12dz Chapter 2143 The Butler Has a Lot of Audacity
Chapter 2143 The Butler Has a Lot of Audacity
Yan Ruyu remained silent.
Wu Liang frowned slightly and gave the servant a cold look: "What's the panic? Speak properly, what is the Ghost-Binding Rope?"
The servant was startled by his gaze and calmed down slightly, but he was still trembling all over, his voice trembling with sobs: "I...I only heard it from the old people in the village..."
He swallowed hard, staring at the rope with a horrified look: "This kind of rope is specially used to bind ghosts."
If someone is wrongfully murdered, the killer, fearing the victim's ghost will return for revenge, will bind the body with a ghost-binding rope. This will firmly bind the victim's soul near the body, preventing reincarnation. Over time, the rope's yin energy will also corrode the soul, ultimately causing it to vanish into nothingness!
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the once peaceful garden.
The wind wasn't strong, but it carried a chill, swirling up fallen leaves and dust with a rustling sound.
A few withered leaves swirled by and landed on Yan Ruyu's shoulder before being blown away by the wind.
A clump of grass the size of a fist rolled along with the wind and came to rest right at the servant's feet.
The servants were already in a state of extreme fear, and the sudden appearance of the clump of grass terrified them.
He let out a piercing scream, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, scrambling backward on all fours. His eyes were unfocused, and he muttered to himself, "It's here! The ghost is here..."
Yan Ruyu raised her hand to brush away the fallen leaves that had landed on her sleeve, her gaze still fixed on the package bound by the ghost-binding rope.
She stared intently at the package, and as she expected, the contents were a corpse.
Wu Liang stepped forward, blocking Yan Ruyu's side, and warily scanned the surroundings. He said in a deep voice, "Master, it's not safe to stay here any longer. Should we take the package back for a more thorough investigation?"
Yan Ruyu did not answer immediately, but instead bent down and approached the package to carefully examine the knots.
The knotting technique was extremely strange, exuding a faint evil aura, somewhat similar to the witchcraft she had once seen recorded in an ancient book.
"Open it and see what's inside."
She spoke slowly: "Carefully untie the ropes, and don't touch the knots."
Wu Lang did as ordered, using the tip of his knife to pry open the parts without knots.
A moment later, the rope snapped, the tarpaulin was pulled open, and a corpse was revealed inside.
The corpse was wrapped in tarpaulin, and it seemed to have been specially treated, so the decomposition was slower. Even so, it was clear that it had been there for many years.
It will take at least more than a year or two.
When the servant saw that it was indeed a corpse, he screamed in fright and fainted on the spot.
Yan Ruyu glanced at him but ignored him.
Wu Liang whispered, "Master, this is..."
Yan Ruyu waved her hand: "Go see Sun Qing and have him bring the steward here."
"Yes."
After Wu Liang left, Yan Ruyu bent down to look at the corpse for a while.
He murmured softly, "Who exactly are you?"
The fact that Governor Ding was buried here and that people secretly burned paper money for him must mean he was no ordinary person.
She looked around and saw that the flowers in the distance were colorful. They didn't look so good up close, but from a distance, the colors seemed to be mixed up in a mess and had no aesthetic appeal.
Footsteps sounded, and Yan Ruyu turned her head slightly.
"Master, the person has been brought."
Wu Liang and Sun Qing, one on each side, led a middle-aged man over.
The man was in his late thirties, with slightly dark skin, and wore a dark blue silk round-necked robe of fine material.
His eyes were unusually bright, darting around the courtyard, skimming over the moss in the corner of the wall and the oilcloth under the tree, before finally landing on Yan Ruyu. Curiosity and inquiry filled his eyes, but there was not a trace of awe in them.
Seeing his expression, Sun Qing couldn't help but frown.
Wu Liang remained calm, and the two of them bowed to Yan Ruyu and stood on either side of her.
Yan Ruyu's gaze swept over the steward indifferently: "Are you the steward of the governor's mansion?"
The butler straightened his clothes and slightly raised his chin: "Indeed, I am Li Fu. May I ask what brings you to this backyard?"
His gaze drifted back to the corpse wrapped in oilcloth, and his nose involuntarily wrinkled, clearly having already caught the strange smell.
Yan Ruyu stepped aside, revealing the corpse on the ground: "Look at this, do you recognize who it is?"
Li Fu peeked out and saw that a corner of the tarpaulin had been blown up by the wind, revealing half a hand.
He immediately took a few steps back, his heels scraping half a foot off the blue bricks, his face full of disgust: "I don't know! You called me here just to see this?"
His tone was undisguisedly irritable, even carrying a hint of displeasure at being offended.
Wu Liang and Sun Qing exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.
This steward is so insolent, daring to speak to the princess like that!
The two men took half a step forward simultaneously, their hands on the swords at their waists, about to step forward and teach them a lesson, when Yan Ruyu gently waved her hand.
She remained standing in the shadows of the trees, her expression calm and serene: "This is what I wanted you to see."
Li Fu looked up at her and saw that she was only in her early twenties with a pretty face. He said calmly, "This is too absurd. Although some things are happening in the manor, this is, after all, the governor's manor. As the steward of the manor, how can I stay here with you and watch..."
“Speak properly and tell me everything you know,” Yan Ruyu interrupted him, her voice calm. “Otherwise, this tongue is unnecessary.”
The slight disdain that had been on Li Fu's face instantly froze at the corner of his mouth.
His eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected this seemingly gentle and handsome young man to utter such harsh words, and he instinctively retorted, "You dare!"
Yan Ruyu did not reply, but simply tilted her head slightly.
Sun Qing, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately stepped forward, grabbed Li Fu by the back of the neck with his left hand, raised his right hand, and delivered four slaps in quick succession, the sound crisp and loud.
Li Fu's head was buzzing from the beating, his cheeks instantly turned red and swollen, and a burning pain spread along his skin, leaving him so numb that he couldn't even open his mouth.
He covered his face with trembling hands, and the slightest touch of his fingertips caused excruciating pain. Tears welled up in his eyes, and the contempt in his gaze towards Yan Ruyu finally vanished, replaced by genuine fear.
Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone carrying a hint of amusement: "Now, can we talk properly?"
Li Fu took a deep breath, his chest heaving. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sun Qing raise his hand again, as if ready to strike at any moment. He quickly nodded and said, "Yes, yes."
"You're speaking too vaguely, I can't hear you." Yan Ruyu's voice was light and airy, but it made Li Fu's heart tighten.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Sun Qing slapped him again. After two slaps, Li Fu's face swelled up even more, and blood even seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Can you explain yourself clearly?" Sun Qing's voice was impatient.
Li Fu was almost in tears.
It wasn't that he didn't want to explain clearly, but his cheeks were so swollen that it was really difficult for him to speak clearly.
But he dared not argue, and could only open his mouth wide, trying to make his voice clearer: "Yes."
Yan Ruyu's gaze returned to the corpse on the ground, her tone turning serious: "What do you know about this person? Tell me everything, down to the smallest detail. Remember, only the truth, not the lies. If you dare to fabricate anything..."
Before she could finish speaking, Sun Qing raised his hand again.