At that moment, seeing Chu Shuo finally surface, the crowd excitedly shouted, "Second Young Master Chu is up, he’s okay!"
Lu Yanyan, who had been both frightened and worried, felt her heart finally settle when she saw Chu Shuo safe. As her emotions eased, she couldn’t help but shed tears, choking up, "Come over here."
Afraid she didn’t have the strength, she asked the servants to help pull Chu Shuo ashore.
Chu Shuo, having narrowly escaped death due to the water ghost, was still a bit shaken. But seeing Lu Yanyan weeping for him, he felt a bit reassured, "I’m fine now, don’t cry."
"You fell into the water and didn’t come up for so long. I was terrified," Lu Yanyan said, covering her face with a handkerchief, worried her makeup had become unsightly.
Chu Shuo considered whether to explain the situation.
"Second Brother!" Another voice called out from behind.
Chu Shuo recognized his sixth sister’s voice immediately. Turning, he saw Ye Siheng and Nanli standing together. Both were dressed in the simplest of robes and skirts, yet their elegance and natural beauty still shone through.
The crowd was astonished by their sudden appearance. Chu Shuo realized that the talisman on him must have activated, prompting his sister’s urgent arrival.
No one dared block their path.
Nanli ran over and noticed the faint trace of ghostly aura still clinging to Chu Shuo, her expression darkening.
First, she pulled out a cleansing talisman, making Chu Shuo clean and dry, preventing him from catching a cold. The crowd watched in amazement.
"Second Brother, are you alright?" Nanli asked with concern.
"Thanks to your talisman, I’m fine," Chu Shuo replied.
Lu Yanyan exclaimed in surprise, "Your talisman not only wards off evil but also makes people swim?"
Chu Shuo chuckled, "No, there was a water ghost in the pond."
At this revelation, the onlookers instinctively stepped back, their faces filled with terror, fearing the ghost might surface and claim their lives.
"You’re okay, that’s what matters," Ye Siheng sighed in relief. "But Second Brother, your luck must be truly awful."
He had taken some rare free time to have tea and play chess with Nanli, but Chu Shuo’s mishap had them using a teleportation talisman to rush over. Secretly, he was a bit jealous.
Chu Shuo quickly said, "It’s not bad luck, Jiang Yang pushed me into the water. He wanted to harm me!"
This time, he wanted to clear his name.
Lu Yanyan was first stunned, then angry, "He pushed you? How could he be so vicious?"
Jiang Yang had just been shouting to save someone, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
Nanli, gazing thoughtfully at the water, said, "We need to apprehend him."
Though they had used a teleportation talisman, summoning the Black Armor Guards was just a matter of sending a signal.
The newly acquired Duke of Ming’s Residence was already small, and with the banquet and the arrival of the Black Armor Guards for a search, it became crowded quickly.
Jiang Yang had already fled but was caught in the nearby streets by the guards and brought back.
In the octagonal pavilion, Ye Siheng sat on a round stone bench. Seeing Nanli’s solemn expression, his face also tightened. The gathered crowd dared not breathe too loudly.
The Black Armor Guards dragged Jiang Yang into the pavilion. Seeing Ye Siheng’s stern face, Jiang Yang’s legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.
"You scoundrel!" The Duke of Ming stepped forward, slapping Jiang Yang hard. "Daring to harm someone, from now on, you are no longer a part of the Yang family!"
Jiang Yang, stunned, quickly reacted, crying out, "Grandfather, I know I was wrong. You can’t abandon me!"
He had acted on an impulse to kill, regretting it deeply after pushing Chu Shuo. Now, with the Ninth Prince involved, he feared for his life if his grandfather abandoned him.
The Duke of Ming, his face livid, didn’t spare Jiang Yang another glance, instead addressing Ye Siheng, "Please, Ninth Prince, handle this impartially. Whether he lives or dies is no longer the concern of the Duke of Ming’s Residence."
If he continued to protect this unfilial grandson, he might lose the entire Yang family.
Jiang Yang’s heart sank. Seeing Chu Shuo, he kowtowed several times, "Brother Chu Shuo, I was momentarily insane, just wanting to teach you a lesson, not kill you!"
Chu Shuo snorted, "You must have known there was a ghost in the water, trying to drown me. Even if I didn’t lend you money, you didn’t have to be so cruel."
When the Duke of Ming Mansion fell into hardship, he had bought the mansion at a price above the market. Yet now, instead of gratitude, he was repaid with harm. Helping others? He no longer wished to partake in such acts.
Jiang Yang quickly shook his head, raising three fingers, "I swear, I didn’t know! If I knew, would we have bought this mansion?"
The Duke of Ming, though unwilling to protect Jiang Yang, added, "The Ninth Prince and Princess, he speaks the truth. If we had known, we wouldn’t have bought this mansion, no matter how cheap."
He now faced the headache of a haunted pond in the mansion. How could they live there?
Jiang Yang, sweating profusely, added, "I was confused, hearing a voice urging me to push Brother Chu Shuo. I couldn’t control myself. Ninth Prince, I speak no lies."
"You were controlled by the ghost," Nanli remarked, rubbing her chin. "This water ghost has some skill."
Jiang Yang, grasping at a lifeline, nodded vigorously, "Exactly! Ninth Princess, I’m innocent!"
"Don’t claim innocence. Without the intent, the ghost couldn’t have controlled you," Nanli coldly stated.
Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow, "If that’s the case, drag him out and behead him to set an example."
The Duke of Ming, lips moving slightly, finally didn’t speak to stop it.
Jiang Yang, hearing this, nearly fainted from fear.
"Wait, Prince," Chu Shuo quickly interjected. He pursed his lips, "Though he intended to harm me, he was ultimately controlled by the ghost. It’s not worth taking his life."
"Brother Chu Shuo!" Jiang Yang exclaimed in joy, "You truly understand!"
Chu Shuo turned away, not looking at him, "I only want to avoid creating more grudges. If you died, your ghost might haunt me. From now on, we have no more brotherly ties."
Jiang Yang nodded fervently, "Yes, yes, of course."
Though Nanli was displeased, she didn’t push further since her brother had decided.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief for Jiang Yang, Ye Siheng said, "You can live, but the hand that pushed, it cannot be spared."