Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Inside the Soul-Ferrying Lantern, Wuyou started wailing again.
“Boo-hoo-hoo… People always use ‘blood is thicker than water’ to describe family bonds, but the way I see it, some blood ties can’t even compare to this.”
“On the other hand, there are so many people in this world who turn against their own siblings for profit, even killing each other…”
“Fate is far too cruel… boo-hoo-hoo-hoo.”
Listening to the buzzing in her ear, Xia Ximo, for once, did not find it annoying.
Huang Yuqiong had not become a Vengeful Ghost.
That meant the Soul-Ferrying Lantern could guide her to the Netherworld.
And so, while the people beside her remained completely unaware, Xia Ximo slowly stepped out of the main hall.
Yan Zhengchu was about to stop her, but Ren Fengjue stopped him first. “Leave her be. Miss Xia has her own matters to attend to.”
Hearing him say that piqued Daoist Yan’s interest. “What is Miss Xia going to do?”
Ren Fengjue glanced at him, then replied, “You don’t need to know.”
“…”
Were these two, in a certain sense, becoming more and more alike?
Yan Zhengchu swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue. With no other choice, he folded his arms and watched Xia Ximo walk out beyond the corridor.
Outside, the rain that had fallen for nearly the entire night was finally beginning to ease.
When Thirteen and Huang Yuqiong saw Xia Ximo come out, they both looked over at her.
Xia Ximo regarded them coldly. “Your affairs in the mortal world are settled. I can send you to the Underworld Administration.”
At that, Huang Yuqiong looked at her deeply once more and asked, “Are you… an Underworld Runner?”
“No,” Xia Ximo said. “An Underworld Runner couldn’t ferry you.”
Huang Yuqiong smiled faintly. “No wonder, from the moment I first saw you, I felt afraid deep down. So that was why…”
Xia Ximo asked, “Do you have anything else to say?”
Huang Yuqiong turned to Thirteen instead. Then she leaned close to his ear and quietly instructed him on something.
After listening, Thirteen’s expression grew complicated.
Huang Yuqiong walked up to Xia Ximo and said, “The only thing I still can’t let go of now is Thirteen.”
“I know that over the past half year, he has done many foolish things…”
“But everything he did was for me…”
Of course Xia Ximo understood that she was trying to plead for him, and immediately cut her off. “You don’t need to say that to me. The Underworld Administration has its rules, and the mortal world has its laws as well.”
“What he has done will naturally be judged by those responsible.”
“And you cannot interfere with any of it.”
Huang Yuqiong seemed to want to say more.
But Thirteen spoke from the side. “Sister, you don’t need to worry about me. As long as you can enter reincarnation, I believe… we will have the chance to meet again in the mortal world.”
“Thirteen has already grown up. Just as you said, I can stand on my own now.”
Hearing Thirteen’s words, Huang Yuqiong seemed indescribably comforted. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but a gentle smile flowed across her face. In the end, she nodded.
“Sister believes you.”
Xia Ximo held the Soul-Ferrying Lantern in her palm. “Come in.”
Huang Yuqiong immediately turned into a wisp of shadow and flew into the lantern.
Seeing Huang Yuqiong’s figure vanish, Thirteen could not help glancing at the lantern in Xia Ximo’s hand. “Sister, she…”
“She will go where she is meant to go.”
Xia Ximo put away the lantern. Without another unnecessary word, she walked straight toward the dry well in the curtain of rain.
Seeing this, Thirteen immediately followed close behind.
Inside the main hall, the others exchanged glances. Then, when Ren Fengjue nodded, they hurried after them as well.
Xia Ximo found Huang Yuqiong’s body inside the cave.
By then, without the influence of the Soul-Nurturing Pearl, the corpse had already begun to rot rapidly.
Lantern Spirit Wuyou said to Huang Yuqiong’s ghost, “The Soul Ferryman is going to perform the rites for your remains now. In a little while, the Soul Lantern will guide you onto the Path to the Netherworld.”
From within the lamp, Huang Yuqiong gave a quiet murmur of acknowledgment.
Just then, Thirteen’s cries of “Sister” drifted over from afar. Forcing down the reluctance in her heart, she slowly closed her eyes.
Xia Ximo heard footsteps coming from the corridor and faintly sensed the emotions of the soul inside the lamp. At once, she reached out and pressed a finger to the space between the corpse’s brows.
“Be on your way.”
By the time Thirteen came stumbling over, all he saw was the corpse turning to powder in an instant. A gust of wind inside the cave blew it away, scattering it into nothing.
A single glimmer of light vanished at the lampwick.
Xia Ximo put the lamp away and turned back, only to see Ren Fengjue and the others had also followed them into the cave.
Yan Zhengchu looked around. Seeing no trace of Huang Yuqiong’s corpse or soul, he scratched his head and asked her, “Where’s Huang Yuqiong?”
“Gone.”
She left only those two words behind. It was, in truth, very much her style.
Thirteen knelt on the ground, trying to gather the last bit of powder into his palm.
Yet when he opened his hand again, there was already nothing left.
Seeing that Fourteen was still lying on the ground, unable to move, Yu Lang asked Ren Fengjue, “My lord, how should we handle this Giant?”
Ren Fengjue lifted his gaze and looked around the cave.
It was clear that while the cave looked naturally formed, the passage leading to Qiongying Inn was no coincidence.
The Giant’s origins were unknown. If he truly was a “Di Slave” from the Northern Border, then how had he ended up here?
He said, “Once day breaks, have the Yan County Government Office come handle it.”
Yu Lang couldn’t help feeling that this was not quite Lord Ren’s usual way of doing things, so he asked, “My lord, are you not planning to take charge of this?”
Ren Fengjue merely smiled.
“If I remember correctly, the old county magistrate has only two days left before he retires and returns home.”
“He has spent half his life in office, serving the court. At the very end, he ought to do something significant so he can truly retire with his work complete.”
–
At the first gray light of dawn, the entire Yan County Government Office mobilized.
The man leading them was none other than Huo An, the old county magistrate who was about to retire and return home.
He rushed without pause from Yan County to Ge Town, not daring to delay for even a moment.
Some bailiffs who did not know the inside story whispered among themselves, “Has some important person arrived? This is the first time I’ve seen our county magistrate this nervous…”
“No idea. It really is strange…”
“Don’t tell me there was another murder in Ge Town last night?”
“That ‘Death Inn’ has had no shortage of deaths over the past half year, has it? Honestly, the whole thing is downright eerie!”
Suddenly, the county commandant traveling with them gave two sharp coughs, and only then did they shut their mouths in embarrassment.
After entering Ge Town, the group did indeed head straight for Qiongying Inn.
Huo An climbed down from the carriage in fear and trepidation, straightened his clothing, and only then led the county assistant magistrate and county commandant into the inn.
There were quite a few people seated in the main hall.
Huo An swept his gaze over them. The moment he saw Vice Minister of Justice Ren Fengjue and Junior Minister of Dali Temple Yu Lang seated at the head, his heart sank halfway into the pit of his stomach.
“Lord Ren! Vice Minister Yu!”
He stepped forward and performed a proper bow. Before he could say anything more, he heard a voice come from above him. “Magistrate Huo, there is no need for such ceremony.”
“Last night, I happened to pass through this place and encountered a murder case. The victim was a traveling merchant who did business between the western and northern regions.”
“Later, according to the inn attendant Thirteen, more than one case of this sort has occurred in this inn over the past half year.”
“Since Ge Town falls under the jurisdiction of Yan County, I will leave this matter to Magistrate Huo.”
From the moment he stepped through the door, Huo An had known there would be no escaping this time. Now that he had heard those words, how would he dare refuse?
“Please leave this matter to this humble official. I will be sure to give Lord Ren a satisfactory accounting.”