Seeing the strange look in my eyes, Gu Yuan didn't offer much explanation. "You stay here and chat with Mom and Dad. I need to talk to her about something."
With that, he led Hu Qingluan into the inner room.
My mom stepped forward and took my arm. Looking worried, she asked, "Are you two okay?"
I patted Mom's hand and said with a smile, "It's okay. He treats me very well."
"Mom, you take Dad back to rest. I'll come to you later."
Seeing me smiling, Mom rubbed the cheek where I'd just been slapped.
"Your aunt was being excessive. It's Mom's fault for not standing up for you."
"Mom, what are you thinking? It's okay. It was just one slap. It doesn't hurt anymore."
I pushed Mom on the back and took Dad's hand, escorting them back to their room.
Then I opened the door and walked out, planning to eavesdrop on what was going on in the inner room. I wondered what the two of them were talking about.
"Master Gu, you're really a lovestruck man. It's been hundreds of years, and you still can't forget her."
"This is my own business. Did you bring it?" Gu Yuan asked.
I was a bit confused outside. What was it that was supposed to be brought? I wanted to peek inside, but I was afraid of being discovered by Gu Yuan.
Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I impatiently swatted the hand away.
"Eavesdropping is very immoral." I immediately stood up. It turned out to be my little shadow, here to keep an eye on me again.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
Bai Qi's eyes curved as he pulled me out and sat down beside me. But I was still eager to know what the two of them were doing inside.
"Sit here obediently. I'll listen for you."
"Didn't you say eavesdropping is immoral?"
"I'm a man. Let me do the immoral things."
I was amused by his words. When I grinned, my left cheek still ached a bit. Bai Qi, this little warm - hearted guy, was really something.
He sat beside me. At first, there was a smile on his face, but it gradually faded.
His reaction made me even more curious about what was going on inside.
I stared at him with curious eyes. "Bai Qi, what exactly are they talking about inside?"
"Hu Qingluan brought up the remaining fragment of Man Yue's memory from the underworld. No wonder our spiritual connection with Man Yue was interrupted."
"She brought the remnant soul because of Gu Yuan?"
"Yeah. That might be the deal between Gu Yuan and her."
Although I'd had a premonition for a long time, I just didn't want to face it.
I had mentioned the deal between the two of them to Bai Qi before. Combining that with what he'd just heard, he already understood the whole story.
As an outsider, Bai Qi saw things much more clearly than I did.
The deal between Gu Yuan and Hu Qingluan originated from Man Yue, and it was made hundreds of years ago. Gu Yuan knew that there was a remnant soul of Man Yue's memory on the Yellow Spring Road. He really wanted to bring her out.
However, due to his body that was immune to all evils, that weak soul couldn't enter his body at all. In other words, he couldn't even see her.
But at that time, Gu Yuan was a criminal. No one was willing to stand up and help him. Only Hu Qingluan was willing to step forward and help Gu Yuan fulfill his wish.
The precondition was that no matter what heinous mistakes Hu Qingluan made in the future, Gu Yuan had to stand by her side. In short, she was looking for a backer.
What Hu Qingluan had to do was to return to the Fox Clan and steal the Pure Ruyi. Only the power of the Pure Ruyi could materialize that extremely weak remnant soul of Man Yue, so that Gu Yuan could see her.
But this wait lasted for hundreds of years. Hu Qingluan always had excuses to put it off. It wasn't until recently when Hu Qingluan targeted me that she completely enraged Gu Yuan, and he gave her an ultimatum.
That's why she brought back Man Yue's soul today.
After listening to what Bai Qi said, I pressed my chest with my hand. Strangely, I didn't feel any pain. Maybe I was already numb.
It was only after experiencing their story firsthand that I realized that my relationship with Gu Yuan could at most be described as having feelings, but it hadn't reached the level of entrusting each other with life and death.
"Lan Lan, don't be too sad. Man Yue is in the past. After all, you still have a long way to go." I gave him a sweet smile to let him know that I was okay.
Just then, someone started pounding on our door outside and shouting.
"Auntie, open the door! Auntie, something's wrong!"
My mom was woken up by the pounding on the door. She quickly put on her clothes and went to open the door.
Actually, I already knew who it was just from the voice. I was just too lazy to open the door.
As soon as the door opened a crack, Wang Bao slipped in.
"Auntie, save me! Auntie!"
My mom was a soft - hearted person. Seeing Wang Bao gasping for breath and kneeling on the ground, she quickly pulled him up.
"What's wrong, son? Speak slowly."
Wang Bao stood up from the ground. There was still a look of terror on his face. It seemed that he had seen something extremely terrifying.
"Auntie... My sister... She's come back to life?"
"Ah? Come back to life? That's impossible. She was clearly dead. How could she come back to life?"
"Could it be a zombie?" My dad came out in his clothes.
"No... It's definitely not a zombie. Her body isn't stiff. Her pupils are blood - red and her lips are black. Now she's looking for my brother - in - law all over the street and saying that she must have a baby with him."
"Where's your brother - in - law?" I asked, standing beside them.
"Seeing this situation, he... He ran away a long time ago. Wuwuwu. Now my sister has captured my mom and her mother - in - law. She threatened that if Zhao Youcai doesn't show up, she'll start with my mom."
"Sister Lan Lan, I know you have a spiritual altar. You must save my mom. We're relatives. If you don't save her, she's doomed."
"Now you remember that you're relatives. When your mom was beating someone just now, she didn't treat Lan Lan as a relative."
The voice came from the room. Gu Yuan walked out with his hands behind his back.
When his cold face and icy eyes met Wang Bao's, Wang Bao couldn't help shivering.
He quickly shifted his gaze to my mom and said, "Auntie, please. Ask Sister Lan Lan to save my mom. She's your own sister."
"Lan Lan, look. After all, she's your aunt. If we can help, we should. If you don't help, what will the villagers think of me in the future?"
"But Mom... Look at how they treated your niece. They deserve it."
Just thinking about my cousin's strange death, I felt that my aunt wasn't worthy of pity.
"After all, she's my sister. She's always been good to me. Just think of it as Mom begging you. Take Master Gu and go and have a look, okay?"
Seeing that Mom was about to cry, I looked up at Gu Yuan.
He nodded at me, indicating that he agreed.
"Mom, you stay at home and wait. I'll go and have a look right away."
"Bai Qi, you take Lan Lan there first. There's a strong evil aura on the other side of the village. Zhao Youcai is in that direction. I'll go and check it out and bring Zhao Youcai over by the way."
Then he actually stuffed the palm - sized Pure Ruyi into my hands. His eyes were firm as he said in a trusting tone, "The evil aura there is extremely strong. This thing can't follow me. No matter what happens, you must keep it safe for me."
Before I could answer, Gu Yuan turned into a silver light and disappeared. I put the Pure Ruyi into my backpack. Bai Qi grabbed my arm, and in the blink of an eye, we were outside my cousin's house.
My cousin had already sensed someone coming. With a flick of her dainty finger, I was pulled into the mourning hall in front of the incense burner.
Three incense sticks were burning, two short and one long. The joss paper in the fire basin was spinning continuously, and sparks were flying everywhere in the air.
I felt a cold wind blowing behind me. My cousin was going to kill someone.