Wife is hell

Chapter 82 Luo Xianyu's Appearance (First Update)
A hidden mechanism or a secret box?

Jiang Mu stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over the finely crafted cabinets, and asked:
"Did Mo Hai'er say anything special to you before she eloped? Or did she do anything unusual?"

"Well, there's nothing special about it... Oh, right!"

The old craftsman suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering something.
“He had a fellow villager who is now a Taoist priest at Chongtian Temple. Both of their names contain the character ‘Hai’. Just a few days before he eloped, he was visiting Chongtian Temple very frequently.”

sea?
Xiao Hai?

Jiang Mu suddenly remembered the little apprentice beside Master Wenhe.

Could it be him?

After bidding farewell to the old carpenter, Jiang Mu returned to Pan Shenger's home.

He carefully examined all the wardrobes and beds that Mo Hai'er had repaired or built, but found no hidden compartments or mechanisms.

It seems that there is indeed a high possibility that Mo Hai'er eloped with her maid Nan'er.

In particular, the carpenter mentioned that when Mo Hai'er left, she took all of his savings with her.

"Judging from the current situation, that lecherous man who's been harassing you most likely sneaked in from outside. Or perhaps..."

Jiang Mu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately swallowed the words "spiritual object" back.

At least he didn't notice.

"Master Mu, is there really no way to find him?"

With a last glimmer of hope in her beautiful eyes, Pan Shenger looked at Jiang Mu.

Jiang Mu said calmly, "I'm not a god. If the other party keeps hiding and doesn't come out, it will be very difficult to find them."

I suggest you stay at Madam Yan's house for a few more days, or hire more guards and servants to patrol in shifts day and night. Inform me immediately when he sends another letter.”

Pan Sheng'er looked dejected.

It was clearly unrealistic to stay at Madam Yan's house for an extended period.

My husband is naturally suspicious. If the neighbors gossip and spread rumors, even with Madam Yan as a witness, it's hard to guarantee that trouble won't arise.

For now, it seems the only option is to increase manpower and have the guards and servants work harder to strengthen patrols.

-

-

On his way home, Jiang Mu tentatively asked Madam Yan if she could help him with his business dealings with Madam Tao.

He lacks dedicated personnel for external communication and liaison, which can be inconvenient at times.

Shi Yuhuan is suitable as a personal secretary.

However, when it comes to business dealings and interpersonal relationships, he is a complete novice and ultimately needs a shrewd businesswoman like Madam Yan to handle things.

Madam Yan agreed without any hesitation.

She had always hoped to use Jiang Mu as an opportunity to get in touch with Madam Tao.

Now that the opportunity has come knocking on her door, she naturally couldn't be happier.

"By the way, does Young Master Mu know about the Wenyan Dao Association?"

Suddenly, Madam Yan asked a question.

"Asking about the Daoist Assembly?"

Jiang Mu frowned and shook his head, saying, "I don't know."

Lady Yan patiently explained:
"This was originally a grand gathering for Taoist discussions held within the Taoist community. Later, as the scale grew, the participants became more and more diverse."

The attendees today are all wealthy and influential figures, including high-ranking officials, prominent clansmen, and even members of the imperial family.

Upon hearing the words "discussing the Dao," Jiang Mu immediately recalled the two people at Chongtian Temple whose Daoist hearts had been broken by his few words.

I didn't think too much about it at the time.

Looking back, I realized I might have made a huge blunder.

Madam Yan continued:

"Young Master Mu, this Dao Inquiry Conference happens to be held in Yancheng, and I've heard that it's highly likely that Consort Yue will personally preside over it."

I put in a lot of effort to get two jade invitations to the event. I thought that with so many distinguished people gathered at this grand gathering, I might be able to take this opportunity to expand my network, which would be of great benefit to promoting my talisman business in the future.

Moreover, it's not just about financial gains; it also brings considerable power, resources, and prestige.

As Jiang Mu listened to Madam Yan's account, a thought struck him.

that power……

He was by nature lazy and easygoing, and actually disliked getting involved in officialdom or power struggles.

But living in a world where imperial power reigns supreme, he knew that "power" was the most formidable skill and the strongest pass.

For example, Widow Tang.

Beating up a government official is no big deal; would anyone else even dare to do that?

"Okay, let me know when the time comes."

Jiang Mu nodded.

Just as the two were talking, the originally clear and bright sky suddenly turned gloomy without warning.

A strange red cloud gradually spread across the sky.

From a distance, it looked as if the sky had been splashed with diluted blood, or as if a huge red veil was spread out on the sky, slowly writhing.

It blocked out the light of day, making it dark and gloomy.

This sudden and unusual phenomenon immediately caused a stir among the pedestrians on the street.

People stopped and looked up, discussing the scene.

"Look! What's that in the sky?!"

"Hongyun?"

"How strange, so many strange things have been happening lately."

"..."

Jiang Mu looked up at the increasingly dense red clouds, his brows furrowed.

For some reason, a sense of unease crept into his heart.

At the same time, the bell in his arms began to tremble slightly.

A figure in green silently emerged, hovering in mid-air, gazing solemnly at the eerie red clouds:

"What the hell is this?"

"It's a mirage."

Compared to Jiang Mu and Qingyi's surprise, Madam Yan was not too surprised. She explained,

“Since the appearance of the ‘spiritual calamity’, such a scene has appeared every few years, and the location of the appearance varies.”

I witnessed a mirage once when I was a child in my hometown. According to historical records, the last time a mirage appeared in Yancheng was twenty years ago.

Mirage?

Jiang Mu's eyes flickered slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

-

Chongtian Temple stands atop a solitary peak.

Master Hongyuan stroked his short beard, gazing at the eerie red clouds that were spreading and expanding in the sky, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Something's not right... Why did the mirage appear earlier than expected this time? And why did it happen in Yancheng? This doesn't follow the usual pattern."

Beside him stood an elderly man in a black Taoist robe, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, his hands clasped behind his back.

It was Xu Youdao, the head of the Chongtian Temple.

"Whether it follows the rules or not, Yancheng is in big trouble."

Xu Youdao sighed deeply, his tone heavy.

“In the past, wherever a mirage appeared, a large spiritual creature would inevitably follow, accompanied by disaster. Hopefully, the patrol office can handle this situation properly. Otherwise, many people in Yancheng will die.”

Master Hongyuan frowned even more deeply and lowered his voice:

"Senior Brother Headmaster, do you think... it might be related to the painting that went missing from the forbidden area?"

Xu Youdao's eyes widened:
"Don't talk nonsense, we can't take the blame for this."

Master Hongyuan looked embarrassed and shut his mouth in embarrassment.

But he felt it must be related.

……

Inside the patrol office.

Tang Jinxian stared at the sky, now dyed a strange red, her pretty face covered in frost, looking extremely ugly.

"Damn mirage! I've only been in office for a few days and you've already popped up here, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?!"

She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, then turned to her deputy, Zhang Huan, and asked,
"Has Yu Zhengqing not returned yet?"

Sensing his superior's anger, Zhang Huan braced himself and said:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, regarding the murder case that involved several scions of prominent families last time, the victim's family members made a huge fuss."

Because the case was primarily under Lord Yu's jurisdiction, he was summoned by the Chief Commander to report on the situation. He probably won't be back for a while…

Tang Jinxian's expression softened slightly. She pursed her lips and didn't press the matter further.

Although Jiang Mu didn't reveal to her who the mastermind was in the last case, she had a vague guess in her heart.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her agitation, and ordered in a low voice:
"Issue the order to increase the density and frequency of patrols in all areas of the city, effective immediately. At the same time, in the name of the Patrol Office, contact Chongtian Temple and request its cooperation in defense."

Furthermore, open the treasury, retrieve all available spiritual items, and distribute them to conduct city-wide spiritual energy fluctuation patrols and monitoring. Report any anomalies immediately!

"Yes."

The people below the hall accepted the order in unison, their expressions solemn.

"Hey? Look! That mirage looks like it's falling!"

Suddenly, someone pointed to the sky and exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone looked up and their expressions changed drastically.

-

The thick red clouds that had been hanging high in the sky began to slowly sink.

Under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, it descended upon a large area of ​​Yancheng like a giant blood-red curtain.

Even Madam Yan was somewhat shocked.

In the past, mirages were either far away, like a mirage on the horizon, or high in the sky.

There has never been a precedent so close.

On the streets, crimson mist silently spread and swirled.

It carries a faint rose scent.

The surrounding people were terrified by this eerie sight and instinctively retreated to both sides of the street.

A strange chanting sound seemed to come from the depths of the void.

The sounds were ethereal and uncertain, as if countless monks were chanting scriptures in low voices, interspersed with ethereal and melodious female chanting.

Two distinctly different tones intertwined, creating a drowsy effect.

Then, an even more horrifying scene unfolded.

Rows of white banners, each about ten feet tall, appeared from the red mist.

Then, a group of figures dressed in pure white linen clothes, their bodies stiff, walked at the front of the procession.

The faces of these "people" were completely blank, smooth as jade.

No facial features.

Surrounded by this faceless procession, an enormous open-air palanquin slowly emerged.

The palanquin required more than fifty people to lift, and it was extremely magnificent.

Thin white gauze draped around the sedan chair, fluttering gently in the wind. Behind the gauze, a graceful and slender figure could be vaguely seen sitting gracefully within, her posture elegant and dignified.

However, the woman's neck was completely bare.

At the very front of the sedan chair, a woman was leading the way.

She was the only one in the entire team with clearly defined facial features. She was extremely beautiful, but her face was expressionless and her eyes were empty.

There is also a line engraved between his eyebrows, which looks like the character "木" (wood).

She was holding a scroll in her arms.

With each step lotus feet take forward, enchanting spider lilies bloom out of thin air on the ground.

It then quickly withered and disappeared.

The people around were completely stunned by this scene.

Silence fell.

Only heavy breathing could be heard.

At this moment, the most shocked person was none other than Jiang Mu.

Fairy Feather?!
Although he couldn't see clearly through the hazy white veil, a strong intuition surged within him.

The headless woman in the sedan chair is very likely Luo Xianyu!

-

P.S.: Still working on writing...

　My previous postscript was my mistake; I forgot to mention my promise to some people that I would rewrite "The Female Demon." So, "The Female Demon" will still be written; after all, I can't let my nearly 300,000-word manuscript go to waste.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)