A Long-Cherished Wish (8)-Conspiracy

Yu Xing asked Luo Liang for help by pretending to have a conflict to attract A Cui's attention, and then he sprinkled True Vision Dust from an angle that A Cui couldn't see.

Although he could have simply smacked A Cui in the face, there was still a chance that A Cui was a human, or an NPC, and doing something strange in front of her would likely be noticed.

In fact, he didn't know the specific function of the True Sight Dust. Just from the name, it might be something that would allow him to see the true appearance of the suspect, or even reveal the appearance of the evil spirit directly.

As it turned out, the dust worked as expected. Although A Cui didn't become too exaggerated, the details on her face were already very obvious. Yu Xing and Luo Liang cleverly attracted everyone's attention by taking advantage of the "horror" of being the first to see her face.

According to the rules, evil spirits will be eliminated if discovered by NPCs.

More and more people gathered around, and someone even notified the Master. A Cui let out a scream as her body began to crack inch by inch, becoming like a porcelain doll covered in fissures.

People gasped in surprise.

With a hateful gaze, A Cui stared at Yu Xing and Luo Liang, her long tongue oozing blood, and suddenly lunged at them!

Yu Xing pressed down on Luo Liang's hand, which instinctively reached for the talisman, and pulled him back slightly, so that he could face the exposed A Cui directly. The moment A Cui's pale hand grabbed him, a strange feeling swept over him.

Yu Xing seemed to see imperceptible ripples spreading silently in the air. The next moment, the hand exploded into a bloody mist with a bang, followed by the arm, shoulder, head, waist, and legs. After exploding, they seemed to evaporate and slowly dissipated in the air.

[The vengeful spirit was exposed by the NPCs and was subsequently eliminated by the will of the world.]

[Remaining 2/3 of the vengeful spirits, triggering a special quest]

[If no vengeful spirits remain at the end of this phase, the surviving members of the three teams will receive special rewards based on their contributions.]

A glint of light flashed in Yu Xing's eyes. Such a good thing?

He was already planning to get rid of the obstruction, and now he gets a reward too; the Absurd World is really too generous.

Fortunately, the audience couldn't hear what he was thinking, otherwise they might have applauded his confidence.

As for the NPCs... they've fallen into a state of stagnation.

A perfectly healthy person—no, a monster—died in such an eye-catching way.

Many people broke out in a cold sweat, especially the young lady who had been sweeping the floor in front of Yu Xing's door. The thought of sweeping the floor so close to the monster for so long still made her feel lingering fear.

"Don't panic, everyone. This is Dao Lao Ghost, which usually roams the mountains and forests. I didn't expect one to infiltrate our mansion. The Dao Lao Ghost was afraid of the gazes of those who knew its identity. Being stared at by so many people, it vanished on the spot." The Master's voice came from afar.

The crowd consciously made way for them. Although many people disliked the Master's style of doing things, it was undeniable that having the Master around would make them feel much more at ease in such situations.

Yu Xing sneered inwardly—this Master's skill at spouting nonsense is quite impressive.

Dao Lao Ghost is one of the twelve common ghosts in folk legends. It is ugly, carries a deadly poison, and roams the mountains and forests, always emitting a loud wail.

There is an idiom called "ghosts howling and wolves wailing," in which "ghosts howling" refers to the wailing of the Dao Lao Ghost.

However, Dao Lao Ghost cannot transform into human form, nor is he so rational. The Master clearly did not understand A Cui's origins either, and made up an excuse to appease the witnesses while creating a mysterious image for himself.

Yu Xing knew he couldn't expose the Master at this moment. He pulled Luo Liang back a few steps, seamlessly blending them into the crowd. Only when the Master approached, his eyes gleaming with a dark light from the holes in the mask, did he speak, "Master, could it be the murderer who killed Doctor Cui? Yesterday, it was trying to find a scapegoat and framed me."

"I've already deduced it, and you're right. Last night, it was indeed this ghost that harbored malicious intentions."

The Master seemed to be smiling as he glanced at everyone present, "Dao Lao Ghost is afraid of people, so he's not difficult to deal with. There's no need for you to worry. Don't spread this outside the manor. Also, the young master is in poor health, so don't tell him about this and frighten him."

"Yes." The servants nodded obediently, but their expressions varied, and it was unclear whether they were frightened by A Cui.

A Cui disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind that needed cleaning. The Master came over, offered a few words of comfort, and then went back to his room.

Before leaving, he added, "If you encounter any suspicious people again, tell me the truth, to prevent any more evil spirits from causing trouble."

Everyone agreed and dispersed to continue their interrupted work.

Yu Xing also brought the "terrified" A Gui back to the room. During this time, the other two young men were helping out in another courtyard and did not see what had just happened.

As soon as Luo Liang entered, he closed the door tightly and praised, "Impressive! You must be a very observant person. With so many people in the Fang Mansion, your first suspicion was correct."

Yu Xing smiled and said, "You flatter me."

"That dust, that's the item your team got, right? Do you have any more? If not, it'll be harder to reveal the identities of the other two evil spirits." Luo Liang had already learned about the dust's origin when he heard Yu Xing's plan. Now, seeing how useful the dust was, he couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder it's the reward for being first in progress."

"There are two more copies, with my two teammates," Yu Xing said. "It doesn't matter. If there are any more suspicious looks, we can go to them again."

Next, Yu Xing fulfilled his promise and told Luo Liang about the various inside stories he had learned since entering the third stage. Because the two had slightly different backgrounds, they also exchanged some ideas.

Yu Xing hadn't encountered any teammates, and with a lot of speculations in his mind that he couldn't share, he could only confide in Luo Liang, which eventually made Luo Liang's gaze towards him gradually become more indifferent.

Luo Liang: Although I'm also a player with strong logical abilities and often act as a leader in the team, that's because I don't encounter anyone whose thinking is faster than mine. Now I suddenly realize that it's so much fun to be a lazy bum and win without lifting a finger!

The audience felt the same way. So many people who had been stirring up trouble in Yu Xing and Luo Liang's live streams had temporarily quieted down when they saw that the two of them got along without any animosity, and were now thinking about causing trouble for other predictors.

In the lady's room.

As the current Fang Mansion of the Fang family, Madam has always disliked leaving her room, only keeping the window facing the study open so she can see Young Master Fang studying diligently at any time.

She liked to look at Young Master Fang from the square window, because from this angle, the window frame looked like a cage, imprisoning Young Master Fang tightly within it.

The teacup in his hand was warm. Just then, Young Master Fang seemed to be feeling unwell. He put down his pen, covered his mouth, and coughed. His whole body trembled. Looking at his thin figure, anyone who saw him would feel pity.

The lady smiled pleasingly, her beautiful face showing not a trace of concern, completely different from the woman everyone usually saw who helped Young Master Fang walk and was extremely caring towards Young Master Fang.

She put down her teacup and said to the personal maid standing beside her, "The tea is still hot. Go and make the young master a cup, and tell him to take care of himself and not overwork himself."

The maid gave a curt reply, accustomed to the lady's feigned concern while displaying a pleased expression. She then carried the teapot and teacups out the door.

The lady looked out the window and Young Master Fang showed obvious disgust, but eventually obediently drank the tea. She couldn't help but laugh.

When the maid returned, the lady suddenly remembered something and asked, "Where's Xiao Ling? I haven't seen her for over ten minutes."

Xiao Ling was one of the lady's two personal maids.

The maid replied, "Xiao Ling had a stomachache and just left. Does Madam need her for something?"

"It's nothing, I was just asking." The lady was quite lenient with her maid. She was about to say that since she wasn't feeling well, she should be given a day off to rest when she suddenly heard familiar footsteps.

The next moment, there was a knock on the door. The lady's brows relaxed, and she slowly said, "Come in."

The Master, dressed in a black robe, strolled in calmly.

The maid paused, then, without the mistress even needing to speak, curtsied smoothly. "I'll go out now. Call me if you need anything, Madam."

The lady waved her hand, and the maid and the Master brushed past each other, a hint of coldness in her eyes, before she closed the door and stood outside.

The Master sat down opposite the lady and smiled faintly, "This maid of yours still doesn't like me very much."

"Do you think you're likable? It's normal for Xiao Meng to dislike you—" the lady said with a light sneer.

"At least in bed, the lady still likes me very much." The Master's eyes, hidden behind his mask, curved slightly, completely disregarding the uproar his words would cause if overheard by others.

The lady, however, didn't take it to heart and said just as flippantly, "You're only a man in bed; the rest of the time, you're like a demon."

"Since you've made a deal with an evil spirit, are you still afraid of me?" The Master chuckled, watching the woman lean lazily back in her chair, her curves alluring, while his own posture remained impeccably upright. "I've come to tell you something important."

"Oh?" The lady's eyes narrowed, and she subconsciously glanced at the young master writing in the study opposite. "Is it about him?"

The Master nodded and said, "Not bad."

"His abilities are more than sufficient. Doctor Cui was the best litmus test I chose for him, and he certainly didn't disappoint me. With his Yin constitution and the resentment that plagues him, he is already a qualified medium."

"Ha, your medium is complete, what about mine?" The lady crossed her legs, her slender ankles swinging in the air. "I didn't give birth to a son for that useless Fang Long to be used as a stepping stone for someone else. With the Yin year, Yin month, Yin day, and Yin hour, coupled with the Fang Mansion being such an excellent place to gather Yin energy, my sacrifice cannot go wrong."

The Master's smile deepened, "When I chose this inauspicious feng shui site for the previous owner of the Fang Mansion to build their house, it wasn't to provide conditions for someone else's sacrifice."

The lady's face stiffened, and she belatedly realized that the person in front of her had been living in this world for who knows how long.

Master noticed her somewhat apprehensive expression and softened his tone, reassuring her gently, "Don't worry, begin your sacrifice first. I don't need a living young master."

The lady then relaxed and replied calmly, "That would be perfect. When can we begin? Your calculations are so accurate, it saves me the trouble of finding someone else to choose an auspicious date."

"Let's wait a while... Once Xiao Jin gets Liu Xue, the final part of the plan can begin." The Master slowly tidied his half-long hair, when he suddenly heard a slight noise.

He paused, his gaze falling on the area under the lady's bed, his eyes darkening.

"What?" The lady's hearing wasn't as good as his, and she didn't understand.

The Master's expression gradually turned cold. He looked around and slowly asked, "Madam, why did I only see Xiao Meng just now? Where is your other maid, Xiao Ling...?"

The lady frowned. "Xiao Ling has a stomachache, is there something wrong?"

The Master smiled. That's the strange thing about the lady. She's ruthless and treats even her own son like a tool, yet she cherishes her maids dearly.

He stood up and walked towards the bed. "Nothing, it's just... I might have caught a beautiful woman with a very strong sense of curiosity."

"You said someone's hiding under my bed!?" The lady's face changed, her eyes fixed on the Master's steps. She saw Master grab the bed sheet hanging from the edge of the bed, then lift it—

There was nothing under the bed.

"Oh?" The Master was genuinely surprised. He stared at the empty space in silence for a long time before finally putting down the bed sheet. "It seems I misheard."

Little did they know, just a wall away outside, Zhao Ruru was drenched in cold sweat, her face showing signs of relief.

Zhao Yijiu was still standing next to her, covering her mouth with her hand. She only let go when she saw that Zhao Yijiu had calmed down.

Zhao Ruru turned her head and saw the only male servant beside the Master, and almost stopped breathing.

Fortunately, the other person's expressionless face and the gloom in their eyes made her quickly realize who was behind that facade.

"Brother Jiu?" she mouthed.

She divined that a very important conversation would take place in the lady's room at this time, so she pretended to have a stomachache and quietly hid under the lady's bed.

If Zhao Yijiu hadn't used a sacrificial ability that allowed her to pass through walls, and hadn't used that black eye phantom to bring her back outside, she would have been caught red-handed by the Master!

Zhao Yijiu nodded silently, then suddenly turned to look at the sky.

A large patch of dark clouds drifted in from the clear sky, occupying his entire field of vision at an unbelievable speed.

Yu Xing and Luo Liang were chatting, their vision suddenly blurred, the surrounding scenery changed abruptly, and a loud wail suddenly came from outside the window, making Luo Liang's expression tense.

"What's going on?" He asked Yu Xing, half to himself and half to Yu Xing. Yu Xing shook her head, looked at the light which was much dimmer than before, and walked to the door to listen.

All that could be heard outside was someone crying out, "Young Master—how could you not hold on!"

"The master and mistress are so grief-stricken that the mistress has fainted."

"Don't worry, the Master is already examining it!"

"..."

"Young Master Fang is dead?" Yu Xing raised an eyebrow and said to Luo Liang, who was also somewhat surprised, "The timeline jumped just now."

Only then did the system notification finally arrive.

[Since all key plot points from the previous timeline have been fully explored, we are now moving to the current timeline.]

[Please uncover key plot points as soon as possible; jumping between timelines is the best way to gain progress.]