Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 243 Memories in Green Robes

Shen Zui's colleagues were from the Lincheng Criminal Investigation Brigade. Two of them quickly used a special instrument to scan the corpses and the surrounding environment, with complex waveforms and data jumping on the screen; the others began to take photos and collect evidence.

Because their miscellaneous affairs department was short-staffed, they had to ask other colleagues from other departments for help.

Shen Zui squatted down beside Master Liu, carefully examining the old man, who was as thin as mud, by the light of the car headlights. He took out his cigarette case, lit one for himself, and then offered it to Master Liu's lips: "Want a puff?"

Master Liu barely moved his lips, taking a cigarette into his mouth. Shen Zui lit it for him, and Master Liu took a deep drag, exhaling the smoke mixed with the bloody smell in his mouth. The muscles on his face twitched slightly, whether from pain or something else, it was unclear.

"Fifth Master Liu," Shen Zui's voice was flat, as if he were chatting casually, "an elder of the Liu family in Xiangxi, a master of corpse-driving techniques. Instead of enjoying your good fortune in Xiangxi, why are you running around in Lincheng, making a living by ambushing and killing people? And using such... well, not exactly respectable ghostly methods." He glanced at the three withered corpses beside him, then looked at the corpse puppets lying haphazardly on the ground, now completely lifeless. "These, are they all your 'collection'?"

Master Liu kept his eyes closed, just smoking and not answering.

Shen Zui wasn't in a hurry. He stood up, walked to Chen Anran's side, and lowered his voice: "How could you be so sure it was him regarding the Qingya Cave incident?"

"His methods are very similar to those of the evil cultivators from Qingya Cave, and his target is also our Yunyin Sect. Moreover," Chen Anran paused, "his timing of appearance is too coincidental, and his methods are too insidious. Even if he didn't personally carry out the attack on Qingya Cave, it's not necessarily unrelated."

Shen Zui nodded, looked at Wei Qingyi, his gaze lingering for a moment on the peach wood sword in her hand before moving away. "Fellow Daoist Wei, you've been startled. I didn't expect that someone actually listened to what those evil cultivators said back then."

Wei Qingyi lowered her eyelashes and gently stroked the warm, smooth peach wood sword. "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. In any case, this matter will be left to Fellow Daoist Shen to handle."

"This is simply my duty."

Afterwards, Chen Anran and Shen Zui chatted for a few more minutes before Wei Qingyi suddenly spoke up, interrupting their hushed conversation about the follow-up.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, An Ran's injuries require immediate treatment. Now that the authorities have taken over this area, may we leave first?"

Shen Zui nodded solemnly and immediately said, "Of course. Leave the scene to us, you all go back and heal your injuries." He could tell that Chen Anran was putting on a brave face, so he didn't say anything more and turned to his busy colleagues, calling out, "Xiao Zhao, clear the road so that Master Chen's car can pass first!"

A young and capable team member responded and deftly directed two others to move the several mummified corpses and remains that were blocking the road to the side. The black van had already turned around, and Fatty Li opened the car door.

Chen Anran wanted to say a few more words to Shen Zui, but Wei Qingyi gently tugged at his sleeve. He turned his head and met her unquestionable gaze.

"Get in the car." Wei Qingyi's voice was soft, but carried a rare insistence.

Chen Anran smiled helplessly, no longer trying to be strong, and walked towards the car with Wei Qingyi's help.

Huiming followed closely behind, chanting a Buddhist mantra in a low voice, his face also showing worry. Although he practiced Buddhism, he was not an expert in healing and exorcising evil spirits, and could only vaguely sense that Chen Anran's internal energy was disordered.

The three got into the car, and Fatty Li immediately closed the door and started the engine. The vehicle drove off smoothly, leaving the chaotic area still illuminated by headlights and police tape behind, quickly disappearing into the deep night ahead.

The car's heater was on, but Chen Anran felt a chill seeping from his very bones. He closed his eyes, trying to guide the little spiritual energy remaining in his dantian to envelop and dissolve the death energy that had invaded his meridians, but with little success.

"Ugh..." A suppressed groan finally escaped her lips.

"Master!" Fatty Li saw Chen Anran's furrowed brows and cold sweat in the rearview mirror, and his voice changed in fright.

Wei Qingyi immediately supported Chen Anran's slumped shoulders, finding them icy cold to the touch, and discovered that Chen Anran had already fainted.

"No, my spiritual energy clashes with that death energy. Rushing in might worsen my injuries." She quickly assessed the situation, a hint of frustration and helplessness flashing in her eyes.

"Master Wei, don't be hasty." Huiming, in the passenger seat, turned around. "The reclusive Feng family has a long history of practicing medicine. As long as we return to the resort, we can get the Feng brothers to help..."

Wei Qingyi's eyes lit up, and she said urgently to Fatty Li, "Nephew, drive faster!"

Fatty Li gritted his teeth, pressed the accelerator hard, and the black van sped along the road shrouded in night.

Inside the car, Wei Qingyi gently pulled Chen Anran into her arms. Her slender fingers trembled slightly as she brushed away the black hair on his forehead that was damp with cold sweat.

Moonlight streamed through the car window, falling on his pale profile and outlining his features clearly.

Wei Qingyi stared at his tightly closed eyes, and the familiar, deep-seated emotions in her heart surged like a tide, which she could no longer suppress.

She lowered her head and gently pressed her forehead against his, trying to feel his disordered breathing.

She lowered her head and gently pressed her forehead against his, trying to feel his disordered breathing.

Wei Qingyi recalled her childhood. Back then, Chen Anran wasn't the composed and calm junior disciple of the Yunyin Sect he is now. He joined the sect a few years later than her, Su Wan, and Feng Xiaolu. He was small in stature but had a somewhat sullen personality.

I remember he was wearing faded old clothes, and he had big eyes that were always downcast, rarely daring to look people in the eye. Or perhaps it was as if he always had a secret he couldn't tell anyone.

As the senior disciple, Su Wan had to take care of affairs both inside and outside the sect. Feng Xiaolu herself was a free spirit, so the task of taking care of the new junior brother often fell to Wei Qingyi, who was relatively quieter.

At first, it was just her duty. She showed him the way, taught him the sect rules, and watched him clumsily learn the most basic Qi-inducing techniques, sweating profusely but still unable to grasp them. Wei Qingyi was aloof and taciturn; after teaching him several times and seeing he still couldn't understand, she would purse her lips and stare at him. Xiao Anran would become even more nervous and whisper, "Second Senior Sister... let me try again."

Life on the mountain was tough back then, and the spiritual energy was far less abundant than it is now. To supplement the sect's expenses, Wei Qingyi often had to go down the mountain to do odd jobs, returning late at night. Several times, when she dragged her tired body back to her simple house, she would always see a bowl of sliced ​​wild fruit chilled in well water, or a few simple pastries bought from the market down the mountain, wrapped in clean leaves, placed by the door.

It was obvious who put it there without even asking. She had asked, but the child would only say with a shifty look in their eyes, "I found it on the road, I couldn't finish it."

Once, she caught a chill and developed a low-grade fever at night, feeling drowsy and disoriented. In her half-awake state, she felt someone tiptoe in, place a cloth soaked in cool water on her forehead, and carefully feed her some warm water. She barely opened her eyes and saw Chen Anran sitting on a small stool by her bedside under the dim light of the oil lamp, her head nodding off, still clutching the cloth in her hand.

Seeing her awake, he jolted awake, somewhat flustered: "Second Senior Sister, are you feeling better? Eldest Senior Sister and Third Senior Sister went to the back mountain to gather herbs for you..."

Wei Qingyi was too weak to speak then, she just looked at him. The worry in his eyes was so real.

Later, he grew taller, though still not as tall as her or Su Wan, but the childishness on his face faded, and his features became handsome. He began to be able to help more, going down the mountain to buy supplies, repairing houses, and even trying to learn how to manage the few barren farmlands at the foot of the mountain. He was still not very talkative, but his eyes became increasingly steady.

When did that care and pity for her junior brother quietly change?

Wei Qingyi herself couldn't explain it.