Locked-Room Murder

Lu Yang and his companions arrived smoothly at Squire Song's estate without encountering much trouble. Lu Yang knocked politely on the door. The one who opened it was a young gentleman. He had no cultivation and was a mortal; his complexion was deathly pale and dark circles ringed his eyes, likely the result of a severe lack of sleep. "You three are...?" The young gentleman looked at Lu Yang's trio with a hint of vigilance. "We are disciples of immortal sects, here at Squire Song's invitation to resolve the matter of the painting scroll." "Disciples of immortal sects!" The young gentleman's eyes went wide. The Song family had only reached out to the immortal sects with the mindset of giving it a shot, never expecting that the lofty sects would truly send someone! "I am Lu Yang, and these two are my junior sisters, Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting." "Lu Yang?! *The* invincible Golden Core stage Lu Yang?!" Hearing Lu Yang's name, the young gentleman was even more astonished. Though he was a mortal, he belonged to an affluent mortal family and knew a thing or two about the cultivation world. If one were to ask which cultivator's name had been mentioned the most over the past three months, it was undoubtedly Lu Yang! Coupled with Daoist Buyu's vigorous publicity, Lu Yang's name was practically blazing hot. It was just that the cultivation world hailed Lu Yang as the number one cultivator of the mid Golden Core stage, but by the time it reached the young gentleman's ears, it had become the number one cultivator of the Golden Core stage as a whole. To him, there was not much difference between the mid Golden Core stage and the Golden Core stage. "Song Tian greets the three Daoists. Please, come inside." Song Tian courteously invited the three inside, not daring to show the slightest neglect. Through Song Tian's introduction, Lu Yang learned that Squire Song's full name was Song Jinju, and Song Tian was the eldest son. Now that Squire Song was advanced in years, the Song family's business was managed primarily by Song Tian. It was while conducting business that he had heard about Lu Yang from cultivator friends, confirming that the stories told in the pingshu were all true. Besides Song Tian, Squire Song had two other sons and a daughter. The second son was named Song Qing, a scholar; the third son was named Song Qi, who idled away his days as a typical profligate, a disappointment Squire Song constantly despaired over; and the youngest daughter was named Song Lian'er. Madam Song had passed away from illness five years ago. "Immortal Masters, you must save our Song family! That painting is truly too eerie. I haven't been able to sleep night after night. That painting has definitely become a spirit! Our Song family has moved twice, and every single time, the painting followed us." Seeing the three of them, Song Tian felt as if he had found his saviors, and the gloom that had accumulated over recent days was swept away. He invited Lu Yang's group to the seats of honor in the main hall, instructed a maid to pour tea, and summoned the housekeeper, sending him to fetch Squire Song from the study. Song Tian himself went to gather the rest of the family. During this period, the Song family had lived in a constant state of dread and anxiety. With immortal sect disciples stepping in, they could finally set their minds at ease. Lu Yang lifted his teacup and, paying no heed to the scalding water, drank half the cup in a single gulp. What was boiling water to him? Even before he began cultivating, he had taken baths in boiling water. Lu Yang set down the teacup and remarked casually, "There's a trace of yin qi lingering over the Song estate." Tao Yaoye nodded. "Indeed. And it's quite dense. There should be a monster hiding in the Song household." Even so, judging from the concentration of the yin qi, it posed no threat to the three of them. The three possessed sharp senses and could hear the Song siblings approaching from afar, talking as they walked. "Eldest Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but how many cultivators has our family brought in already? Didn't every single one of them leave empty-handed in defeat? How can you be so sure they're reliable this time?" The insolent attitude meant this was likely the third son, Song Qi. "Third Brother, don't speak nonsense. This time, Eldest Brother invited disciples of immortal sects. Their status is practically on par with the imperial court—they are true immortals! Wouldn't dealing with a mere demonic evil be effortless for immortals?" From his tone, this was likely the second son, Song Qing. "Besides, didn't you hear Eldest Brother? Among the visiting cultivators is a Daoist named Lu Yang! Even if you are ignorant and idle all day, you should have heard the pingshu *Legend of the Dao Seeking Sect*. As far as I know, the author of that pingshu is the sect master of an immortal sect, a peerless expert in this world! Something written by such an esteemed figure might sound bizarre, but it is bound to be true!" "Stop showing off your learning. Second Brother, you couldn't even pass the xiucai exam! Father lost his temper with you several times, telling you your studying wasn't worth a fart—did you forget that?" "You!" "I just hope they can take that painting away successfully. Ever since Zhou Lang learned of our family's situation, he hasn't dared to meet me casually." This voice sounded somewhat timid, unmistakably the youngest daughter, Song Lian'er. "Little Sister, you still haven't cut ties with that kid? Did you forget what Father told you? That brat is an utter failure who only knows how to talk sweet! He isn't interested in you at all—he's after our Song family's wealth!" "Take your Second Brother's advice and break it off with him immediately. If Father finds out you're still in touch with him, watch out or he'll break your legs!" "No! Zhou Lang loves me!" "Enough. We're about to meet the Daoists, so behave yourselves—especially you, Third Brother. You'd better not make a fool of yourself in front of them, or Father won't let you off!" Talking amongst themselves, the Song siblings arrived at the main hall. Lu Yang downed the remaining half-cup of tea and smacked his lips. It was just the right thing to rinse his mouth and forget the taste of the wontons. *The relationships in the Song family are a bit complicated.* When the Song siblings entered, Lu Yang matched them with the voices he had just heard with a single glance. The eldest son, Song Tian, he had already met. The one dressed neatly in a scholar's robe with one hand resting at his midriff was the second son, Song Qing. The short one with a sullen scowl was the third son, Song Qi. The one with darting eyes, not daring to look Lu Yang directly in the face, was the youngest daughter, Song Lian'er. "Greetings, Daoists." Song Tian carried considerable authority in the family. Since he had told his younger siblings to behave, none of them dared to act out before Lu Yang, not even the third son, Song Qi. "Has Father not arrived yet?" Song Tian was somewhat puzzled. Calculating the time, Father should have been here by now. While Song Tian was wondering, a figure stumbled into the main hall, gasping for breath. "Young Master, Young Master, something terrible has happened!" Song Tian supported the housekeeper, an ominous premonition welling up in his chest. "What is it? Where is Father?" "The master has passed away!" "What?!" The Song siblings cried out in shock, and the youngest sister, Song Lian'er, nearly collapsed to the floor. Even Lu Yang's trio had not expected the target of their mission to be dead before they had even laid eyes on him! "Come, let's go see!" Song Tian was, after all, the eldest brother. He quickly steadied his nerves and told the housekeeper to lead them to the study. The study door was tightly shut. The housekeeper led everyone to the window on the side of the study, where a large hole had been smashed through. Looking inside, they could see Squire Song lying on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood, completely devoid of breath. As the housekeeper led everyone through the broken window, he explained, "I went to the study to call for the master, but no matter how much I shouted, there was no response. The doors and windows of the study were all locked from within—this was the master's habit, as he felt safer that way. Sensing something was wrong, I broke the window and climbed in. As soon as I entered, I saw the master lying on the floor." Tao Yaoye and Lan Ting looked thoughtful. With the doors and windows locked tight and impossible for outsiders to open from the outside, and Squire Song dead within, this was a classic locked-room murder. Lu Yang remained silent, lost in thought.