Strange Tales of the Ghosts

After Master Liu rushed outside with his men, Su Qing'e had a bad feeling and went to look for Zhao Tianhu. When Zhao Tianhu heard that the body was found, he was extremely surprised, "How did they find it?"

"I don't know. They just said they found it and I came to you." Su Qing'e bit her lips; she had no idea what would happen to Zhao Tianhu and her if they found out that they did it.

Zhao Tianhu knew murdering was a heavy crime, let alone killing a government official; there was no way they could explain themselves. He looked at Su Qing'e without hesitation, "Our best plan is to leave straight away."

"Leave? But where?"

"The world is huge, let's just get out of here first."

"But I didn't bring anything," Su Qing'e looked at herself; she didn't even have an extra handkerchief other than the clothes she was wearing.

Zhao Tianhu pulled her by the hand and replied, "We need to get out. If you believe me, I won't let you starve as long as I, Zhao Tianhu, am alive."

"Brother Zhao..." Su Qing'e was born naturally to love pleasure, and she had never seen anyone who had genuine feelings for her. She was used to looking at fake feelings and greedy men who wanted her for their desires. She never heard anything good, let alone the matter of life and death. Zhao Tianhu's words indeed touched her; and she bit her lips, "I'll go with you."

After they had made up their mind, they didn't hesitate and ran away with some money without packing anything. They didn't greet people they knew on the streets and headed straight to the broken wall like birds in a cage that were going to fly in the sky. But it was still too late. Master Liu and his men caught them as soon as they left the town. The guards surrounded them, and Master Liu walked out from the side, asking slowly, "Zhao Tianhu, Su Qing'e, where are you two going?"Yab-Yum (Part 9)

Master Liu sat high up in the hall and interrogated the two who were kneeling on the ground, "What else is there to say?"

"I'm innocent, I didn't kill Master Li!" Su Qing'e looked at Master Liu, who had just made love with her an hour ago, and hallucinated that Master Liu could let her go.

"Innocent? You killed him and buried him, how are you innocent?"

"I admit that we buried him, but we really didn't kill him. He died in bed, I'm not lying!" Su Qing'e spilled everything that happened that night, including how they were making love in bed and how she found him dead, along with why Zhao Tianhu buried the body with her.

Everyone who came to listen was all murmured. All men kept quiet as most of them had spent a night with Su Qing'e before, and no women could stay cool-headed. They hated this slut and loathed her for seducing their husbands. Now that they knew Su Qing'e killed Master Li in bed, they were afraid that their husbands would end up the same, and they all shouted, "Kill this slut! Kill this demon!"

"N-No, don't kill me." Su Qing'e felt cold and sorrowful that all these people wanted to see her die. She hoped her crime wasn't heavy enough to get her killed.

Zhao Tianhu stayed silent for a long time, then he suddenly looked at Master Liu firmly, "If you must kill, kill me. It has nothing to do with Su Qing'e. She said that just to cover up the truth for me, she didn't kill him. I was the one who killed Master Li."

Everyone fell silent. Master Liu laughed coldly, "Zhao Tianhu, you've always caused problems, but why did you kill Master Li? Tell me the truth!"

"Because, because I went looking for Su Qing'e, but I found out that Master Li took her, I was angry and killed him!" Zhao Tianhu replied reasonably as if Master Li had really taken his love away from him.

When the others were considering who was telling the truth, tears filled Su Qing'e's eyes. She didn't know how many people she had slept with, but no one treated her like this other than Zhao Tianhu. She didn't know if this was love, but she knew this man was risking his life for her.

"Brother Zhao..."

"Don't. Even if I lose my head, I'll be a man again in eighteen years." Zhao Tianhu wasn't easily touched, but he felt bitter at her tears.

Su Qing'e cried and shook her head, "But you didn't kill him. Even if someone harmed him and caused his death, it was me. I should be the one to repay with my life."

"Enough! Stop arguing!" The hammer hit the table hard and Master Liu's face was as stern as if he was an ethical official. He cleared his throat and announced, "Master Li's murder case is clear: Zhao Tianhu and Su Qing'e were partners in crime and killed Master Li. I announce that Zhao Tianhu and Su Qing'e will be beheaded at the front of the market tomorrow at noon!"

Many cheered at the decision; whether they were in for the drama or hatred, everything was decided. Su Qing'e didn't know why, but she wasn't that scared when she heard their sentence. She even smiled as if she had dropped the heavy burden.

In fact, Master Liu didn't have the power to sentence them, and they should investigate the case more. But there was no need to continue as they fell into Master Liu's hands, and they would die sooner or later. Master Liu hoped that Su Qing'e's death could wash away the relationship he had with her; there was no way he would let her live.

"We... We are going out for a walk." Zhao Tianhu doubted that they could link them to the case this soon and tried to lie.

Master Liu looked at Su Qing'e, who was hiding behind him, and asked lazily, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Ah, Master Liu, we are both men, you know what we want to do." Zhao Tianhu knew that Master Liu once had something with Su Qing'e and found an excuse.

Master Liu heard him, and his face changed as he roared, "Know what?! Know that you two are trying to escape after killing someone?"

"We didn't kill anyone." Su Qing'e panicked and quickly explained, "Master Li died by himself, we didn't kill him."

"No more explaining. Take them back!" Master Liu lost his patience and ordered his men to tie the two up.

After the witness and evidence were brought to court, Zhao Tianhu and Su Qing'e finally realized that someone saw them burying the body last night. That person was Chen Er, who was in charge of announcing the hours at night. He went past the Manhong House and saw Zhao Tianhu and Su Qing'e climbing down the window. He followed them out of curiosity, but it was too dark, and he couldn't see clearly as they were riding a horse. When Chen Er arrived at the burial spot, Zhao Tianhu and Su Qing'e were already heading back. After pondering for a while, he thought they might've buried something valuable there. He dug the hole open and jumped at Master Li's body. He was too scared and immediately reported it to the government office.