"Uncle, it's over there! My sister and I were playing ball there a few days ago, but the ball disappeared, and we can't find it anywhere!"
"Uncle, be careful! I heard from my mother that there are ghostly figures around there!"
"What? A ghost? What's that? I'm not afraid of ghosts. You two little brats, don't talk nonsense."
"Uncle, we weren't lying, the news has spread throughout the camp!"
"Uncle, maybe we should just forget about it. Ball's gone, so be it. My dad said he'd buy us another one once he earns some more money. Please come back!"
"Hey, you underestimate me? I don't believe it—"
As Qingsong finished speaking, the hairs on the back of his head stood on end.
A cool breeze blew past his ear, it was kind of creepy~
"Ahem, I think what you said makes sense. Here's what we'll do: tell me where you live, and I'll pick out a few balls and bring them to you tomorrow."
There's nothing wrong with a man admitting defeat sometimes.
"Uncle, our house is on the edge of the field, the sixth tent in the sixth row, counting horizontally. Remember that!"
"Okay, okay, I'll remember. I'll definitely come tomorrow."
Qingsong, being a father himself, felt his fear lessen somewhat when he saw the hopeful eyes of the two little ones.
It's true, I feel a little sorry for these little guys.
Or, he could go back and talk to his mother and ask her to get some small toys for children to play with and send them over to the children at the camp.
Yes, he's a really good person.
"Big fish, little fish, who are you talking to?"
Shouts came from the edge of the field.
The brother and sister were both delighted and quickly said:
"See you tomorrow, Uncle. My dad's calling us."
Goodbye, Uncle!
"Okay, go ahead, see you tomorrow~"
Qingsong nodded. Big Fish and Little Fish, hmm, good name, easy to remember.
He made a note of it and said he would definitely come tomorrow.
After watching the two little ones leave, he wandered around the area for a while. No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like a haunted place.
Could it be that someone is playing a trick on us?
Suddenly, his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a silver thread flashing by. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be hanging from a crooked tree...
Just as he was about to get closer to see what it was, someone called out to him.
"Hey, who are you? Are you new here?"
An elderly man with a hunched back stopped him with his cane.
“Old man, I’m not new here. I’ve been at the camp for over a month.”
For once, Qingsong's mind was sharp. He concealed his thoughts and asked innocently:
"But you, sir, I've never seen you before. You don't look familiar."
"Hehehe, I caught a cold before and have been recuperating in the tent, so it's normal that you haven't seen me."
A sharp glint flashed in the old man's eyes. Behind his back, he held a silver needle, its tip gleaming.
"Oh, no wonder. But old man, are you healed? I saw that the medicine stalls outside the city gate are still dispensing medicine. If you're still not feeling well, you should go and ask a doctor."
Qingsong seemed oblivious to anything amiss and kindly inquired about the matter.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced around to see if any patrolling officials were on the move.
His intuition told him that something was wrong with the old man in front of him.
"When you get old, you should try to avoid causing trouble for your children and grandchildren."
As the old man spoke, he took a step closer to the other person, intending to deliver a fatal blow.
Danger, danger, danger—
"Green pine tree—"
At this critical moment, Qingsong heard his mother's cry and immediately burst into tears.
"Mother~"
Good heavens, his mother is still the most reliable!
"Grandpa, my mother's here. Remember to go see the doctor, okay? I have to go home with her for dinner now."
For some reason, Qingsong wasn't so afraid when he saw his mother.
With his expression unchanged, he hurriedly uttered a sentence and ran towards his mother's location.
"Hmm~"
The old man put away the silver needles with his hands behind his back.
The timing isn't right; let's spare this kid's life for now.
Unaware that he had just narrowly escaped death, Qingsong felt incredibly safe and secure back by his mother's side!
"Come with me, don't look back, and smile."
Jiang Yue had been there for a while and, upon seeing the strange old man, intended to harm the second son.
Considering that there were no skilled guards around her, and to avoid alerting the enemy, she remained still for the time being, and then spoke up to call the second brother away.
"Mmm, Mom, that scared me to death! I found it!"
Qingsong's smile froze. Sure enough, that old man was suspicious!
"Shh, let's talk about this after we leave the refugee camp."
"good."
......
The old man stood there for a moment, watching the mother and son leave. Only after they did not do anything unusual did he turn around with peace of mind.
It seems he's seeing threats everywhere.
This tiny refugee camp is hardly a place where hidden talents reside.
They're just a group of ordinary people who don't know martial arts; there's nothing to be afraid of.
However, reality will soon slap him in the face...
Back at the city gate, Jiang Yue subtly revealed her token and was quickly led to a secluded spot.
Of course, Qingsong followed behind and came in together.
"This humble official greets Your Highness."
"This humble servant greets Your Highness."
"No need for formalities, Lord Liu, Lord Zhao, Lord Zhang. Please stay. I have important matters to discuss with you."
"Your humble servant obeys!"
"Your subordinate obeys."
......
There was a conference table inside. After Aunt Jiang sat down, Liu Yunfei followed suit.
Upon spotting Wu's second brother, he even winked at him when no one was looking.
"This is my son, the second oldest in the family. Today I'm taking him on a clandestine visit to investigate the ghostly figure in the refugee camp."
Having confirmed that everyone here was one of their own, Jiang Yue had nothing more to hide.
After he finished speaking, he gestured for the second son to say what he hadn't had a chance to say earlier.
"Mother, sirs, just now, I found a strange place near the refugee camp, a haunted place. There's a crooked tree there, and I saw something that looked like kite string. But before I could climb up the tree to check, an old man called out to me..."
Qingsong felt a chill run down his spine when he talked about this old man.
"Second Young Master, could you please describe this person's appearance in detail later?"
Upon hearing this, Lord Zhang exchanged a glance with Lord Zhao opposite him. Perhaps this was the key to solving the ghost case!
"You're too kind, sir. I'm glad I could help."
Qingsong scratched his head, then sat down and looked at his mother.
Jiang Yue nodded, then added:
“I saw that old man, who seemed to know some martial arts. When he found my second son, he had a weapon, a silver needle, on his back.”
After thinking for a moment, she remembered something else and guessed:
"This person may not be an old man; he may be a highly skilled martial artist in disguise. His hunched back may also be a sign of his true identity. In any case, we must be careful when making the arrest."
"Thank you, Princess!"
Upon hearing the useful information, Lord Zhang and Lord Zhao had a clue and stood up to express their gratitude.
If Princess Jiang and the Second Young Master hadn't risked their lives, where would we have gotten the crucial information to solve the case?
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