Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Good and Evil Will Always Be Repaid

Chapter 83: Good and Evil Will Always Be Repaid

Qin Liuxi, watching the yamen runners gather around Xie Qikang's carriage, withdrew her gaze and slightly turned her head to ask, "I have a question. You and your father disappeared for ten years. Didn’t anyone look for you or suspect that something might have happened, even the neighbors?"

Ling Rong replied, "We were refugees due to a disaster and had only settled in Huixian for two years, living on the outskirts. There weren’t many people around, and my father was not amiable, so we didn’t get along well with the neighbors. We set up a tea stall in front of our house, selling tea and snacks."

"Being outsiders and difficult to get along with, it’s natural to be ignored and ostracized."

"Didn’t you say Xie Qikang came to seek refuge with you? Wasn't he living with you?"

Ling Rong said, "To focus on his studies and discuss scholarly matters with his peers, he stayed in the academy and seldom visited our home."

"So you didn’t have a wedding banquet when you got married?"

Ling Rong blushed and said, "We didn’t formally marry, just privately worshipped heaven and earth. My father knew about it and witnessed it."

Seeing Qin Liuxi looking at her as if she were foolish, Ling Rong lowered her head sheepishly and said, "I know I was a bit naive."

Qin Liuxi said, "Now that Xie Qikang is dead, even if your and your father’s remains are found, the case will likely be closed hastily. After all, it’s been ten years, there’s no evidence, and most importantly, there’s no one to seek justice for you."

Her words were cold and merciless, but Ling Rong understood. For people like them, without family or connections, the best they could hope for was their remains being found. Many others disappeared without a trace.

"Is it heartless? Tragic?"

"This is a matter of social hierarchy; they are the lowest of the low."

"The arrival of the yamen runners is only due to Qi Qian's intervention. The case will be sent to Huixian, and the magistrate might close it, influenced by Qi Qian. But that's all, especially since the suspect is dead."

Ling Rong, after a moment of silence, said, "I understand. This is the best outcome we could have hoped for. We were lucky to encounter good people."

She bowed deeply to Qin Liuxi in gratitude.

Qin Liuxi, noticing Qi Qian paying attention and approaching, picked up the jade gourd hanging at her waist, pulled out the stopper, and said, "Come inside. At midnight, I will open the path to the underworld to send you on your way."

"Thank you, master," Ling Rong, holding her son, swiftly entered the jade gourd.

Qi Qian approached and asked, "Who was Doctor Qin talking to?"

"Young Master Qi is mistaken; there is no one beside me."

Qi Qian thought to himself, there may be no people, but there are those other things. Can they really appear in broad daylight?

Though curious, Qi Qian, seeing Qin Liuxi reluctant to elaborate, said, "Now that Xie Qikang is dead, as Doctor Qin mentioned, there’s no evidence. If he truly harmed others, their remains might be hard to find. Perhaps Doctor Qin could provide some guidance to bring justice to the victims."

Qin Liuxi looked at him deeply, her gaze probing and unhidden, as if to say, you’re quite capable.

Qi Qian, unflinching, responded, "It was you who said he bore the guilt of murder. Now, let's see it through to the end."

"Good and evil will always be repaid. Who knows, they might just reveal themselves," Qin Liuxi said indifferently.

At Teng Lake on the outskirts of Huixian, a villager just down from the mountains was squatting by the lake, washing mud off his feet, when he noticed a box floating up. Curious, he hooked it with a stick, opened it, and let out a cry of horror as he stumbled back, yelling about a dead body.

Meanwhile, in a dilapidated hut occupied by beggars at the foot of the mountain, two beggars fighting caused one to fall next to a clump of banana trees in the yard. Reaching out, he felt something, instinctively pulled it up, and was about to throw it when he looked down and recoiled in fright.

A white skeletal skull rolled to their feet, its hollow eye sockets staring up at the sky.

Finally, exposed to the light of day.

"Previously, the rating dropped sharply due to Q Yue APP’s data reorganization, from 9.8 to 8.9. I hoped for your help to raise it. Yesterday, I noticed a few new ratings, all five stars, but, surprise, it dropped to 8.3. Did my writing become too fantastical? I mentioned this to the editor, and now, a special rating has been added (exclusive to Q Yue app). High ratings create a good impression, but to truly attract new readers, your comments in the section matter. So, if you like this book, please leave a positive review. Doesn’t it deserve it? Don’t be lazy or indifferent like Zha Mo; she’s not a good role model."

"Also, I discussed the book’s title with the editor – to change or not? The application for the change hasn’t come through yet! She said the current title doesn’t have the vibe of a historical novel. I cried. I’m terrible at naming and writing blurbs. Focus on the story, please."