Chapter 62 A Night of Horror:
Standing outside the door was a hunched old woman, dressed in dark clothes, wrapped up from head to toe, with only her face showing.
The old woman's face was somewhat deformed, with one eye larger than the other. When she looked at people, she always turned her face to the side, as if she were spying on or scrutinizing something, and the malice in her eyes was undisguised.
When Rong Xie met her gaze, he felt as if he had been stabbed with a knife.
"Madam, may I ask who you are...?" Rong Xie asked politely.
The old woman acted as if she hadn't heard, looked Rong Xie up and down, and then turned and left.
Rong Xie watched the old woman's retreating figure with a puzzled expression.
What's going on here?
In fact, it wasn't just this old woman. Ever since Rong Xie entered the Lu family, he had felt that there were prying eyes everywhere. Along the way, the servants and guards he met would stare at Rong Xie, and then turn their gaze away when he looked over.
This made Rong Xie very uncomfortable. Unlike the spying and gossip of the Shen family, everything in the Lu family was done in secret. In the deathly silent mansion, everyone was lifeless. No wonder Lu Yinglin envied the young people of the Shen family.
Later that evening, Lu Yinglin returned.
Lu Yinglin looked exhausted. He forced a smile when he saw Rong Xie, then returned to the main house, took off his outer robe, and sat down at the tea table.
Rong Xie poured him a bowl of calming soup.
Lu Yinglin took a sip and felt the warmth comforting him: "Where did this come from?"
Lu Yinglin knew that the Lu family kitchen would never prepare these things for him.
“This is a prescription I made myself. It can calm the mind and soothe the nerves…” Rong Xie wanted to say that Shen Bing Si often had headaches when she was hindered in breaking through her cultivation realm, and drinking this would help her. But after thinking about it, he realized there was no need to say such things, so he said, “This is very effective for someone who has headaches and insomnia.”
“Great, this is exactly what I need. How much is Junior Brother Rong’s prescription? I’ll buy it,” Lu Yinglin said.
“No need, Young Master Lu, if you need it, I can just write it down,” Rong Xie said with a smile.
“How can that be? Everything has value, especially this recipe that you painstakingly prepared. I can’t just take it for free,” Lu Yinglin said seriously.
"Consider it a return gift for letting me stay here," Rong Xie said with a smile. "Doesn't Young Master Lu often say that relationships are only strong when people owe each other something? If you buy it off with money, what's the point of having any dealings?"
Lu Yinglin looked at Rong Xie with some surprise: "Junior Brother Rong has a good memory! He even learned my most secret skills. What should I do? I really envy Sword Saint Shen for having such a understanding person like Junior Brother Rong by his side."
Rong Xie smiled and sat down on the chair next to him.
He had only intended to comfort Lu Yinglin when he saw him troubled, but seeing how quickly he recovered and even started making witty remarks, he stopped talking.
"How's your shoulder? Did you apply a hot compress?" Lu Yinglin asked with concern.
"I've applied the ointment, and she's much better now." Rong Xie suddenly remembered the old woman and told Lu Yinglin about it.
Lu Yinglin's expression changed slightly, then he said with a wry smile, "They're still the same. So many years have passed, and they haven't changed at all."
"them?"
“Yes, it’s them, the Lu family, from the old patriarch and the patriarch, to the servants, guards, maids and old women, they are all like that.” Lu Yinglin sighed, “When I was in the main hall, they found out about your appearance and background. They knew you were someone close to Shen Jiansheng, so they wouldn’t make things difficult for you.”
"This..." Rong Xie originally didn't want to ask about the Lu family's affairs, but after hearing what Lu Yinglin said, he suddenly felt like his clothes had been stripped off. The prying eyes he had felt along the way were real, and it wasn't just Rong Xie's imagination.
However, the Shen family members also gossip about these things. If Shen Bingsi brings back a complete stranger she has never met before, the Shen family members will also talk about this person and try to dig out his background and ancestors—but they don't have that ability.
“They might just be concerned about you,” Rong Xie said.
Lu Yinglin gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“If I weren’t surnamed Lu, I would also like to move out of here,” Lu Yinglin sighed.
Rong Xie looked at him in surprise.
"Alright, let's get some rest," Lu Yinglin said. "I have to go to the Qinghe County government office early tomorrow morning. Once my business is done, we can wander around and have some fun. Qinghe is a pretty nice place."
Seeing that he was unwilling to talk about family matters, Rong Xie did not ask any further questions, got up to say goodbye, and went back to her room to rest.
The Lu residence was very quiet at night, without a sound.
Rong Xie sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room, taking out the communication jade pendant and stroking it.
After Shen Bingsi left last night, Rong Xie contacted Shen Yan and told him that Shen Bingsi had returned and that they should be prepared. Shen Bingsi might be very angry, so it was best for them not to provoke him. At this time, it was best to go to sleep, or even pretend to be asleep.
Shen Yan agreed to all of them.
Rong Xie didn't have the energy to say anything more at the time, and that was the end of their contact.
I wonder if Shen Bingsi has gone back yet, and how Shen Yan and the others are doing now.
As I pondered, a scream suddenly broke the silence of the night, followed by a series of mournful cries.
Rong Xie was startled and froze on the spot.
If you listen carefully, the crying has disappeared.
Rong Xie hesitated for a moment, then stood up, went to the window, and opened it a crack.
From the outside, all that could be seen was Lu Yinglin's courtyard. The autumn moonlight shone coldly on the ground, the courtyard was deserted, and the main house was pitch black. Lu Yinglin must have been resting.
Rong Xie closed the window and checked each of the window latches and door bolts to make sure they were all in place before returning to the bedside.
The next morning, Rong Xie got up early, got ready, and waited for Lu Yinglin to come out.
Lu Yinglin yawned as he pushed open the door and came out. He was taken aback when he saw Rong Xie standing neatly dressed at the bottom of the steps.
Rong Xie said that he wanted to go to the Qinghe County Government Office with Lu Yinglin.
"You're going too? You might have to wait there for an hour or two."
Rong Xie nodded firmly.
“Alright,” Lu Yinglin was happy to have Rong Xie accompany him. “Wait a moment, I’ll pack up.”
After an incense stick had burned, Lu Yinglin, dressed in new clothes, came out of the main house, opened his folding fan with a "whoosh," shook it, and asked Rong Xie, "How is it?"
Rong Xie nodded: "Young Master Lu is a handsome young man, and he looks good in anything. However, wouldn't this outfit be too flashy for going to the government office?"
"Official business is secondary; entertaining important clients is the main thing," Lu Yinglin said with a smile.
Rong Xie knew that he couldn't get rid of his habit of making witty remarks.
The two came out of the courtyard. The carriage was parked at the side gate; it was still a distance to walk there.
The Lu residence began to stir in the morning, with people occasionally seen moving between the courtyard walls.
The morning light shone on the white walls and green tiles, illuminating everything clearly. Only then could Rong Xie see the original appearance of the Lu Mansion, and his discomfort was slightly relieved.
"How did you sleep last night?" Lu Yinglin asked with concern.
"Hmm, it's alright." Rong Xie still didn't mention hearing the strange noise. After all, he was about to leave, and it was best not to meddle in other people's family affairs.
"That's good." Lu Yinglin said with a smile.
A moment later, the two passed through the narrow passage between the high courtyard walls and arrived at the carriage located next to the side gate.
Rong Xie got into the carriage first, and Lu Yinglin gave some instructions to his servants before getting into the carriage as well.
The wheels rolled forward, shimmering over the bluestone slabs.
Rong Xie lifted the small curtain at the carriage window and looked out. Although the layout of the Lu mansion was strange, the straight passage between the outer and inner walls for people to pass through quickly was the same. Most large mansions would adopt this layout to facilitate the passage of servants and to quickly mobilize firefighters in case of fire.
Along this straight path, there were small doors at intervals leading into the courtyard. Rong Xie looked at them one by one, and each small door led to the same narrow blue stone path, with high courtyard walls on both sides...
Suddenly, he saw two servants carrying something out of a courtyard. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Rong Xie still saw two bluish feet swaying in the air.
Rong Xie's heart clenched, and he instinctively called out, "Stop the car."
The carriage slowed down.
"What's wrong?" Lu Yinglin asked. "Did you forget something?"
“No…” Rong Xie hesitated, “I think I just saw a dead person, should we go and ask about it?”
Lu Yinglin's expression froze slightly, but he quickly regained his smile: "How could there be a dead person? You must be mistaken. Driver, don't stop, keep going."
Rong Xie frowned.
Whether in the cultivation world or the mortal realm, human life is a matter of utmost importance. Even in such a grand mansion, where servants have signed indentures, the sudden death of someone still requires an investigation by the government.
When Lu Yinglin heard that someone had died, his first reaction was not to be surprised or get out of the car to check the situation. Instead, he acted as if nothing had happened and told the driver to hurry up and leave. This reaction was definitely not normal.
Perhaps it was Rong Xie's gaze that was too oppressive, for Lu Yinglin finally sighed and said, "There's no need to look, they're just putting on a show for me."
"...?" Rong Xie was puzzled. Were they... referring to the Lu family? Why was the Lu family doing this for Lu Yinglin's benefit?
Lu Yinglin shook his head, and only after the carriage drove out of the Lu residence did he begin to explain.
"You might think I'm just talking without understanding the situation, but if I had a choice, I would rather be born into the Shen family than into the Lu family," Lu Yinglin said, his gaze slightly unfocused, as if looking into an unknown distance. "Every member of the Lu family is firmly controlled by them from the moment they are born. Everything is done according to their plans. Those without spiritual roots are fine, but those with spiritual roots are guarded like their property. When to take the spiritual root test, when to join one of the three major sects, what talents to display after entering the sect, and which elder to attract the favor of—everything is planned in advance. To ensure that you follow their plans, they will place a page by your side."
Rong Xie thought to himself, this routine sounds familiar, but the Shen family doesn't have that kind of strong execution ability, and Shen Bingsi is not as easy to control as ordinary younger generations. In addition, with his careful selection, the servants sent by the Shen family have completely become his own people.
"Doesn't it sound absurd? Someone like me, who left the Xuantian Sect long ago and has been wandering around on my own for ages, an old man like me, they actually want to control me with such methods?" Lu Yinglin shook his head and smiled bitterly. "But as you can see, as long as they are willing to spend a lot of money, threaten me, and scare my friends, they can always put a servant boy by my side. Then I will have to obey their plans and will have no freedom left."
"..." Rong Xie understood why Lu Yinglin wouldn't let him stop, but those blue feet... were they really just something the Lu family was pretending to do to scare people?
"Don't worry, even though they're crazy, they won't go too far for the sake of the Lu family's reputation," Lu Yinglin said, as if he could see through Rong Xie's thoughts. "If I waver because of this, or if you doubt me because of this, then we'll be playing right into their hands."
Rong Xie looked at Lu Yinglin. In all the time he had been away, he had never felt such a chilling sensation. Should he trust Lu Yinglin?
With such a solid and reliable background as the Golden Coin Sect, the Profound Heaven Sect, and the Yuanbao Auction House, Lu Yinglin should be trustworthy. However, isn't the Lu family behind Lu Yinglin also a powerful family that has nurtured one talented young person after another?
Well, it's not a long-term relationship for them anyway. Once the auction is over, they might not keep in touch anymore. Does it really matter whether I believe it or not? I'd better not meddle in other people's business.
Rong Xie lowered his eyes.
The car swayed and then came to a stop. We had arrived at the Qinghe County Government Office.
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