My anger eventually subsided under the interception of Fang Huixin's bodyguards. Zhang Dabiao also advised me not to act rashly, and then whispered something in my ear, which finally extinguished my temper completely.
I pushed away the bodyguards blocking my way, glared fiercely at Li Jian, and then turned to Fang Huixin, saying, "Boss Fang, I've found the person you were looking for. The agreement has been fulfilled. As the witness to the bet between me and the pretty boy, shouldn't you also make him fulfill his end of the bargain?"
My words caused the smug expressions on Li Jian and Li Rui's faces to instantly turn grim, as they immediately recalled the bet from that morning: the loser had to eat excrement.
Fang Huixin heard this and wore a look of amusement mixed with helplessness, "You're not really going to make them eat... eat that, are you?"
"What else can be done? A bet is a bet. This bet wasn't proposed by me, but by that pretty boy. Do you think they would let me off if I lost?"
"This..." Fang Huixin showed a troubled expression and looked towards Li Jian and Li Rui, the father and son.
I chuckled, "How about it, Old Li, and Young Master Li? When are you two planning to eat? Now, or later? I need to prepare properly and record your magnificent feat of eating excrement into a video and post it online. You'll quickly become internet sensations. Tsk tsk... thinking about the glory, I don't even know how to describe my feelings."
Seeing their faces grow darker one by one, I was overjoyed. You old fossil, for slandering and belittling me just now, now let's see how you get out of this.
Li Jian gritted his teeth and looked at me, "Song Qingyun, don't push it too far."
"Too far?" My face instantly turned cold. "Am I being excessive, or are you? Were the words you spoke just now human words? How dare you call me excessive now that you have to fulfill the bet? Weren't your words even more excessive?"
"You..."
Li Jian's face turned red from my retort, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Li Rui, standing beside him, quickly caught him.
"Aunt Fang, Uncle Er has fainted. We should send him to the hospital first!"
Before Fang Huixin could agree, I spoke again, "He's fainted, but you haven't, have you? Why don't you want to fulfill the bet either? Why don't you take his place and eat his share too?"
Hearing me say this, Li Rui's already pale face turned even paler, as if a layer of whitewash had been applied to it. His voice trembled slightly, "You... you're talking nonsense. That's for dogs to eat, how can humans eat it?"
I let out a strange chuckle, looking at him with the same gaze one would give a dog. "Aren't you a dog? Have you forgotten what I just said?"
"You... I..." Li Rui was rendered speechless by my words and began to stammer again.
Finally, Fang Huixin couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Song Qingyun, be merciful when you can be. Don't you understand the principle of 'a strong dragon doesn't oppress a local snake'?"
I looked at Fang Huixin in confusion. When had she become so kind? She said nothing during the bet, and nothing when I was about to lose. Now that I had won, she spoke up. Damn it, they really are in cahoots.
"Boss Fang, we have no grudges or past grievances. I have already made amends for my mistakes. Now I am claiming my spoils of war. I hope you will not interfere at this time."
"You..."
My words made Fang Huixin's face turn red, and her eyes seemed capable of spitting fire. If looks could kill, I would have been dismembered a thousand times over without satisfying her anger.
"Hoo... Song Qingyun, you have someone backing you up, but please don't treat everyone as a pushover. There's someone behind them."
Fang Huixin's voice was stern, like ice and snow in the depths of winter, but to my ears, it carried a different meaning. She was reminding me, telling me that Li Jian and Li Rui had someone behind them, and offending them might lead to dire consequences.
Her words forced me to consider. Li Zuquan, who was on par with the Fifth Prince, was not someone I could afford to offend at this moment. However, letting Li Jian and Li Rui off the hook so easily felt incredibly unsatisfying.
But it was clearly not the time to fall out with Li Zuquan. If I really settled things today, it would be a miracle if Li Zuquan allowed me to leave Mo Lu Village.
After much deliberation, I turned my gaze to Li Rui. "Pretty boy, since you don't want to eat excrement, isn't there another way you can show that you've lost?"
Li Rui was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Name a price, and I'll transfer it to you immediately."
Seeing his somewhat flustered expression, I said coldly, "What do you mean by that? Do I look like someone who lacks money?"
As soon as I finished speaking, I saw Li Rui's face twitch. Fang Huixin next to him even gave me a big eye-roll.
"You don't lack money. This is what we lost in the bet, and it's the winnings you deserve."
I nodded approvingly, "Good, you haven't forgotten the bet. So, how much are you prepared to offer for this bet?"
Li Rui glanced at Fang Huixin, found her looking away, then glanced at the unconscious Li Jian. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "One million."
"What, one million?" I was so surprised I almost bit my tongue.
One million, that was no small sum. Even risking my life to treat Sui Wan'er for a Yin hex only earned me this much money. Now, just because of a bet, I was getting it. This money was too easy to earn!
Just as I thought it was enough, Li Rui spoke again, "One million? You think it's too little?"
I stared at him blankly, not understanding what he meant. When had I ever said it was too little?
Before I could understand what was happening, Li Rui spoke again, "I only have four million left in total, and I'll give it all to you. Give me your account number, and I'll transfer it immediately. But you can never mention eating excrement again, nor can you tell anyone we made a bet. What do you say?"
Looking at Li Rui's contorted face, I really wanted to go up and give him a big kiss. This was a benefactor! A true benefactor. I hadn't said a word, and he was offering four million. It seemed that for wealthy people, money was nothing.
How could I possibly continue to make such a good person eat excrement? I quickly gave him my account number. Before long, I heard the notification sound of a text message.
"You have a new message. Please check."
I excitedly opened my phone. The message displayed: You have received 4,000,000. I counted it several times to make sure I hadn't miscounted. It was a 4 followed by six zeros.
Looking at Li Rui's still somewhat pale face, my face was filled with a smile. My address had also changed from the original "pretty boy" to "Young Master Li."
"Look, Young Master Li, how can you do this? You can't neglect your uncle's health for the sake of pursuing the truth. He's fainted, so what are you waiting for? Hurry and send him to the hospital for a check-up?"
Li Rui's face turned red, then white, and finally a dark green.
"Aunt Fang, my uncle has fainted, and I need to take him for a check-up. What do you think..."
What could Fang Huixin say? She could only have her bodyguards arrange a car to send him away quickly.
After they left, Fang Huixin looked at me with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Young Master Song, what a clever move. In just a few words, you've pocketed four million. It truly makes me envious."
Whether Fang Huixin was envious or not, I knew she was very angry. After all, Li Jian was her subordinate. To slap her in the face so hard in front of her as the boss, and in a way where she could only suffer losses and not retaliate, anyone would find it unbearable.
"Heh heh... Boss Fang, you can't blame me for this. The bet was their idea. I was just..."
"Just using my daughter to win money, weren't you?"
Fang Huixin's words almost choked me to death. What did she mean by using her daughter to win money? I was just helping her find someone. Winning money was an unexpected bonus.
However, seeing that the bodyguards around her seemed somewhat envious, I swallowed all those words and remained silent. Say whatever you want; I'll just play dumb.
"Thank you for helping me find my daughter this time. But now that she's become like this, what do you think I, as a mother..." Fang Huixin began to sob next to me, and even her little secretary beside her was crying.
This made me want to curse. What does this have to do with me? I didn't dismember her.
After crying for a while and seeing that I remained unmoved, Fang Huixin raised her head, her eyes fierce, and shouted at me, "Why are you so cold-blooded? I'm like this, and you don't show any pity or tenderness?"
I rolled my eyes helplessly. "Look, big sister, Fang Yuan is twenty-three years old. Although you wear heavy makeup, are you even thirty? Tell me, if you're not thirty, how could you have given birth to a twenty-three-year-old daughter?"
From the first time I saw Fang Huixin, I had my suspicions. No matter how much a mother loved money, she should have been heartbroken to lose a child born from her own flesh and blood. Although Fang Huixin appeared heartbroken and cried incessantly, her actions did not seem like those of a mother who had lost her daughter.
For example, just now, seeing her daughter Fang Yuan dismembered, if this were truly her child, she would have fainted from grief. Not only did she not faint, but she came out to demand an explanation from me. If I still couldn't understand these things, I might as well have a pig crash into me.
Fang Huixin wiped away non-existent tears from her eyes, glared at me fiercely, "I didn't expect you to see through it. When did you find out?"
"Just now."
"Just now?" Fang Huixin's eyes darted, and she understood where the problem lay. "Is it because I was a bit too cold just now?"
I nodded and remained silent. You weren't just cold; you treated your daughter like she was nothing. Even now, you still seem indifferent. Even if you were fifty years old, I wouldn't believe that the deceased was your daughter.
Fortunately, only Zhang Dabiao, Fang Huixin, the wailing Wu Da Siao Men, and his possibly dead wife were left in the house. Otherwise, if these words got out, I'm sure it would be explosive news.
Fang Huixin glanced outside the main house, ensuring no one was paying attention to our conversation, and then glared at me fiercely, "I don't want this matter to be heard by outsiders, or you know the consequences."
I shrugged helplessly, indicating that I didn't care. Anyway, I would be leaving here early tomorrow morning. As for whether you fight or make peace, what does it have to do with me?
Then, Fang Huixin arranged for her bodyguards to take away Fang Yuan's body, as well as Wu Da Siao Men and his nephew, and Wu Da Siao Men's possibly alive or dead wife.
It seemed that Fang Huixin would not rest until she found the killer who dismembered her daughter. I remained silent the entire way.
My mind was in a mess. Fang Huixin had received an explanation from me, but who exactly had arranged a ghost marriage for me? I had already burned the ghost marriage invitation. Since the time had not yet arrived, and the heavens and earth had not been informed, it should not be considered valid.
But the actions of the person behind this were too malicious. If I hadn't found this place today, once the hour passed, even with my immense power, I would have had to accept this marriage. This was worse than being killed.
Upon returning to my lodging, I first settled Bai Ling'er, and then I called Zhang Dabiao over.
"Brother Zhang, give me your account number."
Zhang Dabiao was stunned and looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I'm going to transfer money to you..."
Before I could finish, he interrupted me, "What kind of person do you think I am, Zhang Dabiao?"
Seeing the slight anger on Zhang Dabiao's face, I explained helplessly, "Brother Zhang, I know very well what kind of person you are, and you know what kind of person I am. Even if you don't need money, your wife and children at home must need it, right? Besides, this money wasn't earned by me alone; you have a share in it too! If you don't take it, it means you look down on me."
Seeing that he still wanted to say something, I interrupted him directly, "Stop being so indecisive. It's just money. If you're unwilling to acknowledge me as your younger brother, then we'll go our separate ways. The road ahead is wide, and we'll each go our own way..."
"I want it..."
"That's right!"
I directly gave him two million out of the four million. Honestly, if I weren't afraid that Sun Chuang hadn't given the money to my master, I would have really wanted to give Zhang Dabiao another million. After all, if he hadn't traveled thousands of miles to save my life, where would I have had the chance to earn so much money?
Bai Ling'er was still asleep. After discussing with Zhang Dabiao, we both went to the mutton soup restaurant, ordered five slaughtered sheep and a large pile of seasonings and beer, and had them delivered.
As evening approached, Bai Ling'er woke up, shaking her head. The first thing she said was, "Where's my roast lamb?"
I gently stroked her little head. "It's roasting outside for you. You can eat it soon."
Hearing about food, Bai Ling'er's little eyes narrowed, and she smiled very happily.
In the courtyard, five fat sheep were all placed on racks and roasted. The golden sheep oil dripped onto the charcoal, making a sizzling sound.
Zhang Dabiao took care of everything, turning the sheep and applying seasonings, leaving me to accompany Bai Ling'er and chat.
I knew he felt a bit embarrassed after taking so much money, so I didn't refuse his kindness. I took a lounge chair out of the house and brought out a small table for Bai Ling'er to use as a bed. The two of us sat in the courtyard watching Zhang Dabiao work.
"Ling'er, how did you defeat that fox? Did you use some forbidden technique? Tell me about it."
I was indeed curious about how she managed to drive away that fox. But according to her own words, she had been sealed by the Fifth Prince, so she shouldn't have been able to unleash such powerful strength. Therefore, I had to ask clearly to be prepared for similar situations in the future.
Bai Ling'er's little eyes widened. "Who told you that?"
I pursed my lips and pointed at Zhang Dabiao, who was struggling to roast the lamb, betraying him unceremoniously.
"Tsk! You believe whatever he says? Can't this young lady hide her strength?" Bai Ling'er rolled her eyes and then flopped back onto the chair, looking like she didn't want to say anything.
"Ahem... but you have to tell me if you're injured. Do you need me to find a doctor or something? Otherwise, you might develop a chronic condition later."
Bai Ling'er raised her head, her eyes half-closed like a human's, looking at me. "What do you mean? If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush with this young lady."
Seeing that her little thoughts had been guessed, I didn't feel awkward. After all, who knew how many years this old monster had lived? However, these words clearly couldn't be spoken aloud. Su Dan Novel Network
"What I mean is, in the future, when you encounter such dangerous situations, I hope you can help me out more. Otherwise, my little life..."
Before I could finish, I felt a white shadow flash, and then my head felt a chill. Immediately after, it felt like I had been hit hard by something.
"Do you really think I'm your bodyguard? If it weren't for the fact that you've been quite filial to me, I would have watched it eat your ears."
With every word she spoke, she tapped my head with her little tail until I begged for mercy. After that, Bai Ling'er lay on the coffee table, her human-like eyes looking somewhat lost, staring at the sheep rotating on the stove.
"Fool, I advise you to leave this place for now. The person behind that fox demon is not someone you can afford to offend right now. Let alone you, even the Fifth Prince has to retreat three steps when facing them. This time, you were lucky. I managed to break through a bit of the seal and scare it away. Next time, it won't be so easy to scare it away."
Bai Ling'er's words suddenly made me think that she had always lived in the semi-yin realm, so perhaps she knew about the events of ten years ago.
"Ling'er, do you know what happened ten years ago?"
Bai Ling'er raised her head, glanced at me, and then lay back down, saying lazily, "I know a little bit."
"Then tell me about it."
This time, Bai Ling'er didn't even lift her head. "What you need to know, Fifth Princess has already told you. What you don't need to know, I don't know either. It's useless to ask. When the time is right, someone will naturally tell you."
"Oh..."
I was almost choked to death by Bai Ling'er's words, but there was nothing I could do about it. After all, I couldn't beat her.
While we were chatting, the sheep were also roasted. Zhang Dabiao and I carried down two. I took a front leg, and Zhang Dabiao took a hind leg. The rest were all placed in front of Bai Ling'er.
To my astonishment, Bai Ling'er's little mouth seemed like a bottomless pit. She ate quickly, bite after bite. In a short while, only bones were left on the plate; all the lamb had gone into her little stomach.
I rubbed my eyes, unable to believe she had eaten so much, and so quickly.
"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen me finish eating? Hurry up and get the other one down." With a wry smile, I took down another one for her, letting her eat with relish.
Just as we were feasting, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
When I opened it, I saw Fang Huixin's little secretary.
I looked at her with some confusion. "Why are you here?"
The little secretary seemed a bit nervous. "Boss Fang asked you to come over. She said there's something important to discuss."