TMBIABHL: Chapter 4

 Character & Term Glossary 

· Ye Chutang (叶初棠): The female protagonist, a reborn heir to an ancient medical family. The "Black-Hearted Lotus." Runs a small clinic in Jiangling.

· Ye Yunfeng (叶云风): The fourth brother (四郎), fierce, hot-tempered, and protective. Accused of murder in this chapter.

· Cao Chengwu (曹成武): The deceased Second Young Master of the Cao family.

· Madam Cao (曹夫人): The mother of Cao Chengwu.

· Cao Chengwen (曹成文): The eldest son of the Cao family.

· Hemorrhagic Purpura (出血性紫癜): The medical term Ye Chutang uses to describe the purple patches on the corpse.

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Chapter 4: Open the Coffin

Ye Chutang's brow furrowed.

"What did you say?"

Cao Chengwu was dead? But yesterday, A-Yan had clearly said the injuries were only superficial and would heal in a few days. How could—

"My poor son!" Madam Cao wailed, her cries piercing the air. "You died so unjustly! If Ye Yunfeng hadn't beaten you mercilessly yesterday, how could a healthy person like you just die! A life for a life! Hand Ye Yunfeng over now! He must pay for my son's life!"

The onlookers were also greatly shocked.

"The Cao family's Second Young Master is gone?"

"How so sudden? I saw him perfectly fine yesterday morning! How did this happen in the blink of an eye?"

"Didn't you hear her? Ye Family's Fourth Lad beat him to death! That kid, young as he is, is brutishly strong and doesn't know his own strength. It's not impossible he killed someone by accident! Poor Master Cao and Madam Cao! They raised their precious son to this age, only for this to happen!"

"Exactly! That Ye Family Fourth Lad looks like a troublemaker; he's only twelve and dares to take a life! What will he be like when he grows up!? Someone like him must be handed over to the authorities!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Ye Chutang's expression turned serious, her mind racing.

Although A-Feng was impulsive and fierce, he always knew his limits. Especially with A-Yan present, it was even less likely he would be allowed to strike a heavy blow.

Cao Chengwu's death was definitely suspicious.

Thinking this, she stepped forward. "Madam Cao, we deeply regret your son's passing. However, we absolutely cannot bear the charge of murder without evidence."

Madam Cao's emotions ran high. "What more evidence do you need! Many people at the academy saw Ye Yunfeng fight with my son yesterday! They are all witnesses! After A-Wu returned home, he passed away suddenly and without warning in the middle of the night! If it's not Ye Yunfeng's fault, then whose is it!"

"Middle of the night?" Ye Chutang seized on the words in her speech. "You mean, he was actually fine when he first returned yesterday?"

Madam Cao choked for a moment, then retorted loudly, "Who said he was fine! He had several wounds on him at the time! We even specifically called a doctor to bandage them! Ye Yunfeng, so young yet so vicious, to deal such a ruthless hand to his own classmate! If he didn't do it, then who did!"

Cao Chengwen, standing beside Madam Cao, comforted her while looking at Ye Chutang with a troubled expression.

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"Second Miss Ye, you should quickly hand your brother over! This matter has nothing to do with you; we won't make things difficult for you!"

Ye Chutang stood her ground, her voice firm. "You have no proof, yet you want to arrest my brother. There's no logic in the world like that."

Cao Chengwen seemed somewhat annoyed. "Why are you so protective of a murderer!?"

Ye Chutang's dark eyes fixed on him. "Choose your words carefully, Eldest Young Master Cao. The authorities haven't convicted my brother yet. By saying this, are you claiming to be greater than the law?"

"You!" Cao Chengwen flustered for a moment. "I never said that! Don't twist my words!"

Madam Cao's gaze swept past Ye Chutang, looking towards the gate, her teeth gritted. "Why isn't he coming out!? He killed someone, is he feeling guilty now!?"

With a bang, the gate was pushed open violently. Ye Yunfeng, unable to hold back any longer, strode out.

"I didn't kill anyone!"

Ye Chutang glanced back at him. The teenager's fists were clenched, a breath of frustration stuck in his chest. "Elder Sister! I only punched him a few times! I didn't kill him!"

Seeing him, Madam Cao's emotions grew even more intense. She pointed a trembling finger and shrieked, "If it wasn't you, then who was it!? Give me back my son's life!"

As she spoke, she made to charge forward.

Ye Chutang moved slightly, shielding Ye Yunfeng behind her. Her voice was not loud, but it carried absolute authority.

"Madam Cao, if your son was truly killed by my brother, you won't need to lift a finger; I will personally deliver him to the magistrate. But if it wasn't him, I will not stand for anyone trying to frame him!"

Madam Cao's eyes widened. "Ye Chutang! What do you mean by that!? Are you saying I'm deliberately framing you!?"

Ye Chutang said, "Since you insist my brother killed your son, I must see for myself, don't you agree?"

Madam Cao was baffled. "Y-You... what do you mean!?"

Ye Chutang stepped forward, arriving before the black coffin.

"A-Feng, open the coffin!" She spoke word by word. "Let's see properly whether it was you who killed him!"

No one had expected Ye Chutang to do this. For a moment, everyone was stunned. Although Ye Yunfeng also didn't understand her reasoning, he always listened to his elder sister. Without any hesitation, he strode to the coffin, placed his hands on the lid, and pushed with all his might!

The heavy coffin lid was actually pried open by a boy of merely twelve!

"Ah!"

The crowd retreated in panic, but couldn't resist their curiosity, craning their necks to look.

Only then did Madam Cao snap back to her senses. She let out a sharp cry and tried to lunge forward.

"Ye Chutang! You—"

Ye Yunfeng immediately blocked her path, his imposing aura formidable. Madam Cao was momentarily cowed and dared not advance further.

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Ye Chutang stood her ground, turning her head to look at Madam Cao. "Are these hemorrhagic purpura on your son's body also from A-Feng's beating?"

Madam Cao was tongue-tied. "Wh-What?"

Ye Chutang lifted her chin slightly. "He has large purple patches on his face and body. These are clearly not caused by a beating. For you to conclude he died by A-Feng's hand based on this seems rather rash, doesn't it?"

Madam Cao, thrown off by the question, hurried over and rolled up Cao Chengwu's sleeve, indeed seeing large, spreading purple patches.

These were absolutely not marks that would appear from a simple fight.

"Th-This…"

When she had heard the servant announce her son's death early this morning, she had fainted on the spot. Upon waking, her only thought was—it must be because of Ye Yunfeng, the boy he fought yesterday!

When she first saw the few purple patches on her son's face, she had assumed they were from the fight and hadn't paid them much mind. Now, pointed out by Ye Chutang, she realized her son had similar marks on his hands and body as well.

Anyone could see this was absolutely not normal!

The bolder ones in the crowd also peeked over, discussing in hushed tones.

"This… this does seem a bit off! I remember seeing Cao Chengwu returning home yesterday on the road. His face was injured, but it didn't look like this…"

"If all these were caused by Ye Family's Fourth Lad, wouldn't he have been beaten to death on the spot?"

"Exactly! If Cao Chengwu's face and body looked like this yesterday, how could the Cao family let it go and only come to cause trouble today? I'd say it's eighty percent likely something happened after he returned home that caused this!"

Ye Yunfeng quickly looked at Ye Chutang. "Elder Sister, I didn't cause these!"

He was also shocked by Cao Chengwu's appearance and immediately understood there was something fishy going on!

"I know." Ye Chutang gave him a reassuring look, then asked Madam Cao, "Madam Cao, was your son allergic to anything?"

(End of Chapter)

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