"You beast! You still don't repent!" The old Taoist was so angry that his body couldn't stop shaking. "You are just for your own selfish interests, actually, actually...!"
"She asked for it!" Shen Mingliang didn't think he was wrong. In his opinion, the whole world owed him something.
"If she hadn't suddenly come downstairs and bumped into Mingyue and me, if she hadn't overheard something she shouldn't have heard, if she hadn't forced me to turn myself in! Why would I be so cruel to her!" Shen Mingliang looked crazy, with veins bulging on his forehead. "Do you think she asked for it?"
The old Taoist was so angry that he raised his hand and slapped him: "Your adoptive parents are both kind people, how could they raise you and Shen Mingyue to be such ruthless people!"
When his adoptive parents were mentioned, Shen Mingliang was stunned for a moment. He pursed his lips and lowered his head.
"What's the poison you mentioned before?" Chen Ling stepped forward and grabbed Shen Mingliang from the ground.
Shen Mingliang hid his shock and smiled sinisterly, "Maybe it's corpse poison, or maybe it's something else, who knows?"
The old Taoist priest who was so angry that he could not speak suddenly shouted: "You used the water from the lake!"
Chen Ling looked back and asked: "What lake?"
The old Taoist pursed his lips, his face looking rather grim: "There is a lake in our town, not very large, and there seems to be a spring underneath, which never dries up all year round. Someone drowned in that lake a long time ago, and no one has used the water since then."
Every summer, there are always people who go swimming in rivers or lakes just to cool off or for fun, but there are also always some people who are unfortunate enough to never come out of the water for various reasons.
But I have never heard of people abandoning an entire water source because of these misfortunes.
Chen Ling felt that the matter was not that simple, and asked, "Has there been any other incidents with the water?"
The old Taoist was surprised by the young man's sharpness. He paused for a moment and said, "The lake water is not completely abandoned. Whenever someone in the village is seriously ill and about to die, or is too old to live, their family members will fetch water from the lake for them to drink. After drinking the water, the pain will soon end, and after three to five days, the person will pass away with a smile on his face."
Chen Ling was stunned, and thought of Old Lady Yuan: "No wonder Mr. Yuan said that his mother always had a smile on her face after her death. It turns out it was because of this."
The old Taoist nodded: "It should be because of the lake water."
But Chen Ling found it strange: "Water is just water. It has no other functions except quenching thirst and other applications in daily life. Unless... there is something else mixed in the water."
The old Taoist glanced at him and kept his mouth shut, as if he didn't want to reveal too much about what was happening in the town.
"I think I know a little bit. That place is called Blue Lake Town." The fat senior brother suddenly spoke up. "The mission that the bureau suddenly received this time is about Blue Lake Town. There is a lake in that town. It is said that drinking the water can make one forget the regrets of this life in a fantasy world. All those who have drunk the water leave the world with a smile."
Chen Ling remembered the urgent mission Li Hongyu mentioned, and looked back at Jiang Yu: "Shall we go and take a look too?"
The old ancestor is actually a follower. He goes wherever Chen Ling says to go, but he is very reserved in his words: "It depends on what you mean. I am fine with it."
Wu Weiwei was also very interested in that strange place, and raised his hand and said, "Me, me, me, take me with you."
The fat senior brother said, "I won't go for the time being. I have to take these two people back first." After he finished speaking, he glanced at the paper and pen in Wu Weiwei's hand and asked, "Have you written down the details of the case?"
Wu Weiwei then remembered his current work, and hurriedly bent down to write the last bit of the content and handed it to his fat senior brother.
The fat senior brother carefully scanned the details of the case and nodded: "I'll call someone over right away."
The Special Investigation Department soon came and took the Shen brothers and sisters away. Chen Ling stopped the old Taoist who was about to leave and said, "Old man, you won't come with us?"
The old Taoist felt uncomfortable after being deceived. In addition, he had previously stopped the young man in various ways without knowing the truth. He felt extremely ashamed at this moment. Hearing this, he waved his hand hurriedly and said, "I have something to do and need to go somewhere else."
Chen Ling noticed his embarrassment, nodded, watched them leave, and went to the hospital with Jiang Yu and Wu Weiwei.
After the blood transfusion, Yuan Yongxiang's complexion improved. He lay on the hospital bed listlessly with blank eyes.
Hearing the knock on the door, the assistant who was guarding inside got up to open the door. Without waiting for him to ask, Chen Ling took the initiative to say, "My name is Chen Ling, and I'm here to visit Mr. Yuan."
The assistant immediately remembered what the other person did, and hurriedly said, "Please come in, Mr. Yuan just woke up not long ago." He turned his head to look in the direction of the bed and said hesitantly, "He just acted strangely after waking up, and wouldn't say anything when asked."
Yuan Yongxiang is a very good boss, with a good temper and integrity, and everyone in the company respects him very much. The assistant's care and concern are all from the heart.
He invited Chen Ling and the other two in, stopped in front of the bed, and sighed worriedly: "The doctor came to check and said that he might have been mentally stimulated."
Yuan Yongxiang's eyes stared straight into the void above, without any spirit at all.
Chen Ling walked closer, sat on the chair next to the bed, and whispered, "Mr. Yuan, what's wrong with you?"
Yuan Yongxiang blinked but still said nothing.
Chen Ling glanced at the corner of the ward, where a curtain was hanging. Next to the curtain stood a pale-skinned old woman, her eyes filled with tears and her face full of worry.
"Mr. Assistant," he asked, "how is the investigation of the funeral home going?"
The assistant hurriedly said, "We've found Li Gang."
Chen Ling: "Did he deal with his tongue?"
The assistant seemed to feel that the topic was a bit bloody, and a little fear appeared on his face. He swallowed and said, "No, the person he sent said that he was afraid of being blamed by the deceased. After cutting off the things, he put them in a sealed jar and buried them in the soil in his backyard."
"Before you came, they called and said they were on their way to the Li family."
Seeing that the young man was still staring at the curtains in the corner, the assistant was curious and afraid, and couldn't help but look over. That place was sheltered from the wind, but for some reason, the curtains swayed slightly, as if someone had touched them.
The assistant shuddered, quickly retracted his gaze, and said with a stiff face: "Mr. Chen, when the jar is dug out, what are you going to do with it?"
Chen Ling: "First send it to Pingshan Cemetery and put the tongue in the urn."
Hearing the ashes and tongue, Yuan Yongxiang suddenly moved. He sat up from the bed and grabbed Chen Ling's arm: "I'll go with you."
Chen Ling looked at the bloodshot in his eyes and said, "Mr. Yuan, I understand your self-blame, but you should know that your mother doesn't want to see you depressed and immersed in the past."
"I'll go with you." Yuan Yongxiang seemed to only know this one sentence, repeating it over and over again.
Chen Ling pursed his lips and pointed to the corner of the wall: "Your mother is standing there. She has been watching over you since you were sent to the hospital. Do you think she really wants to see you like this?"
"Has she always been here?" Yuan Yongxiang's dry lips moved in a weak voice.
Chen Ling: “Always here.”
Yuan Yongxiang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sat up straight, threw back the quilt, jumped out of bed, and stumbled towards the corner.
No, nothing, he could see nothing!
Yuan Yongxiang looked at Chen Ling with a pale face: "Didn't you say she was here? Why can't I see her? Why can't I see her... Mr. Chen, you are lying to me, right?"
"I didn't lie to you." Chen Ling looked at the old lady.
The old lady didn't want her son to see her like this, so she immediately waved her hands anxiously.
Afraid that she couldn't express herself clearly, she opened her mouth eagerly, and blood immediately gushed out.
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, slowly backed away, and hid behind the curtains.
Chen Ling felt sad, and turned to Yuan Yongxiang and said, "If there is a chance, would you like to see your mother?"
Yuan Yongxiang: "Yes! When? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No need." Chen Ling said, "Wait until the tongue is found and buried in the urn, and then I will help you open your eyes."
Yuan Yongxiang's eyes immediately turned red. He lowered his head, his fingertips trembled a few times, raised his head and asked hoarsely: "Mr. Chen, my mother...does she blame me?"
"What do you think?" Chen Ling felt that he had the answer in his heart.
"No." Yuan Yongxiang smiled. "My mother is a very kind person. When I was a child, I always forgot to go home because I was playing. She always told me softly and patiently, 'It's dangerous outside when it gets dark. I will be worried if you don't go home.' Now, it's dark, but there is no one waiting for me to come home at the door anymore."
When he spoke the last part, his voice choked and his nose turned red from holding back his tears.
In addition to Yuan Yongxiang's voice, there was another even more sad cry in the room. The cry was very aggrieved and forbearing. Because the cry had no tongue, it could only make sobbing sounds.
At around seven o'clock in the evening, Yuan Yongxiang's men walked into the ward carrying a small porcelain baby wrapped in black cloth.
The old lady, who had been hiding behind the curtain, came out immediately and paced around the jar impatiently.
Chen Ling took the jar with both hands and said to Yuan Yongxiang, "I will send it to Pingshan and put it with the ashes."
"I'll go too!" Although Yuan Yongxiang had a hemostatic spell on his body, it was impossible not to feel pain after being stabbed in such a large wound. He gritted his teeth and begged before Chen Ling could speak, "Mr. Chen, let me go."
Chen Ling couldn't resist him and nodded in agreement.
The cemetery is a place with strong yin energy, so all the staff left after six o'clock, leaving only two brave security guards guarding there.
Seeing a group of strangers, the security guard was stunned for a moment and walked out of the security room: "Sorry, it's curfew time."
Yuan Yongxiang walked very slowly because of a back injury. He said with a pale face, "Call Boss Sun and tell him that my name is Yuan Yongxiang and I'm here to see my mother."
The other party has more people and more power, so we have to make the call.
The security guard turned his back and called Fatty Sun. The person on the other end seemed to be having fun, and the background noise in the receiver was noisy and harsh.
Security guard: "Boss Sun, there is a man named Yuan Yongxiang who said he wants to visit his mother in the cemetery. I'm afraid this is against the rules."
When he heard that it was Yuan Yongxiang, Fatty Sun hurriedly said, "Idiot! The access control is for ordinary people. How can Mr. Yuan be an ordinary person? Let him in quickly!"
The security guard was almost deafened by the yelling. He hung up the phone and greeted him with a smile, "Mr. Yuan, please come in. Do you need me to show you the way?"
"No, I can find it."
There are many paths crisscrossing in the cemetery, and in fact every place looks similar. Yuan Yongxiang has been here twice alone, but he has already memorized the locations accurately.
He held the small porcelain jar in both hands and took every heavy step. Fortunately, the night covered the bloodshot eyes, making him look less embarrassed.
When they arrived at the location where Old Lady Yuan's ashes were located, Yuan Yongxiang personally cut open the sealed marble coffin lid and pried it up.
Placed underneath was a rectangular urn made of white jade. On the front of the urn was a photo of the old lady.
The person in the photo is still very young. Her eyes are curved with a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and the corners of her lips are curved in a kind manner. She is an old lady who anyone who sees her would find amiable.
Yuan Yongxiang squatted on the ground, carefully opened the lid, then took out the tongue wrapped in white cloth from the small porcelain jar and gently placed it in the middle of the ashes.
A cool breeze blew by, and the leaves around rustled.
Yuan Yongxiang looked up suddenly, and he seemed to hear his mother's sigh.
Chen Ling didn't bring any tools, so he couldn't help him open the third eye with his bare hands. He could only blink his eyes, pull the old man's hand flatteringly, and whispered: "Help Mr. Yuan open his eyes and let them see each other."
Knowing that the ancestor was a senior public official in the underworld, it was okay for him to occasionally be corrupt. Chen Ling raised his head and kissed the corner of his jaw, urging him, "Hurry up."
Jiang Yu glanced at him sideways, his face was fair and stern, but he was not very satisfied in his heart. Just that one bite was not enough.
He pulled his arm out of the young man's hand, walked in front of Yuan Yongxiang, and gently touched the other's eyelids with his cold fingertips.
Yuan Yongxiang was so scared of his close relatives that he suddenly didn't dare to open his eyes.
He swallowed and slowly opened his eyelids. A few steps away from them, under a tree, stood an old lady in a black shroud.
The old lady smiled and waved at him, and Yuan Yongxiang walked over without thinking.
Ordinary souls have no temperature. The cool and rough palm gently fell on the middle-aged man's face, causing Yuan Yongxiang to shiver.
He opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be choked and no sound came out.
The old lady smiled and said, "Yongxiang, don't be sad. Mom can't bear to see you like this. You should be well, so that Mom can die with peace of mind."
Yuan Yongxiang's lips trembled for a few moments, and then he suddenly burst into tears.
He hugged his mother's thin body tightly in his arms, his voice full of regret: "It's my fault that I didn't take good care of you. I trusted the wrong person. You can beat me or scold me, but don't abandon me. You are the only relative I have..."
"Silly boy, humans and ghosts are on different paths, how can I stay here?" The old lady stroked her son's back with her dry hands, and naggingly said, "You have a bad stomach, so drink less and have fewer social events in the future. You can't make enough money, so just make enough for us to spend. By the way, remember to smoke less. I've told you so many times, but you just don't listen..."
"I will change it. Whatever you say, I will change it!" Yuan Yongxiang said in a hurry, fearing that his mother would disappear.
The old lady nodded, but she didn't take it seriously. She sighed and talked about the Shen brothers and sisters: "I heard Shen Mingliang and Shen Mingyue talking about the company. It seems that public funds were embezzled... Ask them to make up the money and hand it over to the public security organs for investigation. Don't seek revenge for me privately. Mom doesn't need it and doesn't want you to bear the debt."