Chapter 198

“On that day, the City Lord’s mansion held a grand banquet with bright lanterns and enchanting music. Suddenly, a woman in a red dress appeared as if walking on the moon. After a breathtaking dance performance, everyone was astonished.”

The storyteller on stage slapped the table dramatically, raising his voice: “This was the first meeting between the City Lord and his wife. According to the City Lord, he has had a recurring dream since his youth. In the dream, a goddess in a red dress appeared walking on the moon, and her figure gradually faded away amidst the clouds, leaving him searching for her for many years until that day when they finally met.”

Most of the audience were disciples from various sects who came to participate in the Ten Method Assembly. They were very intrigued by this story of a whirlwind romance, despite the disparity in status.

Someone shouted, “But I heard that when he married his new wife, the former Lady of the City hadn’t been dead for a year!”

This was clearly an attempt to stir trouble, and many people echoed, “Yeah! How could he do this to the late Madam?”

“This, this—”

The storyteller was clearly flustered and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief: “You all might not know, but the City Lord’s previous marriage was a well-known family alliance, and their relationship was notoriously cold. They appeared respectful to each other in public, but it was easy to see there was no affection between them; it was quite indifferent.”

He gulped down a half-cold cup of tea, and seeing the curiosity on the faces of many cultivators, he continued: “The former Lady of the City, Miss Song Qianning, was a delicate lady who grew up in a secluded household and rarely left her home due to her poor health.”

The townspeople often talked about the destined love story between Luo Yuanming and Luan Niang, rarely mentioning Madam Song. Many were hearing her name for the first time and instinctively fell silent, eager to listen.

“What about the City Lord? A cultivator who had trained for many years outside, if not for inheriting the City Lord’s position, might still be traveling the world. Their experiences, interests, and personalities were completely different; even if they wanted to spark something, it would be difficult.”

The storyteller sighed: “She was a good lady, but fate was cruel, and she died of a sudden illness… Ah, such is life.”

“I have another question!”

The young disciples, eager for some exciting gossip after years of diligent training in the sect, eagerly asked, “I’ve heard a rumor that the missing girls of Luan City might be related to Luan Niang—what do you think of this, sir?”

The audience was in an uproar.

This was a sensitive topic, but the storyteller, caught up in his tale, didn’t hesitate and lowered his voice: “Actually, this rumor has already reached the City Lord and his wife. To clear her name, the madam had her bedroom and personal belongings thoroughly searched, and nothing suspicious was found.”

Ning Ning sat quietly in the corner, looking at the paper filled with words, her mind in turmoil.

Ever since Pei Ji noticed that Senior Sister Zheng was missing, they had repeatedly reviewed the footage from Hundred Flower Deep from that night. Amidst the bustling crowd, they never saw Zheng Weiqi’s figure.

The eyes of the Luan bird statue at the City Lord’s mansion could rotate, making it easy to avoid surveillance. She disappeared without a trace, and the only plausible explanation was that she was kidnapped by someone with ulterior motives.

He Zhizhou’s first reaction was to confront the City Lord and Luan Niang directly.

However, the storyteller was right. When rumors spread, Luan Niang maintained her innocence, even having her frequently visited study thoroughly searched, with nothing found.

The City Lord, who was always protective of his wife, trusted Luan Niang even more after that incident, forbidding anyone from linking her to the disappearances.

This meant that even if they reported Zheng Weiqi’s disappearance to the City Lord, it was unlikely he would believe a group of young disciples without evidence. Even if he agreed to let them search Luan Niang, they might not find anything, only alerting her and making her more cautious.

They had too little information and could not act recklessly.

“Not only Senior Sister Zheng, but Senior Brother Meng is also missing.”

Ning Ning propped her face with her hand, drawing a question mark next to the name “Meng Jue” on the paper.

According to Lin Xun, Senior Brother was drunk and collapsed in the restaurant , but when the three of them went to Tianxiang Tower, they learned that he had also left through the window last night and disappeared.

“Normally, cultivators shouldn’t get drunk easily. For you to be that drunk last night is even more unusual.”

Ning Ning pondered for a moment, then said seriously amidst the storyteller’s dramatic noises: “Especially master, who has the highest cultivation, was the most intoxicated and has yet to recover. If Senior Brother Meng is also missing, he might still be drunk—could it be that the wine was specifically drugged to target cultivators? The higher the cultivation, the greater the effect?”

“And Jiuzhou Spring Return was specially recommended by Luan Niang!”

He Zhizhou gritted his teeth: “There must be something wrong with that wine. What is Luan Niang’s purpose in orchestrating this?”

“Sacrifice requires the balance of yin and yang; the higher the spiritual energy of the cultivator, the greater the benefit.”

Pei Ji said gravely: “Senior Sister Zheng’s cultivation is highly sought after.”

He Zhizhou was shocked, looking at Ning Ning, a cold sweat dripping down his back.

If Pei Ji hadn’t gotten drunk and Ning Ning hadn’t taken him back to the inn, she might have been the one missing, along with Zheng Weiqi.

“But if it is Luan Niang behind this, her method is too blatant.”

Ning Ning also felt a chill, silently thanking the non-drinking Pei Ji countless times in her heart: “Drugging the wine and immediately kidnapping Senior Sister Zheng, isn’t she just openly telling us, ‘I did it; catch me if you can’?”

He Zhizhou snorted: “Maybe she likes it that way? Looking innocent while laughing at us for being helpless. With the City Lord backing her, it’s hard to find evidence against her.”

While speaking, he suddenly noticed a white shadow passing by, followed by a familiar male voice: “Are you discussing the disappearance of the girls in the city?”

Looking up, he saw an ordinary face.

Ning Ning recognized the voice’s owner and lowered her voice: “City Lord?”

“It’s me.”

Luo Yuanming nodded with a faint smile: “I often disguise myself to visit the people—may I join you?”

He Zhizhou, unable to hide his thoughts, exchanged a glance with Ning Ning and cautiously said, “City Lord, we drank Jiuzhou Spring Return last night and lost consciousness. Senior Sister Zheng is missing and hasn’t returned.”

Luo Yuanming’s smile faded, surprise in his eyes: “Daoist Zheng?”

He Zhizhou nodded, detailing the events. Luo Yuanming’s frown deepened as he listened, finally saying helplessly: “So, the young Daoists all suspect that this was done by my wife—but from last night to today, she has been inseparable from me. Now she has gone to the study to read, and she is also accompanied by a maid.”

Ning Ning paused in her thoughts.

“Luan Niang has faced much prejudice. As her husband, I know her well. Though she was a courtesan, she is strong-willed and ambitious, and would never commit such acts.”

Though his voice was low, his eyes showed determination and righteousness. He clenched his fists and said seriously, “You need not worry; I will do everything in my power to uncover the truth and restore peace to Luan City.”

The City Lord was known for his integrity and diligence, and it was said he once watched the recordings of the Luan bird statue for three days and nights without rest to find the culprit—

Although he found nothing in the end.

By convention, such people are just like police officers in domestic movies. They are clueless when something happens, and by the time they rush to the scene, the incident has already been completely resolved by the protagonist.