Chapter 18 - Can We Communicate?
Leng Xinnan was indeed worried about Li Nan Ke's safety.
The Demonic Creature had already targeted the Lin family and might return to cause more carnage. If Li Nan Ke happened to encounter it, he could be injured.
Even with a magical artifact for protection, the risk couldn't be ignored.
Moreover, in Leng Xinnan's understanding of cultivation, any refined magical artifact had a limited number of uses.
Most artifacts could only be used once.
And then they became useless.
This was why many cultivators, even those possessing rare treasures, only used them at critical moments.
It was heartbreaking.
Once used, it was gone.
Of course, it all boiled down to one word—poverty.
Although Leng Xinnan didn't know where Li Nan Ke got his artifact, she guessed that its consumption rate must be high, and it might not be effective the next time he encountered a Demonic Creature.
Therefore, she felt obligated to protect his safety.
Moreover, she had promised Luo Qian Qiu to look after her man. If something happened to him, she wouldn't be able to explain herself.
Even though she was currently seriously injured.
As long as she could still breathe, she had to shoulder the responsibility.
The three returned to the Lin residence. Landlord Lin was about to inquire about his wife when Leng Xinnan bombarded him with questions.
"Why didn't you tell the truth about Old Qin?"
Landlord Lin was stunned. He glanced at Xiang Er, who was following behind, and realized that the maid had already told them everything.
He sighed deeply and said with a bitter smile.
"Lord Leng, it's not that I deliberately concealed it. It's mainly because this matter concerns my daughter's reputation. It would cause gossip."
"It's because of your selfishness that this disaster has occurred!"
Leng Xinnan reprimanded him sternly.
Landlord Lin blushed and didn't dare say anything.
"Also, why didn't you mention Scholar Wen before?"
Leng Xinnan continued to question.
Landlord Lin remained silent.
At this moment, a weary voice came from outside the hall.
"I'm sorry, it was I who asked father not to mention it. I didn't want Jin Er's brother to be involved."
Lin Jiao Yue, her face pale and her eyes red and swollen from crying, was helped into the living room by a maid.
The Caiyun Caiyue sisters followed behind.
"Let me get straight to the point."
Li Nan Ke said calmly, gesturing for Lin Jiao Yue to sit down.
"We already know who the Demonic Creature chasing you is. It's most likely Old Qin, the one you used to tease."
"It's him!?"
Landlord Lin was stunned.
Li Nan Ke kept his eyes fixed on Lin Jiao Yue, observing her reaction.
After hearing that the Demonic Creature was 'Old Qin,' Lin Jiao Yue was also shocked, as if she couldn't believe her ears. It wasn't until the maid helped her to a seat that she said with a trembling voice.
"This... this is impossible, how could Old Qin be... a Demonic Creature?"
Seeing Li Nan Ke remain silent, Leng Xinnan said calmly,
"We found 'Red Rain' in Old Qin's medicine. He must have consumed an excessive amount and mutated.”
“This is also why the Demonic Creature attacked you on Cuihong Mountain and is fixated on your family.”
“If you hadn't teased him, breaking his leg and giving him a bad name before kicking him out of the Lin residence, why would he seek revenge on you?”
“And you, Landlord Lin, knowing the truth, you still used money to suppress the matter, letting Old Qin continue to suffer injustice. You really know how to handle things!"
Faced with Leng Xinnan's sarcasm, Landlord Lin said bitterly, "Lord Leng, I didn't want to do this either, but if this matter were to get out, my family, and my daughter, would suffer.”
“Besides, I gave Old Qin a sum of money afterward, but he stubbornly refused to accept it. He insisted that my family, my daughter, and Miss Wan apologize and clear his name. What could I do..."
Landlord Lin didn't know how to explain further and simply slapped himself, filled with regret.
"It's all my fault, it's all my fault!"
Lin Jiao Yue also shed tears of remorse.
Whether the regret of the Lin father and daughter was genuine or an act, it didn't affect the current case.
What Li Nan Ke wanted was the motive behind this case.
Whether in a parallel world or a multiverse, every case had its own motive.
Only by grasping the motive could one dispel the fog and see the whole picture.
Leng Xinnan wanted to find the Grave People and capture the escaped Demonic Creature as soon as possible.
But right now, she didn't have many clues.
However, she could truly sense the confidence emanating from Li Nan Ke and had a feeling that this guy would definitely surprise her.
So she was willing to wait for Li Nan Ke to solve the case.
If the deadline for finding the Grave People passed, she would take full responsibility.
"Let's talk about Scholar Wen."
Li Nan Ke said, getting straight to the point. Although the young woman's tears were pitiful, he had no time to comfort her.
"On the fifth of eighth, Scholar Wen came to see you. What did you talk about in the room? Why did he attack you?"
The young woman smiled.
This smile was mixed with bitterness and grievance.
Lin Jiao Yue took the handkerchief offered by Xiang Er, but instead of wiping her tears, she clutched it tightly in her hand and said with a self-deprecating smile.
"He felt that I didn't protect Jin Er well, that I should have died with her. I indeed deserve to die. I shouldn't have left Jin Er behind."
Li Nan Ke quietly looked at the young woman, waiting for her to explain.
"Actually, there are some things I didn't dare to say before."
Lin Jiao Yue raised her head and paused for a moment, trying to hold back her tears. Her voice was hoarse.
"Ying Ying and Jin Er always had conflicts, because Ying Ying felt that Jin Er was secretly trying to seduce He Qing Yu and steal him away from her.”
“I remember once, Ying Ying and Jin Er even got into a fight, and Jin Er was injured. This incident alarmed both families, and in the end, Jin Er's family came to apologize.”
“Later, with my persuasion, the two of them reconciled and became friends again.”
"But that was just on the surface. Although Jin Er swore repeatedly that she wouldn't fall for He Qing Yu, Ying Ying didn't believe her.”
“She even declared in front of others that she would kill anyone who dared to fight with her over a man."
"So arrogant and domineering?" Leng Xinnan frowned.
Landlord Lin said, "That girl is spoiled by her family. She is indeed very arrogant and domineering. It's no secret in Dongqi County."
Li Nan Ke believed that the young woman's words were true.
As Landlord Lin said, the entire Dongqi County knew about Wan Ying Ying's bad reputation, and it could be easily verified by asking around.
There was no need for Lin Jiao Yue to make up stories about this.
"Then, on the fourth of eighth, Ying Ying said she wanted to take us to the Dustless Temple to offer incense and pray. But later, for some reason, Ying Ying said she wanted to go to Cuihong Mountain for a hike," Lin Jiao Yue continued.
"I didn't want to go at first, but Ying Ying told me that she wanted to have a good talk with Jin Er and resolve their conflict. If I didn't go, it would be troublesome if they got into a fight.”
“Hearing her say that, I had to agree. We went to Cuihong Mountain, and Ying Ying did confess her purpose, hoping that Jin Er would stop pestering He Qing Yu in the future.”
“But Jin Er insisted that she was innocent. During the argument, they really did start fighting.”
“I tried my best to persuade them, but they wouldn't listen. During the scuffle, Jin Er was pushed to the ground by Ying Ying, who had lost her mind. The back of her head accidentally hit a rock..."
At this point, Lin Jiao Yue's tears flowed again, and her lips were bitten until they bled.
"At that time, Jin Er fell to the ground, and the back of her head was bleeding from hitting the rock. Ying Ying was also terrified. Just as we were at a loss, we suddenly saw... saw..."
The young woman tried to control her emotions, but the fear in her tear-filled eyes seemed to bring her back to the nightmarish memories of that day, her body trembling violently.
She lowered her head and said while sobbing, "I wanted to save Jin Er! I really wanted to save her! But I was scared! I was so scared! I saw Ying Ying running away, so I ran too..."
Silence fell over the living room.
Only the young woman's sobs remained, a mournful accompaniment to the bloody tragedy.
Everyone was silent, their hearts filled with complex emotions.
It was laughable.
And indeed, it was laughable.
It was tragic.
And indeed, it was tragic.
But the tragedy had already happened, and they could only try to clean up this mess as soon as possible.
From the truth revealed by Lin Jiao Yue, they also understood why Scholar Wen was so furious back then, saying he wanted to kill Wan Ying Ying and questioning why Lin Jiao Yue didn't save his sister.
Intentional or not, Wan Ying Ying was ultimately responsible for Wen Jin Er's death.
…
Time flew by like smoke.
When they came out of the Lin residence, the sky was already glowing with the colors of dawn.
Leng Xinnan was still unsettled.
Seeing the man walking ahead in silence, she asked, "Is Scholar Wen the most likely suspect for administering 'Red Rain' to Wan Ying Ying and Lin Jiao Yue?"
"Eighty percent likely."
Li Nan Ke gave his judgment.
Apart from specific details, Lin Jiao Yue basically didn't lie. After all, what she said could be verified through detailed investigation.
For example, the wound on the back of Wen Jin Er's head could be confirmed by examining the body.
Since she didn't lie, then Scholar Wen was the only one with both the motive and the ability to administer 'Red Rain' to Wan Ying Ying and Lin Jiao Yue.
"So it was him?"
Leng Xinnan felt a mix of emotions.
If the culprit was indeed Scholar Wen, it meant that he had deep feelings for his sister, otherwise he wouldn't be so angry.
"Let's go to the Wen family," Li Nan Ke said.
Leng Xinnan walked a few steps faster, keeping pace with him.
"Li Nan Ke, what did you do in Hailing Prefecture before? I feel like you're quite fond of investigating cases."
"Well, maybe it's in my genes.”
"What are genes?"
"It's not easy to explain. It requires in-depth communication beforehand."
"Can't you have in-depth communication with me?"
The woman was annoyed by the man's deliberate mystification.
Seeing that he remained silent, Leng Xinnan didn't bother to ask further.
Turning a corner, Li Nan Ke suddenly stopped and looked at the Xiang Hua House, the pleasure district not far away, with surprise.
"Are those girls already starting their 'exercise' this early?"
"It's none of your business," Leng Xinnan said with displeasure, seeing that the man's attention had shifted to the brothel.
"You're a married man."
"I remember that Landlord Lin's wife, Mei Xing Er, used to work at the Xiang Hua House," Li Nan Ke said to himself.
Then, he strode forward.
Leng Xinnan was stunned. She instinctively wanted to stop him, but remembering what he had just said, she hesitated and decided to follow him.
Entering the Xiang Hua House, a strong scent of rouge and powder wafted towards them.
At first glance, there was a vast expanse of... scenery.
Both upstairs and downstairs were adorned with red and green silk, filled with seductive music and dancing, truly a sea of pleasure and excitement.
There were also girls who had just finished participating in a "grand party."
How to put it, they looked like female knights emerging from a goblin cave.