We and Huang San, carrying our small cloth bundles, searched several inns, but the result was always the same: either full or they wouldn't let two people stay.
I shook my head in frustration. It seemed this Sun Shen Po was really determined to deal with me. But what was her purpose? I was only here to deliver a letter, not her sworn enemy. Was she in league with that police officer surnamed Li?
In the end, I had no choice but to call the owner of the burned-down inn. He didn't answer at first, only picking up on the second try.
"Mr. Song... Song, why are you calling me so late?" His voice trembled, sounding slightly off-key, as if silently conveying something.
I frowned and asked if he was in danger. Because I wasn't sure of his situation, if someone was truly threatening him, asking such a question might put him in even greater peril.
"Boss Chen, I've caught the real culprit who set fire to your inn. I was planning to have you come and identify the person, see if you recognize them."
"Caught the culprit?" Boss Chen clearly sounded surprised. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Wait for me for a moment. I'll drive over now."
While waiting, Huang San and I returned to the restaurant where we had eaten earlier. The restaurant owner's expression became noticeably unnatural when he saw us. Especially when he looked at Huang San, his gaze kept darting away, as if he was afraid of something.
I pretended not to notice. Evil people have their own tormentors. For a malicious owner who slandered others with baseless accusations, he deserved to be sent back to his hometown to farm.
Although I was angry, I couldn't let Huang San scare him into returning to his hometown to farm. If I did that, how would it be any different from Sun Shen Po using a wild immortal to threaten others?
"Boss, two bowls of noodles and a roasted whole chicken, plus two bottles of beer. Make it quick." After finding a seat, I ordered.
"R-right away."
The restaurant owner wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly prepared the order. I asked Huang San, "What did you do to him? Why is he so afraid of you?"
Huang San pursed his lips dismissively. "This guy took benefits from someone and then gave false testimony. I directly changed my face to scare him, and then he told the truth."
"Changed your face? You know Peking Opera's face-changing?" I was a bit confused about what he meant by changing his face. As soon as I finished speaking, Huang San, too lazy to explain, performed a face change for me.
Looking at him, a perfectly normal person, his head suddenly transformed into the appearance of a weasel, complete with a sinister smile. Even though I knew what Huang San's true form was, seeing a weasel's head suddenly sprout from a person's body, I almost fell to the ground.
"Alright, put it back quickly. That's too scary. You can't do that anymore. If you scare someone's soul away, you'll have committed a great sin."
Huang San shrugged, looking indifferent, likely not having taken my words to heart. Just then, the owner brought the noodles and dishes. After placing them on the table, he hurried away, not wanting to stay even a second longer. It was evident what kind of shadow Huang San had left in his mind.
As soon as the food arrived, Huang San acted as if he were possessed by a starving ghost. I had only eaten half of my bowl of noodles when he had already finished his, devoured a whole roasted chicken, and was now staring intently at the roasted chickens hanging by the shop entrance, seemingly still not full.
I smiled and asked the owner to bring up another one. Only after three roasted chickens and another bowl of noodles had been consumed did Huang San let out a satisfied burp.
"As expected, human food is delicious. I really should have become a spiritual guide back then, even if it was just for this."
"Alright, if you were truly willing to live under someone else's roof, you wouldn't have emerged so late. Eat your fill and let's go. Boss Chen has been here for a while." I stood up, ready to pay the bill and find out what was going on with the little thing in the cloth bundle.
When I offered to pay, the owner refused to take the money, saying it was his treat. He apologized for not recognizing my importance and begged me to be lenient with his family in the future, as they relied on the restaurant for their livelihood.
I forcefully pushed the money into his hand and said earnestly, "You should be more honest in the future. Don't tell lies for a small profit. This time you ran into me, and I'm easy to talk to. But if you encounter someone difficult, not only you but your family might suffer. Don't you think so?"
The owner nodded repeatedly and swore, "I'll never dare again. If there's a next time, may the lights go out and I die." As soon as he finished speaking, the lights indeed went out, startling the owner, who promptly sat on the ground.
As I wondered why his oath was so accurate, the lights turned back on. Huang San looked at the owner with a mischievous smile, "Heh heh... I hope you don't lie to me, otherwise..."
I rolled my eyes at Huang San. He's lived for hundreds of years, yet he's still as mischievous as a child. If he scared the owner into having an accident, I wouldn't be able to clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River.
I helped the restaurant owner up from the ground, then took out a soul-镇ing talisman and lit it with my Yang energy. After feeling his soul stabilize, I left with Huang San.
As Boss Chen opened the door curtain, he saw us walking out of the restaurant opposite. His face showed a hint of unnaturalness. Although he tried his best to appear casual and show a slight surprise, his trembling hands betrayed his true feelings.
"Boss Chen is quite fast. Didn't you say your home is in the countryside? How did you drive back in less than half an hour?"
Boss Chen gave an awkward smile and explained, "I received your call before I even reached home! So I rushed back to see who set the fire." He then looked behind us, seemingly searching for the arsonist.
As we passed Boss Chen's car, Huang San noticeably paused. Then, while I was talking to Boss Chen, he whispered to me in a mosquito-sized voice, "There's something in the car. It smells of a wild immortal."
I smiled back at Huang San, indicating I already knew, and reached out to take the small cloth bundle from him. I then said to Boss Chen, "The culprit has been apprehended by the police, but the real perpetrator hasn't been caught yet. I was waiting for you to come and see what the real culprit looks like." As I spoke, I jiggled the small bundle in my hand.
"Oh... I see." Boss Chen glanced at the small cloth bundle in my hand, his expression unnatural. "You're not going to tell me that this contains those things, are you?" Boss Chen pointed upwards with his finger.
I nodded and said, "You guessed right, it's exactly what you're thinking."
"Then I won't look. You are all masters, and I cannot afford to offend anyone. Just let me know when you find something out. My family has elders and children, and we still need to make a living here." His words were identical to the restaurant owner's, and his tone even carried a hint of regret, as if he regretted coming back.
Seeing him repeatedly glance at the van outside, I had a general idea. I smiled, took the room key from his hand, and subtly gave him a Yang talisman. Seeing his excited expression, I led Huang San towards room 444.