Wedding ceremony tomorrow

Chapter 74 The Vanished Girl

In front of the flower bed.

The wooden cabin doors were closed, the windows were covered, and all was silent.

It is surrounded by flowers and lush green leaves.

There is nothing unusual about it.

But at this moment, Luo Qingfeng's heart seemed to be awakened to the day he went to Linshan Village to pick up his bride, and his face immediately turned ugly.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"If you don't speak up, we'll call the guards!"

Two maids carrying flower baskets walked out of the flower garden, holding small flower hoes in their hands, looking rather fierce.

Luo Qingfeng then turned his gaze away from the wooden house in front of him, glanced at them, and said, "I was reciting my lessons just now, so I came here in a daze. I'm really sorry if I've disturbed you two ladies."

One of the maids scoffed, "You weren't lying, saying a young lady just brought you here, were you?"

Luo Qingfeng said, "I misread it just now. It wasn't one, it was two."

Another maid immediately raised the flower hoe in her hand slightly, as if about to hit someone, and said with a stern face, "You're lying again! You clearly came alone just now!"

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "While I was reciting my lessons, I inadvertently entered the bamboo forest and smelled a captivating floral fragrance. That's how I found myself here, where I saw two young ladies picking flowers in the flowerbed. I thought the flowers in the flowerbed, with their vibrant colors and competing blooms, were already incredibly beautiful, but the two young ladies, squatting among the flowers, with their flowing black hair and flower-like dresses, were even more charming and lovely, a hundred times more beautiful than the surrounding flowers. For a moment, I even thought they were two flower fairies descended from heaven, picking flowers again, so I couldn't help but come over. Were you two leading me here?"

Upon hearing this, the two maids who had just been looking fierce burst into laughter, their faces turning pink. They spat out, "You're so glib and indecent!"

Luo Qingfeng said, "Every word I have said is true. If there is any deception, may I be burned alive!"

The two maids, already curious and delighted by his handsome appearance, elegant demeanor, and scholarly attire, who had only intended to frighten him, were now overjoyed by his gentle and courteous speech and his praise of them. Their attitude immediately softened.

"Are you really the new tutor the head butler hired?"

"We remember that the teachers we recruited were all elderly gentlemen?"

"You're so young, are you really that capable?"

"How did you convince the head butler to keep you here?"

"Young master, what is your name?"

The two young maids were only ten years old, in the prime of their innocent and carefree lives. They had never left the mansion, not even the front yard. When they suddenly saw a handsome and charming young man of the opposite sex, their hearts naturally fluttered with joy, and they wanted to talk to him for a while longer.

However, Luo Qingfeng didn't have the time or the mood.

He patiently answered some questions, then suddenly looked at the small wooden house ahead and asked, "By the way, ladies, that wooden house over there looks quite elegant. Does anyone live there?"

The taller maid on the left smiled and said, "No one lives there. It's just a place for people to rest. There's nothing inside."

Luo Qingfeng said, "May I go and take a look?"

The shorter maid on the right smiled and said, "Of course, we'll take you there!"

Luo Qingfeng quickly said, "Thank you both, flower fairy ladies."

The two maids immediately covered their mouths and laughed. One of them said, "What flower fairy girl? People call her Xiaoduo, but she's called Xiaomei."

Luo Qingfeng glanced at it and remembered it.

The tall, flat-chested girl is called Xiaoduo, while the petite and imposing girl is called Xiaomei.

"By the way, Miss Xiaoduo, Miss Xiaomei, besides you, do any other people come here to pick flowers?"

Luo Qingfeng then asked casually.

"Of course, many maids and servants come here. However, there are flower gardens in other parts of the mansion, so not many people come here normally, but there are many more during festivals."

"When you usually come to pick flowers, is it in the morning, afternoon, or after sunset?"

"Mostly in the morning."

As the three chatted, they arrived at the cabin.

Luo Qingfeng quickly stepped forward and walked ahead, saying, "You two ladies, please go ahead with your work. I'll go in and take a look myself."

The two maids, however, were reluctant to part and continued to follow behind him, saying, "We've already picked all the flowers."

Luo Qingfeng didn't say anything more, his whole body tense, and he slowly pushed open the wooden door.

"Squeak..."

The door opened, revealing a cramped and empty room, completely devoid of anything.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, revealing only a dusty floor and a few petals blown in by the wind.

Luo Qingfeng entered the small house but still found nothing.

Xiao Duo and Xiao Mei followed him in, carrying flower baskets, looking at him with happy expressions.

"Young master, shall we play inside for a while?"

"Could you tell us about what's happening outside?"

The three of them stood in the room, which felt somewhat crowded.

Two baskets of flowers were brought in, instantly filling the room with their fragrance. The two girls, charming and adorable, innocent and carefree, didn't know any restraint and insisted on listening to stories in the room.

Luo Qingfeng quickly said, "Go out, I have other things to attend to. I'll come back and talk to the two young ladies when I have time."

As he spoke, he pushed past the two men and went out through the door.

Xiao Mei immediately exclaimed "Oh dear!" and covered her ample chest, blushing, saying, "Young master, you're crowding me!"

Luo Qingfeng hurriedly apologized outside the house, but did not let his guard down.

Two maids came out of the room, their faces flushed, and glared at him angrily.

"lecher!"

"It was intentional!"

"Hmph! Let's go, let's ignore him!"

The two maids pouted and left with the flower baskets.

Luo Qingfeng had no choice but to apologize again and then leave.

He glanced back at the wooden house behind him, then looked around, a sense of unease creeping into his heart: if someone had truly gone in, they couldn't have vanished so suddenly; there must be something strange about this house. What was the purpose of that maid named Lian'er bringing him here? Was it an illusion created by a demon, or something else?

He is now a cultivator at the fifth level of the Open Heaven Realm; an ordinary illusion should not be able to deceive him.

If it really is an illusion, then this demon is even more terrifying.

Thinking this, he quickly followed the two maids out of the flower garden and into the bamboo forest.

"Young master, are you going to use the back door?"

The two maids were only angry for a moment, and now they were reluctant to part with him.

Luo Qingfeng said, "Yes, could you two ladies help us lead the way?"

Aduo giggled and said, "That's fine, but what benefits will you give us sisters?"

Luo Qingfeng thought for a moment and said, "When I come back, I will bring the two young ladies some candied hawthorns."

"Candied hawthorn?"

Upon hearing this, the two maids looked puzzled, seemingly unaware of what candied hawthorns were.

Luo Qingfeng asked curiously, "Haven't you guys tried it before?"

Both of them shook their heads.

Amei swallowed hard and asked, "Is it delicious?"

Luo Qingfeng thought to himself: How pitiful.

It's probably because the household doesn't allow such things to be brought in secretly, and the two maids have never left the house, so they've never eaten or seen anything like it until now.

Luo Qingfeng said, "It's delicious. Don't tell anyone else. I'll bring it to you when I get back."

Upon hearing this, the two of them immediately beamed with joy.

"Young master, you mustn't lie!"

"If you're lying to us, humph, we'll tell the head butler that you've been disrespectful to us!"

Luo Qingfeng nodded solemnly.

The two were overjoyed and led him to the back door.

Luo Qingfeng followed behind, silently memorizing the route again, secretly wondering: I shouldn't have forgotten this route just now, how did we end up in the bamboo forest?

If it's the work of demons, then it's even more terrifying.

Could there have been something wrong with his lunch earlier? Otherwise, given his cultivator's physique and spirit, he couldn't have been so easily affected, even forgetting where he was going.

"Young master, we've arrived! Just cross the garden ahead, but we can't go there; there are guards."

Two maids stopped in front of the garden gate.

Luo Qingfeng thanked him and prepared to leave.

Ah Mei quickly reminded him, "Young master, don't forget the candied hawthorns!"

Luo Qingfeng nodded, and after taking a few steps, A'duo suddenly said, "By the way, young master, which courtyard do you live in? We'll come find you later, otherwise you won't be able to find us."

Luo Qingfeng thought to himself: Is this because they're afraid I'll lie, that they even remembered my address?

"Green Bamboo Garden".

He gave a reply and then quickly left.

I wonder if Nightingale and the others have already entered the manor by now.

When he reached the back door, the guard stopped him, asked him a few questions, and then let him out, presumably having already received orders.

Luo Qingfeng left the alley, circled around for a long time, and arrived at the street leading to the main gate.

As you walk to the street corner, you can vaguely see what's happening at the bottom of the gate steps.

After waiting for a long time and seeing that no one appeared, he didn't waste any more time and left directly, heading towards the Demon Suppression Academy.

Judging from the current situation, he definitely won't be able to return anytime soon, so he needs to leave a note for Senior Bai to avoid making the other party wait too long, which would be troublesome.

think carefully.

The treatment at Ningguo Mansion seems to be much better than at Zhenmo Academy.

A secluded courtyard, maids to serve you, meat every day, only four days of teaching a month for twenty taels of silver, and occasional large bonuses, plus no one to disturb you there, so you can cultivate in peace.

If it weren't for the advanced Demon Suppression Academy, he would have been truly tempted.

However, he has not yet participated in the new disciple ceremony of the Demon Suppression Academy, nor has he signed the agreement, so he can go back on his word at any time.

However, the Ningguo Mansion is too strange now.

He definitely wouldn't have dared to go in if he wasn't worried about Nightingale's safety.

Lost in thought, he quickly returned to the North Courtyard.

When they arrived at the library, the door was still locked, indicating that Senior Bai and Granny Ning had not yet returned.

He took out a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone from his storage bag, left a note, slipped it under the door, and then left.

After leaving the North Courtyard, he first went to several butcher shops, spending four taels of silver to buy a lot of cooked meat and put it in his storage bag. Then he went to a general store and bought a large bag of lime powder. After that, he went to a bookstore and bought a few books, which he carried in his arms before heading towards Ningguo Mansion.

Just as they reached the street leading to the front gate, they suddenly saw a group of guards, maids, and servants surrounding a sedan chair, heading towards the alley ahead.

Then, it stopped at the entrance of Ningguo Mansion.

As Luo Qingfeng was looking closely, he suddenly noticed that the tall figure standing on the right side of the sedan chair looked somewhat familiar.

The figure was dressed in a white shirt and red skirt, similar to the other women holding weapons beside her, but her tall and graceful figure was particularly eye-catching.

"Sister Nightingale!"

It seems she has infiltrated the female guards!

Just as Luo Qingfeng was about to approach for a closer look, the guards behind him suddenly turned around and looked at him warily.

Luo Qingfeng quickly grabbed the books and turned to leave.

He didn't dare to delay any longer and immediately headed towards the back alley of Ningguo Mansion.

Judging from the grandeur of that sedan chair, the person must be a nobleman from the mansion, and a very noble one at that, probably a lady.

I wonder if anyone other than Nightingale from the Demon Suppression Academy has already gone in.

I walked forward while thinking about things.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had forgotten to buy candied hawthorns for the two maids, and he wanted to ask them for some information later.

Everyone in the mansion is a suspect, yet everyone has a purpose.

He immediately turned back to the street, searched for a while, and finally found a shop selling candied hawthorns.

After thinking for a moment, he bought five skewers, wrapped them in oil paper, and threw them into his storage bag.

Only then did he return to Ningguo Mansion.

When he entered through the back door, the guard questioned him sternly, examined every book in his arms, and prepared to search his body.

Just then, a clear voice rang out from the garden in front: "That's my young master! The head steward told me to wait for him here!"

Upon seeing her, the guard waved and said, "Let's go."

He added, "From now on, only those with identification badges or those escorted by someone from the manor will be allowed to enter and exit. This is the rule of the manor."

Luo Qingfeng agreed, took the book, and left.

Xiao Tao trotted over and took the books from his arms, panting as she said, "Young Master, I'm so sorry... I was cleaning the courtyard and I'm late..."

Luo Qingfeng said, "It's alright, I just arrived too."

The two walked through the garden and reached a secluded spot. Luo Qingfeng casually asked, "By the way, Xiao Tao, have you ever heard of a maid named A-Lian?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tao asked in surprise, "Sister A-Lian? She served the Fourth Madam, but I heard she left some time ago. Does the young master know her?"

Luo Qingfeng thought to himself: Sure enough, there is such a person.

He added, "Isn't she quite pretty? Does she have a beauty mark on the corner of her mouth?"

Xiao Tao nodded and said, "Yes, Sister A-Lian is a very nice person. Does the young master really know her?"

Luo Qingfeng didn't answer, but asked again, "What does it mean that she left? Was she sold?"

Xiao Tao thought for a moment and said, "This servant doesn't know either. The maids on Fourth Madam's side said that Sister A-Lian left very suddenly. She was playing and laughing with everyone the day before, and she left the next day. Everyone said that Sister A-Lian's family suddenly became rich and came to redeem her. But she didn't say a word to anyone, which is a bit strange."

Luo Qingfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Did any maids see her leave the manor?"

Xiao Tao shook her head and said, "How would I know? But those maids who are close to Sister A-Lian probably don't know either, otherwise they wouldn't be complaining in private that Sister A-Lian is disloyal for leaving without saying goodbye."

Luo Qingfeng did not speak again.

Clearly, the maid named A-Lian did not leave the manor; something must have happened that the manor was deliberately concealing.

It seems he'll have to go check on that cabin again tonight.

The other party suddenly appeared and led him over. It seemed that there was no intention to harm him, and nothing terrible was about to happen.

Perhaps it wasn't a demon, but something else entirely.

The master and servant quickly returned to the Green Bamboo Garden.

Xiao Tao carried the books directly into the room and carefully placed them on the bookshelf next to her.

When Luo Qingfeng entered the room, he found that the small bed in the outer room was not covered with a quilt, but there were two pillows, one large and one small, on the large bed in the inner room.

When Xiao Tao saw him looking at the big bed inside, her face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head, not daring to say anything more.

(End of this chapter)