Upon hearing this name, Yue Sihua's face turned pale instantly.
Fu Changling wiped the corners of his mouth and said slowly, "Madam Fu, we haven't come here without asking for anything. You must know the other party's character better than we do. We fought to protect you, Madam. You wouldn't deny us even a single word of truth. If you don't even trust us, then we won't bother you reminiscing with your old friends. This isn't about us. If we leave, she can't stop us, right?"
"Mother," Fu Changyan heard this and quickly pulled Yue Sihua aside, saying anxiously, "Is there anything more important than life? Senior, if you ask, just tell me!"
"You guys," Yue Sihua calmed down a little after a long while, "What do you want to do by asking these questions?"
As she spoke, her thoughts turned and she frowned: "Are you investigating, or is your master investigating?"
The two were investigating, but neither involved Hongmeng Tiangong. In an instant, they both knew that someone within Hongmeng Tiangong must be involved, and there were probably quite a few people involved, so it was impossible for Hongmeng Tiangong to investigate Yue Sinan's case.
Qin Yan frowned as he thought of the tragedy at the foot of Wangu Cliff. Fu Changling stood up, walked behind Qin Yan, and looked at Yue Sihua with a smile: "Madam, do you think we should talk inside the house, or should we go pack our luggage now so as not to delay your meeting with your old friend?"
Yue Sihua didn't say anything. Fu Changyan pulled her and said anxiously, "Mom!"
Fu Changling sighed, then took a step forward, pulled Qin Yan over, and walked back with him, saying, "Let's go. It seems that Madam Fu's cultivation is very advanced and she doesn't need our help."
"Wait a moment!" Fu Changyan saw Fu Changling walking back and hurriedly grabbed Fu Changling, saying anxiously, "Senior, please wait. My mother is frightened and can't recover now. She will recover soon. I will persuade her. Please give me some time and I will persuade her."
"Xiu Fan."
Qin Yan spoke, and Fu Changling paused. Qin Yan said with a cold face, "For such a big matter, you have to give Madam Fu some time."
"Yes, time." Fu Changyan said quickly, "Give my mother some time, she will tell me! My mother is confused right now, so please don't argue with her."
"Master Fu, please take your mother back to rest first." Qin Yan turned his head and looked at Fu Changyan, saying calmly, "She was too frightened and needs to rest. Once you have thought it through, give us a decision."
"When is the latest?"
Fu Changyan asked hurriedly, Qin Yan thought for a moment and said, "After the New Year, we will set off."
"Okay," Fu Changyan said quickly, "Don't worry, I will quickly persuade my mother. You two go and rest first."
"Yeah." Qin Yan nodded and left with Fu Changling. After the two left, Fu Changyan turned around and looked at the servant beside him and asked, "When is the New Year's Day?"
The servant made a bitter face: "New Year's Day, isn't it today?"
Fu Changyan was stunned for a moment, then he grabbed his hair in agony: "Today is today, what's the New Year's Day? Which immortal cultivator celebrates the New Year? This is simply unreasonable!"
No one dared to speak. Fu Changyan got angry and rushed to Yue Sihua, who was still in a daze. He grabbed Yue Sihua and said, "Mom, you have to tell me, Yue Sinan can already refine insect dolls. No matter what it is, you have to tell me, otherwise we will all die here!"
Yue Sihua looked bewildered. She slowly raised her head, looked at Yue Changyan, and said in a trembling voice, "But, if I tell her, will she forgive me?"
Fu Changling pulled Qin Yan into the yard. When they got there, he turned around and smiled, "Brother, your acting was pretty good just now."
Qin Yan's eyes were a little soft: "You acted well."
Fu Changling was about to say something when he suddenly realized that he was still holding him. His body froze for a moment, not knowing whether to pull or not. Qin Yan noticed his gaze and instantly calmed down a bit.
Seeing Qin Yan calm down, Fu Changling also let go of his hand, coughed lightly, turned around and asked, "By the way, where is Ming Yan?"
“Senior Brother, Brother Shen.”
Speak of the devil, here comes Shangguan Mingyan's voice from the end of the corridor. The two turned around and saw Shangguan Mingyan standing at the end of the corridor. Fu Changling smiled and said, "So you're here. I was looking for you."
"I arrived earlier, so it was difficult to go out through the front door. I was afraid they would notice I was following them, so I came back through the back door and have been waiting for you guys."
"Let's go inside first." Qin Yan walked forward and went up to the second floor. "We'll talk inside first."
The three of them entered the room together. Fu Changling found a place to sit down as soon as he entered the room, twirling his folding fan in his hand: "I guess they must have been trapped and turned back, but how did they get trapped?"
"We can't get out." Shangguan Mingyan sat down at the table and poured himself some tea. Qin Yan sat down across from him, and Shangguan Mingyan poured tea for Qin Yan as well. He then described in detail, "Fu Changyan wanted to retreat along the same route they came from, rushing back to the Yue family to ask for reinforcements. But after leaving the town, there was a thick fog. You couldn't see the front in the fog, you could only see the town behind you. After circling for a long time, you finally returned."
"So," Fu Changling put one hand on the table, supporting his head and nodding, "That must be an extremely powerful deception."
"Yes," Shangguan Mingyan replied, "Fu Changyan tried many methods and used many magic weapons, but none of them worked. In the end, he could only vaguely see a little outline in front of him, but that outline was only visible for a moment and then it became unclear."
"What outline?" Fu Changling was curious. Shangguan Mingyan's eyes turned cold. "A cemetery."
"cemetery?"
Fu Changling asked curiously, "Is there a cemetery outside?"
"right."
Shangguan Mingyan said solemnly, "Many tombstones. But they only flashed by, and those magic weapons lost their effect, so they can no longer be seen clearly."
After saying this, the three of them fell silent. Shangguan Mingyan took a sip of tea and turned to look at the two of them: "How is Madam Fu now?"
"We asked her to tell us who Yue Sinan is, but she refused to tell us. We are threatening her and not saving her."
Fu Changling took an orange from the side and peeled it, saying, "Let her be scared first. She'll tell me when she can't bear it anymore. Let's just live a good life first."
As he spoke, Fu Changling looked up at Qin Yan and said, "Brother, we can't just keep waiting for her, right? Let's find something to do first."
Qin Yan thought for a moment and said seriously, "Find someone."
"Oh, that's right," Fu Changling said vaguely as he threw the orange into his mouth, "Shopkeeper Guan's parents haven't been found yet. I have to go ask them."
As he spoke, Fu Changling swallowed the orange and said, "I'll call the waiter over."
As Fu Changling spoke, he stuck his head out and shouted towards the hall: "Little Brother, come here!"
The waiter heard Fu Changling's voice and hurried over, saying respectfully, "How can I help you three?"
"I want to ask you something."
Fu Changling raised his hand and placed a spirit stone, then looked at the waiter and said, "Do you have anyone named Guan Lao San and Zhang Cui here?"
Fu Changling paused after speaking, then added, "He's from another place."
"Yes," the waiter said immediately, "It's in the coffin shop in the east of the city. It's owned by his family. They've been here for many years."
As he spoke, the waiter laughed: "You rescued that little girl Guan that day," he said, blinking, "it was his daughter."
Hearing this, Shangguan Mingyan was shocked: "They gave birth to the children?!"
"It's been so many years." Fu Changling looked at Shangguan Mingyan as if he was a fool. He then asked the waiter a few more questions about the Guan family's affairs, then asked the waiter to leave. He then glanced at the two people around him and said, "Let's go to the Guan family to take a look?"
Qin Yan responded, and Fu Changling smiled: "Senior Brother, you responded very quickly."
With that, Fu Changling stood up and said, "Let's go."
The three of them agreed and headed out of the city. It was almost nightfall, and there were not many people on the streets, but there were couplets posted everywhere and firecrackers hanging at the door, making the place quite lively.
The three of them walked to the door of the coffin shop, but the door had already been closed. They asked the people next to them about the Guan family's residence, which was not far away, and then went straight to the Guan family.
Just as they reached the door, the three of them heard a commotion in the yard. Guan Xiaoniang's voice came from inside, happily saying, "Dad, stick it a little higher, a little higher..."
Fu Changling winked at Shangguan Mingyan, who stepped forward and knocked on the door. A moment later, a woman in her early forties opened the door. She looked ill, as if she were ill. She leaned against the door and coughed softly a few times before looking up. Seeing the three people, the woman asked with some surprise, "Who are you..."
"Excuse me, is this the home of Master Guan San?"
"Yes." The woman responded, "Master, is there anything you need?"
"Then is Madam Zhang?"
"How do you know my last name?" the woman was even more surprised.
"We once passed by Qingping Town, not far away, and met a lady named Guan Yingying. She heard that we were coming to Taiping Town and asked us to find her parents. May I ask if Guan Yingying is..."
"It's my daughter." A male voice came from inside. He opened the door, looked at the three people with red eyes, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is she doing well?"
After he finished speaking, Guan Lao San also realized that it was inappropriate to stand at the door and talk like this, so he quickly said, "Please come in, the three of you."
"Excuse me." Qin Yan bowed and led Fu Changling in.
Guan Lao San led the three people into the house. When Guan Xiao Niang saw Qin Yan, her face turned red and she hurried to the kitchen.
The Guan family was not wealthy, so they prepared some food for the New Year. When the three of them sat down, there was no place for the Guan family members to sit except for Guan Lao San.
When Shangguan Mingyan saw this, he hurriedly stood up and said to Madam Guan, "Madam, please sit down."
"You are all immortal masters," Madam Guan said with a smile, "We can just stand here. Our home is simple, so I hope you won't mind."
"Why would you dislike it?"
Fu Changling looked around and said, "We have never been treated like this before."
As he spoke, Fu Changling turned to look at Madam Guan and Miss Guan, who were standing there, and simply stood up and said, "These stools are not short. My brother and I can squeeze into the long one, Madam Guan and Master Guan can squeeze in, and Mingyan and Miss Guan can each take a short stool. Isn't that enough space for us to sit on?"
After Fu Changling finished speaking, without waiting for anyone's consent, he walked to Qin Yan's side and said with a smile: "Senior Brother, can you please give way?"
"How about I squeeze in with Brother Shen..."
Shangguan Mingyan spoke hurriedly, and Qin Yan did not refute. He moved his seat and said calmly: "Sit down, don't be restrained."
Qin Yan didn't care, so everyone relaxed and took their seats. Guan Lao San poured wine for the three of them and said slowly, "I didn't expect that after all these years, someone would still come."
"How long has Master Guan been in Taiping Town?"
"Fifteen years, huh?" Guan Lao San thought for a moment and nodded. "Almost. It will be fifteen years soon."
"How did it come about back then?"
"A woman," Guan Lao San sighed, "ordered 1,438 coffins from me. If I didn't give them to her, she would kill my whole family. I had no choice but to give them to her. I sold the coffins and helped her deliver them to Taiping Town. Once she got here, she couldn't leave."
"What did she need so many coffins for?" Shangguan Mingyan asked curiously. Guan Laosan shook his head. "I don't know. As soon as the coffins arrived in Taiping Town, the woman and the coffins disappeared. Then a thick fog arose around them, and they couldn't get out anymore."
"Can't anyone in Taiping Town leave?"
Fu Changling tapped his fan while Guan Lao San took a sip of wine. "Who knows? I asked them, and they all said they could get out. Occasionally, outsiders would come and go. I don't know if our family has been cursed and can't get out."
As he spoke, Guan Lao San raised his head and looked at Qin Yan: "I wonder how my daughter is doing out there alone?"
Qin Yan was silent for a moment. Fu Changling was about to speak when he heard Qin Yan say, "Very good."
"She married a nice man, opened a shop, had two children, and lived a good life."
Hearing this, Guan Lao San sighed and lowered his head, saying, "It's all right, that's all. We're living well here, but we miss her. Now that I hear she's doing well, I don't have any regrets."
Guan Lao San said, urging Qin Yan: "Come, let's drink, and I won't say much."
As Qin Yan spoke, the group raised their glasses and took a few sips of wine. Then Fu Changling asked specifically about the appearance of the woman who was transporting the coffin.
Guan Lao San didn't know anything else, but he knew what this woman looked like. The woman he described was similar to Yue Sinan, but her dress was quite different.
"She looks like a little girl of sixteen or seventeen. Who knew she could be so fierce?"
Guan Lao San sighed. The other three saw that they could not get any more questions out of him. They looked at the sky and did not want to disturb the family during the New Year celebration, so they got up and said goodbye.
Their family tried to persuade him to stay many times, but Qin Yan still insisted on leaving. Before leaving, he secretly left some silver and money in the house. Fu Changling glanced at him indifferently without saying anything.
The family escorted the three of them out the door. After they left, Fu Changling said leisurely, "Senior Brother left money for them again."
Qin Yan didn't hide it at all and responded with a "Yeah."
Fu Changling: “…”
The guilt he expected from Qin Yan was not there at all.
Fu Changling was about to say something when he heard Guan Xiaoniang's voice from behind: "Master, Master, please stay!"
The three of them stopped and saw Guan Xiaoniang holding three umbrellas in her hands. She rushed over and came to Qin Yan panting. With a red face, she handed the umbrella to Qin Yan and said, "Master, it will rain tonight. You should take this umbrella."
Qin Yan was silent for a moment, responded, and reached out to take the umbrella.
When Fu Changling saw Qin Yan was about to take it, he hurriedly helped Qin Yan take it and said with a smile: "Just give it to me, Senior Brother doesn't do such rough work."
Qin Yan glanced at Fu Changling indifferently. Fu Changling held the umbrella and pretended to know nothing.
Guan Xiaoniang had her umbrella snatched away, but she didn't leave. She and Qin Yan stood there, one with his head down and the other not speaking. The atmosphere became a little strange.
Fu Changling coughed twice and urged, "Miss Guan, if you're okay, go back. The dumplings are almost ready."
"Here," Guan Xiaoniang took out Qin Yan's purse and handed it to Qin Yan, whispering, "You don't need it at home. What the immortal master gave you last time is enough. Take it back, immortal master."
"Your mother still needs medical treatment."
Qin Yan said calmly: "Take it back."
"No, it's better to have enough money. If I take too much, I won't be able to stand up straight. What the immortal master gave me before, my family will return to him in full in the future." Guan Xiaoniang smiled and handed the purse to Qin Yan.
When Fu Changling saw Guan Xiaoniang handing something to Qin Yan again, he was afraid that Qin Yan would take it, and even more afraid that Guan Xiaoniang would force it on Qin Yan, so he hurriedly reached out to take it. This time, Shangguan Mingyan couldn't stand it anymore, and seemed to think that it was not good for Fu Changling to always grab things. He quickly reached out to take the purse and said with a dry laugh, "It's enough, Miss Guan. If you have any difficulties, just come to the Fulai Inn to find us."
Guan Xiaoniang smiled shyly, glanced at Qin Yan, and said embarrassedly: "If you have nothing to do, could you please play a few pieces of pipa for us, my benefactors?"
"No need," Fu Changling said quickly, "We are all ordinary people and we don't understand."
"If you're willing," Qin Yan said calmly, "you can come."
Fu Changling: “…”
He really wasn't given any face at all.
Guan Xiaoniang pursed her lips and said with a smile, "See you another day."
With that, she bowed and turned to leave. After walking a few steps, Guan Xiaoniang stopped, turned around, looked at Qin Yan, and asked curiously, "There's something I don't know whether I should ask or not."
Fu Changling was about to open his mouth to protest that the question was inappropriate, but Shangguan Mingyan quickly raised his hand and covered Fu Changling's mouth. Fu Changling glared at Shangguan Mingyan, who looked at him with pleading eyes. Qin Yan looked at Guan Xiaoniang and said, "Young lady, please speak."
"We just met for the first time," Guan Xiaoniang said cautiously, "Why is the Immortal Master so concerned about me?"
Qin Yan didn't say anything. He just looked at her quietly. Guan Xiaoniang felt a little embarrassed and whispered, "If it's inconvenient..."
"It seems like we've met before, but it was just a dream."
He definitely spoke out. Guan Xiaoniang was stunned for a moment, then her face turned red. She didn't ask any further questions, but bowed and trotted back.
Guan Xiaoniang ran away. Fu Changling stared at Shangguan Mingyan, his eyes full of threats. Shangguan Mingyan laughed dryly and retreated, saying with difficulty: "I...I am also thinking about your face."
Fu Changling looked at Qin Yan, then at Shangguan Mingyan, smiled sarcastically, ignored them, turned around and left.
After walking a few steps, Fu Changling, holding the umbrella in his hand, seemed to remember something and turned back. He handed the umbrella to Shangguan Mingyan and said angrily, "Take it. You can't let down the umbrella someone gave you. After all, this is someone I've seen in my dreams. Even if it's a gift of an umbrella, you have to take good care of it!"
Shangguan Mingyan held the umbrella, looking like he wanted to cry but had no tears. He looked at Qin Yan beside him, but Qin Yan remained calm. Fu Changling was so angry that he turned around and left.
He walked for a long time, and no one called him. If Qin Yan didn't call him, he felt that he couldn't stop. If he stopped and turned back, wouldn't he lose face? He was angry and annoyed, and he rushed around Taiping Town, refusing to return to the inn.
Shangguan Mingyan saw him walking away and looked at Qin Yan hesitantly: "Senior Brother..."
"Don't worry about it," Qin Yan said calmly, "I'll be back soon."
With that, Qin Yan led Shangguan Mingyan back to the inn. Fu Changling wandered outside for a long time, and did not see Qin Yan use the jade pendant to send a message to call him back, which made him feel even more aggrieved.
He had made up his mind that if Qin Yan didn't come to invite him, he would never go back.
Because it was Chinese New Year, all the restaurants and bars were closed, and every house on the street had its doors closed. Occasionally, some noise could be heard coming from inside the houses. The whole town seemed to be secretly bustling with activity, leaving him all alone.
He wandered around the town like a lonely ghost for a long time.
It started raining in the town, but he didn't care and just walked in the rain alone. His whole body was soaked by the rain. He was tired and exhausted, so he simply found a step and sat down by himself, watching the drizzle.
He felt that he was asking for trouble. In fact, Qin Yan had made it clear that it had nothing to do with him in this life. What kind of sea water did he drink that he could be so nosy?
Qin Yan probably loved one woman in his life. He also wanted a child and a stable family. What he wanted was what he couldn't give. Did Qin Yan do anything wrong? He just met a girl he liked and talked to her for a few more words. What did it matter to him?
But he still felt uncomfortable, and his heart was pounding with sourness.
He is Qin Yan's junior fellow apprentice, and Qin Yan also said that he would treat him as a brother. Is there anyone who doesn't care about his brothers?
Even Shangguan Mingyan couldn't stand it anymore as he was slapped in the face for a woman he had only met a few times.
He was angry. He had been out for so long and it was raining outside, but Qin Yan never thought about whether he would feel uncomfortable, cold, or unhappy.
The more Fu Changling thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was really no point in living this life again. If he met Qin Yan again, he would be asking for trouble.
He closed his eyes, leaned against the cold stone lion beside him, hugged himself, and planned to sleep like this all night.
Sleep for a night and cool your heart, and maybe you will feel a little more awake.
However, not long after he leaned against the wall, he vaguely heard footsteps in a daze.
He opened his eyes and saw a cluster of light in the distance.
The light, shimmering in the drizzle, took on an indescribable warmth. Fu Changling quietly watched the man in the distance. He held an umbrella in one hand and a lantern in the other. His white clothes seemed damp in the drizzle, and the wind didn't flutter at all.
He walked step by step, as if in his dream, and finally came in front of him, and then stopped.
His figure blocked the falling raindrops, bringing a rare warmth to the night.
Qin Yan stared at the person in front of him quietly, his tone showing a rare mixture of anger and amusement, and said, "Why, aren't you going back yet?"
"No."
Fu Changling turned his head and whispered, "If you give me a favor, I'll go back."
Qin Yan remained silent, standing there quietly. This silence made Fu Changling a little flustered. He was afraid that Qin Yan would just turn around and leave, leaving him with no way out. So he quickly added, "But since you came to pick me up in person, I forgive you."
Qin Yan couldn't help laughing when he heard this.
A face as pure as a lotus gently unfolded in the night. Fu Changling was stunned to see it. Then he heard Qin Yan say, "Then should I thank you for your generosity and willingness to condescend to follow me back?"
Fu Changling couldn't hear clearly.
He stared blankly at Qin Yan's smiling face, and it took him a long time to react.
Embarrassed by his own foolish behavior, he coughed lightly, turned his head away, and whispered, "That's not necessary. Okay, let's go, it's freezing."
Qin Yan nodded, raised his umbrella and turned around. The hem of his clothes gently drew an arc in the air with his movements. Every detail was beautiful in Fu Changling's eyes.
The drizzle came gently, and for a moment, Fu Changling seemed to have forgotten that he was an immortal who could drive away the rain and keep out the cold. Instead, he asked Qin Yan, "Brother, can I share your umbrella?"
"Um?"
Qin Yan raised his eyes and saw Fu Changling's wet clothes. He nodded and said, "Okay."
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