Don't be afraid, fairy, I'm blind

Chapter 207 Xiang Qiao's Love; Goodbye Meng Wu (6k!)
Even if Qiao Xiuying was just a dried corpse, Ji Lingruo would help this little sister find her sister.

Ji Lingruo didn't mind the little girl's messy hair. She reached out and rubbed Qiao Xiuyun's head:

"It shouldn't cost that much to come here from Black Rock City. Why don't you buy some food or clothes?"

Qiao Xiuyun didn't expect that such a glamorous fairy would be so intimate to a little country girl like her, and her little face turned red.

She reached out and made a scratch on the missing person notice, exactly the sentence "there will be a generous reward".

"I don't dare to spend money recklessly, because I'm afraid that others will not appreciate the compensation I can give. If the compensation is higher, the people who help me find my sister will be more attentive."

Ji Lingruo's hand that was touching her head froze for a moment. The girl's determination to find her sister was beyond her imagination.

"So how long have you been looking for your sister here?"

"Today is the third day."

"Does anyone have any clues?" Ji Lingruo asked tentatively.

However, when she looked at the barely legible handwriting on the paper and then at Qiao Xiuyun, who was dressed in tattered clothes, she knew that it would be extremely difficult for a girl like this to find someone who was deliberately hidden in such a big city.

It can even be said that it is a blessing in disguise that she can still hold the sign here intact.

"Yes." Qiao Xiuyun nodded unexpectedly, "Before, a kind-hearted person told me that my sister's admirer is the eldest young master of the Moye City Lord's Mansion. So I think my sister should have been redeemed by him, right?"

"you……"

Ji Lingruo looked at Qiao Xiuyun with suspicion. She thought that the girl didn't know that what Qiao Xiuying called "female workers" actually meant working as a female branch worker.

It turned out that this eleven or twelve-year-old girl understood everything, but this did not affect her admiration for her sister at all.

"Have you looked for it in the City Lord's Mansion?"

Hearing this, Qiao Xiuyun looked gloomy, and she said with a little frustration:

"I've been to the City Lord's Mansion and explained my identity, but the guards seemed to dislike me and drove me away every time. They said if I wanted to find a prostitute, I should go to a brothel and not come to the City Lord's Mansion to cause trouble. If I do it again, they will punish me for disrespecting the City Lord's Mansion..."

By the end of her words, Qiao Xiuyun had already started crying. The cold wind blew past, and she kept sniffing her snot.

"Sister is not a nymphomaniac... She is my sister, and a very good person..."

The girl could no longer bear the grievance in her heart, and began to sob and cry.

Ji Lingruo bit her thin lips lightly, feeling reluctant.

The fact that Qiao Xiuying, a prostitute, fell in love with the city lord's son was undoubtedly an unacceptable stain for the city lord's mansion. Even if Qiao Xiuying's body was really hidden in the city lord's mansion, this little girl who had traveled a thousand miles to find her sister could not cross the threshold of status.

"Little sister, don't cry, I will help you find your sister."

Ji Lingruo squatted down and handed over a green handkerchief.

"really?"

Qiao Xiuyun was still sobbing. She opened her misty eyes and looked at the kind fairy sister.

Behind Ji Lingruo stood a fairy in a purple dress with her face covered with a veil, and a handsome young man in a black brocade robe.

It was none other than Zi Yiyi and You Su who came rushing over because of the crying.

She had never seen such good-looking people, and there were three of them at once.

Before she knew it, she was a little dazed, and she stood there in a daze, and her tears stopped.

Ji Lingruo smiled:
"real."

……

Before going to the City Lord's Mansion, Ji Lingruo first brought Qiao Xiuyun back to the inn where they stayed last night.

She let the girl take a hot bath by herself and prepared a thick new dress for her.

After washing, the girl looked much cleaner and more refreshed. Except for her rough skin, her facial features had begun to show those of a beauty.

She thanked Ji Lingruo repeatedly, but Ji Lingruo just smiled gently and did not dare to accept Qiao Xiuyun's gratitude with peace of mind.

Although she was determined to help the girl find her sister, she didn't know whether finding a mummy would be a bad thing or a good thing for the girl.

But putting aside the purpose of the girl finding her sister, Qiao Xiuyun's arrival was indeed an opportunity that came to her doorstep.

In order to further investigate the matter of ghost mites, it is necessary to find Qiao Xiuyun's body. And the most likely place for her body to be hidden is the City Lord's Mansion of Moye City.

You Su was worried about what identity he should use to approach the City Lord's Mansion, and he had to do so without revealing that he was from the Exorcism Bureau. It was extremely difficult.

Now that they had Qiao Xiuyun's excuse, they now had a legitimate excuse.

Qiao Xiuyun followed Ji Lingruo and walked towards the city center step by step.

"Sister Yiyi, does this city lord have any background?" You Su suddenly asked.

"Moye City is under the jurisdiction of the Lingbao Sect of Shenshan. The Lord of Moye City is named Xiang Bogu, who is from the Lingbao Sect. He is over a hundred years old and has reached the lower stage of Huayu. With such a level of cultivation, he is also very competitive in Shenshan, but he still chose to be the Lord of Moye City, because his Xiang family has always been the Lord of Moye City. The surname Xiang is almost equivalent to a symbol of status in Moye City, so when it comes to the love between Lord Xiang's son Xiang Wenting and the brothel girl, Lord Xiang will do his best to block the news."

Zi Yiyi was very open about the information she could share. If it weren't for her, it would have been difficult for You Su to find out such secrets by himself.

"What about his son?"

"His name is Xiang Wenting. He is a decent person, but not as talented as his father. He practiced in Lingbao Sect until he reached the Condensed Water Realm, but left because he was too old. After returning to the family, he helped his father with the affairs of the city lord while practicing, hoping to pass the Lingbao Sect's assessment for the position of city lord in the future and inherit his father's position as city lord."

You Su nodded in response, then turned to the timid girl following behind him and said:
"Xiu Yun, remember what I told you. In order to investigate whether your sister is in the City Lord's Mansion, you have to be tough. Just think of us as knights who are fighting for you. With us here, they won't dare to chase you away again."

Looking at this handsome face, Qiao Xiuyun was stunned at first, then nodded vigorously.

The three of them continued walking forward. The closer they got to the City Lord's Mansion, the more luxuriously the people were dressed.

However, You Su and his three companions had a distinguished appearance and still attracted a lot of attention, which made the little girl a little timid, as if she had returned to the time when she was wearing tattered clothes and walking among the rich.

Even though she had changed into new clothes, she still felt out of place in this bustling city center. But looking at the three people in front of her who were determined and calm, she couldn't help but straighten her back.

They were trying to find a sister for him, so of course he couldn't let these three kind people down.

……

"who?"

The guards stopped You Su and the other two. Each of them was wearing a helmet and armor, which was enough to show how strict the security of the City Lord's Mansion was.

You Su frowned slightly. Compared with Izumo City, this City Lord's Mansion did seem a little too high and out of reach.

The City Lord's Mansion is the political center of a city. There must be many people from the city coming here to investigate and handle business. Although a little majesty is necessary for the sake of order and stability, the City Lord's Mansion of Moye City is completely lacking in the down-to-earth human touch.

"Does the Xiang family really think they are the local emperor of Moye City?"

Ji Lingruo complained in a low voice, the emperor is a long-standing existence in history books. Before the five great immortal ancestors came into being, the human race was ruled by various emperors, and there was endless chaos. But since the immortals of the sacred mountain ruled the mortal world, such a situation of one dominant family has never appeared again.

"Hello, we have something to discuss with Master Xiang Wenting."

"I ask who you are!"

The guard snorted again.

"We are the guards of this girl." You Su stepped back humbly and gave way to the refreshed Qiao Xiuyun.

The guard frowned and looked at her. He actually felt that the beautiful girl looked familiar. "What is your young lady's identity?"

"My daughter's name is Qiao Xiuyun, and she is the younger sister of Qiao Xiuying, the former courtesan of Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Her sister is missing, and I heard that her sister has a close relationship with Master Xiang Wenting, so I wanted to ask Master Xiang about it."

"What do you mean? How could my son have such a close relationship with a prostitute? If you want to slander us again, don't blame us for not warning you!"

The guards all had frowning faces and looked like they would beat the dog even if the master was beaten.

Unexpectedly, You Su stood even straighter, emitting a faintly intimidating aura, which weakened the arrogant aura of those guards.

"This is a letter your son wrote to Qiao Xiuying, hidden under the bed in Yazhu Pavilion. Because it is too hidden, I'm afraid you haven't found it after searching for a long time? With this evidence, can it still be considered as our slander?" You Su took out two pieces of letter paper from his arms and threatened, "If you don't want this letter to be made public, then lead us. We just want to ask about Qiao Xiuying's whereabouts, nothing else."

The guard paused for a moment, and looked at the yellow-spotted letter in You Su's hand with a look of doubt:
"It's just a normal exchange of letters. Don't worry, I'll go ask my young master first."

You Su waved his hand indifferently, "We won't wait too long."

The guard glared at You Su angrily and rushed into the mansion in a hurry.

Soon, the guard came back with an unpleasant expression on his face. He gave his companions a look and the guards obediently made way for him.

"Come with me, the young master is willing to see you."

Qiao Xiuyun looked at You Suhuaijian's letter in disbelief. She had never expected that the two pieces of white paper casually made by her brother could have such an effect.

……

Xiang Wenting was dressed in a ivory-white Confucian robe, with a handsome appearance and clear facial lines. He was a typical handsome young man. His low-set eyes added a melancholy to his temperament. Coupled with his prominent family background and status, it was no wonder that the courtesan had a special liking for him.

At this moment, he was sitting at the desk, drawing something.

You Su and his group of four were arranged to sit beside the coffee table, quietly waiting for him to finish the painting in his hands.

The three of them were bored, only Qiao Xiuyun looked at Xiang Wenting's face seriously, wondering if this was her future brother-in-law?
After a long while, Xiang Wenting finally let out a long sigh and put down his brush. He raised his head, his eyes were red:
"Ying'er hid all the letters between me and me in the interlayer of her jewelry box, as if they were treasures. I have counted them, and there is no possibility that she hid the lost letters under the bed. So the letter is fake. Who are you?"

"The wandering monk saw that the little girl was having a lot of trouble finding her sister, so he offered his help."

Xiang Wenting nodded, but his eyes couldn't help but linger on Ji Lingruo. He was not like the guards outside the door. With his cultivation level of Condensation Water Realm, it was not difficult for him to detect Ji Lingruo's demonic aura.

Ji Lingruo seemed to know what he was thinking and took out a token from her bosom. Since she had not yet passed the public announcement period, all she got was an ordinary nameplate of the Xuanxiao Sect.

Xiang Wenting's eyes widened slightly. He didn't expect that these three people came from Xuanxiao Sect, the number one sect in Central Continent. He couldn't help but stand in awe and didn't dare to question their identities anymore.

He scanned the crowd, finally stopping at Qiao Xiuyun who was sitting in the center.

"You...are Xiuyun?"

Although he was a seven-foot-tall man, his voice was choked with sobs.

Qiao Xiuyun was obviously flattered and nodded stiffly.

Xiang Wenting smiled sadly, as if reminiscing about the past: "You and your sister really look alike."

"She is the only child here. If it's not Qiao Xiuyun, who else could it be?"

Ji Lingruo instinctively had no good feelings towards this man, so she mocked him mercilessly.

In her opinion, Qiao Xiuying ended up like this because Chen Wenting was too cowardly to take responsibility. Since he couldn't give the other party a result, why bother provoking her?

Xiang Wenting was slightly startled, and then he held up the painting scroll in front of him with the ink still wet. His painting skills were excellent, and the painting showed a beautiful woman in a fluttering dress, and even her delicate eyebrows and eyes were outlined vividly.

Upon closer inspection, she is indeed 50% similar to Qiao Xiuyun when she was still a fully grown girl.

"elder sister……"

Qiao Xiuyun recognized the person in the painting at a glance, and her nose suddenly felt sore and she was about to cry.

In fact, she was very smart and had already sensed something was wrong in this solemn atmosphere. Her sister was probably not redeemed, but dead.

Xiang Wenting's action was undoubtedly to prove to her that he recognized her not by her age, but by her appearance.

The girl was touched. A man who could engrave her sister's appearance into his bones was truly the "good man" her sister mentioned.

"Your sister often tells me about you, saying that she has a younger sister who is not yet an adult in her hometown. She rarely tells her parents, but only favors you, her sister. She always tells me that you are the only reason she left her hometown, because she wants to take you away from that dark stone."

Xiang Wenting withdrew his gaze and instead looked at the person in the painting affectionately, wishing he could penetrate the constraints of paper and ink and snuggle up to the beauty.

Even Ji Lingruo felt that fate was unfair to everyone after hearing this.

She had learned from Qiao Xiuyun that Black Rock City was a small city by the sea. As its name suggested, it was located on a stretch of pitch-black sand and gravel.

These black sands and gravels are lava particles formed when volcanic magma meets seawater, and their source is the volcano-dense Japan on the other side of the ocean.

It was difficult to grow food in this fine black sand, and because it was close to the sea, there were often riots caused by supernatural forces. Because of the regulations issued by the sacred mountain, people in the cities could not move freely, and it was difficult for ordinary people to escape from there. They could only live in the barren soil. Qiao Xiuying was unwilling to accept this, so she sneaked away and voluntarily entered the world of prostitution, just to save her sister from being trapped in the black rock.

This was a great sister, but she died at the hands of evil.

Qiao Xiuyun could no longer hold back her tears.

"Sister, is she...still alive?"

Xiang Wenting's whole body stiffened, his lips trembled slightly, and he shook his head:

"It's my fault, it's all my fault... I failed to protect her, I shouldn't have helped her clear her meridians..."

Qiao Xiuyun got the answer she least wanted to hear. She felt hopeless and was about to faint. Fortunately, Ji Lingruo held her in her arms.

"When did this happen……"

The only belief that supported the broken girl was seeing her sister with her own eyes.

"Counting the time, it has been eight days..."

Xiang Wenting rubbed his red eyes, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of everyone. This was a sign of respect for the guests.

"Eight days?" Qiao Xiuyun burst into tears. She didn't expect that she would miss her sister's seventh day. She asked excitedly, "Where's the body? Where's the body?"

Xiang Wenting also sighed bitterly, "I also want to find Ying'er's body. Even if I have to exchange it for a huge sum of money, I am willing to do so!"

Even the body can’t be found?
Qiao Xiuyun felt disheartened, as if she had lost the motivation to continue living.

"Qiao Xiuying sent a letter home sixteen days ago. It contained a large sum of money and said that she had found a perfect husband and would never go back. But the perfect husband she was talking about was you?"

A cold voice broke the heartbroken atmosphere.

"It's me..." Xiang Wenting sighed and did not deny it.

"Xiuyun, are you sure that is your sister's handwriting?" You Su asked again.

Qiao Xiuyun was suddenly called and nodded blankly.

"Master Xiang, you just said a few sentences ago that Qiao Xiuying is a good sister who works so hard just to get her sister out of Black Rock City. Do you think such a sister can say something as decisive as 'I'm getting married and I'm never coming back'?"

You Su was playing with the delicate teacup in his hand and didn't even look at the young man with a sad face.

Xiang Wenting was stunned for a moment, as if he was really thinking about this question, "She wouldn't say that... Even if she really wants to get married, she will find a way to take her sister away instead of never going back."

You Su nodded seriously, his eyes sharp:

"It is already very difficult for a mortal to send a letter to the coast thousands of miles away, not to mention sending a large sum of money. It is almost impossible for the money to remain intact and most of it to be in the hands of Xiuyun's family. If it weren't for your help, I can hardly imagine how a weak woman like her could have found a messenger who was so trustworthy."

Xiang Wenting's sad expression eased a little, and he sighed, "It was indeed me who used my connections to help her find the way."

"Does that mean every letter she sends home passes through your hands?"

As soon as this question was asked, even Ji Lingruo realized the problem and frowned.

"Why did Ying'er send the letter through my hands?"

"She is a courtesan who is kept in Xiaoxiang Pavilion and is not allowed to leave the house. How can she send a letter? As far as I know, she has a bad relationship with her maid because her maid once tried to seduce you. Who else can she give the trust to except you?"

Xiang Wenting took a deep breath:

"what do you want to say in the end?"

"I would say that as a cultivator of the Condensed Water Realm with sharp eyes and ears, it is actually easier than you think to remember a person's appearance, and it is even easier to imitate someone else's handwriting."

Xiang Wenting's hands, which were spread out on the table, suddenly clenched: "Are you saying that I forged that letter?!"

"No matter how similar the imitation is, it is not written by the original author. As long as the letter is brought back to the sacred mountain, a special powerful person will be able to identify it. The life of an ordinary woman may be as light as a feather, but to me, life is life, regardless of high or low. I can cover all the costs of the appraisal, and I only hope to reveal the truth about Qiao Xiuying's death."

You Su spoke confidently, and Ji Lingruo looked at his profile with deep admiration, as if she had just said that this was the man she liked, who was not only wise but also compassionate.

You Su's search for Qiao Xiuying's corpse was not only for the sake of Gui Man and to help Qiao Xiuyun, but also to fulfill her wish.

Even Zi Yiyi, who had been silent the whole time, had a strange gleam in her eyes behind her veil.

Xiang Wenting looked gloomy: "Yes...I forged the last letter."

"What's the reason?"

Xiang Wenting looked embarrassed, as if he was disappointed.
"Every letter Ying'er sent home would pass through my hands. I couldn't help wanting to know more about her, so I would secretly read every letter.

Until the letter half a month ago, she confessed that she was working in a brothel to make money, but she had saved enough money to redeem herself, so she didn't want to stay in Moye City any longer. She wanted to use her savings to buy a house for her sister in a city near the mainland, so that her whole family could move out of Black Rock City. That money was the travel expenses for her family, and when they found her, she would leave.

But whether it was the money she used to redeem herself or buy a house, it was all given to her by me! I was afraid that she would leave me, so I was possessed by the devil and tampered with the letter, just to let her know that her family would not come to find her, so that she could stay in Moye City forever..."

Ji Lingruo was extremely angry when she heard this: "You bastard!"

Qiao Xiuying didn't know how much courage she mustered to confess her identity. She had given everything for this family, but Xiang Wenting tampered with the letter, making this woman who was anxiously waiting for her family believe before she died that her family despised her identity as a prostitute and that was why they refused to look for her.

"You want to make your sister feel that no one loves her, but only you do? Then she will never leave you..."

Qiao Xiuyun also looked at Xiang Wenting in disbelief. She didn't understand why such an elegant young man would do such a paranoid thing for love.

"I am sorry for her!"

Xiang Wenting beat his chest and stamped his feet, heartbroken.

You Su seemed unusually calm at this moment, and his tone suddenly became dangerous:
"Master Xiang, is this really the case? But why do I feel...

It seems that Master Xiang knew she was going to die half a month ago, so he said goodbye to her family on her behalf?"

You Su sat up straight. This was the second time he looked at this true nobleman since he entered the room.

The first thing he saw when he entered the room was a colorful centipede crawling on the neck of this noble man.

This centipede once appeared on his neck, but was cut off by the Dream Eater's sword. It was -

Dream centipede.

(End of this chapter)