Chapter 910: Death Together in the Same Grave

"I've really fallen for this guy's trick," Sang Qian thought, stomping her foot in frustration, while her mind raced to figure out how to handle the aftermath.

Given her status, King Qi likely wouldn't kill her, but breaking into the palace at night with malicious intent was a serious offense. If taken to its extreme, it could even lead to execution or exile.

Her father, who had only recently regained his position, would probably lose his office because of this. After all, in the eyes of others, her father was a staunch royalist.

King Qi might even use this as leverage to draw the Sang family into his faction, which would put the Sang family in an extremely passive position.

She was about to coordinate their stories with Zu An, instructing him on what to say if they were caught to lessen the charges, when suddenly he pulled her and leaped into a nearby pond.

Sang Qian wondered what good that would do. The palace guards were experienced, and such a large splash would surely alert them.

To her immediate astonishment, when they fell into the water, there was no sound whatsoever!

She recalled the details: the moment they entered the water, the surface seemed to be parted by a pair of invisible hands, creating a gap. After they submerged, the water naturally closed, and looking up from below, not a single ripple was visible on the surface.

What surprised her even more was that she had already prepared to hold her breath, even wondering what she would do if she ran out of air and he had to lean in to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Should she refuse or not?

After all, romantic novels often featured such scenes.

"Why are you staring at my mouth?" Zu An's puzzled voice broke the silence.

"Who... who's staring at your mouth?" Sang Qian's face flushed, and she quickly turned her head away.

However, she immediately froze. She felt no sensation of drowning; the space around them was empty, filled with fresh air, and they seemed to be inside a transparent bubble.

"What... what's going on?" Sang Qian was startled. The patrolling guards were already nearby, and fearing exposure if she made a sound, she leaned close to Zu An's ear and whispered. Her breath was indeed as sweet as orchids.

"Is Sister Qian'er teasing me by getting so close? I'm a married man, you know," Zu An whispered back, leaning into her ear.

Sang Qian was speechless.

Like a startled rabbit, she instantly pushed him away, creating distance between them.

Why doesn't this guy just die?

Only after the guards had left did Zu An pull Sang Qian out of the water.

Feeling not a single drop of water on herself, Sang Qian forgot her anger and quietly asked, "How did you do that?"

"It's a secret," Zu An chuckled. All of this was, of course, due to the Blue Fluke's affinity for water elements. However, it was Mi Li who taught him how to use it this way. Mi Li had fallen into a deep sleep in the later stages of the secret realm, and he wondered how well she had recovered.

Sang Qian pouted. This guy really made her want to bite him hard.

However, her annoyance was soon replaced by admiration. Zu An sometimes led her walking slowly, sometimes leaping swiftly, and sometimes even moving forward and backward in quick succession. Yet, through this entire series of maneuvers, they remained completely undetected by the palace guards.

Soon, they arrived at a secluded courtyard adorned with white lanterns and littered with scattered joss paper, withered branches, and fallen leaves.

In the center, a large character for "sacrifice" (奠) appeared eerie under the dim candlelight.

Zu An had already instructed his subordinates to scout the area during the day; this was where King Qi's concubine's coffin was kept.

According to the customs of this world, a person's soul remains in the world for some time after death and cannot be buried immediately.

Only on the seventh day after death, known as the "first seven," does the soul return home for a visit, after which it enters the cycle of reincarnation.

In other words, the burial only takes place at least seven days later.

It so happened that today was precisely the seventh day since King Qi's concubine had passed away.

"Why is there no one in the courtyard?" Sang Qian, who had been cautious, looked around and, finding the mourning hall completely empty, couldn't help but ask.

"Because today is King Qi's concubine's 'first seven'," Zu An replied. He had used the Jade Cong to control the nearby small animals to check, confirming that there was indeed no one around, which allowed him to relax.

Sang Qian immediately understood. Ancient customs held that the deceased's soul would return home on the "first seven." Before the soul's return, family members were supposed to prepare a meal for it and then avoid being seen. If the soul saw family or other familiar people, it would become attached, which would hinder its reincarnation.

She couldn't help but glance at Zu An. Though he seemed carefree on a daily basis, his thoughts were surprisingly meticulous. No wonder he chose today to examine the concubine's remains.

Zu An approached the mourning hall. In the center lay a massive coffin. After all, she was a prince's woman, so no expense would be spared in these arrangements.

He placed his hand on the surface of the coffin to feel it, then, with a burst of vital energy, he directly vibrated out the nails sealing it. He then pushed the coffin lid aside. "Sister Qian'er, it's your turn now."

As soon as the coffin lid was opened, a blast of cold air emanated from it, as if it were a large freezer.

Inside, King Qi's concubine lay peacefully. Her face was beautiful, and she looked remarkably lifelike.

He immediately realized that the coffin must have had a chilling formation carved inside to preserve her body from decay. It truly showed how luxurious every aspect of these powerful nobles' lives was.

Sang Qian shot him a look, clearly reproaching his crude behavior. She quickly rushed to the coffin, pressed her palms together, and bowed respectfully. "Royal Concubine, please don't be offended. We only wish to uncover the truth of your death and clear your name."

After apologizing, she moved to the coffin to begin her examination. At her first glance, she couldn't help but sigh, "The concubine was so young and beautiful. What a tragic fate for such a lovely woman."

Zu An smiled. "I, on the other hand, don't think she's as beautiful as Sister Qian'er."

"Tsk, what a smooth talker," Sang Qian scoffed, but felt no anger at all. Instead, the corners of her lips curled slightly upward, a clear sign that women enjoyed compliments.

Oh, how could Brother-in-law, with his usual domineering demeanor, ever compete with him? No wonder Sister-in-law...

As she lifted King Qi's concubine's hand, she began her assessment: "When a person drowns, due to the intense mental stress and panicked struggle before death, their hands flail, and water plants, mud, or sand usually get lodged under their fingernails. However, she has none. Of course, it's possible that the palace staff cleaned them during the preparation of her body. But I also just checked her mouth and nasal cavities and found no red foam, which is one of the most prominent characteristics of a drowning victim."

While speaking, she began to unfasten the concubine's clothes. Halfway through, she suddenly realized something and glanced back at Zu An.

Understanding her unspoken cue, Zu An immediately turned his back. He had no necrophilia and no desire to see a deceased body, even if she still looked as beautiful as she had in life.

After a moment, Sang Qian's voice came again: "Although her palms, soles of her feet, and body skin are shriveled and pale, it's not severe, suggesting she wasn't in the water for very long. Combined with the almost complete absence of mud or sand in her mouth and nostrils, my overall conclusion is that she was thrown into the pond after her death to create the illusion of drowning."

"As expected," Zu An nodded. "Then what was her true cause of death?"

Sang Qian replied, "I examined her entire body. There were no external injuries, nor any signs of poisoning. However, there was evidence of bleeding in her eyes, which most likely indicates head trauma. Specifically, her brain was likely injured internally by a soft yet powerful force. But how could a distinguished Royal Concubine be killed in such a way, within the heavily guarded King Qi's palace?"

Zu An sighed. "In fact, there's probably only one person who could have done this."

Sang Qian was about to speak when Zu An's expression suddenly changed. "A patrol of guards is coming this way."

"Have we been discovered?" Sang Qian asked in alarm.

"Probably not," Zu An shook his head. Seeing Sang Qian frantically trying to escape through a nearby window, he quickly grabbed her. "There's no time."

With that, he pulled her directly into the coffin. Almost as soon as the lid closed, people entered the room outside.