Chapter 197

Back at the hotel, everyone was completely bewildered as Fan Xiaoxiao pulled away Xiao Hei, who had just returned with a truckload of stones.

"Hey! Lady Xiao! Don't pull me! If the master finds out, I'll be punished!"

Fan Xiaoxiao released Xiao Hei with a dark expression, glanced back at her family members who were some distance away, and thought that they probably couldn't hear her clearly from this distance.

"What nonsense are you spouting! Can't you contact Gu Zhongtai?"

Xiao Hei rubbed his wrist, muttering to himself, "How can I be talking nonsense? It's obvious I have feelings for the master. How can I be so close to another man? Aren't the ladies of the Central Plains supposed to be very reserved...?"

Fan Xiaoxiao heard every word. She gritted her teeth, feeling her face burning. It took her a while to barely suppress the urge to lash out at Xiao Hei.

"Hey, young master, are you able to contact your master?"

These words were squeezed out by Fan Xiaoxiao through gritted teeth.

Xiao Hei sensed Fan Xiaoxiao's emotions, his expression changed slightly, and he became more serious: "What is it, Lady Xiao, that you urgently need to contact the master?"

"Is that so..."

Fan Xiaoxiao briefly explained the ghost face tattoo to Xiao Hei, whose expression gradually darkened after listening. He remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly to Fan Xiaoxiao.

“I understand the general situation now, Lady Xiao. Please rest assured, I will go and contact the Lord right away.”

"Well, there's also Sang Yu'er. I guess I'll have to trouble you, young hero Xiao Hei, to keep an eye on him. I have a feeling that the boy isn't as simple as Hu San and the others say."

"Alright. I'll be leaving for a few days, and I'll come back to find you as soon as I have news."

"Auntie! What are you talking about?!"

Xiao Bao had been watching the two people talking in the corner for quite a while, and when he saw that they seemed to be coming over, the little guy immediately rushed over.

Fan Xiaoxiao patted his head: "It's okay, your brother Xiao Hei said he might have to leave for a little while."

"Oh? Brother Xiao Hei, you're leaving again? You've only been back for a day!"

"Little Bao, you don't understand! I call myself a wanderer of the martial world! I call the whole world my home! How free I am!"

Xiao Bao pouted. Still a little dumpling, he couldn't understand Xiao Hei's words. He only knew that after Brother Gu left, Xiao Hei and Bai Hua also left, and his chubby grandpa who was with him was not at home either.

"You're all not home anymore, there's no one to play with Xiaobao..."

"Who said that!"

Xiao Hei squatted down and looked directly at Xiao Bao: "Didn't you help your brother find stones for Mr. Lu today? Mr. Lu said that the amount of stones wasn't nearly enough. From now on, the important task of directing the stone-digging will be entrusted to you!"

"Huh? Is that so?"

Xiao Bao scratched his head, looking somewhat dazed.

Fan Xiaoxiao found his actions amusing, so she ruffled his hair and said, "Silly boy, we still have a lot to do! Besides collecting stones, we also need to dig several cellars! We also need to pick chestnuts! We also need to build a house! Don't you still have rabbits? Auntie will buy you a few chickens in a while, and our family will be lively and bustling!"

"ah!"

Upon hearing Fan Xiaoxiao's description, Xiaobao clasped his hands together and looked at her with bright eyes, saying, "That's right! We also need to pick chestnuts, Auntie!"

So that's all you heard!

"whee……"

After dinner, Xiao Hei disappeared from the Fan family's house without a sound.

At night, Tianshan Gate is like a giant beast lurking in the darkness; if you are not careful, you will be completely swallowed up by its gaping maw.

The disciples guarding the gate carried torches and patrolled back and forth across the foot of the mountain. Tianshan Town was already dark and quiet, with only the occasional chirping of autumn insects.

"Hey~ When is the senior student coming to take over the shift...?"

"Almost there, be careful! I've heard things haven't been peaceful in the martial world lately, so don't let anyone unimportant break into our mountain gate!"

"Tsk, why are you so timid? This mountain gate is only the first level. There are so many senior brothers up there who aren't just sitting around doing nothing. Why are you worried about this?"

"Haha, you're right."

The gatekeeper had barely finished speaking when he felt something flash past him, startling him so much that he tightened his grip on his sword and immediately turned around, shouting, "Who!!"

But the only response he received was the rustling sound of leaves being tossed about by the eerie wind, the shadows of the trees swaying as if haunted by ghosts and demons. The disciple who had just been speaking to him became somewhat nervous at his display, and the longsword in his hand trembled slightly.

"You...you don't scare me, let's...let's go ring the bell on Gaoshan Mountain instead..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bushes in front of him began to rustle slightly.

"Get out...get out! If you don't come out, I'll stab you!"

The disciple holding the sword raised his voice, his eyes fixed intently on the bushes.

The timid disciple hiding behind him felt his legs trembling.

But the bushes in front of them were making more and more noise, and then the two saw... a tabby cat.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief. The disciple holding the sword twirled it and sheathed it.

"...A cat scared you like this!"

"Aren't you the same!"

Xiao Hei glanced at the two Tianshan disciples below who were laughing and cursing at each other, slightly pursed his lips, and headed towards the mountaintop without looking back.

Half an hour later, at the Xuanbing Cave.

Xiao Hei knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head. He had managed to get in just a moment ago, although Gu Zhongtai had let him in, but he had never imagined that his master's detoxification would be so terrifying!

He kept his head down, and the scent of the crimson blood he had just seen still seemed to linger in his nostrils.

It seemed that the Ghost Doctor had already told Gu Chongtai, who was lying on the ice bed, the news he brought. Gu Chongtai suddenly coughed a few times.

Xiao Hei shuddered, immediately filled with fear: "My lord, are you alright!"

The Ghost Doctor glared at him: "What are you yelling about! Would your master die if I were here? He just looks scary right now, but he'll be fine soon!"

Xiao Hei stared at the crimson stains on the ground, his lips pressed tightly together.

After a while, Gu Chongtai sat up with the help of the Ghost Doctor. The white clothes he had originally worn were now stained red, and the white on his face and the red on his body were particularly glaring.

He brushed away the Ghost Doctor's hand and barely managed to walk to Xiao Hei.

"You said that Fan Xiaoxiao saw a ghost face tattoo on Sang Yuer?"

Xiao Hei looked at the pair of pale feet standing on the ground in front of him, gritted his teeth and nodded.

Gu Zhongtai above him let out a cold laugh: "Is that so? Then you can go and investigate along with Sang Yuer."

The pair of feet on the ice took a step back, then stopped: "Don't let anyone else know about your investigation of this matter. Including Bai Hua."

“I have that old fellow, the Celestial Venerable, watching over me here. You, Ghost Doctor, don’t need to stay here and watch over me all the time. You can go down the mountain tomorrow.”

"I……"

Before the Ghost Doctor could finish speaking, Gu Chongtai's eyes narrowed.

The latter choked slightly, then let out a long sigh: "Alright, alright, I really owe you and your father!"

(End of this chapter)