And they would later ask themselves what benefit they had in me?
Or was it someone's instruction?
The more I thought about it, the colder I felt all over, and my guard was completely on high alert!
Thoughts hidden in my heart, I coldly said, "Finish?"
Uncle Xu said that's all for now, but when you go back, Nuan Nuan still has something to say. This girl, you can discipline her freely, after all, she is your fiancée..." Xu Fangnian was especially sincere.
I shook my head, almost expressionless, and said, "People like me are just lost dogs in your eyes."
"I was able to live, experienced too much dirty, accustomed to do things very absolute, slander my parents in the soul of God, you Xu family has no longer deserve."
"Now that you have avenged Qianqian, I will no longer pursue the matter of the dowry, and you do not need to return anything."
"Make way."
My three words and two sentences have completely changed Tang's expression.
He stared at Xu Fangnian intensely, the muscles on his forehead twitching.
Xu Fangnian used avenging Tang Qianqian as a pretext to soften my defense and, in the process, made Tang Qianqian his advocate.
I directly pointed out what they had done.
Given Tang Quan's loyalty to my family, how could he possibly trust Xu Fangnian again?
Xu Fangnian slightly changed color and immediately explained, "Xuan Shen, this was just Nuan Nuan's idle talk. I will scold her well when I return. You cannot treat Xu Uncle like this!"
"How about you, using my underworld methods to shave your head?"
I slightly lifted my forearm, and my fingers held the razor.
The noon sunlight is shining brightly, and the blade is faintly reflecting, making it appear cold and daunting.
Xu Fangnian was petrified and immediately retreated several steps.
I took another step forward, and Xu Fangnian turned around in a fluster.
A Range Rover was parked in the center of the road, and he quickly climbed into the passenger seat, and the car drove out of the street.
I slightly retracted my hand into the cuff and put away the razor.
Tang Quan followed me out. His face was pale as he said, "Master, you went back to JinYang first, right? The things the Xu family said to you that day?"
I didn't say anything, but nodded.
"He should have died!" Tang Quan was so angry that he kept stomping his feet and swearing, "That Xu Fangnian, must want to use you for something. He avenged Qianqian, that's just an excuse!"
As I expected.
Just a slight hint, Tang Quan understood the implications.
"Uncle Tang, is your place still safe now?" I relaxed my tone.
...
...
The road was flanked by tall birch trees on both sides. On the right was a dilapidated town village, with "Demolish" printed in abundance on the brick walls along its perimeter.
Further inside, the old houses mostly had plastic shelters, with a few using color steel.
The cement road was cracked, uneven, and there were pools of water. It was dirty and chaotic, making it the best description of this place.
Tang Quan hobbled forward on one leg, leading me half a step ahead, guiding the way.
Several old houses had people standing outside, looking at and examining us.
We didn't come directly here.
After coming out of the soapy streets, we changed black cars three times and took a long detour in the city before getting here.
According to Tang Quan, the town village is his hometown.
Except for my parents, no one knows his background. Even his ID card was made by someone my dad knew, and the address is on Soapy Street.
Ten years ago, his parents died before the Luo family's disaster. He handled the funerals and encountered a dramatic change in the Luo family. He lost his leg and didn't return for ten years.
After about ten minutes, we stopped in front of a large courtyard.
The courtyard walls are made of green bricks, the main house has black tiles, and the old house exudes a quiet sense of loneliness that has been unoccupied for a long time.
The lock was rusty and corroded, and it took Tang Quan a whole day to open it.
When pushing the door open, the hinges made a creaking sound like the croaking of toads in a graveyard.
The cement has been laid, and there are no weeds in the courtyard. There is a well to the left, and next to it, there is a flower bed that is two meters wide, with a crooked peach tree planted in it.
The central hall has been repaired with a high threshold, and the door is tightly closed.
On both sides of the hall, there are several rooms, and all the doors and windows are tightly sealed.
"Ruo family was very kind to me in the past. The salary given by the master and mistress was high. I brought it back to my family and built a new house. As a result, my parents didn't enjoy much happiness. They suddenly fell ill and became crazy. I couldn't come to take care of them, and soon they died violently." Tang Quan's eyes were full of complexity.
"Each person has their fate, Uncle Tang, please console yourself," I whispered in consolation.
Tang Quan laughed lightly and said, "Master, I've long since let it go. It's quiet and safe here. You can buy anything in the town village as long as you're careful when going out to do business and don't expose your whereabouts when you return, everything will be fine."
"Um," I nodded.
Tang Quan went to push open the door of the central tile house.
The clean hall was furnished with carved wood tables and solid wood chairs.
There was an altar against the north wall, without an ancestral tablet, but it had two portraits hanging on it, of a couple in their sixties with no expression on their faces.
"The house is quite clean." I swept around the room four times, and there was not a speck of dust anywhere, even in the most remote corners.
"Yes, no one has come back for a long time, and everything remains as it was when they left."
As he answered, Tang Quan walked to the altar, first taking out several sticks of incense from the drawer of the table, lighting them, making a bow, and then inserting them into the incense burner. He then placed Tang Qianqian's portrait in the corner.
Next, Tang Quan turned around and asked me cautiously, "What you said about the Luo family should not mean that Xu Fangnian has come looking for trouble, right?"
I shook my head and said it wasn't.
I then asked him if he knew about the folk organization known as the City God Court.
Tang Quan's eyes were vague and he said he didn't know.
I didn't hide anything from Tang Quan, telling him that the people my parents took away were from the City God Court. By chance, I encountered them, and they wanted an explanation. Then we had a conflict.
Although I safely left and they promised not to cause trouble, it's better to be safe than sorry. The ruckus we caused at Fenghan Hall wasn't small either. It's safer to start anew in a different place.
Tang Quan nodded in agreement, affirming that it was indeed sound advice. Xu Fangnian's actions also made people wary.
After a pause, Tang Quan asked me, "So what's the plan from here on out?"
Will you definitely have to investigate the past incidents to clear up the truth?
Evidently, Tang Quan thought that I was leaving to investigate this matter.
I remained silent.
The water in Qianyang is too deep.
Deep enough for me to feel that my underworld methods are not enough.
The deaths of my parents were shrouded in suspicion at every turn.
Xu family's methods in the past two days were too alarming, and it's impossible for me to have any further interactions with Xu Fangnian.
The City God Court isn't an organization to be trifled with either.
For a moment, a scenario flashed across my mind...
Sun Haide was carrying meat and vegetables to buy books, enjoying a leisurely retirement life.
Old Qin had said that I hadn't reached the level of Xuan Shen and couldn't afford to anger my older brother's family.
But in reality...
It seems like only Sun Haide and I can easily control him?
Not only can I force him to reveal the twelve life-cursed palaces he used to take away my destiny, but also...
Even he might know about the circumstances of my parents back then?
I have a death hazard when I turn nine, and my parents gave up their careers to avoid this fate, only to die without a trace.
It was him and my older brother who led me to face this death hazard!
My uncle's family may have a huge connection to the misfortune my family experienced!
As my thoughts gradually calmed down, I replied to Tang Quan, "Uncle Tang, we need to plan ahead for future events. Here's what you should take with you."
I took out a thick stack of red currency from my backpack and handed it to him.
Tang Quan was startled and immediately said, "Master, you need to put it back immediately! This is not something you can do!"
"There's nothing that can't be done. You are the manager of the Luo family, and didn't you also manage the family budget before?" I paused for a moment and then continued, "During this period, we need to take care of all our expenses and Qianqian's offerings as well. It will be your responsibility."
Tang Quan's eyes filled with tears again, and he said in a low voice, "Qianqian truly had a slender thread of fortune. If she were still alive, Master, you have been so good to her, she would be so happy."
"Uncle Tang, light the incense and prepare the offerings. If she has passed through the city god's temple, the incense, candles, and money will be her constant companion. If she hasn't left yet, she will still come back if she follows the incense." I sighed in response.
Tang Quan nodded heavily.
After that, I said no more, and Tang Quan didn't ask any further questions. He arranged for me to rest in the eastern room and went to buy vegetables to cook.
I took out all the gifts in my suitcase and backpack, and arranged them in an orderly manner. Then, I took out a circle of black and red thread, as well as a small jar about the size of a hand.
The old Luo family home is not clean.
Ten years have passed, and it's precisely because this place has been so clean, almost spotless.
The cleanliness on the surface often indicates the dirtiness in the shadows.
