Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 516: Locked-Room Murder Mystery
Lu Yang and his companions arrived at Squire Song’s residence with little trouble.
Lu Yang knocked politely, and a young nobleman opened the door. He was a mortal with no cultivation. His face was deathly pale, and he had dark circles under his eyes, likely from lack of sleep.
“You three are...?” The young nobleman eyed Lu Yang’s group warily.
“The three of us are immortal sect disciples. Squire Song invited us to resolve the matter of the painting.”
“Ah, you are immortal sect disciples!” The young nobleman’s eyes widened. The Song Family had reached out to the immortal sects as a last resort and harbored little hope. I didn’t expect the high and mighty immortal sects to really send people over!
“I am Lu Yang. These are my junior sisters, Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting.”
“Lu Yang?! The same Lu Yang who’s unbeatable among Golden Core cultivators?”
The young nobleman was even more astonished upon hearing Lu Yang’s name. Although he was a mortal, he belonged to a wealthy family and knew a thing or two about the cultivation world. In the past three months, no cultivator’s name had been mentioned more than Lu Yang’s. Along with the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s aggressive promotion, Lu Yang’s reputation had soared to legendary heights.
Although the cultivation world hailed Lu Yang as the number one in the Intermediate Golden Core Stage, the young nobleman had heard it as the number one in the entire Golden Core Stage. To him, the difference was negligible.
“I, Song Tian, pay my respects, Daoists. Please, come in.” Song Tian ushered them inside with utmost courtesy.
After Song Tian’s introduction, Lu Yang learned that Squire Song’s full name was Song Jinju, and Song Tian was his eldest son. Now that Squire Song was advanced in years, Song Tian managed most of the family’s business. It was through his business dealings with cultivator friends that he had heard of Lu Yang’s exploits, confirming the tales in the pingshu storytelling were true.
Aside from Song Tian, Squire Song had two other sons and a daughter. The second son, Song Qing, was a scholar. The third son, Song Qi, idled about all day and was a typical wastrel, leaving Squire Song frustrated and disappointed. The youngest daughter was named Song Lian’er, while his wife, Madam Song, had passed away from illness five years prior.
“Master immortals, please save our Song Family! That painting is too sinister. I haven’t slept for nights. It’s definitely become a demon spirit. We’ve moved houses twice, yet the painting followed us every time!” In Song Tian’s eyes, Lu Yang’s trio was nothing short of saviors. The gloom that had weighed on him these days was lifted instantly.
Escorting the trio to the main hall’s upper seats, he had the maidservants serve tea and summoned the steward to fetch Squire Song from his study. Meanwhile, Song Tian himself went to call the rest of the family over.
The Song Family had been living in fear all this time. Now, with immortal sect disciples intervening, they could finally breathe easy.
Lu Yang picked up his teacup and ignored the scalding heat as he drank half of the tea in one go. Drinking boiling water is nothing. I’d even bathed in it before I began cultivating.
Setting the cup down, he casually said, “There’s a pall of yin energy in the Song Residence.”
Tao Yaoye nodded. “Indeed, and it’s thick enough that a demonic entity is likely hiding in the residence.” That said, judging by the intensity, the yin energy currently posed no threat to the trio.
Their sharp senses picked up the Song Family’s siblings approaching from a distance, chatting while walking.
“Big Brother, no offense, but how many cultivators has our family invited already? Every one of them failed terribly. What makes you so sure they’ll be reliable this time?” The disrespectful tone suggested it was the third son, Song Qi.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Third Brother. This time, Big Brother has invited immortal sect disciples, figures equal in standing to the imperial court! They’re true immortals; dealing with mere evil spirits should be a breeze for them.” From the lecturing cadence, it was probably the second son, Song Qing.
“And didn’t you hear Big Brother? Among the cultivators this time is a Daoist named Lu Yang. Even an incompetent and idle layabout like you must’ve heard the pingshu story, Saga of the Dao-Seeking Sect. From what I know, the author is the sect leader of an immortal sect and a first-rate expert in this world! His accounts may sound fantastical, but they must be true!
Song Qi reminded him, “Quit showing off your so-called knowledge, Second Brother. You couldn’t even pass the county-level imperial examinations and become a xiucai scholar. Father has raged at you several times, saying all your studying went down the drain. Don’t you remember?”
“You!”
“I just hope they can take the painting away successfully. Ever since Young Master Zhou learned about our family’s situation, he hasn’t dared to meet me freely.” The timid voice could only belong to the youngest daughter, Song Lian’er.
“Little Sister, you still haven’t cut ties with that brat? Have you forgotten what Father told you? That boy is a good-for-nothing, all talk and no substance. It’s not you he fancies but our Song Family’s wealth!
“Listen to your Second Brother’s advice and break up now. If Father finds out you’re still in contact with him, be careful of him breaking your legs!”
“No, Young Master Zhou loves me!”
“Enough, we’re about to meet the Daoists. All of you, behave, especially you, Third Brother. You better not make any wrong move in front of them, else Father won’t spare you!”
Amidst the Song Family’s siblings' chatter, they finally arrived in the main hall.
Lu Yang downed the remaining half of his tea and smacked his lips. Just right for rinsing my mouth; I need to wash away and forget the taste of those wontons.
The Song Family’s interpersonal relationships are a little complicated. After the Song Family siblings arrived, it took Lu Yang only a glance to match them to the voices from before.
They had already met the eldest son, Song Tian.
The person clad in neat Confucian robes, a hand resting at his waist, was the second son, Song Qing.
The short and sulky one was the Third Son, Song Qi.
The girl avoiding eye contact with Lu Yang was the youngest daughter, Song Lian’er.
“Greetings, Daoists.”
Song Tian commanded significant authority in the family. When he instructed his younger siblings to be obedient, none dared to misbehave before Lu Yang, including the third son Song Qi.
“Is Father not back yet?” Song Tian was puzzled. Judging by the time, Father should have arrived by now. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Amid Song Tian’s confusion, a figure stumbled into the main hall, gasping for breath. “Young Master, Young Master, bad news!”
Song Tian helped the steward, an ominous feeling arising inside him. “What’s wrong? Where’s Father?”
“The patriarch has passed away!”
“What?!”
The siblings were appalled, and the youngest daughter Song Lian’er nearly fainted on the spot.
Even Lu Yang’s group hadn’t anticipated their host dying before they had even met him.
“Come on, let’s go take a look!” Given that he was the eldest brother, Song Tian swiftly regained his composure and ordered the steward to lead them to the study.
The study door was tightly shut. The steward guided them to a side window with a gaping hole. Through it, they could see Squire Song lying on the ground inside, blood pooling around him, no signs of breathing.”
As the steward led everyone to climb through the windows, he explained, “I went to the study to call for the patriarch, but regardless of how long I shouted, there was no reply. In addition, the doors and windows were locked. This was the patriarch’s habit, which he said gave him a sense of security. I had a bad feeling and broke in through the window. The moment I entered the room, I saw the patriarch lying on the ground.”
Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting exchanged contemplative glances.
Locked doors and windows, impossible for outsiders to open, and the victim dead inside—this is a classic locked-room murder mystery.
Lu Yang remained silent, lost in his thoughts.
