lcionline Chapter 7 Jicheng
Chapter 7 Jicheng
They left Licheng and embarked on a journey to a cold land. Along the way, the cold wind gradually rose, making the curtains of the carriage rustle. When they arrived at their destination, they were greeted by a world covered in silver. The vast snowfield stretched as far as the eye could see, and snowflakes fell in a flurry, like white petals sprinkled from the sky. The distant mountains were covered in white snow, with only the dark green peaks showing, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.
They walked on the snow, their footsteps crunching as they sank deep into the soft snow with each step. Their breath instantly turned into white mist, swirling around their faces.
Xu Xiaoxiao excitedly reached out and caught a snowflake, watching it slowly melt in her palm, her face beaming with novelty and joy. Li Changchun, on the other hand, held onto the carriage rope, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance, his heart filled with a desire to explore the unknown of this cold land.
"Master, are we almost at the extreme city we're going to? It's getting cold so fast here. It's only October and it's already snowing heavily." Xu Xiaoxiao pulled back the curtain of the carriage and stuck her head out. The wind felt like it was scraping her face. But her master was calm and composed, not affected at all. It seems that cultivation has many benefits.
Xu Xiaoxiao didn't waste any time on the road. Li Changchun gave her a mental cultivation manual and told her to first learn all the characters and then memorize them. Whenever she encountered something she didn't know, Xu Xiaoxiao would ask her master. Now she has memorized them all. In her spare time at night, she would also meditate. Now her body is much stronger than it was a few months ago, and she has also grown taller. Fortunately, when she bought clothes, she deliberately bought them a little longer.
"We'll arrive in another hour. Xiaoxiao, go inside the carriage and rest for a bit. It's cold outside." Li Changchun pushed his little apprentice's head inside to prevent her from being blown by the wind. He was thick-skinned and a little wind wouldn't bother him, but his little apprentice's nose and cheeks turned red from being blown by the wind. A girl's skin is still delicate, unlike a cub's, and needs to be taken care of.
Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, covering Jicheng with a thick blanket of white snow, making it resemble a silent, silvery-white world. Li Changchun and Xu Xiaoxiao sat in a bumpy carriage, slowly making their way towards Jicheng.
The sound of the carriage bells echoed across the open snowfield, and the wheels crunched as they rolled over the snow.
As they approached the moat, Xu Xiaoxiao inadvertently caught sight of a figure on the riverbank. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a woman with a sorrowful face, her hair flying wildly in the wind, and her body swaying precariously as she stood on the riverbank, with the icy, deep water beneath her feet.
Just as the woman leaped into the air, Xu Xiaoxiao shouted "Oh no!" She and Li Changchun quickly pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to an abrupt stop.
Without hesitation, Xu Xiaoxiao jumped off the carriage and ran towards the woman, her feet splashing up clouds of snow as she stomped on the ground. Just as the woman was about to fall into the water, Xu Xiaoxiao rushed forward and grabbed the woman's clothes tightly. Li Changchun also ran over quickly, and the two of them pulled the woman back from the riverbank.
The woman collapsed to the ground, sobbing loudly. Her tears mingled with the snowflakes. Xu Xiaoxiao gently patted the woman's back, softly comforting her and trying to calm her down. Li Changchun stood guard vigilantly to prevent the woman from doing anything rash. The heavy snow continued to fall, as if trying to bury this bittersweet scene deep within.
Xu Xiaoxiao looked at the woman sobbing uncontrollably in front of her. Seeing that the woman was still quite young, around thirty years old, she felt a mix of pity and confusion. She knelt down, gently took the woman's cold hands, and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, what happened that made you so desperate that you wanted to take your own life in this freezing weather?"
The woman slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with pain and despair. She choked back tears and said, "I had been married to my husband for several years and we had a period of happiness. But everything changed after that concubine entered the household. That concubine was a seductive vixen who whispered in my husband's ear all day long. My husband gradually became bewitched by her and grew more and more distant from me."
Her body trembled slightly, tears welling in her eyes, and she continued, "My only son, just over a year old, was my lifeblood. But not long ago, he suddenly died. I secretly investigated and found that all the signs pointed to that concubine as the culprit. But when I confronted my husband, he was bewitched by that vile woman's sweet talk and didn't believe me at all. He even said I was slandering him. I have no place in this house anymore. What's the point of living?"
At this point, the woman burst into tears. Xu Xiaoxiao gently embraced her, a resolute glint in her eyes: "Sister-in-law, don't despair. There is always justice in the world. If we discuss it together, we can always find a solution."
Xu Xiaoxiao looked up at her master as if to say, "Am I causing you trouble again?" Li Changchun looked at her kindly and smiled, saying, "Let's talk in the carriage first. It's windy outside, so it's not convenient to stay for long." What could he do? He spoiled his own disciple. Cultivators fear karma the most. Since they had encountered it, they faced it calmly.
Upon hearing the woman's lament, Li Changchun frowned and pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Madam, this matter is full of suspicious points. We must not act rashly. Let's rest at an inn first, and only after we have thoroughly investigated the details of your husband's favoritism towards his concubine and the murder of your child can we help you in a targeted manner."
The woman lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with hesitation and despair, but seeing the sincere looks in Li Changchun and Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes, she nodded slightly.
As Xu Xiaoxiao helped the woman to her feet, she said softly, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. As long as the truth remains, we will not stand idly by."
On the way to the inn, the woman slowly revealed more of her secrets: "My husband, relying on being the prefect's wife's brother, usually acts recklessly. That concubine was originally a courtesan, and I don't know what tricks she used to bewitch my husband. Then, with the prefect's wife's help, she swaggered into our home. Since she entered, there has never been a peaceful day in the house. She makes things difficult for me at every turn. I have endured it all for the sake of my child, but in the end, I still couldn't protect my child..."
Li Changchun's expression was solemn. He already understood how thorny this matter was. The prefect's wife wielded immense power in the area, and with her interfering, finding out the truth would be no easy task.
There have always been unfaithful men in every world. It seems that being single is a blessing for most girls. Xu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but sigh after hearing her sister-in-law's experience.
In the warm room of the inn, Li Changchun, Xu Xiaoxiao, and the women sat around the table in a somber atmosphere.
Li Changchun broke the silence first: "Madam Gao, the key to bringing them down lies in the evidence. Think carefully: before the child's accident, were there any unusual people entering or leaving the house, or did the concubine do anything suspicious?"
Madam Gao tried hard to recall, and slowly said, "In those few days, the concubine always pretended to get close to the child, and even fed the child some pastries by hand. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now that I think about it, the child felt a little unwell after eating the pastries."
Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up: "These pastries are quite interesting, sister-in-law. Do you still remember what they looked like? And where are the rest of the pastries?"
Madam Gao shook her head, looking troubled: "I was too grief-stricken at the time and didn't notice. Many of the servants in the house were also dismissed afterward. I don't know if anyone else knows about it."
Li Changchun stood up and paced back and forth in thought: "Then we still need to start with the old servants in the mansion. Even if they have been dismissed, we must find them. In addition, we need to check the child's living environment and daily necessities to see if there are any toxins left. We also need to investigate the background of that concubine. She came from a brothel and must have had many acquaintances. Perhaps we can find out some information from her former sisters or patrons, such as whether she has a channel to purchase poison."
Xu Xiaoxiao continued, "Your husband and that concubine have a close relationship. If we can find any clues in their letters and conversations, it will be strong evidence. We can secretly observe them outside the mansion to see if we can find any flaws in their behavior. For example, do they mention this matter when no one is around, or do they have any unusual behavior, such as secretly handling items related to the child's murder?"
As Madam Gao listened to their analysis, a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes: "Thank you both. I am willing to do anything to avenge my son."
So they began to plan how to conduct a thorough investigation, how to avoid the watchful eyes of the prefect's wife, and how to find the key evidence that could bring the murderer to justice amidst these difficulties.