Li Sui Town News 7
After hearing Jiang Xizhi's words, Chu Li didn't think too much and followed the mayor who had already taken the lead.
This sudden decision caused dissatisfaction among the others, and they began to murmur. The deputy mayor beside Jiang Xizhi secretly reminded Jiang Xizhi not to do so, but Jiang Xizhi shook his head and disagreed with everyone's opinion.
All of this was seen by Chu Li who was behind him.
She couldn't be sure whether her judgment was correct, but the current disappearance of Maorong was indeed related to the mysterious Youningyuan.
She took a deep breath and clasped her hands at her sides.
Not long after, Jiang Xizhi and others stopped.
The man and everyone else stopped at the main gate of Youningyuan.
Chu Li's gaze passed through the gaps between people and saw a long strip of talisman paper inlaid with golden light on the dusty brown wooden door. The breeze lifted a small corner of it and swayed it.
"Mayor, have you...really thought it through?" The deputy mayor asked worriedly.
Jiang Xizhi's fingertips gently groped each other, without responding to the man beside him. His gaze fixed on the main gate, his face slightly pale, as he waited for someone to stand there, silent and eerie.
After a long moment, Jiang Xizhi seemed to come back to his senses. He nodded politely to Chu Li, then raised his right hand slightly and said, "Torch."
Knowing he couldn't persuade Jiang Xizhi, the deputy mayor shook his head and strode toward the long-dead camphor tree. Beneath the dead tree was a pile of grass, and hidden within it was a handmade torch. The deputy mayor pulled a match from his belt and struck it quickly.
In an instant, the flames filled the entire area.
The deputy mayor handed the torch to Jiang Xizhi.
After Jiang Xizhi took it, he walked straight to the door with the talisman paper on it.
What is this for?
Chu Li frowned slightly, his face full of confusion.
The next second, the torch slowly approached the gate.
The talisman paper that was stuck to the wooden door sensed the scorching temperature and instantly gathered into a ball like plastic. Then, it turned into a thick black mist and dispersed. The mist was mixed with a pungent and unpleasant smell.
The talisman paper disappeared completely, and Jiang Xizhi returned the torch to the deputy mayor.
Then, the man looked at Chu Li and You Chengze.
"Dear guest, please continue to follow me." Jiang Xizhi said.
Chu Li frowned, and thinking of the string of dolls last night, she couldn't help feeling a little scared.
You Chengze, who was behind him, knew Chu Li's fear. He didn't say anything more and walked to Chu Li's side.
Noticing the thick dark shadow beside him, Chu Li suddenly realized that he couldn't give up saving those furry kids just because of the shadow.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and walked towards Jiang Xizhi.
When he got closer, Chu Li noticed the thin traces of sweat on Jiang Xizhi's forehead.
He was also nervous and afraid.
Chu Li's heart beat even faster.
What is it that scares the people in this town so much? Now that she has no furry friends around her, how can she escape if she is in real danger?
With a squeak.
In front of Chu Li, a big hand pushed the door open.
Looking at Jiang Xizhi walking in front, Chu Li made up his mind and followed him in.
The furnishings in Youning Courtyard were exactly the same as what Chu Li saw last night. Her eyes almost instinctively looked up at the eaves.
There, dolls are still hanging on the eaves.
As people got closer to the string of dolls, it seemed to sense the danger and immediately began to sway wildly.
Jiang Xizhi took a calm look, then picked up the torch and lit the torches on both sides of the corridor.
The fire was bright, and the string of dolls above his head stopped making noise.
Under the firelight, Chu Li discovered that the dolls tied with red ropes were actually different. They had no expression on their faces, but had different hairstyles and wore different clothes.
The moment the flame was lit, they became silent as if they had received some tacit instruction. They turned to look at the torch in unison, one on the left and one on the right, in an orderly manner, just like soldiers.
The next moment, Jiang Xizhi raised his hand and gently covered the doll in the middle.
Chu Li took a closer look and suddenly caught a glimpse of the edge of the doll's clothes. A chill immediately ran down her spine. Wasn't this the doll that had led the attack on her last night?
The black hair, the gentle bangs on the forehead, the white long skirt, under the embellishment of the firelight, surprisingly did not have a single scary aura. On the contrary, the doll exuded an inexplicable softness.
"Your Excellency must be very curious about what this doll is." Jiang Xizhi took the initiative to speak.
He stopped stroking and slowly looked at Chu Li, his eyes filled with flames and full of sorrow.
"Yes..." Chu Li replied, "She was the one who attacked me last night."
Suddenly, a burst of laughter was heard.
"The distinguished guest really lied last night."
Chu Li was startled, then realized she had been exposed. She touched her nose. She had something important to do, so she didn't refuse and said, "Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude."
"It's okay. It's not something that can't be said." Jiang Xizhi curled his lips slightly, without any anger after being deceived. He sighed deeply and scanned the string of dolls with a melancholic look. "In fact, these dolls on the head represent a child."
"What did you say?!"
Chu Li exclaimed.
She almost thought she had misheard. She stared at the doll on the roof in a daze for a long time, and suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
child……
This is too scary!
"Don't be afraid, my dear guest," Jiang Xizhi soothed him, and then continued to explain, "Lisui Town has always been famous for its prosperity in Xumi Continent, and therefore attracts many tourists. However, with the increase in the number of people, the town has also frequently seen cases of people going missing. These dolls that your dear guest saw are not real children. It's just that these children have disappeared, and we have no other hope except these dolls."
Chu Li finally understood now. She had thought that these dolls were made from children's bodies, but it turned out that they were made for a purpose.
She was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you ever looked for it?"
"I've looked for them, but they all disappeared mysteriously."
"Just like... my group of spiritual pets?" Chu Li asked.
As soon as the question was asked, Jiang Xizhi did not answer it immediately.
He pursed his lips, his Adam's apple rolling, and spoke after a long while: "Over the years, only children and pets have disappeared, and the distinguished guest is the first one."
This is hardly good news.
Chu Li's expression was serious. Suddenly, he thought of the talisman on the door and asked, "According to what you said, there are no spirit pet summoners in the entire town? But last night, the four sisters of the Lu family told me that the talisman on the door was obtained by you from a spirit pet master."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint laugh sounded in Chu Li's ear.
She looked over and saw Jiang Xizhi curling his lips slightly and saying, "They are not wrong, but this spirit pet summoner is no longer in town."
No longer in town, died?
"Speaking of him, you should have seen him a long time ago."
Jiang Xizhi's words made Chu Li fall into deep thought.
I've seen it before, when was it?
Chu Li's thoughts wandered, and she suddenly remembered the strange words the boatman said to her when she was crossing the river that day. Suddenly, a white light flashed through Chu Li's mind, and her thoughts instantly became clear.
"You mean the boatman?!" she asked in surprise.
Jiang Xizhi nodded: "He is my father."
This news was like a grenade, exploding in Chu Li's heart and shocking her into a daze.
If he was his father, why did he leave Lisui Town, why did he become a boatman, and why didn't he stay with Jiang Xizhi?
Chu Li was bewildered by the string of doubts. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Jiang Xizhi took the initiative to answer, "My father was a pet summoner who protected the town of Lisui. However, due to the repeated disappearances of children, he became a target of controversy, simply because he and his pet failed to fulfill their duty to protect the entire town. Later, my father became so angry that he left behind the talisman paper, said goodbye to my mother and me, and set out alone with his pet to search for the missing children."
When he said this, Jiang Xizhi's eyes turned red and even his voice trembled.
But he still chose to finish the story: "But things didn't go as planned. My father's pet died during the search. My father blamed himself for a long time and couldn't get over it. Later, in order to allow me to smoothly inherit the position of mayor, he took the initiative to remove himself from the position and never set foot in the town again. But he was worried about me and my mother, so he became a ferryman nearby."
After listening to Jiang Xizhi's explanation, Chu Li's thoughts became clearer. No wonder the boatman always looked at the furry girl beside her, and no wonder he always said something inexplicable.
"This talisman is infused with the energy of a spirit pet. It's placed here to protect these children. Once someone gets close, the talisman will create a terrifying illusion. What you saw last night was caused by this talisman." Jiang Xizhi paused, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I'm not stopping you from entering here out of hostility. It's just that this is a place I personally don't want to touch, and I'm afraid the talisman might hurt you, so I sent someone to watch over you. As for the four sisters, I'll have them apologize in person after this is over."
After knowing the whole story, Chu Li felt that he was the most impolite person. Not only did he misunderstand the people in the town, but he also had to come here to expose other people's old injuries.
It's just... quite rude.
"It's okay. This is actually my fault. I was too impulsive."
"It is understandable that your distinguished guest, who loves his spiritual pet so much, may lose his sense of proportion." Jiang Xizhi gave him a faint smile.
Chu Li sighed lightly and said nothing more.
After going through so much trouble and trying again and again, she still couldn't find her spirit pet.
"How did your father find missing children?"
You Chengze, who had been silent for a long time, spoke. His slightly hoarse voice carried in the air, inexplicably revealing a sense of steadiness.
The man opposite was silent for a while, as if he was in deep thought.
After a while, he suddenly raised his eyebrows and said, "It is said that twins have a telepathic connection, and the same is true between spirit pets. Why don't you try to find a spirit pet?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
