Chapter 680: Wuxia: Even Arch-Enemies Can Become Lovers 14

Returning to Uncle's home, Jin Chen and Sang Ning went to find them and explained the plan.

Uncle and the child's parents all expressed their agreement.

"Great Hero Jin, our Nuonuo's life was saved by you, so we naturally trust you!"

"Yes, Great Hero, I believe your martial power can protect Nuonuo well." A Yun placed the child on the bedside, also full of trust.

"I won't let anything happen to the child."

Jin Chen looked smiling at the cute infant in the swaddle, his fingertips touching the cheek.

【0731, Puppet Body Replication.】

【Puppet Body Replication successful, already distributed to System Space.】

"What do we need to do?" asked A Yun's husband, the very person who was severely injured that day and rescued from the Ghost Gate Pass by Sang Ning.

"We'll hold a banquet for the child; who attends doesn't matter, the main thing is to spread the news that he is a blessed child born on an auspicious day."

Jin Chen glanced out the window, his words unceasing: "Just do this, and leave the rest to me."

"Eh, okay."

Sang Ning raised his hand: "How can I help?"

"Sachet."

Jin Chen looked at him: "Sang Ning, prepare a special sachet that retains its scent long and can be used to trace by fragrance."

"This is simple; I can make it by tomorrow!"

Sang Ning patted the cloth bag, laughing with his eyes round.

Creak——

The door was pushed open; Mu Huaizhi entered sword in hand, glancing at the two of them on good terms.

Jin Chen silently withdrew his hand that had been resting on Sang Ning's shoulder.

"Then this is settled; Uncle, rest assured, Nuonuo will definitely come to no harm."

"This afternoon we'll search and investigate in the town, meanwhile spreading the news of the banquet."

Leaving the room, he grabbed Mu Huaizhi's wrist and walked toward the courtyard, stopping only when they reached a corner.

"Mu Huaizhi, you're angry."

Mu Huaizhi avoided his gaze: "No, it has nothing to do with you."

"You do, and I'm not blind."

Jin Chen snorted and showed him what was in his hand.

"Look."

His gaze lowered; in his distinctly jointed hand he clutched a dirt-stained, terribly shabby brocade pouch.

"What?"

"That day in the forest, before the black-clothed person swallowed poison and committed suicide, he shoved it into my hand."

Jin Chen opened it; inside was a jade Buddha stained with blood.

Strangely, that jade Buddha wore a furious expression, sitting cross-legged in the center of a lotus pedestal piled with skulls, looking grim and ghostly.

"I suspect the Earth Evil Palace, precisely because of this."

Jin Chen wrapped it up and had Mu Huaizhi smell the scent on the brocade pouch.

"This fragrance is quite peculiar; I had Sang Ning smell it, and he couldn't identify its components, but one thing is certain: anyone who touches the brocade pouch will retain the scent on their person, lasting and unfading."

"So the real bait… is you?"

Mu Huaizhi understood his meaning, his eyes flashing with surprise.

"You're quite smart, Mu Huaizhi, you're right, but the child is too; I think they suffered a setback in the forest and will surely not let it rest."

"But the child in the room will be fine."

Jin Chen didn't directly mention the puppet matter; he merely hinted to Mu Huaizhi that he wouldn't use the real child as a pawn.

"Why didn't you say anything while you were in the Governor's Residence?"

"I don't trust them; if there turns out to be a traitor among them, then all my efforts would be wasted."

Jin Chen pursed his lips, put the brocade pouch away, turned his back, raised his head, and locked eyes with Mu Huaizhi.

"You're not angry anymore, are you? Apologize to me, quickly."

Mu Huaizhi: "……"

He pressed his lips together, silently thinking: "How did this person suddenly become so understanding of me?"

"Sorry."

"His voice was soft, but loud enough to be heard clearly."

"Alright, I forgive you."

Jin Chen again rubbed Mu Huaizhi's head; from his slightly higher angle it was just right to do so.

"Mu Huaizhi, I've discovered we're actually quite suited to be friends."

"Friends?"

Mu Huaizhi glanced at Jin Chen, a smile tugging at his lips: "Have you forgotten your own identity?"

"So what? I, as the Young Master, never care what the world thinks; whereas you, being a righteous gentleman, probably wouldn't dare to be good friends with someone like me, a demonic fiend."

Jin Chen pinched his cheek: "You lot of the orthodox path are just too rule-bound."

Mu Huaizhi shook off his hand, feeling that Jin Chen has lately become increasingly lacking in restraint.

"Nonsense; it's clearly your Demonic Sect that's being wanton and reckless."

"Is being wanton bad?" Jin Chen tilted his head, insisting on pinching him, "I ask you, how many years does a person's life have?"

But he didn't intend for Mu Huaizhi to answer, continuing on his own: "It's less than a hundred years; even if one's martial arts are supreme, it's still only a little over a hundred years."

"In just a hundred years, why bind oneself in a cage called dead rules? It's better to live freely and happily."

"This was the first time Mu Huaizhi, from childhood onward, had heard such reasoning."

"Since joining the Heaven Sword Alliance, he has been strictly required to know propriety and measure in all things, even the timing of his daily morning and evening reflections and sword practice is regulated."

"In his youth he indeed found it boring, but over time he gradually grew accustomed, and even began to require new disciples to do the same."

"The young man before him had a smirk flying at the corner of his mouth, and the corners of his eyes revealed unrestrained, wanton arrogance."

"Preposterous reasoning."

"Mu Huaizhi avoided eye contact with him, refuted in a low voice, but lacked confidence."

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value 5, total 5! Not easy!】

"Admit it, Mu Huaizhi, you just think what I say makes sense."

"Jin Chen hummed, pulling his hand toward the door, 'I don't even want to be friends with you now; let's talk again when you no longer want to kill me.'"

"The two left together, starting to investigate the town from the street entrance."

"They passed many streets with tightly closed doors; whenever they passed houses hung with white mourning or obviously searching for a child, they would go in to inquire."

"After all that, they actually found a pattern."

"All families that had lost children were native longtime residents of Yunshu Town."

"And when asked whether the children had done anything unusual before the incident, they all said no, but upon further questioning they said the only thing they had done was this year, at a temple not far from the town on the mountain, they had prayed for an evil-suppressing coin for their child."

"Evil-suppressing coin, a special ancient coin; wearing it can ward off evil and bring good luck."

"Jin Chen asked them for one, then returned to the old man's home where Fang Xun and he were also waiting; it seemed they also agreed to this method."

"You're just in time, take a look at this evil-suppressing coin."

"Jin Chen tossed it to Fang Xun, his expression somewhat solemn, 'This is not an ordinary evil-suppressing coin, but ordinary people can't tell the difference.'"

"Examining the coin in his palm, Fang Xun rubbed the engraved area with his fingertip, and suddenly his eyes showed surprise."

"\"The evil-suppressing technique is also called the nightmare-suppressing technique; using talismanic methods to suppress the ghost, but on this evil-suppressing coin the engraving of the mountain ghost has had the three circles representing the Three Flavors True Fire and the Three Pure Ones' transmission removed...... \""

Fang Xun furrowed his brows tightly, his tone grave, "This shows that this evil‑suppressing coin cannot possibly suppress evil spirits; moreover, the ghost character in the lower four‑character inscription meaning 'to repel and kill evil spirits' is larger than the characters for the Supreme Pure Ancestor above, which is most inauspicious."