The four words "dispose of the body" were truly too stimulating. Ye Tiancheng and Fatty were currently engaged in this very task. Inside the pickup truck, with the slight sway of the vehicle, neither of them spoke much.
Whether it was Ye Tiancheng or Fatty, their hearts felt heavy. They were contemplating whether truly having disposed of the body would leave them without any worries. In truth, neither of them was entirely certain.
"Brother Ye, if the owner of this pickup truck knew we were using his vehicle to transport a corpse, I doubt 150 yuan would suffice. He'd probably want to kill my ancestors eight generations over to be appeased."
"Don't worry about that. It's not a fancy car anyway. Let's just deal with the body first. I'm worried that after we're done, there will still be a pile of messy things waiting for us to resolve. Life won't be easy for a while."
The two words "Lin Xue" were on the tip of Ye Tiancheng's tongue, but he didn't say them. Once uttered, she would likely become even more despondent. When it came to this disciple, Ye Tiancheng was truly worn out, not knowing how to solve her problems.
"Alright, are you hungry? It's getting dark soon. It seems we'll have to act under the cover of darkness. We'll probably have to wait a while longer before we can eat. I'm worried you'll get hungry."
Speaking of eating, Ye Tiancheng wasn't particularly insistent. Instead, he felt that with a corpse in the car, he had no appetite. He doubted he could stomach even the most exquisite delicacies.
"I'm not hungry yet. I have no appetite at all right now. Let's eat after we've dealt with the body. No rush, we have to take it one step at a time."
This was the current situation. No one dared to claim they could handle things perfectly. They could only take it one step at a time, as the current problem was too thorny. Most people wouldn't dare to make any guarantees.
Thus, by the time the two brothers reached the back mountain, it was already dark. For some reason, the sky seemed to darken exceptionally quickly today, giving off a particularly eerie feeling.
"Oh my god, this chilling wind is too terrifying. Brother Ye, this place is absolutely perfect for disposing of bodies. It looks like a mass grave. It would almost be inappropriate *not* to put a body here, given such a sinister atmosphere."
Fatty was just speaking carelessly. Normally, Ye Tiancheng would have chided him for not being serious at a crucial moment. But now, he couldn't utter a single word, because Ye Tiancheng felt the same way. This place was too eerie, making one feel cold all over. Even Ye Tiancheng, who had some cultivation, felt a sense of fear, let alone an ordinary person.
"It's a bit frightening here, which I actually find good. Otherwise, if the scenery were beautiful, people might come here for tourism. Then the body would be easily discovered, and we'd be the ones to suffer. After all the trouble of burying the body, only to have it dug up again, wouldn't all our efforts be in vain? Let's park the car and act as quickly as possible. I feel like Xue'er won't sleep for too long and will wake up soon. We should try to get back before they do, and not let Xue'er notice anything unusual. After all, the family used to be together all the time. Now that the family is gone, that girl is too sharp; she'll definitely notice something is wrong."
On a dark and windy night, it was precisely the time to bury a body. The brothers had found a suitable spot and couldn't waste any more time. Wielding their shovels, they began their work.
As a cloud of dust gradually settled, a large pit soon appeared. This pit was large enough not only for one Ouyang, but even for several, with ease. It was a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.
The two exchanged glances, neither speaking further. This was the perfect time to bury the body and be done with it. There was no need for any further actions, nor the mood for anything else. They wished to leave this ghastly place immediately.
Fortunately, everything was over quickly, without wasting too much time. After collecting their shovels, the two left that accursed place. The place was too eerie, filled with a nauseating stench, and also a faint trace of black energy. All of this was abominable.
As they drove back, both men felt a sense of unease. It wasn't a specific discomfort, but perhaps they were becoming more compassionate as they aged. Unable to act as if nothing had happened after burying the body, their moods were somewhat affected.
"Brother Ye, I feel like I'm getting old. I can't do many things, at least I can't guarantee my heart won't be disturbed. I feel so stupid. Want to have a smoke?"
"I don't smoke, you know that."
However, Fatty had already lit a cigarette. Ye Tiancheng naturally took it and began to smoke. The entire process felt very natural. He said he didn't want it, but his body was honest. Ye Tiancheng broke his rule and started smoking as well.
Neither of them spoke anymore. The atmosphere was extremely anxious. Later, when they arrived home, they found that Lin Xue had no news and was still asleep, sleeping soundly.
"I'm going to take a shower. I need to wash up thoroughly so that no one can smell any odor on me. After going to a place like that, there's bound to be a decaying smell on one's body, which is unbearable."
"Okay, I also need to take a quick shower, and then I'll prepare to boil some water to cook noodles. I can't eat anything too greasy; it'll make me sick."
Ye Tiancheng thought about having just buried a body. He had no appetite now. His only thought was to eat as lightly as possible, otherwise, he couldn't bear it.
"I'll cook. There's only one bathroom. I'll go wash up first, and then it'll be your turn."
After saying that, Fatty went to take a shower. The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Ye Tiancheng sat in the living room, sipping tea in small sips, his mind wandering as if his soul had left his body. He truly couldn't bear it, feeling that he had vaguely killed someone and buried them. It was unbelievable. A life had vanished without a trace. Although he hadn't killed the person himself, he still felt a sense of guilt, which he couldn't escape or shed.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of water in the bathroom finally stopped, and Fatty emerged, looking refreshed and as if he had regained all his vigor.
"Finally, I've shaken off all the dust and grime. It's great. Earlier, I couldn't quite figure out what had happened, but now I understand. It seems I just couldn't get past my own conscience. Once this hurdle is cleared, it'll be fine."
He found it somewhat amusing. It was just an insignificant person, no need to cause such a great emotional upheaval. It was enough to take things as they came; everything was fate, and there was no escaping it.
When Ye Tiancheng went to the bedroom, Fatty had already regained all his energy. He then went to the kitchen, humming a tune, and began preparing a feast. Their souls needed solace, and good food was one of the best means.
Soon, the aroma wafted from the kitchen. Lin Xue naturally woke up. She could smell the Dongpo pork, the sweet and sour fish, and the hairy crabs that Fatty had bought at the market earlier, which were still alive and tenacious. Steamed with a sprinkle of minced garlic, they were simply delicious.
"So sumptuous today!" Lin Xue's eyes widened, and she showed a rare hint of happiness, appearing extremely delighted.
"Yes, it's good to have a hearty meal. Everyone's body needs nutritional replenishment. I even made the dishes that Miss Xue likes the most. My hard work is not important, as long as you enjoy eating them."
Lin Xue went around the kitchen and then began to look for Ouyang. After all, with the curse, Lin Xue couldn't leave Ouyang. If she did, she would be the one to suffer.
"Master, have you seen Ouyang?"
Ye Tiancheng had already noticed Lin Xue searching for Ouyang, but he dared not speak. Only when she asked him directly did he reluctantly open his mouth.
"Yes, I saw him. He left in the afternoon, saying he had something urgent to attend to and might be back in two or three days. He told you not to worry."
Lin Xue didn't feel reassured by Ye Tiancheng's words. She was still worried that something might happen and ultimately delay the development of their relationship.
"No, Ouyang said he would always accompany me. If he were to leave, he would definitely tell me. How could he just leave so silently?"
Lin Xue, feeling uneasy, called Ouyang's phone. The ringing of the phone in the living room made Ye Tiancheng and Fatty's scalps tingle with embarrassment.
They had been in a hurry while disposing of the body, so they had forgotten that Ouyang's phone was still in the living room. After all, it was a sudden death, so sudden that no one thought of the phone. As a result, this phone call became a problem.
"Why is the phone still in the living room? Could something have happened to Ouyang? If he had to leave in a hurry, he wouldn't have forgotten his phone."
Ye Tiancheng's scalp felt tight. He felt as if he was about to be exposed at any moment. It was truly difficult. Lying required talent; if one lacked talent, they might end up in a terrible situation, while others were not yet awkward, they themselves would be incredibly embarrassed.
"He forgot his phone. Ouyang left in too much of a hurry, so he left his phone here."
Ye Tiancheng, feeling guilty, added, "Xue'er, you're too suspicious now. You don't even believe your master's words."
Originally, Lin Xue didn't believe what Ye Tiancheng said. However, since Ye Tiancheng had spoken like this, vouching for it with his character, Lin Xue somewhat believed him.
"Master, you've really misunderstood me. That's not what I meant. I'm just very worried about Ouyang. I know you are a person of integrity, and what you tell me is true. You wouldn't deliberately lie to deceive me."
Ye Tiancheng wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He didn't deserve Lin Xue's trust now. But on second thought, it was normal. After all, for everyone, sometimes white lies were unavoidable.
As long as one lived, they couldn't avoid dealing with all sorts of people. Sometimes, to be tactful, one had to lie.
"Alright, Master isn't blaming you. Ouyang left in too much of a hurry. But he did say he'd be back in two or three days before he left. Don't be too anxious. Be a sensible woman and understand him. Let's eat first."
Lin Xue looked thoughtful. Before eating, she said to Ye Tiancheng again, "Master, you don't need to hide it from me. Leaving in such a hurry and even leaving his phone here, it's very likely his wife came. I don't want this. I don't want to be a third party. Master, I've embarrassed you."