close friends

"Why are you sleeping so soundly? I knocked on the door twice but you didn't wake up. It's already past dinner time. Come over and have dinner." Tianshu called out.

"You don't have to wait for us next time. You can eat first."

"You have to wait today. I asked the shopkeeper to cook fresh fish from the Changhe River. Doesn't Ah Li want to try it?"

The fresh river fish in the Changhe River are the most delicious. The river is closed for more than seven months every year, and fishing is only allowed for five months. In addition, no restaurants are allowed within a hundred miles of the Changhe River. The Changhe River is deep, and fishing is already difficult. In addition, fresh river fish can only be tasted alive to taste the best and tender meat. Transporting the fish is expensive, so the price is high. Almost only the rich and powerful can eat this kind of fish. Ordinary people would rather eat ordinary river fish.

This Dishui Town is far away from the Changhe River, so I'm afraid the price of this live fish will be higher. However, being able to cast spells is not difficult.

Yuanli had heard of this and was looking forward to this fresh river fish, though she felt a little sorry for the money. Everyone was sitting in Tianshu's room waiting for the food to be served. She asked, "How much is a plate of this fish?"

Tianshu said, "I don't want any money, but I'll just let my good friend down. If Yuanli likes it, I'll give her a plate of peach blossom cakes and I'll go to the Changhe River myself and catch a few for you."

"Did you catch him yourself this time?"

"Well, you all went out to work last night and stayed up late. I had nothing to do this morning, and I heard that the fish in the Changhe River are incredibly fresh, so I went to catch one and brought it back for you to try. I just ordered it steamed, so you should eat less of the other dishes first."

"Since you caught them yourself, I have to eat more."

"Eat, eat as much as you want, all you can eat." Tianshu seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "Where did you get the big red candles at the door? What are they carved on? Why aren't there any in my room?"

Cha Suxun said, "That's the dragon and phoenix candle, you can't use it."

"Aren't dragon and phoenix candles also lit for weddings? I can't use them, but you two, who've been married for a long time, can use them? Who says one person can't light dragon and phoenix candles? They're just two candles, tied by the red thread of the matchmaker. Marriage is determined by heaven, and a life together is a long time in the making. How can two dragon and phoenix candles determine that?"

"Of course I know that the dragon and phoenix candles are lit on the wedding night. Ah Li is my wife after all, so why not light them with her day and night? If you can't eat meat, you'll say it's stinky."

Compared to the lively bickering between Cha Suxun and Tianshu, Heng Jin remained silent, sipping his tea with his head bowed, his gaze fixed on one spot, as if absorbed in thought, seeming rather out of place. The teacup in his hands was incredibly small. While tea should be savored, he sipped it five or six times, leaving the cup on the table. From a distance, he could see the tea still wasn't empty. Yuanli couldn't help but wonder how good the tea he was drinking was, worthy of such a generous gulp.

Soon, the waiter brought the food. The steamed river fish was fragrant, and after just one bite, it was indeed excellent. The three of them picked up their chopsticks, but Heng Jin hadn't finished the first few vegetables in front of her. She chewed on them for a long time before finishing them.

Yuanli was now certain that he was truly preoccupied. Since ancient times, meddling in other people's affairs has always brought disaster upon oneself. She pretended not to notice and continued to enjoy her meal.

After eating and drinking, Tianshu asked, "Are you guys going out this afternoon? If you have nothing to do, let's play chess together, or go out to listen to storytelling or watch a play. It's really boring to stay in this inn, and it's not convenient for me to go back to get a book."

"My husband and I have nothing to do, we're just waiting..." Yuanli's voice became softer, and she signaled to Tianshu with her eyes, asking Hengjin if there was anything else she was busy with.

Tianshu understood what he meant, so he asked him again.

Pulling her thoughts back, Heng Jin said, "If Ah Li wants to go somewhere, she can go first. There's no rush for my business."

"Why not? The sooner we resolve this, the sooner I can return to Jiwang Valley. Besides, every extra day I stay in this inn means more money. Why should I stay in this inn in a foreign land when I have a home? You seemed a little distracted while eating, but what progress have you made? Tell me, we can resolve this together faster."

Tianshu was clearly feeling uneasy, probably because he hadn't been with her the night before. Hengjin had been looking for Yuzhan and had kept many things from him, making him subconsciously want to avoid her. But he couldn't be too obvious about avoiding her, as if he knew something. He felt a slight dilemma, on pins and needles. After all, they had been together for two lifetimes, so she could still see it.

"Tianshu isn't an outsider, so just speak frankly. He didn't even reveal the matter of Qinghui Immortal Lord, and he even helped us find out the truth. We're definitely on the same page. In my humble opinion, I can trust him. Besides, Tianshu, as the Heavenly Inspector, has been with us for two lifetimes. How could he not know what you've been doing secretly? But he didn't report it to us for any reward."

Heng Jin turned her head and looked at Tian Shu, and asked, "How much do you know?"

Tianshu also answered frankly: "That depends on what you want to ask. If not for you, for A Li, I will keep my mouth shut. It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. I will always protect my...best friend like this."

Yuanli leaned closer to Tianshu, suppressing her joy and emotion as she said to him, "Oh~ a close friend. When I get back, I'll give you plenty of peach blossom cakes."

"Then I won't be polite."

Heng Jin tacitly agreed to his stay and said, "Not long after returning to the inn last night, I deliberately went out again. This time, I disguised myself as a tiger demon. Not long after, I discovered that someone had been secretly following me. I deliberately tried to shake her off, but she always managed to keep up. This time, she dared to show her true face, and her moves were fierce, as if she was determined to kill me. Compared to the Changmei who would immediately distance herself from me when she noticed me, she is like a completely different person. I have sent a message to He Qi, asking him to bring Yan Ye to meet me secretly when he has time, and to start investigating Yan Ye's orphan."

"How's Chu Xiao doing? Did he seal off Zhao's house this morning?" Yuanli suddenly interrupted and asked something irrelevant.

Tianshu said, "When I came back from fishing, I saw the streets bustling with activity. People were talking about the Chen and Zhao residences, so I went to Chu Xiao to ask about it. This morning, the maid who was supposed to sweep the Zhao residence came to the yamen to report the incident. She said the Zhao residence hadn't hired a housekeeper today, and she was worried someone would take her place after losing this lucrative job. So she went to the Zhao residence's gate early to see if Mr. Zhao had hired someone else. She deliberately walked by and saw that the gate, which was usually tightly shut, was half-open. She thought she'd close the gate on Mr. Zhao's behalf, but as soon as she walked in, she smelled a strong stench. She peeked through the crack in the door and saw a rotting female corpse sitting on a throne behind it. She was so scared she immediately ran to the yamen to report the incident."

"Is that female corpse Zhao Hu's grandmother? Who placed her there?"

"I don't know. Chu Xiao said that the flesh on Zhao Hu's grandmother's body was so rotten that it fell off at the touch. She was sitting so upright. Apart from the marks left by Zhao Hu and Mr. Chen, there were no fingerprints or signs of anyone else moving her. It was as if she had placed the armchair herself and sat there. Oh, and there was a lot of dirt on her."

Yuanli looked at Cha Suxun, who denied it, "I didn't do it." Hearing this, Yuanli looked at Heng Jin, who also shook her head and said, "It wasn't me either. Although I did use the corpse-driving bell to control Zhao Hu's grandmother to come out and set her free, she didn't commit any substantial crime. I wouldn't be so disrespectful to the dead as to control her to sit upright at the door even after she died, making it easier for Chu Xiaoxing. If it were me, it would definitely be Zhao Hu hanging at the door."

"That's strange. Could it be that she was sitting at the door by herself? But why? Is there something hidden at the door or any evidence of a crime?"

Tianshu said, "Nothing related to the case was found at the door. Perhaps she was just sitting there by herself, wanting to give herself and the other victims a chance to have the truth revealed to the world."

"And then?"

"Later, Chu Xiao led people to search the Zhao residence. When they entered the backyard, they saw Zhao Hu's body kneeling in front of the pomegranate tree, facing the backyard. No one knew how the dead man could kneel there. The soil in the backyard had been turned over, and the bones were exposed where the corpses were buried. The most terrifying thing was the pomegranate tree in the backyard of the Zhao residence. There were many human bones piled in the deep pit under the tree, and a pile of human flesh at the roots. The tree was full of fragments of the dead's clothes, like leaves. When the wind blew, it really blew away. Like leaves swaying in the wind. It was eventually discovered that the deceased in the pomegranate tree was Mr. Chen, the man next door. The Chen residence was also searched. A secret room was found beneath the Guanyin statue. Inside was his wife, the demonic creature the residents of Dishui Town had spoken of. Her white hair was loose, and she sat at her dressing table, combing it like a ghost. Her hair, unable to fall, fell in clumps, some still clinging to flesh. Her entire body was rotting and stinking, yet she could still pounce and attack. Several of the investigators were driven mad with fear.

"So what's the most common rumor among the townspeople about this case?"

"They all say it's the demon in the Chen Mansion that's causing all this trouble. They're saying things like it controls people's minds, eats human flesh and drinks human blood. These rumors are outrageous."

Heng Jin asked, "Do you think this matter has anything to do with the person who controls Changmei?"

"Zhao Hu's murder and his mother's skin exchange is probably just a foolish act in the mortal world. Please cast a barrier first. I'm afraid the walls may have ears."

Heng Jin said, "When I came back this morning, I placed a barrier around the three rooms we live in. You can speak without hesitation. No one can spy on you unless Xie Yuan's three most important confidants come."

Yuanli spoke frankly, "I think the person behind Changmei sent her to hunt you down because we discovered the truth about the jade hairpin on Madam Chen's head being swapped. Her extracted memories are enough to prove that she is related to Xie Yuan's former subordinates, and Changmei is also related to Xie Yuan's former subordinates. What does the escaped Xie Yuan need most to recover? In addition to miasma and resentment, it also needs resentment. The mortal world is also a place where greed, anger, ignorance, resentment, and jealousy are most dispersed, yet they are also abundant. Grandmother has become a fierce corpse, and no one has subdued her. The most likely possibility is that she has completely lost her mind and gone crazy, harming people, but she returned to calm in a short time, which shows that her resentment has long been absorbed. The fake jade hairpin is also gone from Madam Chen's head, and then you were hunted down, as if to silence you."