 207: The Blood‑Scented Child, Watched?

Pei Sanlang replied, "Your Highness may not know, my great‑grandfather has been mentally unclear in his daily life, but last night he suddenly became lucid for a brief moment, so he called me over."

Duan Rongshi: "So you were here the whole night last night?"

Pei Sanlang: "Yes. Last night at the You hour, a moment, I came to this courtyard and did not step outside even a half step the whole night."

Li Qingluo followed Prince Su into the room and glanced at the old duke.

When passing Pei Sanlang waiting at the door, she saw him clearly reach out his hand, yet he still had no intention to stop her.

In the pitch‑black room, heavy curtains were drawn all around; only a lamp by the bedside was lit, and in the dim glow one could vaguely see an elderly man with disheveled, flower‑like hair lying on the bed.

This is the old duke!?

Grandmother's own brother!

He is the elder brother that Grandmother has missed for decades and could never let go.

He is the great general who once roared on the battlefield, defending the borders of DaLiang!

At this moment he sleeps with his eyes closed, like an ordinary old man bedridden for a long illness.

Hard to imagine his ferocious, unbridled demeanor.

Li Qingluo deliberately sniffed; the room not only lacked any strange smell of blood, but carried a faint sweet fragrance…

Duan Rongshi did not step forward, but swiftly left the place with Li Qingluo.

Unbeknownst to them, as soon as they left, the old duke on the bed opened his eyes.

He twitched his nose, sniffed, and a strange smile appeared on his face: "Hong'er, why do I smell an unusually sweet scent?"

Pei Qinghong, after seeing Prince Su and the other leave, immediately stepped forward and said, "Great‑grandfather, indeed a young maiden just entered."

The old duke, eyes reddened, said, "Who is it? This scent… it's so fragrant, sweeter than the sweet juice I used to eat, perhaps several times sweeter!"

Pei Qinghong recalled the veiled woman and, resolutely, said, "Great‑grandfather, do you want this woman?"

The old duke, lying in bed unable to move, still stretched his neck, showing a greedy, drooling expression.

"Want… want… Hong'er, bring her to Great‑grandfather, bring her—"

"Even if I die, it's worth it…"

Pei Qinghong lowered his head, a dark bitterness at the corner of his mouth: "Yun Yi just died. Since they're all dead, we shouldn't waste them; better while they're still warm… let me quench your thirst first?"

Li Qingluo did not stay long at Pei Guogong Residence.

Duan Rongshi also needed to leave, so he took her out together.

Li Qingluo had just boarded the carriage when Deng Mama said, "Miss, someone over there has been watching us."

Li Qingluo lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out.

Across the alley, a carriage with a blue canopy turned its head and sped away as soon as they looked.

Deng Mama: "When we arrived this morning, that carriage was parked there. Just now the old servant saw the people inside lift the curtain as soon as we stepped out; now I don't know why they ran off again?"

Li Qingluo: "Wu Quan, go chase it, see which household the carriage belongs to."

Wu Quan leapt down and vanished like a gust of smoke.

Prince Su rode forward on his horse, marching alongside Li Qingluo's carriage.

He said, "Just this once, at Pei Guogong Residence, Miss Li, you should not come again."

After speaking, he spurred his horse and left ahead.

Li Qingluo knew that Prince Su taking her to see Nan Jia's final moments today was an exceptional exception.

Yet she must get to the bottom of Nan Jia's death!

That evening Wu Quan delivered a letter saying the blue‑canopy carriage came from Pan Fu.

"Pan Fu?"

For some reason, Li Qingluo's mind conjured Pan Li's face.

Could the one at the alley today be Pan Li?

If it is her, why would she come to the outside of Pei Guogong Residence, and what is she watching?

Moreover, the coincidence is that last night Pan Li died and was resurrected, while Nan Jia was also discovered brutally dead last night…

Within a short span of time, the two noble ladies perished simultaneously!

Li Qingluo shook her head, daring not to let herself fantasize further.

"Que'er, Deng Mama, tell quickly, how is the information you gathered organized?"

Today, when Li Qingluo and Prince Su went to the old duke's courtyard, Que'er and Deng Mama separately followed Sha Lei and Leng Dian, respectively, to Pei Residence to gather rumors.

Que'er went to close the gate, and Deng Mama hurriedly said, "Miss, the two of us, grandparent and grandchild, have sorted it out a bit. This matter is truly too strange, listen."

It turned out that Pei Nan Jia had not left her own courtyard for a full month.

Since she was poisoned and fell gravely ill, she has been drinking soup and taking medicine daily in her small courtyard; apart from Pei Sanlang's occasional visits, no other sisters from the residence have visited for many years.

She and the other girls of the Pei residence have harbored a childhood grudge, and have not reconciled over the years.

The second branch, the second courtyard, and the entire Pei Guogong Residence were not close; except during festivals, the rest of the days were spent behind closed doors, living their own small lives.

Therefore, the whole Pei Guogong Residence thought Pei Nan Jia only had a minor illness, with no danger to her life.

Even on New Year's Eve, the second branch's Old Lady had someone take Pei Nan Jia out for a meal, scolding her for being immature; it was only after Pei Yuan's defiance toward his mother that Pei Nan Jia was protected.

As for last night, Pei Nan Jia drank a bowl of medicine in the afternoon, so she was still asleep at the You hour.

At the You hour, the maidess, seeing the time growing later, entered the room intending to wake her and give her something to eat.

But there was no trace of the lady on the bed.

Inside and outside the courtyard, there was no one.

Yet clearly, Pei Nan Jia, poisoned and unable to move a step, could not possibly walk out alone under the eyes of everyone in the courtyard.

Therefore Pei Nan Jia's sudden disappearance could only be that she was abducted.

The second courtyard master Pei Yuan and concubine Guan Shi, upon hearing the news, were extremely anxious.

Immediately, everyone in the courtyard was sent out to search, with great fanfare, searching with lanterns and gongs.

The search was also quick; however, at the third watch of the You hour, they discovered Pei Nan Jia's dismembered remains in that ruined courtyard.

"Minister Pei still suspects it was the old duke who did it, but many in the mansion testify that the old duke is absolutely unable to get out of bed now and could not have done such a thing. Moreover, last night I heard that Third Young Master Pei had been staying in the old duke's courtyard."

So, what Pei Qinghong said is also true?

He really was with the old duke!

Could it be that they two did it together!?

Li Qingluo also really couldn't imagine that Pei San Lang would do such a ruthless, heartless act.

After all, Nan Jia is his paternal cousin; they used to be close as siblings and sometimes even lived together in the Si Garden, so could it be him?

What could be his motive for killing Nan Jia?

Li Qingluo: "What about the others? Does anyone have any suspicions?"

Que'er: "They each have alibis, able to say they were not there last night. At least before we left the Pei mansion, I hadn't heard anyone acting particularly strangely."

Li Qingluo sneered: "Within the Pei duke's mansion, could there be any other thieves?"

Li Qingluo then thought of something.

"There wasn't a drop of blood in that courtyard!"

Although a heavy snow had fallen, covering many things overnight.

But to dismember a person alive, all the blood on Nan Jia's body would have to be drained.

And it was a dismemberment!

The blood would have sprayed everywhere.

Li Qingluo followed Prince Su around that courtyard; not a trace of blood, not even under the snow piles.

Deng Mama exclaimed: "So, that is not the scene where the twelfth young lady died?"

Li Qingluo nodded.

"She was first torn apart alive, dying in pain, and then someone dumped her into that ruined courtyard."

Just thinking of such a cruel method, Li Qingluo immediately clenched her fists, furious beyond measure, trembling all over with anger.

Que'er clicked her tongue: "With such a huge commotion, could it really be that no one in the Pei mansion saw anything?"

Absolutely impossible!

So, someone must have seen it, yet no one spoke up.

Li Qingluo then thought of another question: "Are all these people in the Pei duke's mansion truly incapable of martial arts, just useless good-for-nothings?"

She had always felt that only an insider traitor could have done such a thing.

Even if it wasn't an insider, it must certainly be related to the Pei lady!

After a moment of silence, Deng Mama replied softly: "Miss, the duke... he certainly couldn't lack martial arts."

Li Qingluo: "What did you say?"

Deng Mama lowered her head: "His martial arts were personally taught by the old lady back then... even I, as an old servant, used to accompany him in spear practice when he was young."

Moreover, the elders of each branch... when they were young, their first enlightenment was not writing brushes but deadly blades and spears.

Li Qingluo recalled first seeing Pei San Lang at the charity house.

Wasn't he fleeing there together with a young master from an earl's family at that time?

Back then, they spoke of the former crown prince!

Pei San Lang was secretly working for the former crown prince!

Li Qingluo suddenly broke out in a cold sweat from shock.

I should have realized earlier; I can't be fooled by his lazy appearance and the fact that he seems like Nan Jia's older brother... so he must also know martial arts.

Today, Prince Su killed that maidservant right in front of him—could it be a test of him?

If those people in the Pei duke's mansion are actually hiding strength, knowing martial arts, yet today they were driven about like livestock by Prince Su's arbitrary orders, while they pretended to be fearful and forced to lower their heads... what else could they be concealing?

If Pei San has ties to the former crown prince, could the whole Pei duke's mansion be involved as well?

Que'er wondered: "Miss, who are you muttering about?"

Li Qingluo: "I'm saying that perhaps the Pei duke's mansion has been playing a huge game of chess all these years."

What exactly is the Pei duke's mansion plotting?

In the following days, Li Qingluo kept running around handling Nan Jia's affairs.

The news of the twelfth young lady of the Pei mansion's tragic death spread without legs, and soon everyone in Jinling City knew.

The Pei duke's mansion, which had kept a low profile for thirty years, was overnight thrust into the spotlight, with everyone wanting to comment.

Upon hearing this news, Princess Nanping's eyes were about to swell from crying.

How come Pan Li can come back from death, while my older sister Nan Jia has to die so miserably!?

Heaven is so unfair; I'd rather die ten times as Pan Li than let my older sister Nan Jia die! Ahhh... sob sob sob...

I heard she was even dismembered by bandits, her corpse torn apart... it's just too horrible! Sob sob sob...

Li Qingluo quickly covered Princess Nanping's big crying mouth: "You'd better not let your father hear that!"

What if both of them unfortunately died? Would you still think that way?

Only then did Princess Nanping quiet down, sniffling.

Pei Nan Jia's funeral was delayed again and again, because the Minister of Justice wanted to retain the corpse for investigation.

But the Pei family wanted her buried and laid to rest.

So, the Duke of Pei had people go cause a disturbance at the Supreme Court.

Finally, Pei Yuan stepped forward and said: 'My daughter, I, Pei Yuan, have the final say!'

"If the murderer who cruelly killed her is not caught and brought to justice for a single day, my Jia'er will remain in the Supreme Court, to harbor her vengeful spirit; I will never allow her burial and rest, nor will I ever give up!"

That day, word spread that Pei Yuan stood before the Dali Temple gates in pure white robes, his hair all white, eyes red from weeping, each word bleeding as he declared it to the world.

However, at that very moment, a disheveled, handsome young man in a Daoist robe, appearing like an otherworldly banished immortal, stumbled forward, his hair unbound, rushing out from the side.

He stared with a pair of equally blood-red eyes, his face filled with extreme grief, walking step by step toward the Dali Temple.

"Shi'er Niang… Shi'er Niang… No, this isn't real, this isn't real——"