The woman, Yuanqing, was dressed in a pale yellow dress and possessed a stunningly beautiful face. However, because she was not human, her face was alarmingly pale. What shocked Feng Fei and his companions the most was that Yuanqing's belly was protruding high, as if she were six months pregnant.
"I am—Yuanqing—"
Thus, their love took a step forward.
Because of this step of Yuanqing, Fengfei and the other four saw a long umbilical cord hanging under her skirt, and behind her was a bloody baby's head.
In that instant, Feng Fei knew that this Yuanqing was the wife she had seen in her dream.
"My wife—"
Fengfei seemed to sense the deep affection Xuanlang had left for Yuanqing, and couldn't help but call Yuanqing "wife".
The moment the word "wife" reached the ears of everyone present, including the ghost, they froze on the spot.
Yuanjue and the others believed that Fengfei's Ghostly Subjugation Technique had not been completely dispelled, while Yuanqing thought of her husband who was deeply in love with her.
“Xuanlang—”
Yuanqing walked forward with a lingering infatuation, while Fengfei and the others couldn't help but retreat.
At that very moment, the room was suddenly illuminated by a dazzling light.
Yuan Jue and the others were prepared and not surprised, but Yuan Qing's expression changed drastically, and her face became terrifying and ferocious.
The room shimmered with light, and soon a golden-red cage materialized, slowly trapping the lovers within.
Yuanqing screamed in terror, her voice no longer human, but rather the roar of a ferocious beast in a fit of rage.
Finally, the cage was reduced to a height of one person, confining the lovers within.
Yuanqing lunged at the cage, letting out another piercing scream. Black smoke billowed from where Yuanqing touched the cage, and her face was contorted in agony.
"Let me out!"
Yuanqing roared in a low voice, clutching the cage with resentment and howling, completely disregarding the cage's corrosive and harmful effects on her.
"Why, why! God, instead of punishing those who have committed heinous crimes, you have harmed me! You have harmed my Xuanlang! You have harmed my unborn child!" Seeing that all her resistance was in vain, Yuanqing could not help but curse God in despair!
But this despair turned into sinister ruthlessness in the next moment: "So be it! Since you damned God are doing nothing, then I will do it! Hahaha! Kill! Kill! Kill! You all deserve to die! You deserve to die!"
Suddenly, Yuanqing glared fiercely at everyone in the room and said in a sinister tone, "Let's start with you."
After that, Yuanqing roared to the sky, and her solid body slowly became transparent, as if she was about to do something that would cause mutual destruction.
"Love between lovers!"
Feng Fei took a step forward, stepping out of the circle between Yuan Jue and Feng Fei, staring intently at Yuan Qing, and said in a deep voice, "Yuan Qing, you understand me."
With just one sentence, the passionate love froze in place.
"You—understand me?" As if in disbelief, Yuanqing slowly lowered her head, her gaze gradually focusing on Fengfei. "How do you understand me?"
"I know the pain you have suffered."
"You know? Ha—yes, yes, Xuanlang has been led astray by a ghost!" Zhuo Yuanqing clutched her head and squatted on the ground in anguish. "Xuanlang must resent me. Otherwise, why won't he see me?"
Seeing Yuanqing crouching on the ground, burying her face in her hands in anguish, Fengfei couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
“There’s a reason…” Feng Fei’s words were interrupted by Yuan Qing before she could finish: “Yes, yes! I know there’s a reason! Because Xuan Lang resents me, he resents me for not protecting our child! He resents me for being taken a liking to Su Cheng when I was out… He must resent me!”
"No! No! Xuanlang loves you! He has never resented you! He only hates that he is not able to protect you!" Fengfei couldn't help but become hysterical.
Everyone in the room was startled, seemingly not expecting Feng Fei to be so agitated. Yuan Qing also seemed to have understood what Feng Fei was saying.
"Xuanlang...you don't blame me? Really?"
"It's true!" The unattended door opened again, and the innkeeper, looking dazed, slowly walked in, two lines of tears slowly falling: "Xuan'er has never resented you!"
Unexpectedly, the innkeeper came in again. Da Bao scratched the back of his head in annoyance, and then he suddenly remembered his younger brother Xiao Bao, who was lying by the window.
"Xiao Bao—" Before she could finish speaking, Jin Ming interrupted her. Taking advantage of Yuan Qing's inattention, Jin Ming used the peach wood sword to cut the red ropes on Xiao Bao's body. After a series of "plop plop" sounds, all the red ropes on Xiao Bao's body fell to the ground and slowly dissipated. Yuan Qing seemed to sense something and glanced over, but still kept her eyes on the innkeeper who had just entered.
"You are..." Yuanqing frowned and tried hard to confirm who the old man in front of her was. She could vaguely see that his features looked very much like her Xuanlang.
"I am Xuan'er's father!" When the innkeeper uttered these words, he seemed unable to bear it and banged his head on the ground.
"Father?" Yuanqing asked doubtfully, then immediately denied it: "Xuanlang has no father!"
The innkeeper found the words of affection even more unbearable, and sorrowful voices echoed throughout the inn.
"I am...I am! I am Xuan'er's father! But I hate myself..." The innkeeper seemed unable to continue, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
Yuanqing didn't care about the innkeeper's reaction, but just looked at Fengfei and asked, "Xuanlang, do you really not blame me?"
"He doesn't complain, he never complains."
Upon receiving affirmation, Yuanqing's expression softened instantly, and even more surprisingly, a touching blush appeared on her face.
"Xuanlang loves me." With that, Yuanqing scooped up the baby's head behind her and stuffed it into her own belly, gently stroking it: "I still have Xuanlang's son in my belly!"
Seeing that Yuanqing's expression was becoming calmer, Yuanjue and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"What should we do with this old man?" Mingfeng suddenly asked.
Feng Fei glanced at Yuan Jue, pursed her lips, and said, "Settle him in bed!"
At this moment, Xiao Bao had already woken up, so Da Bao stood up with peace of mind and carried the innkeeper to bed.
"What should we do now?" Jin Ming asked, seeing that everyone was silent.
Feng Fei sighed, walked to the side of the cage, and looked directly at Yuan Qing: "Yuan Qing."
"Hmm?" Yuanqing slowly raised her head, and a smile slowly appeared on her face: "Xuanlang chose you, you must be an excellent person."
"Can we have a proper talk?"
“Okay! What do you want to talk about? I love everything about Xuanlang. Xuanlang is the best to me.” As she spoke, Yuanqing’s voice slowly lowered. “But I can’t see Xuanlang. I long to see him again.”
“Perhaps we can help you,” Jin Ming interjected. He had learned about Xuan Lang and Yuan Qing’s affair from Feng Fei, and they were truly pitiful.
Yuanqing looked up in surprise, "Is yours real?"
Captivated by the expectation in Yuanqing's eyes, Jinming couldn't help but nod.
"Then please help me, okay? If you help me..." As if considering how she could repay them, Yuanqing pondered for a long time before saying, "If you help me see Xuanlang, I will do anything you ask! I am also willing to offer you a rare treasure."
Feng Fei and the others paid little attention to the reward Yuan Qing mentioned; they were also eager to help Yuan Qing.
Seeing that Yuanqing's expression was becoming more and more normal, Fengfei continued the previous topic, saying, "We really want to know what has happened in town these past few years..."
"Yes, I did it all!" Yuanqing took full responsibility, admitting without hesitation to everything she had done.
In her opinion, nothing could compare to seeing Xuanlang.
Why?
"Why? Haha!" Yuanqing laughed loudly, as if she had heard something funny. After a while, she said to Fengfei with red eyes, "Because they deserve to die!"
It turns out that the concubine of the youngest son of the Su family who was the first to suffer an accident was Su Cheng's concubine. Because Su Cheng always wore a golden jade pendant, Yuanqing was unable to get close enough to take revenge on him. It was precisely for this reason that Yuanqing frantically vented all her hatred on that concubine. The concubine died in the same way that Yuanqing had died.
Then, the pregnant woman who also died was the mistress the foreign businessman was keeping in Yangzi Town. This businessman was the one who had told Su Cheng about Xuanlang and her whereabouts. Therefore, she hated that man too! But when she went to take revenge, she discovered that the man wasn't in Yangzi Town; he seemed to have been tied up at home by his wife. And then she saw the mistress shouting and intimidating in the courtyard. Enraged, Yuanqing killed the pregnant woman.
After the two men died, Yuanqing felt a sense of exhilaration, so she became somewhat fascinated by the feeling of taking lives.
Fortunately, she still wanted revenge! So she only targeted those who had caused her and Xuanlang's deaths!
Afterwards, she caused the deaths of several people, but she was no longer pregnant; however, the hatred in her heart only grew stronger. She couldn't help but think that if the Su family hadn't relied on the Tao family's power, they wouldn't have dared to act so recklessly in Yangzi Town! Therefore, she hated the Tao family!
And luckily, she ran into Tao Hui, the daughter of the Tao family, who had run away that day.
Perhaps it was the last vestige of her kindness that prevented her from killing Tao Hui, but instead terrified her into a state of mental instability.
As Yuanqing slowly recounted some of the things she had done, Fengfei and the others grew increasingly silent.
They could all understand Yuanqing's actions, but they couldn't fully agree with them, after all, she had caused the deaths of several innocent people. But from beginning to end, she and Xuanlang were also innocent; who gave them the opportunity?
"Hmm..."
Just as everyone was immersed in grief and contemplation, the innkeeper on the bed slowly woke up.
"Ah... Father is awake..." The first to notice was Yuanqing, who was locked in a cage. "Father, can they help me see Xuanlang one more time? Would you be willing?"
The innkeeper, who had just woken up, heard the words "May I see Xuanlang one more time?" and immediately sat up abruptly. Even though he fell off the bed, he didn't care and crawled to the feet of Xiaobao, who was closest to him, crying and wailing, "Please, please let me see Xuan'er! Please!"
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Truth
"Please, I beg you! This old man will kowtow to you!"
The only sound in the room was the innkeeper's head hitting the ground, and everyone could hear their own heartbeats.
Xiao Bao looked at Yuan Jue with a helpless expression, then at Feng Fei, as if he wanted the two of them to come up with an idea.
The room fell silent.
Actually, it wasn't difficult to agree to the owner's request, but I don't know why they couldn't agree immediately.
Perhaps it's because the innkeeper abandoned his wife and children in the countryside when he was young, only finding out after his son died. Therefore, they probably harbor some resentment towards him.
"Please, I beg you, I'll do anything..." The innkeeper's voice grew increasingly choked with sobs and grief. It seemed that the less they granted his request, the less chance they had of seeing their son again. He had truly only seen Xuan'er once, if it was when he saw the corpse.
Corpse!
That's right! He saw Xuan'er's body! And it was in his own inn! It's ridiculous that he didn't even know it was his son at the time, and he even helped bury it in the inn's backyard!
Yes, yes! It's all Ding San's and that foreign businessman's fault! And Su Cheng too! They're the ones who caused my Xuan'er to lose his life!
The innkeeper's mind was instantly filled with hatred, and his face contorted into a ferocious expression.
Suddenly, the innkeeper stood up and rushed outside.
Feng Fei quickly called out, "Xiao Bao, hurry up and follow!"
Immediately, Jin Ming made a gesture towards the cage, and the cage slowly shrank, as did Yuan Qing inside. Yuan Qing seemed indifferent, as if nothing else mattered as long as she could see Xuan Lang again.
Feng Fei went out first, followed by Ming Feng and Yuan Jue.