Chapter 253: It's Actually Him
For the next few days, Xiao Ye and the others remained in the city instead of returning to Jiangcheng.
This was to ensure the safety of Lin Feng and his wife.
Xiao Ye had already secretly dispatched some men, but by staying here himself, he could respond immediately if that Master Que Jin came looking for trouble.
His phone suddenly vibrated.
Xiao Ye opened it to find an email.
It contained photos and text.
There were five people in the photo. Four of them were famous wealthy businessmen from the Imperial City, and the man standing in the middle was Master Que Jin!
He wore a faint smile, but the gloom in his eyes was unmistakable.
Sure enough, there was a triangular scar at the corner of his eye. Its unusual shape made it noticeable at a glance.
The moment Xiao Ye saw the man, he suddenly remembered.
No wonder he found the triangular scar so familiar—he had seen a photo of this person before!
He had only glanced at it, so the impression it left wasn't very strong.
Back when Xiao Ye lived on the mountain with the Lingxiao Daoist,
the Lingxiao Daoist, in addition to teaching him various martial arts, Chinese medicine, and Daoist techniques, would often regale him with tales of his own achievements.
And he had mentioned this very person!
Master Que Jin had once been a good friend of the Lingxiao Daoist.
They were both highly skilled in Daoist techniques and had plenty to talk about.
But later, this Master Que Jin strayed onto a wicked path.
Unsatisfied with ordinary Daoist techniques, he actually began using evil arts to achieve his goals.
The Lingxiao Daoist had said that only those with evil in their hearts would act upon learning of such wicked arts.
No matter how noble or righteous a person appeared on the surface,
if they used evil arts, it meant they had a seed of wickedness within them.
Master Que Jin was one such person!
"I can't believe it's him!"
Xiao Ye instantly became more certain that Master Que Jin was likely the cause of the Lin Family's troubles.
Because this Master Que Jin had hidden himself well, but unfortunately for him, the Lingxiao Daoist had still discovered his deeds and exposed his true colors!
About thirty years ago, Master Que Jin performed a ritual for a very wealthy businessman.
The man had committed many evil deeds and was on the brink of death, but a few days later, he reappeared looking hale and hearty.
The Lingxiao Daoist sensed something was amiss. After investigating, he learned that Master Que Jin, in his greed for money, had actually used the Life-Swapping Technique on the businessman!
He had transferred the lifespan of an ordinary person to the businessman, thereby saving his wretched life!
But this Life-Swapping Technique was extremely insidious—a truly evil art!
Thinking of this, Xiao Ye gently tapped his fingers on the desk. 'My master said back then that he not only exposed this Master Que Jin, but he also broke his hands, rendering him unable to use his arts ever again. If they hadn't been friends before, he might have just taken Master Que Jin's life right then and there!'
But if his hands had been broken, how did he manage to do all this?
Lin Feng had said that Master Que Jin was incredibly skilled, snatching Lin Chuxing and escaping directly, and even causing them a great deal of trouble afterward.
Judging by Lin Feng's expression at the time, it was definitely not ordinary trouble; it was likely related to those evil arts.
'Still, for someone who uses evil arts, healing his own hands probably wouldn't be too difficult.'
Xiao Ye dialed one of his subordinates. "This Master Que Jin definitely isn't dead."
Even though he hasn't shown his face or been heard from in so long, that doesn't mean he's gone for good.
"Keep investigating, but don't start with his past. Start with the wealthy businessmen in the Imperial City."
"Master Que Jin was very active in the Imperial City before. He's also extravagant, so to make money, he's bound to be making moves in private."
"Don't worry about his name. Just investigate whether any wealthy businessmen have been secretly consulting with 'masters'."
The subordinate immediately agreed. "Yes, sir!"
Xiao Ye suddenly thought of something else. "Usually, powerful masters like him are introduced to others through internal connections."
"Focus your investigation on the families who had frequent contact with Master Que Jin in the past. See if they've been in covert contact with anyone."
After hanging up, Xiao Ye stared at the photo on his phone. He was almost certain now that the attack on Lin Chuxing had to be related to him and the Lingxiao Daoist.
Otherwise, why Lin Chuxing specifically?
Besides, Lin Feng had said that he initially believed Master Que Jin was capable because he had divined information about Lin Chuyue and even mentioned the Golden Saber.
The fact that he knew about the Golden Saber made him even more suspicious!
Xiao Ye didn't tell Lin Chuyue about his findings, deciding to keep them from her for now.
Knowing her parents were still alive, Lin Chuyue was no longer in such a hurry.
But every time she saw Xiao Ye, she would subconsciously be reminded that she had an older sister, and that Xiao Ye was now her brother-in-law...
"You... Why are you here?"
"I came to check on you. You haven't left your room all day." Xiao Ye looked at Lin Chuyue. How could he not sense that she was avoiding him?
He gave a helpless, bitter smile. "I'm not going to eat you. Why are you so afraid of me?"
"It's not fear. I just think... we shouldn't be so close anymore."
Lin Chuyue decided to voice the thoughts in her heart. This way, Xiao Ye might be more mindful in the future.
Sometimes she found herself acting subconsciously around Xiao Ye. After all, they had long been accustomed to those intimate gestures.
Lin Chuyue sat across from Xiao Ye, took a deep breath, and said with a serious expression, "Xiao Ye, until we find my sister, we are just ordinary friends. As for everything else, let's talk about it after we find her. Otherwise, I'll feel uncomfortable and awkward. If those feelings build up, they could very well become a barrier between us."
Xiao Ye could only nod. "Alright, I understand."
From that day on, Xiao Ye did indeed put a little distance between himself and Lin Chuyue.
But it was only in his actions. The love in his eyes remained completely undisguised.
But Lin Chuyue still felt deeply uncomfortable. 'I'm so shameless! It's bad enough that I stole my own sister's fiancé, but now I'm actually thinking about starting something with him! No, I have to stop these thoughts. I have to prepare for the worst!'
A full week passed.
It was now the end of December.
Only one day remained before the New Year.
In previous years, Lin Chuyue would have certainly been with the Lin Family at this time.
But this time, she remained here.
She had someone buy a lot of New Year's goods and asked Xiao Ye to find a way to have them delivered.
"Even though we can't be together for a reunion, I hope they can feel my thoughts and know that I'm with them in spirit!"
「January 1st.」
「On New Year's Day.」
Xiao Ye finally received news!