Chapter 168 : The Madness Truth, Death Meets Its Purpose
168: The Madness Truth, Death Meets Its Purpose
"Yiwen!"
Qin Wan clearly saw Pang Yiwen's face. In an instant, everyone else also recognized the fallen person as Pang Yiwen. Pang Fuliang shouted in shock and horror, disregarding Pang Youde's efforts to hold him back as he rushed forward.
The fire on the first floor grew larger, flames leaping and thick smoke billowing. Standing too close brought a searing heat. Pang Fuliang ran to Pang Yiwen's side; flying sparks and black smoke nearly singed him.
Seeing this, Qin Wan and Yan Chi also stepped forward. Yan Chi shielded Qin Wan with half his body, fearing any stray sparks would land on her. Wang Huaiyu was stunned, taking a long moment before he moved up with Yan Li.
"Yīwen! How did you get here?!"
Pang Fuliang's voice was hoarse and trembling. Though he often sternly reprimanded Pang Yiwen, resentful of his shortcomings, Pang Yiwen was his eldest son, raised before his eyes, and he had doted on him for many years. Only later, frustrated by his failures, had he transferred all his affection to Pang Jiayan. Looking at Pang Yiwen's bloodied face, Pang Fuliang's eyes instantly reddened.
"Fa…"
Pang Yiwen lay face-up. He had jumped from the third floor, crashing heavily onto the stone steps. A mortal body could not withstand such a fall. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose. He looked at Pang Fuliang, his hand reaching as if to grasp him. But now, he only felt a tearing, heart-wrenching pain from within. With the slightest movement, more blood surged from his mouth and nose. He couldn't utter a single word, only staring at Pang Fuliang with pleading eyes…
"Yīwen…" Pang Fuliang's voice became choked. He instinctively grabbed Pang Yiwen's hand, turning to see Qin Wan, a final glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "Ninth Young Miss… Ninth Young Miss, I beg you, save him…"
Pang Fuliang hadn't used the word "beg" for years. But now, with Pang Yiwen so grievously injured, seemingly on the verge of death, he had to save his son. Qin Wan met Pang Fuliang's gaze. No matter her previous suspicions about him, or how much she detested and rejected him due to Madam Chang's suffering, at this moment, Pang Fuliang was just a father. Without saying more, Qin Wan stepped forward and knelt beside Pang Yiwen. One hand probed his chest, the other rested on his wrist. Yet, in that instant, her brow furrowed tightly, while Pang Yiwen's mouth and nose continued to bleed profusely.
"Master Pang, he cannot be saved. His organs are ruptured."
Pang Fuliang stared at Qin Wan's calm expression. For a moment, a flicker of anger and hatred flashed in his eyes. Yet this anger wasn't directed solely at Qin Wan. He hated, hated that his son was dying! And Qin Wan was the one announcing his son's impending death.
Glaring fiercely at Qin Wan, Pang Fuliang's grip on Pang Yiwen's hand began to tremble.
Pang Yiwen's eyes were wide open, filled with agony and unwillingness as he looked at Pang Fuliang. He struggled to move his lips, wanting to beg his powerful father to save him. But then, a piercing pain wracked him, causing a violent coughing fit. With each cough, more bloody foam poured from his mouth and nose. Within a few breaths, Pang Yiwen's eyes stared unseeing, motionless.
Pang Fuliang stared at Pang Yiwen as if petrified, only the hand holding Pang Yiwen's clenching tightly, veins bulging on the back.
Pang Youde was also stunned, at a loss for words to comfort Pang Fuliang.
Wang Huaiyu couldn't bear to watch anymore. He stepped forward. "Why is the Eldest Young Master in this building? Wasn't it the Pang family's eldest young lady setting the fire inside?"
Pang Fuliang suddenly moved. He slowly raised his head, his eyes like poisoned arrows fixed on the interior of the small building.
The fire spread, yet the delicate figure inside was climbing the stairs. Seeing Pang Fuliang unable to answer at the moment, Wang Huaiyu immediately directed the manor servants and yamen constables to fight the fire…
The flames seemed fierce, but when they reached the second floor, for some reason, they stalled, no longer leaping upward. Only the thick black smoke continued to rage. Servants with basins and buckets continuously hauled water. After the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the fire on the first floor was significantly subdued. They saw the doors and windows of the first floor charred to charcoal. Only about a dozen large pillars and the staircase leading up were less damaged. Qin Wan watched silently, marveling inwardly. Meanwhile, Pang Fuliang remained crouched beside Pang Yiwen, holding his hand as if in a daze.
A parent witnessing their child's death is indeed a sorrowful thing. But looking at Pang Fuliang, Qin Wan truly couldn't muster much sympathy. She was only puzzled: Why were Pang Yiwen and Pang Jiayun in this small building together?
Pang Jiayun set fire on the first floor, while Pang Yiwen was on the third floor… And how did he fall?
Deep suspicions arose in Qin Wan's heart. The constables had already charged into the first floor. Soon, Wang Huaiyu ran back to Yan Chi's side after going in and out. "Your Highness, the fire on the first floor is mostly extinguished."
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "I'll go up and take a look."
Hearing this, Qin Wan instinctively moved to follow. Yan Chi paused. "It's unsafe inside. You stay here."
Qin Wan glanced at the still-burning sparks on the second-floor windows and didn't insist. Yan Chi gave her a deep look before proceeding. Yan Li grinned at Qin Wan and eagerly followed Yan Chi.
Though the open flames were extinguished, no one knew the condition of the second floor, whether floors or beams had been burned through. Suppressing her anxiety, Qin Wan remained outside. Turning, she saw Madam Chang standing not far behind them with Pang Jiayan. Behind them were Qingniang and a senior maid from Madam Chang's household.
The four stood at a distance, watching like bystanders, yet also seeming fearful to approach. Qin Wan thought for a moment but decided not to go speak with them. Pang Fuliang had just lost his son; she didn't know if he might vent his anger on Madam Chang.
Inside the building, Yan Chi, Yan Li, and Wang Huaiyu ascended the stairs. To their surprise, despite the fire burning for a while, the staircase and the second-floor floorboards were largely intact. Only a few windows on the second floor were burned like those on the first floor. The thick smoke had blackened the second-floor rooms, obscuring their original appearance, but it was still discernible that this place seemed to have been a young lady's bedchamber.
Standing at the stairhead, Wang Huaiyu gave an order. Two constables immediately entered the room. However, after searching, they reported finding no trace of Pang Jiayun. Yan Chi frowned and headed up the stairs to the third floor.
The fire had scarcely spread to the third floor. Moreover, the third floor was now pitch black.
With a shhh sound, Wang Huaiyu lit a firestarter. As the light flared, the smaller third floor was revealed to them. The second floor had two side rooms, while the third formed a single, warm study-like space. A writing desk, a long daybed, tall cabinets, all arranged neatly. Wang Huaiyu and the others focused their gaze and clearly saw several articles of clothing scattered on the long daybed.
Several garments were tangled together: a man's outer robe, a woman's gown, belts, long boots, and other items. The cushions and thin blankets on the daybed were also in disarray. This scene was instantly recognizable to the men present. Thinking this, their frowns deepened. Earlier, only Pang Jiayun and Pang Yiwen were in this building. Could it be…
"Your Highness, this… could this be…"
The smile vanished from Yan Li's face, replaced by a cold sneer in his eyes. "Does Prefect Wang not recognize what kind of scene this is?"
Yan Li's tone was slightly cold, carrying a touch of inexplicable mockery. "Based on my extensive experience in the capital's pleasure quarters, this chaos undoubtedly indicates a man and woman engaged in intimacy here. Could Prefect Wang not see that?"
Wang Huaiyu smiled bitterly. "It's not that I don't see it, but I dare not believe it. Besides, where is Pang Jiayun?"
Yan Li's eyes shifted. They had come to find Pang Jiayun but indeed hadn't seen her.
Just as Yan Li found it strange, a soft speaking voice suddenly sounded.
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
"Qingniang, find me quickly, why can't you still find me…"
The girl's soft, ethereal voice suddenly rang out, peculiarly eerie in this attic that had just been on fire. Almost simultaneously, the men looked toward the tall cabinet by the window.
The sound came from there. But looking over, Yan Li's eyelids twitched.
The tall cabinet was over half a person's height but was divided into six small compartments, each with its own door. Hiding a whole person in the entire cabinet was one thing, but how could anyone fit in such small compartments?
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
"Qingniang, find me quickly, why can't you still find me…"
As Yan Li hesitated, the singing voice sounded again. The girl's voice was soft and pure, like that of an innocent child. A thought struck Yan Li. He stepped forward toward the tall cabinet.
Yan Chi and Wang Huaiyu also approached. Yan Li stood before the cabinet, paused a moment, then opened the door of the bottom-left compartment.
As the door swung open, the first thing that met his eyes was a pair of feet clad in peach-red embroidered shoes. Next were a pair of thin, human calves. At that moment, two arms were wrapped around those calves…
Yan Li took a step back before he could see Pang Jiayun's eyes, peering over her knees. Yan Li frowned. They were black eyes, yet the bright black orbs that should have been like obsidian were now empty, devoid of any light.
Pang Jiayun was curled up in the small compartment in an unnatural posture, her head awkwardly pressed against her own knees. Seeing the outside light, she instinctively shrank further inside, like a creature shunning the light. Yan Li couldn't fathom how a person could squeeze themselves into this coffin-like compartment.
Even though only a pair of shoes, calves, and the indistinct half of Pang Jiayun's face were visible, Yan Li and the others clearly saw an extremely thin Pang Jiayun wearing only a thin inner garment. The gauze trousers on her legs were riddled with large and small burns, clearly revealing the bruises on her legs.
Seeing her like this, Yan Li looked helplessly at Yan Chi. Yan Chi frowned. He couldn't forcibly drag out such a young girl.
"Go down and ask Ninth Young Miss to come up."
Yan Chi had initially worried about the building's danger. Now, having reached the third floor, they realized the situation was better than expected. Moreover, this scene was truly unsuitable for more people to see. And it seemed Pang Jiayun herself didn't want to come out.
The constable at the rear accepted the order and left. Not long after, he reached the ground floor.
Outside the building, Pang Fuliang still clung to Pang Yiwen's hand, unwilling to let go. The constable went straight to Qin Wan. "Ninth Young Miss, His Highness requests your presence upstairs." He added, "Rest assured, the fire inside is out."
Qin Wan wasn't overly concerned about danger. Now that Yan Chi sent for her, it naturally indicated the danger inside had passed. Qin Wan nodded and immediately prepared to enter. Fuling and Bai Ying hurried to follow. Qin Shuang wanted to go too, but the constable stopped her. "His Highness only asked for the Ninth Young Miss to go up."
Qin Shuang's face showed a mix of disappointment and annoyance. She gave a soft humph and stood beside Qin Yan. "Third Brother, is there another dead person up there?"
Qin Yan shook his head. "Probably not. If there were a dead person, the constable wouldn't be so relaxed."
Qin Shuang hadn't noticed the constable's expression, but hearing Qin Yan, she believed him. She then asked, "Wasn't it said the Pang family's eldest young lady set the fire? Why was the Pang family's eldest young master on the third floor?"
Qin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze falling on Pang Yiwen, who wore only an inner robe. Then his gaze shifted to Pang Yiwen's bare feet…
As Qin Wan followed the constable upstairs, she had already formed some conclusions. Pang Yiwen fell from the third floor to his death. His presence was strange enough, but his attire was even stranger.
His outer robe was missing, and his feet were bare. Qin Wan couldn't imagine Pang Jiayun simply running to where Pang Yiwen slept, especially since Pang Yiwen's courtyard wasn't even here.
Their simultaneous presence in the same place couldn't be a coincidence.
The heavier her heart grew, the deeper Qin Wan's thoughts. When she reached the third floor, she saw only Yan Chi and the other two standing at the stair entrance. Not far away, the lowest compartment of the tall cabinet was open. Qin Wan could vaguely make out a figure inside.
"Ninth Young Miss is here!"
Yan Li called softly. Qin Wan stepped forward, curtseyed, and looked at Yan Chi. "What is it?"
Yan Chi tilted his chin slightly. "She's inside, unwilling to come out."
Saying this, Yan Chi swept his gaze over the room. Qin Wan glanced and felt her heart clench slightly.
Yan Chi then said, "We'll go down first. See if you can coax her out."
Qin Wan nodded. Wang Huaiyu handed a lit lamp to Fuling, then turned and went downstairs with Yan Chi and the others. Once they left, Qin Wan saw the scene in the room more clearly, chilling her heart further. Pressing her lips together, Qin Wan took small steps to the tall cabinet. "Young Miss Pang?"
She crouched down and called softly. However, hearing this, Pang Jiayun shrank back even more nervously. Qin Wan's eyes shifted. "Does Young Miss Pang want to play hide-and-seek with us?"
Qin Wan kept her voice as gentle as possible. This time, Pang Jiayun quieted down.
Qin Wan continued, "Then… I'll hide, and you look for me, alright?"
Qin Wan pretended to leave, but Pang Jiayun remained motionless.
"Lit…tle… child… hide… and… seek…"
Pang Jiayun didn't move, but she began to chant the words one by one. Her tone was innocent and naive, yet this soft, childish voice emerging from the cabinet made Qin Wan feel both eerie and heartbroken.
"Qing… niang… quick… ly… find… me…"
Qin Wan didn't understand Pang Jiayun's meaning for a moment. Pang Jiayun chanted another line. Hearing "Qingniang," Qin Wan quickly looked at Bai Ying. "Go down and ask His Highness if Madam and Qingniang can be brought up."
Bai Ying accepted the order and left. Qin Wan heard her footsteps descending, a brief pause, then soon the footsteps resumed, still going down. Qin Wan sighed in relief; she knew Yan Chi had agreed.
Madam Chang and the others had appeared not far from the building. Qin Wan didn't know if they knew what had happened inside, if they knew the arsonist was Pang Jiayun. Thinking of the way they stood at a distance, afraid to approach earlier, Qin Wan felt something was odd.
Fuling stepped forward with the lamp. Just as she took two steps, Pang Jiayun shrank back inside the cabinet again. Qin Wan quickly gestured for her to advance no further. She lowered her head to look into the cabinet. "Qingniang is coming soon. Your mother is coming too. Come out. I'll help you put on your clothes. Then you can play with them later, alright?"
Pang Jiayun's large, empty eyes still stared outside. At one moment, she suddenly went "Shh."
Qin Wan hurriedly lowered her voice. "What is it?"
"Hide… hide…" Qin Wan didn't understand. Pang Jiayun hugged her own calves tightly. "He's coming… he's coming…"
Qin Wan didn't know who "he" referred to, but the only person she could think of now was Pang Yiwen.
She looked at the disordered long daybed in the room, becoming more certain of her thoughts. She wanted to ask Pang Jiayun but feared frightening her. So she only whispered softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. No one is coming. No one will come again…"
As soon as the words left her mouth, footsteps sounded from downstairs.
Pang Jiayun shrank back again as if startled. Qin Wan turned to look at the stairhead. The first person she saw was Madam Chang, her eyes red-rimmed. Seeing Qin Wan also present, Madam Chang was slightly taken aback, then hurried toward the tall cabinet. Footsteps continued. Qin Wan stood up and stepped aside. She saw Qingniang leading Pang Jiayun by the hand coming up the stairs. Meanwhile, Madam Chang had just called out "Yun'er" when Pang Jiayun scrambled out of the cabinet. Once out, Qin Wan realized she bore a sixty-percent resemblance to Madam Chang. Though emaciated and somewhat vacant in expression, her delicate beauty was still apparent.
Madam Chang held Pang Jiayun, sobbing softly twice. Qin Wan hesitated whether to excuse herself, but Madam Chang turned and said, "Ninth Young Miss, whatever you wish to know, you may ask me now…"