Everyone was startled, their eyes fixed on Mo Yu lying on the ground. Indeed, his gaze was lifeless—clearly dead.
Just moments ago, everyone had been focused on Mei Qing, whose expression had changed drastically after picking up the inkstone, so much so that no one noticed exactly when Mo Yu had died.
Now, Mo Yu’s corpse bore a look of terror, as if he had seen something unspeakably horrifying.
“Zhang Liang! What exactly happened here?” Zhao Boxu demanded angrily.
Zhang Liang gasped for breath, suddenly screamed, and leapt to his feet. “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!” He turned his head and pointed frantically at the inkstone on the ground. “Your Honor, it’s the inkstone! The inkstone is a monster—it kills people! This kid was one, and—” he pointed directly at Mei Qing, “Mei Qing just now too! That inkstone is evil!”
“Enough!” Zhao Boxu bellowed. “Nonsense! A gentleman does not speak of supernatural forces or violence. In this clear and rational world, where does such evil come from? You, as a head constable, instead of investigating the case, are shouting nonsense! Be quiet now!”
Zhang Liang swallowed hard, the fear in his eyes slowly fading. He opened his mouth but wisely shut it again, saying nothing further.
Zhao Boxu nodded slightly, then turned to Gao Ming, the attendant beside him. “Gao Ming, bring that inkstone to me!”
Gao Ming hesitated, his eyes fixed on the inkstone with evident fear. He murmured, “Your Honor… I…”
“Fool!” Zhao Boxu roared, his beard bristling with fury. “You, a royal officer, believe in such unfounded nonsense, afraid of death and confused beyond reason! If I am not afraid, what are you afraid of? Bring it to me now!”
Gao Ming flushed with shame. Bowing his head, he stepped forward quickly, slowly bent down, and gently picked up the inkstone. Everyone held their breath. As he lifted it, his hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the stone again. At this sight, everyone felt a chill in their hearts—Mei Qing especially.
Fortunately, Gao Ming’s momentary panic passed. He steadied himself, gripped the inkstone tightly, and hurried back, bowing deeply as he presented it to Zhao Boxu. “One inkstone, Your Honor, for your inspection.”
Zhao Boxu gave a slight nod, seemingly casually reached out to take the inkstone, and examined it closely with narrowed eyes. He then smiled faintly. “It’s actually a fine piece of inkstone.”
He raised the inkstone high, half-turned toward the crowd gathered outside, and declared loudly, “People say this inkstone is evil, that it kills and harms. Now I hold it in my hand—what strange signs have appeared? Inkstones are writing tools, lifeless objects. How could they possibly kill? There may be some hidden details to this case. My fellow citizens, please rest assured. I will investigate thoroughly and give you all a proper explanation. The officers here need to examine the scene further, or perhaps question locals who know more. For now, please disperse. When the case is solved, there will be a public trial where you may all return to witness justice.”
Outside the courtyard gate, a large crowd had gathered, drawn by the news of a murder and the arrival of the authorities. At first, they had whispered among themselves, but now, hearing Zhao Boxu’s words, they nodded in agreement and gradually dispersed.
As Gao Ming and Zhao Boxu touched the inkstone, Mei Qing felt his heart pounding with tension. Yet as both handled it without any apparent ill effects, he found himself puzzled.
Before Liu B’er died, he had repeatedly warned not to open the box. Li Mei took the inkstone and died mad the next day, speaking of the Seven Stars Inkstone. Mo Yu claimed the inkstone killed and tried to smash it—only to die on the spot. When Mei Qing held it, he felt a chilling, murderous intent—surely not just his imagination.
Then why had Gao Ming and Zhao Boxu both held it without harm?
Mei Qing stood motionless, his mind in chaos.
“Master Mei! Master Mei!” Suddenly, Wang Sigu’s voice broke through his thoughts.
Startled, Mei Qing turned to look. Wang Sigu gestured. “The magistrate is calling you.”
Mei Qing quickly turned to Zhao Boxu, who spoke calmly. “Both you, Master Mei, and Master Wang, being men of scholarly rank, surely understand the importance of justice and assisting in the investigation of this case. However, this is not the place to discuss it further. I would like to invite both of you to accompany me to the yamen. Please do not refuse.”
Mei Qing exchanged a glance with Wang Sigu and slowly nodded.
When Mei Qing finally returned home from the Shuntian Prefecture Office, it was even later than the previous day.
As he entered the back courtyard, a voice of joy rang out, followed by a rush of fragrance—Duo Yun, his senior maid, flung herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, whispering tearfully, “Master, you’ve scared me to death.”
She buried her head in his chest, sobbing softly.
Mei Qing, who had remained composed even before the Prefect, now awkwardly patted her back, soothing her gently. He told her he had only been summoned to clarify the case, that there was no trouble, and promised not to leave the house for the next few days. Slowly, she stopped crying and lifted her head from his chest.
Her beautiful eyes were red and swollen. Noticing the others watching them with half-smiles, she felt suddenly embarrassed, her face flushed red. “Oh!” she cried softly, pushed him away, and ran off, murmuring, “I’ll go prepare dinner for you, Master.”
E’er, standing nearby, giggled. “Sister Duo Yun, the meal has already been prepared by Auntie Wu. But you wouldn’t let go of Master, so everyone waited until the food got cold. What meal are you going to prepare now?”
Duo Yun blushed deeply, too embarrassed to reply. Covering her face, she ran into the house.
Mei Qing smiled. Seeing Zhong Shu nearby, he hesitated for a moment, originally intending to recount the day’s events to him. But then he thought better of it—such strange happenings might only cause unnecessary worry without offering any help. He decided to wait.
He turned to E’er. “Duo Yun must have been really frightened today. Don’t tease her anymore. Be kind and comfort her. She’s always been good to you.”
E’er grinned. “I know. I think of her as my real sister. Haha. Speaking of her, she was so worried you wouldn’t come back that she kept sending people to find out what happened, afraid you were in trouble. When Lao Zhang came back saying you were taken by the officials, involved in a murder case, she nearly collapsed in her chair. She wouldn’t calm down even when the head constable said it was nothing serious. She kept sending people to check on you.”
Mei Qing chuckled and gently patted E’er’s cheek. “And you? Weren’t you scared?”
E’er tilted her head. “You’re patting my face again. Of course I wasn’t scared. Master would never get into trouble.”
Looking at E’er’s youthful, radiant face, Mei Qing’s smile turned slightly bitter.
That night, Duo Yun refused to sleep in her own room. She clung tightly to Mei Qing, whispering, “Master, tonight I don’t want to leave.”
Mei Qing smiled, cupped her face in his hands, and saw the layers of blush on her cheeks. Her beautiful eyes were still slightly swollen from crying. Overcome with tenderness, he gently kissed her trembling eyelashes. “Then stay. Master likes it.”
Duo Yun hugged him tightly, whispering, “Master, promise me you’ll always be safe. Don’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Mei Qing softly stroked her gentle shoulders. “Don’t worry. Master has a strong fate. What misfortune could possibly befall me? You silly girl, thinking too much. Now go to sleep.”
Duo Yun lifted her head, lowering her lashes. “Master, please don’t be angry at my words. I’m not cursing you. It’s just that today, for a moment, I felt a chill in my heart, as if something had happened to you. I immediately sent people to find out, and when they said you were taken by the officials, I nearly lost my mind…”
Mei Qing stiffened slightly, then gently held her close, speaking lightly. “You think too much. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ll grow old with you.”
Duo Yun nodded hard, slowly leaning on his shoulder. Her body gradually relaxed, and soon her breathing steadied—she had fallen asleep.
Gently, Mei Qing lifted her and laid her down on the bed. He realized she must have been terribly frightened during the day, and only now, feeling safe, could she sleep peacefully. Reflecting on the day’s strange events, his mind swirled with thoughts, making it hard to fall asleep.
After lying awake for a long time, drowsiness finally began to take him—when suddenly, loud voices and pounding on the front door broke the silence, followed by arguing.
Mei Qing got up, wrapped a robe around himself, and saw that Duo Yun was still sleeping soundly. He didn’t wake her, quietly got out of bed, and opened the door.
With a loud crash, the front door was forced open. A group of people stormed into the courtyard. Moments later, more than a dozen torch-bearing figures entered in a line. The flickering firelight revealed their unusual attire.
Mei Qing’s heart quickened. He stepped forward and demanded, “Who are you?”
The crowd parted, and a figure emerged from the center. Cloaked in shadow, his face was obscured, but his eyes gleamed in the darkness. He studied Mei Qing for a moment and then said in a deep voice, “Are you Mei Qing?”
“Indeed,” Mei Qing replied firmly. “But who—”
The man nodded slightly, raised his hand, and ordered, “Take him.”
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