Chapter Sixty-Two: The Mysterious Case of Yang City (4)

The street bustled with people coming and going, lively and noisy. It was afternoon, and the vendors had all set up their stalls. The array of delicious snacks was enough to make anyone's mouth water at first glance.

“I’ll treat, you pay—let’s settle it joyfully!” Food. It was all food!

Jun Luan’s eyes sparkled, unable to contain his excitement. After fifteen years, he would finally taste real food; he could hardly imagine how he’d endured all that time. Day after day, he’d watched people eat, only able to look, never to taste. The torment was unbearable.

“This large portion is ten, the small one eight. Which would you gentlemen like?” The vendor was quite warm, especially toward such strikingly handsome pair.

At first, Jun Luan was in good spirits, pleased with the vendor’s enthusiasm. But hearing the price soured his mood instantly. He glared at the vendor, barking, “Why don’t you just rob me? Do you think I don’t know the prices on this street?”

Suddenly, Jun Luan lashed out at the vendor. If Gu Zhiheng hadn’t held him back, he might have overturned the stall entirely.

There were rules here: vendors couldn’t randomly set prices; what was posted was what it cost. Jun Luan wanted the freshly made scallion pancake—five for a large, three for a small. This vendor, seeing unfamiliar faces, had tried to cheat them.

“Forget it, let’s buy from another stall. No need to get upset,” Gu Zhiheng said, his mood dampened. He’d been looking forward to the day, never expecting such greed.

“Alright, I’ll treat you with something else. Besides, there’s another stall ahead selling scallion pancakes!” Fearing Jun Luan might lose control and flip the stall, Gu Zhiheng hurriedly dragged him away.

“Buy one from every stall, except this one!” Living people are full of schemes—if not for Gu Zhiheng, Jun Luan would have killed the vendor outright. Anyone who dared deceive him would never fare well.

Gu Zhiheng had no choice but to buy one from every stall, and bought extra from those he liked. Jun Luan’s temper was truly volatile, liable to explode at any moment.

“Let’s eat back at the hotel. It’s not convenient out here.” Gu Zhiheng carried the food, coaxing Jun Luan away from the street.

He’d spent the whole walk trying to calm Jun Luan, who still itched to settle scores with the vendor.

Back at the hotel, Gu Zhiheng laid out all the food on the table, tending to Jun Luan as he ate.

Watching the dark expression on Jun Luan’s face, he advised, “It’s just human greed. Why fuss over it? Everyone’s out here trying to make a living.”

Gu Zhiheng felt he’d changed since meeting this man today. He’d suddenly understood things he’d never grasped before, as if some vital meridian had been unblocked, enlightenment flooding in.

Had it been the old him, he might have acted just like Jun Luan, rushing headlong into confrontation without caring about right or wrong.

Listening to Gu Zhiheng’s comfort, Jun Luan’s mood brightened. “Let’s not talk about it. Brother, eat while it’s hot—it won’t taste as good cold.”

Only Gu Zhiheng could witness Jun Luan’s ever-changing moods.

“Tomorrow morning, let’s have lamb offal soup. It’s three streets from here, but their flavor is the best.” Jun Luan, chewing the long-missed scallion pancake, was already planning breakfast for tomorrow.

“Sure. We’ll go after tonight’s mission, and by then we can queue up.” Following Jun Luan’s words, Gu Zhiheng reminded himself of his main task.

“Do you know anything about that malicious ghost? Tell me; I want to figure out how to deal with him.”

“A lecherous old ghost—you know the kind of things he’s been up to. That guy’s over on East Street.”

Gu Zhiheng felt a surge of disgust at this, losing his appetite.

“What’s wrong, disgusted?” Jun Luan smirked. He’d already said it was human desire—what was there to be disgusted by?

Gu Zhiheng said nothing, lowering his head as he ate. Suddenly, everything tasted like wax. The food was delicious, something he’d looked forward to for so long, yet in an instant, all appetite vanished. The food hadn’t changed, only his mood.

“If I handle him, will it affect you?” The words came out low, barely masking his fury.

“No, it’s got nothing to do with me. Do as you like.” Jun Luan muttered, then swept through his food in a storm. Full, he wiped his mouth clean and went to wash his hands.

When he came out, he watched Gu Zhiheng closely, wanting to speak but unable to find the words.

“I’ll try to protect you, but I don’t know if I’ll succeed. Don’t put too much faith in me.” Gu Zhiheng didn’t look up, but he knew Jun Luan was staring at him.

When this was over, he might never see his only childhood companion again.

Though they’d only played together a few times, he was still his only friend. After all these years, their reunion was under such circumstances. The ending might not be as he wished, but Gu Zhiheng still wanted to try—maybe, just maybe, he could save him.

Though the man was infuriating, he didn’t want to lose his only friend.

“If you kill him, I’ll be fine—maybe you’ll just torture me with a few high-level spirit charms.” Jun Luan laughed at himself, inwardly cursing his own thoughts.

What was he thinking?

They could never be anything but proper brothers, the kind who’d once played naked together.

“Brother, if you can’t save me, will you miss me in the future?” He suddenly turned sentimental, and the atmosphere in the room shifted.

But Gu Zhiheng didn’t answer. His mind was wholly occupied with how to deal with the malicious ghost, and he hadn’t even heard what Jun Luan said.

He wondered if he could eliminate the ghost tonight; if not, then tomorrow. The longer it dragged on, the less confident he felt. If the ghost committed another crime in the meantime, everything would get complicated.

“I’ve calculated: there were three hundred fifty-six girls victimized—one per year, all fifteen or sixteen.” Standing behind Gu Zhiheng, Jun Luan’s voice drifted overhead.

“That many? Then his cultivation must be high—more than just a malicious ghost, surely!” Using living girls to cultivate, how could he still be just a malicious ghost? Something was off; it wasn’t that simple.

“Of course it’s not simple—he’s got someone behind him. He’s seeking girls only to prolong his life.” Seems his brother wasn’t too dull; his mind worked quickly.

After speaking, Jun Luan lay on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.

Gu Zhiheng tidied up the table, set the trash outside the door, and mused over who the mastermind might be.

Was it one of the prominent families, or someone else entirely?

He didn’t know much about the strange affairs of the secular world—tonight, he’d have to ask Mo Han and see if he could uncover who was involved.