Ning Chen's pupils shrank.

He went forward at once and felt for Ning Ziming's breath. His face darkened... Dead.

Ning Chen's eyes went to the roast duck leg lying on the floor.

He thought for a moment, then moved Ning Ziming's body quickly into the corner and set him sitting with his face to the wall.

Then he picked up the food box, backed out of the cell and locked the door.

Seeing Ning Chen come out, the jailer hurried over at a trot from a little way off.

Ning Chen said evenly, "From now on, without my order, no one is to visit Ning Ziming and no one is to go near his cell."

The jailer said hurriedly, "Yes!"

Ning Chen came out of the prison and went straight to Geng Jing's room.

Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were both there.

Geng Jing asked, "Have you seen Lord Ning?"

Ning Chen did not answer. He shut the door, set the food box on the table and said, low, "Something has happened."

Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng looked at each other and asked in one voice, "What is it?"

Ning Chen's face was dark. "Ning Ziming is dead."

Geng Jing and Pan Yucheng were both greatly startled.

Ning Chen opened the food box and pointed at the roast duck inside. "Somebody has set me up... This duck was poisoned."

The two of them came over and looked at the box.

"This is the Heavenly Blessing Tower's duck?"

Ning Chen nodded.

Pan Yucheng said quickly, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to the Heavenly Blessing Tower."

Ning Chen shook his head. "Going there now will not do much good. The murderer isn't fool enough to sit waiting for me to arrest him... So there's no hurry about it."

Pan Yucheng frowned. "What is the point of poisoning Lord Ning at a time like this?"

Ning Chen said with a cold smile, "It is aimed at me, of course."

"A marquis of the Great Xuan poisons his own father — a man out of his senses. If that name once…