Liu Dazhuang walked up to Master Song, looked at his stiff face, and frowned.
"What are you standing there for? Call your daughter out, and let's get married as soon as possible."
Liu Dazhuang was already burly and tall, with an axe hanging from his waist, making him look like someone you wouldn't want to mess with.
Master Song was a clever man and would not easily offend those who cultivated Taoism. Seeing that Liu Dazhuang had misunderstood his meaning, he chuckled dryly and said, "Taoist Master, please don't be impulsive. How can marriage be a trivial matter? It requires mutual affection between the man and woman. Why don't I call my daughter over, and you Taoist Masters can make a decision then?"
Liu Dazhuang wasn't a patient man. He waved his hand and said, "Hurry up."
Xie Shuci had just walked in when he heard these words and stopped in his tracks. He felt that Boss Song was talking to him and the blind boy.
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci hesitated, wondering if he should find an excuse to take Xie An back.
However, while Xie Shuci was still thinking, Master Song looked at them solicitously and said, "Please come and sit down, my daughter will be here soon."
Xie Shuci nodded at him with an awkward smile, and led Xie An to sit down next to Sikong Xin and the other man.
Master Song and Xu Si also came over.
"May I ask where you gentlemen come from?" Master Song looked at Xie Shuci with a smile, his two gold teeth gleaming in the light, his shrewd eyes narrowed, making him look more like a fox than a fox.
Xie Shuci said with a forced smile, "We come from Bianzhou."
"Bianzhou? That's quite a place." Master Song stroked his beard. "I see you have an extraordinary bearing, young master. May I ask which school you studied under?"
Xie Shuci told the truth: "I am a wandering cultivator."
"Oh!" Master Song nodded meaningfully. "A rogue cultivator is good. Besides this brother, does your family have any other members? Where in Bianzhou do you live?"
Xie Shuci felt even more uncomfortable with Master Song's attentiveness. Master Song clearly had his eye on him. Although he wanted to help rescue the captured man, he never thought of sacrificing himself!
Fortunately, Xie An stepped in to help him out of the predicament.
"Besides me, there is a baby in the family who is less than six months old," Xie An said calmly.
“Yes, yes, yes…” Xie Shuci agreed without thinking.
To everyone's surprise, the smile on Master Song's face instantly froze upon hearing this. He looked at Xie Shuci with disbelief, "A child? Yours?"
Xie Shuci also realized what was happening and looked at Xie An suspiciously, "A child? Mine?"
Xie An replied in a flat tone, "Could it be mine?"
Master Song's eyes swept between the two of them. "I didn't expect that the Taoist priest would have a child at such a young age. It's such a pity."
Seeing that Master Song had given up the idea, Xie Shuci breathed a sigh of relief without making it obvious, and nodded, "Yes, yes."
Master Song couldn't help but sigh regretfully. Ruoshu's marriage had always been a concern of his. He had introduced her to many renowned young men in the city before, but Ruoshu hadn't liked any of them. Today, he had finally met a man who caught his eye, and he was even a Taoist practitioner. However, he had married young and already had a child, which was a real pity. His brother was also quite good, but unfortunately, he was blind.
Thinking of this, Master Song turned his gaze to Sikong Xin and the other man.
His gaze swept over Liu Dazhuang, and even looking at him for too long hurt his eyes. Finally, his gaze settled on Sikong Xin.
This guy is quite handsome, but he's also frivolous and irresponsible. However, as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't measure the sea with a bucket. If Shu's standards are too high, there aren't many men who can catch her eye. Let's give it a try.
Therefore, Master Song decisively abandoned Xie Shuci and instead inquired about Sikong Xin's situation.
Xie Shuci listened to their back-and-forth banter. Master Song was a shrewd businessman, and Sikong Xin was a smooth talker. Neither of them was losing to the other, which made Xie Shuci laugh.
After watching the commotion for a while, Xie Shuci remembered what the little blind man had said earlier.
He pretended to look at the roof, his gaze sweeping over the beams before finally moving slowly to the right, lingering on Xie An's face for a fleeting moment.
Even though Xie An couldn't see it, his behavior was somewhat like trying to hide something obvious.
He coughed lightly, then moved a little closer to Xie An's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the table, and asked in a low voice, "Where in my family is there a six-month-old baby?"
Xie An slowly lowered his long eyelashes, his face expressionless, and said, "That dog, doesn't it call you 'Dad'?"
"..."
Xie Shuci pursed his lips. He hadn't brought Da Wang with him today and had completely forgotten about the little guy.
"Fine then." Xie Shuci sheepishly retreated to his original position. To hell with it, as long as he didn't have to pay the price.
Not long after Master Song and Sikong Xin finished their conversation, a servant led a young lady in.
The girl wore a light blue dress, her hair was simply tied up, and her face was free of makeup, yet her skin was flawless. She had a delicate and gentle appearance. She walked gracefully into the courtyard, and as soon as she looked up, she met the gazes of Xie Shuci and the others.
The girl's gaze lingered on Xie Shuci's face for a moment before she hurriedly lowered her head, her cheeks instantly flushing red, and her hands, folded in front of her, nervously clasped together.
"Ruoshu, come here quickly."
Upon seeing his daughter, Mr. Song immediately beamed with joy and quickly beckoned her over.
However, when Xie Shuci saw the girl, he opened his mouth in surprise, but quickly looked away when he noticed her blushing cheeks.
Holy crap! What a coincidence!
Isn't this Miss Song the same girl who threw him her purse on the boat yesterday? Xie Shuci hasn't thrown his purse away yet!
With a flushed face, Song Ruoshu walked to Master Song's side and stammered, "Father."
"These are Taoist priests from Bianzhou, assisting Master Xu in investigating the man's disappearance."
Upon hearing his words, Song Ruoshu paused, her face paling considerably, but she showed no reaction. She bowed slightly to the group and said, "This humble woman, Ruoshu, greets you Daoist masters."
Xie Shuci remembered that the boatman had said that if a man caught the purse thrown by a woman, he could go directly to her door to propose marriage if he was interested. Looking at Miss Song's pale face, Xie Shuci's feelings suddenly became complicated. Perhaps when she first saw him, she thought he had come to propose marriage.
"Esteemed Taoist priests, this is my daughter, Song Ruoshu. She is rather shy, but she is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If you Taoist priests can win her heart, the documents will naturally be presented to you with open arms." Master Song took Song Ruoshu's hand and patted it gently.
Liu Dazhuang glanced at Miss Song and hesitated for a moment. He never expected that while Master Song, with his fat head and big ears, was barely acceptable, Miss Song had such thin arms and legs, and her waist was so thin that it looked like it would break with the slightest touch.
Upon hearing this, Song Ruoshu frowned slightly, "Father!"
"Why!"
"Why is that?" Song Ruoshu asked.
Master Song explained, "These Taoist priests want to examine the records passed down in my Song family, but our ancestors have a rule that only descendants of the Song family can view those records."
Song Ruoshu said, "Father, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Besides, the Taoist priests were doing this to save the people in the city, not out of selfish motives."
“But…” Master Song frowned.
“Father, I know what you’re planning. Actually, yesterday…” Song Ruoshu paused here, glancing lightly at Xie Shuci, “I’ve already thrown out my purse.”
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Master Song immediately erupted in anger, slamming his hand on the table and standing up abruptly.
Xie Shuci lowered his head guiltily, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the little blind man raise the corners of his lips in a half-smile.
"Who is this little bastard? How dare he seduce my daughter?" Master Song roared in fury.
Thanks. You little bastard. Shu Ci almost choked on his own saliva.
Who seduced your daughter?
Song Ruoshu said helplessly, "Father, he shouldn't be from Huaizhou."
"Wait a minute, since you've already given him your purse, why hasn't he come to propose marriage yet?"
Xie Shuci lowered his head even further. He felt that with Master Song's volatile temper, if he knew that Miss Song had thrown her purse at him, he would probably tie him up and force him to get married tonight.
"Father!" Song Ruoshu exclaimed.
She spoke with a heavy tone, her cheeks slightly flushed, "Father, my feelings for him are not mutual."
"Nonsense! My daughter is so lovely, gentle, and understanding, how could anyone not like you?!"
“Father…” Song Ruoshu lowered her head shyly, “I am just an ordinary woman.”
"Tell me, who is that man? If you like, I'll tie him up and bring him back for you!"
Xie Shuci buried his head almost under the table, not daring to look up at Miss Song's face.
“Father, I will not marry anyone unless it is consensual. Besides, I gave him the purse without asking for anything in return. I just want him to remember that I was once in love with him.”
"I admire your insightful and elegant demeanor, young lady," Sikong Xin exclaimed.
Song Ruoshu smiled shyly and nodded slightly at him.
Liu Dazhuang seemed somewhat moved as well, and couldn't help but say, "If you don't mind, young lady, I'm willing..."
Then, Song Ruoshu looked away.
After listening to Miss Song's words, Xie Shuci couldn't help but feel moved.
Miss Song may seem shy and timid, but she is actually insightful and brave, which moves Xie Shuci and makes him admire her.
All he needs to remember is that for a fleeting moment, I was fond of him.
That's... a great idea.
Unfortunately, Xie Shuci couldn't be as brave as her; he was too greedy.
"Then what about this file?" Xu Sichi asked doubtfully.
Master Song was about to refuse when Miss Song said, "Father, the people of the city love and respect you and regard you as their provider. If you refuse to help someone in distress, you will not only betray their love and respect, but also fail to live up to your expectations."
"Ruoshu..."
"Father, life is of paramount importance."
Master Song is a complete doting father to his daughter. Xie Shuci suspects that he wouldn't have let anyone look at the files so easily if he wasn't afraid of disappointing Miss Song's expectations.
After a moment's thought, Master Song gritted his teeth, nodded in agreement, and personally took Xu Si to examine the case file.
After the two left, Xie Shuci immediately stood up from the stool.
With a serious expression, he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Miss Song and said, "Thank you, Miss."
Song Ruoshu's gaze lingered on Xie Shuci's face for a moment before she quickly looked away, her expression somewhat shy. "Young master, there's no need for thanks."
"My name is Xie Shuci."
"My name is Song Ruoshu."
After exchanging brief greetings, Song Ruoshu left the villa.
Xie Shuci sighed as he watched her retreating figure. He felt nothing but admiration and respect for this woman, but no stirrings of emotion within him.
Xie Shuci, you're hopeless.
"Reluctant to part with it?" Xie An blurted out abruptly.
"No," Xie Shuci shook his head and said, "It's just a commemoration of my dead youth."
Xie An gave a barely audible snort.
Liu Dazhuang sighed, "I never expected that a woman with such a beautiful appearance would have such a clever and insightful mind. What a pity."
Xie Shuci and the others: "..."
"Shut your mouth!" Xie Shuci said irritably.
I really don't know where this guy gets his confidence. Miss Song is a standard gentle and beautiful woman, and her looks are miles ahead of yours!
While Xu Si was reviewing the files, Xie Shuci asked, "Didn't we say we were going to find out the identity of that cultivator? Why are you looking at the Song family's files?"
Sikong said, "She must be more than one of the souls who left the Dragon Fang Secret Realm with the Water God, yet she is the only one who came to Huaizhou and is living in Xiaoxian Mountain."
"So what?" Xie Shuci asked, puzzled.
"Do you remember what Xu Si said yesterday? There used to be a sect in Little Immortal Mountain. We deduced that she was once a disciple of that sect. The Song family ancestors were also cultivators. Just now, while reviewing other records, we discovered that the sect the Song family ancestors belonged to was the one in Little Immortal Mountain. And the records passed down by the Song family may contain detailed information about that sect. Perhaps we can find some clues."
"But if she's a cultivator, why does she hate cultivators?" Xie Shuci murmured, puzzled.
"Perhaps, as you said, there's some unresolved issue at play. After all, the Water God wouldn't help a cultivator of the path of slaughter for no reason."
Xie Shuci nodded. The Water God is so kind, there must be a reason.
Half an hour later, Xu Si finished reviewing the case file and came out with Boss Song.
"Brother Xu, have you found any clues?" Sikong Xin stepped forward and asked.
Xu Si nodded to him, then said to Master Song beside him, "I have troubled you today, Master Song. I will visit you again to express my gratitude in the future."
Master Song's mind was clearly not on what was behind them. He waved his hand and said, "You are also doing a service to the people, so there's no need to thank me."
Xu Si didn't say anything more. After bidding farewell to Boss Song, he left the Song residence with Xie Shuci and the others.
Before leaving, Xie Shuci walked last, overhearing Boss Song muttering to himself behind him, "Which little bastard took Ruoshu's purse..."
On the way back, because there were many people around and it concerned the Song family's confidential files, Xu Si didn't say much.
The group found a teahouse, asked for a private room, and sat down.
After the servant finished serving tea and left the room, Xu Sicai let out a long sigh.
"Gentlemen, this concerns the Song family, so please do not spread this message outside," Xu Si said in a deep voice.
The crowd exchanged glances, then nodded, signaling him to continue.
Xu Si recounted the clues she found in the case file.
It turns out that the Song family ancestors were not surnamed "Song" but "Tang". They adopted the surname "Song" to conceal their true identity because their ancestor was named "Tang Song".
According to the records, Tang Song was indeed an inner disciple of a sect with the surname "Tang" in Xiaoxian Mountain. Surprisingly, the Tang family did not migrate from Xiaoxian Mountain, but were expelled. The reason there is no trace of the Tang family's former residence in the mountain is that the sect that expelled the Tang family razed their house to the ground overnight.
"The Tang family?"
After listening to Xu Si's words, Sikong Xin murmured thoughtfully.
"Have you heard of it?" Xie Shuci asked.
Sikong Xin nodded and said, "I've heard you mention it before, brother. I wonder if it's from the same family? Brother Xu, please tell me more."
Xu Si nodded and continued, "The records show that the head of the Tang family and many inner disciples entered a secret realm at that time."
Everyone was shocked and exclaimed in unison, "Dragon Fang Secret Realm?"
"That's right. The Dragon Fang Secret Realm opened once several hundred years ago, and most of the Tang family's disciples entered it. However, until the day the Dragon Fang Secret Realm closed, not a single disciple came out. And not long after, the Tang family suffered another unexpected disaster. The remaining disciples of the Tang family were hunted down and fled in all directions. In the end, the disciples who survived all changed their names and vowed never to cultivate again. Tang Song, the ancestor of the Song family, was one of them."
"So, that female ghost was once a disciple of the Tang family?" Xie Shuci asked.
"It should be correct. However, the file does not record exactly what happened at the time."
"There are many suspicious points in this matter, and I'm afraid there's more to it than meets the eye," Sikong Xin said solemnly.
Liu Dazhuang didn't take it seriously: "It's a sect of immortals after all, there should be written records. We can just find them."
Xu Si shook his head upon hearing this and said, "I have lived in Huaizhou since I was a child and have never heard of the Tang family as a sect. At that time, the disciples of the Tang family were being hunted down. It was obvious that the other party wanted to exterminate them and even wipe them off the face of the earth. In addition, after so many hundreds of years, I'm afraid no one in later generations would know about the Tang family."
Sikong Xin pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Although I don't know if it's related to this matter, my brother did mention the Tang family."
Everyone looked up, and Sikong Xin slowly said, "My elder brother dedicated his life to finding new and unusual things. I once heard him say—"
At this point, he suddenly glanced at Xie An.
Once everyone was clear that nothing was amiss, he quickly averted his gaze and continued, "At the time, I was very curious about the Path of Slaughter. I also heard that the young master of the Xiao family, one of the four great immortal sects, cultivated the Path of Slaughter, which sparked my intense interest in it. I even considered cultivating the Path of Slaughter myself. However, my elder brother told me that the Path of Slaughter is the only path that cannot be deviated from. If one wishes to achieve great success, one must kill all those in the world who have anything to do with him."
He gave me an example: a Great Completion Killing Path cultivator named Tang Xianxiao.
The Great Completion of the Slaughtering Path and the surname Tang are both rare in the cultivation world. The Tang Xianxiao mentioned by Sikong Xin is most likely the female ghost in Little Immortal Mountain.
Sikong Xin continued, "My brother said he learned about this from the records in another secret realm. Tang Xianxiao originally cultivated the Dao of Freedom, but for some reason, she switched to the Dao of Slaughter halfway through, and achieved great success at a young age. Perhaps because of this, her mind was not stable enough, and she was tempted by worldly desires. She met a male cultivator, which damaged her Dao heart. After going into a state of demonic possession, she killed all her disciples and finally died at the hands of that male cultivator."
Xie Shuci asked in surprise, "Can the path of slaughter also lead to demonic possession?"
Sikong Xin glanced at Xie An.
The latter opened his lips, his voice indifferent: "Just an inner demon."
Seeing Xie Shuci's confused expression, Xu Si explained, "The Path of Slaughter is actually more ruthless than the Path of Ruthlessness. These people are generally born demons, harboring extreme malice towards all things in the world, killing whatever they see. Once they develop emotions, their Dao heart will be damaged, which is what is called a demon in the heart, and it can also lead to going into a demonic possession. However, they are different from ordinary cultivators. After going into a demonic possession, they become powerful killing weapons, killing those who affect their Dao heart without even realizing it."
Xie Shuci felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but think that Xiao Xun cultivated the path of slaughter. If he fell in love with the protagonist later on, he would have to kill him after going into a state of demonic possession! This is not a "you die or I die" scenario. Can it really have a happy ending?
Xie Shuci suddenly regretted not finishing the book; it might have been of some help to him in this world.
Damn! If he could go back to the past, he would never skim through a book again, and he would never give up on reading so easily again! Who knows, he might time travel one day.
"Tang Xianxiao fell in love with a male cultivator, which damaged her Dao heart. As a result, she suffered a cultivation deviation and killed her clansmen, but she failed to kill the male cultivator and instead died at his hands?"
"Yes, that's what my brother told me."
At the time, he actually admired Xiao Xun's unconventional approach, but he gave up after hearing about Tang Xianxiao's situation. After all, he wasn't heartless; he cared about many things.
Xie Shuci rested his chin on his hand and analyzed in a serious manner: "If the female ghost in the mountain is Tang Xianxiao, she went mad in the secret realm and killed her clansmen, and then died in the secret realm... This doesn't make sense. Not to mention that she is not dead now, moreover, why would the Water God help a murderer for no reason?"
Everyone fell into deep thought when Liu Dazhuang suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Why don't we find your brother and ask him again?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci's eyes lit up. "Great! Great!"
Finding the main character and clinging to his coattails has become a major concern for Xie Shuci.
Xie An, sitting next to him, pursed his lips in displeasure.
Sikong Xin quickly lowered his head and took a sip of tea to calm his nerves.
He thought to himself, if Xie Shuci found out what kind of person was sitting next to him, it was hard to say whether he would pack his bags and run away overnight.
Sikong Xin chuckled dryly, "My elder brother is extremely busy with state affairs every day..."
"Give me a break," Xie Shuci rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I don't know what he's doing?"
He also cursed the protagonist, that idiot, quite a bit back then. This guy was no different from Xiao Xun except that he didn't kill easily. He had no sense of right and wrong, did things entirely according to his own whims, and especially liked to join in the fun, and was keen to be a troublemaker in all kinds of big scenes.
Sikong Xin: "..."
No, don't talk like you two are very close.
As soon as Xie Shuci finished speaking, Xie An, who was standing beside him, smiled.
"When did you become so familiar with him?"
Xie Shuci said dismissively, "I've inquired about him before."
"Oh? Is that so?"
These words already carried a hint of gritted teeth.
Sikong Xin: "..."
What... what can I do?
Xie Shuci noticed that his tone was a bit off and explained, "I'm just curious. Don't I know Xiao Xun too? I'm just curious."
Xie An pursed his lips and didn't speak again.
one
The pedestrians sat in the teahouse for half a day, but still couldn't come to a conclusion.
But at least things have made some progress. We've learned the identity of the female ghost, and no men went missing in the city last night. Overall, we've gained something.
Xu Si said he was going to Little Immortal Mountain to check on the situation and planned to return to the Immortal Sect to see if there were any records about Tang Xianxiao. The other four people then strolled around the city for a while.
Not long after they left, the little blind man received several purses. Xie Shuci suddenly felt a pang of conscience and remembered the king he had left at the inn. He grabbed Xie An and insisted on returning to the inn no matter what.
After the four returned to the inn, Sikong Xin suddenly called out to Xie Shuci and the other person who were about to go back to their room.
"What's wrong?" Xie Shuci asked, puzzled.
Seeing that no one was around, Sikong Xin remained silent for a moment before saying, "Today at the teahouse, I have something to hide from you."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci stopped in his tracks and asked suspiciously, "What?"
Sikong said, "Regarding what my brother said about Tang Xianxiao..."
Xie Shuci frowned. "What?"
"My brother told me that the male cultivator deliberately approached Tang Xianxiao in order to cause her to go mad and commit a grave mistake, so that he could kill her and pave his own way to ascension."
The path of slaughter that Da Cheng has achieved is not tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. Moreover, after killing his relatives and friends by going into a state of demonic possession, killing her afterward would grant him a certain amount of merit, making it easier for him to break through in cultivation and ascend to godhood.
Xie Shuci was stunned upon hearing this.
"how so?"
"Moreover, she originally did not cultivate the path of killing, so she was more prone to going astray in her cultivation."
Xie Shuci felt a chill run down his spine, and at the same time couldn't help but wonder: "Why didn't you say so at the teahouse?"
Sikong Xin's face darkened, and he said, "Because that male cultivator's surname is Xu."
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