Chapter 75 The Escape is Very Mysterious
"I'm very busy. You heard what I just said. My brother is here, so I can't spare any time."
"Is that so? Would it be alright if the shopkeeper's elder brother also came along?"
"No, we're not related, it's probably not appropriate."
"In that case, I have been presumptuous."
Sun Chengjian lowered his head slightly, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.
"We're closing up shop."
The words of dismissal were almost spoken aloud, so Sun Chengjian could only cup his hands in farewell and say, "I shall take my leave."
After everyone left, Jiang Yuzhi closed the door, and Di Ting, who was nestled to the side, slowly opened its eyes.
"Zhizhi, do I look sick?" Her resentful and puzzled expression, coupled with her dull white fur, made her look malnourished if it weren't for its fluffy texture.
“Of course not,” Jiang Yuzhi quickly rubbed it. Ah, it wasn’t fluffy, it was solid. “Alright, alright, he doesn’t even know you, he’s just talking nonsense. How can we believe him? Come on, Brother Xie is still waiting for us behind us.”
Jin Xiaohua was gently woken up while rubbing her eyes. She then reached into the mouth of the child who was still chewing on the cloth strip while his eyes were closed and pulled it out.
She followed behind her older sister in a daze, and didn't forget to take the place of Diting and help lead Chichi.
Fortunately, after returning from the festivities in the afternoon, Madam Zhou listened to Jiang Yuzhi's advice and went to the Jiang residence to see her son first.
Otherwise, if someone suddenly appears in the courtyard, it might frighten Zhou Niangzi into illness.
Xie Bi'an waited patiently in the study for a long time.
The study in the shop has been rarely used since Jiang Yuzhi moved out.
No matter how diligently Zhou Niangzi cleaned, there was still a smell of dust in the air.
Xie Bi'an stared blankly for a moment as he looked at the large group of non-humans who were slowly entering.
"Golden Little Flower, the spirit of the golden thread."
Jiang Yuzhi gave a brief introduction to Xie Bi'an, the only person she had never met before.
Xie Bi'an didn't have time to ask any more questions at the moment; he had more important things to tell him.
"Zhao Qingyun has run away; his background is not simple."
"They ran away?" Jiang Yuzhi's expression immediately turned solemn.
She could name only two people in the mortal realm who had any connection with Zhao Qingyun without even having to think about it.
One was herself, and the other was Zhou Yong, who was now Zhao Pingfeng and was being held captive in the Jiang residence.
Tonight, Madam Zhou is going to visit her son!
"Brother Xie, Madam Zhou has gone home, and Zhao Pingfeng is alone now. It was my carelessness. I need to go back now! Otherwise, the others at home..."
Di Ting knew Jiang Yuzhi was anxious, and soothingly rubbed its head against her leg, "Don't worry, Yuzhi, I'll go back and check first. Everything will be alright."
"No need. He was able to escape from the underworld by taking advantage of the moment when the Great Emperor went up and squeezing into a hole that appeared in the barrier at some unknown time. After serving his sentence in hell for many years, his vital energy was already severely damaged. In addition, he forcibly broke through the barrier between the underworld and the human world. It was already a struggle for him to keep his soul intact."
"But there's always an exception, Brother Xie. Haven't ghosts never escaped the underworld before?"
Xie Bi'an fell silent.
Zhao Qingyun is a truly mysterious person.
“No matter what, Di Ting cannot leave you. Even if Zhao Qingyun intends to take revenge, his enemy will not be Zhao Pingfeng.”
Jiang Yuzhi understood what was being implied.
Indeed, compared to the Jiang residence, she is now in the most danger.
"What if?" Even knowing this, Jiang Yuzhi was still very worried. "Let A-Ting go back. Xiao-Hua is with me, and we can eat. Besides, Brother Xie, I'm really not as weak as you think."
Xie Bi'an thought about it carefully and realized it was true.
The unusually quiet Jin Xiaohua finally spoke, "Thank you, brother. I can protect my sister! I'm the Golden Thread of Merit! Those bad ghosts are most afraid of me!"
“…Alright, Diting, return to the Jiang residence. Xiaohua, remember to stay by your sister's side at all times.” Xie Bi’an pondered for a moment and then agreed.
"Yes, yes! I will!" Jin Xiaohua nodded repeatedly.
Di Ting nodded to them without saying a word, concealed itself, and soared into the air towards the Jiang residence, disappearing into the night.
"I came here intending to take you back to the underworld for a while, but I doubt you would agree. The Emperor may not return for some time, so you must be careful and remember not to act alone."
"I will be careful."
"I hope so," Xie Bi'an said, still not entirely at ease, but he had no other choice. "The underworld is under martial law, I'll go back first and burn paper money in case of emergency."
Xie Bi'an is gone.
Before Jiang Yuzhi could figure out what to do next, Jin Xiaohua's lips moved. After hesitating for a long time, she finally gritted her teeth and admitted, "Sister... I'm sorry..."
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Jiang Yuzhi subconsciously looked at Jin Xiaohua and casually rubbed her head.
"I...it's all my fault," Jin Xiaohua said guiltily. "When I couldn't take human form, my physical body was on my sister's wrist, and my consciousness was sometimes on my sister and sometimes on the second master."
Jiang Yuzhi suddenly realized something: the damage caused by Bai Yan's approach to Zhao Qingyun in the underworld was not only because of the Sheji Map.
Seeing that she didn't react, Jin Xiaohua continued, "When my sister and the second master were in the underworld, I felt a very warm power from the second master, as if he was asking me if I wanted to help my sister vent her anger. I... I agreed."
"I really didn't mean to leave a small hole in the barrier!" Jin Xiaohua's voice suddenly rose. "I'm so sorry, sister!"
The power within Bai Yan that makes Xiao Hua feel close to him? Besides the Sheji Tu (a map of the land and rivers), there's probably nothing else.
Jiang Yuzhi had no right to blame the Sheji Map and the Merit Golden Thread for drilling a small hole in the barrier of the underworld to vent her anger. She sighed softly, "Don't blame yourself, Xiaohua, let's go home and take a look first."
"Okay!"
Fortunately, before returning to the Jiang residence, Madam Zhou returned safely.
His expression was normal, with a smile on his face, and he didn't encounter anything bad while driving.
"It's so late, Miss, why don't you stay at the shop? I clean your room every two or three days."
"No, I have other things to take care of at home."
"Okay, miss, please be careful on your way."
Jiang Yuzhi nodded, and led Jin Xiaohua and Chichi into the night.
The Jiang residence was much more lively than she had imagined.
Yang Jian and Sui Gu returned from their travels.
The young women of the orphanage were told they could rest for a few days and attend a poetry gathering for the students taking the exams.
The poetry gathering will last for three days, and many vendors will set up stalls to sell small items such as decorative stationery and tassels.
In Kyoto, families with unmarried daughters would subtly look at each other at poetry gatherings.
The orchids in the flowerbed are well cared for by the children of the orphanage; they are in full bloom and have even sprouted many new buds.
The desolate scene of the underworld somehow managed to reveal a hint of vibrant life.
The gods in the backyard all gathered in one room.
Laughter and conversation could be faintly heard coming from Zhao Pingfeng's room.
Jiang Yuzhi, holding Jin Xiaohua and Chichi's hands, pushed open the door.
"Little Zhi is back! Come here, I brought you some good things." It was Sui Gu who spoke, smiling as she pulled the gifts she had brought back from her sleeve.
A box of scraps of cloth.
Xiao Hua and Chi Chi went to the corner to play with Xiao Tian Quan and Di Ting.
Jiang Yuzhi stepped forward with an ambiguous expression and took the box. A rich aura of blessing emanated from the box. "This is...?"
“It should be called, ‘Hundred Families Cloth’? I thought you might need it, so I used the excuse that my nephews and nieces were weak to collect these scraps of cloth as payment for bothering you for so long.” As soon as Sui Gu finished speaking, Fang Xiangshi nodded seriously beside her.
Jiang Yuzhi didn't know what to say, so she only said, "Thank you."
The patchwork cloth was carefully tucked into the small pouch at her waist. "Is the fairy going back?"
"Yes, now that we have completed the Jade Emperor's mission, we should have gone back long ago."
Even though she didn't spend much time with them on a regular basis, Jiang Yuzhi still felt an indescribable sense of reluctance. "Is Erlang Shen leaving too?"
Yang Jian said with a half-smile, "Of course, Miss Jiang will have to take care of this young master." As he spoke, his gaze turned to Zhao Pingfeng, who was sitting in the shadows. "He is no ordinary person."
Jiang Yuzhi knew, of course, that Zhao Pingfeng was no ordinary person. Yang Jian was emphasizing this now, so could it be that Zhao Pingfeng had some other identity that she didn't know about?
Jiang Yuzhi: "When are you leaving?"
Yang Jian: "Immediately."
So urgent?
Jiang Yuzhi: "Okay, I'll see you off."
Yang Jian nodded, called out "Xiaotian," and led the way out of the house, with Sui Gu and Fang Xiangshi following closely behind.
Jiang Yuzhi and Zhao Pingfeng exchanged a glance from afar, which was considered a greeting, and then they left the house.
The summer night breeze was refreshingly cool.
Sui Gu: "Let's leave it here."
Jiang Yuzhi: "Next time you come, I will definitely treat you well."
Sui Gu just smiled and said, "Who knows what the scene will be like next time we come? Fang Xiangshi and I will leave first. That lord has other matters to discuss, so we won't disturb him any longer. We're leaving now."
Under the moonlight, Sui Gu and Fang Xiangshi turned and disappeared into the night.
Erlang Shen has something to tell you? Jiang Yuzhi's throat tightened. She didn't know this man who was casually playing with the dog at all, and they had no other interaction. What could he possibly have to tell her?
She and Bai Yan are a weakness, and it's understandable that Yang Jian, the God of Justice, would want to use this to do something.
Yang Jian chuckled, "Don't be nervous. I've never been one to meddle in other people's business. Xiaotian is having a great time here."
Jiang Yuzhi certainly wouldn't let her guard down just because of a few words of reassurance.
Yang Jian, dressed like a noble young master, his dark brocade robe gleaming in the moonlight, suppressed his smile, stood up, and looked directly at Jiang Yuzhi with a slightly serious expression. "Very few can give me orders directly, bypassing the Jade Emperor. I will obey and return. You must take good care of the one inside. The ghost that came to harass me was severely injured by me, and for some reason I couldn't disperse him. However, that ghost won't have any strength left for a while. I can't say more about the rest; I'll return to Heaven now."
Before Jiang Yuzhi could say goodbye, Yang Jian and his dog, Xiaotianquan, disappeared.
The ghost that came to harass us—Zhao Qingyun had already been here.
Even Yang Jian couldn't break him? Jiang Yuzhi became increasingly puzzled. Just who was Zhao Qingyun?
She returned to the house with a heavy heart and saw Zhao Pingfeng sitting blankly in the shadows. She forced a smile and asked, "How was your day?"
Zhao Pingfeng coughed twice. "Thank you for your concern, Miss. I'm grateful for your care of my mother."
Jiang Yuzhi sat down at a table, one table away from Zhao Pingfeng. "Did you... remember anything?"
Zhao Pingfeng's bewilderment seemed genuine. "...No, I always feel like the most important part of my mind is locked up, and I don't know where the key is."
It seems someone is deliberately preventing him from remembering.
Jiang Yuzhi: "Are the lividity spots on your body any better?"
Finally, he had something to talk about, and Zhao Pingfeng perked up, "It's much better, the scars have almost all disappeared."
Huh? Is Brother Fan's Soul-Hooking Lock really that effective? It can even cure the living dead? Jiang Yuzhi observed him carefully and was surprised to find that not only had the lividity disappeared, but his facial features had also opened up considerably, and he had even grown taller.
"Are those bracelets still there?"
"Yes, yes."
Zhao Pingfeng raised his hand and showed Jiang Yuzhi the silver bracelets that the soul-snatching hooks had transformed into.
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