Chapter 256: Ruan Fengshan Returns to the City

Cai Shi and her man were beside the hot oil pot, frying crispy fritters for the New Year.

Cai Shi was rolling meatballs in a flour basin, then dropping them straight into the oil pot.

Her man held a pair of chopsticks, standing before the oil pot and turning them.

The man was as thin as a hemp stalk, wearing thick cotton-padded clothes and an apron, looking somewhat comical. As he turned the meatballs in the oil pot, he complained, "I told you to go buy tofu first thing in the morning, but look at you, you came back with an empty basket!"

"I told you, I saw Sun Huang's corpse and was shocked! How could I still care about buying tofu! I'll go buy it tomorrow morning!"

The man rolled his eyes at Cai Shi. "Even if you're going to lie, you don't have to drag others into it? It's the New Year, why are you cursing people? Go buy it tomorrow? I said I wanted to fry oil-tofu today; why not fry it while the pot is hot? Should I start a whole new pot of oil tomorrow just to fry some tofu?"

"You..."

The two were on the verge of arguing when suddenly there was a sound of knocking at the door.

Hearing the knocking, the man put down his chopsticks in a huff and went to open the door.

Cai Shi glared at the man's back, feeling very annoyed, and spat several times into the flour basin in her hands.

The man opened the door and, seeing it was the wife of their neighbor Sun Huang, smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, come inside and sit."

Liu Eying said, "Where is Jialian? I have something to say to her."

"She... she is in the kitchen rolling meatballs..." Seeing that Liu Eying's expression was not quite right, the man began to stammer.

Liu Eying walked through the door, hurried to the kitchen, looked fixedly at Cai Shi, and asked, "Sister Jialian, give me an honest answer. Did you really see Sun Huang's corpse this morning? Was it hanging from a horse?"

Cai Shi had been so choked with anger by her own man that, hearing Liu Eying suddenly ask her, she said, "Sister-in-law, if I have said even half a word of falsehood, may my man grow rotten sores on his head, all the way down to his butt crack!"

"I'll beat you to death! It's the New Year, and you dare to curse me!" The man was instantly enraged, lunged from behind Liu Eying, and was about to strike Cai Shi.

Just then, Liu Eying collapsed with a thud at the kitchen entrance, and the couple was suddenly in a flurry.

The man turned Liu Eying over, patting her face and pinching her philtrum. "Sister-in-law, it's the New Year, don't scare me like this..."

Cai Shi said, "Carry her out first! Don't let her be in the kitchen and get choked by the oil fumes..."

When something actually happened, Cai Shi appeared much calmer than her man.

After the two were busy for a while, Liu Eying finally slowly came to, and immediately began to wail loudly...

The sunset glow shone on the East City Gate of Xiangu County. As the sun was about to set, a heavy chill had already surged up in layers. The city guards were all shivering from the cold, trembling uncontrollably.

Just at this time, Ruan Fengshan rode his horse into the city through the East City Gate.

Ruan Fengshan was alone on his horse, covered in dust. Having traveled for several consecutive days, there was a clear look of exhaustion on his face.

At dusk, there were few pedestrians on the street. With the New Year approaching, those selling New Year goods usually set up their stalls in the morning and were basically sold out by noon.

The weather was cold, and by this dusk hour, there was almost no one out.

Ruan Fengshan rode his horse along the street. When he passed the City God Temple, he looked up and suddenly reined in his horse to a stop.

He saw a strip of black cloth hanging from a wind chime in the corner of the City God Temple. As a breeze passed, the wind chime rang crisply, and the black cloth strip fluttered in the wind...

Ruan Fengshan's eyes flickered. It seemed that while he was away at the Prefecture City for these few days, a major change had occurred in Xiangu County. A signal of this level on the City God Temple's wind chime had not been used for many years.

Ruan Fengshan tied his horse to the Ancient Mulberry Wood at the temple entrance and stepped into the City God Temple with a grave expression.

Inside the City God Temple, there were still a few men and women offering incense to the City God. The Temple Keeper stood to one side, half-squinting his eyes and holding a horsetail whisk, looking as if he were asleep.

Ruan Fengshan also followed those men and women to pay respects to the City God, then paced up to the Temple Keeper and coughed.

Upon hearing the sound, the Temple Keeper gave a start, opened his eyes, and said, "Greetings, Manager Ruan. It has been a while since I last saw you?"

"Did you receive the incense money I had my Personal Attendant send last month?"

"Of course I did. I bought lamp oil and lit an Everbright Lamp before the City God for you, sir."

As the two spoke, those men and women finished their worship and left the temple.

Seeing those people leave, the Temple Keeper immediately dropped his fawning expression, leaned close to Ruan Fengshan, and spoke quite rapidly into his ear...

Ruan Fengshan's expression changed several times as he listened, and he looked at the Temple Keeper with shock in his eyes several times.

Ruan Fengshan did not stay long. When he stepped out of the City God Temple's gate, twilight had already surged up from the wilderness.

Ruan Fengshan rode back to his residence, his mind churning incessantly along the way.

"Wei Yutian's Secret Chamber Mandala was discovered? Or did his personal maid tip them off? Luan Jingfu is also dead? The entire Luan household has been thrown into Death Row!"

Each piece of this information was like a giant wave, crashing violently against Ruan Fengshan's heart.

Ruan Fengshan truly had not expected that three branches in Yuanyang Prefecture had been destroyed in succession, and this fourth one had almost fallen on his head.

Fortunately, Yu Lieting took action and finished off Luan Jingfu, timely blocking Shen Yanliu's pursuit; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Luan Jingfu knew many things about the branch, even the intelligence line involving the Temple Keeper and the beggars.

Thinking about it, he felt lingering fear!

He had operated for many years, and he had almost been uprooted!

After Ruan Fengshan returned to the Back Courtyard of the Escort Agency and changed into looser clothes, he had just sat down and called his Personal Attendant to ask a few questions when Clerk Qin from the Ya Men came to visit.

After Clerk Qin entered and bowed, he said, "Manager Ruan, the County Magistrate requests your presence!"

Ruan Fengshan's brow twitched. When he left the City God Temple, he had already anticipated that Shen Yanliu would definitely look for him, but he had not expected it to be so soon; his seat was not even warm yet.

Luan Jingfu was actually not a local of Xiangu County; it was he who had invited him to Xiangu County. But now that this person had been confirmed as a member of the Filthy Blood Sect, no matter how he explained it, he could not escape suspicion.

Ruan Fengshan looked at Clerk Qin and said, "I wonder if this concerns the recent major case?"

Clerk Qin smiled faintly and said, "This minor official is not clear on that. Manager Ruan, you will know once you see the County Magistrate."

Ruan Fengshan usually socialized with Clerk Qin and had given him many favors; for ordinary matters, he would reveal a little, but for such a major case, how could he dare to speak recklessly.

Ruan Fengshan sighed helplessly and followed Clerk Qin out of the Escort Agency, both of them riding their horses.

As he mounted his horse, Ruan Fengshan took advantage of Clerk Qin not looking and swallowed a Medicine Pill hidden in his sleeve.

After the two rode along West Street for a distance, they suddenly turned into a small alley.

Ruan Fengshan rode his horse to keep up with Clerk Qin and asked in surprise, "Clerk Qin! Why is the County Magistrate not summoning me at the County Office?"

Clerk Qin replied from his horse, "That is not the case. The County Magistrate is at that residence of Wei Yutian."

Ruan Fengshan's eyelids twitched wildly, his mind churning. He was pondering Shen Yanliu's intention—why would he meet him at Wei Yutian's residence?

(End of chapter)