The undeniable fact was that Lin Xue's most beloved man, Ouyang, was dead. He was dead to the point of no return, beyond any hope of rescue.
Even if the man had been severely injured, Ye Tiancheng could have tried to use his true qi. Even if he couldn't save him, he could at least keep him alive. Even if he became a vegetable, there would still be a way to try and save him, and perhaps he would wake up someday.
Besides Ye Tiancheng's true qi, there was also Lin Xue's spiritual energy. With the two of them working together, what couldn't they accomplish? Even if he was half dead, clinging to life by a thread, the master and disciple could find a way to save him later.
But now, there was no way. Ouyang was truly dead, his soul having departed to the heavens. Even if Xiao Shitoun, who had powerful healing abilities, were still around, he wouldn't dare to claim he could bring the dead back to life. And Xiao Shitoun was no longer here; he had already sacrificed himself to help Ye Tiancheng ward off disaster.
"Brother Ye, Miss Xue has been quite tired lately. When she feels better, she'll naturally sleep for a long time. I don't think she's in a hurry, and she'll probably wake up in a while. Let's figure out how to deal with this fellow's body first."
"Since the person is dead, we'll have to notify his wife. The funeral arrangements can be made afterward. We didn't kill him, so we're not afraid even if his wife calls the police. If his wife, as a woman, finds it difficult to manage the funeral expenses, I can cover a portion of them. Regardless, we've done what we should, and we have a clear conscience."
Ye Tiancheng was forthright, while Fatty felt a bit guilty. "We definitely didn't kill him, but some things are hard to explain, and not easily clarified. If it can't be explained clearly, I'm afraid you, Brother Ye, might get implicated. How about this: you take Miss Xue and leave first. I'll be responsible for delivering Ouyang's body to his wife and handling the funeral arrangements. Otherwise, I'm worried something might go wrong."
Fatty wanted to take all the trouble upon himself. It was a turbulent time, and Ye Tiancheng was quite distressed. Fatty wanted to bear as much as he could for his brother, not wanting Ye Tiancheng to be caught in all sorts of chaos today.
"No need. We can just settle it with money. Didn't we find out during our investigation that this marriage was just a formality? If it weren't for the child, his wife probably wouldn't want to be his wife for another second. Now is a good opportunity. A few hundred thousand should be enough to solve the problem. After all, the child still needs to live. Even if such a scumbag is dead, he probably got what he deserved. With so many lovers outside, such a person doesn't deserve to live."
The meaning was quite clear, and Fatty understood Ye Tiancheng's intentions. In fact, Fatty also had a good idea that in this situation, it should be solvable with money. After all, no matter how devoted this woman was, or how much true feeling there was, she couldn't keep playing the fool for too long. She would also feel disheartened.
Trust was lost bit by bit. Over time, all love would disappear, leaving only the unbreakable ties and the inability to abandon the reality, such as having children to raise.
This was no time for hesitation. They had to act now. Ye Tiancheng and Fatty quickly contacted Ouyang's wife. After hesitating for a long time on the phone, they finally delivered the news of Ouyang's sudden death.
"If he's dead, he's dead. You don't need to bring the body back. Just transfer the compensation money to me directly."
Unexpectedly, Ouyang's wife brought up money first. It seemed this marriage was indeed broken beyond repair and had no value, which was why it felt like money could solve everything, and there was no need to discuss any emotions.
"The body should still be handled. I can give you 100,000 yuan. If you think it's not enough, I can add more."
With a widowed mother and child, even though this matter had nothing to do with him, Ye Tiancheng felt a bit uneasy. Moreover, Ye Tiancheng was inherently a kind person. When such a situation arose, he liked to take responsibility upon himself. Since there was a problem now, he would never shirk his responsibility if he could help.
"No need. Handling the body is too troublesome. I'm busy with the child's affairs lately and can't manage. How about this: deduct the funeral expenses from this 100,000 yuan. You can give me the remaining tens of thousands. When a person dies, it's fate, and it was a sudden death, so there's no need to investigate further. He did evil deeds outside, and I expected this day to come. Now that he's dead and there's money, I feel that heaven has not been unkind to me."
It was quite normal for Ouyang's wife to think this way. If the funeral arrangements were made, it would cost tens of thousands. Since she had no feelings left for her husband, it was better to settle it with money. It didn't matter if the group leader gave Ouyang's wife tens of thousands less. It was worth buying peace of mind, as she wouldn't have to worry about such matters anymore. This was a good thing.
"Alright, let's settle it this way. I'll handle the body. As for the money, send me your account, and I'll transfer it to you immediately. Not a single cent of the 100,000 yuan will be short."
Ye Tiancheng felt a bit sheepish about the widowed mother and child. He couldn't possibly shortchange them. He had to do what he should. After all, he was a grown man. To argue with a woman and a child would be unbecoming of the title "grown man." A man should have the magnanimity of a man.
"Then thank you."
After hanging up the phone, Ye Tiancheng felt a significant burden lifted. He had been worried. Although Ouyang's death had nothing to do with him, he was still a human being, and it was hard to ignore. Dying so inexplicably, if his family made a fuss, there would be endless trouble. Fortunately, Ouyang's wife was quite reasonable and had no intention of making a scene.
"Find a good funeral company. Before Xue'er wakes up, let's handle this quickly and decisively. Don't leave any loose ends. We absolutely cannot let Xue'er notice any difference. That silly girl is very clever. If she sees through it, we won't be able to hide it even if we want to."
Whenever Lin Xue was mentioned, Ye Tiancheng's heart pounded. He couldn't bear to see his beloved disciple suffer any harm. But the events were always so sudden, one after another, leaving no room to breathe. It was truly exhausting.
"Okay, Brother Ye. I'll have people carry the body away immediately. Otherwise, what's the point of keeping it in our room? If it stays too long, it will definitely smell, and it will be difficult to explain. I also feel very helpless."
Just thinking about it made him irritable. Another person had died so inexplicably. Now, there was powerful black qi around the body, which was a real headache.
Fatty had just contacted the funeral company and told them to come upstairs, trying to keep the number of people to two and to make no noise. They absolutely must not wake anyone up. If Lin Xue woke up and saw Ouyang's body, she would surely go mad.
Half an hour later, the funeral company's car had arrived downstairs. Some procedures would need to be completed, and then the body would be sent to the crematorium. Some necessary legal procedures had to be followed. After all, if the person's identity could not be confirmed, without his wife's signature, wouldn't that be akin to destroying evidence of a crime?
However, when the funeral car arrived downstairs, the body suddenly underwent a tremendous change. It began to decompose rapidly. The speed of decomposition was enough to scare people to death.
Then, a terrifying change began. The entire surface of the body turned black, emitting a dense black qi.
"No, Fatty, don't let people come up. Those ordinary people can't handle it. If they are contaminated by this black qi, it could lead to major trouble. I can't control it either. Quickly tell them to leave."
This was Ouyang Xunuo's despicable scheme, wanting anyone who came into contact with the body to be affected by the black qi. Those ordinary people couldn't withstand the attack of the black qi. On the surface, there would be no visible changes, but their nervous systems would suffer immense damage, and people would surely die.
They wouldn't die immediately, but it could spread to others, eventually leading to the ruin of families. It was likely a major disaster that could wipe out many people.
"Okay, Brother Ye. You control this black qi. I also feel immense pressure. I'll quickly get those ordinary people away, otherwise, they'll suffer."
Fatty quickly divided the tasks with Ye Tiancheng. He sent away all the funeral workers, saying that their services were no longer needed. He also gave them money, a few thousand yuan, telling them they had worked hard and to go have a drink. This was to bring some peace of mind to everyone.
The next task was more difficult. Without a professional funeral company to handle it, they would have to do it themselves.
Ye Tiancheng first used his true qi to control the black qi around Ouyang's body. Then, he wrapped the entire person in plastic. After a few minutes of thought, Ye Tiancheng finally made a decision.
"We'll handle the body ourselves. Only I can handle this body. Anyone else who gets close will be contaminated by the black qi, and the problem will be huge. We won't be able to control the situation at all. We can only use soil to digest it slowly. Perhaps after some time, the body will gradually decompose, but no one can come into contact with it for at least three months, otherwise, there will be a major incident."
Ye Tiancheng was on high alert. The current problem was tricky. The body couldn't be left here, or Lin Xue would discover it. But if they moved it, others couldn't come into contact with it. It would be best to find a desolate place to dispose of the body.
"I've been scouting around these past two days. Not far from this city, there's a barren mountain. It seems to have cliffs and such. There are many birds and beasts there, and no one dares to go. I think it's a good place. We can try to take the body there to dispose of it. No one will dare to disturb it. Only in this way can we ensure that no one will dig up the body."
What he said made sense. Ye Tiancheng immediately agreed with Fatty. Then, the two of them quietly loaded the body into the car. This car was rented by Fatty. It was the pickup truck that Ye Tiancheng loved most when he first became prosperous. Now, it only cost 150 yuan a day to use as they pleased, including fuel. This was the advantage of living in a small city.
Sitting in the pickup truck, Ye Tiancheng's heart was still uneasy. "I don't know how long we can hide it from Xue'er. I hope we can hide it for a while longer. I really don't want to see my dear disciple cry sadly over that scoundrel again. I hope everything goes smoothly. However, before that, we must deal with the body first. That's the most important step."