Hua Yan followed Xie Yingxian’s line of thought and considered it for a moment. Indeed, no matter what, Lu Chengsha would come, but she couldn’t help shaking her head and whispered, “He’ll definitely be furious if he finds out!”
Not just furious, he might even lose his mind from anger.
He might even think she was unfaithful and had remarried, breaking her promise!
Both of their voices were so low it was almost like transmitting directly into each other’s ears, deliberately ensuring that Lu Chengsha couldn’t hear.
Xie Yingxian shrugged lightly and said, “You’re reluctant to do this and unwilling to do that, so I can’t help you anymore. Though it’s a bad idea, if he’s willing to withstand the pressure and come to our sect to steal the bride, you two could use the opportunity to get married. If he’s not willing…”
Hua Yan asked, “What if he’s not willing?”
Xie Yingxian laughed, “Then he shouldn’t come for the rest of his life.”
Although he was smiling, his words didn’t sound like a joke.
Hua Yan shivered and said, “Forget it, forget it… Let’s just discuss how to visit the Jiang family.”
Normally, they should investigate under the cover of night, but Xie Yingxian said, “Since there’s no one there, we might as well go during the day. At night, we’d need to carry lanterns, which would be more conspicuous.”
The two changed into simple and light clothing, like two elderly people taking a stroll, swaggering towards the old Jiang family residence.
The old residence was somewhat remote, with neighbors far away. It seemed they feared their identities being discovered. Dongfeng Buye Tower, with its prominence, inevitably attracted criminals seeking to rob or extort. Thus, the more they avoided contact and deep relationships with others, the better.
This idea wasn’t problematic, but after such incidents, it became difficult for people to investigate.
Xie Yingxian said, “I had people inquire if there were any families named Jiang or any wealthy, reclusive, and peculiar households in the vicinity. By chance, we found this haunted house. The gatekeeper remembered a few things, and I later checked the financial records between this family and Dongfeng Buye Tower over the years, along with various other clues. It can basically be confirmed that they are Jiang Louyue’s relatives.”
A house where several people had died consecutively, leaving no descendants, could indeed be called a haunted house.
Such places were usually thought to have bad feng shui and heavy grievances. Xie Yingxian only exchanged a few words with people from a distance, and as he got closer, people gradually disappeared.
Hua Yan and Xie Yingxian decided to use their lightness skills to leap into the house. As soon as they entered, they saw a dark shadow following them.
All three were masters of lightness skills, their steps silent. Without concentrating, ordinary people wouldn’t even see a trace of their shadows.
The house had been uninhabited for a long time, and although it was occasionally cleaned, it still had dust, making it look eerie and desolate in the daylight. Hua Yan couldn’t help but shake her sleeve, coughing lightly.
Xie Yingxian was about to speak when a male voice suddenly rang out, “Are you alright?”
Hua Yan waved her sleeve and whispered, “I’m fine, just a bit choked.”
Xie Yingxian said, “So you can talk?”
Hua Yan replied, “We can’t meet face to face, but we can at least talk.”
Xie Yingxian smiled slightly, “So he’s watching us now?”
Hua Yan shook her head, “He said he’s not watching.”
Xie Yingxian leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear.
Hua Yan thought for a moment, then shook her head again, “It’s not appropriate right now…”
Xie Yingxian said, “Then let’s discuss it outside later.”
With that, the two continued their investigation.
From the outside, the Jiang residence appeared larger than an ordinary house with its white walls and black tiles, but inside, it was lavishly and meticulously renovated, exuding grandeur. Walking past the shadow wall, through the hanging flower gate, and into the corridor, they saw carved railings and jade steps, pavilions and towers arranged in an orderly manner. In the center, there was a lotus pond connected by a white jade arch bridge. However, the water in the pond was now murky, filled with broken branches and rotting fish corpses, emitting a faint stench.
Xie Yingxian remarked, “I’m afraid someone died in this pond as well.”
Hua Yan asked, “How can you tell?”
Xie Yingxian replied, “You’ve smelled too little. There’s a corpse smell, slightly different from the fish corpses. Of course, I don’t intend to fish it out.”
Hua Yan glanced at the pond filled with sludge and decisively said, “Let’s go inside and take a look!”
The interior rooms were numerous and dusty, making the search time-consuming. Additionally, they wanted to see if there were any hidden passages or secret rooms in the Jiang residence, which required even more time.
Hua Yan, to prevent Lu Chengsha from being idle, said to him, “Why don’t you search elsewhere?”
Lu Chengsha was silent for a moment before saying, “I don’t feel at ease.”
Hua Yan replied, “There’s no one here to worry about. Moreover, our Sect… the Sect Master is here. He’s very powerful, so there’s no need to worry about me!”
Lu Chengsha was silent again. Just when Hua Yan thought he had left, he said, “…I still don’t feel at ease.”
Before Hua Yan could respond, Xie Yingxian laughed.
“You’re uneasy because I’m here, right?” Xie Yingxian was leisurely rummaging through boxes and cabinets, his tone teasing, “It’s a bit late to be uneasy now.”
That murderous aura started to seep out again.
Hua Yan stood on tiptoe, dusting the top of the bookshelf. “Stop teasing him!”
Xie Yingxian pulled out two letters and began reading them. “What’s wrong with teasing him?”
Hua Yan lifted the mattress slightly. “…He’s a bit naive. He takes everything you say seriously!”
Lu Chengsha’s voice drifted over, “I’m not naive.”
Xie Yingxian stuffed the letters back, then casually lifted the desk, chuckling, “It’s fun to tease someone naive.”
Hua Yan glanced under the bed. “Uh…he’s not that naive. He’s just…just…” She hesitated, “He’s straightforward and honest!”
This time, Lu Chengsha remained silent.
Xie Yingxian moved a display shelf to the side, casually remarking, “There’s no difference.”
Hua Yan, struggling to lift a painting, retorted, “There is! It’s a virtue!”
Xie Yingxian tapped the wall with his fingers. “In my view, being naive is also a virtue. Look at Qi Xiusi, for example. Being a bit naive can make life happier. Unlike Yu Ye, who just invites trouble upon himself.”
As he spoke, the sense of murderous intent surrounded him.
It seemed that with one wrong word, a fight could break out.
With a smile playing at his lips, Xie Yingxian said, “There are plenty of naive disciples in the Zhengyi sect. If I had known you liked them, I could have captured some for you back then, saving you all this trouble.”
Just then, something flew towards him.
Xie Yingxian casually caught it, a jade Ruyi, which shattered into pieces in his hand, falling through his fingers.
It wasn’t a lethal move, but it was clearly a warning.
Hua Yan turned in surprise. “What? What happened!”
Xie Yingxian dusted off his hands and laughed, “This Young Hero Lu sure can’t take a joke.”
Hua Yan had to reiterate, “I told you, he takes things seriously! Stop teasing him! You two…you should at least try to get along.” She paused, “Can’t you?”
Xie Yingxian opened and closed drawers one by one, his expression half-amused. “I’m the leader of the demonic sect, and he’s a young hero of the righteous path. How can we get along?”
Unexpectedly, Lu Chengsha responded with a simple, “Hmm.”
Hua Yan: “…”
After all, she was a demonic sect witch herself!
Thinking about how the three of them were now together, it was a strange combination. No one would believe it if they heard.
Forget it, she decided not to interfere!
Fortunately, Xie Yingxian finally restrained himself a bit. They roughly searched the area and found only some irrelevant letters, business books, and calculation manuals. Xie Yingxian remarked, “It seems the recent years’ documents have been taken away beforehand.”
Hua Yan hesitated, “Was it really Jiang Louyue who did it?”
She shared with Xie Yingxian everything she had learned from Yu Ye and You Weitian.
Xie Yingxian pondered for a moment and said, “A red robe hem… If it really was Jiang Louyue, that would be interesting.”
As they were speaking, they heard Lu Chengsha’s voice, “There’s a passage; you can see an opening above.”
Hua Yan quickly asked, “Where?”
Lu Chengsha replied, “Behind the east side room.”
Hua Yan followed his directions and indeed saw a small opening concealed under a tree in the courtyard, very hidden, seemingly for ventilation, but there was no corresponding opening on the other side of the wall, and the distance seemed off.
Xie Yingxian took one look and declared, “It’s a hidden passage.”
For a cautious family like the Jiang family, it was impossible not to have a hidden passage.
He was about to search for the entrance when Lu Chengsha said again, “Just break open the wall.”
Hua Yan said, “Oh, then you break it; I’ll step aside.”
Xie Yingxian couldn’t help but pause, “Is he always this violent?”
Hua Yan remembered the underground palace that Lu Chengsha had collapsed during the sect battle, feeling a bit embarrassed, “Cough, cough… It’s convenient!” Then she said to Lu Chengsha, “Make sure to be quiet when you break it, don’t make too much noise.”
Lu Chengsha responded with a simple “Hmm.”
Xie Yingxian decided… to let it go, feeling too lazy to look for it himself.
Hua Yan stepped aside, and the black-clad young man leaped down, drawing a pitch-black longsword and began striking the wall along the opening.
Xie Yingxian stood with his hands in his pockets, watching. This was the second time he had seen his reputedly half-brother since the incident at Tingjian Manor. To be honest, both of them resembled their mother more, so they didn’t look alike at all.
Even standing together, it was impossible to tell they were related.
Lu Chengsha controlled his strength perfectly, slowly breaking the wall. When the passage was revealed, he sheathed his sword and prepared to go down.
Xie Yingxian, in a relaxed tone, said, “Are you really planning to go down like this?”
Lu Chengsha slowly turned his head. His movements were deliberate, mainly to control his killing intent. Knowing that Xie Yingxian was the leader of the demonic sect, his instinct was to cut him down, and he was already making an effort to restrain himself.
He didn’t dare enter the demonic sect because he feared he wouldn’t be able to resist going on a killing spree.
He had a visceral reaction to the attire of the demonic sect.
With a blank expression, Lu Chengsha said, “It’s none of your business.”
Xie Yingxian smiled, “You may not be my business, but she certainly is.”
Lu Chengsha held down his arm, preventing himself from drawing his sword. “If you want to fight, let’s take it outside.”
Xie Yingxian replied, “You’ve misunderstood me. I don’t enjoy fighting. If something can be resolved with words, there’s no need for violence. So, tell me, what are your plans? Is dragging her along like this appropriate?”
Lu Chengsha remained silent.
Xie Yingxian’s tone was calm and even, “Do you think she can’t live without you? Or is she destined to be dragged down by you? This is why I dislike the righteous path. They claim to act for justice, but their justice isn’t rational. Right and wrong are determined by their stance. Even if you know Lu Zhenxing is wrong, you’ll still follow him into the wrong. This stubbornness isn’t righteousness; it’s just for your own peace of mind. And for your peace of mind, she has to suffer alongside you. Isn’t that a kind of selfishness?”
Lu Chengsha was taken aback.
Xie Yingxian continued, his tone growing more severe, as if mimicking Lu Zhenxing, “You claim to be deeply in love with her, yet you refuse to bear the guilt for her sake. What has she done wrong to deserve punishment because of you? If you could bear a little more guilt, this matter could be easily resolved. The one who made the mistake is you, so only you should suffer. She has no reason to be deprived of seeing you.”
Lu Chengsha moved his lips, “I…”
Hua Yan, hiding and eavesdropping, couldn’t help but feel sympathy and spoke up, “Sect Master, please stop making it hard for him! Ignoring Lu…his grandfather’s words is probably harder for him than dying. If he’s always depressed, even if we’re together, I wouldn’t be happy.”
Xie Yingxian: “…”
Hua Yan whispered, “I know you’re trying to help me. Thank you!”
Xie Yingxian said, “Alright, let’s check out the secret passage.”
Although Xie Yingxian didn’t say much, Hua Yan could sense a hint of frustration in his tone.
He didn’t understand what it meant to like someone, after all.
Hua Yan felt a little guilty.
The stone wall was broken open, revealing a narrow passage that extended downward. As soon as they entered, a pervasive dampness and the stench of decay and mustiness filled the air. Hua Yan waved her sleeve, trying to disperse the smell, but it was too strong, indicating it had been there for a long time.
Xie Yingxian stepped down as if he couldn’t smell anything. He took out a fire starter, illuminating the underground space, revealing a closed secret chamber with a table, bed, and chains for imprisoning people.
The foul odor intensified, with a faint smell of blood. The light from the fire starter showed darkened blood trails on the floor, filth, and two half-rotted limbs, with bones faintly visible underneath.
Xie Yingxian glanced around and said, “Someone was imprisoned here and had a hand and a leg chopped off.”
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Could this be Jiang Louyue’s doing as well?”
Xie Yingxian replied, “It’s possible. It could also be someone imprisoned by the Jiang family. Judging by the bone length, it was a woman. Who she was, though, is a mystery.” He raised the fire starter to inspect the walls.
Hua Yan took out her own fire starter, but someone covered her eyes from behind.
Recognizing the familiar presence, Hua Yan relaxed and asked, “What are you doing?”
Lu Chengsha said, “I’ll check. You go outside.”
Hua Yan realized that in Lu Chengsha’s eyes, she was still a timid, ordinary girl who would be frightened by the sight of skeletons.
She put away her fire starter, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’ll wait for you at the door.”
Xie Yingxian turned his head and asked, “Why make her leave? You can’t see much here anyway.”
Lu Chengsha replied, “She will be scared.”
Xie Yingxian looked confused, “…??? Hmm?”
Hua Yan nodded to hide her embarrassment. “Yes, I’m scared! Terrified! Hurry up, please!”
Xie Yingxian was speechless for a moment, then compromised, “…Alright.”
The secret chamber now had only two people left. Xie Yingxian felt along the wall, searching for any markings. Being trapped here must have been desperate, and it was likely someone would leave some traces behind.
Lu Chengsha examined the decayed remains and the darkened bloodstains on the ground. The silence grew awkward, so Xie Yingxian casually asked, “How do you really feel about her?”
Lu Chengsha hadn’t expected the question. He paused before replying, “She’s great. I want to protect her.”
“And then? Do you think she’s very weak?”
Lu Chengsha’s handsome face reddened slightly in the darkness. “Yes.”
Well, he certainly was a bit naive.