Chapter 21 Unexpected

Indeed, Mingmei's uneasy premonitions came true in less than two days.

"Who... who died?"

Besides secretly meeting Mu Chen, Mei Jiu and Mingmei would also wander around other parts of the Butian Sect. This wandering revealed that someone had died, something they hadn't expected.

It was the same person who had delivered their messages before.

"It's Senior Brother Suhe."

The junior disciple looked distraught as he spoke. Suhe was well-liked in the sect, and his sudden death had caused a great commotion.

"How could this happen?" Mei Jiu was also surprised, wondering why this had happened. "How did he die?"

The junior disciple's lips trembled, unable to describe the scene when Suhe's body was discovered to the two young guests.

Blood streamed from all seven orifices, and his face was contorted in a terrifying grimace.

They were only five or six years old; it wasn't appropriate to describe such a thing to them.

With this in mind, the junior disciple sighed and tried to escort them back.

However, Mei Jiu persisted, and even Mingmei wanted to know what had happened.

Suhe, she remembered, was a player, and he had helped them contact Mu Chen. His sudden death felt very wrong.

The junior disciple couldn't shake them off, so he had no choice but to take them to their father.

When they found their father, Headmaster Xie Zhen was also present.

They were standing outside the room where Suhe's body was laid.

"Daddy..."

Mingmei and Mei Jiu called out to Ming Yi, who was speaking with Xie Zhen. Then, the two of them stepped forward, each grabbing one of Ming Yi's legs, and secretly craned their necks to peek into the room where Suhe's body was laid.

Because there were many disciples inside, they couldn't see anything.

Mei Jiu took a quick step, wanting to go inside, but Ming Yi grabbed her by the collar.

At the same time, he looked down at Mingmei, who had just released his leg, his eyes full of an expression that said, "I see through you two."

The two of them became well-behaved and didn't dare to move.

All of this was observed by Xie Zhen, who sighed and said, "Real Person Mingxiao, the sect is quite busy these days. I won't keep you any longer."

After speaking, Xie Zhen's gaze fell on Mingmei, and without saying anything, she sensed a faint dislike from him.

It wasn't the dislike she had sensed before. Mingmei could tell it was new, but she didn't know why Xie Zhen would suddenly dislike her.

Could Suhe's death be related to her?

Ming Yi responded, using his wide sleeves to block Xie Zhen's gaze. Xie Zhen also realized that he had been unfairly blaming her, so he apologized to Ming Yi and waved as he watched him leave with the children.

Turning around, he saw Xie Chen, who had come out of the Scripture Pavilion at some unknown time.

"Master."

Xie Chen had just come out of the pavilion, his head lowered and his expression somber. It seemed that Suhe's death had also dealt him a significant blow, as evidenced by the slight trembling of his sleeves.

Seeing this, Xie Zhen sighed and reached out to touch Xie Chen's head, saying, "Your senior brother's death... Chen'er, you must understand that some things can be calculated but not changed, and some things cannot even be calculated."

Thinking about it, he felt a tightness in his chest.

Although Suhe was a bit impulsive at times, he was usually cautious. How could he have rashly deduced something that led to his sudden death?

Moreover, whatever he was deducing was likely something he knew couldn't be discovered. Xie Zhen later searched but couldn't find what exactly he had been trying to deduce.

"This disciple understands."

Xie Chen turned his head and didn't say anything. After thinking for a moment, he added, "This disciple wants to go down the mountain... not to Jingyun Mountain, but—after reading ancient books in the Scripture Pavilion for several days, I have gained much, and I want to go down the mountain to gain experience."

After speaking, Xie Chen calmly accepted Xie Zhen's scrutiny.

"You..." Xie Zhen was thoughtful. His disciple didn't seem very old, and Real Person Mingxiao's daughters were so young. Even if the heavens gave a hint early, it shouldn't be a time for early love, right?

He seemed to have misunderstood earlier.

Thinking this, and looking at Xie Chen's appearance, Xie Zhen remembered his earlier words to his disciple, making his old face flush.

Thinking about it this way, Xie Zhen felt that Xie Chen's earlier concern for the little girl might have been just pure affection.

Even if he was temporarily unable to think clearly, he might have suddenly realized something after reading the books.

"You are young, and it is indeed a time for learning. It's not good to play with your friends every day."

Xie Zhen said, and Xie Chen slowly nodded in agreement. Then, he looked up at Xie Zhen and smiled, asking, "Then Master, about me going down the mountain..."

"Let's wait a bit. It's not very peaceful outside."

Xie Zhen didn't agree immediately, but he didn't reject it either. He thought for a long time and finally said that he would deduce things for a while before deciding what to do later.

...

[Ghostie, why am I feeling so uneasy?]

Their parents naturally stored their luggage into their sleeves, and Mingmei and Mei Jiu only needed to obediently follow their parents.

However, before they had even left the Butian Sect, Mingmei felt her heart start beating faster for no reason.

She felt uneasy, but she didn't know why.

[Host, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your body.] As soon as Mingmei said this, Ghostie immediately gave her a full body scan.

[But, I feel like something bad is going to happen...]

"Oh no! We haven't said goodbye to Wooden Head yet!"

Mei Jiu suddenly remembered Mu Chen. As she shouted, a vague figure appeared in Mingmei's mind. Then, Ghostie quickly supplemented her memory, telling her about Mu Chen.

Surprised, Mingmei subconsciously attributed her earlier unease to the fact that she had forgotten Mu Chen. Now that Ghostie had reminded her, Mingmei turned to Mei Jiu and asked, "Do you want to go? I'll go with you."

"Of course..."

"Alright, alright, let's go home~"

Just as Mei Jiu was about to say yes, Mei Shi suddenly appeared, hugging them both and turning to leave.

"Wait a minute, Mother, we... we still have a goodbye to say!" Mei Jiu wiggled her short legs, trying to get down.

By the way, she also mentioned Mu Chen.

After hearing this, Mei Shi looked at them and objected, "Have you forgotten that Xie Chen is being punished in there? It's fine if you two sneak over there on weekdays, but now there are people everywhere, all seeing us off. If you're seen, you'll be fine, but won't Xie Chen be punished for it?"

"Oh, that's right."

Mei Jiu also realized, and Mingmei nodded slowly. She didn't remember how she had been finding Mu Chen these days. Hearing this, how was he still being punished in the Scripture Pavilion?

[What's going on, Ghostie?]

Mingmei asked Ghostie, but Ghostie couldn't explain it either.

[He's been in the Scripture Pavilion ever since you hosts arrived.]

Ghostie didn't know the specifics. They never talked about this matter when they met with Mu Chen, so who knew how he had been "confined"?