Chapter 87: Strange Occurrences in Youran Abode

Xinyi understood instantly; no wonder he had searched everywhere in vain—the Qiaoshi clan had actually married their daughter into the imperial family!

But what was Lingxiang's intention in doing this? Was she not afraid he would inform Bai Wuchang?

Lingxiang seemed to know what Xinyi was thinking, for she said without turning her head:

"The reason I brought you here is, firstly, to let you give an account to that Bai Wuchang, and secondly, because I want to confirm a few things."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Xinyi:

"It is no harm to tell you the truth. Although you and the Demon Race are irreconcilable enemies, I do not fully trust you yet. It is only because of Maidong that I am letting you know a few things for now. I am not afraid of you turning against me; in any case, to me, you are dispensable."

"Moreover, if you feel that your actions are worthy of the reputation of the Fuyao Lu Family, then naturally, I do not mind." Lingxiang said this, then turned and walked toward the City Lord Mansion.

Xinyi, however, gave a small laugh: this little girl looked carefree and heartless, but he hadn't expected her to be so calculating and shrewd.

Thinking this, he simply shook his head and followed after her.

Although it was not yet night, lanterns had already been hung in front of the City Lord Mansion. The pale red moon patterns on the lanterns were lifelike, as if they were telling others of the affection between the City Lord and Lady Qiao.

Lingxiang acted as if she were very familiar with the place; she was about to step forward to knock on the door, but unexpectedly, the two guards at the gate crossed their Long Halberds to block her.

Seeing this, Xinyi could not help but chuckle. Who visits someone's home like this? Especially an imperial household, and on a festive day at that.

Lingxiang was somewhat surprised. It wasn't her first time here, and she was only going up to knock on the door; could it be that these two guards were new?

Thinking this, she said directly to the two of them: "I am the shopkeeper of Youran Abode, here today specifically to pay a visit to the City Lord's wife."

The two guards exchanged a glance, and one of them shouted: "Youran Abode closed long ago; what shopkeeper are you talking about? Little girl, do not spout nonsense in front of an imperial household!"

This situation was somewhat familiar.

Lingxiang narrowed her eyes and stared at the two for a long time, but these two were soldiers by trade, having crawled through the battlefield, and they were not at all afraid of the petite Lingxiang before them.

Lingxiang was helpless, but she suddenly remembered an arrogant face. She immediately started to smile, then said to the two: "Then, could I trouble you guards to report this? Just say that someone wants to see Zhao, and while you're at it, ask if there is anyone in the mansion who has seen Huang Daxian?"

The two guards were startled upon hearing this. How could this little girl know about what had happened in the mansion before? The two exchanged looks, and one of them snorted and said: "You wait here. Let me go ask the steward first."

This "snort" left Lingxiang between laughter and tears. With such approachable masters as the City Lord and Lady Qiao, why were the servants so arrogant? It truly lived up to the saying: the King of Hell is easy to see, but the little devils are hard to deal with.

When Zhao heard the guards' report, he cursed the guards for having no brains. Youran Abode had been closed for a long time; he had been ordered to deliver gifts there, and he had seen the notice on the door with his own eyes. Where could a shopkeeper of Youran Abode have suddenly popped up from?

Besides, it was not strange for outsiders to know about the Huang Daxian incident at the City Lord Mansion. Who knew if it was just those gossiping women blabbing about it daily? Was it even worth reporting to him?

Just as he was cursing while walking out, he saw a little girl squatting by the stone pedestal of the stone lion at the entrance, teasing something, while behind her stood a man in green robes, looking quite dashing.

"Hiss~"

Zhao gasped—how was this scene so familiar?

When Lingxiang heard the movement and turned her head, Zhao was so startled he nearly jumped.

This...

This!

This really was that little ancestor from that day!

Zhao hurried forward, intending to assist Lingxiang, his posture and manner looking extremely comical. But before he could get close, Lingxiang suddenly stood up and gave him a sweet smile.

"Steward Zhao, have you been well since we last met?"

Even now, Long Qi could not figure it out. Lingxiang had sent him away to the Yuanqing Sect, so how had she managed to ruin Youran Abode like this all by herself? Not to mention how precious the Pills that had been trampled into mud were, even the broken bottles and jars were made of high-quality porcelain.

This little brat was truly a spendthrift; if he didn't keep an eye on her for even a moment, it wouldn't do. Just like that day when she was Spirit-Refining in Xianyun Abode, she had ended up hurting herself and suffering quite a bit.

So it seemed, this girl still couldn't do without him.

The more Long Qi thought about it, the more he felt Lingxiang couldn't leave him. As he was tidying up the scattered tables and chairs, he suddenly remembered that Lingxiang had gone out with Xinyi for who knows what. It had been a long time; why hadn't they returned yet?

While lost in thought, he heard a "Boom—" behind him, which startled Long Qi so much he nearly jumped. He hurriedly turned to look and saw that Rendong was holding broken wood that had fallen all over the floor.

"Clumsy hands and feet, you scared the life out of me!" Long Qi complained.

"Do you feel that something is not quite right in this room?"

Not right?

"What's wrong with it?" Long Qi looked confused.

"When I was tidying the room, I heard some rustling noises; I don't know where they were coming from," he said, pointing toward the courtyard. "Just now, I thought I saw a pair of eyes staring over from there."

"You're being paranoid. When we came in, the notice on the front door had just been torn off. Even if there were someone, how would they have gotten in? Could it be that it's not a person?"

As soon as Long Qi finished speaking, he became alert. Since following Lingxiang, he had seen things that were not human. Could it be...

He looked at Rendong, who understood immediately. The two picked up their swords and carefully approached the courtyard.

As soon as the City Lord and his wife heard from the servants that Lingxiang had come to visit, they waited in the hall early on. When Zhao brought the two of them into the hall, the City Lord's wife immediately stood up to welcome them, took Lingxiang's hand, and talked about how long it had been since they last met.

Lingxiang frowned imperceptibly, but she chatted with the City Lord's wife.

Seeing this, the City Lord laughed and teased: "Since Lingxiang has come to visit, how can you make her stand and talk? My wife, have you become so happy you've lost your head?"

Hearing this, the City Lord's wife patted her forehead and laughed: "Look at me, I was so happy that I forgot the etiquette of hospitality. If outsiders knew, I'm afraid they would laugh at me again." As she spoke, she pulled Lingxiang into the room and ordered the maid to serve tea.

"The City Lord must be jealous because he sees how close we are, that's why he's teasing us like this," Lingxiang joked, and introduced Xinyi to the City Lord and his wife.

"Speaking of which, this visit is actually to ask a favor of you, Madam. But as it is a matter for us women, it is a bit embarrassing in front of the City Lord. City Lord, what do you think..." Lingxiang said, looking at the City Lord.

"Only you, little girl, would chase the host away while visiting someone's home. Fine, fine, there are still some matters to attend to in the front. You two can chat slowly." The City Lord laughed as he stood up and went out.

Lingxiang waited until the City Lord was far away before she put away her smile, stood up, and looked at the City Lord's wife, asking:

"Who exactly are you!?"