Meeting Cailing Again

This Dream Centipede was different from the filthy and bizarre evil spirits that You Su had seen before. It had extremely psychedelic rainbow colors and was only about the thickness of a little finger.

If we set aside our prejudices against evil spirits, we could even use the word 'beautiful' to describe its appearance.

It lay there, crawling silently on Xiang Wenting's neck. Strangely, the Dream Centipede's two tentacles did not pierce Xiang Wenting's flesh.

You Su had already learned from He Shutong that although the Dream Centipede was a dream-type evil spirit of a relatively high rank, it was not very aggressive. Its only ability was to induce mad dreams in people through the toxins in its tentacles.

But why is this Dream Centipede only clinging to Xiang Wenting's neck and not biting him? And the way it crawls so freely... it seems they're quite affectionate...

"Young master."

Xiang Wenting stopped crying, his face stern. "You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. You're standing here because you've benefited from Xiuyun's fame. If you continue to slander us like this, I think you should be asked to leave."

Upon Ji Lingruo curled her lips in disdain:

"That sounds nice, but before we came, Xiuyun had come countless times. Each time she was turned away. Wasn't that at your behest?"

Xiang Wenting paused slightly, looking at the tearful little girl with a somewhat apologetic expression:

"Xiuyun, I'm sorry, I really didn't know you came here before. No one asked me for permission."

Ji Lingruo. For some reason, she felt that the young nobleman was extremely sincere when he said those words.

"I apologize if my previous remark offended you. May I ask, Young Master Xiang, what was the cause of Qiao Xiuying's death?"

Qiao Xiuyun also looked over with concern.

Xiang Wenting shook his head. "Cause of death unknown."

"A courtesan, with whom you had no past grudges or present conflicts, only having dealings with you, the son of the city lord, died mysteriously, and even her body could not be found. Young Master Xiang, don't you think, based on this analysis, you are the prime suspect?"

"Ying'er and I are truly in love, why would I want to harm her?!" Xiang Wenting stared intently at You Su as if he had suffered a great injustice.

"The dead can't escape, so of course they can stay by your side forever." You Su spoke the most frivolous thoughts in the most flippant tone.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Wenting slammed his hand on the table and stood up, spilling most of the ink from the inkstone.

"Don't make false accusations!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor filled the air outside the door.

"Young Master! Are you alright?" a strong voice called from outside the door.

Xiang Wenting's chest heaved, and his emotions finally calmed down a little:

"I'm fine, I'm having a great chat with my friends. You can leave now. If I need anything, I'll call you myself."

"Yes!"

The crowd blocking the door all left, but You Su frowned slightly, seemingly unaware of what was happening.

"I haven't asked your name yet, young master."

Xiang Wenting sat down again and asked calmly.

"I will not change my name or surname." You Su straightened up. "My surname is Ye."

"The Ye Family of Henggao City? The person chosen by Miss Cailing last night, you were you?" Xiang Wenting paused noticeably, then exchanged a meaningful glance with You Su.

You Su coughed lightly, without denying it.

"No wonder she said something like finding the letter on the bed board in the Elegant Bamboo Pavilion... Cai Ling is quite special too." Xiang Wenting suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

"Scumbag! He just lost his old flame and already has a new one!" Ji Lingruo sharply retorted.

Xiang Wenting remained noncommittal, ignoring the question, and instead spoke in a drawn-out tone:

"I know Young Master Ye is kind-hearted and wants to find Xiuyun's sister's body, but Ying'er's body is really not with me. I want to find her even more than you do. I'm a little tired today, so please go back. Xiuyun can stay; the City Lord's Mansion will take care of you."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiuyun wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said firmly, "I don't want to stay here!"

Xiang Wenting smiled sadly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Young Master Ye. If you need anything, you can come to the City Lord's Mansion to find me again. No one will dare to stop you this time. I also hope that if you have any clues, you will notify me first."

You Su stared at the Dream Centipede on his neck. The Dream Centipede seemed to have seen him too, and hurriedly crawled to the back of Xiang Wenting's neck, not daring to stick its head out.

"Excuse me, Qingluan, Purple Robe, let's go."

You Su walked away without any hesitation, and Ji Lingruo could only glare angrily at Xiang Wenting before taking Qiao Xiuyun's hand and following in You Su's footsteps.

The four of them returned to the inn in silence.

Qiao Xiuyun fell asleep in Zi Yiyi's room, while the remaining three sat around the tea table next door.

"This conversation doesn't seem to have had any effect."

Before You Su could speak, Zi Yiyi spoke first.

She was still dissatisfied with You Su's absurd behavior last night, so she spoke with a mocking tone, as if today's setback was because You Su had overexerted himself last night.

"It would be unbelievable if he directly told us where the body was." You Su poured tea for the two women.

"Your words make it sound as if you're certain he knows where Qiao Xiuying's body is hidden."

Zi Yiyi had now removed her veil, revealing her slightly haughty and pretty face.

"Didn't you see the Dream Centipede on his neck?"

You Su suddenly asked.

"Dream Centipede?!"

Zi Yiyi and Ji Lingruo exclaimed in surprise at the same time. Even Ji Lingruo, who had just begun to understand evil spirits, had heard of them before, after all, they were the source of everything that You Su had changed.

"He was also possessed by an evil spirit?"

Zi Yiyi was somewhat incredulous; she hadn't discovered what You Su had found. Firstly, the evil spirits Dream Master Type were much rarer than the other two types. Secondly, the Dream Centipede's rank was indeed exceptional; even she, who served alongside the Hua Jing, First Seat, had never seen one before.

"No, he wasn't affected." You Su recalled the state of the Dream Centipede in his mind again. "The Dream Centipede didn't seem to be trying to bewitch him at all; it was more like... his pet."

"Pet?!"

Zi Yiyi's cold eyes widened slightly, as if she had heard something horrifying. "He's the city lord's son, how could he possibly collude with evil spirits?!"

"Isn't the lord of Chuyun City also Evil Cultivator?"

Zi Yiyi was speechless after being You Su:

Why didn't you point this out when we were at the City Lord's Mansion?

"That's what I find strange too. If he really knew there was evil spirit on his neck, why did he dare to show it to us so openly? Was he so confident that none of us could see the Dream Centipede Code?"

You Su wasn't stupid; pointing out the evil spirits surrounding the other person would only make the situation more difficult.

Zi Yiyi was also lost in thought. All the people she had seen who were bewitched by evil spirits, even those with extremely high strength, hid the evil spirits on their bodies, fearing that no one would see them. This was due to the human nature of liking to hide their dark side, even though most people simply did not have the ability to see the evil spirits on them.

But why does Xiang Wenting dare to be so blatantly secretive? What if someone here can see through it? Wouldn't he be ruined?

"So you suspect something's fishy, which is why you're pretending not to know?"

"Good."

"From this perspective, he is very likely connected to the evil spirits causing trouble in Moxie City. However, if we cannot find a breakthrough by investigating him, the investigation has reached a stalemate."

Zi Yiyi was also helpless; this case was more complicated than she had imagined. At first, she only thought that there were lingering Ghost Mite harming people, but now she discovered that there were also entanglements between people behind the scenes.

"I think I might need to go see Miss Cailing again."

You Su pretended to be calm and took a sip of tea, not daring to look at Ji Lingruo.

Ji Lingruo had been silent until now, glared at him and said, "You've become addicted to it, haven't you?"

What kind of man Cloud-Turning Rain-Covering with his sweetheart one night and then goes to a brothel the next?

"Didn't you say she didn't know anything? Why are you going to look for her again?" Zi Yiyi was also puzzled.

"Yesterday I genuinely thought she knew nothing, but after my conversation with Xiang Wenting, I realized she's not that simple."

Why?

Ji Lingruo desperately needed a reason to persuade her.

"When I said my surname was Ye, why did he insist on asking again if I was Cai Ling's lover last night? His infatuation with Qiao Xiuying doesn't seem fake, so why is he so interested in a substitute that my father found? That word 'special' doesn't express any affection at all; it's more like a signal he deliberately sent out."

"Then there's only one possibility: Cai Ling also knows something," Zi Yiyi said excitedly, her eyes gleaming.

Seeing Ji Lingruo could only sullenly prop her head up with her small hands, looking both angry and helpless.

The night was deep and dark, the stars and moon shone brightly.

There are many brothels in Moxie City, but Xiaoxiang Pavilion is the most popular. The reason is that the courtesans there are as charming as water, making every customer feel at home.

"Young Master Ye?"

The heavily made-up madam greeted You Su with a warm welcome.

Yesterday, everyone's expenses were paid by Young Master Xiao, including You Su's. Today, without Young Master Xiao, the madam will naturally try to extort another large sum from You Su.

Especially today, You Su no longer has those two troublesome maids behind her.

"Young Master Ye, you're in such a hurry to see our Cai Ling?" The madam teased as she led the way. "I knew it! Bringing a maid would only get in the way."

You Su was also very sensible; he took out a shiny gold ingot from his pocket and quietly handed it over.

"Young Master Ye, you may not know this, but since you left last night, Cai Ling has been thinking of you constantly, unable to eat or drink. She specifically requested that she see no one except you these past few days. You'd better try to persuade her." The madam patted You Su with her handkerchief and whispered, "She's delicate; you'd better be more careful today..."

You Su smiled and nodded, "I will."

And so, amidst the curses of the male guests below, You Su pushed open the door of the Elegant Bamboo Pavilion again.

"I said I'm not eating, there's no need to ask again," the woman behind the screen said impatiently.

"It's me." You Su in front of the screen.

"Young Master?" Cai Ling's voice suddenly became full of surprise.

Soon, hurried footsteps could be heard.

A mature and alluring woman in a loose-fitting nightgown stepped over the screen, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the newcomer. Seemingly impatient, she ran towards You Su, but accidentally tripped over her right foot with her left, about to fall face-first to the ground.

Just as she was about to fall, a pair of large hands caught her around the waist, supporting her and preventing her from collapsing.

Cai Ling leaned on You Su's shoulder and straightened up. As she stood up, her soft breasts brushed against You Su's arm, seemingly unintentionally.

Cai Ling's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her eyes shyly, saying:

"Thank you, young master."

"No problem."

You Su quickly wiped his hands behind his back, secretly relieved that his junior sister hadn't applied thick powder to them today.

"Young master, have you come here... to continue what you didn't finish yesterday?"

Cai Ling glanced shyly at You Su, her body subtly leaning towards him.

"Miss Cailing, please have some self-respect."

You Su nimbly dodged away the beauty who tried to throw herself into his arms.

Cai Ling stumbled and almost fell again, but this time You Su didn't help her up. She looked up at You Su in surprise, as if to say, "You tormented me like that last night, how come you're turning your back on me today?"

"Young Master, do you... still harbor that voyeuristic habit? Or is it that you're only interested in Cai Ling's private parts...?" Cai Ling couldn't help but wriggle slightly at the thought of the lingering strange sensation in her own two rounded areas. "If it's just about that... it's not impossible..."

Such blood-pumping words coming from the mouth of a charming and alluring woman would be irresistible to any man. You Su was only glad that he hadn't seen it, and said seriously:

"Miss Cailing, there's no need for this. Last night was just an act. I've come to see you today because of the matter of Qiao Xiuying, the previous owner of this Elegant Bamboo Pavilion."

Cai Ling was taken aback upon hearing this, and she turned her head away, saying:

"What are you saying, young master...? I don't understand. Who is Qiao Xiuying?"

You Su shook her head helplessly; Cai Ling's act was far too fake.

"Miss Cailing, there's no need to pretend. Xiang Wenting sent me to find you."

"Young Master Xiang?"

Cai Ling in surprise, her beautiful eyebrows furrowing together, clearly indicating that she was in great distress.

"Come with me..."

Cai Ling stopped thinking about that matter and gracefully walked around the screen, returning to sit down at the coffee table on the bed.

"Young master, you actually came to ask about Sister Qiao last night, didn't you?"

Although Cai Ling knew that the man in front of her was not there to seduce her, she still personally poured tea for You Su.

"But last night I thought you were truly unaware of the situation."

"It's all an act. If she couldn't act, how could she have caught the eye of City Lord Xiang large city?" Cai Ling looked around, her eyes filled with infatuation. "Although she's a courtesan, she's enjoying a life of luxury and wealth that I never dared to dream of before..."

As if realizing she had gone off-topic, she turned and smiled:

"What does the young master want to know?"

"How did you get involved with Xiang Wenting?"

"Eight days ago, when I was tidying up my room, he secretly came by at night and took all the letters hidden in the rouge box. Originally, I was supposed to give those letters to City Lord Xiang, as they were evidence of his son's affair with a courtesan and should have been destroyed. But after we had a brief chat, I changed my mind. He loves her very much, so I chose to help him with this small favor."

Do you know why she died?

Cai Ling shook her head; the possibility of an ordinary woman knowing about evil spirits was still too low.

"Where did her body go?" You Su finally asked the question he most wanted to ask.

Upon hearing Cai Ling smiled charmingly:

"I do know, but this secret could very well be my death sentence. If you want me to tell you, you must exchange a secret with me."

"I have no secrets worthy of your life."

You Su was still somewhat wary of this woman.

"Young master, you think you can get something for free? Well, that's not so easy..." Cai Ling slightly expanded her chest, and the already loose neckline of her robe now revealed even more of her ample bosom.

"What do you want to know?" For some reason, You Su felt a little nervous.

"I can tell you where her body is most likely to be, but you must first tell me, who did you mistake me for last night?"

Cai Ling looked at You Su with a playful expression, as if to retaliate against You Su for mistaking her for someone else yesterday, so she wanted You Su to personally reveal the person the young man loved but could not have.

"That was just something I made up to please you."

You Su had never seen her face, so how could he possibly associate her with someone else?

"You think I'd believe that?" Cai Ling smiled gently. "I don't need to know her name. You just need to tell me who she is to you. If you don't tell me, you won't get any information."

You Su frowned slightly, thinking that everyone around him was female, except for one elder Guan Chujun, who was male. He decided to just call him Master.

"It is my master."

"Master?" Cai Ling had a meaningful expression on her face, then smiled slightly with satisfaction. "Xiang Wenting didn't even get to see her one last time. It should be easy to guess who saw her last time."

City Lord Xiang?