Chapter 291: Wang Fei (Requesting Moon Tickets)

"Ying'er!"

Ji Huaixuan joyfully opened the door and took the female ghost's hand, welcoming her inside.

The female ghost had a delicate face, especially her eyes, which always seemed veiled in mist—when she looked at you, you understood all her feelings without her needing to speak.

Her features still bore the traits of Southern Jiaozhi natives, yet perfectly avoided all their shortcomings.

She possessed a unique beauty unlike the women of Zhengzhou.

"Xuanlang," the female ghost's voice was plaintive and sorrowful: "As soon as I received the news, I came straight to see you."

With her snow-white hands, she gently caressed Ji Huaixuan's face, her eyes filled with tenderness: "Xuanlang, you've suffered."

After just a few words, Ji Huaixuan was enveloped in happiness.

He doted on the female ghost: "It's not painful—just a few days locked up, no torture used. All the methods we prepared for soul interrogation weren't even needed."

The female ghost turned her body and nestled into Ji Huaixuan's arms: "It's because my Xuanlang is blessed with great fortune and destiny. In a little while, I'll transform from yin to yang, and we'll be together day and night, never apart again!"

Ji Huaixuan was overwhelmed with excitement: "Wonderful! This risk was worth it!"

The man and the ghost lingered in intimate closeness, then reluctantly parted.

After seeing off the female ghost, Ji Huaixuan decided not to return—he simply slept in the warehouse.

He had often kept night watch here before; there was a place to rest.

Xu Yuan secretly frowned: their so-called methods to counter soul interrogation were probably not reliable, which was why Ji Huaixuan feared it.

He'd guessed this fellow was hiding something, but never imagined it was this big.

Wang Fei has such skill—she's tamed Ji Huaixuan like a well-behaved puppy.

But… is Ji Huaixuan truly blessed with great fortune and destiny?

Three Dream Eaters happened to be committing crimes in the city, then headed straight for the Canal Magistrate's warehouse.

In truth, they were mutually covering for each other.

Pi Long was still in the water; Xu Yuan hesitated long, then held back and did not let Pi Long follow the female ghost.

Dead Corpse Sparrows said Wang Fei's power had suddenly declined, but she had once firmly dominated Wild Boar Fang.

Don't take this risk.

Xu Yuan extended the beast-tendon rope again, retrieved Pi Long, and slept a little before dawn broke.

The next morning, the inn was as usual.

Everyone had breakfast, settled their bill, and left.

The owner collected the full amount of silver without shame.

As if last night's secret "favor" had never happened—where Canal Magistrate personnel searched Xu's lord's goods.

Xu Yuan said nothing.

But after they left, the owner ordered the servants to clean the rooms.

As soon as they opened the door, a flock of Dead Corpse Sparrows flew out with a whoosh!

The servants screamed and scattered in panic.

The owner heard the cries and rushed out: "What's happened—"

The flock of Dead Corpse Sparrows chirped and swarmed toward him.

The owner had some skill, but the Dead Corpse Sparrows were too numerous—they swarmed him, pecking blood holes all over his body.

In a moment of carelessness, one sneaky Dead Corpse Sparrow suddenly lunged and pecked out one of his eyeballs!

"Ahh—"

The owner clutched his face and screamed; the inn's other guards finally arrived.

The Dead Corpse Sparrows burst apart with a boom and flew together toward Yu Shan.

The guards shouted and pretended to chase them for over ten miles, exhausting themselves pointlessly, then returned empty-handed.

The owner lost an eye, covered in wounds, utterly pitiful… yet guilt-ridden, he dared not pursue Xu Yuan and the others.

Lord Xu had already crossed the river.

After entering the city, he parted ways with Behind Miao Yu and the others, each returning to their respective offices.

Nancheng Patrol Station immediately grew lively; Xu Yuan ordered: "Select some of these fabrics to sell, bring back money—we'll build a warehouse."

In truth, the most crucial setup for a warehouse like last night's cargo station is a powerful "auspicious object" to suppress it.

Nancheng Patrol Station already had one such auspicious object on hand.

Building a warehouse with it wouldn't cost much.

Xu Yuan entrusted this task to Jia Yi and Lang Xiao Ba.

Then Lord Xu went to find Zhang Laoya.

Aunt Wang whispered: "That old man left early this morning."

Xu Yuan nodded.

Yesterday, during the Daydream Ban, the Dream Eaters couldn't go out, but they and Zhang Laoya were secretly anxious—so today, with the Night Travel, Logging, Divination, and Excessive Speech Bans in place, the Dream Eaters moved freely and rushed to investigate again.

By noon, Zhang Laoya returned.

Seeing Xu Yuan, he exclaimed in delight: "You're back! Any findings?"

Xu Yuan asked in return: "What did you find?"

Zhang Laoya shook his head: "No results."

Xu Yuan said: "We found nothing either, but we killed a batch of evil spirits—not entirely without gain."

Zhang Laoya had already seen the mountain of fabrics piled in the courtyard.

"Has Lord Master Wen Bin been pressing lately?"

Zhang Laoya: "He's been pressing nonstop. Yesterday, during the Daydream Ban, the three couldn't go out, so Master Wen Bin rented them a courtyard to hide in."

Wen Bin dared not let the three Dream Mice stay at the inn yesterday.

If anything happened—it would be a major incident; many passing officials were staying at the inn.

A post-facto investigation would lead straight to Wen Bin.

He's a pure-stream official; if he consorts with evil spirits, no one can save him.

"This morning, Wen Bin fetched them back, questioned them thoroughly, then hurried them out to investigate."

Xu Yuan nodded; he now understood.

After eating, Zhang Laoya went out again.

Xu Yuan quietly followed him.

Master Xu changed his clothes and molded a new face with Pi Dan.

Xu Yuan followed Zhang Laoya to the inn, watched him meet three women at the back gate, then hurry away.

But Xu Yuan did not follow.

He stayed by the gate.

Soon after, another person emerged in plain clothes.

He carried no attendants.

Though disguised, Xu Yuan recognized him at once—it was Master Wen Bin.

Xu Yuan quietly trailed behind him.

Wen Bin wandered aimlessly through the city for several loops.

He frequently glanced behind him; Xu Yuan always avoided detection.

Believing no one was following, Wen Bin left the city and went to a ruined temple a dozen li away.

Then he took out a folded document from his robe.

He wrote a few characters on it, then waited in silence.

About two kezhuang later, a gust of wind sounded outside the temple.

"Wen Lang!"

Wen Bin stood up joyfully: "Ying'er, I've missed you so much!"

Xu Yuan silently hid outside the temple, watching everything inside through the broken window with cold eyes.

Last night, Master Xu had already suspected.

From the perspective of the three Dream Mice, they stole the cocoon food, only to be preempted by someone else.

That could be explained as coincidence.

But from Ji Huaixuan's perspective, he embezzled it himself, yet someone else stole from several wealthy merchants in the city—and even tried to steal the cocoon food.

It perfectly masked Ji Huaixuan's actions.

This cannot be explained by "coincidence."

More likely, someone manipulated the three Dream Mice to cover for the true thief of the cocoon food.

Xu Yuan silently shook his head: Zhang Laoya thought himself cunning, but didn't realize he'd been drawn into a trap along with the Dream Mice?

(End of Chapter)