In the main hall of Yan Qu Hall, a woman in white was hanging from the roof beam.
Her face was purple-blue, her eyes bulged, her whites were covered in red dots, and her tongue hung out long.
Even in such a gruesome state, it was not difficult to see that this woman in white had been a rare beauty in life.
Unfortunately, she was now a cold corpse.
"It's Nangong Talent!"
"Quickly, take her down!"
The hall immediately descended into chaos.
Early in the morning, they were supposed to start cleaning the main hall, but as soon as the palace maids and eunuchs entered, they saw such a horrifying scene.
Some tried to reach her by stepping on a table, but found that the corpse on the roof beam was still more than a zhang away from their outstretched hands.
"It's so high, how did she get up there to hang herself…"
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone felt a chill.
The main hall's roof beam was over three zhang high, making it impossible for an ordinary person to reach.
But looking at the lonely corpse hanging from the roof beam, everyone simultaneously thought of the previous rumors of ghosts.
A fear several times more intense than before couldn't help but creep into everyone's hearts.
… …
The shadowy room was filled with ghostly fire, and the spring courtyard was shrouded in darkness.
With the death of a Talent, Yan Qu Hall had no choice but to reopen its palace gates.
When Li Xuan arrived, he saw a busy scene under a pall of sorrow.
The various departments of the palace seemed to have suddenly awakened, all gathering here today.
There were those handling the corpse and aftermath, those inquiring and investigating, and also those strengthening patrols and vigilance.
Flower-Clothed Eunuchs, Imperial Guards, and even those wearing official robes.
Li Xuan couldn't tell what official ranks these were, but he assumed they were all here because of the deceased Talent.
Earlier, Li Xuan had already seen the Talent's corpse.
He had anticipated many possible candidates, but he had never expected it to be this person.
Li Xuan knew the deceased Nangong Talent.
On the day Deng Weixian first arrived at Yan Qu Hall, he encountered this Talent on the way.
The owner of the room that Xiao Zhuozi coveted and secretly went to steal and suck from the bamboo tube every night was also this Talent.
And today, hanging from the main hall's roof beam, was also this Talent.
What wrong did Nangong Talent do?
A teenage girl, in the prime of her youth, lay cold on the ground, becoming a vengeful corpse.
Was it because she met two new eunuchs on the road that day?
Was it because her beauty was coveted by Xiao Zhuozi?
Was it because she was caught in a conspiracy she had never even detected herself?
Or was it because she was wrong from the moment she entered the palace?
Li Xuan stood on the wall, staring blankly at Nangong Talent, until someone covered her with a white cloth and carried her away from the place.
It was only when Nangong Talent was no longer visible that Li Xuan noticed Deng Weixian was also there.
He stood in the corner, his gaze fixed on the direction Nangong Talent had been taken.
His eyes were no different from Li Xuan's.
Bewilderment, helplessness, regret, hatred… …
Deng Weixian's hands quietly clenched into tiger claws, his cold gaze sweeping towards Xiao Zhuozi beside him.
"Shouldn't it be you who died?"
At this moment, Xiao Zhuozi's face was filled with terror, his panic undisguised, his legs trembling like a sieve, and thus he didn't notice the murderous look in Little Deng's eyes beside him.
"How could she commit suicide? It makes no sense, it makes no sense… …"
"Did she discover me?"
"No, no… …"
"Then she should have told Eunuch Yin, there's no need to hang herself… …"
"It's a ghost's doing, it must be a ghost's doing!"
"She won't come looking for me, impossible, she doesn't even know what I did… …"
Xiao Zhuozi's mind was in a mess, his face pale, cold sweat pouring down.
"You two still dare to be lazy? Don't you see what time it is!"
From a distance, an older eunuch in yellow robes reprimanded the two.
Deng Weixian and Xiao Zhuozi both trembled, as if waking from a dream, and quickly lowered their heads, busying themselves with their tasks.
Li Xuan saw all their expressions, but besides sighing, there was only sighing.
… …
Under the night sky, Deng Weixian, having finished his training, sat on a stone bench, panting and resting.
He had been particularly exhausted from his training tonight, always unable to focus.
Perhaps it was because things had gone so contrary to his wishes during the day.
"What's wrong?"
"Can't calm your mind tonight?"
A deep voice suddenly sounded behind him, and Deng Weixian abruptly stood up, bowing respectfully.
"Godfather."
Deng Weixians Godfather had arrived beside him at some unknown time, looking at him, he nodded lightly, and then said: "Sit down."
Deng Weixian did not sit, shaking his head and standing aside, yielding the stone chair he had been sitting on earlier.
His Godfather didn't say much, and after going over and sitting down, he asked Deng Weixian: "Is there anything you want to ask me?"
Deng Weixian was stunned for a moment, but then his eyes dimmed, and he slowly shook his head.
"Godfather has his own reasons."
His Godfather couldn't help but smile wryly upon hearing this answer.
"You, child, are too thoughtful. This is a good thing, but it's not necessarily always a good thing."
"Those who achieve great things don't bother with trifles."
"You ultimately need to understand this on your own. Think about it carefully."
His Godfather stood up, patted Deng Weixian, and then prepared to leave.
"Go back and rest early. No matter what happens later, don't come out."
After leaving this sentence, his Godfather disappeared into the night.
Deng Weixian's pupils constricted, understanding that something else was going to happen tonight.
He immediately turned his gaze to a certain spot.
That was Xiao Zhuozi's room.
… …
Li Xuan hid in the bushes and did not return to Jingyang Palace.
Today was destined to be a sleepless night; he wanted to see how this ghost story would end.
Presumably, Deng Weixian, who lived in the adjacent room, also couldn't sleep.
They were all waiting.
All waiting for the finale to unfold.
… …
Late at night.
A phantom with disheveled hair and dressed in white arrived at this inconspicuous courtyard.
The phantom silently floated into Xiao Zhuozi's room, and then a faint sound began to emanate from within.
The noise grew louder and louder, beginning to mix with terrified screams and shrill cries of pain.
This commotion must have woken many people in the courtyard, but no one dared to come out and investigate.
Nangong Talent had just died that morning, and now such a horrifying commotion was happening at night; who would think their life was too long?
The commotion in Xiao Zhuozi's room lasted for about a quarter of an hour, and then the phantom floated away, the white clothes exceptionally conspicuous against the dark night sky.
Li Xuan did not act rashly, lying in the bushes and beginning to close his eyes to rest.
Although he was curious about what had happened to Xiao Zhuozi, he didn't dare to go forward and check at this time.
But fortunately, it would be dawn soon.
After waiting for a while, taking advantage of the first ray of dawn breaking through the sky, Li Xuan secretly approached Xiao Zhuozi's room.
He lay by the window and peeked inside.
Li Xuan's pupils uncontrollably constricted, and he immediately turned his head and quickly fled the place, not daring to stay for a moment.
… …
After daybreak, Eunuch Yin, having received the report, came to Xiao Zhuozi's door and sent a few trusted eunuchs inside to investigate.
As a result, news spread from Yan Qu Hall that day: Xiao Zhuozi had gone mad.
From Xiao Zhuozi's delirious ravings, everyone learned about his previous perverse behavior, and they also found the bamboo tube he had used.
The death of Nangong Talent also seemed to have an explanation.
And last night, many people in Yan Qu Hall witnessed a ghostly figure that looked very much like Nangong Talent.
Coupled with Xiao Zhuozi's current unbearable state, everyone couldn't help but believe that it was Nangong Talent's vengeful spirit seeking revenge.
Those who played tricks with ghosts ultimately attracted true vengeful spirits.