Chapter 114 Meeting Point:
Shen Bingsi raised his eyebrows, his expression softening slightly. He reached into his robes and pulled out two jade pendants shaped like pebbles, used for transmitting sound.
Rong Xie was about to take it, but Shen Bingsi dodged his hand and insisted on hanging it up for him herself.
“If you hang up now, I’ll have to take it off when I go to sleep later,” Rong Xie said.
"Hang it up first." Shen Bingsi held Rong Xie's waist with one hand, and with the other hand, she turned the two jade pendants around like she was playing with walnuts. She put one down, held the other, and chose a spot on Rong Xie's side to tie it on.
Rong Xie looked down and saw four jade pendants for transmitting sound on his belt, three on each side and one on the other. Shen Bingsi had hung them on the left side, giving them a large, private space.
"Why are you hanging it here?" Rong Xie asked, both amused and exasperated. "It's not convenient here."
“It’s too crowded over there. What if we grab the wrong one in a crisis?” Shen Bingsi analyzed seriously. “If it’s not convenient, let’s switch them up when we get up tomorrow morning.”
Rong Xie was about to agree when he suddenly realized Shen Bingsi's meaning. It turned out that he had gone through all this trouble just to monopolize the most convenient position for Rong Xie.
"Alright, there are two that we don't need for now, let's put them away." Rong Xie took off the two communication jade pendants used to contact Shen Yan and Wang Mu, leaving only the two he used to communicate with Captain Zhao and Shen Bingsi.
"That's good, that's good." Shen Bingsi beamed with joy.
"Huh?" Rong Xie turned the jade pendant Shen Bingsi had given him over and found that it was engraved with the character "Bing," not his own. "Did I get the wrong one? How come this is..."
Shen Bingsi smiled, pursed her lips, and glanced elsewhere, seemingly admiring something there.
"You took the wrong one, where's mine?" Rong Xie nudged Shen Bingsi.
“I didn’t take the wrong one.” Shen Bingsi turned her head away. “You should rest now. I need to meditate and regulate my breathing. I’m nervous. The person next door will probably overtake me soon.”
Rong Xie had no idea what this was all about; it was probably part of a deeply moving display of friendship. He didn't care, since he could use the communication jade pendant either way; it made no difference.
"Oh, right." Rong Xie took off the jade pendant, folded his outer clothes, lay down on the couch, then sat up and turned around, seeing that Shen Bing Si had really started meditating.
Shen Bingsi opened her eyes: "What's wrong? I haven't entered meditation yet. Do you need me to sleep with you?"
“…No,” Rong Xie pointed to the neatly folded outer garment by the bed, “You can wear this tomorrow. It still has Madam Mei’s scent on it, so it won’t give you away easily.”
"Okay then." Shen Bingsi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Can I take it now?"
"Huh?" Rong Xie didn't understand what he meant. "Take...take it."
Shen Bingsi beamed with joy, untied her long legs from the chair, and like a child who had received a treasure, stepped over, grabbed her coat from the bedside, and hugged it to her chest.
Fortunately, Shen Bingsi didn't bury her head in the sniff, otherwise Rong Xie would have kicked her.
In the latter half of the night, Rong Xie slept exceptionally soundly, not knowing whether it was because he was tired or what, he didn't even have a dream.
It felt like only a short while before dawn broke, and the faint morning light shone through the window paper onto his face.
"Hmm... what time is it?" Rong Xie rubbed his eyes, suddenly woke up, and hurriedly got up to look out the window.
"It's barely dawn, not even past Mao Shi (5-7 AM) yet." Shen Bingsi's voice came from the chair.
Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief and lay back on the bed. He had no doubt about Shen Bingsi's ability to tell the time. Back in Huanxue Manor, Shen Bingsi could hear the bell from the main peak even across so many valleys and mountains. It was no wonder that Shen Bingsi could tell the exact time in the Lu Mansion, where there was a water clock.
"Nothing happened last night, right?" Rong Xie asked.
"No, it's very quiet," Shen Bingsi said.
Rong Xie had heard someone screaming in the middle of the night at the Lu residence last time, but this time there was no sound at all. It must be because Lu Yingqi had returned, and the Lu residence could not cause trouble in front of him.
"Is Lu Yingqi still next door?" Rong Xie asked again.
“Yes, he is still in meditation,” Shen Bingsi replied.
"Alright, let me freshen up, then you transform into my appearance and go out for Lu Yingqi to see. If there are no problems, we can officially begin the operation," Rong Xie instructed.
"OK!"
Half an hour later, everything was ready. Shen Bingsi went next door for a walk and came back to report to Rong Xie. Lu Yingqi didn't realize he was an imposter and even asked him if he wanted to eat breakfast.
Rong Xie felt relieved upon hearing this.
After a while, there was a knock on the study door. Lu Yingqi said from outside that he was going to the old master's room to pay his respects and to ask Rong Xie if he had thought of anything to bring back.
Rong Xie went over and opened the door, telling Lu Yingqi that he didn't need to bring any food, as he didn't have much of an appetite. He then asked Lu Yingqi about his detailed schedule.
Lu Yingqi wasn't quite sure. He went to pay his respects and might stay there. Yesterday's events happened so suddenly that his relatives didn't have a chance to talk to him. Today, they would probably keep him occupied for a while, and by then it would be almost time for the welcome banquet at noon.
“You can act sooner, but not too soon,” Lu Yingqi pondered for a moment, “I will tell you when it is time to start.”
Lu Yingqi doesn't need a sound transmission jade pendant; he can transmit his voice directly within the range that his spiritual sense can perceive.
"Okay," Rong Xie said. "I'll wait for your news here."
After the two made their agreement, Lu Yingqi left, leaving only Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi in the room.
Rong Xie instructed Shen Bingsi to re-establish the barrier, then took out the communication jade pendant and contacted Captain Zhao.
Captain Zhao got up very early and had been waiting for Rong Xie to contact him. Their treasure hunting team stayed in the mountain villages around Qinghe County last night and found out a lot of information.
As Madam Mei had claimed, the Lu family was not as innocent as they had thought. Whenever a new young master or lady was born into the Lu family, children from the surrounding mountain villages would mysteriously disappear for several years afterward. Everyone was saying that the Lu family had stolen the children.
Parents who lost their children would sometimes block the door looking for them, and some actually did find them. It was said that those were children chosen by the Lu family who weren't considered good enough; the children with excellent aptitude were simply lost forever. Besides, the Lu family had the backing of officials from Qinghe County, and the villagers couldn't possibly fight against the government. Whenever a new child was born into the Lu family, everyone could only keep a close eye on their own children and pray for the best.
When Rong Xie heard that someone had actually managed to get their child back from the Lu family, he hurriedly asked Captain Zhao if the children had said what they had seen.
Captain Zhao actually led his team to search. They searched two families. One child was too young to remember anything after being taken away, and the other was mentally challenged and born with a disability.
"The Lu family really knows how to handle things meticulously..." Rong Xie said regretfully.
"But the adults from the next family told us that their child often had nightmares after coming back, muttering things like 'black' and 'well,' and also said that there was a very big flower that would eat children."
Rong Xie was horrified: "Eat children?"
Isn't this a demon with irrefutable evidence?
"Yes, but his child is mentally challenged and often says strange things. It's hard to tell which of his words are true and which are false," Captain Zhao added. "I only told you about the 'well' because I heard them mention it and thought it might be of some reference value."
“Hmm…” Rong Xie pondered. Captain Zhao’s words made sense. The Lu family captured children to train servants, not to feed monsters. If there really was a monster that needed to be fed with children, how evil would that be? The Heavenly Mirror should have shown it long ago.
Regardless, they had to conduct an on-site investigation. Rong Xie temporarily put aside the matter of "flowers eating children" and discussed the action plan with Captain Zhao.
Captain Zhao and his team discovered that the Lu family transported vegetables and fruits from the farm to the manor every day. Today was an important day, and the demand for these ingredients was relatively high. They disguised themselves as people from the surrounding mountain villages to deliver vegetables to the manor, then used magic to conceal their presence. They waited for an opportunity to sneak to the vicinity of the "well" to meet up with Rong Xie and then act together.
“That would be perfect,” Rong Xie said. “You must be careful on the road. If anything happens, please let me know immediately.”
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Rong, don't worry!"
After Captain Zhao finished speaking, he cautiously asked Rong Xie if there had been any unexpected situations, such as an extra person suddenly appearing in the room.
Rong Xie knew he was referring to Shen Bingsi, so he told him that Shen Bingsi was currently impersonating Lu Yingqi in his room, and that if anything unexpected happened, Shen Bingsi would come to help.
Upon hearing this, Captain Zhao was immediately relieved. He made a promise with Rong Xie that they would thoroughly investigate the Lu family's misdeeds and bring justice to the innocent children who had been arrested.
After ending his contact with Captain Zhao, Rong Xie began to wait for news from Lu Yingqi. During this time, Shen Bingsi was restless again and wanted to go with Rong Xie. After all, the case sounded very evil, and there were monsters that ate children. Exorcising demons was Shen Bingsi's forte, so it was unreasonable for Rong Xie not to let him go.
"There's no evidence yet, but once I find it, I'll let you know immediately," Rong Xie said helplessly.
Lu Yingqi's message arrived earlier than expected. Upon receiving it, Rong Xie immediately notified Captain Zhao to begin the operation.
Captain Zhao had already led the core members of the treasure hunting team into the group of villagers delivering vegetables, and they could head to the meeting point at a moment's notice.
After checking the talismans and magical artifacts on his body and tightening the straps on his wrists and calves, Rong Xie changed into a set of easy-to-move clothes, with a windproof hooded cloak over them. He looked dashing and heroic, like a wandering knight-errant.
Seeing Rong Xie dressed like this, Shen Bingsi's face showed a look of longing, and she escorted him all the way to the door of the main house.
"Don't worry, I'll contact you immediately if I encounter any demons or monsters," Rong Xie reassured him. Without looking at Shen Bingsi any longer, he waved his hand with his back to him, and with a soft "bang," Rong Xie's figure disappeared.
Only Shen Bingsi, now transformed into Rong Xie, remained, clinging to the doorframe, gazing resentfully at the spot where the figure had vanished.
With the invisibility talisman affixed, Rong Xie walked along the path of the Lu family with ease. Just as planned, the Lu family members were all drawn to the welcoming banquet, and there was no one on the road. Rong Xie arrived smoothly at the location of the "well" and waited for Captain Zhao and the others to arrive.
Strangely, after waiting and waiting, not a single person came into view.
Feeling uneasy, Rong Xie contacted Captain Zhao again.
Thankfully, the call was connected quickly.
Captain Zhao asked anxiously, his voice low, "Fellow Daoist Rong, where are you? We've already reached the building with the circular wall."
"What?" Rong Xie immediately looked around. "I'm here too, how come I don't see you?"
"They might not be on the same side; this wall is huge." Captain Zhao seemed to be saying as he walked. "Fellow Daoist Rong, don't move, we're coming to find you."
"Are you going to go left or right?" Rong Xie asked.
"Turn right."
“Okay, then I’ll go left,” Rong Xie said. “That will be faster.”
They thought the two sides would meet soon, but after wandering around for a long time, they still hadn't seen a single person.
"What's going on? We've gone all the way back to where we started, and we still haven't seen you!" Captain Zhao's voice was clearly getting anxious.
Rong Xie pondered for a moment and said, "This place is very strange; we must not be careless."
"What do we do now?" Captain Zhao asked. "Why don't we just go up the wall and take a look? No matter what kind of maze is below, we'll figure it out once we get up there!"
“Wait,” Rong Xie called out to Captain Zhao, “the closer we get to the ‘well,’ the greater the danger might be—is Linglong’s eagle-headed falcon still there?”
Captain Zhao was taken aback, but quickly realized: "Yes, we can ask Ah Ying to go up and take a look. How could we forget about this... Linglong!"
The voice transmission jade pendant carried the conversation between Captain Zhao and Linglong. After a while, Captain Zhao said, "Fellow Daoist Rong, Aying has already flown up. You stay where you are and see if Aying can find you."
"Okay—" Rong Xie looked up. The sun was shining brightly today, unlike winter. A black dot suddenly appeared in the blue sky and white clouds. The dot grew bigger and bigger. Rong Xie gripped the communication jade pendant tightly. "It's here. I see A-Ying."
The eagle-headed falcon flapped its wings and landed on Rong Xie's shoulder. As if it knew he was using the jade pendant to contact its owner, it tilted its head and leaned close to the pendant, letting out a "caw" sound.
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[Pigeon]: We've arrived!
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