TGCFNM -Chapter 46 Not Dead at Home

The room fell into silence.

Cui Xi suddenly covered her mouth and cried out in shock, “Yes—I drowned by the river. Miss only saw me there by the river. I couldn’t have gone to find her.”

The Ghost Scholar also spoke curiously, “Bai Su and I also wandered near the government office before we encountered My Lord. Wu Lianzhi appeared beside the corpse, and Shen Lizhou was seen at the Mountain God Temple where his resentment was deepest, just before his death.”

“If Miss Hong wasn’t an accident,” Bai Su murmured quietly, “then she didn’t die at home… she died… by the river!”

Chu Ling immediately looked at Zhong Hong. “Miss Hong, before you died, do you remember what you did, or where you went?”

Zhong Hong furrowed her brows, lost in thought. “The daughter of the Wang family rice shop got married—it was the only happy event in nearly a year. Her husband’s family was from another region, and they took the bride away safely. So the Wang family held a grand banquet.”

“My father was invited too, so he wanted A-Zhong to stay and watch over me. Later, someone came to the house with news that my father had drunk too much and hurt himself, and A-Zhong went to fetch him. He told me to close the doors and windows, and then he went to carry my father back.”

Chu Ling asked, “So you didn’t leave the house fully conscious?”

Zhong Hong’s brows tightened. “No… I think I left home. It was already dark, and I… I went to the river!”

“Why did you go to the river?” Chu Ling asked.

Zhong Hong shook her head. “I don’t remember. I only vaguely recall leaving the house, going to the river, and then waking up in a daze…”

“The problem still lies at the river,” Chu Ling murmured. “Tomorrow, besides checking the case records, I’ll have to go to the river myself.”

Early the next morning, Wang Long and Wang Hu patrolled the streets with the Qingning County constables, familiarizing themselves with the streets.

Xiao Hua stayed behind at the inn, while Zhang Dong borrowed a carriage to take Chu Ling and the others back to the river.

Once at the river, Wan Sanjin went ahead to find a boatman. After paying him a fixed fee, he asked him to wait for a while. Chu Ling followed Zhong Hong’s guidance, stepping along a small path overgrown with weeds, and stopped at a certain spot.

Su He, puzzled, followed. “My Lord, where are you going? There’s no path here.”

Chu Ling made a noncommittal sound and asked Zhong Hong with her eyes, Is it here?

Zhong Hong nodded. “I wandered here often. Later, when My Lord arrived, I suddenly realized I could move, so I walked toward you.”

Chu Ling recalled that night when they had stayed by the roadside instead of entering the county. Zhong Hong had emerged from the darkness in this direction to show her why the red lantern was hanging.

“My Lord!” Wan Sanjin called out and hurried over. “The boatman said something came up at his home. He’ll return in three days.”

Chu Ling casually asked, “What’s the matter?”

“He said that at this season the river is full, and an aquatic plant called… something like ‘snake toxin grass’ grows wildly. His house is by the riverbank, and he’s worried it might affect his family, so he wants to clear it quickly,” Wan Sanjin explained.

A spark of insight flashed through Chu Ling’s mind. She looked toward the riverbank. “The river is full at this season, so this grass grows near the boatman’s home… but not here?”

“I know the snake toxin grass too,” Zhong Hong said. “The county magistrate considers it dangerous, so every year around this time, he sends people to remove all the grass and leave it on the riverbank to dry in the sun.”

Bai Su explained, “The roots and stems of the snake toxin grass are poisonous. Once dried and ground into powder, it can temporarily relieve pain. But in large doses, it can cause unconsciousness. It doesn’t cause serious harm—just thirst, which can be relieved by drinking plenty of water.”

Chu Ling murmured under her breath, “So it was because of the snake toxin grass… no wonder the autopsy couldn’t detect it.”

“Sir, what is it?” Wan Sanjin asked.

Chu Ling was about to speak, but then she suddenly noticed a spot in the grass. She walked quickly over and frowned. “Master Wan, look—doesn’t the grass here seem a bit shorter than elsewhere?”

“It’s not shorter…” Wan Sanjin crouched down, his expression slightly surprised. Then he immediately looked toward Su He. “Pull the master back over there.”

Su He nodded, taking Chu Ling with him as they stepped back.

Chu Ling hadn’t yet reacted. “Why are you pulling me back?”

“Sir, there might… there might be foreign substances left here,” Wan Sanjin’s ears tinged red. “Probably… the kind of things that happen between a man and a woman.”

Chu Ling immediately understood. “So this is a crime scene!”

Wan Sanjin stood up at once, astonished. “This is a crime scene—then, who was the one harmed here?”

“Miss Hong,” Chu Ling confirmed.

Su He’s expression changed slightly. “You mean Miss Hong wasn’t in her own room, but here? The culprit moved her body? But her shoes are clean… hmm, maybe she changed into new clothes and shoes… No, I need to ask where Miss Hong’s clothes and shoes from that day went.”

Chu Ling immediately instructed Zhang Dong to first send Su He to the blacksmith Zhong’s house to clarify, ideally preserving any clothing as evidence.

“Search the surrounding area—see if there’s any evidence left,” Chu Ling said, immediately starting to look around.

Wan Sanjin quickly lowered his head and began searching as well. “Here, Master!”

Chu Ling hurried over. “What is it?”

“A scented sachet? This small?” Wan Sanjin picked up a tiny object for inspection—a thumb-sized sachet, gray and hidden in the grass. Its smell was slightly bitter. If they hadn’t walked this way today, no one would have noticed it.

Chu Ling took it and sniffed lightly, frowning immediately. “A bit bitter… with a hint of sweetness…” Then her body went limp, and she involuntarily collapsed.

“Sir! Sir!” Wan Sanjin leapt forward and grabbed Chu Ling’s arm. Chu Ling’s vision blurred, and looking at the hazy figure before her, she belatedly realized: Ah, so this is that medicine.

Bai Su pressed against Chu Ling’s back, helping her upright while pointing out several acupoints to stimulate her awake. Cui Xi hurriedly tapped Chu Ling’s hand, knocking the sachet away.

Wan Sanjin exclaimed in surprise, “Master, you fainted and can still stand up on your own—amazing!”

Supporting herself on Wan Sanjin’s shoulder, Chu Ling pinched her forehead. After feeling slightly better, she murmured in discomfort, “Master Wan, keep the evidence. This drug seems to have little effect on you… Wait.”

Chu Ling suddenly lifted her head, scanning the surroundings. Only the two of them were there.

“This drug doesn’t affect men, only women. And just now, when the crime scene was discovered, you immediately had Su the coroner pull me away—you knew my female identity?” Chu Ling asked directly.

Wan Sanjin coughed awkwardly and scratched his head. “Heh heh… Master, you’re really smart… hahaha…”

“Master Wan, I’ll give you one last chance to confess, otherwise if I find out myself, you won’t like it,” Chu Ling squinted. Could this be a ploy from the main household?

“I was worried you’d use the General’s residence to bully Qingyu…” Wan Sanjin said in a low voice.

“Qingyu? Your lover? Which family’s lady?” Chu Ling frowned.

Wan Sanjin looked as if struck by lightning, eyes wide. “Fu Qingyu, Fu Qingyu! You came to Sishui County just for him, didn’t you? You really were struck by lightning and forgot—at first I thought you were joking.”

Now it was Chu Ling’s turn to look as if struck by lightning. He opened his mouth, then after a long pause, said, “Oh… really?”

Cui Xi nodded beside him. “Yes, Miss. You came to Sishui County all for Master Qingyu.”