Chapter 40 Pretending to be Master and Disciple (Revised) I've come to ask for lodging; this is my disciple. ...
The old man's face was solemn. After a long silence, he said, "What a tragedy! Since you've already guessed, young master, there's no need for me to hide anything anymore. Everyone knows about this. In the beginning, the Luo family treated Aning quite well, but as Ping An got older, the whole family couldn't sleep peacefully at night because of him, so they came up with this idea."
“Luo Ding found a monk from the temple. That night, it was windy and rainy. I stayed next to them and originally planned to go to bed early, but before I went to sleep, I glanced at their room and saw that it was brightly lit through the window. The monk came during the day. Luo Ding didn’t want to make a fuss, but Bailuzhou was a place with strict access control, so we all saw him when he sent someone.”
Jiang Yu realized that his guess was correct; it was indeed a life-swapping scheme. But seeing Luo Ping'an in this state, he realized that there must be some other hidden story behind this, and Huang Ning might already be gone.
Zhao Sheng recalled that night more than ten years ago. He took off his clothes and lay on the bed when he heard a creak outside. He knew very well that his yard gate was closed, so the only possible source was the Luo family next door.
Driven by his curiosity about the monk he had seen during the day, Zhao Sheng got out of bed and secretly opened a corner of the window, only to see lightning flashing across the sky, striking towards Luo Ding's courtyard.
He was terrified.
The towering tree fell to the ground with a thud, and then he heard a child crying, sharp and loud, like someone scratching at a wall with long fingernails. Zhao Sheng's head ached from listening to it; this was different from Luo Ping'an's crying when he couldn't sleep because of pain.
It sounds more like Ah Ning's voice.
Zhao Sheng didn't know what they had done, nor did he dare to think about it. He only smelled an extremely strong stench of blood, so strong that even his cat started meowing.
The jet-black cat leaped onto the roof and let out a shriek.
They were used to fishing and killing fish, but this time the almost unbearable smell of blood was so strong that Zhao Sheng couldn't help but vomit. Looking at the puddle of yellow water on the ground, he was terrified and his fingers trembled involuntarily.
Fortunately, the cat returned and snuggled into his arms. Only then did Zhao Sheng have a different feeling, realizing that this had happened next door, not in his own home.
He was just an observer; he had nothing to fear. Even if he suffered divine retribution, it wouldn't befall him.
But a sliver of kindness in his heart ultimately prevented Zhao Sheng from ignoring the almost screaming cries. These people seemed kind on the surface, but no one expected them to be so cruel to a child.
Zhao Sheng hesitated for a moment, then grabbed an umbrella and ran out. Even if he only said one sentence, he wouldn't have to feel guilty day and night anymore. Just one sentence would be enough for him to say that he had stopped it. One sentence was enough. Zhao Sheng kept telling himself that all he needed was one sentence.
He just asked one question.
Pushing open the door, Zhao Sheng felt as if he could see countless pairs of eyes surrounding him in this small, cramped courtyard. They were all nearby, and all long-time neighbors.
They all heard those countless cries.
"Luo Ding, why is the child crying so hard?" Zhao Sheng mustered his courage and shouted. In that instant, the crying seemed to stop. He could no longer hear any hysterical sounds. The rain hitting the oil-paper umbrella looked like drops of thick blood.
"It's probably from the pain, Brother Zhao. It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?" Luo Ding, dressed neatly, walked out of the house with a smile on his simple face. However, he didn't notice that the white corner of his clothes was stained red with blood.
"It's okay, I'll go to sleep now."
Zhao Sheng swallowed back all the words he wanted to say. He kept reassuring himself, "I've already said it, I've already advised him. I've advised him, this matter has nothing to do with me anymore."
He turned and left. The moment he pushed open the door to the Luo family's house, he saw a dense crowd outside, with everyone craning their necks.
"How is it inside?" "Old Zhao, what did you see?" "Zhao Sheng, the crying is so heart-wrenching, and you didn't even try to comfort him."
"Why should I try to persuade you? I need to go back to sleep." Zhao Sheng blushed instantly, as if his thoughts had been exposed. "I'll be going now."
Zhao Sheng hurriedly ran back to his house, closing the doors and windows tightly so he wouldn't hear a sound from outside. The next morning, when he saw Luo Ding with a joyful expression, he knew that what he had done the night before had succeeded.
The voices grew softer and softer, and Jiang Yu then realized why Zhao Sheng was unwilling to bring up the matter, or rather, why the people around him were unwilling to mention it.
They all wanted to use a few words to cover up the truth about Luo Ping'an's current insane state and A Ning's unknown fate.
"The life-swapping technique was successful, but no one expected that half a month later, Ping An would become someone who didn't recognize anyone and would talk about these things all day long. Luo Ding went to find that monk again, but who knew that the monk was dead."
Zhao Sheng stammered. If he hadn't met Lian Quesheng today, and if Lian Quesheng hadn't kept forcing him to say these things, Zhao Sheng would likely have kept this matter to himself until he grew old.
But what he didn't expect was that he felt somewhat relieved. He felt sorry for the child for not helping him, but even if he had, what effect would it have had?
Shen Qinggui could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He lowered his eyes and stared at the ground. The flower buds and branches that were churning in his heart were all suppressed by their owner.
Jiang Yu felt that this was not a simple matter. According to the records in ancient books, the success rate of the life-changing technique was not high, and there was also a possibility of backlash.
"Have you never seen Aning since then?"
"I've never seen anything like it. I just go out fishing every day. Who would care about these people every day?"
As Zhao Sheng was talking, he was about to leave. Xi Chuang stood there, staring at him for a long time, but since Lian Quesheng was not there, he just stood quietly in the back as a silent decoration.
The crowd that had gathered to watch the excitement gradually dispersed, and the hawking cries from Bailuzhou continued to echo. Only in this quiet corner did three people stand or sit, none of them uttering a sound.
Luo Ping'an, who was kneeling there, had disappeared without a trace. The sea breeze was blowing gently, and Jiang Yu felt that the air was getting a little chilly. He remembered that Lian Quesheng smelled of alcohol when he came over, so he asked Xi Chuang to go find him.
Are you unhappy?
Shen Qinggui pulled the person into his arms and whispered to comfort him, "We don't know what happened next. Maybe Huang Ning isn't dead."
“He’s not dead. Shen Wuke’s book records a curse that is very similar to the one on Luo Ping’an. The person who casts the curse needs a catalyst, which is the blood of two people mixed together before the person takes it. It’s similar to the mother-child gu in some parts of southern Xinjiang. Who do you think cast this curse?”
Jiang Yu frowned deeply. "From beginning to end, the only person he has wronged is Aning. Uncle Zhao just said that this condition will appear on him in half a month, but this curse will take at least half a month to take effect."
"So, if Huang Ning really did it, then he cast the curse on Luo Ping'an that very night?"
Jiang Yu felt utterly exhausted and leaned against Shen Qinggui's chest. "I don't know. When Xiao Niao comes back, we can ask him to find out which monk the Luo family had hired and what exactly happened that night."
The Luo family.
When Lian Quesheng arrived, he only saw a few houses standing side by side. Luo's parents were probably already familiar with the fact that their child would run out every night, so they didn't pay much attention to it. One of them was sitting in the yard tidying up the net, while the other was blankly washing clothes.
"Master, should I go and ask?"
Xi Chuang suddenly came out from behind and said, "You've been gone for a long time. You might not know Uncle Luo's family. A few years ago, even the sect leader sent me to train all over Bailuzhou. I stayed here for a few days back then, so I'm more familiar with them than you are."
Upon hearing this, Lian Quesheng thought what he said made sense, so he agreed. Xi Chuang smiled at him, and seeing that he chatted with the Luo couple for a few words and seemed quite familiar with them, Lian Quesheng felt at ease and waited outside.
“Master, that monk was from Wenhua Temple in Bailuzhou. He died a week after the life exchange. Uncle Luo said he had forgotten what happened that night, and I couldn’t get any information out of him.” Xi Chuang came out with a heavy expression. “Moreover, he probably really has forgotten. I tested him with my spiritual power, and that’s true.”
"Having done something wrong, living in constant fear and anxiety, it's normal to eventually choose to forget, unable to bear it any longer." Lian Quesheng, having obtained no important clues, considered leaving. "What about Jiang Yu and the others?"
"Young Master Jiang and the others should have gone back. Should Master still go looking for them?"
Upon hearing this, Lian Quesheng felt guilty, his face changed, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "I dare not go again, otherwise you really won't see me tomorrow."
He was also very self-aware. It wouldn't be a problem if he offended one of the two people, but he offended both of them, especially at that time. Even though he had no experience, Lian Quesheng still knew what was important and what was urgent.
If it happened again, he was really afraid that Shen Jiuxu would beat him to death first, and then Jiang Yu would go to Jiuyou and beat him up again.
“I’ll write a letter, that should solve everything.” Lian Quesheng casually picked up a handkerchief, borrowed some ink from a nearby stall, wrote a few strokes, and handed it to the paper crane. “Go ahead and deliver it to your owner. If the doors and windows are closed, then deliver it tomorrow.”
A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.
Wenhua Temple.
Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Should we go over there?"
"Wrap me up with branches, I don't want to move."
Before Shen Jiuxu could speak, Jiang Yu clung to him tightly, saying, "That way I won't have to use my sword."
The two of them arrived at Wenhua Temple in this strange posture. It was already late at night, and even the vendors outside had packed up and gone home.
Shen Jiuxu knocked on the door politely, then suddenly felt that the scene was somewhat familiar. He turned around and said to Jiang Yu, "Are you still going to say that I'm your guard this time?"
Jiang Yu looked up and smiled, untying the branches binding him. Just before the monks in the temple opened the door, he suddenly pushed Shen Jiuxu behind him, saying, "I've come to ask for lodging. This is my disciple."
Shen Qinggui: ...
The young monk looked at the two unfamiliar faces but didn't suspect anything and let them in. "Please come in, gentlemen. Our temple has specially prepared private rooms for different guests. They were cleaned during the day and you can check in directly."
Shen Qinggui stared at Jiang Yu's hopping and skipping figure, his teeth clenched, until the monk led him to the leftmost wing room. "Young masters, which of you will stay here? There is another room on the right, but it is a little smaller."
"Then let my apprentice stay here. As the master, it wouldn't be right for me to take it from my apprentice," Jiang Yu said generously. "I'll go to the other room."
“It is my good fortune to have such an understanding master as you in this world,” the monk said sincerely. “Then I will take you to another room. Our Wenhua Temple’s side rooms and vegetarian meals are famous. Tomorrow morning, you can bring your disciple to try them.”
Thank you.
Jiang Yu pushed open the door, turned around and looked at Shen Jiuxu, who was still standing motionless at the door. "Don't worry about Master. Go to sleep. If you don't sleep well, Master will be worried about you."
The young monk, unaware of the truth, was moved to tears. Seeing Jiang Yu enter the room, he lit a lamp for him, gave him a few words of advice, and warmly closed the door for him before leaving, turning back to look at him repeatedly.
Seeing him leave, Jiang Yu chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed, counting the time, "One, two, three—"
The door was pushed open, and Shen Qinggui entered with a resentful look in his eyes and an imposing aura.
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Author's note: Jiang Yu: [Sunglasses], call me Master.
Shen Qinggui: [Pants][Minus one]
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