break the way [comprehension]

According to Jiang Heng, the magistrate of Anping County, the loss of belongings in the earlier households may be nothing more than a prank by someone in the family. This kind of playful thing was written in the letter and let Tong Qing know...it was just him Knowing that his nephew was not happy living in Tong's big family, and his uncle was separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, so he couldn't take care of him, and occasionally wrote letters, so he spent his spare time in this little house. Quan Dang wrote in the letter the interesting things that happened in Anping County, and Quan Dang coaxed his miserable nephew to be happy.

As an uncle, Jiang Heng really wanted to care for his nephew, but he couldn't do it. In other words, compared with the power of the Tong family, he was powerless and difficult to contend with. When Tong Qing was still young, he even thought about making Tong Qing He brought it to his side, but he gave up as Tong Qing grew up and grew up safely. Although the capital is separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, he has also heard a little bit about his nephew's reputation, but compared to other endings , Jiang Heng is very pleased to be able to grow up in the Tong family, and does not insist that Tong Qing must be outstanding.

Even with his own sons, Jiang Heng is serious, but for this nephew who has not seen each other for many years and has grown into a dude, he has no way to put on a serious air, so he puts a little bit of his daily affairs on the table. Anecdotes about him are also written in the letter for fun.

However, what Jiang Heng didn't expect was that his nephew, who refused to come to Anping despite his persuasion, brought a friend here because of his interesting letter, and Jiang Heng never expected Yes, the anecdote that was used as a talking point to tease my nephew before turned into a murder case that shocked the whole of Anping.

After Jiang Heng briefly explained the cause and effect, he said: "This matter has been reported to the county. I am afraid that the county guard will intervene in person in the near future. I will also spend more energy on these cases. You have been here in Anping, so I will call your representatives. Brother, please accompany me."

Although Tong Qing thought that there was room for Liu Yelan to act in this matter before he came here, but at that time he just heard some weird rumors and thought that Liu Yelan could give full play to what he had learned, but now that he heard it... unexpectedly involved several The murder case is so dangerous, Liu Yelan is just a scholar, not to mention whether it is dangerous to get involved; he just wants to help his uncle out of the siege... No matter how knowledgeable Liu Yelan is, he is only a scholar, but he has never been in charge of criminal proceedings , This unraveling the strange theory is completely different from hard solving the murder case. Don't look back and fail to help Liu Yelan out of the predicament, but instead get a reputation for being unsophisticated and flamboyant. This is not Tong Qing's original intention.

Therefore, Tong Qing was relieved to hear his uncle's tactful refusal.

"What my uncle said is very true. After all, it involves a criminal lawsuit, and it is an important weapon of the country. You must not be careless. After all, brother Liu is not in charge, so I won't bother you any more..."

The magistrate of Anping also nodded and said, "I also agree. Since you rarely come to Anping, why don't you go to see your aunt and cousins, they often talk about you."

Tong Qing couldn't help but smile warmly after hearing the words: "Yes, then I'll go to the backyard."

However, Liu Yelan seemed to be out of his mind. Seeing Tong Qing turning his head to look at him, he realized that his close friend said: "My dear brother, go, I'll walk around the county town, and at night..."

Tong Qing felt a little bit resentful, and felt that Liu Yelan was too far-fetched: "My cousins ​​are either gentle, respectful and thrifty gentlemen, or open-minded people, I'm afraid you will meet with Brother Liu, why don't you Let's go meet together?"

Seeing Liu Yelan's hesitant appearance, the Anping county magistrate couldn't help laughing: "Our Anping is a small place, poor and remote, but there are no such big rules as the family in the capital. Since the two of you are on good terms, you are also my descendants. You descendants Talk to yourself, don't worry about it."

Now that the elder had spoken, Liu Yelan couldn't refuse anymore, as if he was not humane, so he followed Tong Qing to meet his cousins.

When he got to meet Tong Qing's cousins, Liu Yelan realized at a glance that the magistrate of Anping County was indeed well-educated. It is not known how knowledgeable these children are, but they all have straight eyebrows and eyes, and they can be seen at a glance. Zhi Nai is a well-educated and upright person, and Tong Qing's aunt, Lan, is also a kind woman. She just pulled Tong Qing a little to ask about her recent situation, and then sent them away to prepare for a family banquet. Going to talk to each other saved Liu Yelan from feeling uncomfortable, so he had the opportunity to look at the Jiang brothers carefully.

The three brothers of the Jiang family, Jiang Boning is dignified and generous, and has already married and had children. It seems that it is only a matter of time before he becomes a scholar in the scientific examination, but Jiang Zhongjing is a character that matches his name, gentle and elegant. It can be seen that the other party's temperament is modest and indifferent. I'm afraid he has no intention of official career, but he is quite interested in such elegant things as playing the piano and reciting poems. Not the same, the most bold and uninhibited, he said it himself, impatient with the nonsense in the book bag - and Tong Qing is the most suitable, as soon as the two meet, they will talk about the latest trends in the capital and the wild hunting in the Anping countryside stop.

Although these three people have different styles, in Liu Yelan's view, it is really rare to meet a person with three brothers who are worthy of friendship in such a remote place.Even for Jiang Shuzhi who seems the most inconspicuous, Liu Yelan feels that the other party is just like Tong Qing. He looks like a gamer, but in fact he has the most true temperament inside. Classics and history are just one of the choices in life, whether he likes it or not can't affect it. A moral judgment of a person.

As everyone knows, Liu Yelan himself surprised the three Jiang brothers secretly.

The three brothers each have their own social circles. Although their father is trapped in Anping County for various reasons, there are county schools, hermits, and widows in the countryside. The three brothers have different personalities and socialize. They are also different people, like Jiang Boning's friends are his father, classmates, teachers and other people who are beneficial to his career, and Jiang Zhongjing is close to a group of people with a modest temperament. As for Jiang Shuzhi, most of his circle is self-willed and righteous. my ranger...

But Liu Yelan was able to treat the three of them equally, and what's even more rare was that he was able to really enjoy the conversation with the three of them. It wasn't that kind of superficial politeness, he really understood the hobbies of the three of them , and can still talk to the three of them. Although the Jiang family is only a low-level official family in the countryside, they have an in-law like the Tong family after all. People, they still make the three brothers admire in their hearts, no wonder their cousin made a special trip to make friends and brought them to the door.

Seeing such a high-spirited Liu Yelan who amazed her three cousins, Tong Qing felt complacent inexplicably, as if she practiced calligraphy when she was young and wanted to send it to her distant uncle and get his praise...

You know, at this time in the secular world, bringing good friends to the elders and relatives at home means making friends with the family, and the friendship of the family is to elevate personal feelings to the family level, and the importance of a person is self-evident .

Liu Yelan was born in the countryside. It is good to have a strong memory and a broad mind, but he doesn't know much about the social rules of these aristocratic families and eunuchs. Therefore, he can only talk to Tong Qing and the Jiang brothers at ease. It is rare to get a new mood in this small county.

By the time the family banquet was overhauled, there was already nothing to talk about between the two of them. Jiang Heng came to the banquet after finishing his business. Seeing the lively atmosphere among them, he also felt ironic in his heart. His nephew seemed to be playing games in Kyoto. He is a dandy in the world of mortals, and there is no one to complain about the distress inside. Now that he can make a good friend, he actually feels very gratified. After a few years, if this silly nephew can let go of his worries and marry a woman from a good family. Xia Lin'er, in the future, he will have the face to see his dead sister...

All these sad things were hidden under the lively atmosphere of the banquet, neither the three Jiang brothers, Tong Qing, or Liu Yelan knew about it, but thought that the county magistrate probably lost control because he rarely saw his nephew so happy, Drank a lot of alcohol and got drunk.

The next day, the county magistrate Jiang went to the Yamen to deal with errands with a hangover and pain. Tong Qing came to Anping a few years ago, and Liu Yelan was new here. , according to Jiang Boning's arrangement, it is to invite his father's old disciples and acquaintances to get together with Tong and Liu. Although Tong Qing has a noble status and Liu Yelan is just a stranger, they are young people, and it is fun to be together and according to Jiang Zhongjing's suggestion, they should go to the outer suburbs to see the pictures of the peaks, cold pools, and empty forests that Tong and Liu could never have seen in the capital, so as to live up to this experience.

However, whether it is a party or a long-distance trip, it is not possible to make a trip in a short while, and when Jiang Boning and Jiang Zhongjing were discussing which activity to do first, Jiang Shuzhi had already impatiently pulled Tong and Liu into the street: "Let's go!" Let's go! I don't have to hear it so that my ears hurt! The first and second are elegant people, after they finish discussing, it will be dark! Follow me to drink the best wine in the county!"

Tong Qingliu Yelan looked at each other and smiled, this temper was really unrestrained.

Especially Liu Yelan, who didn't know what came to mind, he smiled and said: "It's my first time to visit Anping, and I want to learn more about folk customs, so please third brother show me more."

Uncle Jiang laughed: "What's the matter, let's go!"

When Tong Qing heard the sound of "Third Brother", for some reason, her face felt a little hot, could it be that she got a cold from the wind all the way?

Although Anping County is a remote county, under Jiang Heng's rule, the folk customs can be seen on the side of the road, which made Liu Yelan feel admiration for Tong Qing's uncle again.

If you look at the entire empire, there are countless counties and counties, but in Anping County, Jiang Heng is the blue sky above his head, and the joy, anger, sorrow and joy of the people are all thunder and rain.

Anping County is not very spacious, but the streets are neat and tidy, and the shops are not as prosperous as in Kyoto, but all the supplies are also available. Although the people's clothes are different, but their expressions are calm and smiling, which must be a sign of prosperity in life.

Jiang Shuzhi saw that he was used to wandering in the streets and alleys of this county town. People kept greeting the "Third Young Master" along the way, and there were many jokes in the greetings. Laughing at the naughty children he saw growing up in his family, Jiang's family tradition can also be seen.

As expected of Jiang Shuzhi, he grew up wandering in the county town, and he introduced such a small place full of wit and wit, and many anecdotes are like countless treasures. Tong Qing and Liu Yelan, who are used to the bustling capital city, can't help but think that this small mountain town in Anping County is also very interesting. It's interesting.

However, when they reached the end of the main street of the county town, Jiang Shuzhi felt a little bit in his heart, and then said calmly: "There is not much scenery here, and it is already noon. Let's go to the most distinctive old shop in Anping to try..."

However, Liu Yelan didn't move. He looked at the somewhat gloomy door under the old locust tree, and then at the panic-stricken people around him. He couldn't help but shook his head and said, "Third brother, since we're all here, why don't you ask us to take a good look at it?" Let's see."

Jiang Shuzhi looked at the scholar with a soft tone but a firm expression, grinned, and muttered, "Tsk, I don't know how you found out."

Tong Qing looked at Liu Yelan in surprise, but heard the man whisper: "Since you have come from a long way, you should do your best to relieve your worries."

It turns out that this idiot has really been thinking about this matter all the time!

Tong Qing herself had already dismissed the idea of ​​asking Liu Yelan to intervene in those horrific murders, but instead of forgetting, Liu Yelan had somehow found out the locations of these families, even when Jiang Shuzhi led them out. Calmly pointed out the location of one of them...

This is bound to require knowledge of the map of the entire Anping County to be able to locate so accurately.

But since they arrived in the county yesterday and came out together today, Tong Qing and Liu Yelan have been together, inseparable, and they don't know how Liu Yelan prepared.

Liu Yelan smiled slightly and didn't explain much.

His habit is that since he wants to come to Anping, he will naturally consult many historical records related to Anping before coming. He has never forgotten the map of the county town. , Combined with the journey along the way, observing the expressions of Jiang Shuzhi and the county residents along the way, one can probably know that the people in front of this place must be in panic recently. In this small Anping County, what is more touching than the strange case of exterminating the family recently? of?

Tong Qing was a little helpless, at first he abducted Liu Yelan from the capital with the excuse of asking Liu Yelan for advice, but at this moment and at that moment, this is not an anecdote, but now it is a real murder case, a bad one, The murderer was lurking around without knowing it. Liu Yelan is a scholar, if there is any accident, how will he deal with it.

However, Liu Yelan had already discussed with Jiang Shuzhi and left towards the closed dark door.

"I have no other intentions. I'm afraid this place has already been investigated by the police. I just need to go in and have a look..."

Jiang Shuzhi also felt helpless, because this kind of thing happened, this mansion has already become a haunted house in Anping County, fortunately, it is at the end of the street, far away from the neighbors in the neighborhood, so the surroundings are not completely deserted, but this The size of the house is not small, and now it is completely abandoned, it would seem too desolate and gloomy, making people uncomfortable, Liu Yelan, a scholar, is too courageous.

But Liu Yelan insisted, Jiang Shuzhi thought about his words in a dilemma, and said carefully: "After all, an important case has happened here, and the government has locked the gate of the courtyard. Why don't you wait until I go back and report to my father..."

But he never expected that Liu Yelan would be such an unrestrained person, only to hear the other party smile and say: "It's okay."

Before Jiang Shuzhi could react, in the blink of an eye, Liu Yelan had already climbed up the thick branches of the big pagoda tree, and climbed over the wall neatly. Tong Qing and Jiang Shuzhi were dumbfounded. It is completely inconsistent with Liu Yelan's usual gentle image.

A gust of cold wind came from nowhere, the pagoda tree made a heavy rustling sound, Liu Yelan seemed to have completely disappeared within the courtyard wall, and there was no sound to be heard anymore, it was just inexplicably felt that it was too ominous, Tong Qing couldn't care less Thinking about it, the cold atmosphere here made him extremely uncomfortable, and he immediately called his servants, and climbed up the big locust tree regardless of dissuasion.

Jiang Shuzhi is the one who led the two of them out, and he has a heavy responsibility. If there is any accident, he will be the one to blame. Although he is a bit rough, he knows the seriousness. The inspecting government has checked inside and out. Although there is no danger, the two of them cannot be allowed to enter on their own. Tie it tight, and with a few run-up steps, the man has already jumped up the courtyard wall smoothly.

The tiles and terraces are all barren and clear in the Land of No Owners, but Jiang Shuzhi is not in the mood to enjoy it, he knows the facts of the case, thirteen people died here, and... there is no trace of the two people at all!

Jiang Shuzhi broke out in a cold sweat, before he could speak, the servants behind him had already crossed the courtyard wall one after another, several masters entered the courtyard wall one after another, how dare these servants not follow in?

Uncle Jiang said anxiously: "You all go find it for me!!! It takes three feet to dig the ground..."

Then a helpless voice said: "Third brother, we are here."

Jiang Shuzhi turned his head to look, and saw the two of them coming out of a clump of tall bushes, and Liu Yelan was even holding something in his hand, which made Jiang Shuzhi forget to blame them for acting hastily regardless of their safety.

I saw that Liu Yelan was holding a corner of brightly colored clothes in his hand, which was half burnt black and still smelled faintly of smoke.

Uncle Jiang thought about it, and then his face changed drastically: "Someone came in?!"

It was noon, the clothes were half burnt, the man must have not gone far, he waved to the servants of Jiang's mansion behind him: "Search for me!"

After all, it was a murder case involving thirteen people, and there had been no clues for several days, and even the father had been questioned by the sheriff. At this time, there were traces of someone breaking in, which must be related to the case!

It's just that for some reason, those burnt clothes are gorgeous and exquisite, but the size is not suitable for adults, they are actually children's things, which makes Uncle Jiang frowned even more. In this cold courtyard, this half-burned The dress, faintly makes people feel even more weird and spooky.

And those domestic servants searched inside and out for a while, and when they came out, they all shook their heads, but they couldn't find half of them.

Standing in this small courtyard, from Uncle Jiang to Tong Qing down, including these servants, everyone felt shuddering. The murder case of this family was already bizarre enough, but now such a strange thing happened, it was even more chilling Stand up, I can't wait to run farther immediately.

And Liu Yelan just stared at the remaining bright fabrics carefully, with a thoughtful expression.

After all, Jiang Shuzhi grew up in the Jiang family, so he frowned slightly and sent someone to the county government office to notify Jiang Heng immediately.

When Jiang Heng arrived in person, he first scolded Jiang Shuzhi for jumping over the wall.

After all, this is a murder scene sealed off by the county government, not to mention whether it is suspected of violating the rules, but Tong Qingliu Yelan is a guest from afar, and Jiang Shuzhi shouldn't have brought guests to such a place.

Liu Yelan hastily explained: "Master County Magistrate, it was the younger generation who broke into this place out of curiosity, and the third brother was all because of me, so don't blame him too much."

Jiang Heng took a look at the three of them and knew it well, who didn't have a few brave thoughts when they were young?So he didn't ask any more questions, just looked at the evidence in Liu Yelan's hand and said, "How did you find this thing?"

Liu Yelan said, "My lord, this is not the time to explain. If you can trust this junior, please surround this place first."

Jiang Heng was a little surprised, but to everyone's surprise, he asked the police to surround the house without saying a word.

Jiang Hengcai said: "Since you can find the abnormality here, you must have your reasons. Okay, let's talk about it now."

After thanking Liu Yelan with a bow, he said: "When I was outside the courtyard earlier, I saw the trunks of the locust trees with spots..."

Jiang Shuzhi was secretly surprised by Liu Yelan's observation, he didn't even see it!He used to think that Liu Yelan was "duplicate on the outside" and a little reckless in his personality, but now it seems that Liu Yelan was clearly observing before taking action when he broke into the courtyard.

"The locust tree has luxuriant branches and leaves. I just measured it. Even people who are not tall, as long as they are familiar with the terrain and find a foothold among the branches and leaves, they can easily enter. In addition, the traces of the spots are fresh. There was a strong wind, but those traces seemed as if they were new and did not disappear too much, it must have been shortly after breaking in, so I thought, see if I can go inside to find out, if I am lucky enough, I can find some clues."

"When I first climbed up the courtyard wall, I saw that there was a change in the trees here, and there was a little pungent smoke. When I came down to check, there was no trace of the person behind the tree, only the clothes left by the burnt... Then Third Brother and Younger Brother came in, Third Brother ordered people to search the entire courtyard, but no trace of this person was found."

Jiang Heng's arrester was not the Jiang family's Ding Kebi, and he quickly reported: "My lord, there are several different climbing traces found under the locust tree. Except for Mr. Biao and others, the first one... Judging from the shoe prints, the figure Especially thin."

Jiang Heng raised his eyebrows, it turned out that someone really entered this haunted house more than a month after the murder!Moreover, he looked at the half-burned shirt in Liu Yelan's hand, such a strange behavior must be related to the murder case!Thinking about Liu Yelan's suggestion just now, he immediately said decisively: "Search for me!"

The small courtyard was filled with yamen servants who were constantly searching in and out, but it was strange that after nearly half an hour, no one was found.

This made the entire Anping County Yamen feel a little strange. After a while, the sky gradually darkened strangely, the cold wind became stronger and darker, and there were dark clouds above the head, which seemed to be about to rain heavily.

Liu Yelan's heart moved, and he suddenly pointed to the eaves, but his eyes looked at Jiang Heng.

Seeing that the heavy rain was approaching, Jiang Heng was already anxious, all traces would be wiped out, the person who hid might be gone, and a clue he had finally found would be interrupted again. Seeing Liu Yelan's gesture at this time, he couldn't help but stare. Liang, called a servant and pointed to the roof.

But after a while, a few vigorous yamen servants quietly climbed onto the roof, and the dark clouds above their heads seemed to be overturned. Suddenly, a white light tore through the sky, and a mournful scream suddenly burst, causing everyone to shudder. Two yamen servants rolled down the roof crying and howling.

When a few yamen servants helped the two people up, they saw that the two of them were covered in blood, they couldn't distinguish their ferocious faces, and everyone around them took a few steps back in shock, the situation was extremely terrifying!

Boom—After the thunder rolled, the cold wind swept across the courtyard, making a rustling sound in the gradually falling darkness, accompanied by the faint wailing blood and the strange and mournful screams of the shadows on the roof, which made everyone's hair stand on end.

This sudden terrifying situation made Jiang Heng unavoidably frightened, but he immediately shouted: "What are you doing in a daze, go ask the doctor!"

He is not afraid of the strangeness of this place with his cold aura, but it makes people around him feel much more at ease.

Jiang Shuzhi stood up and said, "Father, I'll go up and have a look!"

After that, he turned around and climbed onto the roof.

Jiang Heng opened his mouth to hold back but finally swallowed it back. Among these people, Jiang Shuzhi was probably the best one because of his experience of fooling around, but the situation on the roof was so unsettling. After Jiang Shuzhi really climbed up, Jiang Heng again Can not help but start to worry about gains and losses.

Not long after, accompanied by a long scream, a black shadow rolled down to the ground and ran towards the courtyard wall. For a moment, people couldn't tell whether it was a man or a ghost. Jiang Shuzhi jumped down, clutching his wound, "Hurry up! Stop him!!!"

Several yamen servants rushed forward immediately, and after a while, this person was finally caught.

Only then did Tong Qing put his heart into his stomach, and let out a long breath.

The sky above his head seemed to be crushed, Jiang Heng immediately ordered everyone to enter the house to avoid the rain, and then began to interrogate by the candlelight in the haunted house.

When the man with disheveled hair lifted up to reveal a ferocious and ferocious face, everyone realized that this was an extremely thin man, but he struck so fiercely that he wounded several yamen servants, it was amazing!

"Who are you! Why are you here! Don't hesitate to report!"

The man just grinned, the sharp white teeth reflected the sharp light under the candlelight, it was indescribably ferocious.

Jiang Heng's face sank: "Even if you don't say anything at this time, I will investigate thoroughly after the rain stops. At that time, I can't help you!"

The man suddenly made a vague sound from his throat: "Stop? Can't stop..."

Immediately, this man who looked ferocious and ferocious like a beast began to twist his expression, sometimes laughing strangely, sometimes screaming in fear, and sometimes shivering, which made so many people in the field feel chills involuntarily.

Jiang Heng was unmoved, and only sneered: "What do you have to do with the murders of the thirteen members of the Wang family! If you don't tell me, after I investigate the facts, you will be more guilty!"

The man suddenly stopped his performance like a ghost, and suddenly stayed on a sober expression: "Dead? Good death!"

Jiang Heng's eyes narrowed: "Oh? What enmity do you have with this Wang family?"

The man grinned grimly and repeated: "A good death... a good death... I should have died a long time ago..."

Suddenly, his eyes widened, his face showed great fear and fear, as if he really saw something in this main room, he kept shaking his head, opening and closing his mouth, as if screaming silently, his whole body He actually started to twitch and convulse, and saw that his joints were twitching and twisted into strange angles, but the person was still backing away in horror, reaching directly under the window, but his eyes were wide open, as if there was something extremely scary in front of him. horror.

Everything about this man was so weird that the yamen guards were horrified at seeing it, and they didn't dare to go forward for a while. When the storm outside the house kept beating the doors and windows, they reacted and went forward to restrain the man, but they found him The skin was cold and wet, and in shock, they probed the man's mouth and nose—but he was out of breath.

boom -

The snow-white lightning once again illuminated the room, and everyone saw panic from each other's pale faces.

There was no scar on his body, but his expression was extremely terrified. This man who inexplicably entered the haunted house and burned his clothes more than a month after the murder died in front of their eyes in the same strange and terrifying manner.

Apart from the terrifying movement of the rainstorm, there was only the sound of panting in the main room, which was unusually noisy but extremely quiet.

But Liu Yelan suddenly walked up to that person, and began to examine the other person's body carefully in front of everyone. This strange behavior made everyone wonder if Liu Yelan was also in this haunted house after the series of horrible incidents just now. contaminated with something.

But Liu Yelan's expression was always very calm and serene, as if he was not disturbed in the slightest by the weird scene in front of him.

When Tong Qing saw Liu Yelan like this, for some reason, his chattering teeth calmed down inexplicably. He walked to the side of the corpse and asked, "Did you find anything?"

Liu Yelan got up and wiped his hands, looked at the man's drenched body, looked at the gloomy sky outside the window, always felt that behind the cloud, there seemed to be a pair of cold and sinister eyes watching them all the time, waiting for Tong Qing to pat him on the shoulder At that time, the warm power penetrated through the skin, bringing him back to his senses, shaking his head, shaking off the inexplicable strange feeling just now, and then said to Tong Qing:

"The man must have died of fright."

Tong Qing said in surprise: "Are you scared to death?!"

He looked at so many people in the hall, everyone watched Jiang Heng's interrogation just now, and he didn't ask three sentences. Although it was an interrogation, how could it scare people to death?

And the master behind Jiang Heng stepped forward to look around, looked at the puddles gathered beside the corpse at the corner of the window, frowned and ordered the servants to drag the corpse to a dry place, otherwise the corpse would be swollen and unbearable before the rain stopped. identified.

The master nodded to Jiang Heng: "Young Master Liu judged right. This person's death condition is the same as that of the other thirteen members of the Wang family. He died of fright."

The torrential rain was pouring wildly, slapping the doors and windows of the house fiercely, and everyone was quiet.

A living person like them was frightened to death in front of everyone, exactly the same as the thirteen people who died in this haunted house.

coincide?Is there such a coincidence in the world?

Suddenly someone said in a trembling voice: "This man...is the first person to break into this courtyard..." So, he was the first to be frightened to death.

Good or bad for them?Whether those of them who broke into the haunted house one after another will end up in the same fate as this person, at this moment, everyone is in danger.At this moment, no one is not afraid in their hearts. They don't know if they will be the next one.

And several eyes fell on Liu Yelan one after another. He was the second person to break into this haunted house.

Seeing this scene, Tong Qing who was originally terrified suddenly glared at those people: "What are you looking at! What are you all looking at! It's just a cowardly person who was scared to death suddenly! What do you mean!"

Liu Yelan looked at Tong Qing who was guarding in front of her, and even couldn't help but firmly grasped her wrist. She was trembling involuntarily but didn't intend to relax at all, and her heart was touched like never before.

Then he hugged Tong Qing's shoulders, which was an intimate gesture he had never seen before, and whispered: "I'm fine."

Tong Qing saw that Liu Yelan's expression was clear and bright, without the man's madness at all, so the trembling of his body relaxed a little, but he held Liu Yelan's hand and refused to let go, Liu Yelan didn't pull him away either. , just glanced calmly at the servants who came in with him first, and calmly explained: "Actually, what can cause such a death, apart from extreme fright and fear, some poisons recorded in history can also achieve this effect."

Jiang Shuzhi's eyes lit up: "Is there really such a strange poison?"

Liu Yelan nodded: "In ancient times, it was rumored that a small tribe in the remote area used this poison during sacrifices. That small tribe had the custom of ordering the warriors to drink clean water on a moonlit night to worship the gods, meaning to ask the gods to use clean water to cleanse the evil spirits in their souls. The priests of the tribe are In power, if the warrior bribes him on the eve of the sacrifice, he will be safe and sound. If there is any violation, the poison will be added to the warrior's clean water to make him mad and frightened to death during the sacrifice, and it is said that he does not respect the gods. As a result, the soul was seized by the gods, and this strange and strange poison was used to frighten the tribe. At that time, some literati traveled there and recorded such weird and evil customs. Now that small tribe has disappeared, but it is difficult to guarantee that the strange poison used in the sacrifice at that time has not been circulated. ..."

After Liu Yelan told about the small clan and the strange poison, many people in the venue breathed a sigh of relief. After all, although the poison sounds creepy, it is easier to understand and accept than the unknown horror. .

The terrifying torrential rain relaxed in just a moment, as if it was just passing through the border just now, and the sky gradually brightened, Jiang Heng said: "Although I don't know if it's because of the strange poison, I'll leave this place as soon as possible, and investigate carefully after sealing it off. Be sure to investigate thoroughly!"

Everyone had been longing for this sentence for a long time. Although there was Liu Yelan's later explanation that sounded reasonable, no one really wanted to stay in this eerie haunted house.

But after a while, they had already stood on the county town street filled with fresh water vapor, the sun above their heads broke through the clouds and sprinkled on the washed county town street. The stay was as long as a lifetime.

With Jiang Heng's order, the arresting yamen servants in the county quickly split up to make portraits and interrogate him. Before the sunset, the identity of the man had already been revealed.

The man's name was Ma San, and he was a servant of the Wang family, but for some reason he offended the master's family and was kicked out. After being driven out of the Wang family, he held a grudge, so he took advantage of his unpreparedness to lurk back to the Wang family and inject a strange poison, which killed all thirteen members of the Wang family overnight, and there were no wounds on their bodies.

Because Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Wang have always been friends, and Ma San's expulsion was also related to Mrs. Zhang, so this frenzied person didn't even plan to go to court with Mrs. Zhang, so he did it together.

This case, which caused a lot of panic in the entire county, was settled in the blink of an eye, and the people in the county had more unfinished conversations after dinner, and the panic and fear that had pervaded the county also completely dissipated with the final judgment of the case. , the entire county returned to the quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

At this time, walking on the streets of this mountain city, the leisurely sunset and the slow pedestrians make people truly appreciate the peaceful and leisurely life, and there is an inexplicable charm that makes people addicted.

But Tong Qing was really unappreciated, he was pondering over his words all the way, and after a long while, he hurried forward when Liu Yelan stopped slightly and said, "Don't blame uncle! He really has no other choice, this case The commotion was too great, not only alarming the county guard, but even the capital..."

Liu Yelan was startled: "Why should I blame Jiang Shishu?"

Tong Qing: "Huh?"

Liu Yelan thought it was funny: "Brother Qing, you think too much." Then he looked at the closed door not far from the well and said: "Uncle Jiang is so eager to close the case, there must be a reason for it, and besides, If it is dragged on and the people in the whole county will not be at peace, how can parents and officials do it?"

Tong Qing hesitated and said: "I see that you are a little unhappy, it's just that you are not very happy with uncle's behavior."

Liu Yelan shook her head indifferently: "I'm not the kind of person who just wants to fight for fame, Jiang Shishu's handling of this matter could not be more appropriate. It's just..."

Tong Qing said: "What?"

"I was really unwilling to find out the truth."

Tong Qing's heart skipped a beat: "The truth?"

Liu Yelan simply pulled Tong Qing to sit by the dusty well: "Do you really think that everyone was killed by Ma San?"

Tong Qing also experienced the situation that day, and it was hard for him to imagine that being reasonable would be the one who killed everyone.

If Ma San was really such a crazy person, maybe how many people they arrested that day would not be wounded, but how many people died?

Furthermore, if Ma San really wanted to take revenge and vented his anger to kill a little bit of his personal grievances, why didn't he go far away after killing, and came back to burn a child's clothes for no reason?Thinking about it a bit more, in the letter earlier, his uncle made him a joke about the rumors of property theft... Is all this really that simple?

Tong Qing suddenly became firm in her heart: "Let's go, let's go find Third Brother."

Liu Yelan:?

Tong Qing grabbed Liu Yelan's wrist, turned her head and said with a smile: "Since you want to find out clearly, but also don't want to spoil uncle's face too much, naturally only the third brother will take action."

Yes, apart from Jiang Laosan, there would be no other person in the Jiang family who would do such a thing that was obviously against his father.

And the Jiang family couldn't find another person who could help Liu Yelan find out the truth without relying on his father's power.

After hearing Tong Qing's reason for coming, Uncle Jiang wailed and drank the wine in his glass: "Cousin, tell me how long you will be back in the capital!"

Tong Qing rolled her eyes: "Of course we'll leave after we find out."

Jiang Shuzhi let out a long sigh: "Come on, come on, who told me that my father can't live up to expectations, that I only have a younger brother like you."

Listen, what kind of bastard talk is this? Liu Yelan and Tong Qing could only look at each other helplessly, as if they didn't hear it.

And Jiang Shuzhi pushed the wine cup, and said to Liu Yelan with a clean look: "Tell me, how do you want to investigate?"

Liu Yelan was also not polite, and sat opposite Jiang Shuzhi: "What is the relationship between Ma San and the Wang family?"

Jiang Shuzhi nodded: "This starts from before and after the Wang family moved to Anping..."

"Wait, this Wang family is actually a native of Uneasy?" Tong Qing couldn't help asking, he turned his head and saw Liu Yelan's calm face, he couldn't help but jump and said, "You already guessed it?"

Liu Yelan smiled helplessly: "Look, the Wang family lives in the depths of the alleyway, on the edge of the county town, and the flowers and trees in the courtyard and the furniture are not old..."

Tong Qing hastily interrupted the explanation that made him appear mentally retarded: "Okay, okay, the Wang family is not a native of Anping County, but moved from outside, and then?"

Liu Yelan also looked at Jiang Shuzhi.

Jiang Shuzhi always felt that there was an inexplicable and strange aura between the two in front of him, but he had no choice but to say casually under such gaze: "This Ma San is the one who was expelled by the Wang family on the grounds of 'misconduct' when the Wang family just moved to Anping County. A servant who leaves the house."

Misconduct?This is really subtle.

Jiang Shuzhi said: "Father sent people to Xitu Town, where the Wang family used to be, to investigate. According to the residents of Xitu Township, this Ma San and a girl from Wang's family are childhood sweethearts. Everyone in the town knows that they are going to get married in the future. Yes, but the townspeople don't know why they would drive Ma San out of the house when they arrived in Anping."

Tong Qing couldn't help asking: "Where's that girl?"

There was an indescribable chill between Jiang Shuzhi's brows: "It's strange that this is here. There are [-] people in the Wang family, but there is no maid named Fangcao. That is to say, when the Wang family left from Xitu At that time, there were fifteen people."

In an instant, Tong Qing only felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet.

Liu Yelan frowned: "Have you found out why the Wang family moved to Anping?"

Uncle Jiang couldn't hide his thoughts: "According to Wang's report to Xitu Township,