Das Leben der Landbevölkerung in der Stadt während der Song-Dynastie

Kapitel 24

"How could this be? Didn't you check their identities?" Ling'er asked.

"Of course we checked, but their identities were all fake. And the autopsy report for that man came out the day before yesterday. According to the experts, that man has lived for at least a thousand years!"

"A thousand years? Wouldn't that make him an old turtle?" Kuang Ao muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, but even an old turtle doesn’t live a thousand years,” Eighteen chimed in softly.

Without a second thought, Leizhu'er threw two punches, sending the two flying a great distance. Hu Yi patted his chest, thankful he was a beat too slow to react and missed the next sentence, otherwise he would have been sent flying too.

“But you don’t have any leads at all, how am I supposed to investigate? Besides, both parties involved are dead…” Ling’er felt the case was too complicated, and she was prepared to turn it down.

“I can’t help it. The higher-ups are pressuring us. I told them you might not take the case, but they insisted I try. Since you can’t do it either, then forget it!” Ling’er’s reaction was exactly what he expected. He then got up.

"No! We'll take this case!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she said expressionlessly, her teeth clenched.

"Zhu'er?" Ling'er was puzzled. Tears Pearl was not usually such an impulsive person, so why was she acting so strangely today?

"Cousin, I know what I'm doing! Please trust me!" she said, looking at Ling'er with pleading eyes.

Tears had never asked her for anything, and Ling'er couldn't bear to see her like this. So she said to Zhang Guoqiang, "Let's give it a try! But we don't know if it will work out!" Zhang Guoqiang asked in surprise, "Really? You're willing to take on a case?"

Ling'er nodded and said nothing more. She needed to have a serious talk with Leizhu'er. She knew far too little about her.

After seeing Zhang Guoqiang off, everyone sat around in the living room. Ling'er said, "Zhu'er, now you should tell me about your background, right? You're not just my holy servant, are you?"

"It's not that I didn't want to tell you, it's just that you never wanted to regain your memories, so I never mentioned it to you." With that, he took two steps back and softly murmured, "Sanctification."

A girl with a human body and a snake tail appeared in front of Ling'er, catching her completely off guard. The Nuwa clan only existed in legends, and she never expected that the teardrop who had always been by her side was actually a member of the Nuwa clan!

Ling'er couldn't help but say, "No wonder the Wolf King always calls you a snake demon."

He looked at her arrogantly and said, "Really? You really don't know?"

Eighteen said, "Tch, you call yourself smart? I knew she was from the Nuwa clan from the first glance! And you didn't know!"

Hu Yi simply shook his head, looking at Ling'er with a strange expression.

Teardrop calmly flicked her snake tail three times, and the three people lay on the ground in different positions.

“There are very few members of the Nuwa clan; I only know of a dozen or so so far,” Tearsdrop explained.

"Oh, so that's why you insisted on taking this case." Ling'er suddenly realized. "So what are your plans? They're all dead."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she sighed softly, “Alas! I still don’t know. I still have no clue at all.”

"I really don't understand why that man would kill his girlfriend?" Was it just because she was an outsider? But wasn't that man also no ordinary person? What kind of person could live for a thousand years? Many questions troubled Ling'er.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, it's late, Master!" Teardrop stood up.

"How many times have I told you, just call me Ling'er!"

"It's been so many years, I'm used to it, it's really not easy to change how I address you. I'll try my best, okay?" With that, the two returned to their respective rooms, not even glancing at the three men still lying on the floor.

The morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Ling'er opened her sleepy eyes. She'd had that strange dream again last night, and she was almost certain it was her and Chang Xiao's past life. Ling'er was conflicted. One moment she wanted to find Leizhu'er to ask her for clarification, the next she was afraid that knowing something would affect her current life. Just as she was hesitating, she heard exaggerated laughter coming from the living room. Who had embarrassed themselves again! None of these four people were normal. Hu Yi was a super narcissist, born dim-witted at eighteen, arrogant, and constantly threatening suicide! The only girl, Leizhu'er, could be incredibly sweet when she was gentle, but also incredibly fiery when she got angry! They called themselves servants, but who knew who was whose servant!

Ling'er got out of bed as she thought about it. When she opened the door, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her arrogant face was a mess of scribbles; a little duck was drawn on her left cheek, a mischievous rabbit on her right, and the words "Bastard" were written on her forehead! Hu Yi laughed so hard she rolled around on the sofa, and Shiba laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. The arrogant one bit his lower lip in grievance: "You...you're all bullying me! I think there's no point in living anymore! Don't hold me back! Let me die!"

For the first time ever, Ling'er didn't throw him the Blue Tear. She said, "Alright! Go wash your face right now~" Then she turned to Hu Yi and said, "Really, you can draw on someone's face, but why did you write 'turtle' on their forehead?"

Hu Yi was stunned: "Me? I didn't draw that! It's eighteen, right?"

"Don't accuse me! I didn't do it! Was it Sister Zhu'er?"

“I’m not that free~ Ling’er, you didn’t do it?” Tearsdrop said.

"No! If it were me, why would I even ask you?" Ling'er said. "Kuang Ao, you didn't draw that yourself to frame us, did you?"

"555555555555, I'm not as stupid as Eighteen!" Kuang Ao said in a fit of exasperation.

Everyone exchanged glances, and when they realized that no one was lying, no one could laugh anymore. Just who had the ability to come and go freely in this room? Ling'er frowned: "Luckily, this person meant no harm, otherwise..."

Just then, a sweet, delicate voice rang in everyone's ears: "Ling'er, an old friend has arrived, don't you even know how to greet him?"

Ling'er stared in disbelief at the girl before her. How could she look so much like her? Was she dreaming? She pinched Shiba hard, and a scream rang out: "Ah! Why did you pinch me?" Shiba glared at Ling'er with displeasure.

"I want to know if I'm dreaming!"

"Then why don't you pinch yourself?"

"Pinching yourself will hurt!"

"Ling'er, you're not dreaming, it's me. When did you get so many handsome men in your room?"

"Tingting? Is it really you?" Ling'er's tears flowed instantly, and she didn't know how to say many words at that moment.

“It’s me…” Tingting walked over and hugged her best friend tightly.

Everyone watching was stunned, but no one said a word, including the arrogant guy who had just been crying and threatening suicide.

"Tingting, tell me quickly what happened? I'm not surprised to see you. You know you're a spirit now. My house was surrounded by a barrier. How did you get in?" Ling'er held Tingting's hand. Tingting was her only close friend during her university years. If it weren't for that damned cat-faced old woman, she might have been separated from her by death.

"It's a long story. First, introduce all the handsome men and beautiful women in this room!" Tingting said with a mischievous smile.

After Hu Yi and the others introduced themselves, Tingting exclaimed in surprise, "Ling'er, I've been your classmate for two years, and I never knew you were so capable! All the guys you've made contracts with are handsome!" Then, looking at Leizhu'er, she added, "There are actually such beautiful girls in the world? Be careful not to let talent scouts snatch them away!"

"Alright, alright! Get to the point, what exactly happened to you? Oh, right! Confess now, why did you paint that smear face all over Kuang Ao's face?" Ling'er knew that Tingting couldn't escape this kind of thing. It must have been her doing.

"Oh, I just wanted to try it out and see what would happen if I added something to a handsome guy's face, and he's still just as handsome even after I did! Hehe~"

Tingting's words left Kuang Ao speechless, unable to say anything, and he helplessly went into the restroom.

"Master, you must have a lot to say, so we'll head out first." After saying that, Tearsdrop pulled Hu Yi and the others out.

Ling'er pulled Tingting into her room. "Tingting, are you alright?"

"It's alright. I'm a ghost messenger now. That's why the barrier outside your house has no effect on me. It's a long story. Ever since that day when I was killed by the cat-faced old woman, my soul has been wandering around. Because my lifespan hadn't ended, I became a wandering ghost. Then one day, I was so bored that I happened to run into an unfilial son, so I played a good trick on him. You have no idea how scared he was." He laughed heartily as he spoke.

"You little rascal, even as a ghost you won't change your mischievous nature. And then? Keep going." Ling'er tapped Tingting's forehead.

"And then I was doomed!" Tingting smiled happily.

"Oh no, why are you smiling so sweetly? Did you run into a handsome guy?" Ling'er asked mischievously, sizing her up.

"Hehe, you're so smart! But it was really terrifying at first, I almost lost my soul! He was a hunter, and when he saw me toying with a mortal, he chased after me and said menacingly that he was going to capture me. As a result, I suddenly burst into tears, saying how unlucky I was, dying for no reason, and now I was being punished after just teaching a bad guy a lesson. Although I couldn't shed a single tear, he still softened. Seeing that I hadn't done anything heinous and wasn't inherently evil, he let me go," Tingting said.

"Then how did you become a ghost messenger?" Ling'er asked, puzzled. Becoming a ghost messenger wasn't something that could be done casually.

"This is really all thanks to you!"

"Me? What did I do?" Ling'er was completely confused.

"The male hunter advised me not to be a wandering ghost anymore and that it would be better to be reincarnated as soon as possible, so he sent me to a ghost messenger and asked him to take good care of me. When I arrived in the underworld, by chance, I ran into the Queen of the Underworld, who was out for a stroll. As she passed by me, she suddenly stopped and asked me how I got here. I told her the whole story. I died a violent death, and I should have been imprisoned in the City of the Wrongfully Dead for hundreds of years, but the Queen of the Underworld actually released me and even gave me the job of a ghost messenger."

"Why did the Queen of the Underworld release you?" Ling'er asked, puzzled.

“Because she said you are her friend,” Tingting said.

"Me? You're saying the Queen of the Underworld is my friend?" Ling'er jumped up.

"Yes! That's what she said."

"Impossible, she must have mistaken me for someone else!" Ling'er shook her head firmly. When did she become the Queen of the Underworld's friend?

"I don't know about that." Tingting sighed, then added, "Sigh! I wonder how he is now?"

"Is he the male hunter you're talking about?" Ling'er thought to herself, "It seems she really has feelings for that person."

"Yes, when I came to the human world on a mission last time, I happened to encounter him during a major tribulation, and I secretly helped him out. I don't know if he survived it."

"Oh? What calamity? How did you help him?" Ling'er poured herself a glass of water.

"He was beaten to death in a forest for some unknown reason. I calculated that he could survive this ordeal, so I possessed his body and wrote a letter in blood asking for help..."

"Wait!" Ling'er spat out a mouthful of water she hadn't swallowed. "You said you helped him write a letter in blood? What's that hunter's name?"

Tingting asked, puzzled, "I don't know his name, why?"

"Is that person very tall, with dark skin, but not bad looking?" Ling'er asked hurriedly.

"Yes, there was a giant eagle with him. I tied the blood letter to its leg and told it to go find help."

"It can't be such a coincidence..." Ling'er never expected that it would be Tingting who wrote the blood letter to save Cai Meng.

"What? Do you know him?" Tingting was also very surprised.

"Yes, he's my junior brother!"

"ah???"

Just then, the phone rang; it was Zhang Guoqiang calling.

"Ling'er, have you made any progress on that case?"

"Not yet. I don't even know where to start," Ling'er said, frowning. This was the most difficult case she had ever encountered.

“If you really can’t help, then forget it. I’ll report it to my superiors later,” Zhang Guoqiang said.

"Give me two days. If I still don't have a single clue, then that's the only option," Ling'er said helplessly. She knew Zhu'er would be heartbroken, but she really had no other choice.

"Okay, I'll call you again in two days."

After hanging up the phone, Tingting noticed Ling'er's serious expression and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? I rarely see you like this."

"Don't even mention it, we kicked a rock!" Then, he gave Tingting a general account of the case.

"It is quite troublesome, but you can go to the underworld to look for that girl's soul. I'll take you there!"

Ling'er slapped her forehead and said, "How come I didn't think of that? I have a friend who's a ghost messenger now~ But, is this considered getting in through connections?" With that, the two got up and left the room. They found Leizhu'er, Hu Yi, and the others, and briefly explained Tingting's idea.

"That's great! When are we leaving for the Underworld?" Tears jumped up excitedly, grabbed a travel bag, Hu Yi stuffed all sorts of cosmetics into it, Shi Ba packed two full bags of food, Kuang Ao also carried a laptop, and Ting Ting looked at everyone in confusion, not knowing whether they were going on a social trip or to the Underworld.

"Forget it, let them be. But, arrogant, there's no broadband in the Underworld!" Ling'er said, and he could only put the laptop on the table with a sense of disappointment.

"Then let's set off now!" Tingting silently chanted a spell, and a seven-colored halo appeared in the middle of the living room. Instantly, everyone disappeared from the living room.

At this moment, a figure who had been hiding in the corner stepped out and said angrily, "I didn't expect you to resort to this trick! Humph!"

Everyone felt as if they were surrounded by a halo of light. "Ling'er, how is he?" After a while, Tingting asked.

"Actually, I'm a hunter too. He's my junior brother, named Cai Meng. He's alright now. It's all thanks to the blood letter you wrote."

"Well, that's good... His name is Cai Meng." Tingting didn't say anything more, but her expression betrayed her feelings. It was just another love destined to end in heartbreak.

The underworld.

Tingting had changed into a white dress at some point, appearing untouched by the mortal world. She gently drew a token from her waist and handed it to a ghost soldier. The ghost soldier said, "Greetings, ghost officer, but those people are not allowed to enter."

Tingting said coldly, "These are all friends of the Queen of the Underworld. Can you bear the responsibility if things go wrong?"