On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2148 Opening the Altar

Su Zhenhai took a breath, and upon hearing the rest, his brows furrowed even more: "What did you say? You want to set up an altar at midnight tonight to communicate with the spirits and let Ding Huai'an see his deceased wife?"

"Yes, I just came from the side courtyard. People are already preparing the incense table and ritual implements," the subordinate replied in a low voice.

Su Zhenhai found it hard to understand. He stood up and paced around the study for a while. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, so he immediately walked out.

"No, I have to go and talk to them. This absolutely cannot be done this way!"

At this moment, Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu were discussing the follow-up arrangements. On the table was a map of the governor's mansion. Yan Ruyu pointed to the backyard with her fingertip: "Except for the area under the tree, we need to search the rest of the place again."

"Yes, preparations have already been made. Once tonight's events are over, we will begin the search overnight," Huo Changhe nodded in response.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Su Zhenhai knocked and entered.

Although he didn't say anything, and his expression had softened considerably, Yan Ruyu could still tell that he was emotional.

Yan Ruyu looked up at him, a faint smile on her lips: "Is Envoy Su here for the altar? We have our reasons for doing this."

Su Zhenhai was puzzled: "Ding Hengshou is very cunning. What if he pretends to be crazy under the guise of communicating with spirits, or takes the opportunity to pass on a message? Wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?"

Huo Changhe got up, poured Su Zhenhai a cup of tea, handed it to him, and said with a smile, "Envoy Su, have some tea to calm down first."

The testimony of Prefect Ding is full of doubts, and there must be more to the story.

He is now downplaying the seriousness of what happened back then, and it would be difficult to get him to tell the truth under normal interrogation.

He paused, his gaze falling on Su Zhenhai's face: "Setting up an altar tonight may seem absurd, but it is actually to put pressure on Governor Ding."

If he truly feels guilty, he might reveal the truth upon seeing his 'deceased wife'; if he feels guilty, he might not be able to remain calm in the face of this bizarre scene.

Moreover, that shadowy figure lurking outside the side courtyard might also make a move tonight.

Su Zhenhai paused, his hand holding the teacup still. His doubts gradually dissipated, and his eyes brightened slightly: "You mean, this jar was meant to test him, and also to lure the snake out of its hole?"

“That’s right,” Yan Ruyu replied. “Don’t worry, Envoy Su, everything is arranged and there won’t be any trouble.”

You only need to have someone prepare the necessary items for the altar as instructed, and tonight at midnight, we'll wait and see.

Su Zhenhai pondered for a moment, and seeing the confident expressions on their faces, he finally nodded: "Okay, I'll make the arrangements immediately."

After saying that, he turned and left.

As night deepened, the summer heat showed no signs of abating; instead, it intensified into a sticky, sultry heat.

The side courtyard where Governor Ding was imprisoned was cleared out, and a half-person-high altar was erected in the center of the courtyard. On the altar were an incense burner, candlesticks, a peach wood sword, and a stack of yellow talismans. The candlelight flickered, making the cinnabar characters on the talismans appear and disappear.

A Taoist priest dressed in a dark blue robe stood beside the altar, his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, his eyes slightly closed, his hands behind his back, and a faint smile on his lips. He looked quite accomplished in Taoism.

Only three oil lamps were lit in the courtyard, placed in three corners of the altar. The light was dim, and most of the area was shrouded in shadow. The shadows of the trees were distorted by the candlelight and swayed in the wind, adding to the eeriness of the place.

Mosquitoes buzzed around the lamplight, and the occasional chirping of cicadas broke the silence, making the courtyard seem even more deserted.

The guards hid in the shadows outside the courtyard wall, their presence perfectly concealed, their eyes fixed on the movements within the courtyard, not missing a single rustling sound.

Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu stood under the corridor, looking at the arrangement of the courtyard.

Yan Ruyu said softly, "The Taoist priest is Sun Qing in disguise. He is quick and skillful and won't give himself away."

"Hmm." Huo Changhe nodded, his gaze falling on the tightly closed door. "Let's see if Governor Ding can hold out."

As midnight approached, two soldiers walked to the door and gently pushed it open.

The light inside the house was dimmer than in the courtyard. Governor Ding was helped out, and as soon as he stepped out of the door, a smell mixed with incense ash and candle wax hit him.

He looked up and saw the candlelight flickering on the altar in the center of the courtyard, with the Taoist priest standing with his hands behind his back, casting deep shadows. He couldn't help but shiver.

A chill ran down his spine, causing him to instinctively shrink his neck.

He already harbored ulterior motives, and now, faced with this bizarre scene, he felt a chill run down his spine, and even his breathing became somewhat rapid.

The light from the oil lamp fell on his face, revealing his pale complexion, flickering eyes, and his hands unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes.

The Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Prefect Ding. His voice was hoarse and deep, as if it came from a very far place: "Prefect Ding, please come forward."

Governor Ding stopped in his tracks, hesitating and unwilling to move.

The soldier next to him gently nudged him, and he staggered forward a few steps, stopping about ten feet away from the altar. He lowered his head, not daring to look at the candlelight on the altar.

Yan Ruyu walked down from the corridor and stood beside him, speaking with a half-smile: "Prefect Ding, you haven't seen your deceased wife for many years. Now that you have the chance to reunite, why are you so timid?"

Governor Ding's throat bobbed, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "I... I just feel that this is too much of a disturbance to the spirits of the dead..."

"Your longing is so deep, why would you bother me?" Yan Ruyu's voice was light and airy, yet it was like a needle piercing Governor Ding's heart. "Back then, you accidentally killed her. Don't you want to ask her if she has forgiven you?"

These words seemed to strike at Governor Ding's weak spot. His shoulders trembled slightly, and his eyes reddened again, but he stopped speaking and just stared intently at the shadows on the ground.

The candlelight on the altar suddenly flickered, and the Taoist priest raised his hands, his fingertips rapidly forming hand seals while chanting incantations.

The obscure incantations echoed in the silent courtyard, and together with the flickering candlelight and distorted shadows of the trees, the eerie atmosphere grew even stronger.

The cicadas outside the courtyard wall had stopped chirping sometime earlier, leaving only the Taoist priest's incantations and Governor Ding's slightly hurried breathing.

After an unknown amount of time, Governor Ding stood there, feeling a little dizzy, and the scene before him seemed to be changing.

He opened his eyes, and the Taoist priests who were making all sorts of strange movements in front of him suddenly turned into two.

No, that's not right!

He rubbed his eyes; they weren't two Taoist priests.

He squinted and looked closely; one was a Taoist priest, and the other… was a person!

Some dirt was falling silently off her body, layer by layer, bit by bit.

Like someone buried underground for too long, their body soaked in soil.

Prefect Ding was startled and couldn't help but take a step back, but two soldiers stood behind him, preventing him from retreating.

Instead, she pushed him forward.

As soon as Governor Ding turned his head, the figure took another step toward him, and he could even smell the earthy odor.