Lu Chunying peeked out again and stared at Li Banfeng for a long time, only to feel that the young man before her was particularly imposing.
"Benefactor, please take care of yourself!" Xiao Yeci turned around, hugged Lu Chunying, and quickly left the backyard, heading towards the main gate.
Xiao Yeci, leading her daughter Lu Chunying, left the backyard. When they reached the entrance of the front courtyard, Xiao Yeci looked back and couldn’t help but sigh.
Lu Chunying said with a hint of sarcasm, "Don’t bother looking. You’re not charming enough; the grand hero wouldn’t spare you a glance!"
Xiao Yeci frowned and said, "Don’t talk nonsense, you’re getting out of line!"
Lu Chunying snorted coldly. "What do you mean out of line? Thinking you’re really my mom? Wait until we meet the Lu Family’s members, I will tell them the whole truth!"
Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth and said, "You dare! If you dare to tell, we’ll both go hungry, sleep on the streets, and end up sold to a brothel together. Let’s see who will be crying then!"
Lu Chunying furrowed her brows and said, "If you want to play my mom, then fix your speech pattern. Stop that ’ya ya ya’ nonsense."
"What ’ya ya ya’ nonsense? I don’t have any such verbal habits! I’m telling you, don’t talk such rubbish, really!"
As they were talking, the two of them left the estate and walked into a forest.
Lu Chunying tugged gently at Xiao Yeci and asked in a low voice, "I remember this being a village when we came. How did it turn into a forest?"
RUSTLE, RUSTLE, WHOOSH.
The cold wind howled. In the forest, branches and leaves swayed tumultuously, rustling continuously.
Xiao Yeci also became tense, hugging Lu Chunying and said, "Something’s not right. Let’s go back to the estate first!"
Just as the mother and daughter turned around, the estate they had left behind was no longer there.
Surrounding them was an endless forest.
"Where are we?" Lu Chunying gripped Xiao Yeci’s arm tightly.
Xiao Yeci looked around and said with composure, "This must be the doing of the House Spirit. We are probably still in the estate, just unable to leave for now."
"What should we do then?" Lu Chunying’s grip tightened further.
"Don’t worry, I’ll reason with it first. No matter what its origin, as long as I can explain things clearly, it should let us go!"
Xiao Yeci wore a determined expression, and Lu Chunying, standing behind her, felt much of her fear subside.
Xiao Yeci began to reason with the House Spirit, "Friend, I do not know where you come from. But the master of this estate has died, and you should also think about where you ought to go.
"The master of this estate committed too many atrocities. As her accomplice, if you’re caught by the Judge and sent to the underworld, you will be punished too!
"I have read about it in books. I’ve seen the ledgers of the Punishment Division, and even glimpsed the torture devices of the underworld. I’ve seen the suffering endured by the ghosts there.
"In the past, you might have been coerced by her, acting against your will. But now she’s dead. If you continue to engage in these heinous acts, what are you truly after?
"Friend, let us two go. By doing so, you’ll not only mitigate some of your sins but also accumulate some merit. Why wouldn’t you?"
WHOOSH.
The chilling wind gradually subsided, and the branches and leaves in the forest calmed down.
Xiao Yeci’s communication seemed to have had an effect.
Over the years, life had been tough. This "mother" who was not her mother, had had resentments, arguments, and quite a few misunderstandings with Lu Chunying.
But whenever there was danger, Xiao Yeci always stepped in front of Lu Chunying without hesitation. Chunying believed her to be the most reliable person in the world.
"Come, follow Mom!" Guided by instinct, Xiao Yeci confidently walked forward, with Lu Chunying closely following.
After just a few steps, a willow branch struck their faces with the swiftness of lightning, making a sharp slap.
Xiao Yecai covered her face, biting her teeth to hold back tears.
Lu Chunying, being younger, couldn’t hold them back, and tears began to fall.
Xiao Yeci took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the bloodstains on Lu Chunying’s face, saying with heartache, "Nannan, don’t cry, okay? I didn’t judge the direction right just now. We should have gone left. Come on! Stay close to Mom!"
Both of them had a scar streaked across their faces, braving the night wind as they made a left turn in the forest.
After walking about ten meters, a willow branch struck again, hitting both their faces as before.
Xiao Yeci shed tears while Lu Chunying cried out loud.
Now on their faces were not just single scars, but two.
The two scars formed an ’X’.
"Mom might have been mistaken. Let’s try going right. Come on! Stay close to Mom!" Xiao Yeci firmly grasped Lu Chunying’s hand.
"Mom, you go ahead first. I’ll just follow behind you." Lu Chunying shook off Xiao Yeci’s hand.
She retracted her previous thoughts.
Xiao Yeci was not reliable at all.
...
Li Banfeng entered the old lady’s room, examining every single piece of the room’s furnishings closely.
A bed, a table, two chairs, a standing cabinet.
The furnishings were simple. Li Banfeng scanned each item one by one, wondering which one might be the House Spirit.
There was an old clock on the table, devoid of any Spirit Attribute.
Next to the old clock was a Teapot, which looked quite spirited.
Adjacent to the Teapot was a sewing box. The balls of thread were arranged neatly, and the needles were also inserted orderly.
Next to the sewing box was also a rolling pin. Flour was spread evenly over it, also revealing traces of Spirit Attribute!
Li Banfeng felt conflicted.
DING!
The old clock chimed once.
Li Banfeng glanced at the clock face—it was half-past nine.