"Why are you prying open someone’s lock when you need to use the latrine?" Mu Anxiao asked, unable to resist another glance at the broken lock in her hand.
The fake Lin Yan also looked at the dilapidated lock and replied, "Because… I was in a hurry."
"In a hurry? What does that have to do with you picking a lock?" Mu Anxiao deliberately dragged out the conversation with the fake Lin Yan.
The fake Lin Yan said, "Of course, it's related." As he spoke, as if to confirm something, he turned his head to glance at the gate of the courtyard.
"How is it related, you say?" Mu Anxiao was certain Feng Qishi was inside this courtyard.
"I have to go out to find a latrine. The family here just let me use theirs."
The distance between the tavern and this place was quite far, otherwise, Mu Anxiao wouldn't be panting so much. It was evident that someone in a hurry wouldn't be able to hold it in until here, let alone engage in lengthy conversations.
Whether the fake Lin Yan was lying or not was immediately clear.
"You have good connections," she said sarcastically.
The fake Lin Yan scratched the back of his head. "They're alright. I suppose my interpersonal skills are usually quite good, so people in this area all know me."
"So they opened the door for you and let you use their latrine."
"Yes," the fake Lin Yan nodded.
Mu Anxiao: "..." She stared at the fake Lin Yan's face and fell silent.
The dog spirit lay down to rest.
A Long observed the fake Lin Yan on behalf of Mu Anxiao.
The fake Lin Yan felt quite uncomfortable being stared at by Mu Anxiao, so he turned his head to look at the courtyard gate behind him.
Inside.
Feng Qishi stood outside the latrine, feeling drained. His eyes were vacant as he stared ahead. He took out a medicine bottle from his pocket, walked to the well, took a breath, and slowly squatted down in front of the wooden basin. Hesitating for a moment, he tilted his head back, his eyes blurry, and looked at the seven-year-old boy in front of him. "This water is for washing hands, right?"
The little boy nodded.
Feng Qishi nodded along with the boy, then put the bottle back into his pocket and washed his hands.
The little boy was the only son of the owner of this house. His elderly parents were also among the victims. Feng Qishi had come here to give them money.
When the couple saw that Feng Qishi had kept his promise, they were delighted and invited him and the fake Lin Yan, whom he had apprehended, inside. Not only that, but they also prepared some snacks, which were Feng Qishi's favorites. Seeing them made him very happy.
Being polite, Feng Qishi didn't feel as constrained.
At that time, the fake Lin Yan noticed Feng Qishi's awkwardness and, bracing himself, took four pieces of pastry for him.
Because he liked them, Feng Qishi had no suspicion of the fake Lin Yan. Instead, he felt that the fake Lin Yan was actually a good disciple. Then, taking advantage of the fake Lin Yan's filial piety, he began to eat the snacks.
Who would have thought that by the last piece, his stomach would betray him?
He then began to suffer from continuous diarrhea and had no intention of paying attention to the fake Lin Yan anymore.
It was only now that his stomach had finally recovered somewhat.
"Are you feeling any better?" the little boy asked.
"A bit better," Feng Qishi said, taking out the medicine bottle from his pocket. He opened the cork and tilted his head back, drinking all the medicine in one gulp.
The little boy watched Feng Qishi's Adam's apple move up and down. "Does it taste good?" he asked.
Hearing this, Feng Qishi's expression contorted as he tasted the bitterness in his mouth. "Would you like to try some?" he asked back, intending to tease the boy. He handed the medicine bottle to him.
Seeing this, the little boy instinctively shook his head with resistance. "It's too bitter, I don't want any."
"Are you sure you don't want any?" Feng Qishi raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sick, so I don't take medicine."
"Quite clever," Feng Qishi said, smiling. He stood up and inadvertently glanced at the woman opposite him, who was staring at the medicine bottle in his hand. "What is it?" he asked.
The woman said, "You have medicine."
"Yes, what about it?" Feng Qishi was puzzled by the woman's surprise.
"Your disciple said he was going to buy you medicine and went out. The situation outside is not good now," the woman said. "What if something happened to him?"
"He left?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, my husband and I tried to stop him, but he insisted on buying you medicine. We're so sorry," she said, a look of self-reproach on her face.
"Indeed," the man stepped forward and took out the silver Feng Qishi had given them. "We should return the money to you."
Feng Qishi looked at the apologetic couple. Then he thought about the last piece of pastry and said, "It's not your fault. Was the last piece of pastry I left still here?"
"The last piece..." the man thought for a moment and said, "Your disciple took it. He said he wanted to find the right medicine, and he wanted a doctor to examine the pastry to see what was in it."
"How long has he been gone?"
Feng Qishi had encountered the fake Lin Yan not far from the tavern. At that time, he saw the fake Lin Yan talking to a female ghost. Judging from the serious expression on the fake Lin Yan's face, he was certain they had a significant conspiracy.
Therefore, to stop the fake Lin Yan, he temporarily abandoned his task of delivering silver to the next household and went over.
Before going, he expected the fake Lin Yan to fully reveal his true colors in front of him. Thus, he had already prepared himself to sever their master-disciple relationship and engage in a fight.
Who would have thought that the fake Lin Yan was also a clever fellow? As Feng Qishi was getting close to him, he deliberately turned around and shouted, "Master, help!" to Feng Qishi. Then, he turned back to look at the female ghost in front of him with a frightened expression, ignoring the pleas for mercy.
Feng Qishi witnessed the fake Lin Yan's dramatic change in demeanor firsthand. Thinking of Lin Yan's safety, he pretended to believe him.
Therefore, he rescued the fake Lin Yan, kept him by his side, and under the guise of protecting him, had him accompany him to deliver money.
It was only until this point that the fake Lin Yan could no longer maintain his facade.
He now regretted believing the fake Lin Yan just now.
However, with things as they were, he couldn't be too anxious. Even if he were anxious, it would be useless.
After the woman and the man exchanged glances, just as they were about to speak, the little boy said, "When you went for your third trip."
The third trip?
Feng Qishi had made six trips in total. So, it hadn't been a long time.
"Alright, I understand," he nodded.
The woman exclaimed, "How do you know that?" She hadn't expected someone suffering from diarrhea to have the time to calculate the duration.
The man glanced at the woman and said, "He probably hasn't gone far. He should be safe, right?"
"I'll go and take a look. Thank you for your hospitality."
"Uh, the money..." The man still felt apologetic towards Feng Qishi and handed the money to him again. "Here."
"It's not your fault, you don't need to blame yourselves. I'm all better now," Feng Qishi said, walking past them towards the courtyard gate.
"We'll see you off..."
Before the woman could finish speaking, Feng Qishi said without looking back, "Don't approach the courtyard gate today. I'll climb over the wall to leave." He then waved his hands twice.