Chapter 28

I glanced at the house opposite where Han Shanshan lived; the lights were off, indicating she was asleep.

I used the key to open the door, and to my surprise, the TV was still on. I walked over, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV. Then I noticed Yuxiaoxue lying on the sofa, wearing a light green sheer nightgown. Her hair, like a waterfall, cascaded from the sofa onto the carpet, perhaps because she had just blow-dried it. She was sleeping soundly, but a tear stain on the corner of her eye suggested she had been crying.

Thinking about how she was now homeless, and that I still had a mother in a neighboring county, I felt a pang of sympathy and reached out to touch her rosy cheeks. My action, however, made her body stir, and the loose nightgown exposed a large expanse of her snow-white chest, causing my breathing to quicken.

I swallowed hard, but this scene seemed to displease my sister-in-law, and I felt a chill behind me. Embarrassed, I picked up a nearby blanket and draped it over Yuxiaoxue.

Although the weather was a bit cool, it wasn't cold enough to cause a cold. After covering Yuxiaoxue with the blanket, I returned to the study. I turned on Zhao Qian's computer and began searching for the history of Liancheng Mountain. The images that appeared weren't what I was looking for, so I added a small character to the search term and finally found what I needed.

Unfortunately, the information only included details about the scenic area and not the ancient tombs. I gave up on the search and recalled Zhao Qian's evaluation of the feng shui of the area. I then opened a map and noticed that the entire county was surrounded by mountains and water, resembling two blue and green dragons winding and competing. The shooting range was like a point where the two dragons intersected, a place of great mystery. Although I didn't understand feng shui, this location seemed significant.

The tomb raider had died in the tunnel, and the stench of his corpse still made me shudder. It seemed that even if a few people died here, no one would notice. Once the rain caused the soil to collapse, the bodies would be buried in the乱坟堆 without anyone knowing.

The tomb's owner was undoubtedly a fierce ghost, but I didn't know how powerful or intelligent it was. It might be on the same level as Xijun. In my grandmother's notes, there were records of similar places, and the stronger the yin energy, the higher the chance of a powerful ghost appearing. If I could use the ghost for my own purposes, it would be a great help.

After all, I couldn't rely solely on Xijun for battles. If I faced a situation where I was attacked from all sides, I would need multiple combatants to avoid being at a disadvantage.

While thinking about these things, I aimlessly clicked the mouse and eventually opened Zhao Qian's photo album. My eyes lit up, and I clicked without hesitation.

There were over a thousand photos, from elementary school to university. I started from her elementary and middle school days and found that Zhao Qian used to wear glasses and was a bookworm, thin and small. She continued to wear glasses even in high school, but her figure had started to develop. There were several photos from her trip to Beihai, where she wore a swimsuit, looking very sexy with her snow-white chest drawing attention.

Noticing that my sister-in-law was quiet, I felt a bit pleased. It seemed that although she could warn me of yin energy and danger, she couldn't see what I was doing because her eyes were closed, not out of choice but because she couldn't see.

I then looked at Zhao Qian's college photos, where she had grown into a beautiful woman, still wearing glasses but with a face that clearly indicated her rare beauty. I curiously searched for her travel photos, hoping to find some by the sea, but I didn't find any in swimwear, which disappointed me.

I thought it would be a good idea to find a reason to invite her and Yuxiaoxue to the beach. However, I remembered that her grandfather had just passed away, and Zhao Qian was likely grieving. I immediately turned off the computer, looked at the peach tree outside the window, and pulled the curtains.

It seemed that as soon as I returned to this villa, I was influenced by the peach feng shui.

Knock, knock!

As I was about to go to bed, I heard a knock on the door. "Brother Tian, you're back?" Yuxiaoxue's voice came from outside, indicating she was awake.

"I'm back. I saw you sleeping on the sofa, so I covered you with a blanket," I said, getting up to open the door.

Yuxiaoxue stood before me, wearing Zhao Qian's nightgown, which was a bit too big for her. The front of the nightgown was open, revealing her chest, and her nipples were visible through the fabric, a clear sign that she had grown up.

Despite her being only sixteen or seventeen, she was already a young woman, and her body was no less developed than an adult's. I felt my blood rush and my blood pressure rise, almost closing the door.

"Brother Tian, I'm scared to sleep alone. I had a nightmare about Xiaoyi Village. I want to sleep with you," Yuxiaoxue said, still half-asleep and unaware of my gaze on her chest.

"Cough, cough! It's just a dream. Don't think too much about it. Besides, you're old enough to sleep alone," I said, trying to avoid her.

"But when I was little and scared, I always came to sleep with you. Now you can repay me," Yuxiaoxue said, noticing my attempt to close the door and quickly squeezing in.

I stepped back to avoid touching her, and she successfully entered.

I sighed. If I didn't know Yuxiaoxue was naturally innocent, I would have thought she was trying to seduce me. "Xiaoxue, that was when we were kids. Now, we should respect the boundaries between men and women. Don't be silly, or I'll get angry."

"But what's the big deal? We've slept together many times before, and you only wore shorts then, humph," Yuxiaoxue said, pretending to be upset, but her clear eyes revealed that she was fully aware.

I understood. No wonder my sister-in-law didn't make a fuss. This little girl was just teasing me. "If that's the case, fine. We'll sleep together, but if anything happens, don't blame me."

With that, I started to take off my clothes. Yuxiaoxue's face turned red, and she stuck out her tongue. "Forget it. Brother Tian hasn't showered and smells. I'll sleep alone. I'm not scared anymore."

I almost laughed out loud. "You should have said that earlier. Go to sleep now."

"Okay," Yuxiaoxue said and ran upstairs.

I was indeed tired, so I grabbed a change of clothes, quickly showered, and went to bed.

I don't know what time it was, but my mobile phone on the pillow started ringing. I saw it was an unknown number and hung up.

The phone rang again, and I noticed it was almost dawn. Reluctantly, I answered.

"Hello, who is this?" I asked, not very willing.

"Hello! Xia Yitian?" a woman's voice came from the other end.

"Who are you?" I recognized the voice but couldn't place it.

"It's me, Han Shanshan! How can you still be sleeping!" Han Shanshan asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"At this hour, should I be sleepwalking? I'm not in the mood for this. It's only six, and I've slept for less than four hours," I replied, annoyed.

Han Shanshan, hearing my displeasure, quickly said, "Something happened! Zhao He is here with me!"

"You mean Zhao He is with you? Are you two...? That's a big surprise!" I asked, trying to tease the straightforward policewoman. Zhao He was probably still at the vigil.

"You! How can you still joke around? I'm telling you, Zhao He and I are at the police station!" Han Shanshan said, sounding angry.

I was surprised. "Wait, wasn't Zhao He still at Zhao Family Village? How did he end up at the police station?"

"What happened?" I asked, now fully awake.

"He's suspected of drunk driving and murder! He's in custody, and the team is interrogating him."

I frowned and sat up. "Tell me more."

"I just got the call and am on my way to the station. I don't know the full story, but the team said a master who was performing a ritual was killed by Zhao He with a brick," Han Shanshan said, with a few police officers discussing the matter nearby.

"What? What about Zhao Qian? Wasn't the master named Wang Heng? He was a friend of Zhao Xi and seemed very capable. How could Zhao He kill him?"

"Qianqian is fine. She just fainted," Han Shanshan said.

"Are you kidding? Fainting isn't fine. Where is Zhao Qian, and where are you?" I asked, angry that she had fainted.

"Why are you yelling at me? I'm just comparing the two. Zhao He is in big trouble, but Qianqian's situation is much smaller," Han Shanshan explained in a low voice.

I didn't care and quickly asked for her location while getting dressed and heading to the garage.

I started the car and drove to the county hospital. Zhao He and Han Shanshan were acquaintances, so the police allowed Han Shanshan to come. When she saw Zhao He, he asked her to call me and get me to the hospital to save Zhao Qian, saying someone was trying to harm his sister.

Zhao Qian was in the hospital, but Zhao He felt his sister wasn't safe. The situation was more complex than I had expected.

A few minutes later, I drove into the county hospital, and Han Shanshan arrived in a police car.

Although I hadn't known Zhao Qian for long, she had left a deep impression on me. If anything happened to her, I would regret not staying by her side.

Thinking about the incense burned last night, which was supposed to ward off disasters, I realized someone must be targeting her. This was definitely related to Zhao Zhou and Wu Zhenghua. I clenched my teeth in anger.

After meeting up with Han Shanshan, we rushed to the hospital ward. A group of doctors were hurrying to the ward.

At the entrance of the ward, two nurses were anxiously waiting for the doctors.

"Doctor Li, Zhao Qian in Room 26! She was admitted in an emergency. We thought she was just unconscious, but her heart suddenly stopped!" a nurse said, looking panicked.

"Quick, bring the ventilator! Prepare the cardiac stimulant! Notify the family!" Doctor Li instructed the other doctors and ran to the ward.

I felt a tightness in my chest and followed, while Han Shanshan shed tears, not expecting the situation to be so serious.