Chapter 44: 43 Meeting is Difficult, Parting is Also Difficult (Part 1)

Dong… dong…

The sound of the night watchman’s gong came from outside the window.

Zhang Rongfang lay on the bed, staring up at the gray-white top of the mosquito net, unable to sleep for the time being.

Earlier, he had told his Senior Brother everything in one go.

Except for not mentioning his source of information, he said everything he could, gave all the warnings he could.

But….

His Senior Brother’s reaction was very strange.

Moreover, when they were about to return to Qinghe Temple that evening, the temple master Li Heng, who should have returned with them, appeared uneasy, as if something had happened.

“From the previous inquiries, it’s clear that Mi Gang is dissatisfied with Qinghe Palace and wants blood for blood. This information was deliberately released during a meeting in front of many people.

Even if I didn’t secretly hear it at the Chen family, someone at Qinghe Palace should have been in Mi Gang and received the information.”

“But after compensation, Mi Gang was framed by me to the Chen family, overwhelmed, yet they still want revenge. Does Shao Quanhua truly not want to stay in Huaxin County anymore?” Zhang Rongfang wondered.

This entirely defies the logic of a businessman, and even if Shao Quanhua particularly loves her son and is desperate for revenge.

But do other people in Mi Gang also want to follow her and risk everything? They must know that once such a thing is done, regardless of success, it means giving up everything they have in Huaxin County.

Zhang Rongfang’s mind was a tangle of chaos for a moment.

He slept fitfully through the night and dreamt, in his vague dream, of his past life.

It was as if he was still working in his former office, doing paperwork.

“Brother Zhang, is yesterday’s document finished?” asked a new young colleague named Dai Yiyang from the same office.

“Document? What document?” Zhang Rongfang drowsily replied.

“The one the boss requested yesterday, it’s to be announced later!” Dai Yiyang’s grinning face moved closer.

“Brother Zhang, isn’t it right there on your desk?”

Zhang Rongfang looked down and saw a document placed on his originally empty desk.

It was densely filled with red letters:

Murder is illegal.

Murder is illegal.

Murder is illegal.

Murder is illegal.

…..

…

The entire document was filled with blood-red text, as if it could crawl and move.

They squirmed like worms, quickly spreading from the paper onto the desk, around.

Even onto Zhang Rongfang’s own clothes.

He saw red letters crawling over his hands and legs.

The blood-like script crazily drilled towards his nostrils, ears, mouth, and eyes.

Crash!!

Zhang Rongfang suddenly sat up straight from the bed, kicking off the quilt.

A hole was kicked in the middle of the quilt, tearing open, revealing the cotton inside.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!….”

He gasped for breath.

His mind was still immersed in the emotions of the previous dream.

Murder is illegal….

Indeed….

His long-held worry was exactly this.

He was worried about being discovered for having committed murder. Worried about becoming an opponent of the law and order.

He still retained the socioeconomic values from his past life.

But he forgot that this was the Great Spirit, not the kind of modern society with more comprehensive legal supervision that he was used to.

“I…. I….” Zhang Rongfang got out of bed, “I’m scared….”

He walked over to the window in just his undergarments, took down the window bar, and opened the window.

Outside, the small courtyard illuminated by sunlight appeared before him.

Xiao Jiu was in the yard, playing shuttlecock in the sunshine.

Kick after kick, her innocent face was still wearing a bright smile.

A sweet scent of morning osmanthus cake drifted from the direction of the kitchen.

The two servant disciples were preparing a simple breakfast.

Zhang Rongfang placed his hand on the windowsill, involuntarily clutching the wooden ledge.

The rough texture and faint coolness brought him back to reality.

The panic from the dream was slowly dissipated by reality.

“Brother Rongfang, want to join in kicking?” Xiao Jiu noticed Zhang Rongfang waking up and waved at him.

“No. You play by yourself.” Zhang Rongfang wiped his face, sweat dried into salt crystals at the corners of his forehead.

He closed the window, dressed in his Daoist robe, and calmed his mind, trying to soothe his inner agitation.

But unfortunately, it was just like when he first arrived in this world.

He felt confused and at a loss, without a sense of security, anxious, worried, unsure of what he wanted to do.

The anxiety and tension, worry and concern, were aggravated by the murder.

He was worried about being discovered by the authorities, whose power was so vast and unmatched.

If discovered, he certainly couldn’t escape….

He would die….

He might even implicate his master and Senior Brother….

An hour of practicing Void Observation Skill couldn’t suppress the turmoil in Zhang Rongfang’s heart.

He feared, worried about too many things.

Recalling when he was at Qinghe Palace, his heart wasn’t as chaotic or agitated.

Even possessing special abilities, the strong sense of insecurity still lingered in his heart. Unable to be removed.

He silently stayed in the room for a while, then tidied up and left the temple.

Outside, the bustling street was filled with people coming and going, but those people now seemed completely isolated from him.

To avoid the hustle and bustle, he unwittingly walked towards a quiet direction.

Leaving the town, entering the forest.

The much quieter forest somewhat calmed his mood.

Without intentionally choosing a direction, unknowingly, he had come once again to the mountain gate of Qinghe Palace.

Looking at the three gateways of the mountain gate, which respectively signify the Three Realms.

Zhang Rongfang stepped forward, crossing through, as if stepping out of the Three Realms.

This time upon returning to the mountain gate, he didn’t immediately go to find his master, but wandered aimlessly within the Dao Palace.

From the mist-covered observation deck, to the flower-laden Shangde Garden, then to the three major halls frequented by pilgrims.

Among the three major halls, the Wealth God Hall and Profound Heart Hall had the most people, while the Spirit Official Hall was the quietest.

As Zhang Rongfang passed by, he inexplicably walked into the Spirit Official Hall.

In front of the Three-Eyed Spirit Official statue, a venerable Daoist Hall Master on one side softly recited scriptures.

Outside the altar, a few pilgrims and Daoists sparsely knelt upon the mats.

Among them was Xiao Qingying.

She knelt with her eyes closed, sincerely kowtowing time and again.

Her once chubby cheeks had slimmed considerably, becoming serenely elegant.

After reciting the scripture for a while, she noticed Zhang Rongfang entering.

But she didn’t come over to greet him, continuing with her own ritual at her own pace.

Only after finishing reciting a complete scripture of the Spirit Official’s Treasure Virtue did she join her hands together, slowly quieting down.

“Your mind is in turmoil.”

Xiao Qingying raised her head, still gazing at the statue rather than turning, but her voice was directed at Zhang Rongfang.

Zhang Rongfang was silent for a moment.

“Not that much.”

Xiao Qingying took three incense sticks and lit them with the candle flame.

“Thank you for saving me several times before.”

Once the incense was lit, she gently waved to extinguish the flame.

She inserted the incense sticks lightly into the burner.

“Ever since father died, I have thought a lot while alone on the mountain.”

“Without the previous disturbances, no one accompanies me like before, nor yields to me. Gone also are those who taunt and punish…. I’m like I’ve suddenly fallen from a bustling market into a deep pit.”

She turned her head to gaze at Zhang Rongfang.

“Many people surround me, yet none can truly touch me.”

“Senior sister… aren’t you saddened?” Zhang Rongfang didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m not sad, just afraid.” Xiao Qingying’s face bore a trace of reminiscing. “I remember my father always said, ’I named you Ying to hope you would be as translucent and precious as a pearl necklace.’”

“A cyan pearl necklace symbolizes purity and life…. Later, when he died, I realized only with him alive could I be precious as a pearl necklace.”

Zhang Rongfang had no words to offer.

He did not know what to say to someone who had just lost their only family.

“You too must have someone who regards you as a treasure, don’t you?” Xiao Qingying’s words suddenly pulled him back from silence.

Almost instinctively, Zhang Rongfang’s mind flashed with the image of his elder sister Zhang Rongyu.

The girl who would almost give up everything for her brother must be such a person.

“Yes.”

“That’s wonderful.” Xiao Qingying smiled faintly, her face calm.

She said no more and turned to walk outside the temple hall.

Zhang Rongfang watched her departing figure, unable to speak.

He paused silently, walked to the mat where Xiao Qingying had kneeled, and knelt down gently, gazing at the stern Three-Eyed Spirit Official statue.

’I simply don’t want to be harmed….’

He clasped his hands together, bowed deeply.

’Nor do I want others to be hurt because of me.’

For a moment, his heart was much calmer.

Since fearing injury, one should strive to create a place where no one gets hurt….

*

*

*

Two days later.

Qinghe Temple.

A circle of people sat together, holding bowls, picking vegetables as they ate.

Tomato and scrambled egg, shredded cabbage with meat, steamed white fish.

Three small stir-fries accompanied by a cucumber and river prawn soup.

The few people in the temple ate with hearty appetites.

“Just when I went to buy groceries, I saw wanted notices posted at the market entrance; did you see them?” Unable to hold back as no one spoke, Xiao Jiu prompted.

“There’s also one at the city gate, I saw it too,” the servant Xiao Li eagerly replied.

“Three members of Mi Gang suddenly disappeared, not seen for several days, and their families reported to the authorities.”

Replied a Daoist named Hong Dao, who had descended from the mountain with Zhang Rongfang and Xiao Jiu.

“Those missing aren’t ordinary people, right? Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such commotion.” Zhang Rongfang questioned.

“Yes, all three are senior executives of Mi Gang. It is said they are practitioners too, and losing three at once might mean they secretly did something wrong and fled.” Xiao Jiu nodded.

“I suspect as much, including one who they say colluded with bandits outside, who used to be our Qinghe Palace patroller.”

“Chen Zihan?”

“Yes, yes, that’s the name; the last character in the name had too many strokes, I couldn’t recognize it,” Xiao Jiu nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Rongfang’s heart skipped a beat.

Recalling Mi Gang’s previous conspiracy, thinking of the senior brother’s strange reaction.

Mi Gang’s affair seemed inexplicably… resolved?

He visited the Chen family two days ago but didn’t see Chen He return home. The Chen family’s belongings were almost all moved, and the family members went separately, only an empty shell of a house remained.

It was said Chen He’s two sons even went to court over the division of the estate.

’But… why did this happen?’

Zhang Rongfang suspected something incomprehensible had happened behind the scenes.

Linking previous anomalies seen in the senior brother’s demeanor, he swiftly gulped the rice in his bowl, setting the bowl down.

“I’ll return to the mountain this afternoon, no need to count me for meals.”

“Okay. As you return to the mountain, help me take some things back to Xiaochun.” Xiao Jiu’s words trailed off, as Zhang Rongfang’s figure had already disappeared….

She sighed deeply.

“It’s always like this; is senior brother a rabbit? Dashing off so quickly?”

The others seated around the table couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep