Chapter 795

Miss Xiao Hong went to the neighboring cell to frighten Xue Xin; like Qian Zhixiao, he was the only one in the entire prison who could see Xiao Hong.

Just tell me, isn't that terrifying?

Qian Zhixiao was carried outside; Wang Cong glanced at Pan Yun, saw him nod, then followed him out.

Sending for a physician would take too long to go and return; it's better if he does it himself.

Wang Cong fumbled in his sleeve and pulled out his needle pouch, nearly rusted shut, then stepped forward to pry open Qian Zhixiao's eyelids and mouth.

Soon after, he inserted a needle into the crook of his elbow…

The crowd scattered with a rush, leaving only Pan Yun and Xue Shao, both staring at Xue Xin, pale with terror in the other cell.

Xue Xin wasn't foolish—he jolted awake at Qian Zhixiao's scream, opened his eyes, and saw the ghostly Liu Xiao Hong; then he saw Pan Yun standing outside the cell—what more did he need to understand?

He hated Pan Yun too, but now fear overwhelmed him.

Unlike Qian Zhixiao, he was young, and he had confidence—this case would eventually fade away if he just kept maneuvering, got Seeing Wu Zhihong removed, and replaced him with another county magistrate, then he could escape.

But Pan Yun had come now…

He wasn't afraid of Seeing Wu Zhihong—he was an official, bound by rules.

But Pan Yun wasn't; from the moment she appeared until she vanished, she never followed any rules.

He himself was someone who broke rules, so he knew what people who broke rules were capable of.

Fear not the gentleman, only fear the villain.

Xue Xin's heart sank deeper and deeper.

At that moment, Pan Yun's voice sounded in his ear: "Do you think Liu Xiao Hong, now with a physical form, can avenge herself and kill you?"

Xue Xin's eyes widened, and he shouted loudly: "It's not me! It has nothing to do with me! Nothing to do with me!"

Xiao Hong hovered in midair, looking down at him: "I don't believe you. You will all die!"

"Aaaah—"

Xue Xin's appearance terrified his cellmates; everyone scrambled away: "Xue Xin, what are you screaming about?"

Xue Xin pointed at the air: "Qian Zhixiao was killed by Liu Xiao Hong! By a ghost! Seeing Wu Zhihong conspired with the sorcerer to harm me! Seeing Wu Zhihong wants to kill me!"

Who believed him?

Oh, except for his fellow prisoner who had once seen the ghost and seen Pan Yun—every other inmate stared at him as if he were insane, whispering: "How can an official believe ghosts exist?"

"Who says there are no ghosts?"

"There are no ghosts to begin with—if there were, I'd have been torn apart long ago…"

But Xue Xin felt Liu Xiao Hong's fingers tightening around his throat—he grabbed his own neck, eyes bulging, unable to speak; the sensation of death came again…

But he knew this time was different: last time, Pan Yun had to set up an array first for the ghosts to appear, and mostly they just frightened them—few actually harmed anyone.

But Liu Xiao Hong needed no preparation—she came and nearly killed Qian Zhixiao outright, and now he was about to die too.

Liu Xiao Hong is different—she's not like the others!

Her death was different, and her afterlife is different too!

Xue Shao whispered to Pan Yun: "Don't actually kill him."

Pan Yun: "Don't worry—Xiao Hong has restraint. She won't make County Magistrate Wu's job harder."

Saying this, she turned to leave.

Since he refuses to speak, let Xiao Hong play with him a while longer.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xue Xin saw her turning away—he seized his chance, yanked off Xiao Hong's ghostly hand with all his strength, crawled and scrambled to the cell door, and fixed his gaze on Pan Yun, whispering: "Make her go away—I'll tell you."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, bent down, and leaned close: "Speak."

Xue Xin glanced fearfully behind him at Xiao Hong drifting closer, shrank back, and whispered: "You can't tell Seeing Wu Zhihong, or anyone else. Get the information and leave quickly—or if you endanger my life, you'll get nothing."

Pan Yun nodded: "I promise you."

Xue Xin paused, then murmured so faintly it was almost inaudible: "Jiang Fangzheng of Fujian Quanzhou Wei."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow—how coincidental—it was exactly the commander of Fujian Quanzhou Wei.

Pan Yun lifted his gaze, staring straight at him, eyes filled with an emotion Xue Xin couldn't decipher, yet tinged with sudden understanding.

What did that mean?

Had Jiang Fangzheng already been investigated?

He nervously swallowed.

Pan Yun stared at him for a moment, then asked: "Anything else?"

Xue Xin's chest rose and fell, glanced warily behind him, and lowered his voice: "I don't know anything else."

But Pan Yun still leaned close, insisting: "There's one more."

Xue Xin's heart pounded violently—he froze.

Pan Yun whispered: "Xue Xin, if you don't speak now, you'll draw attention. Who sits at the same table as Yang Ji and Jiang Fangzheng?"

Xiao Hong drifted silently behind him, her cold aura like an air vent blasting straight onto his body.

Xue Xin stiffened, his face turning even paler.

Pan Yun leaned close: "Xue Xin, you're trying to use them to survive—but what if I and Liu Xiao Hong take your life right now?"

Xue Xin said nothing.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly, whispering: "I, a Daoist, kill only those who deserve it, never disturbing Heaven's harmony—but Liu Xiao Hong is different. She is a malevolent ghost, unbound, brutally murdered—what might she do? Think of your family. Before death, your future means nothing."

Xue Xin turned icy cold, and involuntarily looked up at Liu Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong stared at him with icy eyes.

Xue Xin finally slumped, murmuring so faintly it was almost inaudible: "Sun Xin, Chamberlain of the Prince of Lu's Mansion."

Pan Yun looked up and exchanged a glance with Xue Shao—immediately understanding, many pieces snapped into place.

Pan Yun's eyes sparkled like stars; he straightened up and turned to leave.

Xiao Hong bared her teeth at Xue Xin, then hurried off after Pan Yun.

Only when that red ghost-shadow vanished at the far end did Xue Xin finally relax, collapsing flat on the ground without moving.

That had truly scared him half to death.

Once past the cell block, they came to the area where the jailers lived and worked.

Qian Zhixiao had been laid out on a jailer's cot; Wang Cong had given him acupuncture, and by now the man was already awake.

Seeing Wu Zhihong stood nearby with hands on hips, watching the needling, as if from start to finish he had never noticed that Pan Yun and the others were gone, or that Xiao Hong had vanished and reappeared.

Once Qian Zhixiao came to, he sighed and said: "Qian Zhixiao here got too worked up the moment he saw Daoist Pan."

Worked up, my foot—Qian Zhixiao gritted his teeth at Pan Yun, wishing he could bite her to death.

But when his gaze fell on Liu Xiaohong behind her, he couldn't help shrinking his neck back.

Pan Yun stepped forward, bent at the waist to meet his eyes, curved her brows, kept her lips still, yet her voice rang in his ear: "Qian Zhixiao, don't you have something to say to me?"

Qian Zhixiao said heatedly: "I don't! Don't even dream of getting anything out of me."

Everyone looked over sharply, faces full of puzzlement.

Pan Yun: "You see, they can't hear me speaking. If you're afraid of people finding out, I can ask and you answer me by blinking."

Qian Zhixiao gave her a cold snort, his face set stubborn, showing no sign of yielding.

Pan Yun sighed, straightened up and said: "So it's Quanzhou Guard Regional Commander Jiang Fangzheng and the Prince of Lu's Chief Secretary~~"

Qian Zhixiao's eyes flew wide in an instant, his face full of disbelief.

Pan Yun: "Many thanks to Master Qian for his frank confession."

"No! I didn't say it, I didn't say it!" Qian Zhixiao's heart hammered wildly; he looked around at the others in panic and loudly declared: "You're framing me! It wasn't me who said it, that wasn't what I said!"

The corners of Pan Yun's mouth lifted slightly; she reached out, patted his shoulder, and soothed: "Don't be afraid, Master Qian. This is Ji'an County—County Magistrate Wu will protect you."

Qian Zhixiao only felt his whole body turn to ice, staring at Pan Yun with a death-gray face.