Chapter 507: Secret Room Murder

Lu Yang politely knocked on the door. A young, uncultivated man, a mortal, opened it. His face was pale, and his eyes were dark, likely due to a lack of rest.

"Who are the three of you...?" The young man looked at Lu Yang and his companions with a hint of wariness.

"We are disciples from the Immortal Sect, invited by Squire Song to resolve the issue with the painting."

"So you're Immortal Sect disciples!" The young man's eyes widened. The Song family had approached the Immortal Sect for help with a "just in case" mentality, never expecting that the esteemed sect would actually send people.

"I am Lu Yang, and these two are my junior sisters, Tao Yaojing and Lan Ting."

"Lu Yang?! The invincible Lu Yang of the Golden Core stage?!"

The young man was even more astonished upon hearing Lu Yang's name. Although he was a mortal, he came from a wealthy family and knew a bit about the cultivation world. Among cultivators, Lu Yang was undoubtedly the most frequently mentioned name in the past three months. Coupled with the extensive promotion by Daoist Buyu, Lu Yang's name had become incredibly famous. However, while the cultivation world referred to Lu Yang as the foremost expert of the Mid Golden Core stage, the young man had simply heard it as the foremost expert of the Golden Core stage. To him, there wasn't much difference between "Mid Golden Core" and "Golden Core."

"Song Tian greets the three Daoist Masters, please come in." Song Tian courteously invited the three inside, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

From Song Tian's introduction, Lu Yang learned that Squire Song's full name was Song Jinju, and Song Tian was the eldest son. As Squire Song was now advanced in age, Song Tian primarily managed the family business. It was through a cultivator friend, whom he met while doing business, that he had heard about Lu Yang and confirmed the stories told in the popular narratives were true. Besides Song Tian, Squire Song had two other sons and one daughter: the second son, Song Qing, was a scholar; the third son, Song Qi, was idle all day long, a typical profligate whom Squire Song deeply regretted not being able to mold into something better; and the youngest daughter was Song Lian'er. Madam Song had passed away from illness five years prior.

"Three Immortal Masters, you absolutely must save our Song family! That painting is incredibly eerie. I haven't been able to sleep for nights. That painting has definitely gained sentience. Our Song family has moved twice, and each time, the painting followed us."

Song Tian regarded Lu Yang and his companions as saviors, and the gloom that had accumulated over the past days vanished immediately. He invited the three to the seats of honor in the main hall, instructed a maid to pour tea, and called for the butler, sending him to fetch Squire Song from the study. Song Tian himself went to gather the other family members. The Song family had been living in a state of terror for some time, and now, with disciples from the Immortal Sect taking action, they could finally feel at ease.

Lu Yang picked up his teacup and, unmindful of the scalding hot water, drank half the cup in one gulp. Hot water was nothing; he used to bathe in it before he even started cultivating. Setting down the teacup, Lu Yang casually remarked, "There's a strong yin aura in the Song residence."

Tao Yaojing nodded. "Indeed, and the yin aura is quite dense. There must be a demonic creature hidden within the Song family." Despite this, judging by the concentration of the emanating yin aura, it posed no threat to Lu Yang and his two companions.

The three of them, with their acute senses, heard the Song siblings approaching from afar, talking as they walked."Brother, it's not that I'm lecturing you, but how many cultivators have our family invited over? Every single one of them returned empty-handed. Are you really so sure about these ones this time?" The disrespectful tone suggested it was the third son, Song Qi."Third Brother, don't talk nonsense. This time, Eldest Brother has invited Immortal Sect disciples. Their status is almost on par with the imperial court; they are true immortals. Isn't it easy for immortals to deal with mere demons?" Based on the tone, this was likely the second son, Song Qing. "Besides, didn't you hear Eldest Brother? Among the cultivators who came this time is a Daoist Master named Lu Yang. Even if you're usually uneducated and idle, you should have heard the storytelling performance 'The Legend of Wen Dao Sect.' To my knowledge, the person who wrote that performance is the sect leader of the Immortal Sect, a top-tier master in the world. Although what such a master writes sounds extraordinary, it must be true!""Stop showing off your learning, Second Brother. You didn't even pass the Xiucai exam. Has Father not gotten angry with you several times, saying you've read nothing but nonsense? Have you forgotten?""You!""I hope they can successfully take the painting away. Young Master Zhou doesn't even dare to see me casually, knowing our family's situation." This timid voice unmistakably belonged to the youngest daughter, Song Lian'er."Little Sister, you still haven't broken off ties with that boy? Have you forgotten what Father told you? That boy hasn't accomplished anything; he's only good at talking. He's not interested in you at all, only in our Song family's wealth!""Listen to Second Brother's advice, break up quickly. If Father finds out you're still in contact with him, he'll break your legs!""No, Young Master Zhou loves me!""Alright, you're about to meet the Daoist Masters. Settle down, all of you, especially you, Third Brother. It's best not to act foolishly in front of the Daoist Masters, or Father won't spare you!"The Song siblings chatted as they entered the main hall.

Lu Yang drained the remaining half-cup of tea, smacking his lips. It was a good way to rinse his mouth and forget the taste of the wontons. The Song family's relationships seemed a bit complicated.

As the Song siblings arrived, Lu Yang took a quick glance and matched them with the voices he had just heard. He had already met the eldest son, Song Tian. The one in a neat and clean scholar's robe, with one hand resting on his stomach, was the second son, Song Qing. The short man with a displeased expression was the third son, Song Qi. The youngest daughter, Song Lian'er, avoided eye contact, not daring to look directly at Lu Yang."Greetings, Daoist Masters."Song Tian commanded considerable authority within the family. When he told his younger siblings to behave, no one dared to act improperly in front of Lu Yang, not even the third son, Song Qi.

"Has Father not arrived yet?" Song Tian wondered, calculating the time and expecting his father to be there by now. As Song Tian was pondering, a figure stumbled into the main hall, gasping for breath. "Young Master, Young Master, something terrible has happened!" Song Tian helped the butler up, a bad feeling rising within him. "What's wrong? Where's Father?""The master has passed away!""What?!"The Song siblings were all startled, and the youngest sister, Song Lian'er, nearly fainted. Even Lu Yang and his companions hadn't expected their target to be dead before they even met him!"Come on, let's go see!"Song Tian, being the eldest brother, quickly composed himself and instructed the butler to lead them to the study.

The study door was tightly shut. The butler led them to a side window, which had a large hole, allowing them to see Squire Song lying on the floor inside, bleeding profusely and showing no signs of life. As the butler helped everyone climb through the window, he explained, "I went to the study to call the master, but after calling for a long time, there was no response. The study's doors and windows were locked—that's the master's habit; he felt safer that way. I immediately sensed something was wrong, so I broke the window and climbed in. As soon as I entered the room, I saw the master lying on the ground."Tao Yaojing and Lan Ting pondered, "With the doors and windows locked, and no one from outside able to open them, Squire Song dying inside is a classic locked-room mystery."Lu Yang remained silent, lost in thought.