“Shi Yi is indeed somewhat strange. However, this matter is full of suspicious points. We must first find concrete, indisputable evidence.”
Shi Yu’s face was as heavy as water, his tone indifferent and suppressed. His gaze was fixed tightly on the closed door, as if he wanted to see through the door and into the heart of the person inside.
At this moment, inside Shi Yi’s room, Night Owl had completed his investigation and returned to report the situation.
“Your Highness, I have already investigated clearly. It was the nearby villagers who sent a report to Lingxi Sect, which is why they sent disciples here to handle the epidemic.”
“Our men were likely knocked unconscious by an immortal official from Lingxi Sect, but they probably did not discover his identity. The jade pendant of the Bo Prince’s mansion is still on his person.”
Night Owl respectfully presented the recovered jade pendant to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi simply waved his hand, knocking the item from Night Owl’s grasp, and scolded angrily, “A bunch of trash!”
Shi Yi closed his eyes, struggling to calm his emotions, and then let out a deep sigh. “Clear away the traces, and write a letter to my cousin reminding him to be more careful.”
“Yes!” Night Owl responded respectfully and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Shi Yu and Mo Yuan, who had been lying in ambush nearby for a long time, noticed his actions.
Shi Yu opened his jade umbrella, and the two kept a certain distance while following behind Night Owl, paying constant attention to his movements.
Night Owl walked out of the village and arrived at another village not far upstream from the water source.
He scanned the surroundings vigilantly. Finding no one else, he gently knocked on a door.
Seeing Night Owl enter the house, Shi Yu and Mo Yuan rushed to the doorway.
Mo Yuan whispered, “A-Yu.”
Shi Yu understood tacitly and immediately performed a spell to shroud the entire house in a magical array.
Seeing that Shi Yu had finished the spell, Mo Yuan did not hesitate to kick the door. With a loud bang, the door swung open.
The room inside was a mess. Night Owl held a long sword, about to strike the person who had fallen to the floor.
At this critical moment, Shi Yu swung the jade umbrella in his hand with sharp eyes and quick hands.
The jade umbrella automatically opened to block the strike, and after parrying the blow, it fluttered back into Shi Yu’s hand.
Mo Yuan immediately seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of Night Owl’s distraction, he struck him hard, knocking him unconscious to the ground.
The middle-aged man who had fallen to the floor was already terrified, begging for mercy. A moment later, he fainted from fright.
“Tsk, he has such a small heart yet dares to harm others.”
Mo Yuan looked at the villager, his lips curling into a look of disdain.
Shi Yu did not forget the purpose of this trip. He concentrated on casting his spell, transforming himself into a blood-soaked corpse that looked exactly like the man.
“Fine. Let us take him away first.”
His tone was as calm as water, but his hands did not stop. He formed seals with both hands and began to weave a dream to overwrite Night Owl’s memories.
“This technique A-Yu created himself is truly useful. Teach me next time!”
Mo Yuan watched from the side, a look of envy on his face.
Shi Yu was focused on his task and did not respond.
Layer upon layer of dreamlike light gradually enveloped Night Owl’s mind, silently altering his original memories.
By the time Shi Yu stopped, Mo Yuan had already carried the unconscious man outside.
“Let us go.” Shi Yu immediately walked out of the room, signaling for Mo Yuan to take the man and leave.
Not long after, Night Owl slowly opened his eyes and looked around in a daze.
He looked at the corpse before him and sighed, thinking he must be too tired lately, as he had only sat for a moment before falling asleep.
He then hurriedly grabbed his sword and rushed back to the village without stopping to report to Shi Yi.
“Your Highness, it is done.” Night Owl knelt on one knee, his tone respectful.
“Hmm.” Shi Yi did not look up, remaining focused on the movement of the brush in his hand, appearing not to have much of a reaction to Night Owl’s report.
Night Owl wisely retreated from the room.
Meanwhile, Shi Yu and Mo Yuan were quietly bringing the middle-aged man back to Ah Jiu’s home.
Ah Jiu, who had not seen the two for the entire day, pounced toward Shi Yu like a bird returning to the forest the moment he saw them.
“Brother Shi Yu, where did you go? Ah Jiu missed you so much.”
Shi Yu noticed that the child’s mental state had improved significantly since yesterday, and a feeling of relief welled up in his heart.
He gently stroked Ah Jiu’s small head. “Brother had things to do today. Be a good boy, okay?”
Mo Yuan walked past them carrying the man, emitting a cold snort to show his dissatisfaction.
Ah Jiu’s attention was drawn to him. He stared curiously at the stranger and asked in confusion, “Who is this person?”
“He is very important to Brother, but we cannot let others know he is here. Can Ah Jiu keep this secret for Brother?”
Faced with Ah Jiu’s question, Shi Yu did not choose to tell the truth directly.
These matters were too heavy for the young Ah Jiu. He hoped Ah Jiu could have a happy, carefree childhood, while he himself would take care of the revenge.
“He is very important to Brother, but we cannot let anyone else know he is here. Can Ah Jiu help Brother keep this secret?”
Ah Jiu looked at Shi Yu’s solemn expression and immediately nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Ah Jiu is a sensible boy and will not talk nonsense. Ah Jiu will go find the other brother to get dinner.”
With that, the little smarty-pants ran away quickly, as if he knew that staying here was not appropriate.
Shi Yu gazed at the little fellow’s receding back, a faint smile appearing in his eyes before he looked at Mo Yuan.
“Ah Jiu is truly well-behaved and sensible.”
Mo Yuan did not respond to Shi Yu’s words; he simply watched Ah Jiu’s figure fading into the distance, lost in thought.
“Being too sensible and well-behaved comes with a price. Children do not know right from wrong; perhaps innocence is what they are supposed to be like.”
Shi Yu did not quite understand what Mo Yuan meant. Did he think it was bad for Ah Jiu to be so sensible?
Just as he prepared to ask, Mo Yuan had already awakened the villager.
The man slowly regained consciousness. The moment he opened his eyes and saw the two people before him, a look of extreme terror appeared on his face, and his body involuntarily shrank backward.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Mo Yuan’s lips curled up, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.
He walked forward slowly, every step carrying a sense of intimidation, as if he were stepping on the man’s heart, causing endless pressure.
“You have done so many bad things, yet you ask us what we want?”
Mo Yuan’s voice was cold and deep, as chilling as an Asura from purgatory.
Terrified, the man tried to run toward the door, only to be firmly grabbed by Mo Yuan, dragged back, and thrown to the ground.
Mo Yuan crouched down, his gaze as sharp as a sword. “Why run? Can you outrun the vengeful souls of those you killed?”
The middle-aged man sat clumsily on the floor. Hearing Mo Yuan’s interrogation, he immediately retorted, “Impossible! They said it would not kill anyone.”
Shi Yu stepped forward quickly upon hearing this and pulled Mo Yuan back slightly, signaling him to step back.
He looked down coldly at the man. “Who are they?”
The man seemed to realize he had let something slip. Facing Shi Yu’s gaze, cold sweat streamed down his face, but he remained silent.
Mo Yuan’s already limited patience was worn thin. He drew the sword at his waist and held it against the villager’s neck, threatening coldly, “If you do not want to speak, I do not mind sending you to talk to those vengeful souls.”
The man was so scared that his body stiffened; he did not dare move an inch and hurriedly agreed.
Mo Yuan slowly lowered his sword, his cold, icy eyes still fixed on the man.
Watched by him, the villager spoke faster and faster, spilling everything.
The situation was much as Shi Yu and the others had guessed. Prince Bo’s mansion had sent someone to contact this man, telling him to poison the water upstream of the village. They had given him a large sum of money and promised that no one would be able to trace it to him.
Mo Yuan sneered upon hearing this. “It certainly would not be traced to you. Everyone is dead, so how could anyone investigate!”
The man instantly remembered the scene before he fainted, trembled all over, and turned deathly pale.
He crawled to Mo Yuan’s side and reached out to grab his clothes, but was glared at by Mo Yuan.
The man awkwardly retracted his hand and crawled toward Shi Yu, but upon feeling an even more intense gaze from behind—as if he were about to be pierced through—he began to cry in a panic.
“Two righteous men, I truly know I was wrong. I did not want to kill them. By the way, the person who wanted to kill me today is the one who found me. It was him; this has nothing to do with me!”
Shi Yu glanced at him, his gaze cool. “Since you know you were wrong, preserve your life and avenge those you killed.”
Upon hearing that there was still a chance, the man immediately stopped crying and wiped his face hard with his sleeve.
He knelt on both knees and bowed repeatedly to Shi Yu to show his gratitude.
“Thank you, righteous men. This small one will definitely do his best.”
Shi Yu continued to ask, “What is your name? Is there anyone else in your family?”
“My name is Li Chou. I am the only one in my family.”
Hearing this name, Mo Yuan laughed out loud.
That name is indeed very apt.