Controlling corpses? Containers? Xia Yunting's brow furrowed slightly. Either of these words, if spoken, could be a death sentence.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Rong Zhi took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, and then began to recount: "The Zhen family in Cangzhu County was a renowned Xuanmen family back then. They possessed a secret technique that could temporarily seal the souls of the deceased."
Here, Rong Zhi glanced at Xia Yunting. "I know you might not believe in the existence of souls, but I've only heard about it."
After all, such matters were still too unbelievable for people of the present.
Unexpectedly, Xia Yunting nodded firmly. "I believe."
His gaze was deep, fixed on Rong Zhi. Rong Zhi always felt there was something else in his eyes, but she didn't think too much of it.
"I discovered unusual spots in the four corners of your mansion. I suspect corpses are buried beneath those corners, their souls still sealed. And those four girls were meant to be the vessels for these souls. These past few days, Xing Jiahui and Xia Jin have been colluding to kill those girls, likely to complete this ritual once they're dead. With souls that don't belong to them inside their bodies, they'd be neither human nor ghost, causing chaos in the mansion. If the Emperor found out, regardless of whether you were involved, you'd be doomed."
After hearing this, Xia Yunting's expression became even more solemn.
"I've never heard of corpse control techniques. I didn't expect Xia Jin to have such a trick up his sleeve. Then why did he have those girls provoke me? Couldn't he have just quietly killed them?"
Rong Zhi shook her head and smiled at Xia Yunting. "You're so clever, yet you can't figure this out? You yourself said that everything needs a reason. Even if you wanted to imprison someone, you'd need someone to pose as an assassin. He's just a steward; he can't just kill people without cause, at least not openly."
Actually, Rong Zhi had another guess: they wanted these girls to incur Xing Jiahui's hatred, to make Xing Jiahui deal with them. Wasn't this borrowing a knife to kill?
But this reason was insignificant. Because no matter the motive, the outcome was what mattered most.
"If you don't find a way to resolve this, they will cause unprecedented chaos. If you do resolve it, you can only seek help from descendants of the Xuanmen, which means you'll be violating the Emperor's decree. Either path leads to death."
At this point, Rong Zhi sighed meaningfully. "It seems your steward is determined to kill you. Truly ruthless."
Rong Zhi suddenly noticed Xia Yunting staring at her. His gaze wasn't one of fear or gratitude, but a strangely assessing look.
"Is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rong Zhi instinctively took a step back. Xia Yunting quickly retracted his expression.
He asked, "Xiao Mo, what should I do now?"
"Solving the current problem is quite simple. Since those girls are still alive, all you need to do is dig up the corpses in the corners and burn them. Oh, and gather the people who will carry out the action first. I'll tell you the specific method later."
Once a crack appeared in memories, the rest would flood into the mind like an unstoppable tide. Rong Zhi had never remembered things so clearly before.
Xia Yunting didn't delay. He immediately had Chen Xing summon a group of people. To his surprise, Zhang Can also arrived.
"General, your subordinate has been delayed for a long time and has not been able to assist you. Let your subordinate help with today's matter."
Xia Yunting nodded, not refusing.
Rong Zhi counted them; sixteen people had arrived, all skilled martial artists. Digging up four corpses was more than enough; they could even turn the entire General's Mansion upside down.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Rong Zhi addressed them. "This time, you will divide into four groups and go to the four corners of the mansion to excavate the corpses. Do not use torches when you go. Move quietly, without alarming anyone. You must complete this within half an hour. Most importantly, you must all finish simultaneously. Once dug up, find a place to burn them. Here, these are the specific locations of the four corpses."
Rong Zhi handed over four diagrams. While Chen Xing was fetching people, Rong Zhi had already drawn them. Each of the four groups received a diagram.
"One more thing," Rong Zhi added. "Have everyone hide in their rooms and ensure no one discovers your actions, especially Xia Jin."
"That's easy. We can use the excuse of lingering assassins to have them all wait in their rooms. Anyone who dares to come out will be shot with arrows until they're a sieve," Chen Xing said with considerable experience in such matters.
"Act quickly, and be sure to finish before Zi Shi (11 PM - 1 AM)," Rong Zhi urged.
These were memories she had once held very deeply, but they had faded with age. If Chen Xing hadn't inadvertently mentioned Cangzhu County, Rong Zhi wouldn't have recalled them all at once.
At this moment, she couldn't help but sigh at how wondrous memories were.
Chen Xing received the orders and led the group to act.
They were the elites under Xia Yunting, and they moved swiftly and efficiently. Upon leaving, they instantly suppressed their sounds; not even their footsteps could be heard, as if they had vanished into thin air.
Truly the men of Xia Yunting.
Rong Zhi watched this scene, thinking there were probably no surprises. When she turned back, she found Xia Yunting constantly gazing at her, his eyes filled with intense interest, as if she held something fascinating.
Rong Zhi asked, "What are you looking at?"
She had felt Xia Yunting was a bit strange all day. Why did it seem like he suddenly didn't recognize her?
Xia Yunting asked, "Xiao Mo, how do you know so much?"
These were things long lost to time. Thirteen years ago, the Emperor issued a decree. Some more intelligent Xuanmen families quickly disbanded and remained silent about all Xuan arts, preferring their family's decline to their lives. This showed the Emperor's immense efforts. Therefore, it was impossible for anyone to mention such matters to others unless they wished to die.
If no one had mentioned these things to Rong Zhi, how could she have known?
Rong Zhi smiled. "You wouldn't know this, but not everyone in this world values their life so highly. The sky is high and the Emperor is far away; there are always places the Emperor cannot reach. As long as you inquire diligently, you can always find out."
She had long known she would arouse Xia Yunting's suspicion, so when Chen Xing went to fetch people, Rong Zhi had already prepared her explanation. After all, Xia Yunting couldn't possibly press her for details and demand to know who she inquired with, could he?
Xia Yunting didn't press. He said something that greatly shocked Rong Zhi. "I am increasingly convinced that souls exist in this world. Perhaps, resurrection is also real."
Rong Zhi suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She thought Xia Yunting had discovered her secret, but then she considered that he probably wasn't talking about her.
Time flowed slowly in the dense night. The entire General's Mansion was exceptionally quiet. If Rong Zhi hadn't known beforehand, she would never have guessed that a group of people were digging three feet deep around the mansion.
As Zi Shi approached, footsteps sounded outside. Chen Xing pushed the door open. "General, it's resolved. The four corpses have all been moved to the backyard and are ready for cremation."
Xia Yunting nodded. Just then, another guard entered, his face looking grim. "General, those three women are dead."
Upon hearing this, Rong Zhi's expression changed immediately. "Quick, take me there!"
In the prison cell, three women lay side-by-side on the ground: Xia He, Qiu Ju, and Dong Mei. Each had a dark, ashen face and stiff skin, appearing as if they had been dead for a long time.
Moreover, they were covered in patches of corpse spots.
Chen Xing, who had followed, changed color at the sight. "What happened? Could it be that they've been dead for a long time?"
Only long-dead bodies looked like this. Chen Xing angrily looked at the guard who had reported. "These people are dead, why didn't you say so earlier?"
The reporting guard said, "They just died and became like this. I found it unbelievable too."
"It's poison," Rong Zhi said, having examined them. She used silver needles to seal the pressure points on their bodies, then turned to explain to everyone. "They've been poisoned with zombie poison. After the poison takes effect, their entire bodies become extremely stiff, and they even develop corpse spots. These are all for show; they still have a breath of life."
As she spoke, she condensed a surge of internal energy and quickly struck the chests of the three women. Instantly, their complexions changed from ashen to purplish. The veins on their faces almost bulged, and their bodies showed clear signs of swelling, as if someone were inflating them from the inside.
Chen Xing recoiled a couple of steps, watching this scene. He had never seen such poisoning symptoms. He felt that if he didn't move further away, the corpses might explode next.
However, the corpses did not explode. After a while, their appearance gradually returned to normal. The corpse spots on their faces faded slightly, and their faces returned to a normal human appearance, with only a faint greenish tint, no longer so frightening.
"Go get the medicinal herbs. A large quantity of Gelsemium elegans is needed. To combat poison with poison."
"Only this one ingredient?" Chen Xing asked. After receiving Rong Zhi's affirmative answer, he turned and hurried to fetch the herbs.
Xia Yunting looked at the three women lying on the ground and spoke with a heavy tone. "This is also a contingency prepared by Xia Jin."
Rong Zhi nodded. It seemed Xia Jin might have anticipated that his plan would be obstructed and had poisoned these girls in advance.
She had initially thought these girls were brought in by Xia Jin to monitor Xia Yunting, then later believed they were to control Xing Jiahui. She had never expected them to be poisoned.
"Fortunately, one of those four girls was already missing. Xia Jin's secret technique likely won't be easily activated."
Such matters relied on a complete set of four. Chun Tao had been unable to endure the matchmaker and had died. Rong Zhi had timely taken her place, without the matchmaker discovering it. Now, with one corner missing, the corpse control technique probably wouldn't be completed so easily.
Just then, Rong Zhi suddenly felt three intense death energies from behind. Xia Yunting shouted, "Be careful!" Before Rong Zhi could react, she leaped to the doorway with practiced skill. Xia Yunting landed beside her.
Before them, the three girls stood up stiffly. Their faces were devoid of expression, yet they radiated a powerful death aura.
Rong Zhi's eyes widened. "Corpse control! It's activated!"