I Can Devour Spirits

After shaking off the tails, Duan Rong brought Xiao Yu to a residential courtyard.

The courtyard was very secluded and empty, covered in dust, indicating it hadn’t been inhabited for some time.

The two sat in front of the tables and chairs in the main hall.

Duan Rong fetched some clean water from the well in the courtyard, and they washed the dust off their faces, taking a moment to catch their breath.

Duan Rong rummaged through the kitchen and found some beans.

In the corner of the yard, there was a vegetable patch, but the vines were withered, clearly not watered for a long time.

However, Duan Rong still managed to dig out two sweet potatoes from the soil of the vegetable patch.

Using True Qi, Duan Rong ground the beans into powder, added the sweet potatoes, and cooked two bowls of fragrant sweet porridge.

Duan Rong brought the two bowls of porridge to the wooden table in the main hall, but Xiao Yu was too worried to eat.

"Have something to eat," Duan Rong smiled and said. "I rarely cook, you know."

Xiao Yu gave a wry smile and asked, "How did you know no one was in this courtyard?"

Duan Rong took a bite of a sweet, sticky sweet potato and jokingly pointed to his nose, "I smelled it."

Xiao Yu smiled slightly and said, "Smelled it? Are you a dog’s nose?"

Duan Rong replied seriously, "Yes. I could smell it from far away. This courtyard has no human scent at all. No one lives here."

Xiao Yu rolled her eyes and said, "The more you talk, the more ridiculous you sound. So, tell me, what does a human scent smell like?"

"It’s a kind of strange and unpleasant smell. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you."

Xiao Yu snorted coldly, clearly indicating Duan Rong was talking nonsense.

"See, when I tell you nicely, you don’t believe me," Duan Rong said. "Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."

Of course, Duan Rong was just making small talk with Xiao Yu to ease her anxiety.

This little distraction calmed Xiao Yu down a bit, and she slowly finished the bowl of porridge.

The two of them had traveled in a hurry the past couple of days, eating only dry food to stave off hunger.

They initially thought they would have a good meal once they got home, but unexpectedly, they encountered a big change as soon as they arrived!

This was the first hot meal they had in days, even if it was just a bowl of sticky porridge, but it felt warm and comforting in their stomachs.

Duan Rong brought Xiao Yu here because he saw she was very upset and needed to calm down. Also, they were supposed to meet Yang Zhen at midnight, and it was only dusk now. They needed to find a hidden place to wait until late at night.

This matter was almost certainly related to Ruan Fengshan; going underground for further investigation would be best.

After eating, Xiao Yu’s spirits seemed to improve, although her mind was still racing with the day’s events.

"Duan Rong, something must have happened! My father and others must be in trouble?"

Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu’s somewhat pale face and couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.

"Don’t think about it now. We should learn something about the situation when we meet Yang Zhen at midnight."

He hadn’t returned for three years, and midnight in Xianggu County seemed a bit different from usual.

Though the market streets were familiar, the number of patrolling government constables had more than doubled. In the depths of the gloomy night, the beating sound of the night watchman could be vaguely heard.

A team of patrolling constables, just having yawned, passed by, and shortly thereafter, two figures darted out from the shadows of an alley.

The figures moved swiftly, blurring by, and darted into the residential alley across on West Main Street.

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu used their skills to move almost soundlessly on the ground, and since it was nighttime, they easily evaded the patrolling constables. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they stood before Jie Lei’s abandoned old house.

One must admit that Yang Zhen chose a pretty good location. This place was very secluded, and that case was from three years ago, a long-forgotten memory in many people’s minds.

Duan Rong’s eyes twinkled as he, along with Xiao Yu, leaped into the courtyard like leaves riding the wind.

Xiao Yu’s beautiful eyes sparkled in the darkness, her ears keenly picking up the surrounding sounds, but Duan Rong had already turned his head to look at a tall beech tree in the corner of the yard.

Duan Rong shouted, "Come out. I saw you."

Xiao Yu’s beautiful eyes scanned the beech tree, but she saw nothing unusual. She suspected Duan Rong was bluffing, but then a dark figure suddenly jumped down from the tree’s leafy crown.

The branches and leaves of the beech tree swayed as the person jumped down.

Yang Zhen stood under the beech tree, his expression filled with suspicion as he looked at Duan Rong, asking, "How did you find me?"

In the pitch-black night, Duan Rong chuckled and said, "I smelled your stink."

Yang Zhen frowned and swore, "It’s been three years, and I still haven’t settled the score for that stab in the chest."

As Yang Zhen said this, he suddenly drew a knife and slashed at Duan Rong.

In the night, the blade gleamed coldly, while Xiao Yu stood there without moving.

Because as soon as Yang Zhen made a move, Xiao Yu could see he was only at the Third Level of Inner Breath Realm. How could he possibly hurt Duan Rong?

Duan Rong stepped back slightly and easily dodged Yang Zhen’s slash, coldly saying, "It was just a small wound; is it worth remembering for three years?"