Chapter 1016 - 1018: Corpse Puppet_1
Lu Dan was glared at by Yang Tianhua but showed no fear. He glanced at Yang Tianhua indifferently, as if to say that it wasn’t his bad luck that was coming, and that he was simply following someone else’s orders.
The Emperor swept a disdainful glance at Lu Dan, finding his identity as an Evil Doctor quite distasteful.
"Lu Dan, was it Yang Tianhua who instructed you to threaten Dongqing into stealing Lady Jiang’s bracelet for you?" the Emperor asked.
Before Lu Dan could speak, Yang Tianhua interjected, "Your Majesty, how can you believe the words of this Evil Doctor? It is clear that Lord Jiang has brought him here to frame me!"
At this moment, Wang Shun presented a letter to the Emperor. Yang Tianhua’s face turned a bit pale, but being accustomed to high status, he was just momentarily nervous, and soon recovered, keeping his spine straight as ever.
"People may tell lies, but how do you explain this letter? I remember this to be Minister Yang’s handwriting without a doubt, and there is Minister Yang’s seal at the bottom, too. What’s your explanation, Minister Yang?" the Emperor’s voice rose, clearly angry.
"Please see clearly, Your Majesty, this letter is definitely forged. It is said that there are talented individuals in River Jiang who excel at forgery. I am truly wronged," Yang Tianhua cried out, looking innocent.
Only Yang Tianhua could shamelessly deny the charges like this. With the Yang Family’s status, as long as he steadfastly denied it, the Emperor really could do nothing to him.
"Lady Jiang has witnesses and evidence to prove her innocence, and with four women accusing Yang Hongwen, the verdict of this case will not change. Let Yang Hongwen go to the remote regions and suffer a bit, perhaps it will help reform his corrupt practices," the Emperor said, showing a contemptuous look, as if Yang Tianhua really thought he was unaware of the various affairs in the Capital, really not knowing Yang Hongwen’s tastes?
"As an accomplice, Lu Dan will be put in prison to await his fate," said the Emperor before dismissing the assembly with a wave of his hand, "You all may leave."
Yang Tianhua, unwilling to accept the outcome, shouted, "Your Majesty, my son is wronged. Please discern the truth!"
Yang Hongwen too knelt down with a thud, saying, "Your Majesty, Hongwen is truly wronged. You are a just ruler, you must stand for justice for Hongwen!"
The Emperor, annoyed, glanced at the two of them, quickly stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left the Imperial Study Room directly.
If Yang Hongwen had admitted his mistakes and begged for mercy, he might have been inclined to save face for the Yang Family. But seeing Yang Hongwen who had committed many misdeeds still shouting "wronged," the Emperor felt like kicking him a few times.
After the Emperor had left, and the Yang father and son had no more audience for their drama, Yang Tianhua squinted his eyes at Jiang Yichun and said, "Let’s wait and see. The Yang Family could squash a little bastard like you with ease."
Jiang Yichun, however, laughed, "Minister Yang, feel free to try, though I fear you might not be able to do it. By the way, how many sons do you have? I remember four, right? None turned out decent, it’s no wonder they say ’like father, like son.’"
The Imperial Guards came to take Lu Dan away. Yet his eyes landed on Hu Zi, shining with fervent light, which Bai Ruozhu noticed with an involuntary shiver, because the look was too bizarre!
It was as if a man was gazing at a woman he had long lusted for, or as if he saw something that piqued his interest, but in just an instant, Lu Dan hid his emotions and assumed an attitude of reckless abandon.
Bai Ruozhu was curious about Hu Zi’s condition, but with the Yang father and son present, it clearly wasn’t the time to ask. She had to pull Jiang Yichun away, no longer entertaining Yang Tianhua’s threats or Yang Hongwen’s revolting, direct gaze.
Jiang Yichun cast a cold glance at Yang Hongwen, daring to covet his woman? He would make sure Yang would not remain a man!
That afternoon, Jiang Yichun, taking advantage of his position, took Bai Ruozhu to see Lu Dan. He had been tortured in jail and did not look as arrogant as before.
Lu Dan had a penchant for women, which is why he could often be found lingering in Liu Alley. It seemed his boredom in jail had peaked, as lecherous desire flooded his eyes the moment he saw Bai Ruozhu.
With a flick of his finger, Jiang Yichun sent a copper coin shooting out, causing Lu Dan to grunt and kneel on the ground.
"Seeking death!" Jiang Yichun squeezed out the words through his clenched teeth.
Bai Ruozhu’s expression cooled as well. She knew this kind of man couldn’t be reasoned with civilly; doing so would only give him the opportunity to insult her.
She handed a small porcelain bottle to Jiang Yichun, who, without needing further explanation, fed the medicine inside to Lu Dan.
Soon, Lu Dan showed signs of agony, rolling on the ground. He wished to scream out in pain, but found himself devoid of the strength to do so. What kind of ghastly medicine had that woman produced?
"Speak, what exactly is the matter with Huzi?" Jiang Yichun demanded fiercely.
Despite his state, Lu Dan still tried to appear tough by not answering. Jiang Yichun snorted coldly, suddenly reaching out to grasp Lu Dan’s right hand and with a snap, he brutally broke Lu Dan’s little finger!
Even though Bai Ruozhu had resolved to use torture, the act still startled her. No wonder he had joked that she wasn’t ruthless enough; she really fell far short.
Of course, if she used poison, she could be relentless, but she couldn’t bring herself to engage in physical violence.
Lu Dan lay on the ground, whimpering, but the sound was weak, as if even the strength to cry out was lost to him.
"Speak quickly, or I’ll count to three, and the next finger to break might be anyone’s guess," said Jiang Yichun.
Under the dual assault, Lu Dan finally cracked and spoke.
"What you saw wasn’t Huzi, or to be precise, not the real Huzi anymore."
Bai Ruozhu shivered at the revelation, realizing that Huzi must truly be dead.
"He’s merely a corpse puppet I’ve refined. However, the body isn’t Huzi’s. To make the puppet appear more human, more useful, I had to choose a suitable soul to inhabit it. Huzi’s soul happened to be a perfect fit for this puppet. Moreover, when I discovered him, he had been buried for less than a month, and his soul hadn’t yet dissipated, so I captured it and put it into the puppet," explained Lu Dan with difficulty, his speech broken and slow due to the pain.
Bai Ruozhu felt a surge of hatred for Lu Dan. Poor Huzi, a ten-year-old child who had not yet grown up, was pitiful enough in death, and now this man had not even spared his soul!
If it had been before, she certainly wouldn’t have believed in talk of capturing souls, or even in the existence of a soul. But having her own soul leave her body and transmigrate into Bai Ruozhu of this era, what was there not to believe?
"Why then did Yang Tianhua seek your help? And how did you happen to know to target my maid?" Bai Ruozhu pulled her thoughts back and asked.
"The puppet currently harbors three souls. I can sense some of their memories from when they were alive. To ensure I had a way out, I’ve been keeping tabs on the families of those three souls for the past two years, because the puppet can assume the appearance of any one of those three people. The only limitation is that it can only be transformed once every half month," he revealed.