Chapter 42 I Can Save Him

A pungent smell of blood continuously assaulted everyone's senses. The shocking blood was still flowing, and only a short while ago, it had been pulsing through human veins.

Witnessing this scene, Cui Shi could not remain calm at all. His stomach churned violently, and throwing all dignity aside, he ran to the side and vomited profusely.

When he walked back, he discovered that Chu Li was entirely unaffected, appearing even calmer than the government bailiffs.

Cui Shi grew increasingly curious about this young lady Chu. It was already rare for an ordinary woman to possess even half of her courage; just who on earth was she?

Fu Heng did not dismount his carriage. Seeing the blood-drenched entrance of the Wang residence, he furrowed his brow, a heavy sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Chu Li stood in place, carefully observing the Wang residence and the surrounding onlookers. In broad daylight, the scene appeared murky and foul to her eyes. The crowd was enveloped in an aura of curses, and the entire Wang estate was surrounded by ghostly qi, clearly resembling a place of great misfortune.

Wishing to prevent the situation from escalating further, Chu Li pondered for a moment and said:

"Those who do not wish to die, leave this place quickly. This location is ominous and tainted with evil; it is no place to linger."

Yet, just as Chu Li’s voice trailed off, someone among the onlookers jumped out to seek attention.

"Hah, who do you think you are, meddling so much? Even the magistrate hasn't chased us away, so what are you shouting for, you busybody woman?"

"Exactly! Who do you think you are, talking about omens and evil? Don't we already know? People have died, so of course it's ominous, but what is there to be afraid of? Short-sighted woman, just ignore her."

Naturally, there were also timid citizens who had already quietly slipped out of the crowd, standing at a distance to observe.

A few sharp-eyed individuals noticed that the young woman was accompanied by the young master of the Seven Treasures Pavilion. Out of trust in the pavilion, they half-believed Chu Li's words and retreated beyond the crowd.

Chu Li had no intention of bothering with those who chose to remain at the Wang family's entrance.

She had kindly offered a warning, but instead of appreciating it, these people fearlessly ridiculed her. If anything went wrong shortly, they would have no one to blame but themselves.

Good words cannot persuade a ghost determined to die. Chu Li had always believed that some people's misfortune was entirely self-inflicted, and their deaths would be well-deserved. She had no obligation to chase after these people to offer warmth; they were unworthy, and she cared nothing for such merits.

Seeing this, Cui Shi wanted to speak up for Chu Li, but she stopped him.

"Young Master Cui need not waste time on people bent on courting death. Go ahead and clear the way; I need to go inside and take a look."

With government soldiers guarding the perimeter strictly, it was difficult for Chu Li to force her way in. Seeing that Fu Heng was currently playing the coward without even stepping out of his sedan chair, she could only rely on Cui Shi.

Cui Shi took the order and went over. After exchanging just a few words with the guard at the gate, the official glanced toward Chu Li and frowned, asking:

"Young Master Cui, are you certain that young lady is a mystic?"

Cui Shi nodded. "Go inside and report this to the magistrate. I know some inside information regarding the Wang family father and son; this matter is highly unusual. That young lady is a genuine mystic, and I have witnessed her abilities with my own eyes."

Although Lady Chu had not explicitly introduced herself as a mystic in his presence, Cui Shi was not a fool. Someone with those capabilities was vastly different from ordinary itinerant fortune-tellers.

Though invoking the Prince of You at this moment would make things much smoother and simpler, Cui Shi could tell that the Prince had no desire to show himself, so he sensibly refrained from mentioning him.

The guard trotted inside and quickly returned with the magistrate's permission.

"Young Master Cui, our lord instructs that you and the young lady may enter together."

Hearing that they were going inside, Cui Shi couldn't help but shiver. Lady Chu had warned him earlier not to enter—should he go in or not?

At that moment, Chu Li walked over. Her expression was obscured beneath her veil, leaving only a pair of clear, piercing eyes exposed, imparting an unfathomable aura.

"Let's go in together. Stay close to me."

As long as he stood by her side, at least the blood curse could not harm Cui Shi; she still possessed that much protective ability.

Emboldened, Cui Shi stepped across the threshold of the Wang residence. Worried for her mistress, Qiuyi followed them inside as well. Chu Li did not stop her, knowing Qiuyi carried the protective talisman she had given her, which kept all evil at bay.

Moreover, she had considered that if Qiuyi wished to continue following her in the future, her courage needed to be forged; constantly avoiding danger was no solution.

Seeing Chu Li and the others enter, Heiyu couldn't help but probe:

"My lord, are we not going in?"

Fu Heng sat inside the carriage with his eyes closed to rest. Hearing this, he replied calmly and steadily:

"Wait a little longer. Have someone keep an eye on the Chu family and report any news immediately."

...

Inside the Wang family's reception hall, several figures were gathered around two corpses covered with white linen sheets, looking troubled. Two women were kneeling on the ground, their eyes swollen from weeping, their expressions lost and helpless.

"Milord, Young Master Cui has arrived with the mystic."

Prompted by the bailiff, Magistrate Zhou Jiangshun turned around. His complexion was extremely grim; the events at the Wang household were far too bizarre, leaving him entirely without a clue and under immense pressure.

When Magistrate Zhou saw the young woman behind Cui Shi, although his subordinates had already reported that the mystic was not only female but also very young—and he had mentally prepared himself—actual sight of her still inevitably brought a trace of disappointment.

Withdrawing his gaze, Magistrate Zhou addressed Cui Shi:

"Young Master Cui, I hear you know something about the situation at the Wang family? Tell us what you know."

Magistrate Zhou felt a throbbing sensation in his temples and a heavy, suffocating tightness in his chest, prompting him to find a chair and sit down.

Within just a brief moment, Chu Li noticed that the magistrate's lips had turned dark, and a faint aura of death emanated from his body, signaling the impending signs of a dying man.

She immediately stepped forward a few paces and swept her finger toward the magistrate's forehead.

At that moment, Magistrate Zhou had lost his ability to react. He could only see Chu Li's movement, but his body refused to obey, sitting stiffly and motionlessly in place.

Upon seeing this, the bailiffs prepared to intervene, but Cui Shi stepped forward to block them.

"Wait! Lady Chu is trying to save your magistrate. Look closely at Lord Zhou's complexion; something seems terribly wrong."

Cui Shi had gained some experience in these matters. Although he could not see the aura of death on Magistrate Zhou as Chu Li could, he could discern certain clues from the man's ashen face.

Coupled with his firm belief in the blood curse, he naturally deduced that Lord Zhou was likely near death as well, and only Lady Chu could save him.

The bailiff was about to curse him for talking nonsense when Magistrate Zhou suddenly widened his eyes and violently spat out a mouthful of dark blood—even though Chu Li's hand had not yet touched him.

This sudden turn of events frightened the guards, and the two Wang family women huddled together in terror, trembling uncontrollably.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The assistant magistrate hurried to Lord Zhou's side and checked his pulse, his expression instantly turning ashen.

"He was fine just a moment ago, why is his breath like a gossamer thread now? Speak! What did you do to my lord?"

As Magistrate Zhou's deputy, Assistant Magistrate Sun was encountering such a situation for the very first time, and to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.

Chu Li raised both hands and took a step back, her tone remaining entirely calm.

"Your lord has been contaminated by a blood curse, and coupled with pre-existing internal ailments, his constitution is far weaker than an ordinary person's. He has already lined up before the gates of hell ahead of you. If you continue to waste time bickering over causes, in another half-incense stick of time, he will certainly die."

"Let me get close, and I can save him."

Assistant Magistrate Sun: "..."