"Probably. But what does that have to do with us?" Yan Aohan asked Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi paused in surprise, then burst into loud laughter. "Aohan, you are right. It has nothing to do with us. We didn't make her disappear."
They had only retrieved Yu Qingyun’s body. What else mattered? Besides, Yu Qingyun’s body was hidden inside Yan Aohan’s living space. No one could possibly find his trace there.
However, investigators arrived the next day. They inspected the house and checked the records. Yan Aohan had prepared all the documents in advance, so everything was perfect. The investigators left with no results.
Meanwhile, activity at the Mingchuan residence increased. People were clearly searching for something. One person seemed especially anxious.
"Aohan, what if we follow that person?" Zhu Yanyi pointed to a young woman. She was beautiful, but her anxiety was real.
"Mingchuan Yunzi. The eldest daughter of the Mingchuan family. She is Mingchuan Nianlang’s younger sister," Yan Aohan raised an eyebrow.
"The age gap is huge. Senior Brother Qingyun is nearly forty. How can she have such a young sister?" Zhu Yanyi asked slowly.
"I don’t know. We didn’t investigate that. Maybe she is an illegitimate daughter," Yan Aohan said. "But following her might reveal the truth."
Zhu Yanyi wanted the truth, so following Mingchuan Yunzi was necessary.
Zhu Yanyi followed Mingchuan Yunzi without being detected. She simply flicked a seed into the woman’s long hair. This allowed her to track Mingchuan Yunzi’s movements.
"She went to a hospital," Zhu Yanyi whispered, following her quietly.
Mingchuan Yunzi did not go to the outpatient or inpatient departments. Instead, she went to a secret research facility on the top floor. Access required an iris scan.
Inside the room lay a crystal coffin. A woman rested inside it.
Zhu Yanyi observed carefully. The woman’s soul signature matched the one inside Yu Qingyun. She now knew who this person was.
"Yangzi, your soul is gone. What should I do?" Mingchuan Yunzi sighed. Her eyes filled with determination. "Don’t worry. I will find your soul."
After leaving, she did not go home. She went straight to a mountain god temple.
"A mountain god temple? Why go there?" Zhu Yanyi followed quietly. When she saw what was worshipped in the temple, she raised an eyebrow. The statue was the Eight-Headed Serpent, Yamata no Orochi.
"Is she praying?" Zhu Yanyi watched Mingchuan Yunzi pray devoutly. She could not hear the words. Then, a black mist emerged from one of the serpent’s heads. It wrapped around Mingchuan Yunzi, who then stood up and left.
Zhu Yanyi did not follow her out. Instead, she entered the temple and looked at the statue.
Zhu Yanyi smiled faintly. "I don’t know what kind of ghost you are. Will you come out yourself, or do I need to force you?" Her tone carried a clear threat.
The statue remained still. A wicked smile appeared on Zhu Yanyi’s lips. She released a wisp of ice-blue flame.
The power of the strange fire was immense. A phantom slowly emerged from the statue. It was the Eight-Headed Serpent.
"So the Eight-Headed Serpent looks like this. I don’t see eight tails, but I see your heads. Not bad. Your heads seem useless except for confusing or scaring people," Zhu Yanyi said, looking at the serpent.
The serpent’s mouths flicked their tongues constantly. Zhu Yanyi shook her head. "They call you a divine beast here? You can’t even speak. A mute divine beast? I think you are fake."
"Let’s leave here first?" Yan Aohan suddenly appeared.
It was sudden because Zhu Yanyi had left Yan Aohan with Sikong Xuran and others when she arrived. The three of them did not speak the local language. To prevent accidents, she kept Yan Aohan behind. Besides, the matter of Yu Qingyun directly involved Zhu Yanyi. She was the best person to handle it. Yan Aohan only needed to assist from the side, not intervene directly.
"Aohan?" Zhu Yanyi’s eyes flashed. She threw a wisp of ice-blue flame. "You dare impersonate my Aohan? You seek death."
This Yan Aohan was an illusion created by the Eight-Headed Serpent. Zhu Yanyi was furious. She threw the ice-blue flame and then beat the serpent relentlessly. She hit it from above, below, left, and right. She gave it no chance to fight back.
"I let you impersonate my man. I let you impersonate my husband. I let you impersonate my Aohan. You shameless bastard, reptile. If I don’t beat you until your parents don’t recognize you, I am not Zhu Yanyi."
After the beating, Zhu Yanyi felt satisfied. The Eight-Headed Serpent lay curled in the corner. Its expression was terrified. How could there be such a terrifying woman? She was not gentle at all. She even beat it upon seeing it.
Zhu Yanyi finished and shook her hand with disgust. "Damn it. I should have worn gloves."
Zhu Yanyi walked up to the Eight-Headed Serpent. "Speak. Have you seen this person’s soul?" She showed a photo of Yu Qingyun.
The serpent’s eyes rolled around, as if plotting something.
"Do not plot anything. I have little patience. If you do not tell the truth, my ice-blue flame will destroy this temple. Your people believe in gods, right? I can create a divine punishment. What do you think?" Zhu Yanyi spoke calmly, but the threat was obvious. The serpent shrank back.
"Speak. Have you seen this person?" Zhu Yanyi’s clear voice carried heavy threats and a cultivator’s pressure. The serpent instantly understood that deception was not allowed. It nodded.
"Where is this person’s soul? If you say you swallowed it, I will destroy you," Zhu Yanyi said directly.
The serpent shook its heads frantically. An illusion appeared. After watching it, Zhu Yanyi understood everything.
It turned out Mingchuan Yangzi and Mingchuan Yunzi were half-sisters. They shared the same father but different mothers. Their birthdays were also the same day.