CHAPTER 224: CHAPTER 223: THE CULPRIT IS AMONG US!

"Miss, my Huwa is only five years old. So young, playing in town, and just disappeared. It’s going to ruin our whole family."

"Yes, Princess Consort, our child is missing too. A pair of good dragon-phoenix twins, our beloved ones, playing in the yard, and vanished in a blink."

"My child too, a girl carved from jade, was taken away like that. We still don’t know where she is. The authorities couldn’t find her, and we are completely hopeless."

A group of people lamented, and the Liu family understood their feelings.

"I didn’t expect that everyone’s children are missing. Could it really be the work of the same group?"

Liu Tong was startled and worried, "Why on earth? What do they want by abducting so many children? Aren’t they afraid of retribution?"

"Don’t be anxious, no matter the result, I will help you find the answer."

Yu Nianzhao glanced around, seeing their faces covered in a dark hue, and said, "Stay in the temple to chant scriptures and pray, offer incense, sweep away the obstacles and evil spirits on you, which also accumulates virtue for your children."

"Alright, alright, we’ll all listen to the miss."

The worshippers, crying and laughing, neatly entered the Yan’s temple, obediently kneeling on the prayer mats, urging Jing Rui to lead them in chanting and praying.

"Let’s go."

They arrived at the address provided by a servant. Zhixi knocked at the door, but no one responded.

Zhixi shook her head, "Princess Consort, no one’s coming to open the door. Could they have gone out?"

"Are you looking for Ms Dong?"

The neighbor next door poked their head out, surprised by their appearance, timidly said, "Since Ms Dong moved here, she’s only been out two or three times. Later, I saw her return, and she didn’t go out again."

"Could she have fled fearing guilt?" Ms Liu worriedly asked.

"Just break the door open."

Yu Nianzhao made a startling suggestion, "Hasn’t anyone smelled this strange odor?"

"Huh? What smell? I haven’t smelled anything?"

The others looked at each other, puzzled, shaking their heads.

"Zhixi, break the door."

"Yes, Princess Consort."

Zhixi, obedient and strong, teamed up with Liu Yi and Mr. Liu to break the door, and with a few strikes, it opened.

A rotten stench rushed in, making their eyes sting.

"Ugh—what’s this disgusting smell? Could it be rotten food?"

Liu Yi gagged several times, covering his nose in disgust.

"No, it’s because someone died."

Yu Nianzhao pointed inside at an open wooden door where they saw Ms Dong had hung herself, eyes wide open, her corpse starting to rot, the nauseating smell emanating from her body.

"Ahhh—"

Ms. Liu and Liu Tong were terrified, screamed in fear.

"How...how did she die? Could it really be her doing? Did she commit suicide out of guilt?" Ms Liu asked, face pale with fear.

"What are you thinking? This kind of unwilling death is usually murder."

Yu Nianzhao stepped inside, the Seven Star Brush swept past the corpse, eyes flashing coldly, "Moreover, her soul was extracted after death, the murderer is skilled in this."

"Murderer?"

Liu Tong’s body shook, she cried, "Is the murderer the one who kidnapped my child? Such cruel methods?"

Liu Yi asked puzzled, "Why did the murderer come back to kill Ms Dong?"

"Because Ms Dong was a pawn placed into the Liu Mansion, and indeed she colluded with the murderer to take the children. She perhaps had a trace of conscience, felt remorse, wanted to return to tell you who took the children, but the murderer realized it, or perhaps the murderer never intended to spare her, so he killed her, leaving no witness."

Yu Nianzhao turned to Liu Tong, "And this murderer lurks around you."

Liu Tong was furious, "Who is it? Why do this? If I find them, I will certainly not let them go, really doing despicable things, not even sparing a child."

"Yes, why are all the abducted ones children?"

Yu Nianzhao was most puzzled by this, she asked softly, "Jiu, do you know any forbidden technique involving children?"

[Master, there are many forbidden techniques involving children.]

[Just refining into infant spirits and ghost children could list dozens.]

[Especially a child’s blood, clean and pure, similar to that of a maiden.]

"Then let’s go find out."

Yu Nianzhao lit a charm, a golden butterfly flew out.

Yu Nianzhao took a strand of aura from Liu Tong and placed it onto the golden butterfly, which spread its wings quickly locking onto a direction, heading towards Shangjing.

"We’ll follow it."

Yu Nianzhao said, "It will lead us to the person you’re looking for."

They followed with anticipation.

Returning to Shangjing, the sky had darkened.

The guards at the city gate increased, each person entering the city was carefully questioned.

"Identity, name, who are you looking for in Shangjing? Where are you from?"

When the guard questioned Yu Nianzhao and her group, he asked seriously.

Mr. Liu said, "We are people of Shangjing, living at the Liu Family in the western part of the city. Liu Fu is my elder brother."

"General Liu Fu?"

The young guard was surprised, looked at him twice, momentarily clueless, then turned to Yu Nianzhao, squinting his eyes to ask, "And you, are you also from the Liu Family?"

Yu Nianzhao shook her head, "I’m not."

"Then why haven’t you reported your name?"

"How dare you! This is the future Princess Consort Su, is this how you talk?"

Zhixi angrily reprimanded, "Are you a new guard? Do you not even know our Princess Consort?"

"Princess Consort?"

The young guard was even more shocked, never expecting to encounter a tough situation only a few days into his post.

In his frustration, the Guard Commander rushed over.

He awkwardly smiled, "So it’s the Princess Consort and Miss Zhixi. This is our new guard, hasn’t recognized faces thoroughly yet, please don’t hold it against him."

Then he stepped aside to scold, "Aren’t you going to apologize to the Princess Consort?"

"Sorry, it was my shortsightedness," the young guard apologized bitterly.

"It’s nothing, it’s your duty, but why are the guards so strict today?" Yu Nianzhao asked curiously.

"Princess Consort, you might not know, there have been missing children cases in Shangjing, causing panic. Prince ordered us to guard the gates strictly, to detain any suspicious persons."

Because Xie Jiuxiao took over all the cases, the Guard Commander was especially attentive, but he dared not to detain the Princess Consort.