Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 195 Killed
It was already late at night, and Yan Ciwan was standing in the deserted courtyard.

The night wind blew the lanterns hanging under the eaves, and the shadows on the ground swayed with them.

There were soft footsteps behind me.

Yan Ciwan turned around and looked in the direction of the voice, and saw a person walking slowly in the night. It was Xiao Wang!
He was wearing a dark black Taoist robe, with a moon-white round-necked robe on the outside, and holding a white lantern in his hand.

Yan Ciwan was very surprised. Shouldn't Xiao Wang be sleeping in the house? Why was he here?

Xiao Wang walked past her holding a lantern, went up the stairs and gently knocked on the study door.

Unexpectedly, the door was only ajar and opened with a slight touch.

Xiao Wang was quite surprised by this, and he tried to call out, "Envoy?"

The room was silent and no one responded.

Xiao Wang pondered for a moment, and finally stepped over the threshold and walked in.

Yan Ci Wan wanted to follow in, but was blocked by an invisible wall. She could only stand outside the door and look inside. The light in the study was very dim, with only an oil lamp on the desk.

Behind the desk, I vaguely saw a man sitting, and judging by his figure, he should be Governor Xie.

Xiao Wang stood about ten feet away from the desk. He looked at Governor Xie who was sitting behind the desk and whispered, "Sir, what is the matter that you called me here so late at night?"

Governor Xie sat upright in a chair, his head slightly lowered, motionless, as if he was asleep.

In response to Xiao Wang's question, Governor Xie did not respond.

Seeing this, Yan Ciwan had a bad feeling in his heart. Could something have happened to Governor Xie?
Xiao Wang seemed to have the same concerns.

He took two steps forward and called out again, "Envoy, are you okay?"

Governor Xie still did not move.

Xiao Wang no longer hesitated and strode forward. He walked around the desk and came to the side of Governor Xie. He picked up the lantern and looked at Governor Xie carefully.

Yan Ciwan, who was standing outside the door, stretched her neck to look. With the light from the lantern in Xiao Wang's hand, she saw that Governor Xie's face was as pale as paper, without a trace of blood.

I don’t know what Xiao Wang saw, but he suddenly took a step back, and then a soft sound was heard, as if he had guessed something.

He bent down and reached out to pick up something on the ground. It turned out to be a bloody dagger!

Seeing this scene, Yan Ciwan already understood that Governor Xie had been murdered!
It was not suitable to stay here for long, so she shouted at Xiao Wang: "Get out of here!"

Xiao Wang couldn't hear her voice, but he knew that if he stayed here any longer, he would probably get into trouble, so he immediately put the dagger back to its place and strode out.

At this moment, Yan Ciwan caught a glimpse of a white shadow flashing by.

She immediately tried to chase him, but she was now a spirit and could not move freely. She was forced to stop after only a few steps.

The white shadow flew over the courtyard wall and quickly disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, hurried footsteps were heard outside the yard. Yan Ci Wan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xie Li and a group of people running hurriedly towards him.

They happened to run into Xiao Wang who had just walked out of the study.

Yan Ciwan's heart skipped a beat. They wouldn't suspect Xiao Wang of being the murderer, right?

Xie Li obviously didn't expect Xiao Wang to be here. He paused and looked surprised: "Xiao Liulang, why are you here so late instead of resting in Yongchun Courtyard?"

Xiao Wang said: "It was Envoy Xie who sent someone to tell me to come here to see him, but I knocked on the door and there was no response. I was a little worried and was about to go in to check the situation when I saw you coming."

Xie Li was skeptical: "Why does the envoy want to see you in the middle of the night?" Xiao Wang said he didn't know either.

Xie Li asked Xiao Wang to wait here, and he led his people into the study. However, after a moment, he ran out hurriedly, looking shocked and angry.

"The envoy was murdered. Who did it? Is it you, Xiao Liulang?!"

Xiao Wang flatly denied: "It's not me, I know nothing."

Xie Li pointed at the study and said, "I checked just now. There are footprints next to the desk. Someone must have been in there just now. You lied and said you didn't go in. You are the murderer! Come on, arrest him for me!"

Xiao Wang tried his best to defend himself, but Xie Li refused to listen to him at all. He ordered his men to cover his mouth, tied him up and dragged him away.

"Xiao Liu!" Yan Ci Wan wanted to chase him, but she was trapped in the courtyard and unable to leave. She could only watch Xiao Wang being taken away.

She turned around and saw Xie Li ordering people to carry Governor Xie out of the study.

With the help of the dim moonlight, Yan Ciwan could clearly see that there was a bloody hole on Governor Xie's chest. His clothes were soaked with blood, but because he was wearing crimson clothes and it was dark at night, the wound seemed inconspicuous.

He was lying flat on the stretcher. As the stretcher swayed, his right hand dropped down and a white object fell from his hand to the ground.

Yan Ciwan looked carefully and found that it was actually a Buddha amulet carved from warm jade!
She originally thought that the amulet was taken away by Nie Wuniang, but she didn't expect it to be in the hands of Governor Xie.

Xie Li found the Buddha amulet that had fallen to the ground. He bent down to pick it up. He didn't know what he thought of, but he narrowed his eyes slightly and looked thoughtful.

He put the amulet into his sleeve pocket, put his hands behind his back, and strode out.

After everyone had left, Yan Ciwan was the only one left in the courtyard.

There was a faint sound of night watchmen outside the mansion. It was already three o'clock in the morning. She turned around to look at the study. The door of the study had been closed and locked from the outside.

She was very uneasy. Who killed Governor Xie? Was it really him who asked Xiao Wang to come here to meet him?

Also, Xiao Wang happened to have a white jade Buddha amulet on him, and Governor Xie was holding an identical white jade Buddha amulet in his hand before he died.

Once this matter is discovered, he will never be able to clear himself even if he jumps into the Yellow River.

The night wind blew the branches and leaves, making a slight rustling sound, followed by a familiar sound of piano.

That's Xiao Wang playing "The Returner"!
Yan Ciwan was cheered up and ran towards the direction where the piano sound came from without hesitation.

She ran out of the courtyard and passed through door after door. Her body became lighter and lighter. The night wind blew past her ears, making her feel as if she was about to fly at any moment.

Finally, she returned to Yongchunyuan.

The door of the east wing was open, and warm candlelight leaked out from the room, falling on the steps, illuminating her way home.

The piano sounds melodious and graceful, hiding an indescribable tenderness.

She walked forward on the steps, stepped over the threshold and entered the house, her translucent body blending into the warm candlelight.

Xiao Wang was playing the piano. He was wearing a loose black Taoist robe and a moon-white round-necked robe. His outfit was exactly the same as the Xiao Wang she had seen outside the study before.

The night wind blew into the house, and the candlelight swayed gently.

Xiao Wang raised his head as if he sensed something, looked towards the door, and tried to ask, "Aci, are you back?"

Yan Ciwan replied softly.

"Well, I'm back."

(End of this chapter)