novel bin Chapter 15 Mysteries Abound
Chapter 15 Mysteries Abound
In the path
Flowers bloom in clusters, branches and leaves are lush and green, and bluestone slabs lead straight to a secluded spot.
The reception room at the end of the road is classically elegant, with a bright and eye-catching plaque in the main hall. The four characters "正大光明" (upright and honorable) are written in a vigorous and powerful style, exuding a majestic aura.
The hall was neatly arranged, and a middle-aged man with a benevolent face was looking at Fang Hongxuan with a kind expression.
"Heroes have always emerged from among the young, but I, an old man, did not believe it until now, when I truly understand the weight of these words."
Fang Hongxuan nodded slightly, without offering many formalities.
"Nephew, you have been here for about three days now."
"I am merely passing through and will only be staying for a few days to rest. That is why I have not yet paid a visit to you, Uncle. I have been impolite in doing so."
"I hope you won't take offense, Uncle."
Fang Hongxuan stood up and slightly bowed to express his apology.
This is the reason why Fang Hongxuan was unwilling to reveal his identity; if he were all alone, he would seem to be ignored.
Master Liu chuckled and waved for Fang Hongxuan to take a seat.
"Several years ago, the magistrate of this place abandoned his wife and children and fled alone. I, Liu Yisheng, though incompetent, was recommended by the people to become the steward of Qingyang Town."
"Those two constables were blind to your greatness and dared to flatter you. Please forgive them. After my son's wedding, I will reduce their salary by six months as a warning to others."
Fang Hongxuan did not speak, but simply took a sip of the tea on the table.
Seeing this, Master Liu was not angry; his face remained kind.
"hehe..."
"Where did you make your fortune, my dear nephew?"
Fang Hongxuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression remaining gentle.
"I have no official rank or military merit. All I have is a little strength to be used by others. It was only because the magistrate did not abandon me that I was able to earn a living."
"Nephew, please don't blame your uncle for saying something out of turn." Liu Yisheng seemed to have something difficult to say. He hesitated for a moment, but finally opened his mouth.
"Qingyang Town is not exactly prosperous; it's just a group of unfortunate people with nowhere else to go huddling together for warmth. That's what gives the town some vitality."
My dear nephew, you hold an important position, yet you remain here. Is it possible that even this place cannot keep you here...?
Hidden in the shadows, Liu Yisheng's face looked slightly strange, his previous amiability completely transformed into gloom.
Fang Hongxuan's compass swayed slightly. He calmly placed the teacup next to his sword, his fingers clenched, ready to strike.
"I just happened to be here to investigate a case."
Fang Hongxuan stared into Liu Yisheng's eyes and said, word by word.
"What case?"
"It is suspected that some kind of spirit is stealing livestock from people's homes in the middle of the night. The official has specially dispatched my nephew to investigate this matter."
"I happened to meet a steward surnamed Liu, who told me that the Liu family in Qingyang Town could control everything, and that if I needed anything, I should come to him."
Inside the hall
The tense atmosphere was abruptly broken by Liu Yisheng's hearty laughter.
"Nephew, you may have misremembered. Although my Liu family has some influence in Qingyang Town, it is all thanks to everyone."
Fang Hongxuan didn't want to continue this topic, so he turned to ask about Liu's new daughter-in-law.
"It is said that the woman who married your son is a renowned talented woman in town. I wonder if my nephew will have the opportunity to meet her today?"
Just then, a figure suddenly burst through the doorway.
The newcomer was a young maidservant, her face filled with panic. She knelt before Liu Yisheng, stammering, "Master...something terrible has happened...Madam...Madam has committed suicide...If I hadn't discovered it in time...I'm afraid..."
Liu Yisheng's amiable face suddenly turned ferocious. He angrily threw the vase on the table at the maid, as if to take her life.
Fang Hongxuan naturally refused and tried to stop him with his scabbard.
"Uncle, flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns."
Seemingly regaining his senses, Liu Yisheng glared at the maid.
"Aren't you taking me with you?!"
When the three arrived, He Nianwei's bedside was already surrounded by doctors. The doctors were whispering among themselves when they noticed the arrival of Master Liu and fell silent, not daring to say a word.
"Couldn't escape, huh...?"
"How is the situation?"
"Reporting to the master, the young mistress is now out of danger. She was probably just frightened, which is why she acted that way."
Liu Yisheng waved for everyone to leave, and only sighed when there were only three people left in the room.
"Nephew, I will not hide anything from you. My son's wedding is actually an inauspicious event for my father. According to the feng shui master, my father was frightened by passing ghost soldiers, which is why he is bedridden and has no appetite."
"Looking at it now, it's not a good omen."
He Nianwei, still in a daze, woke up at some point. Fang Hongxuan's figure was reflected in her eyes. She was stunned at first, and then her eyes welled up with tears.
Fang Hongxuan recalled the rumors He Nianwei had mentioned about the old master of the Liu family in front of the Cliff Gate Inn. He also remembered that he had just killed a dog demon last night.
The two corroborated each other, leading to some speculation.
"It's getting late, and I need to go out and explore a bit more, so I won't bother you any longer."
Liu Yisheng did not try to stop him, but brought up the marriage again.
"Nephew, tomorrow is my son's wedding day. I hope you will do the Liu family some favor and come to drink a cup of celebratory wine."
Fang Hongxuan agreed and did not linger any longer.
Upon reaching the flower garden, they were stopped by Liu Yiheng.
"Let me ask you, are you a demon-slaying captain or not?"
Liu Yiheng's face was gloomy, but deep in his eyes was a hint of tension.
"What is it?"
"Yes or no?"
Liu Yiheng's tone became more serious, as if he urgently wanted to get confirmation from Fang Hongxuan.
Fang Hongxuan nodded in agreement and asked to hear more.
"I beg you, Captain, to save my father and grandfather from this dire situation!"
The arrogant and domineering Liu Yiheng seemed to have changed his tune at this moment. He was seen with tears streaming down his face and his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably.
Fang Hongxuan's face showed curiosity.
"Could it be that your father is not your father?"
"Yes and no, they have already been possessed by the dog demon, and now they are about to be completely devoured by that dog demon."
"What does that mean?"
...
Sixty years ago
Qingyang City has not yet collapsed and its people have dispersed.
Within the city, only Sun Xingfu was the wealthiest man in the area, and his young master, Sun Liancheng, was arrogant and domineering. Even as a child, he would chase chickens and dogs.
As they grew older, they learned to bully others and forcibly abduct women.
His father had a son late in life, so how could he not spoil him?
In this way, he was completely indulged into becoming a tyrant.
Although Sun Liancheng was domineering and tyrannical, he was also loyal and devoted to his own people.
In the past, my grandfather served as a henchman under his command.
Although they had no worries about food and clothing, they lived in constant fear.
Perhaps because Qingyang City had remained unchanged for decades, Sun Liancheng had long lost interest. He then heard from somewhere that there was a large tomb near Qingyang City, so he led the group to dig up the grave.
Everything went extremely smoothly until the black coffin was unearthed.
The coffin was sealed with iron chains and branded with various incantations. Ordinary people would avoid it as far as possible if they saw it.
Sun Liancheng, however, was incredibly audacious and personally pried open the coffin.
There was no human corpse inside the coffin, only an old dog that was nearing the end of its life.
The old dog did not howl, but instead met Sun Liancheng's gaze. Then, it transformed into black mist and dispersed into Sun Liancheng's body.
From then on, strange things began to happen in Qingyang City.