Sitting inside the Hummer car on Moyongxing, Qin Yu's thoughts were soaring. After coming out of Tongbo Mountain, he had a confidential conversation with Moyongxin. He didn't have any interest in dealing with He Ping's matter, as it was only related to the Mo family, and Moyongxin already had her own ideas, so he didn't need to say much.
Regarding the matter of the Thousand-Foot Divine Lord, he only revealed a little to Moyongxin. However, with her sharp and clever mind, she should be able to deduce it. Both of them had an unspoken understanding and didn't discuss what had happened in the Nine Stars Triad. After leaving Tongbo Mountain, Moyongxin reverted back to her cold demeanor, making Qin Yu feel as if the Moyongxin inside the Nine Stars Triad was completely different from the one in front of him.
"Qin Yu, what exactly happened between you and my sister down there? And why did my sister ask me to monitor He Ping?" Moyongxing, who was driving in the front, couldn't hold back any longer as the car was about to enter the county town, where Qin Yu's town was located. He finally spoke up.
"You should ask your sister about those matters."
"If my sister wanted to tell me, she would. I don't need to ask you." Moyongxing rolled her eyes. Her older sister was tight-lipped about what had happened, only repeatedly instructing her to arrange trustworthy people to monitor He Ping's every move.
"If you just monitor He Ping, that's fine. I can tell you that He Ping has a complicated and mysterious background. Once you find any clues, your older sister will probably tell you everything." Qin Yu straightened up and spoke seriously.
"You can keep your mysteries. Don't think I won't investigate on my own." Moyongxing sneered, slammed on the brakes, and Qin Yu, who wasn't paying attention, bumped into the front seat. "How the hell do you drive?"
"We've reached your doorstep. Should I not brake?" Moyongxing had a smug look on her face and pointed to the houses outside the window.
"We really have arrived." Qin Yu glanced outside and saw that they had indeed arrived at his own doorstep. Without bothering to dwell on Moyongxing's sudden braking, he opened the car door and got out.
This time, it had been seven or eight days since he went to Tongbo Mountain. There was no signal inside the mountains, and he didn't know how worried his parents must have been unable to contact him. Since he started university, he had spent very little time with his parents. During the Chinese New Year, he was busy with classmate gatherings, and the days he stayed at home were few.
Qin Yu entered the courtyard and found both his parents in the living room. When they saw him coming in, their faces lit up with joy. His mother, Zhang Mei, spoke first, "Xiaoyu, why did you take so long to come back from Tongbo Mountain? Your cousin, Zhang Hua, called you several times."
"My cousin was looking for me?" Qin Yu was puzzled. He wondered what business his cousin in Guangzhou would have with him. He took out his phone and realized that it had run out of battery because it had been on standby without a signal.
"This child doesn't even realize his phone is out of battery. Take my phone and call your cousin," Qin Yu's mother, Zhang Mei, handed her phone to Qin Yu. Qin Yu smiled sheepishly, realizing his own carelessness.
"Hello, Auntie. Is there something wrong? Has Xiaoyu come back?" The call went through quickly, and his cousin immediately spoke up.
"It's Xiaoyu. I've been waiting for your call. Where have you been all these days? Hold on a moment." Upon hearing Qin Yu's voice, Zhang Hua's tone increased by several decibels. There was a lot of noise on the other end, indicating that Zhang Hua intended to find a quiet place to talk.
"Xiaoyu, something has happened on my construction site!" Shortly after, his cousin's voice came through the phone again.
"Something happened?" Qin Yu was confused.
"There was an accident at my construction site. Several workers died in a building under construction. Do you remember the Town-Quelling Talisman you gave me? I pasted it inside the building, and it emitted a brilliant light. As you told me, the more prominent the Town-Quelling Talisman's performance, the more severe the negative energy in that place."
"What's even more bizarre is that the Town-Quelling Talisman suddenly fell off the wall two days ago. According to what you told me, the talisman falling off indicates that the negative energy has reached a terrifying level. I've already suggested to the boss that we temporarily stop the construction. But you know, once construction stops on a project like this, the losses are enormous. We can't afford it! I hope you can come to Guangzhou and take a look at what's going on at the construction site."
"Cousin, you're doing the right thing. With the Town-Quelling Talisman falling off, that building is already very dangerous. Don't let the workers get close to it. Here's what we'll do. I'll buy a train ticket tomorrow and come to Guangzhou to see what the problem is."
After thinking for a moment, Qin Yu realized that the matter of the Thousand-Foot Divine Lord in Tongbo Mountain wasn't urgent. It wouldn't petrify and regenerate so quickly. On the other hand, his cousin's situation with the fallen Town-Quelling Talisman indicated that the situation had reached an extremely dangerous level, and the negative energy had already reached a certain intensity.
"Alright, I'll book the ticket for you. Just bring your ID card to the train station tomorrow and pick up the ticket." Upon hearing that Qin Yu was coming, Zhang Hua said.
"Help me book the ticket. When did you become so fashionable, cousin?" Qin Yu joked. Nowadays, ticket booking is done online, and his cousin dropped out of middle school and has been working at construction sites. When did he start booking tickets online?
"Isn't it because of what you told me, that I found an accountant? She's a college student, and I asked her to book the ticket for you." Zhang Hua's voice sounded hesitant, as if he felt a bit embarrassed.
"Cousin, why are you feeling embarrassed? Don't tell me you're really..." Qin Yu burst into laughter. Could it be that his cousin has really come to his senses? Well, that would be good, so he wouldn't have to endure his aunt's nagging. Speaking of which, his cousin is already quite old, but he doesn't know how this woman is or if she's interested in his cousin.
"Don't talk nonsense. She's here to work. Let me tell you, when you meet her in Guangzhou, don't say anything inappropriate and scare her away."
"Don't worry, I won't scare away my future sister-in-law. Otherwise, Auntie will hold a grudge against me. She's been waiting for a grandchild for a long time, hehe!"
Qin Yu teased a few more times before hanging up the phone. However, he noticed that his mother was staring at him intently, her eyes shining brightly. She asked, "Is your cousin Zhang Hua dating someone? Where is she from? What does she look like?"
His mother's rapid succession of questions made Qin Yu smile bitterly. This situation was completely unexpected, and he didn't even know for sure if there was anything going on. The girl might not even be aware of his cousin's feelings. It seemed that his aunt and even his mother were concerned about his cousin's marriage prospects.
"Mom, I don't know either. Why are you jumping to conclusions? Don't mention this to Auntie, okay? The girl might not even agree yet. Don't let Auntie start nagging before anything is settled."
"You're going to Guangzhou tomorrow, right? Go and see for yourself. If you think she's good, tell your cousin to bring her home. He's not young anymore; it's about time he settled down."
His mother completely disregarded the opinions of the girl involved, leaving Qin Yu feeling helpless. He could only give a perfunctory response. Whatever, his cousin would have to face this on his own. He didn't need to say anything, as his mother would definitely talk to his aunt, and his aunt would surely call his cousin to nag. One can't die of friendship, but one can die of poverty. His cousin would have to rely on himself for his happiness.
"By the way, your eldest uncle has called you several times. Couldn't find you, so he called home."
"Eldest uncle? I'll call him back once my phone is fully charged."
Qin Yu nodded. His eldest uncle's call was probably related to the county magistrate. However, the ancestral tomb of the county magistrate's family had already been relocated. What else could it be?
"When you go to Guangzhou, bring a jar of homemade liquor from home. Your cousin loves the white liquor we make at home. And remember, don't refuse to drink when you're out." Qin Yu's father also chimed in with a few words. It wasn't much, but Qin Yu could still sense the care in his words.
"Dad, I'll be careful. Don't worry, I'll head upstairs now."
Upon entering his room, Qin Yu plugged in his phone charger, turned it on, and noticed a series of missed call notifications, as well as several text messages. There were over ten missed calls from his cousin, a few from his eldest uncle, and also a call from Meng Yao.
"Hello, Uncle. It's me, Xiaoyu. What's the matter? Oh, you're thanking me and inviting me for a meal? I just came back from Tongbo Mountain, and tomorrow I'm heading to Guangzhou to visit my cousin. I'm busy lately, so I won't be able to make it. Please convey my gratitude to County Magistrate Hao. I appreciate the gesture."
Qin Yu's guess was correct. His eldest uncle's call was indeed related to the county magistrate. The matter with County Magistrate Hao's family had been resolved, and they wanted to treat him as a token of gratitude.
After hanging up with his eldest uncle, Qin Yu dialed Meng Yao's number, but hesitated before making the call. It had been almost two months since they parted ways, and unintentionally, memories of holding hands and strolling together on campus flooded his mind.
Her cute mini skirt, revealing a glimpse of her fair and slender legs, her hands linked with his arm, and her face resting against his chest. That was Meng Yao's favorite thing to do. She said it made her feel blissful.
But as he continued to reminisce, the imagery in his mind suddenly shifted. The girl leaning against his chest lifted her head, revealing rosy cheeks that were tender and alluring, as if inviting him to pluck them.
"Oh no, why is it Miss Mo?" Qin Yu quickly shook off the imagery from his mind. The girl turned out to be Mo Yongxin. It was truly a sinful thought. He promptly pressed the end call button.
"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off. Sorry..." A series of English prompts sounded, indicating that Meng Yao's phone was switched off. Shaking his head, he realized he could only find another opportunity to call Meng Yao later.