Mysterious Lotus Casebook [BL Version]

Chapter 6: The murder in Xiaomian Inn

"This is the first case I've solved for you. I know you're grateful to me," Li Lianhua remarked as he prepared to depart.

"Grateful to you? I've saved your life twice," Duobing chuckled before his expression turned serious. "Anyway, I don't have evidence, so you're free to go. But mark my words, the day I find evidence against you it will be your end."

"Remove this spell from my wrist, then," Li Lianhua demanded.

"You're still a suspect," Duobing retorted as he mounted his horse with his two assistants.

"Why are you..." Li Lianhua trailed off, watching Duobing depart. "What an arrogant kid."

"Master, are you really letting Li Lianhua go?" one of the assistants asked Duobing.

"We don't have any evidence against him. There's no use sending him to Baichun Academy. I want to know what he's hiding and catch him red-handed," Duobing replied.

"How will we know where he is?"

"Don't worry about that. Let's first find somewhere to stay," Duobing said decisively.

As Fang Duobing and his assistants approached the inn situated in the heart of a desolate village, the air around them seemed to thicken with an eerie ambiance. The dimming light of dusk cast elongated shadows, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

"Master Duobing, I-I don't like the look of this place," one of the assistants stammered, eyes darting nervously around the deserted streets.

"Don't be such cowards," Duobing chided, his tone firm as he pushed open the creaking door of the inn. "We're here to find shelter for the night, not to cower in fear."

Entering the inn, they were greeted by a warm glow emanating from within. The interior, in stark contrast to the foreboding exterior, buzzed with activity as patrons bustled about, chatting and laughing.

"See? Nothing to be afraid of," Duobing remarked, shooting a pointed glance at his jittery assistants. "Let's eat first."

As Fang Duobing and his assistants settled into the inn, Duobing's keen eyes caught sight of a notice posted on the wall, detailing the disappearance of Princess Qiushang. The words painted a somber picture, hinting at the mystery and worry that shrouded the village.

"I heard she went missing near the old mill," whispered one patron, his voice tinged with fear.

"Perhaps she ran away," suggested another, though the uncertainty in his tone betrayed his true feelings.

A group of travelers at a nearby table exchanged nervous glances as they discussed the missing girl's fate. "I heard there have been sightings of her near the forest," one of them said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Observing the reactions of the locals, Duobing's brow furrowed in thought. "There's no need to believe in such superstitions," he declared, casting a stern gaze at his trembling assistants. "Ghosts do not exist."

As they ate, the conversations around them continued, each one offering a new clue or piece of information to add to the puzzle of the missing girl's disappearance. With each whispered word and furtive glance, Fang Duobing and his assistant edged closer to uncovering the truth behind the mysterious case that had brought them to this haunted inn. 

In the dead of night, Li Lianhua sat in his lotus tower, assuming a meditative position, attempting to remove the magical thread encircling his wrist with his internal powers. However, weakened by the poison coursing through his veins, he found himself unable to break the enchantment. Frustration mingled with pain as he coughed up blood, resignedly muttering, "Let it be. I can't waste my power on such a trivial matter."