Chapter 65 "Old Feng, on your body..."

“Feng Laosan, the scars on your body are clearly from when you were looking for a wild boar cub that someone else had found in the mountains after Mao’er was found. You tried to do the same, but you ended up getting gored by the wild boar.”

Although Wen Conglan was annoyed, she retorted rationally and clearly.

“Yes, Feng Laosan, it was Doctor Wen who saved you back then. How could you repay kindness with enmity?” someone confirmed.

Wen Conglan suppressed her anger and retorted, a mocking expression immediately appearing on her face as she spoke:

"You're just taking advantage of me and Mao'er, an orphan and widow, and you're after my medical skills so you can make money and manage the household for me. That's why you keep causing trouble at my house."

"When Mao'er was around, you didn't dare to cause trouble. Only today, seeing that I'm all alone, did you dare to come to my door demanding money. Such cowardly and despicable behavior of yours..."

Feng Laosan was a scoundrel by nature; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone so far as to shamelessly come to their door and do such a thing.

Now that his goal had failed and he had been humiliated, Feng Laosan's eyes swept over the people around him who were speaking up for Wen Conglan.

Malice flowed from his eyes toward Wen Conglan like a tide, and ugly thoughts sprouted from the depths of his heart.

If he ruins Wen Conglan in public, then she will have no choice but to follow him from now on.

Feng Laosan's greedy eyes swept over the Wen family's house, finally settling on Wen Conglan.

He took a step closer to Wen Conglan and raised his hand towards her.

Xie Zhuo, who had just been pulled out of the crowd by Xie Baoqiong, saw this, pressed Xie Baoqiong's shoulder, signaling him not to move, and then went straight towards Feng Laosan.

One hand, however, preempted Xie Zhuo's grasp, grabbing Feng Laosan's outstretched hand towards Wen Conglan and using the momentum to drag Feng Laosan away from Wen Conglan's side.

Feng Laosan was dragged along and stumbled, then raised his head and began to curse:

"Who's so blind as to meddle in other people's business..."

His voice was choked in his throat by Wen Mao's tightening grip, and a painful cry escaped his lips:

"ah!"

The flesh on Feng Laosan's wrist was squeezed inward, and his mouth was still unclean.

"Wen Mao, let go of me!"

Wen Mao's expression was indifferent, his eyes like sharp knife points staring intently at Feng Laosan's face, which was contorted with pain.

"Old Feng, you're really in trouble now."

Laughter erupted from the crowd, but Feng Laosan, who was being mocked, was too preoccupied to retaliate.

The creaking sound came from Wen Mao's men, and Feng Laosan's eyes gradually changed from resentment to fear.

With his other hand, he tried to pry Wen Mao's hand off him, but he couldn't budge it even a finger. His eyes gradually turned to despair.

Overwhelmed by immense pain, Feng Laosan softened his tone and began to beg for mercy:

"Mao'er, Uncle Feng was just joking with your mother. Ouch, Mao'er, let go! My hand is going to break."

"stop!"

Suddenly, the crowd parted to make way, and someone led a middle-aged man, followed by a young man with an otherworldly air, to Wen Mao and his companion.

"Village chief, Feng Laosan is causing trouble again..."

Someone described what happened to the middle-aged man at a very fast pace.

The man who had initially brought the village chief when he saw the commotion was now visibly shaken. He regretted bringing the village chief later; Feng Laosan deserved to suffer more for his own making.

Upon hearing this, the village chief frowned and gently advised, "Wen Mao, release the person first."

If Wen Mao really hurt someone, given Feng Laosan's personality, he would probably retaliate. Wen Mao would be fine, but he couldn't always be by Doctor Wen's side.

Wen Mao remained motionless until Wen Conglan stepped forward to dissuade him:

"Mao'er, Mother is alright now, let him go."

Wen Mao's cold and stern eyes softened when he faced Wen Conglan, and he released his grip as instructed, throwing Feng Laosan to the ground.

"Feng Laosan, don't go near Doctor Wen again." The village chief sneered, then spoke up to disperse the crowd: "Alright, everyone disperse."

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Xie Zhuo and Xie Baoqiong, who remained behind, stood out conspicuously.

The village chief noticed the unfamiliar faces and asked, "Who are you two?"

"These are relatives from Mao'er's father's side. They were passing through our village and stopped by to see Mao'er," Wen Conglan explained, having prepared a pre-prepared explanation.

The village chief looked Xie Baoqiong and his son up and down, unsure whether he believed Wen Conglan's words. He nodded, but was about to speak when he was interrupted by a voice.

"I bet this is your lover. Fine, so that explains why you looked down on me. Stop pretending to be so high and mighty, even with your son..."

Having regained his freedom, Feng Laosan clenched the bruises on his hands, got up from the ground, and regained his rogue-like demeanor, pointing at Xie Baoqiong beside Xie Zhuo.

As Feng Laosan's words became increasingly offensive, Xie Baoqiong, who had only understood a portion of them, was suddenly interrupted by Xie Zhuo:

“Three months ago, there was a case of spreading rumors in Lian’an Town. The person who spread the rumors was ordered to pay ten taels of silver in compensation and was imprisoned.”

Xie Zhuo calmly summarized the case files he had reviewed a few days prior.

Feng Laosan's face turned ugly in an instant.

Xie Zhuo continued slowly:

Instead of spreading rumors and causing trouble, you should think about how to compensate for the herbs you ruined in the courtyard. The herbs in Doctor Wen's courtyard are of good quality, and the price of this destroyed patch is not small.

The courtyard was no longer as tidy as it had been in the morning; the herbs that Wenmao had been drying in bamboo baskets had been overturned and trampled into the mud.

Feng Laosan's gaze swept over Xie Zhuo's fair face, and he cursed inwardly for his sharp tongue, his impulse surging up once again.

But when he looked up again and saw Wen Mao's gloomy face, which was almost a head taller than Xie Zhuo, he shrank back and said:

"I didn't step on the herbs. There were so many people watching, go ask them for compensation."

After saying that, he staggered away without paying attention to the reactions of the crowd.

Feng Laosan's figure disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.

The village chief stroked his beard and looked apologetically at the young man beside him: "Thank you, Immortal Master, for your rudeness."

"It's alright," a clear voice rang out.

Xie Baoqiong poked her head out from beside Xie Zhuo's hand and looked at the young man who seemed out of place in this space.

The cyan accents on the silver-white Taoist robe resemble tender buds amidst ice and snow, enveloping the young man.

The young man had a green waist tag hanging from his waist, which rested on his white knee pads. He carried a long sword on his back, and his aura was like frost in winter, not cold but aloof.

This reminded Xie Baoqiong of someone.

However, compared to the person in front of him, Lin Zhechun had a more mature and experienced air about him.

"Village chief, who is this?" Wen Conglan asked.

"My name is Xie Heng of the Zhengqing School."

The moment the last two words were uttered, Xie Baoqiong looked up at Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo casually smoothed the hair that had sticked up on his forehead with the movement, and gently shook his head, indicating that Xie Heng had no relation to their family.

The village chief's voice rang out behind Xie Heng:

"When Immortal Xie went down the mountain to travel, he passed through our village and heard that there had been demons causing trouble. So he wanted to stay and deal with the demons before leaving."

Originally, I thought Dr. Wen had a spare room, so I brought it along, but…

The village chief's gaze fell on the Xie family father and son: "Since you have guests, I will have someone clean up the empty room on the east side for Immortal Xie to stay in."

"No need for that." Xie Heng's gaze fell on the four people opposite him, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He politely declined the village chief's offer, saying, "This place is closer to the mountains and forests, so it's more convenient for me to stay here."

"Thank you, Immortal Master..."

"It's alright, I can meditate in the main room at night. I wonder if it's convenient for you, Doctor Wen?" Xie Heng asked Wen Conglan for his opinion.

“Of course it’s convenient.” Wen Conglan agreed immediately, then turned to instruct Wen Mao to tidy up the main room.

Seeing that Xie Heng was determined, the village chief did not want to stop him. He told Wen Lan to send someone to deliver some food and necessities later, and then left first.

Xie Baoqiong then asked, "What's going on with the demons causing trouble?"

This area is still considered part of the Sishui Mountain. He wouldn't say he knew all the monsters in Sishui Mountain, but he had heard their names.

Although the area was not within his and Xiaochun's activity range, he should have heard a thing or two if demons were committing crimes.

"Xiao Bao, don't be afraid. Demons don't eat children. Besides, it hasn't happened for a while."

Wen Conglan offered a word of comfort before beginning to explain:

"About thirteen years ago, people suddenly went missing in the village. When they were found in the mountains, they had been gnawed beyond recognition."

At first, everyone thought he had run into the forest on his own and unfortunately encountered a wild beast.

But then two more people died, in the same way as the first one. One of them disappeared while sleeping at home, and that's when everyone realized something was wrong.

The village chief also reported the matter to the county government, which sent a Taoist priest to investigate. Although the priest failed to capture the demon, no one else in the village disappeared, and the matter was dropped.

Thirteen years ago, he might have just developed consciousness, so it's normal that he wouldn't understand this matter. Xie Baoqiong asked again:

"But thirteen years have passed, is that demon still here?"

A look of worry appeared on Wen Conglan's face: "Yes, two months ago, someone went missing again and was later found in the mountains."

Two months ago, he was in Beijing, so it's normal that he didn't hear the news.

If Xiaochun were still at Sishui Mountain, he could ask her.

While Xie Baoqiong was thinking, Xie Zhuo asked, "Since demons don't eat children, what characteristics do they have when choosing people?"

“They were all young men,” Wen Conglan recalled.

Xie Heng, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly interrupted the conversation:

"I've heard that Dr. Wen had some grudges against the victims?"

Wen Conglan didn't shy away from the topic and readily admitted, "Ever since Mao'er's father passed away, there have always been people eyeing the money left by my parents, wanting to come to my door to propose marriage, or harassing me at the clinic."

"Thank you, Immortal Master. The main room has been cleaned up."

Wen Mao appeared from the house, interrupting their conversation. His gaze swept briefly over Xie Heng before finally settling on Wen Conglan:

"It's almost noon, I'll go cook. Mother, you rest today, I'll wait for you in the yard to tidy up."

"It's alright, the yard will be tidied up in no time, it's just a pity about these herbs," Wen Conglan said.

Wen Mao spoke as he walked towards the kitchen:

"I just spoke with Uncle Yu and we've arranged to take his oxcart to town this afternoon. Is there anything you need me to buy, Mother?"

...

Seeing that the topic had veered off course, Xie Heng said he was going to explore the mountains, and then disappeared at the gate of the courtyard.

After everyone left, Xie Zhu handed the two sealed letters to Wen Mao, explaining where they were to be sent.

Wen Mao took the letter, didn't even glance at it, stuffed it into his pocket, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"Xiao Bao, Dad is going out for a bit. Do you want to come with me?" Xie Zhuo asked.

Xie Baoqiong shook her head, then suddenly stopped, remembering Wen Conglan's words, her eyes filled with worry: "Father, don't let the demons eat you."

If there are indeed demons causing trouble in the mountains, it would be safer for Xie Zhuo, being a mortal, to stay with them.

With that thought in mind, he left a trace of his aura on Xie Zhuo.