A letter of peace on the 20th
Miss Yang said that Zhang Ri'an's last letter to her mentioned the Meng family's pharmacy in Huangquan Market. At that time, Meng and Yang were not yet engaged, but their families had already expressed interest in the matter, and Yang Qingmei was hesitant about how to tell Zhang Ri'an about this.
Zhang Ri'an's letter merely mentioned the Meng family's unusual effectiveness in their rejuvenation pills, expressing his skepticism and wishing to experience them if given the chance. Yang Qingmei had met him privately a few times, their cultivation levels similar, and their destinations relatively close, though they had never been to the Huangquan Market.
Due to matters concerning the Meng family, Yang Qingmei did not make the trip. However, Zhang Ri'an had not written to her since then, and it had been about three months since then.
Yang Qingmei carried the last letter with her, took it out from her body and handed it to Lu Yinche. The latter took a look at it and found that the handwriting on it was clear and elegant, and it really showed some traces of a handsome young man.
The words and sentences were not overly explicit, and the lines were filled with warmth, as if someone was sincerely sharing what they saw and heard with a friend. They described daily life, and it was easy to see the intimacy. Yang Qingmei explained a little embarrassedly, saying that she had taken the first one, which contained a sentimental note, and it should have nothing to do with the business.
Lu Yinche didn't insist on watching it.
Who hasn't been in love yet...
Well, even if he has never been in a relationship, he has a Taoist partner, and she is the witness of heaven and ranked first in the marriage stone. Isn’t that amazing?
Looking at it this way, Zhang Ri'an's mention of the rejuvenation pill seemed rather abrupt. He'd just mentioned carving a bamboo flute for Yang Qingmei and playing it for her someday, and then he'd start talking about this thing. He'd then gone to experience the rejuvenation pill, and the letter ended with a ghost story that had no beginning or end.
This is a local story of Yaocheng.
It is said that before the Tianmu Festival, people would go to the Niangniang Temple outside the city to worship. Later, a new temple was built in the city, and the statues of gods in the old temple were brought back. As a result, the place became sparsely populated and gradually became dilapidated.
The rumor of the ghost bride first came from there. Someone who went there to worship encountered a ghost while walking at night, which made the place even more deserted.
Lu Yinche's eyes moved slightly, and he asked her about the location of the temple. However, Yang Qingmei grew up in a large courtyard, and the most special thing about her was that she had come here. She had never been there, so she could only answer the approximate direction.
"The direction is correct..." Lu Yinche muttered to himself, "But I don't see any temple. If it's that ghost, Qi Shu will be able to deal with it."
Xie Juncun turned his head and asked him, "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you later."
But if people don't go there, the ghost bride will come to your door.
Every now and then, girls in the city would break out, their faces breaking out in red rashes that would later transform into handprint-like scars, savagely covering most of their faces. People said these were the ghost bride's chosen replacements—they wouldn't live long and would bring disaster to those around them.
The ghost bride died unexpectedly on her way to get married, and her resentment lingered, so she became a fierce ghost. The only way to break the curse is to fulfill her long-cherished wish and personally serve as her bride in the Niangniang Temple outside the city.
But are there really such patients? What happens if you become a substitute bride? Is it necessary to go to the Niangniang Temple outside the city?
There was nothing written in Zhang Ri'an's letter.
He seemed to have picked up a rural rumor from somewhere, copied it word for word onto the letter paper, and thus completed his task.
There wasn't even a closing greeting, and the signature was obviously written hastily.
He is in a hurry.
Lu Yinche read ten lines at a glance, then handed it to Xie Juncun, who glanced at it and returned it to Yang Qingmei.
A little suspicious.
But these alone are not enough to make a person suspect that the other person is not himself. How can it not be a change of heart or a sudden breakup?
Yang Qingmei, aware of his doubts, explained that she hadn't been able to contact Zhang Ri'an since the letters stopped. It wasn't until the day of the Queen Mother's welcoming banquet, when Zhang Ri'an was changing clothes at halftime, that she finally managed to get a chance. However, since he wasn't alone, she couldn't explain too clearly, so she pretended to meet him by chance and asked a few indifferent questions.
Zhang Ri'an treated her very well, even very kindly, not at all like a sister or close friend with whom he had little contact—a stark contrast to his past behavior in public. On the contrary, he was completely clueless about some of the things Yang Qingmei mentioned, such as the bamboo flute he had personally carved for her in the letter, and even made the ridiculous claim that he couldn't play the flute.
"Maybe he is lying to you." Xie Juncun said calmly.
Yang Qingmei shook her head.
"If all of this can be explained, then what about this?" She held up the gold lock. "Yuening has one too. She showed it to me. It was made by their father himself, and it's used on a palm-sized box. Inside the box is a token of the Zhang family, half for each person."
"Why did this end up outside? Why did it end up in the pawnshop? If I hadn't gone to Zhang's pawnshop for some reason, I wouldn't have seen this."
Yang Qingmei said that the gold button itself was not valuable, but it had a special symbolic meaning.
She couldn't help but suspect that the Zhang Ri'an who appeared in front of everyone now was not the real Zhang Ri'an at all.
However, her cultivation was limited, and due to her recent engagement, it was inconvenient for her to meet with Master Zhang privately, so she was unable to confirm whether he had been possessed by someone else or simply switched.
She was lucky enough to see the gold button in the pawnshop. It was probably based on her vague impression and the clerk's incoherent description of Lu Denghe that she followed the four of them when they walked out of the restaurant.
He also chose Lu Denghe's group at first sight.
She asked them to help her find out the truth, and everything she had could be exchanged for it.
Not to mention how much this girl can give, Lu Yinche is not that interested in the gold, silver and treasures of mortals. As for reputation, doing such a good deed is like sprinkling a handful of flour on a mountain of coal.
He now has the image of a demon king, and I don’t know whether the demon cultivators are jealous or not.
In the final analysis, Yang Qingmei was attracted by their outsider status, and it was probably unrelated to the chaotic situation in the ghost cave. And——
"I have a question, why are you looking for us?" Lu Yinche took the lock, still smiling, but his eyes were stern.
He can tell if someone is lying.
Yang Qingmei also knew that if her answer was incorrect, everything she had said before might be in vain. She swallowed her saliva and replied calmly, "Senior, I know you are from Cheng Xiao Sect, and I also know what you are looking for. That person's death is also related to what I am investigating. You called him Rat."
The clothes on Xie Juncun were the sect uniform of Cheng Xiaozong. Although inconspicuous, those who paid close attention could still find a pattern of twelve intertwined swords on the corner of the robe, which was the emblem of Cheng Xiaozong.
Lu Yinche remembered that he had once asked people from Cheng Xiaozong what the emblem meant, and the answers he got were all different. In the end, he concluded that it was a free creation of a certain leader.
Truly a masterpiece.
Before coming to the black market, he had asked Xie Juncun if he wanted to change clothes, but the latter replied that he didn't need to. He didn't know why Wei Qi, who had clearly stated that he hadn't officially become a disciple, was so saturated with the Cheng Xiao Sect's influence that he felt embarrassed to try too hard to poach them.
Some people's sects not only don't have multiple members, but also don't have the money to provide school uniforms.
Alas, it’s useless to laugh at the fact that Cheng Xiao Sect is short of funds.
Hearing Yang Qingmei mention the rat, Lu Yinche concealed his surprise well. Instead, he smiled and patted Xie Juncun on the shoulder: "You are talking about his sect, but I am not from the Chengxiao Sect. Sorry, this young man's only task now is to be my bodyguard. If I say go, I go. If I say not to go, I don't go. Is that right?"
Xie Juncun said without hesitation: "Yes."
Lu Yinche liked his cooperation and smiled: "Miss Yang, my answer is no."
Actually refused.
Yang Qingmei was puzzled: "Why, don't you want to know how the mouse died?"
Lu Yinche stared at her: "Oh? You know?"
Did you know he was dead?
In the eyes of ordinary people, the mouse is still living as usual. To say that he is dead means that his soul is destroyed. Xie Qiaosheng has to use his spiritual power to investigate this to discover it. How could Yang Qingmei, who is at the Foundation Establishment stage, know this?
Yang Qingmei nodded. "I know a little bit. There are many people like him in the city." She looked around nervously. "I'm afraid this city will soon be filled with only zombies and good-for-nothings."
Lu Yinche was somewhat interested.
Yang Qingmei looked nervous. This was her bargaining chip.
"You need to find Ri An. He told me everything. He knows everything. The Zhang family doesn't want to do this anymore. They want to get out, but there's no way."
Lu Yinche relented at the right moment and made a simple vow: "I will do my best to help you find the truth about Zhang Ri'an."
Xie Juncun was somewhat dissatisfied with his sudden vow, but after hearing such broad and loose content, he did not stop him. Yang Qingmei could only believe that the heavens would bear witness to the monks' oaths, even if they were in the dark and gloomy Huangquan Market.
She told them that Zhang Ri'an had mentioned in a previous letter that the Meng family had visited the Zhang family several times before his father's death. Zhang Ri'an had initially thought that the request was for Meng Suo, the young master of the Meng family who didn't even understand the art of elixirs, to marry his sister Zhang Yuening. Later, when he heard it was a business matter, he relaxed and wrote a joke to Yang Qingmei about it.
What business?
Besides pawnshops, the Zhang family's main business is mining, with several mines under their control, and they also have interests in jewelry. The Meng family, on the other hand, has focused on medicinal herbs for many years, becoming Xizhou's largest supplier, even producing several rare medicinal herbs. In recent years, they have hired many outstanding alchemists and started selling finished medicines, surpassing the Zhang family among the four great families.
The business they were discussing was the intersection of the two, using minerals as medicine.
Zhang Ri'an didn't say what kind of mineral it was. Things like cinnabar and magnetite were very common, so Yang Qingmei didn't ask any more questions.
Later, Zhang Ri'an mentioned the Meng family again, this time mentioning that their new alchemist was actually a powerful Yuanying Perfected cultivator. Yang Qingmei didn't find it surprising. Yaocheng was a large city after all, and the Qin family had at least a handful of Yuanying Perfected guests. The other three families also had one or two reliable supporters.
Zhang Ri'an later told her during a meeting that this man was originally from Dongzhou, but had been hunted down and came to Yaocheng, where he had changed his appearance and lived in hiding. He warned Yang Qingmei to avoid him if she met him anywhere.
Yang Qingmei was still laughing. She had to deal with family affairs. She had adopted Yue Ning to settle accounts. How could she run into her? What did she have to do with her?
Zhang Ri'an looked serious.
He said that the Meng family took this man in as a retainer because he had been a pharmacist.
In ancient times, devout believers offered themselves as sacrifices, becoming medicine men to the gods. This kind of legend is inherently a carrier of blood and death.
Simply put, it is to refine people into medicine. When the medicine is ready, the person looks normal, with consciousness and mind intact, but he or she has to be chewed and swallowed voluntarily.
But no matter how successful the brainwashing is, there will be an instinctive resistance at the moment of death. It is the so-called desire to survive that will cause the previous years of medicine refining to fail.
Some heretical theories believe that this is because the soul of the medicine man is "not pious enough", and that the soul must be dissociated with drugs, and after being tempered in various ways, it must be injected back into the body using secret methods, so that the man can forget his past and be ready to die. The chance of success is one in a thousand, which is so devastating.
Are people still human?
As early as when Lu Yinche was just learning to speak, making medicine men was the most evil magic. Even the most sinister demon cultivators had to consider their own strengths before taking action.
As soon as these words fell, Lu Yinche stopped laughing. He held Xie Juncun's hand and said to Yang Qingmei, "It's not safe for you to know this."
Yang Qingmei seemed to have only a vague understanding of the medicine man, and a look of worry crossed her face. "It's my fault that my cultivation was so shallow that I didn't understand what kind of evil thing it was. I only agreed with Ri'an that if possible, we would leave Yaocheng and visit the northern border, but we didn't leave immediately. Now the wedding date is set, and I will be marrying someone else soon, but Ri'an's whereabouts are unknown, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to go."
Yang Qingmei's cultivation was limited, making her no different from a lamb in the Huangquan Market, so they agreed on how to find her. She went back to collect Zhang Ri'an's old letters to see if there were any new discoveries.
Lu Yinche asked her for the lock as a token of his visit, and waved his hand to leave when she asked, "I don't know yet, what are the two seniors' names?"
Lu Yinche paused and glanced at Xie Juncun, who nodded. He then answered for him. When it was his turn, he turned around and asked, "What pseudonym do you think I should choose?"
Xie Juncun: ...
Are you being a little too loud?
Lu Yinche burst out laughing: "Okay, don't have such a bitter and vengeful expression. I'm just not good at naming, otherwise, ..."
He turned his head and smiled at Yang Qingmei: "You can call me 'Yan Beifang'. The mountains are high and the rivers are long. Maybe one day, we can really meet again in the northern border!"
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