He looked again in the direction of the black hole, his nerves on edge. He swallowed hard, summoned his courage, and shouted, "Is anyone there? Is anyone in there?"
There was no response to his voice. The pitch - black area always gave one the creeps and made one's nerves tense!
Suddenly, it seemed as if something had just run past!
Frightened, he quickly stepped backward and leaned against the wall, only then feeling a bit of security.
But he always had the feeling that something was approaching him. He was so scared that he dug his hands hard into the ground, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably!
Suddenly, that eerie sound rang out again, getting closer and closer, jabbing at his nerves...
Just as he was in a daze, a shriveled baby suddenly dashed past in front of his eyes!
He could hardly believe his own eyes. In an instant, he was pulled back to that bloody scene. He was almost on the verge of a breakdown. Remembering what Si Hongxi had told him, could it really be the unborn child coming for revenge?
He quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing while shouting.
"Little master, spare me, spare me! I don't want to die! It was all Li Xinghuai. He was the one who ordered me to do it! It's none of my business! It was he who told me to take people to Zhao Qinglian's house and bring her back. He was also the one who got her pregnant. And it was he who told me to find someone to cut you out! I couldn't bear to see you all bloody... He was right there at the scene. I didn't dare to stop him! Little master, spare me! I don't want to die a horrible death!"
The sound of his kowtows, "clang, clang, clang", was as loud as a bell. His forehead was bruised and blood oozed out.
At this moment, he didn't care about the pain on his forehead. He just saw that there was no more movement around. He slowly raised his head, and in an instant, he was so scared that he slumped to the ground.
Si Hongxi, along with Li Xinghuai's parents and the jailers, was standing right in front of him.
Everyone had heard every word he had just said clearly!
Even Li Xinghuai's parents couldn't believe their ears. Their son had actually done such a crazy thing!
Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Guo Kun had no choice but to confess everything. He listed all of Li Xinghuai's crimes one by one and pleaded guilty without reservation!
Afterward, Mu Qing handed the signed confession to Si Hongxi.
He flattered a bit and said, "My lord, you're really amazing. You solved this so easily!"
"Alright, stop flattering me! I still have to go to the palace!" Si Hongxi said, "You handle things here first. We'll talk when I get back to the mansion."
"Yes, my lord!"
Si Hongxi then came to the palace. It was already the You period, and the night was falling.
He presented the recent case files to the emperor and reported the situation truthfully.
The emperor was quite intrigued by Si Hongxi's report. Knowing the gravity of the matter, he couldn't help but ask, "I've never heard you mention that there are such talented and extraordinary people around you. When can you bring them here for me to meet?"
"Your Majesty, I've just made friends with them recently. As for when I can bring them to meet you, I really can't make the decision. I need to ask for their opinions first!" Si Hongxi replied frankly.
"Haha! Interesting, interesting! ... I'm quite envious of you. It's rare to have such friends! Well, I trust you and your abilities. I'll leave the case entirely in your hands. Also, you must keep a close eye on that old fox. Once there's any new progress, report it to me immediately! ... In addition, the heir of the foreign vassal will return in the next few days. Arrange things regarding An Yao. You may leave now!"
"Yes, I'll take my leave!"
Emperor Xuan watched Si Hongxi's retreating figure and felt a sense of relief in his heart. As a member of the royal family, he was doomed to be lonely. How could he ever have friends?
It was already the Xu period. Just as Si Hongxi was about to leave the palace, he suddenly seemed to hear something.
He looked into the distance. It seemed that a black - clothed man was leaping from roof to roof in the direction of Yiru Palace.
Si Hongxi frowned tightly. Oh no, An Yao...
He quickly got up and chased after him.
Sure enough, the black - clothed man was on the eaves of Yiru Palace, peeping furtively.
"Who's there!" Si Hongxi shouted loudly.
Hearing the shout, the man saw Si Hongxi and quickly got up to flee.
Si Hongxi took a big leap onto the eaves and grabbed the black - clothed man!
Just like this, the two fought fiercely, from the roof to the ground and then from the ground back to the roof.
Si Hongxi frowned. This man's martial arts were no less than his own. There were very few people in the capital who could fight with him for more than a dozen rounds!
Who on earth was he?
At this time, the patrolling guards also rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the black - clothed man quickly threw a hidden weapon at Si Hongxi. Fortunately, Si Hongxi dodged in time and was not injured.
Taking the opportunity, the black - clothed man quickly fled.
The patrolling guards stepped forward one after another. "My lord, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Hurry up and send people to chase him!" Si Hongxi stared intently in the direction where the black - clothed man had fled. He had a feeling that the black - clothed man didn't want to kill him. The hidden weapon just now was only to get rid of him.
Who could this person be? Could he be related to the evil spirit from last time?
Oh no! An Yao...
Si Hongxi quickly knocked on the door of Yiru Palace and asked if An Yao was injured.
An Yao looked at Si Hongxi's nervous look, completely confused. She shook her head and said, "I'm fine. I just heard the commotion!"
"Someone broke into Yiru Palace at night. The guards have gone to chase him. I'm relieved that you're okay. Be careful!" Si Hongxi said with concern.
An Yao said with a smile, "Brother Hongxi still cares about me the most! I'm fine. Don't worry!"
"Okay, have a good rest! I'll go and check over there!" Si Hongxi said and then turned to look for the black - clothed man in the direction he had fled.
All the guards searched everywhere, but they still couldn't find a trace of the black - clothed man.
"Strengthen the guards and patrol more strictly!"
After giving his instructions, Si Hongxi left the palace and returned to the Pingnan Prince's Mansion.
"My lord, you're back?" Mu Qing greeted Si Hongxi.
The two then came to the study. Si Hongxi handed several case files to Mu Qing and instructed, "Close these cases first!"
Mu Qing looked at the files and murmured, "The murder case of the husband and wife in Zhang's Butcher Shop..."
"Close this case by saying that there was a conflict between the husband and wife, and the husband killed his wife before committing suicide!" Si Hongxi continued, "As for the murder case of the coroner, close it as a sudden heart attack. And the case at No. 85 Kangzhou Road, close it as a suicide. The case in the Prime Minister's Mansion... close it as an accidental fall into the water! ..."
"Also, regarding Li Xinghuai's case, we've received quite a few reports about his crimes these days. Since people knew that he had got into trouble, the victims who had suffered from his persecution dared to report their grievances to the yamen!"
"As for his case... Li Xinghuai forced the abduction of civilian women, burned, killed, and looted. There are both witnesses and physical evidence. Even if he were still alive, these crimes would be enough to kill him a thousand times over."
"Although he has already received his due punishment, as the saying goes, if the son does wrong, the father is to blame. His parents are also hard to absolve of their responsibility. After his parents and servants are paraded through the streets on a chosen day, they will all be exiled to the malaria - infested land in the south of the Lingnan Mountains!"
Si Hongxi heaved a deep sigh. These matters were finally over for the time being.
But when he thought of the black - clothed man he had encountered in the palace today, he knew that things were far from as simple as he had thought.
What was the identity of this black - clothed man? And what was his purpose?