Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 28: The City Lord

“Stop! I have a lead!”

You Su shouted, halting everyone’s movements.

“I’ve met Uncle He.”

A flicker of surprise passed through Wu Cheng’s eyes as he carefully examined You Su’s expression. “When did you meet him?”

“On the twelfth of August.”

Wu Cheng crossed his arms and pondered over this.

Today was the seventeenth of August.

Since Uncle He often wandered around alone, it wasn’t unusual for him to go unnoticed for a period of time. Thus, the exact time of his disappearance couldn’t be pinpointed. However, it could be roughly estimated to be between the tenth and thirteenth, as someone had seen him on the ninth. Could You Su’s random claim actually fall within this range? Did he truly have a lead?

Contrary to You Su’s assumption, the Guardian Firmament Sect, which usually paid little attention to Uncle He, had taken his disappearance very seriously this time. The investigation was being conducted with great intensity under the orders of the sect leader, who was also Wu Cheng’s master. After several days of fruitless searching, Wu Cheng and his group had come here mainly to harass You Su under the guise of official business. They hadn’t expected to find anything.

“I warn you, giving false testimony is a serious crime that could land you in the immortal prison,” Wu Cheng said, glaring at You Su.

You Su ignored him and turned to Ji Lingruo, speaking softly, “Junior Sister, go back to your room and rest. I need to talk to them.”

Ji Lingruo wanted to refuse, but her delicate hand was gently squeezed by You Su. His hand was large and strong, making her instinctively want to trust him. She bit her lower lip, giving him a look of concern and reproach, then glared at the group before retreating to her room.

Wu Ping watched the young girl’s graceful figure as she left, his eyes filled with lust.

Only after Ji Lingruo had closed the door did You Su speak again. “At dawn on the twelfth of August, I went out to buy breakfast. On my way back, I saw Uncle He on West Willow Road.”

“How can you be sure that it was Uncle He? Did you talk to him?”

“No, but Uncle He has been mentally impaired for many years and can’t take care of himself. He stinks of feces and urine, and there’s also the distinct smell of awakening herbs. Such a unique smell can only be found on him in all of Chuyun City.”

“Are there any witnesses?”

“The people on the breakfast street can all testify.”

“I’m asking for witnesses who can prove that you met Uncle He!” Wu Cheng’s voice boomed as if he was interrogating a criminal.

You Su glanced at Wu Cheng and chuckled coldly. “Wu Cheng, I think you know better than me that the only people on this street besides me are you and your group.”

The “you” here naturally referred to the young cultivators who often ambushed You Su on that secluded path.

“What do you mean by that?” Wu Cheng roared, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

“I mean nothing. If you doubt the truth of my words, you can always summon a Truth Seer from Divine Mountain to test me,” You Su replied calmly.

Even if the Guardian Firmament Sect could indeed summon those esteemed Truth Seers, You Su had no fear as every word he spoke was true.

However, Wu Ping jumped in, “You Su, I think you’re just bluffing! If you really saw that fool on the twelfth, why didn’t anyone see him on the tenth or eleventh? Before he disappeared, you were the only one who saw him in such a remote place. Putting it all together, doesn’t that make you the most suspicious person?”

Wu Cheng gave his brother an approving look, and Wu Ping, noticing his brother’s approval, became even more smug.

“Then, Wu Ping, let me ask you this: since even you know that admitting to seeing Uncle He would make me a suspect, why would I admit it?”

“How should I know?”

“All right, then tell me, what realm was Uncle He in?”

“At the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm.”

“I only recently broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm. Do you think I could defeat someone at the peak of the Spirit Platform Realm?”

“Impossible! Even if Uncle He was mentally impaired, he’s not someone a coward like you could defeat,” Wu Ping sneered.

“Exactly. Then let me ask you, is there anyone in town who has a grudge against Uncle He?”

“He is a fool with an impressive cultivation. Everyone avoids him. Who would have a grudge against him?”

“Then who would want to harm him?”

“Who would harm him? No one would harm him,” Wu Ping muttered, scratching his head in confusion. “Then how did Uncle He die?”

“Since no one in the city has a reason to harm him, it means that the culprit must be from outside. Instead of checking the city gates for recent entrances and exits, why are you searching my place?”

“Of course, to annoy you!” Wu Ping answered bluntly, feeling quite clever for easily countering You Su’s every question.

Seeing his brother being led around by the nose, Wu Cheng felt a mix of frustration and anger. He interrupted sharply, “Enough! You Su, if you’re truly innocent, why do you keep stopping us from searching your house? No matter what you say, we’ll find the truth once we finish searching!”

“Wu Cheng, do you really want to push this to the limit?” You Su’s voice was cold, like the sharp ring of a sword.

You Su truly didn’t want to escalate the situation. His only thought was to get rid of these persistent outsiders as soon as possible. Otherwise, given his personality, he would never have admitted to seeing Uncle He.

As for the rooms of his junior sister and master’s wife, those were absolutely off limits. Even if he had to fight to the last breath in his weakened state, he would never allow them to set foot inside. He was not afraid of making enemies, but he feared that he was not yet strong enough to handle the consequences.

Wu Cheng sneered, completely ignoring the threat in You Su’s tone. What he hated most was the look in You Su’s eyes, as if he were above everything else.

Wu Cheng was a prodigy of Chuyun City, the future hope of his sect. It wouldn’t be long before he set foot on Divine Mountain and made a name for himself there. Everyone should look at him with admiration and envy, even if they were blind!

“Search everywhere except the woman’s room!” Wu Cheng ordered, and the group started moving again.

The water tub, the clothes rack, and the wooden table were all overturned, creating a chaotic mess. They rummaged through everything within reach, like bandits looting a village.

A fat cultivator reached the door of the main hall and sneered, “I heard that this blind man has a master’s wife who never leaves the house. Let’s see what kind of beauty she is!”

Imagining the pleasures of mature women at the Spring Fragrance Pavilion, he eagerly reached out to push open the door.

In the next moment, both of his hands fell to the ground as easily as leaves blown by the wind. He was terrified out of his wits, trying to stop the blood gushing from his wrists, but he no longer had any hands to do so.

Wu Cheng wasn’t angered by his subordinate’s gruesome injury. Instead, he smiled with satisfaction.

Finally, he had forced this blind man to make a move!

He drew his gold and jade encrusted sword, licked his lips, and charged at You Su with astonishing speed.

At that moment, the situation changed dramatically. A powerful pressure descended from the sky, forcing Wu Ping and the other outer sect disciples to their knees, their faces twisted in pain. Even You Su and Wu Cheng had to stop and brace themselves.

“Everyone, stop this at once!”

An elderly man with white hair and a hunched back walked slowly through the broken gate, his face filled with anger.

You Su recognized the voice. It was the City Lord of Chuyun City, who had governed for over sixty years. He was the “good old man” his master often spoke of.