"This..."
Although I understood the weasels' meaning, I found myself unsure how to explain it to them. Huang San's disappearance was my responsibility, as it had always stayed by my side, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it my assistant.
However, the fundamental reason for Huang San's disappearance was the Hu family. If Hu Sixi hadn't come to cause trouble, how could the Great Demon have exploited the opportunity, leaving me unsure whether Huang San was alive or dead?
I remained silent, and the two weasels also stayed quiet, their four small eyes emitting a faint green glow, staring directly at me. It seemed as if they would attack if I didn't provide a satisfactory answer.
While I knew they might not actually act, I couldn't be certain. After all, the affairs of wild immortal families couldn't be explained by human logic. After a moment of contemplation, I decided to tell them the truth of what happened.
"Your ancestor might be gone." The moment I uttered these words, the green glow in the weasels' eyes instantly turned red. Simultaneously, the weasels that had accompanied Huang San to my house appeared around me like phantoms, their eyes all turning crimson, as if they had already identified me as the killer.
"Squeak... squeak..." The two leading weasels let out their calls again. This time, they didn't perform. They didn't need to express themselves through actions; I understood their meaning.
"Your ancestor's disappearance is somewhat related to me, but the one who caused it was not me, but the Hu family. This is a bit complicated to explain..." I explained the reason for Huang San's disappearance and the course of events, hiding nothing, and it took half an hour to clarify the entire situation.
The two leading weasels exchanged glances for a moment, then called the other weasels together. Instantly, the small grove echoed with the sounds of weasels, chirping like birds.
I knew they were discussing the truthfulness of my words. I didn't urge them or speak, but waited for their discussion. After more than ten minutes, they stopped communicating, and the two leading weasels stepped forward before me.
This time, they didn't gesture. Instead, they knelt down. Their kneeling was significant, as all the weasels behind them also knelt. As the two leaders bowed their heads, the others followed suit, imitating humans and beginning to kowtow.
This startled me. A weasel kowtowing either signifies gratitude or a request. Gratitude was unlikely; a request was very real, and this gave me a splitting headache.
I initially wanted to jump aside and ignore their actions, but on second thought, that wouldn't be proper. Huang San had been with me. Although I hadn't officially recognized it as a household immortal, it had indeed met with misfortune only after being with me. If I refused them, these little ones might secretly cause trouble.
Moreover, I had another thought. Da Hei had been called back by Fifth Princess. The house still needed protection. If I arranged for them to stay at my home, it would provide an additional layer of security. With this in mind, I endured their kowtowing.
"Everyone, I will definitely help you investigate the disappearance of your ancestor, but I cannot guarantee that I will find it. You likely know a little about the Great Demon; that is an existence I cannot provoke right now. Therefore, revenge is definitely not something we can act on at this moment. You can now make a choice: whether to continue cultivating here or to cultivate at my home."
In fact, I had a selfish motive for saying this. With Da Hei gone, the house lacked a secret guardian. Although these weasels didn't have Da Hei's strength, a pack of wolves could overwhelm a tiger. Their "numerousness" could at least serve as a warning.
The two leading weasels looked at each other and then made a gesture of eating.
"There will be no problem with food, but I will only supply the leaders. The other little ones will have to find their own food, as survival of the fittest is the law of nature, and no one can change that."
The two weasels nodded in agreement. For them, being able to supply their food and drink was already good. If I had to supply their entire family, no one could bear the daily consumption. After all, they had thousands of descendants, and each litter had over a dozen. Even with all my wealth, I couldn't afford it.
Without any hesitation, the two weasels nodded in agreement.
When I returned home with eighteen weasels, I directly startled Zhang Dabiao, causing him to drop his rice bowl. His eyes widened: "Little brother, are you planning to change careers and become a spirit medium?"
"How could that be? If I were a spirit medium, I'd be afraid my master would come back and kill me. It's a long story about this child, but this is how it happened..." I had nothing to hide from Zhang Dabiao and quickly explained the entire situation.
When Huang San was mentioned, Zhang Dabiao also fell silent. Huang San's disappearance had always been a thorn in our side, a thorn that we knew was lodged in our hearts but couldn't remove because we couldn't locate the Great Demon...
"Since you've agreed to let them stay, I have nothing more to say. At most, I'll have your sister-in-law buy more chicken." Zhang Dabiao picked up the two-ounce baijiu cup from the table and downed the white liquor in one gulp.
"Then I'll trouble sister-in-law." I said, taking a small sip with Zhang Dabiao.
Zhang Dabiao rolled his eyes and said unhappily, "Why are you being so polite with your own brother? Are you trying to drive me and your sister-in-law away?"
Sister-in-law Zhang also chimed in, "Your brother Zhang is right. Their food and drink cost your money, not ours, so what trouble is there for us?"
I laughed heartily and said I was being stingy, as long as they didn't mind.
Chen Yun, who was usually lively and talkative, appeared silent at this moment. She was silently eating plain rice. If Sister-in-law Zhang hadn't given her food, she probably wouldn't have eaten anything. She seemed incredibly subdued.
"Chen Yun, are you troubled by something?" I asked after giving her a piece of pork rib.
"No... nothing..." She denied it in fear, like a little rabbit. Then, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, saying she was full, and went back to her room.
This made me frown. Chen Yun's personality had always been one of speaking her mind. Why had she suddenly become like a demure young lady? This was truly abnormal. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but the words were difficult to say, as it's not good to pry into a girl's affairs.
"Sister Zhang, what's wrong with her?"
Sister Zhang shook her head and said, "I don't know. Ever since you returned, she's become anxious and worried, as if she has something unspeakable."
"Unspeakable?"