Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Vengeful Spirit Claiming a Life

In a dimly lit room, after their moment of tenderness, the sky had already darkened.

Kong Lingwen didn’t like dining with Cao Yumei and her son, so they had stayed indoors, only going out for food in the evening.

Sitting in the courtyard, they stargazed and chatted while eating, finding a certain charm in the activity.

By the time it was past nine, a hush had fallen over the old manor, and Yang Cheng and Kong Lingwen returned to their room.

"I need to move now. Wait for me inside; I’ll be right back."

Yang Cheng put on a white bathrobe and then donned Kong Lingwen’s wig.

"Are you going to disguise as a ghost to scare Cao Yumei? She’s not foolish—she won’t believe it, and it’ll be obvious that it’s us."

Kong Lingwen furrowed her brow, somewhat disapproving of his idea.

"Look at this."

Yang Cheng took out some broken flowers from his pocket, the same Illusory Soul Orchid that had fallen earlier that day.

"Weren’t these shattered already? Where did you get them from?"

Kong Lingwen asked in surprise. She had been with Yang Cheng the whole time but hadn’t noticed when he picked the flowers.

"Before you dropped them, I managed to pluck two. The scent of the Illusory Soul Orchid can make someone feel dizzy and disoriented. When the flower’s juices enter the body, they can cause hallucinations."

Upon hearing this, Kong Lingwen understood perfectly.

"You’re truly clever! If you were part of the Kong Family, you’d have played those two to death by now."

Kong Lingwen looked at him with admiration, giving him a thumbs up.

"Just you wait; I’m going to scare her half to death."

Yang Cheng’s eyes glimmered with excitement as he finished equipping himself and climbed out of the window.

Soon, he reached the window of Kong Jingshan and Cao Yumei, channeling spiritual energy into his palm to easily open the window through a layer of glass.

He moved closer, sprinkling some white powder in front of Kong Jingshan to ensure he continued sleeping peacefully.

Assured that Kong Jingshan wouldn’t wake easily, he then took out a silver needle, dipped it in Illusory Soul Orchid juice, and pierced Cao Yumei’s acupoints.

As the juice coursed through her bloodstream, she furrowed her brow uneasily, her heart raced, and unsettling images emerged in her mind.

Hallucinations amplify one’s deepest fears or desires. Today, Kong Lingwen had mocked Cao Yumei as a mistress who climbed ranks, and Yang Cheng bet that her hallucinations would reveal Kong Lingwen’s deceased mother.

After piercing several of Cao Yumei’s acupoints and ensuring the Illusory Soul Orchid’s toxin had taken effect, Yang Cheng’s work was done.

"No... don’t come over. I didn’t kill you; you were too weak physically. I just spoke a few words, and you prematurely gave birth. That’s not my fault!"

Cao Yumei muttered continuously, shaking her head vigorously, her limbs struggling uncontrollably.

"Xu Wan, don’t haunt me, or I’ll have a master drive you to oblivion!"

"We were good friends; I’m not inferior to you in looks or background. Why could you marry Jing Shan?"

"I only wanted you and Jing Shan to divorce so I could take your place. I didn’t want you to die. You were too emotional, and that’s why it ended in a tragedy."

Yang Cheng listened for a long while and understood everything that had transpired years ago.

Damn this woman!

He took out a silver needle and pierced it into her philtrum. Cao Yumei was awakened by the sharp pain and saw a white figure before her.

The long hair was blowing, sweeping across her face, the cold, eerie eyes staring straight at her.

The person in front was clearly Yang Cheng, yet in Cao Yumei’s eyes, it appeared to be the deceased Xu Wan.

"Ahhhhh!!"

Cao Yumei screamed madly, trying to flee but collapsed onto the floor as soon as she got out of bed.

"Help! There’s a ghost! Save me!"

"Cao Yumei, where will you escape? You killed me, and now you threaten my daughter. I’m taking you away!"

Yang Cheng altered his voice, speaking coldly.

Cao Yumei couldn’t stand, only able to crawl forward with all her might, yelling, "No! Please spare me; you remember I was your best friend."

"Indeed! I treated you as my best friend, but you stole my husband, leading to a tragedy. I should’ve taken you away long ago, so my daughter wouldn’t suffer all these years."

As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Seeing someone approaching, Yang Cheng immediately jumped out of the window, promptly closing it and returning everything to its original place as if no one had ever come.

Due to the Illusory Soul Orchid’s poison, Cao Yumei had gone mad, continuously muttering under her breath.

"Madam, what’s wrong?"

Nanny Deng knocked incessantly at the door but couldn’t get in because it was locked, so she resorted to calling for help.

At this point, Kong Jingshan, who had been asleep, finally awoke to see Cao Yumei kneeling on the ground, hands clasped, praying continuously.

"Xu Wan, please don’t kill me. I truly know I’m wrong; I shouldn’t have stolen your husband or provoked you."

"Please consider our past friendship and spare me. I won’t harm Lin Wen anymore; I’ll treat her like my own daughter."

Kong Jingshan’s face darkened as he woke from his sleep, initially thinking he misheard. Gradually, he discerned what Cao Yumei was saying.

"Cao Yumei!"

He shouted angrily.

Cao Yumei trembled, pointing at the air, "Husband, save me! Xu Wan is floating there; she died tragically and wants to take me away!"

Even as the Family Head, Kong Jingshan broke into a sweat upon hearing such words.

The name ’Xu Wan’ hadn’t been mentioned in a long time, and he had almost forgotten what she looked like.

Cao Yumei had wronged Xu Wan, but he was even more culpable. Had Xu Wan truly become a ghost seeking revenge?

At that moment, more hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway as the butler Wen Xu opened the door, hurriedly asking, "Family Head, what’s happened?"

"An avenging ghost is here; she’s right there; you both saw it!"

Cao Yumei grabbed Nanny Deng’s hand, pointing to the window area, but there was only an empty curtain.

"Madam, you had a nightmare; let me help you up."

Nanny Deng gently comforted, worried about her state leading to something she shouldn’t divulge.

"Let her speak; no one is to help her up!"

Kong Jingshan commanded coldly, preventing anyone from stepping forward, leaving everyone to watch as Cao Yumei spiraled into madness.

The poison was deeply rooted within her, not yet dissipated, causing her to reveal many secrets while hallucinating.

Nanny Deng was drenched in sweat, only able to lower her head, occasionally glancing nervously at Kong Jingshan.