The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 335: Salary

Chapter 335: Salary

"Don’t underestimate her," Nanli said, "the smarter someone is, the better they are at disguising themselves. Perhaps she is proficient in both sorcery and the Bewitched Worms Technique."

Qin Zheng, having handled many cases, understood this principle well. If Xue Shengnan had no intention of marrying Song Zihan, she certainly had a motive for murder. However, he still found it hard to believe that Xue Shengnan, who had spent years in a noblewoman’s chamber, could be proficient in these arts. Learning even a little bit of them would be impressive.

Nanli intended to return to the Marquis’s mansion to rest, so Qin Zheng took the opportunity to investigate how many servants of the Xue family had died in recent years. Most had met accidental deaths and their bodies returned home for burial. Following protocol, despite some families having objections, Qin Zheng was obliged to exhume their remains.

He didn’t ask Nanli to accompany him, as she hadn’t slept for several days at the Heir’s Palace and was exhausted.

As Nanli approached the gates of Dalisi Procuratorate, her expression suddenly changed. She urged the carriage driver to hurry. Meanwhile, inside the procuratorate, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, the forensic experts were preparing to examine the bones wrapped in straw mats.

Just as they were about to lift the mats, a chilling wind suddenly swept through the courtyard. In broad daylight, the sky darkened abruptly, heavy black clouds pressing down as if to crush the entire Dalisi Procuratorate. Ghostly cries echoed around them, terrifying everyone present.

One of the forensic experts was the first victim, strangled by something unseen, his body lifted into the air, eyes rolling back, on the brink of death.

Qin Zheng snapped out of his shock and, despite the futility of it, drew his sword to try and sever whatever malevolent force was afflicting the forensic expert. However, his efforts were in vain, and he too became ensnared, as his strength seemed to drain away.

Just as he felt overwhelmed, a figure swiftly entered the scene at Dalisi Procuratorate. Her robes and hair fluttered in the wind, her expression stern. She simultaneously wielded several exorcism talismans.

"Bind!"

At Nanli’s command, the exorcism talismans dispersed and enveloped the entire area, their golden light forming a barrier that suppressed the swirling ghostly energies throughout the courtyard. Gradually, the dark clouds dissipated, and the chilling atmosphere subsided.

Qin Zheng and the forensic expert fell to the ground, battered and bruised.

Nanli quickly approached Qin Zheng, her face flushed with anger, "Didn’t I tell you to just investigate? Why did you bring back the bones?"

A single reminder could have prevented all this.

She was truly exhausted.

Qin Zheng, still shaken, received Nanli’s scolding, standing there like a scolded child with slightly reddened eyes. Li Da stepped forward to explain, "My Lord was eager to solve the case but also concerned that Your Highness would tire herself out traveling outside the city, hence he brought the bones back to facilitate Your Highness’s examination."

Nanli rolled her eyes, "Most of these people died untimely deaths, some due to sorcery, and their souls are trapped in their bones, unable to reincarnate. It’s bad enough dealing with one or two malevolent spirits, but by gathering them all together, you nearly caused a catastrophe."

Qin Zheng pursed his lips, assisted by Li Da to his feet. He muttered, "My oversight. I won’t make such a mistake again."

He hadn’t expected that some of these deaths were due to sorcery. Remembering Nanli’s earlier advice, he felt even more remorseful. His rash actions today had almost endangered everyone at Dalisi Procuratorate.

After Nanli’s anger subsided, she thought, "Dalisi Procuratorate deals with interrogations regularly, accumulating a lot of resentment. When I have the time, I should set up a protective formation to ensure the safety of the officials and soldiers."

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but be moved, "Thank you so much, Your Highness!"

"Hold your thanks for now; I still need to collect my fee," Nanli replied.

She couldn’t afford to earn any less, considering the costs of running the clinic and the Xuanzheng Temple. Although her second brother earned a fair amount, she couldn’t rely on him indefinitely.

Qin Zheng smiled wryly, "Money is a small matter; Dalisi Procuratorate still has funds."

Nanli’s eyes gleamed with opportunity; she knew she needed to make some extra money. But there were important matters at hand. She gathered the resentment that had been suppressed, these ghosts having died long ago and now filled with intense grievances because they couldn’t move on.

Inspecting the bones, Nanli noted that some indeed seemed to have died accidentally, but many bore signs of poisoning or had been killed by sorcery. She raised an eyebrow slightly, manipulating the talisman array with her fingers to ease the energy slightly, allowing some of the ghosts to breathe a bit easier.

"Do you know who killed you?" she asked the spirits.

The ghosts clawed and snarled, emitting eerie, low growls, but they couldn’t provide a clear answer.

Nanli’s eyes narrowed. She gathered the ghosts into a spiritual pouch and remarked, "Whoever did this was skilled indeed, trapping you in bones with sorcery, preventing you from reincarnating."

Qin Zheng added, "The methods within noble households are not few, especially among women who often bear grudges. But if it truly was Xue Shengnan... how malevolent must she be? She was barely over ten years old a few years ago!"

His tone grew colder as he continued, "Your Highness, couldn’t it be possible someone assisted her with these seals?"

Nanli closed the spiritual pouch. "Ten years old isn’t too young. Those with talent can draw symbols from a young age."

But Xue Shengnan’s cunning couldn’t be underestimated. Using such malicious means at a young age without any lingering ghostly or evil aura indicated her intelligence matched the portent at her birth. Sadly, her intellect was misused, causing harm to herself and others.

"Big Brother has attracted quite a troublesome peach blossom," Nanli sighed.

Qin Zheng’s expression hardened. "Then I’ll lead a team to search and arrest people at the Xue residence immediately!"

"Hold on," Nanli stopped him, resigned. "If it weren’t for what just happened, a surprise search might have yielded results. With the recent surge of ghostly energy at Dalisi Procuratorate, anyone with a little skill would notice. It’s already alerted the target. Going now would be a waste."

Without evidence, whom would they arrest?

Qin Zheng looked embarrassed. "Xue Shengnan has harmed people for years. There must be some clues left behind?"

Nanli considered and didn’t stop him. "Lord Qin is a senior official of Dalisi Procuratorate with years of experience; you’re absolutely right."

Qin Zheng chuckled awkwardly. "Your Highness, forgive my misstep. If it weren’t for you, we would have faced a disaster."

This case involved someone skilled in sorcery, and he wouldn’t act rashly without clear instructions.

His eyes burned with anticipation as he awaited Nanli’s guidance.

Nanli rubbed her temples and sighed. "Helping you with the case without pay? I feel like I’m doing volunteer work every day."

Qin Zheng hurriedly said, "There is, there is. It’s just that Dalisi Procuratorate has limited funds. The amount we can offer you isn’t much."

"How much is ’not much’?" Nanli asked.

Qin Zheng hesitantly held up a finger. "One hundred taels?"

"It’s... it’s one tael..." Qin Zheng stammered.