That Was All?

Seeing that Twelfth Madam's eyes were bright with anger, Ding Songyan:

"This matter involves the schemes and plots of Outer Dao and heretics. As a member of the righteous path, I naturally cannot sit idly by, but I am also afraid of the Demoness Ji, so I had no choice but to involve you, Twelfth Madam."

He was truly afraid of provoking Twelfth Madam's fiery temper, which might lead her to stab him with a Hatchet.

After hearing Ding Songyan's explanation, Twelfth Madam Luo's expression softened:

"You can tell me this directly; there's no need to play mind games."

"Always resorting to scheming will only make people dislike you."

"I was wrong," Ding Songyan sincerely apologized.

Twelfth Madam Luo chuckled and didn't pursue the matter further, instead saying:

"Explain the situation in detail."

Ding Songyan, relying on his memory, walked to the place where he had "coincidentally met" Ji Hanyi and said to Twelfth Madam:

"That day, I had just arrived here when a bamboo pole suddenly fell from a height. I dodged it in time and looked up in the direction the pole had come from. I saw Demoness Ji, one hand propped up against the window, the other lifting the veil of her Veil Hat, looking down at me..."

He pointed to the window where Ji Hanyi had appeared.

As he spoke, Ding Songyan gradually ran out of things to say.

Twelfth Madam Luo's gaze towards him had become quite amused:

A bamboo pole fell from a height, nearly hitting you. Looking up, you even saw the famous "Rivers and Lakes Beauty Register" (a legendary figure in martial arts).

Isn't this just the story of Cao E and Princess Iron Fan?

And you still say it's not a debt of love!

"Has Demoness Ji also read your storybook?" Twelfth Madam Luo asked with a smile.

Could it be the old story of the righteous young hero and the demonic witch?

I've read quite a few storybooks myself!

Similar incidents have indeed occurred in the past, but they have mostly ended in disgrace and ruin.

If it weren't for the fact that you have someone else in your heart, are resisting with all your might, and are unwilling, I might have cleaned up the Xiaoming Sect's ranks.

Although it is said that one can become a Buddha by laying down the butcher's knife, that is Buddhist Tradition saying. What I mean is "repay kindness with kindness and repay evil with justice." Demoness Ji has done many evil deeds. How can a simple repentance make up for them? Besides, she has never expressed any remorse.

Ding Songyan felt slightly embarrassed:

She insisted on seeing it.

"I'm no match for her, and I have no intention of fighting to the death for now."

Twelfth Madam Luo felt a strong urge to ask questions, but ultimately she restrained herself and adhered to her principles.

Don't get involved in other people's favors!

She just smiled and joked:

"Who else has read your storybook?"

"Twelfth Madam, you, Demoness Ji, and ' Young Master Mingxi ' Jiang Lanting, that's three of us. Once the whole book is finished, I'll make a copy and send it to my Senior Sister in Du Province, Changhua Prefecture. Also, I'll exchange it with Ou Luwen Hero Ou, hoping to learn the ' Mirage Dragon True Transformation Art ' and continue on the path of the Ten Thousand Laws Return to One." Ding Songyan honestly confessed, "Actually, the original source of that storybook was Hero Ou. He's a ' Literary Sea Gourmand,' and his favorite is storybooks and narrative novels."

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded thoughtfully:

"Your Senior Sister is Zheng Zhuxi, Miss Zheng?"

She had been running Wine Shop around the Prince Kang's Residence for over a year and had a good understanding of the Prince Kang. Naturally, she knew that the Zheng Family represented Changhua Prefecture in Du Province, and that there was currently only one member of the Zheng Family who was a disciple of the Xiaoming Sect.

"Yes." Ding Songyan suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

He arrived at the area below the room where Demoness Ji had appeared and saw a red paper pasted on it with information such as "vacant house for rent" and the name of the broker.

This is another type of street-side building. Unlike the front shop and Rear Courtyard, the ground floor is the kitchen and hall, and some are converted into shops. The second floor is the living quarters, and some even have a third floor, but this house does not.

"Shall we go in and take a look?" Ding Songyan asked Twelfth Madam for her opinion.

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded slightly, offering no objection.

Ding Songyan reached for the iron lock sealing the door, extending his True Qi and, following the "Hundun State" to grasp the lock's structure, opened the padlock with a click.

Those nearby who saw this scene didn't pay any attention, assuming that a broker was bringing a customer to see the empty room and was using a key to open the door, since there was nothing valuable inside anyway.

The ground floor was empty, but the original layout could still be seen from the stove and the marks.

In Ding Songyan's "Hundun State," there is nothing special about this.

He and Twelfth Madam Luo went up to the second floor one after the other.

The place was fairly spacious; it should have been a bedroom, but not even a wooden bed remained.

Ding Songyan Ji Hanyi went to the window where Ji Hanyi had tricked him, opened it, propped it up with his hand, and looked out at the outside world.

From here, you can see the bustling crowds on Shushui Street and the row of houses across the street.

Ding Songyan, using Ji Hanyi's perspective, scanned the shops one by one, trying to find any clues.

Twelfth Madam Luo had thoroughly inspected the entire second floor, came over:

"No abnormalities."

Ding Songyan looked at Shushui Street and said in a deep voice:

"There are no noteworthy clues here either."

"Perhaps we should ask around about what happened on this street in the past, which famous people lived here, and what unusual things have happened recently," Twelfth Madam Luo said thoughtfully.

Ding Songyan nodded, lowered the window, and thoughtfully walked to the middle of the bedroom.

He muttered to himself:

"The Demoness Ji was originally standing nearby. Sensing my passing by, she walked to the window, pushed open the wooden window, and deliberately let the bamboo pole fall and hit me..."

"What was she doing originally?"

As Ding Songyan spoke, he did exactly what was said.

After finishing, he felt that if he could complete this task in his own "Hundun State," then with Great Grandmaster Ji Hanyi's strength, he could certainly get much further away from the window on Shushui Street.

"Further away..." Ding Songyan abruptly turned his gaze to the window in the opposite direction.

That corresponds to the back alley.

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded almost imperceptibly, and together with Ding Songyan, they went to the window and each stretched out a hand to prop it up.

Outside the window was a narrow alley, and on the other side of the alley were other people's Rear Courtyard, one after another.

Just as Ding Songyan was about to use "Candle Eyes and Star Pupils," Twelfth Madam Luo's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice deepened a little as she said:

The name of the third courtyard from the left is unusual.

"It is a sacred dwelling."

Ding Songyan used his "Candle Eyes and Star Pupils" to look, but found no illusions to dispel, nor Illusion Realm or deep shadows.

"The Divine Residence?" he asked Twelfth Madam, turning his head to inquire.

Twelfth Madam Luo explained simply:

"Someone invited deities to that house, or perhaps Ghost God, spirits, or Incense Deity resided there for a period of time."

The "divine dwelling" refers to this... Ding Songyan didn't rush downstairs, but continued to observe the other courtyards with his "Candle Eyes and Star Pupils".

After confirming that nothing else was amiss, the two went downstairs together, replaced the padlock, and went around to the back alley.

With their skill and strength, they easily evaded the Watchtower's surveillance and entered the sacred house.

This time, Twelfth Madam Luo walked in front. She arrived at the row of rooms on the right side of the Rear Courtyard and pushed open the half-closed wooden door.

The air in the room was stale and stuffy, as if no wind had blown in for a long time, with a lingering scent of Sandalwood.

At a glance, Ding Songyan noticed several Black Blood on the walls and floor, and incense burners and other items were scattered haphazardly, with nothing else around.

The people in this house left in a hurry... Was it due to the oppression of the Sage-Slaying Path, or did something go wrong? Ding Songyan's thoughts raced, and with the help of the "Hundun State," he made a discovery, pointing to the rammed earth ground behind the incense burner:

There's a body buried there, not deep.

Twelfth Madam Luo nodded slightly and walked towards the burial site.

With each step she took, the ground trembled, and the rammed earth quickly crumbled.

Once Ding Songyan found some wooden sticks, they each took one and quickly removed the corpse.

This was a rather peculiar corpse. Its head was a bloody mess, as if it had been shattered and then fused back together by an invisible force. Below the neck, the hands, feet, and body had merged into one, transforming into a thick, serpentine shape, covered with bluish-black scales and strange animal fur.

"God-Inviting Secret Art," Twelfth Madam Luo said in a cold voice, looking at the corpse.

"What is this?" Ding Songyan asked.

Twelfth Madam Luo sighed and said:

"Shamanic Religion."

The Shamanic Religion, colluding with the Accumulated Evil Path? Is Demoness Ji causing Accumulated Evil Path again? No wonder she showed herself to me... A multitude of thoughts immediately flooded Ding Songyan's mind.

"Is this a success or a failure?" he asked solemnly.

"It failed." Twelfth Madam Luo withdrew her gaze and Ding Songyan, "Find yourself an excuse to report this to the Martial Prohibition Bureau, don't mention me."

Well, I'm being blamed again... Demoness Ji deliberately lure me to Shushui Street to investigate just for this? She has a hundred ways to get the Martial Prohibition Bureau to find me here without revealing herself... The truth is that she just happened to meet me and wanted to give me something to do? Or is there something else lurking around? Ding Songyan was puzzled and said to Twelfth Madam Luo:

"No need for that."

Reporting to the authorities doesn't necessarily require going in person.

Under Twelfth Madam Luo's watchful eye, Ding Songyan erased the traces left by the two of them and moved a pile of fallen leaves to the center of the Rear Courtyard.

As he was leaving, he lit Fire Striker and threw it onto the pile of fallen leaves.

Sneaking back into the alley, seeing smoke rising, he immediately changed his voice and shouted:

"Fire! Fire!"

Twelfth Madam Luo had remained silent, only watching quietly, but finally couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth slightly.

"You call out too," Ding Songyan said with a smile.

Twelfth Madam Luo clearly hesitated.

"Fire! Fire!" Ding Songyan shouted twice more, then turned his head and said, "Please help!"

"Hoo... "Twelfth Madam Luo exhaled and then shouted:

"Fire! Fire!"

The two voices echoed, attracting many neighbors to come and see.

Seeing this, Ding Songyan quickly said to Twelfth Madam Luo:

"Walk!"

He took the lead, following the shadows, and slipped out of the back alley, with Twelfth Madam Luo close behind.

As soon as the two returned to Shushui Street, they heard screams filled with terror coming from the back alley.

"It's done!" Ding Songyan to Twelfth Madam with a smile.

Twelfth Madam Luo tidied her disheveled hair and glanced at Ding Songyan:

"Your style is somewhat reminiscent of the Sage-Slaying Path."

"The Sage-Slaying Path? Didn't you ever play such pranks when you were young?" Ding Songyan asked with amusement.

Twelfth Madam Luo shook her head honestly:

"No."

"Now you can have some fun." Ding Songyan smiled.

Twelfth Madam Luo fell silent for a moment.

Ding Songyan pondered for a moment and then changed the subject:

"Twelfth Madam, when you scared away the Demoness Ji that night, did she recognize your true identity?"

"Yes," Twelfth Madam Luo replied succinctly.

Ding Songyan frowned slightly:

"So... the demoness didn't use this as a pretext, fearing it might cause unexpected changes and ruin her own scheme?"

Twelfth Madam Luo slightly raised her eyebrows and said in a calm tone:

"If she wanted her scheme to continue, she wouldn't have exposed my identity."