Chapter 47 Dodder (Part 11) I wish I could bite my tongue off...
As soon as Song Qiling stepped into the banquet hall, the aroma of food wafted towards him.
From a distance, the maids and servants were carrying food boxes and methodically piling dishes onto the table.
Upon approaching, one sees a large round table made of huanghuali wood, adorned with gold plates and silver chopsticks, and a dazzling array of dishes. On it, served in blue and white porcelain bowls, are fragrant braised ham hocks, steamed lamb with milk, roasted camel hump, and a steamed river fish as long as a man's forearm...
In comparison, stir-fried goji berry sprouts with oil and salt and stir-fried eggs with toon leaves seem particularly refreshing and simple.
The head of the Murong family sat with Yu Qi at the front, while Liu Dai was forcibly pressed down to sit next to him by Yu Qi. When Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou arrived, Murong Xiao's eyes immediately lit up, and he raised his hand to call out, "Young friend, come here!"
After taking their seats together, Song and Gu looked at Yu Qi in unison, a tacit understanding that sent a chill down the latter's spine.
"Why are you all looking at me?" Yu Qi raised his hand to touch his cheek, puzzled. "Do I have words on my face?"
Seeing the two men shake their heads again, he suddenly thought of something and said thoughtfully, "Anyway, I've only changed my identity, it's not a big deal. You shouldn't distance yourselves from me."
Song Qiling was speechless, raised his eyebrows as if helpless, "Brother Yu is overthinking it."
Yu Qi was even more confused.
"Come, come, eat, eat." Murong Xiao picked up a large pork knuckle with his chopsticks and placed it in Yu Qi's bowl, saying with loving eyes, "My son has suffered these years, and you look so thin on the face. You should nourish yourself more now."
Looking at the oily, bright red pigskin, Yu Qi swallowed hard and was about to pick up his chopsticks when a juicy lamb leg suddenly appeared and piled up on top of the already overflowing bowl.
"..."
Yu Qi silently raised his eyes, meeting his father's expectant gaze, and said expressionlessly, "Dad, stop putting food in my bowl, I can't eat anymore."
Murong Xiao sighed repeatedly, but his eyes were reluctant to leave his son. "Over the years, I have always thought that if it weren't for the accident back then, you would be enjoying the company of your father like you are now."
When the topic turned to his painful past, the man's rugged face scrunched up. "If it weren't for those bandits, my son wouldn't have had to suffer all these years."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qi put down his chopsticks with a strange expression, sat up straight, and said, "Father, how do you know that it was the bandits who forced me into this desperate situation?"
“How could I not know? It was your fourth brother… Zheng’er, who escaped from the bandits, told me that you were thrown into the rapids by those masked bandits. Your fourth brother wanted to jump into the water to save you, but he was too busy to save himself.” At this point, Murong Xiao’s throat tightened for a moment.
Song Qiling picked up a piece of stir-fried asparagus with her chopsticks, pricked up her ears, and heard Yu Qi sneer, "How is Fourth Brother doing now?"
As if he had thought of something, a trace of pain flashed across Murong Xiao's face, "That bandit stabbed Zheng'er in one eye, causing my son to be able to see people with only one eye."
Clang—
The chopsticks slipped through her fingers and hit the porcelain bowl. Song Qiling smiled awkwardly, picked up the chopsticks, and nodded to Murong Xiao to signal him to continue.
But Yu Qi's voice grew colder and colder, "He only lost an eye, but I almost lost my life. Ha, my good fourth brother."
Murong Xiao asked in confusion, "Yu'er, what are you saying all of a sudden?"
Seeing that the atmosphere at the table was not right, Liu Dai, who had been eating quietly, slowly put down his chopsticks, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the head of the Murong family, and said, "Master Murong, you said that the people your son encountered a few years ago were bandits. Do you have any evidence?"
Having already swallowed a mouthful of asparagus, Song Qiling lightly bit the tip of her chopsticks, her gaze darting back and forth between the three people beside her.
Murong Xiao suddenly became agitated, and said with a panicked expression, "Of course I saw it with my own eyes. Three years ago, my whole family went on a trip and was attacked on the border of Huaidu. If it weren't for the fact that everyone in my household was skilled in martial arts and managed to repel the bandits, I'm afraid my family members would have all been harmed."
Liu Dai asked with a deep look in his eyes, "Then, sir, did you see clearly what the weapon in the bandit's hand looked like?"
Seemingly surprised that someone would ask such a question, Murong Xiao's expression stiffened slightly. After a moment, he frowned and recalled with difficulty, "It was probably something like a broadsword or axe, and then there were some hook-and-sickle spears for hooking horse legs, as well as ropes and lassos."
"That's strange." Liu Dai's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile. "You were fortunate enough to pull your son out of the river and examine his wounds several times. Coincidentally, your eyesight is still good and your memory is passable."
After saying that, he glanced at Yu Qi and, seeing that he was silent, continued, "The wound runs horizontally half an inch below the young master's chest. The entrance is slit-like, and the edges of the wound are symmetrical and neat without any tearing. It really doesn't look like a blunt weapon from the hands of mountain bandits. It looks more like a vertical stab from a double-edged sword about three feet long. If the mountain bandits only wanted money by kidnapping your young master, why would they go to such lengths to kill him? In my humble opinion, this is clearly a premeditated murder."
Murong Xiao's brow twitched, and he looked at Liu Dai with a pale face: "You know medicine? You know how to examine wounds?"
Liu Dai, with a calm expression, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said frankly, "I am not talented, but I am a disciple of Qingyunxi."
Murong Xiao was speechless.
The one who saved Yu'er was actually a disciple of Qingyunxi... so the matter of the wound must be true.
Thinking this, the man's face darkened instantly. He raised his hand and stroked Yu Qi's right hand, saying, "If my son hadn't come back to life, my family and I would probably have been kept in the dark forever."
Double-sided opening.
Very good, excellent.
If he remembered correctly, the people of Nanyuan were accustomed to using double-edged longswords, and they happened to be traveling with him on that trip three years ago.
Such wolfish ambitions! They even dared to harm his son. What a cruel heart they have!
"Yu'er, I will give you an explanation." Murong Xiao said through gritted teeth.
Yu Qi gave a perfunctory reply, not taking his words to heart. "Father, let's eat. The food will get cold soon."
-
After the meal, although they hadn't eaten much, they felt bloated and sat at the table, speechless.
After a long silence, Liu Dai picked up the teacup in front of him, brought it to his lips and took a sip. After drinking the tea, he said calmly, "Seventh Brother Yu, why don't you tell the truth?"
"What did you say?" Yu Qi leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "You said the person who killed me made me blind?"
He scoffed, "I'm afraid my father will lock me up as if I've lost my mind."
Having listened to the whole story, Song Qiling had a general understanding of it. She remained silent for a long time, digesting the information. Thinking of the madman she had met that morning, she finally pieced together all the entanglements in the story.
She suddenly realized, "So the person who plotted to harm you was your fourth brother, Murong Zheng."
Upon hearing this, Yu Qi looked up and praised Song without reservation, "Brother Song is intelligent."
"Your fourth brother really hates you." She clicked her tongue twice and told him about what happened this morning, expressing her disgust for the twisted brotherly relationship in the Murong family, which made Yu Qi's face turn pale and then red with anger.
"Is that really so? He actually turned his sword against you?" Yu Qi suddenly sat up straight, propped himself up on the table, and stood up as if he was about to go out to seek revenge. "It just so happens that I haven't seen my fourth brother for a long time, so I'll go and meet him."
Judging from his youthful appearance, he doesn't seem to be going for revenge; he looks more like he's rushing to his death.
Liu Dai quickly grabbed his sleeve and advised, "You missed the best opportunity for revenge just now, but now you're in a hurry."
Yu Qi turned to look at Liu Dai and said angrily, "He's already turned against you, how can I swallow this?"
"Just swallow it," Song Qiling comforted him. "We won't be staying at the Murong family for more than a few days. Once I find my master, I should leave this place. But you're all alone in this huge mansion, surrounded by dangers. You really need to find a way to protect yourself."
"Where am I supposed to find a talisman..." the boy muttered to himself, lowering his head and lying back in the chair. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked at Song Qiling.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Song Qiling asked nervously, "What are you doing?"
Yu Qi perked up: "Brother Song, sorcerer Song, you are exceptionally skilled and proficient in talismanic arts. You can surely help me dispel evil spirits and eliminate villains!"
"Come on," Song Qiling rolled her eyes. "I exorcise demons, I don't kill people."
Besides, Murong Zheng is exceptionally skilled, and in terms of physical strength, she is not at a disadvantage. If she were to confront him head-on, it would be tantamount to courting death.
Hearing her say that, the light in Yu Qi's eyes dimmed instantly. "That's really a pity."
It seems he has already given up on himself.
Song Qiling sighed and turned to look at Gu Lianzhou, "Junior brother, it's not good to sit for too long after a meal. Come with me for a walk."
Gu Lianzhou readily agreed.
Seeing this, Yu Qi became anxious again, "Hey, why are you leaving me here again?"
Song and Gu had already stood up and walked outside. Hearing this, Gu Lianzhou turned back and glanced at Yu Qi, "Go to West Street to look for someone."
-
West Street is bustling with activity and traffic.
Shops lined both sides of the street, their cries of vendors filling the air. The aromas of various foods mingled with the scents of sandalwood, agarwood, and musk from the spice shops, creating a hazy, intoxicating atmosphere that made one lose track of time.
It is the vibrant, everyday life of the city that makes one linger and reluctant to leave.
Song Qiling then realized that she had oversimplified things.
Trying to find someone in such a bustling West Street is like looking for a needle in a haystack or trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.
If she fails to find her martial uncle, she will be blinded by the allure of this world.
"Senior brother, let's buy a mirror." Gu Lianzhou stopped next to a vendor, picked up a palm-sized bronze mirror, and turned around to gesture.
When Song Qiling stepped forward, he said, "I've long heard that your natal spirit weapon is a bronze mirror, but I've rarely seen you carry it. I suppose you lost it in the Yin-Yang Stream. Now that we've come across it, let's buy one."
Song Qiling was speechless.
I only mentioned it to him once before, but he still remembers it now.
Speaking of my natal magical artifact, I only used it once before, at the Gu family mansion. Since then...
Song Qiling glanced at her junior brother with a complicated expression, thinking to herself, "Ever since I met you, you unlucky god, every time you appear in a phantom form you are a great demon, which means I haven't had a chance to use my magical weapon."
"Alright." She took the purse from her waist and was about to pay when she saw her junior brother had already put the money into the vendor's hand before her.
"Consider this mirror my compensation to my senior brother." He turned around and handed over the bronze mirror.
Song Qiling looked down at the bronze mirror lying peacefully in her junior brother's palm and suddenly felt a little awkward.
The mirror was printed with a pair of symmetrical phoenixes, each holding a ribbon in its beak, a pattern known as "Phoenix Holding Ribbon." Staring at the unique pattern in silence for a long time, she looked up at her junior brother and said uncertainly, "Junior brother, the mirror you chose seems to be a wedding mirror for men and women."
As she spoke, Song Qiling wished she could bite her tongue off.
Just reach out and take it; why is she being so nosy?
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