Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 164: Chaos
When Kuang Jinxin was caught, Chi Yingxue was drinking mineral water.
Today was the day of the Old Master’s encoffinment, yet Ying Jiu had the brothers from the Fushou Gang wandering around the Cheng family mansion. Ostensibly, they appeared to be helping the bereaved family by guarding the house, but secretly, they were ordered not to let anyone from the mansion escape.
Chi Yingxue had a premonition that something was about to happen, so he delegated the task of analysis and deduction to the advisor in the front courtyard and then leisurely strolled around the Cheng family mansion, even managing to get a bottle of mineral water.
It was essentially soda with a hint of mint. It wasn’t very delicious, but it was sweet and refreshing.
The person was caught under the wall in the back garden. Chi Yingxue happened to be strolling nearby, heard the commotion, and came over, seeing a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old surrounded by three brothers from the Fushou Club.
“Young Master Wu—” Seeing him approach, the three brothers respectfully greeted him.
“Mm,” Chi Yingxue responded indifferently.
This classmate was naturally talented at being a young master; without any pretense, just by being his true self, he embodied the persona of a young master.
The boy surrounded by the three was of average appearance, the kind that would blend into a crowd unnoticed, except for his large, round eyes that were bright and clear. His clothes, however, were extremely ugly, seemingly scavenged from somewhere, and matched the color of the wall so well that he almost became invisible against it.
The fact that he was discovered despite this camouflage, the brothers from the Fushou Gang indeed had sharp eyes.
As Chi Yingxue thought about these random things, he casually asked the three brothers from the Fushou Gang, “Trying to run?”
Ying Jiu had ordered them “not to let a single one escape”, so Chi Yingxue naturally assumed that the boy was from the Cheng family and was trying to escape over the wall for some ulterior reason.
Unexpectedly, one of the Fushou Gang brothers said, “He’s been lurking around the wall for a while now. He doesn’t seem like one of the Cheng’s. We asked a few maids and servants, and they all said they didn’t recognize him.”
Another brother interjected irritably, “I said earlier, there’s no need to ask. This one’s clearly a little thief, sneaking in to take advantage during the chaos…”
Chi Yingxue hadn’t been paying much attention, planning to hand the boy over to Ying Jiu and tell Wu Sheng about this incident. As for how to deal with the boy and whether this side story was useful, that was for those two to worry about.
But the word “thief” struck a nerve.
[Qian Ai said he saw a thief that might be him, but he ran away without catching him.]
Chi Yingxue looked at the boy again, this time seriously observing him.
Ignoring everything else, he just looked into the boy’s eyes.
Those eyes were looking back at him.
A bit panicked, but not afraid. Instead, there was a bit of calculation hidden behind that panic, orderly and progressive.
Chi Yingxue’s eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled lightly.
That’s it.
Everyone thought Xiao Sijin was naive and without schemes, but that wasn’t the case; he was cunning in a very quiet, harmless way that wasn’t easily aggressive. Thus, he could successfully remain invisible among Xu Wang’s eccentricity and Wu Sheng’s flamboyance, just like the clothes he was wearing now.
“I’ll take him to see Master Jiu. You guys look around some more and see if there are any accomplices.” Chi Yingxue smiled faintly, his smile quietly receding.
Kuang Jinxin followed the Young Master Wu who had caught him, walking a distance, and seeing that they were heading towards a secluded area with no one around, he suddenly used his shoulder to bump into the side of the person next to him!
The side of the waist is tender and least resistant to bumps; if hit directly, it could easily cause a strain.
Kuang Jinxin, afraid of seriously injuring the person, didn’t use full force, just aiming to buy some time to escape. If this bump wasn’t enough, he was ready to use his stationery—his escape plan was well thought out.
His master had asked him to scout, and he had complied, but now that he had failed, he needed to ensure his own safety—his safety was one of the conditions for the advisor to successfully complete the mission.
Kuang Jinxin believed the surprise attack would catch the other off guard, but the other party, as if anticipating it, dodged.
Kuang Jinxin missed and stumbled forward, about to fall, but was pulled back just in time, and before he could steady himself, he was handed a bottle of mineral water.
No, half a bottle.
Holding the mineral water amidst the faint mint scent, Kuang Jinxin looked bewilderedly at the person in front of him.
From the moment he was caught, he had only thought about escaping, never really looking at this person.
But as soon as his gaze fell on him, the person across said, “Ugly.”
Kuang Jinxin was stunned. “Huh?”
The person frowned. “Your clothes—they’re too ugly.”
Kuang Jinxin was momentarily dazed, then a tentative, careful joy appeared in his eyes. “Xiao Xue?”
Chi Yingxue was a bit unhappy about being recognized so late, until he saw the joy in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes and felt quite important. Thus, “I’m very important” outweighed “I’m hard to recognize”, and Chi Yingxue’s mood also lightened.
“Are the captain and the others here too?” Kuang Jinxin looked around. Both he and Chi Yingxue appearing at the Cheng residence didn’t seem like a coincidence.
“They’re in the front courtyard.” Chi Yingxue gave a definitive answer, then succinctly introduced everyone’s roles. “The captain is chanting sutras, the advisor is investigating the case, and Lao Qian is keeping vigil.”
“……” Kuang Jinxin wanted to see Qian Ai first. Even if he couldn’t offer warmth, lending a hand would be good.
“Mineral water.” Chi Yingxue’s voice came from above, like a child eager to please.
They were standing face-to-face, already close enough for whispering, but Chi Yingxue, for some reason, had moved even closer. Kuang Jinxin, much shorter than Young Master Wu, had to tilt his head up to look at Chi Yingxue’s face.
But he didn’t tilt his head.
Instead, he cooperatively took a big gulp of the mineral soda and then exhaled a breath of cool air. “Mint flavored.”
Chi Yingxue, expecting a smile in return, felt a bit disappointed, as if the joy seen in the other’s eyes when they recognized each other was just an illusion.
Kuang Jinxin hadn’t smiled at him for several days—not since that night.
The rejection was his; the one who couldn’t distinguish between liking and loneliness was him, yet he was the one being avoided.
Moreover, Kuang Jinxin didn’t blatantly avoid him; he would still talk to him and discuss tactics with no apparent difference on the surface. But if it was just the two of them, every conversation would end with a grand excuse for him to run off, faster than a loach!
Chi Yingxue had never been fixated on anything; he only took what was easily within reach, what could be touched with a mere extension of his hand, effortless and carefree. He would hold on if he wanted to and let go if he didn’t, and in fact, he had never really wanted to hold on to anything.
Kuang Jinxin was initially in front of him.
He didn’t even need to reach out; by simply lifting his eyes, he could see that person smiling at him.
But that person smiled at everyone, and he wanted to keep him by his side, to look at only himself.
……
Chi Yingxue wanted to talk more with Kuang Jinxin, even if just about the side story of why he came to the Cheng residence, but Kuang Jinxin suggested they go to the front courtyard together to find Wu Sheng and talk to the team.
Chi Yingxue couldn’t find a reason to object, so he tied up a servant, took his jacket, put it on Kuang Jinxin to cover the original color of his clothes, and then hurried to the front courtyard together.
But upon entering the courtyard, they stumbled upon a spectacle—a little monk performing the ritual had been possessed by Old Master Cheng’s spirit.
The courtyard was packed, three layers inside and out. Despite the horrifying situation, the presence of “many people generating strong yang energy” didn’t deter the servants’ enthusiasm for watching the excitement.
As Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin squeezed forward through the crowd, the little monk in the memorial hall was pointing at Cheng Xiaonan’s nose, cursing.
“How did I give birth to such a beast—”
“Poisoning your own father… cough cough… worse than a beast—”
“Lao Er*, where are you! Your father has come to find you—”
*Second brother (老二). In this case, he’s referring to the second born son.
The curses were full of vehemence and tears. His voice was lowered to a rough and aged tone, complemented by intense coughing, making it impressively vivid. Not only the listening crowd outside who couldn’t see, but even those who could see the little monk’s face were convinced they were hearing Old Master Cheng himself.
Moreover, Old Master Cheng’s body was still nearby, adding to the impression with his appearance and smile—the ritual had just begun, and Old Master Cheng’s soul had returned, but his body hadn’t yet been placed into the coffin and still lay on the funeral bed.
Cheng Xiaonan’s face was already pale. He had forced himself to come to the ceremony—since the deceased was to be encoffined, it was the duty of the filial son to carry the coffin—arriving with unsteady steps. Now, after being scolded fiercely, he was both angry and afraid, his mouth quivering for a long time, barely able to utter a sentence.
No one dared to speak up or come forward to stop it—who would dare to intervene when a ghost was possessing someone?
Even Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong were just watching from the side, one with deeply furrowed brows, the other with a panicked look.
Master Yan Yi was also there with an expression that remained unchanged throughout the entire process, focusing solely on chanting sutras.
After the little monk had finished his tirade, he suddenly turned his head, giving Master Yan Yi a deep look.
There was a momentary pause in Master Yan Yi’s chanting.
The little monk fell to the ground with a thud, as if his soul had been pulled out, completely unconscious.
Qian Ai, mingling in the front lines of the servant crowd, was astonished.
Using possession? Their captain was truly an acting genius.
The entire memorial hall fell silent, everyone looking at each other, no one daring to move. About two or three minutes later, Cheng Xiaonan seemed to regain his breath. With a deathly pale complexion, he shouted to the people below, “Come, someone… take him away!”
A few braver servants, looking at each other, cautiously approached.
Just two steps forward, the little monk who had been lying unconscious suddenly sprang up like a carp flipping over, lively and bright-eyed, rushing to Old Master Cheng’s funeral bed and wailing loudly, “Dad, I’m back! Lao Er is back—”
The servants approaching fell to the ground, one after another.
The crowd around the memorial hall gasped in shock.
Old Master Cheng’s ghost had really called his second son back from the underworld!
Possession 2.0 was even more dramatic than 1.0 because, after crying over his father, “Second Master Cheng” suddenly rushed towards the entrance of the memorial hall!
The crowd, originally packed tight, screamed and scattered at the sight of someone charging at them.
“Second Master Cheng” burst out of the memorial hall, and in the ensuing chaos, no one noticed a servant quietly raising his hand.
And “Second Master Cheng” ran straight towards that servant, ultimately tackling a brother from the Fushou Gang right beside him!
“Why did you harm me! Give me back my life—” “Second Master Cheng” cried out miserably, his eyes bloodshot!
Qian Ai, who had been tracking this person while enjoying the spectacle, quietly blended into the crowd. The task assigned by the advisor was completed, and now he could focus on the show.
“Ahhhh—” The man struggled to shake off the “ghost” on top of him. He screamed, “Don’t find me! Don’t find me! I did tie you up, but I didn’t harm you—”
Ying Jiu, making his way over, paused at these words, his face turning completely somber.
The objective was achieved.
Xu Wang hid his delight, ready to start the third part against Master Yan Yi, when suddenly a gunshot rang out above the Cheng family mansion.
Xu Wang instinctively dropped to the ground, covering the Fushou Gang brother beneath him, playing dead—scene over, work done.
Wu Sheng, blending into the crowd, watched as a large group of police officers rushed in from outside, quickly surrounding the entire front courtyard.
The leader was a man with a rugged face in his thirties, the one who had fired the gun. Though he was wearing a police uniform, he looked more like a bandit at a glance.
Seeing the situation under control, he scanned the crowd, quickly nodding subtly in a certain direction, then turned towards Cheng Xiaonan and said to the Cheng family members, “Someone reported that Old Master Cheng died of poisoning, and the Master was also deliberately poisoned last night. Du Jinnian also disappeared in the Cheng family—”
Wu Sheng clearly saw that the man was nodding at Ying Jiu.
Here, Cheng Xiaonan, supported by the maid, came forward to greet them with an apologetic face, but his underlying panic and irritation resurfaced. “Captain Lu, could there be a mistake? We didn’t report anything…”
Captain Lu smiled. “Master Cheng, someone did report, and matters of life and death are paramount. It looks like your funeral might have to be postponed…”
“Captain Lu.” Hai Yunlong stepped forward.
Captain Lu feigned surprise. “The Young Gang Leader is also here.”
Hai Yunlong didn’t bother with pleasantries. Today’s situation was clearly targeting the Cheng family, which meant disrespecting the Hai Gang. He cut to the chase. “Since you’re investigating, why not look into my brother-in-law’s case as well.”
Captain Lu didn’t expect him to bring this up; Cheng Jiming’s kidnapping and murder case from last year still had no resolution, and they couldn’t really assert themselves on this matter but still kept it separate. “We’re still investigating Second Master Cheng’s case. Actually, we’ve got some leads. It’s just not convenient to reveal yet…”
Hai Yunlong waited for him to finish his act, then signaled someone nearby.
Soon, the “unconscious” Xu Wang was dragged aside, and the brother from the Fushou Gang underneath him was brought before Captain Lu.
“It just so happens, I’ve got some leads here,” Hai Yunlong said with an icy gaze. “This brother from the Fushou Gang just admitted in front of everyone present that he was the one who tied up Second Master Cheng. Captain Lu, would you like to let this little brother continue speaking, or—” he raised his eyes, looking past the crowd to Ying Jiu. “Does Master Jiu have something to say?”
This turn of events wasn’t in Wu Sheng’s plan, but he was more than happy to see it.
In a deadlock, chaos creates opportunity. He had Xu Wang perform the possession act for this reason. More importantly, the police explicitly mentioned the “disappearance of Du Jinnian”.
All the connected clues finally aligned with the main mission.
……
Wu Sheng and Qian Ai, taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was on Hai Yunlong and Captain Lu, pretended to be concerned bystanders and gently helped Xu Wang up.
Captain Xu then “woke up”, looking around bewildered. “Huh? What happened to me?”
Kuang Jinxin, having watched a horror movie turn into a mystery and then a cop drama, was a bit lost.
Chi Yingxue, making use of the crowd pushing against each other, naturally put his arm around Kuang Jinxin’s shoulder. His mind wasn’t following the plot at all. Whether it was possession or gunshots in front of him, he was undisturbed, eventually even taking back the mineral water he had given to Kuang Jinxin and taking a serious sip.
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