Early the next morning, after the cock crowed three times, they got up.
The luggage had been prepared a few days ago, and Song Qingru was afraid that he would never return. From clothes and shoes to small conversation books, Song Qingru piled up half the room for him.
Jian Xiuyun couldn't laugh or cry, and found it troublesome, so he just picked up a change of clothes and threw it into the Qiankun storage bag, holding the Qinghan sword, and set off with Lin Liaoting.
The mission Lin Liao Ting chose this time is in Ancient Stone City.
Although there was a city in the name, they didn't realize until they got here that it was just an ordinary town.
This small town looks quite bustling, but it is extremely deserted. Even though it is daytime, there is not even a single person on the street.
They walked for a long time, and occasionally bumped into one, but they were also in a hurry, just walking with their heads buried, and refused to look at them.
Lin Liaoting explained from the side: "This time we are invited to Lizheng in Ancient Stone City. Since three months ago, people have disappeared every once in a while."
"Missing?"
"Yes, the shortest is three days, and the longest is seven days. The missing people will be thrown around at will. In three months, more than ten people have died before and after, and when their bodies are found, they will be missing. A part, either an arm or a leg, no one is complete."
"So they suspect it's a monster?" Jian Xiuyun said calmly, looking at the empty street in front of him.
Lin Liaoting nodded, "They think only monsters can eat people."
Jian Xiuyun frowned slightly, "Then this monster is quite picky, and only eats part of it at a time."
Lin Liaoting also had doubts in his tone, "This is also what I can't figure out."
"Let's go to Lizheng first." Jian Xiuyun said, randomly picked a shop on the side of the street, knocked on the door, "Is anyone there?"
There was silence in the house, as if there was only an empty house in front of them.
But as a cultivator, his hearing is naturally much more sensitive than that of ordinary people. Although the people inside deliberately lowered their voices, they still heard it.
"Master, why don't we change the house." Seeing that no one opened the door, Lin Liao Ting suggested.
Jian Xiuyun shook his head, and continued to knock on the door patiently, "We don't have any malicious intentions, we just want to find out where Li Chang's house is."
After a while, there was finally the sound of slight footsteps inside.
The door was opened a crack, revealing a pair of timid eyes.
Those eyes are black and bright, big and round, like two crystal black grapes, watery, but there is fear in the eyes.
Those eyes looked at them for a long time, and it seemed that they had finally confirmed something, and the door opened a little wider.
"Go straight to the end, two and a half miles to the west." A thin child's voice sounded.
"Okay, thank you very much." Jian Xiuyun thanked her.
After hearing his answer, the door opened a little wider, revealing a round face, the owner of this face was a little girl about four or five years old.
The fear in the little girl's eyes faded a bit, and she kindly reminded: "Don't run around, there are monsters here, they can eat people."
Lin Liaoting folded his arms around his chest, showing the sword in his hand, and said in a raised voice, "Don't be afraid, we are here to catch monsters."
When Jian Xiuyun heard the words, he turned his head and glanced at him helplessly.
When the little girl heard it, her eyes fell on his sword, and she asked in surprise, "Really?"
"Really, we are..."
"Cough." Jian Xiuyun coughed lightly, interrupted him, leaned over and said to the little girl, "It's getting late, let's go first."
The little girl's bulging eyes rolled around a few times, as if she understood something, a glimmer of hope lit up in her eyes, she suddenly stretched out her hand and tugged at him.
"Wait," she whispered.
"What's wrong?"
The little girl didn't return, but turned around and went back to the house on her short legs, but she came back soon, and stretched out her hand to them, holding a small handful of pine nut candy in her palm.
Jian Xiuyun was a little surprised, "For us?"
"Yeah." The little girl nodded heavily.
"Brother Immortal, you look very powerful, you must catch that monster, he took my brother away, ate my brother's arm, and then both father and mother became ill, he killed my brother, and you also killed him!" Is he alright?"
What the little girl said was a bit confusing, but he still understood.
Jian Xiuyun was silent for a while, picked up a pine nut candy from her palm, put it into her mouth, and replied, "Okay."
"Thank you Brother Immortal!" The little girl happily put all the pine nut candies in his hand, bowed decently, and then closed the door.
"Master..."
Before he finished speaking, Jian Xiuyun stuffed a candy into it, blocking the unspoken words.
"I know what you're going to say, let's go." After Jian Xiuyun finished speaking, he walked forward.
When the two arrived at the Li Chang's house, the door was closed tightly just like before.
After confirming his identity for a long time, he was let in.
They got some more news from the chief.
Originally, the missing people were all people who went out at night, but after they discovered this pattern, Rizheng issued a death order, and no matter how urgent things were, they had to stay at home at night.
It was finally stable for a few days, and then people began to disappear during the day.
Li Zheng had no choice but to send someone to ask for help.
After listening, Jian Xiuyun asked, "Can we have a look at the body of the deceased?"
"Of course, but those who have been buried for a long time have already been buried, and the only one whose body is still there is the family. Hey, it is the eldest son of Zhao Bai's family. He committed a crime. He is only 13 years old."
With that said, he led them outside.
When they arrived, Jian Xiuyun looked at Zhao's Buzhuang in front of him, feeling extremely miraculous.
Li was knocking on the door of the store, and it was the same little girl who opened the door.
When the little girl saw them, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she called sweetly, "Brother Immortal."
Seeing this, Li Zheng asked, "Do you know each other?"
Jian Xiuyun said: "She showed us the way, and we found your home."
Li Zheng stroked his beard, and said with a bit of sadness in his tone, "That's really destined."
They went into the shop.
Inside are the furnishings, counters, and booths of ordinary cloth houses.
There are all kinds of fabrics everywhere.
The only strange thing is that there are too many red cloths here.
They were unfolded and spread everywhere in the room, on the table, on the ground, and the eyes were all red.
It stands to reason that it should look festive, but the doors and windows here are closed, the room is dim, and with the red color of the room, it looks a bit intrusive.
"Why are there so many red cloths?" Lin Liao Ting asked.
Li Zheng heard the words and sighed, "You will know in a while."
After finishing speaking, he asked the little girl, "Xiao Xi'er, where is your mother?"
"It's still in the back room." Xiao Xi'er turned her head and looked in, with a bit of sadness in her tone.
Li Zheng didn't say anything, raised his hand to stroke her head, and led them inward.