Something unclean? Those things she had seen at Zhang Erniu’s stall almost immediately sprang to mind.
Thinking back on the nightmares her maids had been having lately, and the grave-suppressing bronze ornament she had eventually destroyed with the Teal Jade Hairpin, she began to understand the situation a bit better.
“Is it really that eerie?” she asked, intentionally putting on a look of surprise.
Seeing her interest piqued, the man grew even more animated.
“Is it ever! We said it long ago—those guys are in the business of grave robbing and tomb raiding, dealing with the dead all day. They were bound to lose years off their lives sooner or later.”
“It’s a loss of karmic merit!” He spoke with a shake of his head, looking as if he had predicted all of this long ago. “See? Retribution has come.”
Xie Zhaofan couldn’t help but criticize him in her heart; this guy was certainly good at playing the Monday morning quarterback.
However, according to what Zhang Erniu had said back then, they truly did seem to have done that sort of thing. Now it appeared those items really might have had problems.
“So where are they living now?” Xie Zhaofan asked intentionally. “I’m a bit curious; I’d like to go see the commotion.”
“Young Miss, you absolutely mustn’t go!” The man’s reaction was even stronger than she expected as he hurriedly waved his hands to advise her against it.
“You don’t know. Right now, even the people nearby don't dare get close to them. Who knows if that thing followed them out? If you get hit with a malevolent entity, it’s no laughing matter.”
“They used to think they weren't afraid of anything in heaven or on earth, but as a result, several of them have died. You’re a young girl, and such a pretty one at that. Why go and get involved in this sort of thing?”
Xie Zhaofan looked at his earnest and well-meaning appearance, but she felt even more certain in her heart. This guy’s words sounded convincing enough, but for some reason, she felt something wasn’t quite right.
She didn’t expose him immediately, however. She merely fanned herself with her folding fan and smiled.
“No matter. This young lady repels all evil; nothing is forbidden.” As she spoke, she took a small piece of broken silver from her sleeve and flicked it over.
“Lead the way.”
The young man snatched the silver out of the air, and his eyes instantly lit up. He had originally wanted to refuse, but looking at the silver in his palm, he hesitated for a moment before failing to resist the temptation.
“Let’s agree on this first.” He quickly tucked the silver away, and the smile on his face became even more sycophantic. “I’ll only lead you there and point out the direction from a distance. I absolutely won't go near where they live.”
“No problem,” Xie Zhaofan agreed readily. “You’re just responsible for leading the way. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”
The man finally let out a sigh of relief. He hurriedly packed his stall, stuffing the miscellaneous items into a large cloth bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He then led Xie Zhaofan toward an even more remote part of the capital.
As they walked, Xie Zhaofan gradually realized that the capital she had seen before seemed to be only one side of it.
On the bustling Zhuque Avenue, carriages and horses flowed like water. Nobles and royals frequented high gates, merchants gathered in crowds, and restaurants and teahouses stood in long rows. It looked like a picture of prosperity in a golden age.
But once they left those prosperous streets, another scene gradually emerged.
Dilapidated houses were squeezed together, narrow alleys were piled with junk, and citizens in ragged clothes sat by their doors basking in the sun, while children ran around barefoot in the mud.
This place was practically a different city from the most prosperous parts of the capital. Looking at the scene before her, Xie Zhaofan felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Wasn’t this just an ancient version of an urban village?
It wasn't really any different from the old residential areas right next to CBDs back on Blue Star; prosperity and poverty had always coexisted. It was just that modern cities had skyscrapers for cover, while this place used vermilion high walls to separate the two sides.
The further they walked, the more remote it became. The young man’s pace was steady, but he occasionally looked back at Xie Zhaofan, seemingly afraid she might suddenly change her mind.
Finally, the two arrived in front of a dilapidated alley.
The man stopped and pointed inside. “Young Miss, Zhang Erniu and his lot live just inside. Go in yourself; I won’t accompany you anymore.”
Xie Zhaofan didn’t move. She stood at the mouth of the alley, gently fanning herself as her gaze slowly swept across the depths of the alley.
It was a bit too quiet here.
Although the path they had just walked was remote, they had occasionally seen a few passersby. But after arriving here, it was as if everyone had suddenly vanished.
Most importantly, with her extraordinary hearing, she could clearly hear the sound of ragged breathing coming from deep within the alley.
There was more than one person hidden inside.
Xie Zhaofan suddenly smiled. She turned her head and looked at the young man beside her with a grin. This smile, conversely, made the man feel inexplicably uneasy.
“Are you sure it’s here?”
“Of course I’m sure,” the man replied with a forced smile.
Xie Zhaofan didn’t move but continued to look at him.
“There are so many people hidden in there. Are they preparing a guard of honor to welcome me?” As she spoke, she used her folding fan to point lightly toward the depths of the alley.
The smile on the young man’s face instantly froze.
In the next moment, the kindness and humility on his face vanished completely, replaced by an unabashed look of smugness and arrogance.
“Hahaha! You’re quite sharp, little girl. I wonder how you found out.” He clapped his hands, and several figures immediately stepped out from the previously empty alley.
“A pity, though. Even if you're sharp, you're still a bit stupid. I don’t know which house’s naive young miss you are, but you actually dared to just walk off with a stranger.”
Xie Zhaofan looked at him without the slightest trace of panic; instead, she found it somewhat amusing.
A moment ago, it was "Young Miss" this and that, but in the blink of an eye, it had turned into "little girl." His speed at turning hostile was quite impressive.
The young man sized her up smugly. “A girl as pretty as you will be a hot commodity no matter where she’s sold.”
“Don’t worry, we won't treat you poorly—on the premise that you’re obedient, of course.”
Xie Zhaofan blinked.
“Sell me?” She was truly amused now.
Earlier, she had joked that the monk was a kidnapper, and only a few hours had passed before she had actually run into real human traffickers. This luck was somewhat ridiculous.
However, this also made her truly realize for the first time that going out alone today really had been a bit careless. When she had gone out before, she always had guards with her; she had never truly thought about what it meant for an ordinary woman to walk outside alone.
Now that she had no one protecting her, she had only been out wandering for half a day before she was targeted by strangers. This really was no joke.
No wonder her convenient father and Madam Shen wanted to arrange a whole crowd to surround her every time they took her out. That wasn’t just the Prime Minister’s residence putting on airs; that was a tangible foundation of security.
It’s just that... Xie Zhaofan’s gaze swept across the several men in front of her, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.
She had come out to get some fresh air today; she couldn't let a few petty thieves ruin her mood so soon after stepping out.
Rate on N.U.
