Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 219 - 135: Jiang Mo’s New Master?

Chapter 219: Chapter 135: Jiang Mo’s New Master?

Deep into the night, the moonlight scattered down, and all was silent.

Because Qiuye’s wound had not healed, Jiang Shouzhong brought Xia He to the charity estate to look for the body of Zhang Que’er’s mother.

The government’s charity estate generally stored coffins or bones, with unprocessed bodies temporarily kept there, divided into the Taiping House and Changsheng House. The Taiping House held corpses, while the Changsheng House stored coffins.

Bodies involved in major cases were preserved in special caskets and placed in a separate cold storage until the case was completely closed and further processed.

According to Jiang Shouzhong’s understanding of the Nalan case, although the case was closed, the final filing of case files still required a period of review before it could be placed in the Archive Hall, and during this time, the body still needed to be preserved.

So its quick destruction puzzled Jiang Shouzhong.

The personnel guarding the charity estate were mostly older government officials, who were usually alone with no relatives, spending their days in this somber yard, occasionally making some money from relatives claiming bodies, leading easy and comfortable lives.

Jiang Shouzhong and Xia He avoided the guards and headed straight for the cold storage next to the Taiping House.

Compared to the cold storage in the Liushan Division made with special talismans, the charity estate’s morgue was just located in a cooler area, and upon entering, it lacked the bone-chilling cold of the Liushan Division’s storage.

Each body here was recorded by name.

Jiang Shouzhong quickly glanced around; the cold storage contained only six bodies, all male upon checking them one by one.

"Not here."

Jiang Shouzhong frowned and searched the other two morgues.

However, after carefully searching, they did not find the body of Zhang Que’er’s mother, and Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t help but feel puzzled, "Could it really have been burned?"

Xia He decisively grabbed the person in charge of guarding the yard to ask.

The person in charge was an old man, sound asleep, who was suddenly dragged out of his blankets, unprepared for this confrontation.

Seeing the two shadowy figures, he first thought they were reanimated corpses, was so frightened that he almost wet his pants, kept kowtowing begging for mercy; he even confessed to watching his brother bathe as a child in his panic.

Jiang Shouzhong only learned after Xia He held a knife to the old man’s throat and interrogated him that an official had taken the body away two days ago.

According to the old man’s memory, a steward from the Luo Mansion had been with that official at the time.

Jiang Shouzhong found it strange.

Even if they were to burn the body, what did the Luo Family have to do with it?

Leaving the charity estate, Xia He removed the black cloth covering her face and asked in a low voice, "Was the body taken by someone from the Luo Mansion? Should we check it out?"

Jiang Shouzhong hesitated briefly, then nodded lightly, "Let’s see what’s going on."

However, just as they were about to sneak into the Luo Mansion, the gates suddenly opened and out walked a figure all too familiar to Jiang Shouzhong—it was Hu, who had previously had a confrontation with him.

There was also a monk beside Hu.

The monk’s kasaya was embroidered with golden Dharma wheels and lotus patterns, distinct from the style of monks in the Central Plains, exuding an aura untouched by worldly matters. Paired with a strikingly beautiful appearance, there was an air of transcendence and sorrow for the suffering of all beings.

It was the mother from the Esoteric Sect.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Shouzhong and Xia He quickly hid in the shadows, secretly observing.

Because Qiuye was not present and he couldn’t hide their presence better, and Hu was genuinely a skilled master, they couldn’t hear what they were saying without getting closer, so they had to keep their distance.

"I’ve seen her."

Although they had only met briefly on the street before, Xia He still remembered this striking mother.

Jiang Shouzhong hadn’t seen her before.

But he felt there was something demonic about this beautiful mother.

After a few words, Hu saw the mother take out a rod-shaped jade object from her sleeve, handed it to him, then put her palms together in a salute and turned to leave.

But behind the mother, there was now a woman.

Strangely, the woman, despite it being the depth of night, wore a black hood, concealing her face, and followed behind the mother, her walking posture awkward and rigid, her arms not swinging.

A dead person?

Jiang Shouzhong and Xia He were startled.

Due to the hood, Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t see the woman’s face clearly, but all signs indicated a high possibility it was Zhang Que’er’s mother.

"Follow?"

Seeing the mother walk away, Xia He turned her head and asked.

Jiang Shouzhong fell into thought.

The situation was becoming murkier—what did these people want with Zhang Que’er’s mother’s body?

Recalling what Zhang Ashun had said about his wife practicing gu techniques to combat Nalan Xie, her body had long been corrupted by various poisons. Could this be the reason why Zhang Que’er’s mother’s body was of great use?

"Follow!"

Jiang Shouzhong made a decisive choice and followed with Xia He.

But they underestimated the mother; she seemed to sense their presence and vanished around a corner as if into thin air, leaving no trace of her or the body.

"She must have noticed us."

Jiang Shouzhong’s expression was grim.

The ability to leave without a trace indicated her cultivation was above theirs.

Seeing no success in the pursuit, Jiang Shouzhong resignedly said, "Let’s go back for now; if nothing else, let your lady investigate further."

"Yes."

Xia He lightly nodded.

...

Returning to the small courtyard, Jiang Shouzhong feared that Zhang Que’er might act rashly and merely mentioned that the body hadn’t been found yet, reassuring her that the Liushan Division would investigate secretly and update her as soon as there was news.

Though Zhang Que’er was disappointed, she said nothing.

The next morning, a sudden drastic change swept through like a whirlwind, startling the entire capital.

The head of the Luo Family, the current father-in-law of the nation, Mr. Luo Mingtang, had suddenly fallen gravely ill and died!

This news shook both the court and the common people.

The citizens of the capital were equally surprised; after all, the head of the Luo Family had recently gained fame for an infamous deed and was known to be vigorously healthy, so his sudden death was unexpected.

Jiang Shouzhong first heard this news at noon and immediately thought of the mother monk he had seen the previous night.

His intuition told him that there was a conspiracy involved.

But after much thought, he could not understand what the Luo Mansion was up to.

However, with the death of Luo Mingtang, the Luo Family was bound to be in temporary chaos and should have no time to pay him any attention, which was definitely a good thing for him.

As for Qingzhou, he still needed to go.

After all, Yeying had instructed that only by going to Qingzhou could he investigate the massacre at Anhe Village.

...

Luo Mansion.

The mansion was draped in fluttering plain curtains, with white silk flying, enveloped by a dreary fog of sorrow.

Luo Wanqing stared intently at her father in the coffin, her expression complex. No matter how shocking the suspicions, the man who lay dead before her was indeed her father, and that was indisputable.

This left her momentarily dazed.

Although she had severed father-daughter affection with this emotionally distant father from an early age, he was, after all, her biological father. Seeing his corpse firsthand, her emotions were inevitably complex.

Of course, she didn’t believe it was some sudden, vicious disease.

Her father had been extremely obsessed with the art of health preservation in his earlier years, associating with many Daoists and even sincerely practicing in Zhenxuan Mountain for a year. Although not a cultivator, his physique was definitely much stronger than that of an average young adult.

How could such a person suddenly die of a vicious disease?

Luo Wanqing turned her head to stare at the elder with a tiger-like face, "Exactly how did he die?"

Hu turned his gaze towards the young woman crying beside them.

The Luo Family daughter-in-law.

The young woman was dressed in plain white mourning clothes, sobbing softly. Her delicate features slightly haggard, yet even dressed in a mourning outfit, her graceful figure was still alluring, creating a unique charm.

Facing the empress’s gaze, the young woman trembled and avoided eye contact, unable to speak.

Luo Wanqing said coldly, "Everyone else, leave!"

The people in the mortuary hall looked at each other but, hesitating only momentarily, all withdrew, including Hu.

Only the young woman remained in the grand hall.

"Speak."

Dressed in a long golden gown and wearing a golden veil, Luo Wanqing’s phoenix eyes were ice cold.

Feeling the oppression emanating from the empress, the young woman knelt on the ground, frightened to the point of wetting her blouse with spilled baby formula, and stammered:

"Report... reporting to Your Majesty, last night... around the third watch, last night the master suddenly lay motionless on top of me..."

Luo Wanqing clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and asked coldly, "What symptoms did he show after collapsing?"

"Just... he suddenly collapsed, and his complexion and everything were normal, just no breath... sob sob..." The young woman cried uncontrollably, tears rolling down like broken pearls.

"Did you hear any sounds at that time?"

"...No, I was just... just crying out..." The woman lowered her head, her cheeks burning red.

Luo Wanqing’s face looked extremely displeased.

She glanced at the man in the coffin and scoffed, "Dying on a woman’s belly is what you deserved!"

The empress left the mortuary hall in a fury.

Upon leaving Luo Mansion, Luo Wanqing asked Hu, who followed behind her, "Who did Luo Mingtang meet last night?"

"The Mother Buddha from the Esoteric Sect."

"Mother Buddha?"

Luo Wanqing’s eyes narrowed.

Hu nodded and said softly, "The lord had heard that the Mother Buddha had come to the Capital and had me invite her to the mansion, hoping to consult her on some..."

Hu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Some Esoteric Sect Dual Cultivation health techniques."

Seeing that Luo Wanqing was not angry, he continued, "The lord seemed to have made a deal with the Mother Buddha, helping her procure a corpse. That corpse, it was the murderer from the Nalan Family massacre. Last night, the Mother Buddha left with the corpse, and there was nothing unusual about the lord at that time."

Luo Wanqing fell silent in contemplation.

Perhaps it was that Mother Buddha who had struck him down?

But there should have been no enmity between them, and the Mother Buddha wouldn’t dare kill a dignitary of the nation, would she?

Suddenly, she asked, "Did Luo Mingtang regularly use demon energy for health purposes?"

"This..."

Hu faltered, clearly indicating there was an issue. Luo Wanqing recalled something, her eyes flickering slightly. She tossed off the words, "Good riddance," then swept away.

...

In a blink, Luo Wanqing arrived at the office of Ge Yulong, the head of the Liushan Division.

Ge Yulong, who was reviewing official documents, seeing the suddenly appearing masked woman, initially angered, was about to scold when he recognized her and fell off his chair, kneeling on the ground respectfully, "This humble official greets Your Majesty the Empress, long live the Empress."

"Who here is the best at solving cases?" asked Luo Wanqing, getting straight to the point.

Ge Yulong was startled, hastily pulling out a roster of evaluations from the Twelve Halls, "Your Majesty, please see, these are the rankings of the Liushan Division’s twelve halls, first place is Phoenix Dance Hall—"

"Just tell me who it is!"

Luo Wanqing was extremely impatient.

Given that Ge Yulong had ascended to his current position of head with the help of the Empress, he was extremely grateful to her.

Ge Yulong pondered for a moment, then suddenly recalling the recent incident at Xichu Pavilion, his eyes lit up, blurted out: "Jiang Mo of Wind Thunder Hall is very capable!"

Yet, no sooner had the words left his mouth than Ge Yulong wished he could slap himself.

Xichu Pavilion was backed by the Luo Family, and Jiang Mo had already become a bitter enemy of the Luo Family. How could he mention Jiang Mo’s name to her, a member of the Luo Family.

However, Luo Wanqing showed no reaction upon hearing the name.

After all, she usually focused on her cultivation, and although she had heard about the recent turmoil within the Luo Family, she couldn’t be bothered to care, naturally unaware of Jiang Mo’s role in it.

"Fine, starting today, Jiang Mo will work exclusively for me and will no longer be under Liushan Division’s control!"

Luo Wanqing’s command was forceful and cold, "Go call him over, I have a task to assign to him."

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