Chapter 173: Falling Stars (Part 2)
Ariel rode on his pony, leading the way, occasionally looking back with a hint of unease.
Following his small figure was an enormous black and white strange boat, moving forward on dry land.
It was a pity he didn't understand Tang Country culture, otherwise he could have accurately described it as a pleasure boat.
The beautiful woman told him that everyone on the boat was her clansmen, many of whom were seriously injured and needed a place to eat, drink, and rest.
Ariel's grandfather often taught him to be a kind person.
Back then, it was because of his kindness that his grandfather risked his life to enter the wolf pack and carry him out.
So, as soon as he heard the woman's words, he immediately mustered his courage and patted his chest, saying they could come to his house.
Thus, this spectacle unfolded: a large boat following a small pony.
After crossing the mountain, a meadow lay before them.
After walking some more, Ariel's home was not far away; a small tent stood on the grass, and many small sheep were lazily entering their sleep time nearby.
Just as Ariel was about to tell the beautiful woman on the pleasure boat that they had arrived, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice say, "Hmm... a very stinky smell."
He wanted to argue, how could it be stinky? Although they raised many sheep, it wasn't stinky at all!
But he had no time to say anything; a figure leaped from the pleasure boat and swiftly darted into the tent.
This person's skill was even greater than that of many hunters Ariel had seen.
However, Ariel was not in the mood to admire or worship; he didn't know what that person was going to do, and could only anxiously shout, "Grandpa!" His legs squeezed, urging the pony to gallop away.
Yet, his speed could not compare to that of the unfamiliar expert.
By the time he arrived on horseback and stumbled off, that person had already emerged from the tent, wearing a strange straw hat and covered in straw, holding a fishing rod in hand, with a object full of greyish-white hair and dripping blood hooked on the line, and loudly shouted to the pleasure boat rushing up behind, "Look, there's a weird object here too, and I've dealt with it."
Supreme God above, he saw it clearly; that was his grandfather's head!
...
A meteor streaked across the sky, Liu Sheng didn't make a wish; she just sat on the eaves with Ling Xiaoshu, gnawing on chicken drumsticks.
【I always feel like this meteor is related to that old man's iron sword.】
【And it's falling towards the northwest, what does that mean?】
【Northwest, is that the Northern Desert?】
【Could he be someone from the imperial court! Is Tang Country going to war with the Northern Desert?】
【It's not impossible. Although the Northern Desert pays tribute every year, they are probably unwilling. Their current Khan is about to come of age; perhaps there will be a big move!】
Having read many gazettes, Liu Sheng and her friends now had a complete set of theories in their minds.
If they wanted to, they could have joined the discussion about world affairs at the dinner table just now.
But they didn't want to.
They'd rather eat delicious food than waste time on such youthful fantasies.
【But... don't you think he has the aura of a mysterious master?】
【Have you ever thought that he might be Taibai Sword Immortal?】
【Hahaha.】
【That makes sense.】
【A sloppy Sword Immortal who loves chicken drumsticks, I refuse to accept it!】
【Me too! I'm a fan of Taibai Sword Immortal's looks!】
【Are you talking about the Taibai Sword Immortal in the storybooks?】
【Especially the one drawn by the artist Xiao Hanzi, a handsome Immortal, the dream of countless Tang Country maidens!】
After chatting for a while, Liu Sheng saw that the commotion downstairs had finally subsided, and it was about time, so she slowly jumped down from the tiled roof, descending floor by floor.
Upon reaching the Osmanthus Fragrance Room, it was already empty, with only leftover food; it seemed that since Jiang Caibin had an accident, the banquet naturally couldn't continue.
A waiter was busy cleaning up.
"You asked when they left? Oh, just now, you just missed each other," the waiter answered casually.
Liu Sheng, however, breathed a sigh of relief; this way, they wouldn't have to meet.
"They should be waiting for the cloud sedan downstairs now. cloud sedans are in high demand at night, so they have to wait for a long time. You should still be able to run into them," the waiter kindly added.
Uh, no, that won't be necessary.
Lingeringly, she descended to the first floor and saw that most of the people in the building had dispersed. The shopkeeper was standing at the door, sighing, bowing and apologizing to the departing guests.
"I'm truly sorry for what happened. It's truly our oversight in management. Please forgive us. Next time you come, we will definitely give you a 20% discount," the shopkeeper said to each person.
Stepping out, Wang Dongdong was waiting for her, but no one else was in sight.
"Where did you go? Do you know what happened?" Wang Dongdong asked in a tense whisper as soon as she saw her.
"I was going to..." Liu Sheng was about to say "relieve myself" when Wang Dongdong interrupted her, "Jiang Caibin was stabbed!"
Her expression was very complicated.
Liu Sheng promptly put on a shocked expression: "How could this be? Who? Why?"
These questions were not feigned, as she truly didn't know.
Wang Dongdong shrugged: "I don't know, but given his personality, he probably offended a lot of people."
"Didn't the authorities come to investigate?"
Liu Sheng was puzzled; how could everyone in Taibai Restaurant have run off? Shouldn't they have stayed to investigate first?
The person who could stab Jiang Caibin and set up such a trap for her, also being in Taibai Restaurant, was the most suspicious.
"They did come to investigate. They took the suspect away very quickly."
"Who?" Liu Sheng was shocked, that fast?
"Yang Qing," Wang Dongdong said a name Liu Sheng had never expected.
"Ah?"
"I heard it was because he was always ordered around like a dog by Jiang Caibin, so he held a grudge," Wang Dongdong shook her head and sighed, "Alas, it's true that you know a person's face but not their heart. I thought he was truly willing to follow Jiang Caibin like that..."
Liu Sheng always felt that the truth was not that simple; this terrifying speed of solving the case seemed somewhat familiar.
"Oh, by the way! Sheng Sheng, you didn't see it, it's such a pity!"
Suddenly, Wang Dongdong remembered something, her sadness quickly faded, replaced by a mysterious gossipy expression.
"What?" Liu Sheng was curious.
"When Wen Xuanning left just now, that scene was truly..." Wang Dongdong exclaimed in amazement.
"Let me guess, flowers and fruits were thrown all over the cloud sedan?" Liu Sheng was quite speechless; so that's what she was talking about. She wanted to hear other gossip, but not about this young master Wen.
"How did you know!" Wang Dongdong exclaimed, "Did you peek too?"
"I guessed it," Liu Sheng shook her head, she wasn't interested in watching!
"Alright, and..." Wang Dongdong whispered, chuckling, "Just now, when Ling Yuke's father came to pick her up, she kept staring intently at young master Wen, as if her feet were nailed to the ground, unwilling to leave! It made her father furious! But young master Wen didn't pay attention to her, haha, he only bowed to her father."
Liu Sheng was suddenly startled: "Ling Fu came?"
"Ling... Ling Shangshu did come..." Wang Dongdong was startled by Liu Sheng's direct address, stammering.
"To pick up his daughter?"
"Yes, why?"
"When you used to go out with them, would he personally come to pick up Ling Yuke?"
Wang Dongdong also froze, thinking carefully: "I don't think I've seen him."
"Ling Shangshu is a busy person after all, holding multiple positions."
"Perhaps this incident was too frightening, so he had no choice but to come personally?"
Liu Sheng listened, nodded, and slightly narrowed her eyes, hiding the cold glint.
"Our cloud sedan has arrived, let's go back and rest. You must be tired after a day of commotion."
Wang Dongdong's voice came from afar.
Liu Sheng sat in the cloud sedan, looking out at the night scenery without a word.
It was late at night, and Chang'an's nightscape was also winding down.
The spiritual light signs and mirages in the sky were gone; all the music, clamor, and dazzling lights had quieted down.
Only the dark, dimly lit pavilions remained, like Vicious Beasts lurking in the darkness, waiting for the treacherous winds and clouds to surge, then extending their claws and revealing their true forms.
An extra chapter tonight, thank you all for voting! o(^▽^)o