Chapter 30: The Bridal Sedan Arrives Bearing a Corpse

Chapter Title: 030 The Wedding Sedan Brings the Corpses

“Why are you in such a hurry, sir? I haven’t finished speaking yet!” Fang Rulai wore an expression of calm, as if she had anticipated this very move. “The men did escape, but not far. They all fell into traps set by hunters for large beasts.”

The magistrate’s face changed instantly. He had heard of such traps—filled with sharp hooks and blades capable of killing several adult tigers in an instant. That meant the people he sent out…

“All dead!” Fang Rulai’s voice was mournful. “Amitabha. The Buddha teaches that every cause has its effect; all is predestined…”

“And where are the bodies?” The magistrate cut her off. He had no patience for Buddhist philosophy; he needed to find the corpses and dispose of them as quickly as possible.

“I’ve brought them for you.” Fang Rulai replied crisply, and immediately saw the magistrate’s expression turn regretful.

The magistrate now truly wanted to slap himself. Why did he walk right into her trap? She had said she knew those people were from the Daoist temple, which meant she must have seen their true identities. He should have been cautious and tried to sidestep the issue of the bodies—the most obvious evidence—but in his panic, he’d blurted it out.

The advisor, seeing things turn sour, tugged at the magistrate’s sleeve. “Sir, don’t be hasty. The other side is clearly prepared. You must keep your composure.”

Yes, this was his domain. As long as he kept calm, he could cover things up as smoothly as ever.

“Ahem, you brought them? Where are they?” The magistrate lifted his hot tea but absentmindedly chewed the tea leaves, trying to steady himself.

Fang Rulai made a gesture to Jietang. “Let them bring it in.”

Jietang nodded, turned, and soon returned, followed by a group of sedan bearers. Eight men in total, carrying a resplendent, bright red wedding sedan in the center!

The magistrate spat out a mouthful of tea in surprise. What was with that opulent wedding sedan, draped in the finest silks?

The crowd at the door—those who had come to listen to the case—were already wide-eyed and visibly excited.

“Look at that fabric! Look at the embroidery! If I could sit in it just once, I’d count this life worthwhile.”

“Oh, come now, Aunt Wang, your grandson is old enough to buy soy sauce. You’ll never get to sit in it. But I might still have a chance…”

“Go cool off somewhere else, Aunt Liu. My brother may have been rumored to fall off a cliff years ago, but as long as the body isn’t found, you still have to wait… Wait, didn’t that monk say she brought corpses? So what’s inside the wedding sedan?”

“Aah!” The crowd screamed, chills running through them as they all recoiled.

Like a tide, they surged backward, and the door—previously packed tight—instantly became spacious again.

At the far end of this cleared space, Guan Yue pushed Guan Shiyin, who sat on a wooden chair, slowly forward.

It was still the red wedding dress from the day of the bridal selection, still the oversized veil that reached her knees.

Magnificent to the extreme! Gaudy to the extreme!

Fang Rulai shot a sideways glance at Jietang: Weren’t we supposed to find a flatbed cart driver? Why this flashy wedding sedan?

Jietang looked aggrieved: The flatbed cart drivers had all been bought off by that fool and refused the job. The matter couldn’t be delayed, so…

“Dear husband!” Guan Shiyin called out sweetly, earning an angry glare from Fang Rulai.

What are you doing here?

Helping you, of course.

Then stay put and don’t stir up trouble.

Fine, as long as you don’t flirt with anyone else.

Get lost! Are you a nosy hen, meddling so much? And when have I ever flirted with anyone?

I don’t care! If I catch you flirting again, I’ll…

Guan Shiyin, amused, continued transmitting messages with her internal energy, while Fang Rulai suddenly turned to address the magistrate in a loud voice: “Sir, we must thank Miss Guan of the World Embroidery House. When we were struggling to transport the bodies, we happened to meet her as she was heading up the mountain to pray, and she generously offered her sedan.”

“Amitabha,” Fang Rulai stood and pressed her palms together toward Guan Shiyin at the door. “Miss Guan is beautiful and kind-hearted; surely the Buddha will bless her.” She’d already gone so far as to utter such shameless flattery; he should not distract her from her greater purpose over trivial matters.

Guan Shiyin, catching the hint, bowed slightly from her wooden chair. “I’ve recently developed an interest in Buddhist teachings. To contribute a sedan for a just cause is nothing, but the reason used to deceive the public is something I cannot accept…”

Fang Rulai’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, the flattery had backfired; trouble was brewing again.

“…I did go up the mountain, but not to pray. I wished to speak with Master Rulai, who caught my embroidery ball a few days ago—”

“Sir!” Fang Rulai interrupted with another loud call, forcibly stopping the “dear” that was about to spill from Guan Shiyin’s lips. How could she forget that a simple compliment wouldn’t placate this troublemaker? Enough, she’d stop flattering; let him stir things up if he wished! She refused to believe that, in a battle of words alone, she couldn’t best him! Let’s see if she could block him for once and claim a small victory!

“Sir, don’t you want to inspect the bodies to confirm whether I’ve lied?”

Fang Rulai stood up, making an invitation that brooked no refusal. The magistrate and his advisor exchanged glances, silent messages passing between them, before the magistrate descended from the dais.

“Someone, lift the sedan curtain,” the magistrate ordered. A bailiff stepped forward and used his official blade to lift the curtain.

He had barely opened a slit when a bloody arm slipped out. The bailiff started, his hand trembled, and the blade sliced sideways—half the curtain was cut away. Before he could recover, one black-clad corpse after another rolled out.

Each corpse stared wide-eyed, their faces intact, but their bodies riddled with bloody holes. The gruesome scene was enough to make anyone imagine the agony of being pierced by sharp hooks and blades.

Even the bailiff, accustomed to death, was startled, retreating rapidly—forgetting that the magistrate stood right behind him.

The magistrate, built much like his son Yin Chunzhi, was no match for the burly bailiff’s sudden shove. His center of gravity shifted, and he toppled sideways toward the ground.

“Imbecile!” The magistrate, even as he fell, managed to slap the bailiff, while his other hand instinctively grabbed whatever was nearby to break his fall.

Ah, there! He seemed to have grabbed someone’s arm—muscular and strong.

Relieved, the magistrate pulled himself upright and was about to scold the bailiff, but the man had already retreated several yards, staring with terror at something behind him.

Behind him? The magistrate was puzzled.

Fang Rulai’s voice rang out, “Sir, fortunately I acted quickly, or you would have been embarrassed.”

Ah, so it was the little monk. Well, in front of the public, he still had to maintain the decorum of a proper official.

“Yes, I truly must thank the venerable monk…” He meant to say thank you, but as he turned and saw whose arm he was holding, the word “thank you” transformed into a thunderous cry: “Ah!”

Thank you to: &! Manman! ^_$, Stinky Egg Haha, c Bansummer/Like Mist) and Guessing the Color of Your Eyes for the encouragement of fresh flowers, thank you all~

Also: Today, while reading the replies, I suddenly recalled what Big Sunflower said about “heavy taste.” It seems I only now understand the implication. Did you interpret the “mmm-ha” from chapter 28 as a BL version of an H scene? My original intent was that “mmm-ha” was simply an onomatopoeia for 250 and 380 doing their business, meant to disgust, a showcase of the lowest possible taste—it hardly counts as “heavy taste.”

Unless you misunderstood... squinting...

This book is exclusively published by—