"invitation?"
In a quiet room, Ji Ping'an sat behind a table covered with yellow silk and looked at the post presented by the maid in front of him.
The maid named "He'er" stood respectfully, bowing her head slightly, no longer as arrogant as when she and Pei Qiuwei came to the door for the first time that day.
I don't know whether it was because I saw Ji Ping'an, the "Gua Master", suppress "Zhou Banxian" and others that day, or because I was repeatedly warned not to conflict before coming.
At this time, he said "Yes" and said:
"Madam and young lady invite you to come to the house at your convenience so that you can thank me in person."
That day when the divination master went to Pei's house, he did indeed say:
If the advice given by Ji Pingan is valuable, I will repay you.
However, the clues given by Ji Ping'an at that time could be used as a breakthrough for investigation...
But in fact, the head of the Pei family was found in another way that no one expected.
Therefore, the "thank you" in the maid's mouth is more of an excuse and an excuse. The real purpose is probably that Ji Ping'an saved Pei Wuju, and the other party found an excuse to establish a deeper connection with him...
After many thoughts, Ji Ping'an did not expose this layer. Anyway, he did want to go to the Pei family to get more information about the "cursed killing of Sanren".
He nodded gently, raised his hand to pick up the gold-gilded post, and said:
"I will go to the house this afternoon."
Maid He'er obviously breathed a sigh of relief and bowed:
"Waiting sir."
After saying that, she turned around and picked up the oil-paper umbrella placed by the door, and was about to leave in the car.
——With the status of the Pei family, the treatment that a maid like her can enjoy is better than that of many young ladies from small families. For example, she can ride in the Pei family's carriage when going out.
After the others left, Ji Ping'an held the post and thought for a moment, got up and closed the door of the Gua Guan, changed his clothes, and walked out of Laoliu Street.
When passing by Mud Bottle Alley, he happened to bump into the "landlord" holding a wooden basin.
Fang Ling seemed to have finished washing clothes, and the wooden basin was filled with wet clothes. The woman was still wearing an old-fashioned sarong, and her hair was fixed with an iron hairpin, looking a little worried.
The two of them bumped into each other, and she suddenly woke up from her distraction. She raised her head and raised her eyebrows out of habit, as if she was not to be trifled with. When she saw "Li Anping" clearly, her expression softened slightly:
"Xiao Li...sir, are you going out?"
Ji Ping'an smiled and nodded: "Go out and do something."
I have been busy investigating cases in the city these days, but I have put the matter of the landlady on hold.
However, after confirming that he was not a "reborn person" and was only somewhat related to Tingxue Tower, Ji Ping'an didn't pay much attention to it.
In the past thousand years of his life, he has traveled far and wide and has seen so many things in the world that he no longer has too much boring curiosity.
After all, stories in the world are the same as people. If you see them too much, you will feel the same.
Fang Ling said "Oh" and had no intention of chatting, let alone recognizing that the person in front of her was the mysterious strong man who saved her life that day.
When the two passed by, the woman suddenly stopped, called him, and said hesitantly:
"I heard from the neighbors that you are very good at divination? Have the important figures of the Pei family come to ask for divination?"
"Rumors cannot be trusted." Ji Ping'an said casually, then blinked:
"Madam Fang, do you want to divine something?"
"...No, not yet." Fang Ling shook her head, looking a little worried, and then turned away.
Ji Ping'an smiled. As long as it didn't involve the reborn, he didn't have much intention to pry into the secrets of a woman from the world.
…
The other side.
Fang Ling carried the wooden basin back to the door of her courtyard, opened the double wooden doors, and began to dry her clothes on the hemp rope in the midday sun.
He just seemed a little distracted.
Not far away, the door was pushed open through a narrow gap. An eyeball was stuck on the door gap, staring at the square bell hanging clothes to dry, and then slowly narrowed, and then, the door gap expanded little by little...
Fang Ling, who was drying clothes, was distracted when her ears suddenly moved. With the sharp hearing of a warrior, she caught the strange movement and turned her head sharply to look.
I saw a short, fat little boy sneaking out of the room and walking along the wall toward the back door.
His dress is quite strange:
She wears a wide cloth skirt around her stubby waist, which is painted with stove black ash, imitating the style of a tiger skin skirt. She wears a yellowish and white coat on her upper body, and a red silk cloth is tied around her neck. .
A monkey mask sold in the street was tied with a hemp rope on his face, but a strange ring was made of willow branches on the top of his head and put on his head.
He also held a wooden stick in his hand. The stick was painted into three sections with paint he didn't know where.
If Ji Ping'an were here, he might be confused for a moment, but he would definitely recognize that this is Sun Wukong's classic costume.
Likewise, there are mythical characters that do not exist in this world.
"Fang! Shi! Jie!"
Fang Ling's eyes widened in anger, and the lion from the east of the river roared.
Suddenly, Fang Shijie, who was sneaking out with his feet, trembled all over and froze in place.
Then he swallowed, his eyes were fierce, he raised his butt and rushed out, shouting while running:
"Children, let's practice..."
Fang Ling was so angry that his head was filled with smoke. He rolled up his sleeves and rushed forward with a vigorous stride. He pushed the "Monkey King" down, took off his pants, picked up the clothes-washing mallet and hit his round buttocks...
"What are you trying to do?! Are you just mad at me? I asked you to practice, why don't you practice? Huh?"
While cursing, there was a crisp sound of "papa papa" and Fang Shijie's "ouch" cry.
The little boy burst into tears, his eyes darkened:
According to his plan, he originally planned to dress up in this look that only a few people, including the Imperial Master, knew, and cause a scene in Yuhang City to gain fame...
I didn't want His Majesty the God Emperor to fail in his mission and shed tears of humiliation.
Outside the wall.
A group of children, also wearing monkey masks and carrying bamboo poles and wooden sticks, looked at each other as they listened to the crying in the yard.
Finally, someone sniffed:
"Is the king unable to come out?"
…
…
Ji Ping'an left Laoliu Street and first went to a stall two streets away for lunch. Then he walked slowly along the main road towards the Qinhuai River, then crossed the bridge to the south bank and walked along the bottom of the river to Pei Mansion.
Along the way, you can hear discussions about Pei.
Obviously, this incident caused a great stir in the city.
When Ji Ping'an arrived near Pei's main house, he unexpectedly found that there were many cars and horses coming and going.
Pure white silk ribbons were hung at the main entrance of the mansion, and the red lanterns were replaced with white ones.
Focusing on a depressing style.
And just when he walked to the door, he happened to see two figures walking out of the Pei family's gate. They were Song Xuezheng and his daughter.
Song Qinglian did not wear official robes, but was dressed as a scholar. He had a serious look on his face. He was nearly fifty but his back was still straight. The scholar's robe on his body was spotless and not wrinkled at all.
"Song Xue is walking slowly." The housekeeper stood on the doorstep and said goodbye.
Song Qinglian waved his hands and said nothing, looking quite sad. When he boarded the carriage, he turned to look at Ji Ping'an who was walking from a distance. He was slightly curious, but that was all. He got up and got into the carriage.
While the carriage was rolling along, Miss Song, who was sitting in the carriage, curiously poked her head toward the curtain and said:
"Dad, when the young Taoist priest came in, he was welcomed in by the housekeeper. Why haven't you heard of such a person in Yuhang?"
Song Xuezheng pinched his eyebrows and said tiredly:
"There are so many people in the city, how many do you know?"
He had no intention of discussing an inconspicuous little person with his daughter. What he was thinking about at the moment was how to investigate the intelligence and wait for the "sword holder" to inquire about the important matter.
Song Qinglian is quite diligent... Is he just here to visit, or is he gathering information for me? Or both?
...Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to use the information Lao Song obtained this time...
Ji Ping'an murmured in his heart. After showing the invitation, he walked into the door under the respectful eyes of the housekeeper, and entered the Pei family's mansion again after a few days.
With his last experience, he was much more familiar with the path.
Along the way, everything was dyed white, and there was an atmosphere of great mourning. Everyone in the house had white silk ribbons on their heads, with sad faces, no smiles, and the atmosphere was tense and heavy.
When he was led by the housekeeper to the hall where he had been a few days ago, he found Pei and his daughter already waiting inside.
Apparently, after he entered the mansion, a servant quickly walked ahead to report the news.
After not seeing each other for a few days, Pei's mother and daughter's clothes changed drastically. Li Xiangjun wore a black dress, and the jewelry on her head was reduced a lot. The most conspicuous golden step was replaced by a dark-colored ink hairpin.
Pei Qiuwei, on the other hand, is dressed in white, which makes the woman look even more beautiful, as long as you ignore the slightly swollen eyelids.
It is a custom in the Zhou Dynasty: when a relative dies, the elders wear black and the young wear white.
Elder and younger here refer more to seniority and status rather than age, just like the housekeeper who leads the way is older, but his status is far inferior to that of the main family, and he wears a white silk ribbon on his head.
"Mr. Li, you are here." Seeing him approaching from outside, Li Xiangjun stood up from his seat and forced a smile.
When she first heard the news of her eldest son's death, the mistress fainted in public, but when she woke up afterwards she was devastated.
However, as the mistress in charge of a family's back house, this beautiful woman may seem weak, but she actually has a strong side.
Moreover, to put it harshly, when the eldest son disappeared, I had some premonitions of this outcome, so I quickly calmed down.
Later, after talking with the rescued family head Pei Wei and Ye Hongling, and learning part of the situation, this grief was replaced by a more complex emotion.
Until today, all that is left is fear and joy...
Ji Ping'an nodded: "Madam, you don't have to be polite. I heard that something happened in the house, and I hope you can express your condolences."
While he was talking, he sat down in the guest seat. The servants had finished serving tea. Pei Qiuwei waved his hand and sent the servants away. Then he looked at him, his manners were gentle, and the sweet and talented goddess had a sad expression:
"Sir, I heard about it too."
Ji Ping'an said "yes" and said, "I heard that a murderer killed the eldest young master..."
He recounted the rumors. The mother and daughter looked at each other with different expressions, and Li Xiangjun hesitated to speak.
Obviously, they both respected and were wary of Ji Ping'an, the mysterious "divination master".
Not prepared to reveal the truth rashly, Li Xiangjun just said tactfully:
"There are many rumors in the market that are exaggerated. This case is somewhat complicated. The head of the night department of the Demon Slayer Division is still investigating, so it is difficult to reach a conclusion."
Tsk... Be wary. This will be more troublesome. Even if I ask to see Pei Wei, I'm afraid the latter won't tell me the truth... What should I do? Do I need to ask Pei Wuju to come forward?
Ji Ping'an thought in his mind and pondered for a moment, without going into details, but asked:
"Demon Slayer Department? I heard from outside that the Yamen officials went to the villa outside the city the night before and brought back the head of the Pei family. Could it be that there was a breakthrough in the case of the previous bodyguard being killed?"
Li Xiangjun shook his head and sighed:
"It's not because of this case, but because of the guidance of a secretary in Yin Yang Academy."
Many people knew about it, and it wasn't considered a secret, so she didn't try to hide it.
Yin Yang Academy?
Si Li?
Do the star officials in Yuhang City have this ability?
Ji Ping'an was keenly aware that something was wrong. Although he could only break through the Nine Realms, due to the special path of "Taiyin" and his level of astrology, he believed that in the field of astrology, he was as good as sitting in the well.
He was unable to gain enlightenment. Even if Li Guofeng, Xu Xiurong and others came, they would not be able to surpass him unless several warlords joined forces.
"The supervisor in the academy?" he asked tentatively.
Li Xiangjun shook his head and described the process of how he learned that a new old Sili had arrived, how he went to plead with him for help, and how he received enlightenment.
Hearing this, Ji Pingan's eyes looked strange:
"Madam, you mean that old Si Li has a white beard and white hair, and a kind face?"
"Yes." Li Xiangjun nodded and said with emotion:
"If it hadn't been for this old god's intervention, I, Mr. Pei, wouldn't have been able to find it so quickly..."
Halfway through her words, she suddenly realized that what she said was inappropriate and her emotional intelligence was negative, so she hurriedly added:
"Of course, my husband's guidance has also contributed a lot. Today, I specially invite you to my house to thank you in person."
But Ji Ping'an didn't care about her polite words, and his mind was filled with two words:
Damn it!
Possessing the "astrology" ability that transcends the realm of sitting in a well, and looking like this, it is still Yuhang who arrived not long ago... Ji Ping'an has a name in his mind.
No, it must have been my senior disciple who drifted to some nook and cranny.
Yes, according to what Li Guofeng said that day, in order to find an opportunity to break through the "divine treasure", Jian Zheng left the capital of gods to imitate the original national master and became a mortal in Kyushu to walk the world.
He didn't even bother to come back and take a look at the Grand Prize of the Gods, but the natal card was not cracked, which meant he was still alive.
Now that the heaven and earth are loosened and the spirit is revived, it is impossible for the old prisoner to be unaware. And Xin Yaoguang also said that the spiritual elements are gathering towards Lanzhou... In terms of sensing the stars, besides himself, Qin Tianjian is the best in the world.
So, it’s not surprising that you follow the guide and come to Yuhang to pretend to be a pig and eat the tiger.
Wait... If he is in Yin Yang Academy and has paid attention to Pei's affairs, then he will probably be aware of my existence... Well, to be precise, he will be aware of the genius star officer "Ji Ping'an" exist……
Ji Ping'an was a little distracted while his thoughts were ups and downs.
It wasn't until Pei Qiuwei called softly that he came back to his senses, smiled apologetically, and said:
"I didn't expect that a star official from the Divine City would come here. I'm a little surprised."
Li Xiangjun also felt lucky sincerely.
And just when Ji Ping'an was thinking about how to bring up the topic and meet Pei Wei, suddenly, there was a noise outside the hall, accompanied by the sound of footsteps and quarrels.
The three people in the hall looked up at the same time. Pei Qiuwei frowned and was about to order his servants to ask when he saw a group of people from Wuyang breaking into the courtyard.
They were all men in rich clothes, old and young, and there were a circle of Pei's servants around them who tried to stop them, but they didn't dare to actually rush into them.
Ji Ping'an raised his eyebrows and noticed the obvious changes in the faces of Pei and his daughter.
"Second uncle, third uncle...why didn't you tell me in advance when you were coming?"
Li Xiangjun stood up. At this moment, this beautiful woman who was sad and melancholy a second ago regained her dignified and calm posture.
The uncle here does not refer to seniority, but refers to the brother of the head of the family, Pei Wei.
Similar to how Pan Jinlian called Wu Song, he also called him "Second Uncle".
Therefore, this wave of people are the "Second Branch", "Third Branch" and other branches of the Pei family... Tsk, I remember when I visited last time, I said that the reason why the magician's broken body was secretly escorted without using the masters of the Pei family was because Just be wary of the other rooms... Did you know that the eldest room's strength was damaged and come to test the truth?
Ji Ping'an was not surprised by such intrigues among big families and waited to see what would happen.
"Sister-in-law, we are all members of our own family. If you want to report anything, we will be divided."
The leader of the crowd, a middle-aged man with a muscular build and a slight resemblance to Pei Wei, smiled, glanced at Ji Ping'an suspiciously, and said:
"Oh, it turns out you are receiving guests, what do you call them?"
Li Xiangjun's face darkened, and he interrupted:
"Since some uncles know that my mother and daughter are entertaining guests, they please go to the side hall to wait first, so as not to be seen by outsiders and think that my Pei family does not understand etiquette."
Hearing this, the group of people looked unhappy. The middle-aged Kong Wu said "Hey" and no longer cared about Ji Ping'an, saying:
"Sister-in-law, I, as an uncle, can't pretend that I didn't hear what you said. You, mother and daughter, are only allowed to be in the same room with men. Why aren't we allowed to see it?"
Retort!
"you!"
Li Xiangjun's charming face was filled with anger, and his chest was heaving. Pei Qiuwei next to him also said:
"Elders, do you think our mother and daughter are easy to bully?"
Another person said calmly: "Do you, a junior like you, have the qualifications to speak here?"
Pei Qiuwei was speechless, with anger on his pretty face.
But Pei Cainnv, who has learned etiquette since elementary school, is really unable to do anything rude. She has learned it all in a hurry, but she can't fight back.
Li Xiangjun took a deep breath and his expression became cold:
"In that case, if you have anything to say, just say it. Why did you come here today? If you want to express your condolences, you can go to the mourning hall."
The middle-aged Kong Wu looked arrogant:
"My eldest nephew is dead. Of course we will visit him, but in comparison, confirming his injury is more important to the family. Sister-in-law, please don't think we are rude. It stands to reason... My eldest brother and nephew are out." If something goes wrong, you should discuss it with us, or at least send someone to inform you.
As a result, he kept suppressing the news and waited until the person died and couldn't cover it up before announcing the funeral. There is no such truth in the world. How can the Pei family's 400-year-old foundation be such a child's play... We are here today to meet our eldest brother. "
Li Xiangjun said calmly:
"My husband has suffered some injuries and is suffering from the pain of losing his son. Now he is in seclusion at his house and no one is around. I will meet you again when he comes out of seclusion."
The middle-aged Kong Wu said: "This is what makes me want to see you more."
Li Xiangjun never retreats:
"The martial arts retreat is such an important thing. What if outsiders break in and something goes wrong?"
"If anything goes wrong, how about I take responsibility for it?" Suddenly, an old voice came from behind the crowd.
Everyone got out of the way, and a shaky old man with white hair and a stooped cane walked over, supported by a junior.
Li Xiangjun's expression changed slightly: "Fourth uncle..."
The fourth uncle walked up to the person, holding a cane in both hands, looked at her coldly, and said angrily:
"Pei Wei is both the head of the family and the elder brother. Now that we are in a great crisis, it is only natural for brothers to come to visit us. What do you want as a woman to block it?"
Li Xiangjun murmured: "Uncle...I..."
"Dah!" The old man hit the ground with his walking stick and interrupted:
"You are a woman with a baby girl. When can you make the decision for the eldest brother? If you want to refute me, you should let Pei Qian come over and say it!"
No...it's okay to favor boys over girls in front of me...Ji Pingan was unhappy.
But he has already understood:
This older generation of the Pei family, the only remaining "fourth uncle" besides Pei Wuju, should have been carried out by the other families to support the scene.
The purpose was to forcefully test the extent of Pei Wei's injuries.
Judging from this, the intensity of the next attack on the elder... The power struggle among high-ranking families is always so simple and unpretentious.
As the mistress, Li Xiangjun can barely resist the other "uncles", but facing the fourth uncle, who is a junior, any rebuttal will be interpreted as disrespect for the elderly...a rogue, but useful strategy.
As for Pei Qian... a young man who is underage, even if he is pulled over, he will just be delivering food.
This wave has been planned for a long time.
Ji Ping'an was a little hesitant to intervene, but after all, this was a family matter within the Pei family, and even for the sake of "Pei Sanniang"'s past friendship, he couldn't take sides.
And Li Xiangjun is so evasive, it seems that Pei Wei's situation is indeed not good...
"Who is making a noise here again?!"
Just when the atmosphere was frozen, suddenly, a deep and old voice penetrated everyone's ears from a distance!
The sound was obviously not loud, but it was like beating a drum, making people's hearts vibrate.
Everyone turned to look, and then their expressions became extremely exciting.
I saw two figures walking one after another on the path on the other side of the courtyard.
The leader was an old man wearing a martial artist's short robe, with long hair as messy as weeds tied back casually, a resolute face, and eyes as bright as lightning.
Pei Wuju!
Behind him is the third young master, Pei Qian, who looks like a follower and has a slightly round face.
"Third...Third brother! Aren't you crazy? Why..." The fourth uncle, who was leaning on crutches, felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Looking at the old man walking towards him, he was so frightened that he almost fell down.
The other heirs in the other houses were also shocked, showing expressions of disbelief.
Over the years, outsiders may have forgotten Pei Wuju, but how could the leaders of the Pei family ignore this Zhongxing family head?
However, they were certain that the old family leader's madness had become more and more serious in the past two years. Although he occasionally regained consciousness, he was completely unable to handle family affairs, let alone leave the villa.
But how could the person in front of me be even remotely crazy?
"Master..." The middle-aged Kong Wu and others showed off their power, and the menacing clan members instantly dwarfed by half, like a dog facing a lion.
Pei Wuju glanced at everyone coldly and snorted:
"In the past, when I returned from studying, I also witnessed the internal strife in the family. I don't expect you to have made any progress after all these years."
Everyone's faces turned pale, and they didn't even have the courage to explain.
Pei Wuju looked at the old man again and said with a look of disdain:
"Fourth, it's not easy for you to live until now. Why don't you take good care of yourself? Are you going to get involved in the fights of the younger generation? Or...have you forgotten the promise you made in the past? If you have forgotten, I will remind you once. , your fourth brother is able to survive and live well these years, it is only because you and your father swore not to participate in the power struggle that you avoided the purge of the clan...Are you going to break the contract now?"
"thump!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the fourth uncle lost his balance and fell to the ground. As if thinking of the memory of his youth, he shook his head with a pale face:
"No...no, this is a misunderstanding, I just came to take a look...I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now."
With that said, under the watchful eyes of a group of juniors, he left in a state of complete turmoil.
Silence fell.
Some younger generations who had not experienced that era, such as Pei Qiuwei and Pei Qian, looked at him with admiration and felt that their grandfather was so tall and majestic like a god.
Pei Wuju looked at the others again:
"What about you? Why don't you get out? Or do you want to wait for me to take action?"
The middle-aged Kong Wu was shocked and came to his senses. How could he dare to fight an old madman who was sitting at the top of the well and only one step away from observing the sky?
He immediately apologized and ran away, fearing that the old master would go crazy and crush them all to death.
In the blink of an eye, the farce that was originally blocked in front of the hall was eliminated. Li Xiangjun breathed a sigh of relief, waved his hand to dismiss the servants, and then asked curiously: "Father, what are you doing..."
Pei Qian rushed to speak: "Mom, it was my grandfather who I heard them breaking in. I thought there must be trouble, so I went to find my grandfather."
The mother and daughter were both happy and troubled. They were happy that Pei Qian had grown up a lot.
It was a headache that he exposed the old man's recovery from consciousness, which was against the old man's instructions.
Pei Wuju saw what they were thinking, shook his head and said:
"It doesn't matter. In their opinion, I have only suppressed my madness temporarily, and I am not far from death. However, at least I can keep you quiet for a while."
The mother and daughter looked sad and did not answer.
At this time, Pei Wuju also noticed Ji Ping'an sitting in the hall, drinking tea and watching the play. He immediately looked solemn and held his hands respectfully:
"Sir, when you come to the house, you will not be able to welcome him from afar."
Wow - seeing this scene, the mother and son were stunned on the spot. Pei Qian was okay, but he was simply confused.
Li Xiangjun and Pei Qiuwei looked at each other, and they could see the emotions of surprise and shock in each other's eyes.
Although they had known for a long time that there might be some secrets between Ji Ping'an and his old family master, that was all.
After all, they failed to know the truth. All they saw was that Ji Ping'an entered the other courtyard. When he came out, the old family master told him to keep it secret and not to investigate this person.
The most daring idea is just that the father is grateful for his treatment and appreciates this person.
But now it seems that it is more than that?
In particular, the three of them had just witnessed Pei Wuju's great power. They only showed their faces and frightened the Pei clan to the point of peeing.
Is it that such a powerful old patriarch is so respectful to this young man?
Even claiming to be a "martial arts practitioner"... How can such a low profile not be shocking?
Little did they know that Pei Wuju was still counting on the person in front of him to guide him to break through the barriers and enter the realm of observing the sky.
Ji Ping'an nodded gently and said with a smile: "My master, you're welcome."
Pei Wuju said seriously: "Sir, you came to the house and you don't know why?"
Ji Ping'an smiled and said: "Originally, I invited you here as a thank you, but I am quite curious about the incident between the Pei family leader and the eldest son."
Pei Wuju understood instantly and said to Li Xiangjun: "Take your husband to see Wei'er and tell him that if you ask, please don't hide anything."
Ah this... the mother and son were a little stunned. They looked at Ji Pingan with more and more curiosity, feeling that this person was unfathomable.
Pei Qiuwei took a deep breath and smiled: "Please come with me."
…
…
When Ji Pingan saw Pei Wei, the latter was lying in the bedroom. The originally burly man had lost a lot of weight, his lips were pale, and his breath was weak, as if he had a serious illness.
Fortunately, the "curse to kill Sanren" ritual was not completely successful, so Pei Wei was only seriously injured, and his Qihai was severely damaged, but he did not die.
But it seems that it will take a long time to fully recover, even in this period of spiritual recovery.
No wonder, Li Xiangjun refused to let anyone see him.
"Mr. Li, right? I've also heard about your treatment for my father. If you have anything to ask, Pei knows everything." Pei Wei sat on the bed and said calmly after listening to Pei Qiuwei's story.
As expected of the head of the family, although he didn't know the details, he didn't hesitate at all about Pei Wuju's arrangements.
Ji Ping'an asked: "Tell me why you fell into this situation."
Pei Wei smiled bitterly and said, "This is what happened..."
Then, he gave a rough summary of his experiences in the past month, which was generally consistent with Ji Ping'an's guess, but in much more detail.
The reason has something to do with him... Ji Ping'an killed the owner of Juxian Village in Shendu, and secretly added fuel to the fire, causing Juxian Village to be wanted, and a group of desperadoes scattered in chaos.
The eldest son left Yuhang because of this matter.
Although he returned victorious and captured many warriors from Juxian Village, he was accidentally injured, poisoned with a strange poison, and died, just in time for the Cursed Killer to occupy his body.
After waking up, the abnormality of the curse to kill Sanren was quickly discovered. He used secret methods to force the group of warriors from Juxian Village to gather under his men and leave Zhuangzi.
And learned that the people below had notified Yuhang Pei in advance...
The Cursed Killers simply resorted to a trick and pretended to meet their father halfway. They wanted to sneak into the Pei family, but Pei Wei noticed the clues. The Cursed Killers took advantage of Pei Wei's lack of suspicion to poison him and took the opportunity to sneak attack... …
The unsuspecting Pei Wei was imprisoned and was taken all the way to Banyue Villa and locked in a dungeon.
And during the conversation with the Cursed Killer, he gradually learned the truth of the incident, and realized that someone had "seized" the eldest son's body.
"Until now, I still can't believe that there is such a perfect way to seize a body in the world." Pei Wei said with lingering fear:
"If he hadn't wanted to save my life and used the formation to extract Pei's cultivation, I would have died a long time ago."
In Kyushu's practice system, there are indeed techniques for "seizing the body", but the restrictions are extremely restrictive and the conditions are harsh. They are far less outrageous than in folklore.
Beyond cognition, coupled with the lack of vigilance of those close to him... Ji Ping'an expressed sympathy for Pei Wei's experience:
"Do you know anything about the mage's broken body being robbed? Or, did the other party mention in his conversation that he was connected to the Four Holy Sects? Or was there news about the seizure of the body?"
Pei Wei shook his head and said:
"I was locked in a dungeon, isolated from the outside world. After his identity was exposed, although he no longer hid, he revealed very little information. I only know that he may be a monk hundreds of years ago. This is from his words It is inferred. Moreover, I suspect that there is more than one person like him who seizes the body."
Ji Ping'an was curious: "Oh? Why do you say that?"
Pei Wei said in a deep voice: "Because he once said that he must become stronger as soon as possible, faster than others, and he does not want to be someone else's vassal... This is what he said when he made a slip of the tongue."
Be faster than others, otherwise you will become a vassal? ...Ji Pingan's heart sank and he silently wrote down this message.
But it's not sure whether this is what every reborn person knows, or whether someone told him.
Speaking of which, didn't Zhu Xun, the reborn person, become a vassal of the "Four Saints"? But I thought he was an old subordinate, so he was willing to do it.
How did these people get in touch... Ji Ping'an solved one doubt, but added more doubts.
He was suddenly a little irritable and eager to find out what information the reborn people had.
"But it was Zhu Xun first, and then Cursed Kill. Although I found them, I couldn't interrogate them and get any information..."
"Of course this is due to a missed kill, but thinking about it on the other hand, even if I successfully caught the cursed kill this time, would he cooperate honestly? Impossible, even if he said it, would I dare to believe it?"
Ji Ping'an has lived for a thousand years, and he knows the characters of these "old friends" very well. Not one of them is stupid, and they are all extremely treacherous.
However, astrology has no effect on the "reborn person", which means that he also lacks effective means of "lie detection".
"Perhaps, my thinking is simply wrong. I have been starting from the cases in the city, trying to find the reborn people to get information. But those who commit crimes in the city and use magic methods to kill innocent people to become stronger are almost all mine. The enemy... no matter how many they capture, they still won't be able to get the information I need."
"Perhaps the right thing to do is to find my friends, or at least the right people, so that I can ask for the answer. But there is also a problem, that is, if I don't reveal my identity, these right people won't tell... …And it’s inappropriate to reveal your identity rashly…”
"Either I will kill them after asking them, or I will look for those real friends who I trust enough to be sure that they will keep my secrets and will not betray me."
Ji Ping'an thought.
The former directly vetoed it. Whether it was Li Yang, the Imperial Master, or Ji Ping'an, apart from his feelings, he had never let anyone down or done anything that went against his heart.
How is it different from the devil to deceive people into trusting them and then kill them? He didn't bother to do it.
Then there are only options left.
"Is there someone worthy of my trust..." At this moment, faces appeared in his mind, such as the God Emperor, Zhang Sengyao... But where to find them?
etc.
Suddenly, a name appeared in his mind, a name that he believed enough to be in Yuhang City.
"Mr. Li?"
At this time, Pei Wei, who was lying on the bed, suddenly spoke, interrupting his wandering.
Ji Ping'an retracted his thoughts and apologized:
"I'm thinking about something. Okay, I won't disturb your rest."
Pei Wei looked quite tired after saying so many words in one breath, and nodded:
"If you have any questions, you can come again."
Ji Ping'an stood up to say goodbye, turned around and walked out the door.
At this moment, he suddenly realized that with the outbreak of the Pei family, the information about the "Reborn Ones" was finally not limited to the five major sects and the imperial court, but began to be known by lower forces.
If we look back at the past, the search for "reborn persons" by various forces was deliberately concealed, trying hard to avoid being noticed.
But as the news spreads, the subsequent search and scramble may gradually shift from "above ground" to "above ground", and there will no longer be any cover-up.
…
…
After walking out of the door, Pei Qiuwei, who was waiting outside, his eyes lit up, pursed his lips, leaned forward and said:
"Sir, he's out. May I ask if you have any other orders?"
Unconsciously, her attitude towards Ji Pingan became much more respectful.
Ji Ping'an smiled: "You don't have to be so reserved. I still like the way you looked the day you first met me."
Pei Qiuwei also smiled, exhaled softly, and felt much more relaxed. She also preferred a relationship of equality.
Ji Ping'an thought for a while and suddenly said: "However, I do have a small matter that I would like to ask Mr. Pei for help."
Pei Qiuwei looked curious: "What's the matter?"
Ji Ping'an pretended to reach into his arms, fumbled around, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and unfolded it:
"I would like to ask Mr. Pei to help find out the origin of the painting on this lamp."
Astonishingly, it was the piece of lantern paper with "Doraemon" drawn on it that he tore off from the river lantern.
Wanting to find Xu Yuanyun but unable to do astrology, the best way Ji Ping'an could think of was to mobilize wealthy families like the Pei family.
Of course, this behavior also has drawbacks, such as possibly exposing himself and Xu Yuanyun.
But first of all, he still has the official identity of "Qintian Supervisor Si Chen", so he is not afraid of being exposed.
Even if it attracts the attention of some people, the worst case scenario is that he will tear off his vest, reveal his identity, and ask Qin Tianjian to investigate unusual events in the city. This reason is strong enough.
Private investigation, there will be suspicion.
But if officials investigate, it will be logical.
As for involving Xu Yuanyun, no matter which method he uses or who he asks to investigate, it will actually attract more or less attention.
Moreover... just looking up a lantern, or at worst making up a story, it is impossible for outsiders to understand the meaning of this painting, and of course they will not connect it with the reborn person.
"painting?"
Pei Qiuwei was stunned for a moment, looking at the extremely weird thing made up of lines on the paper, and said to himself:
Does this count as painting?
However, a well-educated young lady would not complain to her face and immediately said:
"no problem."
After saying that, she waved to her personal maid, He'er, and was about to tell her to get the portrait to check, but as soon as He'er walked over, she let out a light sigh:
"Isn't this a painting by Miss Mochou? Why is it here?"
As soon as these words came out, Pei Qiuwei was obviously stunned:
"Miss Mochou?"
He'er said "yes" and said:
"Yes, it was the night market the day before yesterday. Didn't Miss Mo go to the Qinhuai River to play, so she drew this on the river lantern. When she came back, her maid said it while chatting. She also drew it for us and said this It’s a cat, but why does a cat look so weird..."
He'er complained and suddenly noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere. He turned around and saw Ji Ping'an staring at him.
"Miss Mo, where are you?!"
…
Thousands of words make up for yesterday’s shortness and weakness
(End of chapter)
