Outside the mansion, a man dressed in plain cloth and looking like a servant opened the door, his face revealing a bit of nervousness and caution. When he saw Xiao Ning and the other two slowly approaching, he hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously:
"May I ask what you three are doing here?"
The man's voice was a little low, as if he was afraid of causing any unnecessary trouble. Seeing this, Yun Yao smiled slightly, raised her hand and gently took out an envelope from the ring, and explained in a gentle manner:
"We are disciples of the Shenxiao Sect. This is a letter written by your Patriarch Sikong Qing to our Sect Master."
The man took the envelope and carefully examined the words and seal on it. When he saw that the envelope was indeed stamped with his master's special seal, his eyes immediately lit up and his face showed excitement.
"So you are the immortal from the Shenxiao Sect! Please come in, please come in! I will report to the master right away!"
The man's attitude became unusually respectful. He quickly welcomed the three people into the mansion and led them through the spacious courtyard and corridors.
The environment in the mansion was very pleasant, with green trees, flourishing flowers and plants, and a faint fragrance in the air. The mansion covered a large area, with pavilions and towers scattered in an orderly manner. It was obvious that the owner of the mansion was of great status. However, for Xiao Ning and the other two, such a scene was not particularly new.
Xia Ling was born into a wealthy merchant family, and her background and strength were no less than that of the owner of this mansion. Although Yun Yao was an orphan, she had seen a lot of the world under Bai Ziyun's careful teaching, and was not impressed by everything in front of her.
As for Xiao Ning, his identity was even more extraordinary, so he would not be surprised by these things. The three of them walked through the corridor and finally came to a spacious and bright courtyard.
Before the three of them walked in, a middle-aged man with a big belly walked up to them with heavy steps and shouted loudly.
"Three immortals, you are finally here! I am Sikong Qing, and I am sorry for not coming in person to welcome you!"
Yun Yao smiled, clasped her fists and bowed slightly to Sikong Qing, performing a standard hand-over ceremony. Her movements were not at all sloppy, nor did she say the usual polite words, but she got straight to the point and said:
"Master Sikong, hello! My name is Yun Yao, and these two are my junior brothers and sisters, Xia Ling and Xiao Ning. Let's not beat around the bush, just speak directly."
Yun Yao's words surprised Si Kong Qing. He originally thought that this woman in her early twenties would exchange a few pleasantries first and then slowly get to the point. However, Yun Yao was so resolute and decisive that he couldn't help but look at her differently.
However, since Yun Yao had already made it clear, Si Kong Qing no longer hesitated. He coughed and explained the situation directly:
"Well, Fairy Yun, this is what happened. Recently, there have been several cases of monsters injuring people in our mansion. Two maids have unfortunately died, and a servant has been injured. Now the whole mansion is in a panic."
Hearing the word "demon beast", Xiao Ning's expression suddenly became solemn. He asked doubtfully: "Demon beast? We are in the city, how could there be a monster beast?"
Sikong Qing nodded slightly, indicating his approval of Xiao Ning's question.
"Yes, it was indeed the work of a monster. According to the surviving servant, it was a medium-sized monster with a mouth full of fangs, similar to a wolf but not a wolf, and as fast as lightning. When the servant encountered the monster, he rushed into the house quickly and was lucky enough to save his life. That is why I specially invited you all to come here to discuss countermeasures."
After understanding what happened, the three of them were silent and lost in thought. After a moment, Yun Yao took the lead in breaking the silence and asked again.
"When does this monster usually appear?"
Sikong Qing thought for a moment and replied, "The first two times the maids were killed, the coroner inferred that their time of death was midnight. The third time, it was at yin hour. Basically, they all happened in the middle of the night."
Yun Yao then asked, "So, are there any special items left at the scene? Like hair, teeth, etc.?"
Sikong Qing shook his head helplessly and said: "No such items were found at the scene. Apart from the bodies of the victims, there were no other remains."
Yun Yao lowered her head slightly, thinking about how these clues were connected. At this moment, a light sound of footsteps came, gently brushing past everyone's ears.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a slender figure slowly walking out of the house. It was a woman in a red cheongsam, her steps were light and graceful, like a dancing butterfly. She had a white fox fur coat draped over her shoulders, which made her figure even more graceful and elegant.
The moment Sikong Qing saw her, a smile appeared on his lips. He quickly stepped forward and introduced her to Yun Yao and the other three:
"This is my concubine, Lin. Her name is Qiao'er. Qiao'er, come and meet the three immortals."
Hearing this, Lin Qiaoer raised her head, and her almond-shaped eyes slightly opened, as clear and moving as autumn water. Her gaze first fell on Yun Yao, then slowly swept over the other two, and finally lowered her eyes, bowed, and said softly:
"I have met three immortals."
Yun Yao stared at the woman in front of her. She had a petite figure but a pretty face, picturesque eyebrows and eyes, and skin whiter than snow.
However, the fiery red cheongsam seemed somewhat out of place on her, as if the bright color did not match her gentle temperament.
Yun Yao pondered in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She just nodded lightly, as a response to Lin Qiao'er's greeting. Then, she turned the topic to Si Kongqing and continued to ask about the monster.
However, despite Yun Yao's detailed questions, Si Kong Qing's answers were vague and he did not get any substantial clues. After some conversation, Yun Yao finally decided to stay in the mansion for a while to further investigate the whereabouts of the monster.
Sikong Qing nodded in understanding, then turned around and told the servant beside him to take them to the guest room to rest. After Yun Yao and Xia Ling thanked him, they were about to turn around and leave, but suddenly noticed that Xiao Ning was standing there, like a sculpture, motionless.
His eyes were like torches, fixed directly on the woman named Lin Qiao'er, as if he was attracted by her beauty and completely forgot everything around him. Yun Yao couldn't help but feel unhappy when he saw this.
She walked quickly to Xiao Ning's side, stretched out her right hand, and pinched his thigh mercilessly. He heard a scream of "Ah", and the sound was like a pig being slaughtered, echoing in the silent hall.
Xiao Ning was awakened by the sudden pain. He turned his head sharply and looked at Yun Yao with a wronged look on his face. However, what greeted him was Yun Yao's kind smile and her cold words:
"Ning'er, it's time to go."
After that, Yun Yao didn't care whether Xiao Ning was willing or not, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the yard. Only Si Kongqing and Lin Qiao'er were left, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened.
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