Chapter 65: The Fatal Invitation Letter
Wang Wushui swallowed hard, his face slightly pale, his voice trembling uncontrolbly, as if recalling an extremely terrifying experience.
Beside him, Wang Weiyang took over the conversation. “Later, we conducted an investigation into all the personnel reted to the Zhao Manor. After several days of interrogation by the elite guards, we determined that the concubine who shared the bed with Zhao Yuanwai had no issues. She and Zhao Yuanwai were both ordinary people, without any cultivation or special abilities.”
“According to her statement, that night she had been sleeping beside Zhao Yuanwai and heard no unusual sounds. Before falling asleep, Zhao Yuanwai was still full of vigor, and the two had a moment of intimacy. She then fell into a deep sleep, and when she woke up, Zhao Yuanwai had already turned into a mutited corpse.”
“We did a detailed inspection and found no signs of her having been drugged with sleeping pills or any sort of sleeping magic.”
“On the night of the incident, Young Master Wang was standing guard outside the door, and there were other guards and servants in the manor, but no one noticed anyone or anything entering Zhao Yuanwai's room. We even carefully checked the room and found no signs of any external intrusion.”
“So, we have basically concluded that this case was caused by a ghostly entity.”
“We also tried to find the letter that Zhao Yuanwai received, but after questioning everyone and thoroughly searching Zhao Manor, we could not find it. The letter just vanished.”
“What’s more important is that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. This murder is the sixth in the past six months. One happens every month. Every victim receives a letter a few days before their death, and after their death, the letter disappears.”
“The victims are unreted. Some are ordinary people, some are cultivators, some are ability users, and even martial artists. They die in various pces—some at home, some on the road, some at inns, and even some in moving carriages.”
San Bao furrowed her brows. “So how did you connect these cases? Just because they all received a letter that disappeared afterward?”
“That’s exactly it.” Wang Weiyang nodded. “It’s the appearance of this letter that has linked all these cases together.”
“We also found that four victims, after receiving the letter, all went to the same pce before they were murdered. This pce is a school located in the western suburbs of the capital, called…”
“Wait.” San Bao interrupted Wang Weiyang’s words. “I haven’t agreed to help you investigate this case. You should hold off on telling me such an important lead.”
Wang Weiyang froze for a moment and was about to say something when Wang Wushui quickly raised his hand to make a stop gesture, causing Wang Weiyang to fall silent.
This small movement was quick but did not escape San Bao’s eyes. A lone cultivator could make a head of the King’s Guard listen so obediently? Who exactly are you? Doubt rose in San Bao’s heart.
At this thought, she cupped her hands to the two men and said calmly, “I have other matters to attend to and will be leaving the capital in a few days. I’m afraid I cannot assist you with your case.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the room, striding away from the temple.
San Bao found a rge inn in the city to stay at. She ordered a table full of food and ate heartily. Afterward, she returned to her room and enjoyed a hot bath, feeling refreshed and in good spirits.
After the bath, she sat on the bed and was about to use her magic to dry her hair when Three-Bao suddenly arched its back on the bed and let out a low growl at the door. Its tail stood straight up, its fur fluffed out, resembling a rge broom, a clear sign of its wariness.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
San Bao instantly became alert. She summoned her Zhulong Sword and carefully approached the door, slowly opening it.
There was nothing outside—only a letter quietly lying on the floor.
The envelope was trimmed with gold thread, and the paper was as white as snow, faintly emitting a pleasant fragrance. It was beautifully crafted.
San Bao couldn’t help but pick up the envelope and opened it. A piece of paper cutout fell out.
The cutout depicted a woman very simir to San Bao, kneeling on the ground, with a paper figure resembling a ghostly creature raising an axe over her head, ready to strike.
The scene before San Bao’s eyes immediately shifted.
She found herself with her hands bound behind her, kneeling in a filthy, damp room. The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay. Surrounding her were dismembered limbs and shredded clothing, and in the corner of the room, there was a pile of bloodstained shoes.
“Where am I?” Before San Bao could start thinking, the sound of footsteps—*tap, tap*—came from outside the door. It sounded like someone wearing shoes with metal soles was approaching, step by step.
San Bao struggled desperately, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free from the ropes binding her hands.
*Creek—*
The old wooden door was pushed open, and a tall shadow entered. Dressed in a bck coat that covered its whole body, it held a bloodstained axe in its pale hands, stepping toward San Bao.
San Bao raised her head and realized that the shadow was none other than the ghostly paper figure from the cutout.
The ghostly figure moved behind her and slowly raised the axe…
“Meow!”
A cat’s cry broke the silence of the rge house.
San Bao suddenly opened her eyes, finding herself sitting at the door of her room in the inn. Three-Bao was rubbing against her arm, and she was still holding the letter and the paper cutout.
She breathed heavily, cold sweat soaking her back, her hands trembling slightly.
It had all been an illusion! San Bao sighed in relief, just as she was about to tear up the envelope and the paper cutout when blood-red words appeared on the envelope:
“Immediately go to Wang Zuo Academy to undergo the trial. If you pass the trial, you will survive. If you fail or refuse to come, the illusion you just experienced will become reality!”
