But it only happened in an instant, and in that instant, Jin Ming put a cyan pill into the innkeeper's mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into streams of cool energy that flowed throughout the innkeeper's body.
At this moment, the innkeeper slowly regained consciousness.
Suddenly, the innkeeper shed two lines of tears: "My son, my Xuan'er!"
Xuanlang did not step forward, still holding Yuanqing in his arms, and looked at the innkeeper indifferently: "Father, how are you?"
"Good, good! How could I be bad? It's just—my son is suffering—" she sobbed.
Although he had accepted the innkeeper as his father, Xuanlang still harbored some resentment towards him. If the innkeeper hadn't abandoned him and his unborn child in the countryside, if he hadn't been gone for over a decade without returning, how could his mother have remained in poor health and ultimately died of depression? And why had he ended up in this predicament?
Seeing that Xuanlang's reaction to him was indifferent, the innkeeper knew that he was somewhat resentful towards him. He opened his mouth to explain, but then slumped to the ground in despair.
“It’s my fault…it’s my fault…it’s all my fault! Third Sister, if I hadn’t left you in the countryside…then…” The innkeeper didn’t want to explain anything to Xuanlang, but the mention of Xuanlang’s mother in his low murmur made Xuanlang’s expression soften.
Xuanlang recalled that even before her death, his mother had never complained about his father, which meant she loved him dearly. Perhaps it was like his own relationship with Yuanqing? Thinking this, Xuanlang couldn't help but glance at Yuanqing with a wistful expression.
When Yuanqing appeared, she reverted to her former temperament; she was always gentle and virtuous in front of him. Seeing Xuanlang looking at her, she couldn't help but reveal a captivating smile: "Xuanlang."
Xuanlang returned Yuanqing's gentle smile, gently released his hands from around her waist, took two steps forward and stopped: "Father, we are now separated by life and death, please forgive me for not being able to help you up myself."
Seemingly not expecting Xuanlang to speak to her, Zhan, who was secretly wiping away tears, froze on the spot. Looking up at Xuanlang's somewhat transparent figure, she murmured, "Xuan'er... you don't blame me anymore?"
Xuanlang nodded slowly with a gentle smile on his face: "Father, please get up! It's late and chilly at night, you shouldn't fall ill."
Upon hearing the concern in Xuan Lang's words, the innkeeper suddenly stood up from the ground.
Looking at Xuanlang, who was still some distance away, the innkeeper involuntarily took a step forward, but then immediately stopped. Rubbing his hands together, the innkeeper looked at Xuanlang somewhat uneasily and asked, "Xuan'er, are you really not resentful towards me?"
Xuanlang saw the caution in his father's eyes and couldn't help but sigh quietly, but he didn't answer immediately.
Turning his head slightly to look at Yuanqing, Xuanlang said softly, "My wife, come here."
Yuanqing knew what her husband meant. Even though they hadn't seen each other for many years, their tacit understanding hadn't disappeared.
She walked gracefully to Xuanlang's side, took his arm, and said to the innkeeper, "Father, Xuanlang certainly doesn't resent you."
Looking at his beautiful wife and her protruding belly, the innkeeper was overwhelmed with sorrow: "No, you don't blame me, but I blame myself. I hate myself, I wish I were dead."
Seemingly helpless about his father's reaction, Xuanlang sighed and turned to look at Yuanjue.
Of the six people in front of him, Yuan Jue posed the greatest threat. Although he had no intention of attacking them, it was always good to be on guard.
When Yuan Jue saw Xuan Lang looking at him, he couldn't help but stare back directly, a sharp look creeping into his eyes.
Suddenly, Yuan Jue smiled and said, "You probably need our help."
Xuanlang and Yuanqing exchanged a glance. They both knew what the other was thinking, and they must have been extremely saddened to hear Yuanjue's words.
After a long while, as if she had made up her mind, Yuanqing let go of Xuanlang's arm, took a step forward, and looked at Fengfei, saying, "The reward we promised earlier remains unchanged, but you have to do us a favor."
Although Feng Fei was kind-hearted, she didn't want to put Yuan Jue and the others in a difficult situation. Therefore, upon hearing Yuan Qing's words, she didn't immediately agree, but instead looked at her intently: "What kind of favor?"
Yuanqing bit her lip, seemingly considering the pros and cons, and after a while said, "Help us kill Su Cheng."
Feng Fei remained silent. She understood Yuan Qing's hatred for Su Cheng, but wantonly taking lives was not something she wanted to do.
Seeing Feng Fei's expression, Yuan Qing knew she wouldn't agree immediately. Just as she was about to increase her offer, Yuan Jue spoke up: "It's not good to talk in the corridor. It's nighttime now. If it were daytime, it might not be good for the two of you."
These words seemed to be for the sake of the two lovers, but Feng Fei could detect a hint of threat in them.
Yuanqing and Xuanlang seemed oblivious, and after hearing Yuanjue's words, they found them very reasonable: "Then let's go into the room."
So, everyone went back to the innkeeper's room.
Feng Fei and his six companions sat at one side of the table, while Yuan Qing and Xuan Lang sat on a couch near the inside. The innkeeper moved a stool to sit on next to the couch, keeping a slight distance between them.
The room was completely silent for a moment.
After a long while, Xuanlang broke the silence.
"Can you grant our request?" Xuanlang's voice was gentle yet firm; no wonder the beautiful Yuanqing was so devoted to him.
Feng Fei silently praised him in his heart, but did not reply.
She should think it over carefully.
She didn't know Su Cheng, so she didn't know his character. If the affair between Xuan Lang and Yuan Qing was true, then she would definitely help him. But if she only listened to their side of the story and believed them to the point of killing Su Cheng, only to find out later that they had killed the wrong person, wouldn't that be terrible? Besides, Yangzi Town was in its current state because of these two devils, who had also taken several lives. She didn't quite trust them.
After thinking for a moment, Feng Fei decided to share his thoughts: "How do we know that what you're saying is true? Your words are a mix of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to distinguish between them."
Perhaps anticipating Feng Fei's reaction, Yuan Qing and Xuan Lang's expressions remained unchanged, while the innkeeper's face changed drastically, and he broke out in a cold sweat: "How can we prove it? All the people who knew about the incident back then, except for us, are dead! They were all..." He didn't finish his sentence, because doing so would make their words even less credible.
"What do you intend to do?"
Feng Fei spoke softly again, glancing at the two relaxed-looking people opposite him, and felt a sense of certainty in his heart.
They should be able to produce evidence.
Since it was Feng Fei who spoke, Xuan Lang and Yuan Qing were represented by Yuan Qing: "This is not the first time Su Cheng has done this kind of thing. He has caused more than just the lives of us, my husband, and our child."
From Yuanqing's words, Fengfei realized that Su Cheng was an utterly wicked person! The things he had done were so outrageous that one couldn't help but want to find him and kill him to rid the world of this scourge.
"Are there any other people who know the truth about these things?" Seeing that Feng Fei's eyes were bloodshot and his face was flushed, Yuan Jue knew that Feng Fei was very angry about Su Cheng's affairs, so he couldn't help but ask.
Yuanqing glanced back at Xuanlang, who nodded slightly to her. She then bowed to Yuanjue and replied, “There are witnesses. Old Man Lü from Yangliu Lane is one of them. His youngest son married a beautiful woman named Dong, but soon after, Su Cheng set his sights on her. In front of Old Man Lü, Su Cheng snatched Dong and his son away. Old Man Lü had practiced some light-body skills, but he only knew a few. He secretly followed them and discovered Su Cheng abusing his son and daughter-in-law. He originally wanted to go in and rescue them himself, but realizing his lack of martial arts skills, he left to find the constables. However, he arrived too late; when he returned, his son and daughter-in-law had already been tortured to death. Old Man Lü thought he still had a son and couldn't openly confront Su Cheng, so he secretly endured it. Xuanlang and I escaped Su Cheng's clutches many times thanks to Old Man Lü.”
After thinking for a moment, Yuanqing added, "We don't know all the other people who knew the truth. Old Man Lü wanted to bring down Su Cheng completely, so he secretly gathered those who knew the truth together to avoid being silenced by Su Cheng. Later, Old Man Lü moved to Yangliu Lane, and I only found out about it after I became a ghost."
Yuan Jue nodded, indicating that he understood what Yuan Qing had said.
After finishing, Yuanqing sat back down next to Xuanlang, nervously watching Yuanjue, only to see Yuanjue looking at Fengfei.
"You should come up with the idea."
Chapter 27: Hibiscus Cherry Blossoms
(On a side note... just whispering... I'm going to be published soon... so I'm polishing this chapter before it goes on sale~~~(*^__^*)~~~)
Feng Fei remained silent, his expression no longer so unpleasant, but he pursed his lips and lowered his head, lost in thought.
After a long while, Feng Fei finally raised her head and looked at Xuan Lang: "Did you cast a spell on me?"
Seeing Xuanlang nod, he looked at Yuanqing and asked, "Why did you cast the Ghost Spell on me?"
Yuanqing's face turned pale, making her already extremely pale complexion even more frightening.
"I--"
Feng Fei, who was waiting for Yuan Qing's explanation, waited in vain for a suitable explanation, and his eyes immediately became sharp.
Suddenly, Feng Fei looked at Xuan Lang and said in a flat voice, "Whether to do it or not is up to you; whether to do it or not is up to me."
Xuanlang remained silent. After a long while, just as Xuanlang was about to look up and explain something, Fengfei waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I think I know the reason." Presumably, Yuanqing had just happened to see him under the influence of the Ghost Guide and then casually cast the Ghost Concealment spell on him. Or perhaps, Yuanqing sensed Xuanlang's aura in the Ghost Guide spell on him and thus cast the Ghost Concealment spell on herself to try and establish a connection with him.
“No, you may not know.” Yuanqing, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.
"You should have noticed that my expression was very strange when I first appeared." After saying this, Yuanqing gave Fengfei an apologetic look. "And it was under these circumstances that I planted the Ghostly Concealment Technique on you, also because I smelled Xuanlang's scent on you."
“During these years as a ghost, I’ve been sometimes lucid and sometimes insane. But recently I’ve been much better than at the beginning, and I think that might be the reason.” As she spoke, Yuanqing reached out her right hand to Fengfei, in which she held a black bead.
Feng Fei couldn't recognize what it was, but Yuan Jue's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"This is one of the rewards I promised." Yuanqing scooped the bead close to her body and gently stroked it. "When I first became a ghost, I was in a daze, with only the thought of seeking revenge on Su Cheng in my mind. I found this bead in my dwelling place. I didn't notice it at first, but my mind became much clearer when my body passed through it. And since then, I have incorporated it into my body. Over time, I have become more and more clear-headed."
"I don't want to accept this as payment." Feng Fei's sudden words shocked everyone in the room, except for Yuan Jue, who smiled faintly before returning to normal.
"Why?" Yuanqing took two steps forward hastily. "Please, you must help me!" Her voice was already trembling with tears.
Feng Fei smiled faintly, as if to reassure you, and said softly, "We will help you fulfill your wishes after we go to Yangliu Lane."
************
As dawn broke, Yuan Jue, Jin Ming, and three others sat in Feng Fei's room.
"What should we do?" Jin Ming was the first to speak, as he was always somewhat impatient.
Seeing that Yuan Jue remained expressionless, Feng Fei pursed her lips and thought for a while before saying, "How about this, Yuan Jue and I will take Ming Feng to Yangliu Lane, Da Bao and Xiao Bao will stay at the inn, and Jin Ming, you go to the town and take a look. I feel that there are a lot of strange things about the town."
Jin Ming was simply unwilling to make a decision, so after Feng Fei assigned him the task, he readily nodded: "Okay. But I also felt something was off about Yangzi Town. Something clearly happened at this inn last time, but after I went out to investigate, I couldn't find any clues. If I hadn't trusted my intuition, I probably would have missed this feeling of unease. I didn't expect you to feel it too."
Yuan Jue nodded in agreement after listening. He was precisely struggling to understand the problem, which was why he hadn't rushed to a conclusion. Feng Fei's arrangements were adequate, and for now, nothing unexpected should happen. Yuan Jue then said to Jin Ming, "Check carefully, make sure you don't miss anything."
Jin Ming rolled his eyes and said in a strange voice, "I know, I know!" He always makes himself look stupid in front of Feng Fei. It's so annoying!
Yuan Jue knew Jin Ming's character, and seeing Jin Ming's strange behavior, he just smiled and ignored him.
Feng Fei chuckled softly, then beckoned to his side and said to Da Bao and Xiao Bao, "Please leave us a way out here, you two brothers."
Although Da Bao and Xiao Bao were not good at administrative affairs, they were not stupid and understood the intricacies of the matter. So the two brothers chuckled and promised to guard the copper coin shop well.
"Then let's split up!" Feng Fei nodded slightly to Jin Ming, who then took the lead and left.
Feng Fei, holding Ming Feng's hand, walked slowly beside Yuan Jue. As they descended the stairs, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you think what Yuan Qing and Xuan Lang said is credible?"
"What Xuanlang said is certainly not a problem."
Leisurely drumming, gun, I... divided... leaping... desolate... walking... male source... harsh... jealousy... tomb... shovel... 6... ... palm curtain... embroidered... blocking... happy... ㄒ... capture... world... admiring... imitation! Bi... shang... words... knocking... apricot... Tao... san... tiao... jing... ゔ... about... drought... south... edict... thief... smooth... falcon... foundation?p>
Upon hearing this, Feng Fei was slightly surprised: "Could it be that the talk of love between the lovers is false?"
“If the bead she scooped out is the one I know, then what she said is naturally true. But if the bead is not the one I think it is, then everything about Yuanqing is false.” Yuanjue’s words revealed his complete and utter conviction in the bead that Yuanqing had scooped out earlier.
Feng Fei paused, trying to recall his past life's memories, but found nothing relevant.
"What is that?" Feng Fei wanted to ask for more details, but Yuan Jue turned around and smiled: "No, no!"
Feng Fei was taken aback when Yuan Jue smiled at her at this moment, and then said irritably, "Hmph, ugly people always cause trouble!"
Watching Feng Fei hurry ahead, pulling Ming Feng along, Yuan Jue couldn't help but touch his own face and mutter to himself, "Am I ugly?" But then he suddenly laughed loudly, "Feng Fei, no one has ever thought I'm ugly!"
Seeing that Feng Fei was moving even faster, and that the unsuspecting Ming Feng almost tripped over his own feet, Yuan Jue laughed even harder from behind.
"Hurry up!"