I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Jie Daohan

Zhu Xiaoqi was full of reproach at first, but seeing Duan Rong crying like a tearful person, overwhelmed with grief, she instantly forgave him...

Under the influence of Duan Rong’s sobbing, and recalling Xiao Baijiao’s usual gentle and kind nature, she too couldn’t hold back her emotions and started to cry along...

The mourning hall was immediately drowned in a sea of tears...

Xiao Yu saw the two crying like this, Duan Rong’s face especially was covered in tears and mucus, and due to difficulty breathing, he was slightly choking, turning his face pale...

Xiao Yu immediately shouted sternly to the crowd sitting on mats on the right side of the hall, ”Xiao Ping, Xiao Yun! You two take him to the inner room. If he keeps crying like this, he’ll choke himself!”

From the crowd sitting on the straw mat, two youths immediately came out, coaxing as they pulled Duan Rong away from the coffin and led him into the inner room.

After Duan Rong was taken out of the mourning hall, Xiao Yu comforted Zhu Xiaoqi, gently patting her back...

Though Zhu Xiaoqi managed to stop crying, her sobbing had left her voice hoarse and her face aching. She stopped crying and, seeing no sight of Duan Rong in the hall, raised her tearful eyes to ask Xiao Yu, ”Where is he?”

”I had him taken inside! Crying like that won’t bring my little sister back to life. Later on, he’ll hurt himself if he keeps crying!”

Zhu Xiaoqi sniffed and said, ”He has a conscience, no wonder the second miss had such affection for him.”

Xiao Yu, sensing some underlying meaning in Zhu Xiaoqi’s words, asked, ”Who is he?”

”The apprentice Escort Master recruited this year, named Duan Rong...”

Xiao Yu nodded, a strange expression flickered in her eyes. Naturally smart, she had already guessed his identity seeing Duan Rong dressed in short attire and coming to this courtyard to mourn.

But she hadn’t expected Duan Rong to cry so sorrowfully.

”Looks like quite a few things have happened while I wasn’t around...” Xiao Yu thought to herself.

Duan Rong was settled in an inner room, placed on a back chair. After sitting for a while, he felt his emotions settle a bit, and suddenly noticed an old hand offering him a towel.

Duan Rong took the towel, wiped his face, blew his nose, and looked up to see it was Xiao Zongting.

Xiao Zongting seemed to have aged significantly; his once graying hair now nearly fully white, and the spirit in his eyes had faded a lot...

Duan Rong wanted to console him but only managed to say, ”Elder Xiao, please restrain your grief.”

But Xiao Zongting felt the emotion in Duan Rong’s words, his throat moved slightly, feeling somewhat touched.

Only then did Duan Rong realize he was sitting in Xiao Baijiao’s boudoir. But now, the person was gone, and Xiao Baijiao’s smiling image flashed through his mind...

Looking at Duan Rong’s expression, Xiao Zongting suddenly sighed and said, ”I understand that child’s feelings. It’s a pity she had a tough fate, otherwise, marrying you would have been a great match.”

Xiao Zongting had already sensed something from Xiao Baijiao’s attitude towards Duan Rong. Especially as the child desired to see Duan Rong before she passed, making her feelings evident.

Seeing Duan Rong cry like that at the hall today filled Xiao Zongting with emotion; how cruel fate is!

Duan Rong also sighed deeply, saying, ”I should have come back sooner, maybe I could have seen her one last time.”

”You needn’t blame yourself for this! Bai Jiao had a severe illness, unpredictability rules humanity, who can grasp it?” Xiao Zongting lamented with a few sighs.

In fact, Duan Rong knew about Xiao Baijiao’s condition. This illness, known as epilepsy or seizures in the advanced civilization of Blue Star in his past life, is a neurological disorder. Even in that highly progressed technological world, it was incurable, let alone in this ancient society. Acupuncture only offers slight relief. The medical skills of this realm can’t treat Xiao Baijiao’s condition.

What’s more, Xiao Baijiao’s illness worsened each time, this outcome was inevitable.

Duan Rong sighed a few times along with Xiao Zongting.

Looking at him, Xiao Zongting said, ”Why don’t you go and offer incense, fulfill your duty, then leave. The courtyard’s been busy these past few days, it’s cramped, no need for everyone to gather here.”

”Let me help out here.” Duan Rong raised his head, earnestly saying.

”Xiao Yu already arranged everything. If you had returned yesterday, you could have helped set up the mourning hall. Now it’s mainly women’s work, not something you can assist with! I’m idle in this room. Staying here too long, with memories around, makes one’s thoughts tangled...” Xiao Zongting said gloomily.

Seeing Xiao Zongting speak like this, Duan Rong nodded and stood up, saying, ”Elder Xiao, then I’ll go pay my respects at the shrine.”

”Go ahead.” Xiao Zongting watched Duan Rong stand up, unable to resist sighing again, wiping away tears from the corner of his eyes.

Exiting Xiao Baijiao’s boudoir, Duan Rong noticed many people sitting in the main room, some wearing mourning clothes, some without. A few stood chatting in the corners, eating sunflower seeds.

Across, a middle-aged woman dressed in mourning clothes sat at the door of the west inner room, looking stern, surrounded by a pile of various items, a few people seemed to be requesting something from her.

Duan Rong didn’t pay much attention, exiting the main room, returning to the front of the mourning hall.

Duan Rong took three sticks of incense from the incense table, lit them over the candle, held them, bowed three times, and inserted them into the incense burner.

Then Duan Rong slowly circled the coffin, contemplating the deceased’s visage!

Looking at Xiao Baijiao lying there, Duan Rong’s heart ached again, moving to the end of the coffin, he suddenly noticed that Xiao Baijiao wore a silver bracelet on her ankle.

Seeing its design, it was the same as Zhu Xiaoqi’s. Zhu Xiaoqi often wore pants reaching her ankles for ease while working, so Duan Rong had noticed earlier; whereas Xiao Baijiao usually wore a long dress, unless she lay in the coffin, Duan Rong wouldn’t have discovered it.

Feeling a little puzzled, Duan Rong wondered if Zhu Xiaoqi had close relations with the Xiao Family, otherwise why would she be wearing the same design silver bracelet as Xiao Baijiao.

This silver bracelet surely has some hidden story...

Thinking so, after completing the contemplation ritual, Duan Rong went to Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, respectfully saying, ”My condolences.”

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi respectfully bowed in return.

At this moment, Duan Rong lifted his head to look at Xiao Yu. Though she had cried bitterly, she couldn’t hide her heroic aura; her sword-like eyebrows, beautiful nose, and radiant teeth complemented by the mourning attire added to her allure...

Xiao Yu looked back at Duan Rong, seeing his dark complexion with grief still lingering on his face. Her goodwill towards Duan Rong grew, after all, a person who mourns so deeply for her late sister must be sentimental.

Having fulfilled his duty in the hall, Duan Rong bid farewell and left the courtyard.

Full of melancholy, Duan Rong slowly walked back to his dormitory.

Sitting on the dormitory bed in a daze for a while, he suddenly got up and opened the wall-side cabinet. On the top shelf, above the folded Escort Master garments, lay a sachet.

Duan Rong took the sachet, touched the peach blossoms embroidered on it, sniffed the invigorating fragrance, and in a trance, Xiao Baijiao’s image seemed to stand before him, smiling faintly...

Disheartened, Duan Rong put the sachet back and left the dormitory, wanting to stroll outside and clear his thoughts.

As Duan Rong walked near the entrance of Yuan Shun Escort Agency, he suddenly saw a crowd gathered at the door with noisy chatter. He quickly stepped up and stood behind a group of Escort Masters, craning his neck to look outside.

He saw Luan Jingfu and Luan Bao, father and son, standing right at the center of the entrance, with several Escort Masters behind them blocking the door.

Luan Jingfu stood in the forefront, supported by a mace, while Luan Bao held a sword behind him!

Outside the door opposite them stood a group of people, tightly packed, numbering at least fifteen or sixteen.

All of them wore government office uniforms, they were constables from Xianggu County Government!

Leading them was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and thinning hair. Despite being middle-aged, his temples were graying, with a not too skinny or overweight figure, his face usually worn a smile, but those in the office knew his interrogation methods — calling him a smiling tiger is too mild, he’s more like a smiling reaper.

This man is the Chief Constable managing Xianggu County’s penal affairs— Jie Daohan.