In the inner room of the west wing, Nangong Yang was half leaning on a pillow, against the wall, his eyes dull.
His granddaughter-in-law Xiufen was constantly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his handkerchief.
Nangong Yang muttered to himself: "Lv Sujie, Lu Sujie..."
His voice was sad and sentimental. He looked older than when I saw him just now, and his face looked much more dead.
It seems that Nangong Yang’s lifespan is almost exhausted.
Seeing us enter the room, Nangong Zhenhua turned to Nangong Yang and said, "Dad, your memory has been restored now, and you also said that you knew Lu Sujie. These people are Lu Sujie's friends. Maybe you can learn something about Lu Sujie from them."
After hearing what Nangong Zhenhua said, Nangong Yang's eyes were directly focused on us.
He asked weakly, "Do you really know Lv Suwei? Is she still alive? Are all the people from Hongxiang Village still in the cave?"
After asking these questions, before I could answer, Nangong Yang's eyes were filled with tears.
I hurried over, sat down beside the kang, and comforted him, "Grandpa Nangong, don't get excited. Your son is right. We do know Lu Sujie and have met her. As for the people of Hongxiang Village, they... no longer exist. They all died in the cave."
I don't think there's any need to hide this matter. After all, Nangong Yang has recovered his memory, and he has been thinking about this matter in his heart.
I think it's better to make things clear. Besides, the deaths of the people in Hongxiang Village were all caused by the "witch" Qu Mingzhu, and it had nothing to do with Nangong Yang directly.
Perhaps because he escaped a disaster and lost his memory and did not return to the cave, Nangong Yang felt guilty. But compared to all this, shouldn't I tell him the truth? I don't think so. The facts are a foregone conclusion and cannot be changed.
Both Lu Sujie and Nangong Yang should accept it.
After hearing what I said, Nangong Yang cried even louder, mumbling, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault! If I hadn't lost my memory, if I could have returned to the cave, maybe the people in our village wouldn't have died tragically."
"They got a strange disease. They all died..."
I sat aside and listened to Nangong Yang's crying, feeling very upset. Then I told Nangong Yang everything that happened in the cave decades ago.
When he heard that the real culprit who killed the people of Hongxiang Village was Qu Mingzhu, Nangong Yang was surprised at first, and then he clenched the quilt with both hands and cursed.
At the same time, the sadness on his face became more and more gloomy.
Nangong Zhenhua stood aside and comforted his father: "Dad, that was all in the past, don't think about it anymore. It's not your fault, you know it now. Don't blame yourself anymore. Brother Yang came here today to see you on behalf of Lu Sujie. You should be happier."
After hearing the three words "Lv Sujie", Nangong Yang stopped crying and looked at me intently, asking: "Lv Sujie, where is she? Is she still alive now?"
I didn't know how to answer, so I could only nod reluctantly.
After all, if I tell Nangong Yang that Lu Sujie has become a ghost, I'm afraid he won't be able to accept it for a while. Besides, Nangong Zhenhua and his daughter-in-law are still here, so it's not convenient for me to tell them.
Most people are very taboo about matters related to ghosts and gods.
Seeing me nod, Nangong Yang stood up slightly and said, "Lu Sujie, where is she now? Little brother, can you tell me? I beg you!"
I feel ashamed that an old gentleman would ask me to do this.
I hurriedly said, "No, no, no, Mr. Nangong,
Don't say that... Let me tell you, Lu Sujie is doing very well now, very well!"
Hearing that Lu Sujie was still alive and healthy, Nangong Yang's face showed a little life.
After thinking for a while, he asked me in a hoarse voice: "Well, can I see her? Although I have lost my memory for so many years, I still miss her."
Now Nangong Yang wants to see Lu Sujie, which is a bit difficult. After all, Lu Sujie is a ghost.
But after thinking about it, I feel that old man Nangong Yang may not have much time left. If he can't see Lu Sujie again, he may regret his whole life and even die with resentment.
So, I decided to let Nangong Yang meet Lu Sujie.
Once you’ve made your decision, just do it!
I immediately looked at Nangong Zhenhua who was standing next to me and said, "Uncle Nangong, the old man and I have something important to discuss, so I want to talk to him alone. I wonder if you can agree?"
Nangong Zhenhua looked embarrassed after hearing what I said.
He was afraid that I would say too much and affect his father Nangong Yang's health.
But before Nangong Zhenhua could say anything, Nangong Yang on the kang said anxiously to Nangong Zhenhua and his granddaughter-in-law Xiufen, "You...you guys go out first. I want to talk to this little brother alone!"
Nangong Zhenhua hesitated, but seeing how persistent his father was, he could only nod.
Before leaving, Nangong Zhenhua pulled me aside and whispered to me, "Brother Yang, I am also surprised by what happened to Lu Sujie and Hongxiang Village. But I hope you won't say too much. You have seen my father's physical condition. I am afraid that your words will hurt him."
"You have to know that he is old and no longer young. Even if he did have some entanglement with that Lu Sujie, it is just a thing of the past."
I can understand Nangong Zhenhua's feelings and I can also feel his filial piety.
I nodded and said to Nangong Zhenhua in the most relaxed way possible: "Uncle Nangong, don't worry! I won't say much. I just want to show Mr. Nangong something. I believe that after seeing my things, he will feel better."
Although Nangong Zhenhua didn't believe what I said, he had no choice.
After going to the kang and giving his father Nangong Yang a few words of advice, Nangong Zhenhua took his daughter-in-law Xiufen and left the west wing.
Seeing that Nangong Zhenhua and the woman had left, my master Zhang Chu turned his head and said to Yuquan and Xu Jiayin in the room: "Let's go, the three of us should go out first."
Yuquan was fine and was about to leave the inner room.
But Xu Jiayin looked reluctant. Earlier, I also told him about the female ghost Lu Sujie in the red oil umbrella in the stone cave, so he knew that the "thing" I wanted to show Nangong Yang was the female ghost Lu Sujie.
"Why don't you leave?"
I asked Xu Jiayin in annoyance.
Xu Jiayin came up to me with a smile on his face, pleading in his eyes, and said to me in a low voice: "Master Yang, please let me stay. I want to see what ghosts look like."
I felt a little dissatisfied when I heard this. I was about to scold Xu Jiayin and ask Yuquan to drag him out.
Unexpectedly, Xu Jiayin hurriedly said, "Master Yang, don't worry, I will just stand aside and I won't affect you. I am just curious. You are a master, and you must have seen everything. I am a fan of the supernatural, so I also want to see that thing."
"I think this is an opportunity. If I miss this opportunity, I will never have it again in my life. So, Master Yang, please give me a chance. If you agree, when we get out of the house and arrive in Longtan Town, I will prepare whatever you want to eat. I will treat you all."
Xu Jiayin's words were very simple, and I was about to yell at him.
The words stopped.
After thinking for a while, I curled my lips and said, "Well, you can stay for a while. But I warn you, no matter what you saw, don't make it public, and don't be afraid. And don't spread what happened today. Otherwise, it's not my fault if you get cursed."
I made up the curse, of course, just to prevent Xu Jiayin from telling others what happened today.
Xu Jiayin barely even thought about it, and nodded and agreed. I really have no idea what to do with him.
Soon my master Zhang Chu took Yuquan out of the west wing.
For a moment, the only people left in the room were Xu Jiayin, Nangong Yang who was lying on the kang.
Xu Jiayin was relatively honest. He stood obediently by the wall, not moving a muscle.
Seeing that everyone had left, Nangong Yang asked me, "Young man, you just said you had something to talk to me about. What do you want to talk about? Did you promise to take me to see Lu Sujie?... Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm still strong and can walk."
Perhaps because he was afraid that I would not agree, Nangong Yang kept assuring me. His gloomy complexion improved a little.
I smiled and shook my head, and said to Nangong Yang, "Grandpa Nangong, I understand your thoughts and know that you also want to see Lu Sujie. But don't worry, this time, just lie here, I will let you see Lu Sujie."
After hearing what I said, Nangong Yang was still a little skeptical, "Really?"
I thought about it and didn't say much. Then I put one hand on the soul-collecting barrel, chanted a spell, and sent a stream of good energy towards the soul-collecting barrel.
The energy of Yin De was injected, and the lid of the soul-collecting barrel loosened with a "bang".
Next, I took off the lid of the soul barrel.
I said softly to the soul collecting barrel, "Lv Sujie, come out. Haven't you always wanted to wait for Nangong Yang? He is right beside me now. You can see him when you come out."
As soon as I finished speaking, a ghostly aura rushed out from the soul-collecting barrel.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Sujie's soul slowly formed in front of Nangong Yang and me.
Xu Jiayin, who saw the ghost, stood aside, his eyes wide open, and subconsciously covered his mouth with his hands.
I was afraid that he would make a sound, so I glared at him fiercely.
Lu Sujie's soul was injured before, and it has just recovered a little. After she opened her eyes, her gaze was fixed on Nangong Yang above the fire pit.
"Nangong, is that you? ... ... Is it really you?"
Lu Sujie's soul was trembling slightly, and her voice was filled with tears.
Nangong Yang was stunned. He didn't expect that "Lu Sujie" would fly out of the tube around my waist.
But he still recognized Lu Sujie's soul at the first sight.
The corners of his eyes turned red again, and tears kept flowing: "Sujie, Sujie... I am Nangong, I am Nangong Yang! I finally see you, I finally see you again!"
As he said that, Nangong Yang stood up and was about to touch Lu Sujie's soul, but Lu Sujie stepped back a little.
"Sujie, it's me. Don't you recognize me?"
Lu Sujie cried and said, "I recognize you. We have been together since childhood. Even if you have changed a lot, I will recognize you at first sight. But you... why didn't you come back to the cave for so many years? Do you know how hard it was for me to wait for you there?"
It seems that Lu Sujie is still in misunderstanding. When she couldn't see Nangong Yang before, she was looking forward to seeing him. Now that she has seen him, she asks Nangong Yang why he didn't go back to the cave... ... Alas! Ghosts and humans really have similar thoughts.
I felt that the misunderstanding should not continue, so before Nangong Yang could explain, I spoke up and explained the whole cause and effect of the matter.
(to be continued)
(End of this chapter) (End of this chapter)