Fu Changling walked forward first and stopped beside the bed. He glanced around, clasped his arms in front of him, stared at the person on the wall, and said nothing.
Qin Yan walked over to his side, looked at Yue Ming in front of him quietly, and said calmly: "What did you find?"
"There's a cut on his hand." Fu Changling pointed at one of Yue Ming's hands. Hearing him speak, Fu Changyan, who was quietly arguing with Shangguan Mingyan, immediately looked over. He took a step forward, wanting to examine Yue Ming's hand, and asked excitedly, "What cut?"
"Don't touch it."
Fu Changling knocked Fu Changyan's hand away with his sword. Fu Changyan let out a mournful howl. Fu Changling watched quietly and said slowly, "The wound is circular, and the skin is broken. It's not just a knife wound."
"What is that?"
Shangguan Mingyan also stepped forward, frowning. Fu Changling placed the sword against the wound and chanted a humming sound.
In an instant, the loose skin began to tremble rapidly. A small thing, like a worm, moved quickly under the skin, as if being chased by something. After a while, the thing crawled out from the wound. As soon as it came out, Fu Changling said "lock", and then a small transparent ball wrapped the thing and floated in front of everyone.
Inside the ball, you can see a tiny puppet. The puppet is only the size of a fingernail, and it's rushing around in the ball, looking very ferocious.
This puppet looks like a human, but it is lying on the ground like a spider. Its mouth is much larger than that of a normal person. If you look closely, you can see that it has a mouthful of steel teeth and is desperately trying to bite the ball.
"Bug puppet."
Fu Changyan exclaimed in surprise, and Fu Changling raised an eyebrow: "Oh, you knew?"
"Of course I know that," Fu Changyan complained. "My mother is the eldest daughter of the Yue family. The insect puppet is one of the Yue family's secret techniques. Only the direct descendants of the Yue family can make such a thing. And ordinary people can't do it. The smaller and more delicate the puppet, the harder it is to control and make. To be able to make such a thing..."
As Fu Changyan spoke, his face turned pale with fear: "How... terrifying."
"This thing," Shangguan Mingyan came over, took a closer look, and said with a smile, "It looks kind of cute." Then Shangguan Mingyan turned to look at Fu Changling, a little puzzled, "Is it really that scary?"
Fu Changling looked at him with a deep gaze, and Shangguan Mingyan subconsciously asked, "Brother Shen, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Look at the person on the wall," Fu Changling raised his chin towards the wall, then turned to look at Shangguan Mingyan, "Is he still cute?"
Shangguan Mingyan's face changed. Fu Changling put the insect puppet into the spirit bag and slowly explained: "The Yue family puppet making, from large to small, the smaller the more difficult. The Yue family secret technique has a total of seven levels, and the insect puppet is the sixth level. This puppet looks like a human, but also similar to an insect. The largest is no bigger than a fingernail. It likes to eat flesh and blood, so if it encounters a living thing, it will burrow into it. A bug puppet can eat a person in just..."
As he spoke, Fu Changling raised a finger. Shangguan Mingyan frowned: "One day?"
"One hour."
Fu Changling emphasized: "Not yet."
"When the insect puppet enters your body, it won't feel any pain. It will first gnaw on your vocal cords, then the tendons and veins in your limbs. As it gnaws on these five areas, it will release a drug from its body that will numb your sense of pain. Once you're unable to speak or move, the drug's effects will wear off, and then it will officially begin feeding."
Hearing this, Fu Changyan's voice trembled and he couldn't help but ask: "Does it hurt...does it hurt?"
"What do you think?"
Fu Changling glanced at him sideways, looking at him like a fool and said, "Does it hurt when I bite you raw with such a small mouth?"
Fu Changyan shuddered.
Qin Yan frowned: "Do you know how high the other party's cultivation level is?"
"It's hard to say about cultivation," Fu Changling frowned. "When it comes to puppets, talent is the most important thing, and cultivation is secondary. But judging by the wound on this person's hand, when the puppet worm entered, it was probably only slightly larger than a grain of rice. To be able to make such a small puppet..."
Fu Changling's expression was deep: "I'm afraid the Yue family has already mastered the seventh level of puppetry."
The others were unclear about the concept of the so-called seventh level of the Yue family, but Fu Changyan understood it very well. He took a step back and asked in a trembling voice, "Then what is she doing?"
Everyone turned their heads and looked at Fu Changyan. Fu Changyan stared at the figure on the wall and couldn't help but say, "She has already mastered the seventh level of puppetry. With such strength, how could she be afraid of us? Why was she hiding last night? Now that she's here, she can kill us all!"
"It seems," Shangguan Mingyan said solemnly, "this senior doesn't just want to kill us all."
"Two possibilities."
Fu Changling analyzed the situation, subconsciously stroking the sandalwood heart in his hand, and said slowly: "Or, there is someone or something among us that frightens her and makes her dare not show up directly."
"Or," Fu Changling's eyes were cold, "she has now regarded this place as a paradise."
"Her revenge isn't just about killing someone."
"Sir," the servant standing outside the door heard this and said anxiously, "What should we do then?"
Fu Changyan remained silent. He was clearly panicking. After a long moment, he made a decision: "Let's go."
Having said that, he didn't care about the others, picked up his sword and rushed out, saying anxiously: "Leave immediately!"
Fu Changyan gave the order, and a large group of people from the Fu family rushed out with him. Fu Changling continued to watch from the side with his hands folded, frowning and studying the wall. Qin Yan glanced at the Fu family members who were hurriedly running away outside and asked, "Don't care?"
"Oh, Mingyan," after hearing this, Fu Changling turned to Shangguan Mingyan and said, "Help me keep an eye on Fu Changyan and don't let them find out. Let's see what's going on."
Shangguan Mingyan heard this and hesitated for a moment before responding, "Okay."
After he finished speaking, Shangguan Mingyan walked out. Fu Changyan's voice came from outside, calling out, "Go! Hurry up! Move my mother to the carriage..."
After a while, the noise outside gradually died down. Fu Changling used his spiritual sense to explore and saw that the group of people had left in their carriages. Then he turned around and looked at the people on the wall.
"Is it inappropriate for Akihiko to go alone?"
Qin Yan looked at the people on the wall and asked calmly. Fu Changling smiled and said, "Brother, if you think it's inappropriate, why don't you follow me?"
"You have your own ideas."
Qin Yan said calmly: "I just asked casually."
Such trust warmed Fu Changling's heart. He looked at the people on the wall and said, "I just remembered something."
"Um?"
"A person's bottom line will not be violated." Fu Changling said, turning his head to look into the distance, "When you talked about the Ten Thousand Bone Cliff, why was it Ming Yan who ate the ghost, and not Yun Yu?"
Qin Yan was slightly stunned, and Fu Changling continued, "Would a truly honest person find a bug doll cute?"
Qin Yan didn't say anything. Fu Changling said calmly, "Of course, it's just my own random thoughts. It's just that it's important, so I don't want to talk about it in front of others."
"What did you find?" Fu Changling asked, and Qin Yan immediately understood what he meant. Fu Changling looked around, then looked at the figure on the wall, and then said, "Does it look familiar to you?"
"Um?"
Qin Yan stared at the person on the wall. Fu Changling saw that he didn't remember for a moment and reminded him, "Shangguan Yuehua, do you remember?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yan immediately reacted.
This was the state of Shangguan Yuehua they had seen when they had first entered the Shangguan residence's cellar. The woman whose family had sacrificed her life for the ancestor, she was nailed to the wall, bleeding dry, a life worse than death.
"And this insect puppet," Fu Changling flipped his palm, and the insect puppet reappeared in his palm. He raised his hand and stared at it, "Does he look like Shangguan Hong?"
Qin Yan frowned as he listened to this. Fu Changling continued, "And their appearance, do you recall the formation that we saw in the ghosts' memories in the illusion of Wangu Cliff that could refine people? There were four people next to that formation, and they looked like they were nailed to the wall. And the purple-clothed girl in the middle of the four people might be Yue Sinan."
"So, what is the relationship between Wangu Cliff, Shangguan Villa, and today's Taiping Town?"
Qin Yan said slowly: "What role does Yue Sinan play in this?"
"I think we can ask someone."
Fu Changling turned the fan that had been hidden for a long time, with his brows lowered in thought.
"who?"
"Yue Sihua."
Fu Changling raised his eyes and looked at Qin Yan, who responded, "Then let's go after them immediately."
"No need." Fu Changling shrugged. "If they could escape, Yue Sihua wouldn't have died in the previous life."
As he spoke, Fu Changling spun his fan, put it behind his back, and walked out, saying, "Brother, let's go back to the lobby and make a pot of tea. They will be back soon."
Qin Yan stood in the room for a moment. He looked up at Yue Ming on the wall and then walked out.
The two of them returned to the lobby, one after the other. At this time, the waiter had already come out and was cleaning the lobby. When he saw the two of them coming out, the waiter was so scared that he turned around and wanted to run away, but Fu Changling called him: "Stop."
"Master...Master..." The waiter turned around, looked at Fu Changling, and said with a forced smile, "You haven't left yet."
"Why," Fu Changling raised his eyebrows, "are you eager for me to leave?"
"Of course not," the waiter said with a forced smile, "it's an honor for us to have you here."
"Then go make a pot of good tea." Fu Changling urged, "Are you worried that I can't give you the money?"
Hearing that it was tea, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to make tea. Fu Changling and Qin Yan sat down at the table together. The waiter not only served tea but also some side dishes. As he placed them on the table, he said, "This is a gift from the shopkeeper. The two immortal masters have come from afar to be guests. If our store has not been hospitable enough, please forgive us."
"No problem."
Fu Changling responded, then remembered something and said with a smile, "By the way, how is business in your store?"
"Business?" The waiter was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's pretty good, but there are fewer customers. On weekdays, it's just the villagers who come to eat."
"How often do you usually have guests?"
"That's hard to say." The waiter thought for a moment, "Generally speaking, there should be a few people coming every one or two months."
"Your town has so many inns, with only a few a month or two, aren't you losing money?"
"So, aren't all the inns converted into restaurants?" The waiter laughed, then said, "Even though there are only a few people a month, those immortals are very generous. The money earned in just one night is enough to keep the inn open for a year."
As he spoke, the waiter put down the last dish and said respectfully, "Enjoy your meal, two immortal masters."
"Very interesting."
Fu Changling ate peanuts, turned around, and said with a smile: "It's such a hard-to-find place, and there are still a few outsiders every year. Can these people get out?"
Just as he finished speaking, a scream was heard from the backyard. The waiter hurried over and shouted, "What's going on? Is there a ghost? Ghosts are screaming in broad daylight...Ahhhh!"
As soon as the waiter walked in, he screamed out, and then he and the first person who saw it screamed heartbreakingly: "Someone's dead! Help! Murder!"
The waiter rushed out, kneeling before Fu Changling and Qin Yan, and kowtowed, saying, "Master, help! Someone's dead! There's a ghost inside killing people!"
"Don't panic."
Fu Changling took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "It's the evil spirit that's causing trouble. We live here to catch it."
Hearing this, the waiter felt a little relieved. He looked up at Fu Changling with trembling eyes: "Then, is everything okay now?"
"We are here, and you are so scared. Don't you trust me and my senior brother?"
Fu Changling raised his eyebrows, seeming a little unhappy. The waiter quickly apologized. Qin Yan couldn't stand it and said calmly, "Don't tease him."
As he spoke, Qin Yan took out a spirit stone, placed it on the table, and said calmly, "There's nothing to worry about for now. We're staying at the inn now, so you can come to us if you need anything. Take these spirit stones and find someone to carry the body out of the house and bury it."
Qin Yan's voice was very steady, and it made people feel at peace. The waiter took a moment to calm down, then stood up. He didn't dare to take the spirit stone, but just said, "We'll go now."
After saying this, he staggered back.
Fu Changling looked at the waiter's back and couldn't help laughing.
The two of them sat and drank tea for the whole afternoon, chatting and drinking.
The shopkeeper quietly disposed of the body without letting anyone else know, fearing it would affect business. He even personally delivered the dishes and begged Fu Changling and Qin Yan not to tell anyone. Fu Changling and Qin Yan naturally agreed, as they didn't want this matter to spread.
By the afternoon, the sky was covered with dark clouds. Qin Yan glanced at the sky and said calmly, "I'm afraid it's going to snow."
Fu Changling supported his chin and replied, "Yes."
As he spoke, he looked up at the people coming and going. Some of them held couplets, some carried lanterns, some carried slow vegetable baskets, and some took their children to the clothing store next door to choose clothes. Although the sky was gloomy, the people were cheerful.
"Why do they look so happy?"
Fu Changling was rather puzzled. Qin Yan glanced around and said calmly, "It's almost the holiday season."
"What festival?" Fu Changling was a little confused. Qin Yan said calmly, "New Year."
After hearing this, Fu Changling remembered that the Spring Festival was approaching.
The fairy world does not celebrate the Spring Festival. There is no so-called reunion or excitement in the fairy world. Everyone practices on their own. The so-called clans and masters are just for them to keep each other warm and prevent themselves from being bullied and killed in this cruel world.
Compared to the fairyland, the human world has more human touch. This kind of human touch can sometimes be annoying, bringing people a lot of trouble, but sometimes it can also make people feel warm in their hearts.
The reason why Qin Yan remembered so much was mainly because he himself was born a mortal. He probably understood more about mortal customs than other cultivators.
Perhaps it is because of this kind of experience that he is more concerned about helping the weak and punishing the strong than ordinary monks.
In the Yunze Immortal Realm today, there are very few people helping the people.
There is no benefit in helping these people. Most of the things these people can provide are not needed by the immortals. What the immortals want is vanilla spiritual treasures and rapid ascension. Only fools like Qin Yan still follow the rules of helping these people.
But it is precisely these few fools who are barely maintaining the little beauty and peace in this fragile world.
Otherwise, in this world full of evil spirits, how can these ordinary people fight against those demons and God?
Qin Yan is the conscience and bottom line of this world. Perhaps it is precisely because of this kind of Qin Yan that he looks at him with awe.
For a moment, he suddenly felt that Qin Yan from his previous life had become distant.
He couldn't remember how he killed people, nor could he remember what he looked like when he was the Demon Lord. In his eyes, there was only Qin Yan in this life. He was clean, gentle, and even had some of the extraordinary qualities that only a saint could have.
"What are you looking at?"
Qin Yan noticed that his gaze lingered for a long time, and couldn't help but look up at him. Fu Changling smiled and said, "I just want to be a person like my senior brother in the future."
"You're not a child anymore," Qin Yan said calmly, holding the teacup and looking at the person who hurried back in the distance, "What are you going to do after talking so much?"
"Do well now, that's enough."
As they were talking, the people in the distance were getting closer and closer, and their voices were getting louder and louder. Fu Changling looked over and saw that it was Fu Changyan who had hurried back with his men. As soon as he entered the room, he rushed towards Fu Changling and Qin Yan. He came with such a fierce momentum, as if he was looking for revenge. Fu Changling immediately became alert, ready to beat his foolish brother to death if he dared to make a move.
Who would have thought that Fu Changyan rushed up to the two of them, bent his knees—and knelt down on the spot!
"Senior..." Fu Changyan said in a trembling voice, "We...we can't get out!"
Fu Changling: “…”
Qin Yan turned to look at Fu Changling, his eyes full of meaning, and said, "The Fu family's education is not good enough."
"The Fu family has never paid much attention to him." Fu Changling said quickly, "The rest of the Fu family is pretty good."
"Senior," Fu Changyan was so frightened that he didn't even care what the two people beside him were saying. He just said, "We can't get out at all. If we continue to stay here, with that... that senior's brutal methods, I'm afraid we won't survive! Please, show us a way out!"
"I think he's more like his mother in that he's afraid of death."
Fu Changling was still struggling with the Fu family's upbringing issues, so he quickly passed the blame to Yue Sihua.
At this time, Yue Sihua also entered the lobby.
Her face was pale, and her hands and feet were a little stiff, but she still walked up to the two men and saluted them: "Two young friends." Her voice was a little hoarse, and although her posture was not as calm as usual, it was naturally much better than Fu Changyan who had already collapsed with fear.
After she saluted the two, she looked up at Qin Yan and said hoarsely, "Please, considering the good relationship between the Yue family and Hongmeng Heavenly Palace, please help me. In the future, you two will be the great benefactors of the Yue family. I will bring a valuable gift to Hongmeng Heavenly Palace and personally visit my master to express my gratitude to your clan and master."
Qin Yan was always serious when it came to Hongmeng Heavenly Palace. He stood up and saluted Yue Sihua, saying, "Madam Fu, there's no need to be so polite. We have come all the way here for this matter. Don't worry, Madam Fu," Qin Yan said calmly, "as long as you cooperate, we will do our best to help you. But please don't be too suspicious."
"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Qin," Yue Sihua said hurriedly. "I misunderstood you two before, but now that I understand the whole story, I am no longer worried about your stance. From now on, you two will be honored guests of the Yue family, and we will not neglect you. This little boy of mine," Yue Sihua said, kicking Fu Changyan as a reminder, and then continued, "is also willing to become brothers of the opposite sex with you two. I will treat you as my elder brothers and serve you well."
As he spoke, Yue Sihua noticed that the two of them looked different, and said, "A godson is fine too."
Fu Changling, who was standing next to him, spat out a mouthful of water. He felt that he had lost his composure, so he pursed his lips with a handkerchief and coughed, "Sorry, sorry."
As he spoke, he lowered his head, restrained his laughter, and dared not make a sound.
Qin Yan looked at him helplessly, then turned to look at Yue Sihua and said respectfully, "Madam Fu, you're joking. As long as Madam Fu is willing to trust us, there's no need to think too much about the rest, and there's no need to sign any contract. We just want to clarify one thing with Madam Fu."
Yue Sihua was a little confused, and then he heard Qin Yan calmly say: "Yue Sinan, who is it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
