48 Chance Encounter
The three of them walked over the rubble and ruins. The bodies had been cleared away by the authorities. There was nothing left except the ruins and the flag.
However, in this deserted place, they met two people. Under a dilapidated and abandoned house, they saw Yu Luo holding a child.
Both of them were covered in dust. Yu Luo wore a pink cloak that covered her hair, and her originally clean dress was covered in mud. The face of the six or seven-year-old child was also dusty and he looked skinny.
"Yu Luo? Why are you here?" Lin Yuan walked over and asked.
Yu Luo's eyes lit up, her face full of surprise. "Sister! I didn't expect to see you here! Oh, this child was trapped under the rubble. I just heard his cry for help and dug him out."
The child hid behind her and stole a glance at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan: "I see. Are you passing by here on your way down the mountain to train?"
"No, I came here to look for medicinal herbs."
Lin Yuan: "Oh, what about this child? His parents must have passed away."
Yu Luo was also in a dilemma: "I don't know...Xiao Douzi, where do you want to go?"
Xiaodouzi's eyes were red and he shook his head.
Yuan Xuanlang: "The government's orphanage is a good place to go."
So, several people went to the local county government office to apply for an orphanage for Xiaodouzi.
A servant from the workhouse took them to the waiting room.
After a moment, two people walked out from behind the screen. One was a middle-aged man wearing a green official uniform embroidered with a yellow oriole pattern, with a stern face, and the other was Shen Zhaoli in a dark green robe!
When Shen Zhaoli's gaze fell on Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan smiled and waved to Shen Zhaoli, and he nodded in understanding.
"Ah, it's really a coincidence, meeting is fate. Brother Shen, it's nice to meet you." Yuan Xuanlang patted Shen Zhaoli's shoulder, and then asked the man in official uniform: "What's your name?"
The man answered concisely: "Chen Xiao."
"Master Chen, I'd like to trouble you to take good care of this orphan from Nanliang Village."
Chen Xiao: "I need to tell the dean about this."
Yuan Xuanlang raised his eyebrows: "Where is your dean?"
Chen Xiao looked at Shen Zhaoli who was being ignored, and his meaning was obvious.
Shen Zhaoli coughed awkwardly: "I am the dean."
Yuan Xuanlang's gaze drifted around casually for a few seconds, and he chuckled dryly: "Brother, even though you've become a high-ranking official, you still can't change your habit of having fun with the people. I admire you."
Shen Zhaoli ignored Yuan Xuanlang's sarcasm and returned the greeting: "Junior Brother Yuan, please be polite. Everyone, please follow me."
Xiao Douzi was treating a patient inside the house. Outside, Lin Yuan quietly asked Yuan Xuanlang, "What's going on? You seem unhappy with Senior Brother Shen?"
Yuan Xuanlang sneered: "I've always been like this. Do I need a reason to be unhappy with him?"
"It seems to make sense, but no, you are confusing me."
"You care so much, I think you still have feelings for me."
"nonsense!"
"You're anxious. Denial is a cover-up!"
Lin Yuan was so angry that she tried to step on his shoes, but he dodged her. She tried again but missed.
"Oh, that's enough. It would be bad if Senior Brother Shen heard it, and the patient inside is still being treated." Mu Yunxi interrupted them.
Finally, everything calmed down. Mu Yunxi watched the two childish ghosts fighting and felt like a worried mother.
After Xiaodouzi finished lunch, Lin Yuan and others went in to "interrogate" Xiaodouzi.
"Xiaodouzi, did you see what those bad guys looked like?" Lin Yuan sat in front of the bed as gently as possible, stroking Xiaodouzi's head.
Xiaodouzi's eyes were filled with tears, but he tried hard not to cry. His voice was a little hoarse: "They were all wearing black clothes and black masks. One person's mask had something shining like gold... Dazhuang and Ah Hua are gone, and Mom is gone too... Woo - I miss Mom and Dad."
Xiao Douzi finally couldn't help crying and rubbed against Lin Yuan's arms.
Lin Yuan's face didn't look very good. Although I have a good temper, you can't use my clothes as a rag. What's more, I don't know how to coax children.
Yuan Xuanlang couldn't bear it anymore, so he reached out and pulled the kid away and threw him to Yu Luo who was standing beside him.
Lin Yuanru is pardoned, brother, thank you!
In response, Yuan Xuanlang shrugged disdainfully.
Yu Luo wiped Xiao Douzi's tears and patted his back gently, "Don't cry, don't cry." After Xiao Douzi calmed down, Yu Luo asked him, "Tell me, Da Zhuang, who is Ah Hua?"
"Little Bean's playmate, very good and very good."
Hearing this, Shen Zhaoli's face turned serious. "Recently, many children from Beiliang Village have disappeared. No bodies have been found. They just disappeared out of thin air. Could it be that the murderer is the same person?"
Yu Luo paused, his voice trembling, "How many children are missing?"
"Eleven. The time of the crime is uncertain and the authorities have no clue."
"Eleven... I might know where they are." Yu Luo clutched his clothes nervously and gave a wry smile. "I was once abducted to Liangjiabao. Eleven children were locked in cages, no more, no less. They were waiting to be sold as slaves."
Shen Zhaoli asked: "Does the girl have any evidence?"
Yu Luo shook his head. "It's been a long time, I've almost forgotten it. But I know there's a basement there where the missing children are kept."
"Please save Dazhuang and Ahua." Xiaodouzi begged.
Yuan Xuanlang: "Don't worry, Xiaodouzi, we Jianghu people love to be chivalrous and punish evil and promote good. We will definitely disrupt its nest!"
Lin Yuan was speechless. Doesn't this guy have any thoughts before he brags?
"I will notify the authorities and cooperate with you all, but it's getting late today. I have sent people to clean up four rooms, so you can stay here." Shen Zhaoli responded.
"Thank you." Yuan Xuanlang stepped out of the room and walked back a moment later: "Brother Shen, won't you lead the way?"
Shen Zhaoli smiled and shook his head, "I'm sorry, let's go."
…
Lin Yuan stood in the courtyard, the warm breeze bringing with it the faint fragrance of flowers.
"How are you lately?" Lin Yuan looked at Shen Zhaoli in his green robe, as if nothing had changed.
"That's great. Being able to do something for the poor and lonely has fulfilled my lifelong wish. Is Xiaoyuan doing well?" He smiled warmly.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Everyone is very nice to me."
"Well, that's good."
For a moment, they fell into an awkward silence, and Lin Yuan was trying hard to find a topic.
Lin Yuan: "I wish you get married soon."
Shen Zhaoli: "Have you let it go?"
The two looked at each other, Lin Yuan burst out laughing, and he also grinned.
"Actually, there's no need to be so nervous. Just let it go. If you want to say something, say it. If you don't want to say something, then keep silent."
"good."
…
As night fell the next day, several people hid in the woods outside Liangjiabao. Since Yu Luo was familiar with the route, Yuan Xuanlang, Mu Yunxi, and Yu Luo went inside to investigate the truth, while Lin Yuan waited outside to meet with the government officials.
Night fell, a cool breeze blew, and shadows of trees swayed. Lin Yuan waited and waited, but why hadn't Shen Zhaoli brought anyone here yet?
As he was thinking this, he saw Shen Zhaoli approaching. "Junior sister, I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. The government officials are hiding in the east of Liangjiabao. Please follow me."
The originally agreed rendezvous point was the East Gate, which had the weakest defense.
“Okay, Mr. Shen.”
Lin Yuan followed Shen Zhaoli and asked, "Sir, if Liangjiabao really has such activities, how should the government deal with it?"
Shen Zhaoli walked slowly in front, "According to the laws of this dynasty, those who should be beheaded will be beheaded."
"Oh." Lin Yuan had a lot of questions, but she felt that Shen Zhaoli was in a bad mood, so she kept silent.
Arriving at the east gate, there was no one around, so Lin Yuan asked, "Sir, where are the officials?"
“Chen Zhaoli” chuckled softly: “People are so easily fooled by appearances.”
Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat and she turned to run. She felt several silver needles piercing her and fainted.
When he woke up again, the man was wearing a black mask with golden patterns of honeysuckle wood outlined on it. There were two masked men standing behind him, and they looked very similar to what Xiaodouzi had described.
"Are you from Wanmie Palace?" Lin Yuan looked at the people outside the prison bars, trying his best to suppress his fear and not show cowardice in front of the enemy.
"Yes, so what? However, you are more interested in my other identity - Pei Jiu."
Seeing Lin Yuan's bewildered expression, he let out a sarcastic sneer, "Indeed, after so many years, you've long forgotten that there was once an insignificant slave."
Lin Yuan swallowed and said, "I really don't remember. I really don't have any memory of it."
Pei Jiu held his forehead and chuckled, "Yes, yes, otherwise you wouldn't have been so easily deceived by me. Hahahaha, can you absolve yourself of responsibility just because you forgot? Can you shirk the blood debt just because you forgot?"
He roared, hysterically.
Lin Yuan looked at him who was almost crazy, her heart beating violently and a layer of cold sweat on her forehead.
This must be the original owner's bad fate. However, since I inherited the original owner's body, I naturally have to bear her debt.
When the laughter died down, he said calmly, "I have to thank that girl Yu Luo for leading them away, so I could take advantage of this opportunity."
Lin Yuan's pupils suddenly shrank. Was it a fish falling?
How could someone be so nice to me for no reason? How could we meet by such a coincidence?
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