My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Luo Xiangjun's home was just two alleys away from Baoyue Tower.

It is said that she moved here after finally earning enough money before the Lunar New Year, so that it would be more convenient for her to travel back and forth between Baoyuelou and her home.

The person who brought them here was a young maid from Baoyue Tower who had not yet reached marriageable age.

The girl couldn't stop crying the whole way, so much so that she couldn't even open her eyes. She could only hold onto Ning Liang's sleeve and point the way for them.

"Waaaaah... Your Excellency, you must catch the murderer and avenge Sister Xiangjun!"

Xie Yan walked over to her and handed her a handkerchief. After she wiped away her tears, she said, "Seeing how sad you are, this Miss Luo must be a very nice person."

The little girl nodded, sobbing, "Sister Xiangjun is really a good person. She's kind-hearted and gentle, even to servants like us. She needs money herself, but she still helps us out from time to time."

Ning Liang hesitated for a moment, then asked her, "Do you know if there are any people who are jealous of her or have ill intentions towards her?"

She almost blurted out the denial: "Impossible! It's not just me, everyone likes Sister Xiangjun very much, how could anyone be jealous of her!"

But her words were cut off the next second.

"But you should have seen her current state. Why would someone who doesn't hate her do such a thing?"

The little girl's face turned pale, and she opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Seeing this, Ning Liang patted her shoulder and said, "You don't need to be afraid. If you have any clues, just tell us."

She nervously tugged at her handkerchief, and hesitantly began, "...Come to think of it, there seems to be something strange..."

Ning Liang perked up upon hearing this and immediately asked, "What is it?"

"Because it happened a long time ago, I didn't remember it at the moment."

The little girl tried hard to recall: "It was before Sister Xiangjun moved here. One day I heard her tell her mother that she felt someone was secretly following her when she came home at night several times, and she was very scared. So her mother arranged for a few security guards to escort her home at night. Later, she moved to this neighborhood and I never heard her mention this matter again."

This is quite a clue.

While talking, the group quickened their pace. They hadn't forgotten that there was an elderly woman, completely helpless, in Luo Xiangjun's house.

If, as they speculated, Luo Xiangjun was indeed murdered in her own home, then her grandmother would likely have met the same fate.

They soon arrived at the residence that Luo Xiangjun had purchased nearby. At first glance, their hearts began to race.

The reason was that the gate of the house was half open!

This further confirmed their suspicions. The group hurriedly went inside.

The house wasn't big; you could see right through it. Upon entering, there was a small open space planted with vegetables, and behind that space were two clearly visible side rooms leaning against each other.

Ning Liang didn't even have time to look at the collapsed vegetable garden; he immediately ran to the two side rooms and pushed open the doors to check.

He first pushed open a door and looked inside. He was so frightened by what he saw that he took several steps back. After realizing what he had done, he immediately ran to push open another door.

"The old man is here!"

Fortunately, although the old man was lying in bed with his eyes closed, he seemed to be just asleep and had no injuries.

"Old man, old man!"

Ning Liang patted and called out to the old man for a while before the old man groggily opened his eyes and stared at him blankly.

Ning Liang breathed a sigh of relief: "Grandpa, are you alright? What exactly happened last night?"

However, despite Ning Liang's repeated questioning, the old man just stared blankly at him.

After a long while, the old man's gaze slowly focused, and looking at the unfamiliar people around him, he suddenly screamed in fear, "Ah ah!"

She broke free from Ning Liang's grasp, clutching the blanket and sobbing on the bed, "Ah...scent, so fragrant..."

The group exchanged surprised glances, a sense of foreboding creeping over them.

Then the little girl who had led them earlier ran in, comforting the old woman as she said, "Xiangjun's grandmother fell and hit her head a while ago. Not only is she unable to get out of bed, but she is also mentally impaired, only recognizing Xiangjun. Moreover, she is hard of hearing and cannot hear what you are saying."

The little girl must have come a few times before, because the old lady recognized her. Although she had stopped crying, she was still afraid of the strangers in front of her. The group had no choice but to leave for the time being.

Xie Yan walked to the side room next door, the one that had just startled Ning Liang. Sure enough, what she saw was a mess of scattered items and large patches of blood splattered on the walls.

Chu Ling also came over: "It seems this really is the place."

The two went inside and noticed that, in addition to the bloodstains on the walls, much of the blood that should have been on the floor had been wiped away. The clothes that had been wiped were carelessly discarded in the corner.

It's likely that this person originally intended to clean up the scene, but ultimately gave up for some unknown reason.

Thinking of the collapsed vegetable garden by the door, it seems that what happened was that Luo Xiangjun unfortunately encountered villains when she returned home last night. After a fight at the door, she was still unable to escape their clutches and was finally dragged to her room and brutally murdered.

The old woman who was separated from this place by only a wall was able to escape death, probably because she couldn't hear anything.

"It seems highly likely that the crime was committed by someone known to the victim."

Ning Liang shared the same sentiment: "I feel the same way."

After all, it can't be said that the elderly person was lucky to escape this disaster.

The villain must have known about the old woman's situation, which is why he spared her life. If he were a stranger, seeing others inside during the attack, he wouldn't care whether they could hear or move; he would surely have killed them for his own safety.

In this way, this case should be much easier to solve than the case of the mass grave.

"Then I will immediately gather men to investigate those around Luo Xiangjun."

After saying that, Ning Liang hurriedly left.

After he left, the two found no further clues in the room, so they also left the room.

Before leaving, Ning Liang specifically left two officials and a young girl to take care of the old man.

As Xie Yan and her companion walked by, they heard faint sobs coming from inside the room. The old lady was still oblivious, repeatedly calling out "Xiangxiang."

As I passed by that vegetable patch, something suddenly flashed from the collapsed area.

The two noticed the subtle movement almost simultaneously, stopped instantly, and walked in unison toward the collapsed corner.

Xie Yan reached out and brushed aside the vegetable leaves, only to find a silver hairpin glowing in the light. It must have been dropped by Luo Xiangjun when she was fighting with the villains.

He put the hairpin away and was about to get up when Chu Ling suddenly pressed down on his shoulder, gesturing for him to look at the ground.

"This is……"