Lin Yanqin had survived her tribulation later on. Although the subsequent events no longer aligned with the actual future, Lin Yanqin had ultimately lived. There shouldn't be any further accidents.
However, they still needed to wait for news from Ye Tiancheng and the little fox.
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping, on the other hand, felt that with Ye Tiancheng and the little fox present, even when facing the most abnormal situations, protecting Lin Yanqin should not be a problem.
Therefore, Lin Yanqin was likely truly safe, for all intents and purposes.
Ding Yijie also showed some hesitation, asking Liang Ping, "Can this be reliable?"
Liang Ping replied, "Reliable or not, we'll know once we try. Besides, is there any better way?"
Upon hearing Liang Ping's words, the young people reconsidered, no longer in a hurry to leave. The main reason was that they had witnessed the capabilities of Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping. If, in the future, they were to encounter any accidents that led to their deaths, and if there was anyone who could save them and would be willing to protect them, it would likely only be Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
Their professions also inspired a great sense of security.
How could people like them stand by and watch ordinary people get into trouble without intervening?
This was a way of holding Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping accountable.
They truly couldn't completely ignore the situation. If these people were to meet with misfortune right before their eyes, they would undoubtedly have to save them. It was for this very reason that the young people refused to leave.
After all, even if it meant being a bit shameless, their lives were more important.
They wanted to stay and follow Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping to ensure their own safety.
This indeed presented some trouble for Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
However, since they had already decided to reveal these matters, they had some premonition about such situations.
Therefore, even knowing they would gain some burdens, they proceeded with their actions out of a sense of preserving human life.
Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping indicated that it was understandable for them not to rush off and to want to stay for a while. They would also provide a certain degree of assistance.
In short, they would not stand by and watch them meet with disaster.
However, Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping also stated that because the tasks and investigations they needed to undertake were quite dangerous, these young people would only be less safe by staying with them. Therefore, they would not bring everyone along.
Although these young people still had some reservations, they had no better options. They also feared that if they made too many demands, Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping might become unwilling to protect them. Thus, they dared not ask for more and could only accept the situation.
Under these circumstances, it was better to be sensible.
Afterward, the young people dispersed with heavy hearts and returned to their respective rooms.
However, Ding Yijie remained with Nie Chongyang and Liang Ping.
Judging by Ding Yijie's demeanor, it was clear he had something to say.
Nie Chongyang made space for Liang Ping and Ding Yijie, as some things might be better discussed among relatives. Nie Chongyang also knew that Liang Ping had a sense of propriety and knew what could and could not be said, so Nie Chongyang left with complete peace of mind.
After Nie Chongyang left, Ding Yijie asked Liang Ping about some matters.
He was also discerning and did not ask too many questions, primarily inquiring about his own family and his own situation in the future.
Having suddenly heard such shocking news today, even if the truth could not be fully verified, upon realizing the hidden dangers behind what they had previously thought to be a safe matter, and upon realizing that their lives might truly be threatened, and considering the impact that an accident would have on their families, Ding Yijie's attitude underwent a subtle shift.
He seemed to have become much more composed in an instant.
After inquiring about his family's situation and his own, the conversation reached a temporary pause. Ding Yijie then became curious and asked Liang Ping how they had appeared there and what they were investigating.
He asked if Liang Ping and the others were looking for a way back.
Liang Ping had a vague premonition that their arrival at this time and place, and their encounter with Ding Yijie, was unlikely to be a coincidence. Ding Yijie might even be a key figure.
The more he encountered strange and mysterious matters, and the longer he spent in contact with them, the more Liang Ping learned.
At the very least, Liang Ping knew that premonitions did not appear out of nowhere; they might signify something.
Therefore, Liang Ping had not intended to let Ding Yijie go home immediately after convincing him. That was why he had deliberately said those words, knowing that Ding Yijie would be less likely to go home quickly after hearing them.
And indeed, Ding Yijie's curiosity was piqued, and he was more afraid of encountering any accidents if he went home alone, so he stayed. He even began to inquire about the situation.
Liang Ping was not afraid of Ding Yijie's questions and even intended to reveal a little.
Because, after having a premonition, Liang Ping even planned to involve Ding Yijie, much like how Ye Tiancheng and the little fox had remained by Lin Yanqin's side in a much earlier timeline to observe the situation.
These important, special individuals often carried crucial clues or could bring new leads. In any case, they could not be easily let go.
Therefore, after hearing Ding Yijie's question, Liang Ping pondered for a moment and had a general idea of what he needed to say.
Liang Ping said to Ding Yijie, "We are definitely looking for a way back. Our situation there is so urgent. While Nie Captain and I leaving for a short time might not cause major issues, if we can't return, it will definitely cause significant trouble. We absolutely cannot stay here long."
"As for what we are investigating, it's not that we can't tell you. The reason we didn't say anything before was that most people wouldn't believe such things if they were revealed, and we were also afraid of causing panic."
"You just need to remember that once you've heard this, you've heard it. You must keep your mouth shut and not tell anyone else. I mean anyone, not even your parents once you get back."
Ding Yijie's fear had subsided, leaving only excitement and curiosity.
Now, hearing Liang Ping say that he could tell him some things, Ding Yijie was extremely excited and repeatedly assured Liang Ping that he would not leak a single word of what Liang Ping said.
Liang Ping nodded and then said to Ding Yijie, "What we are investigating is related to a murder case about a hundred years ago. Of course, a murder case from a hundred years ago wouldn't normally have anything to do with us, nor would it require people from the present to investigate it. However, this murder case from a hundred years ago has affected people in the present."
"Since that's the case, and it involves human lives, we certainly can't avoid investigating it."
Liang Ping said this by combining the clues they had, along with the letters previously provided by Ye Tiancheng and others. It was a mix of truth and fabrication.
Ding Yijie thought for a moment and then asked Liang Ping, "Is it related to that haunted house ruins we heard about before? Given the rumors about those ruins, and if it's connected to a murder case from a hundred years ago, it can only be that place, right?"
Liang Ping nodded.
He said to Ding Yijie, "Why don't you tell me what you know first?"
Ding Yijie scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, and said, "Actually, I don't know much. After all, so much time has passed, and it's impossible to have anything particularly clear now. There are rumors about the past, but I can tell you what people are saying now."
Liang Ping replied, "That's fine. You can tell me. Perhaps it can provide us with some clues and help."
Upon hearing that he could provide clues and help to Liang Ping and Nie Chongyang, Ding Yijie's enthusiasm soared, and he became even more willing to speak.
Ding Yijie told Liang Ping, "It's nothing special, just rumors. There's a haunted house here, and many people wanted to contract this land to build something else. But they could never demolish this haunted house, and strange things would always happen. Gradually, no one dared to take notice of it anymore."
"There are indeed legends that people who came here met with some accidents, but there are so many haunted houses all over the world. At least a few places don't claim to have had murder cases, but in reality, many are fake."
At this point, Ding Yijie paused slightly, appearing a bit embarrassed. He felt a bit ashamed of his previous actions.
"...Before, the reason we came here was that we thought this haunted house was similar. We didn't know that the murder cases rumored here were real."
"Many haunted house murder cases are actually fabricated. In reality, they never happened. If no murder case occurred, how could it be called a haunted house? This is just the normal routine for most haunted houses."
After speaking, Ding Yijie quickly defended himself.
"However, if we truly knew that a real murder case had occurred here, even if we still didn't believe in ghosts, spirits, or superstitions, we would think that perhaps there were murderers involved in those incidents that hadn't been investigated yet, and we wouldn't have come."
Liang Ping asked, "So, you truly didn't know that a murder case had occurred here?"
Ding Yijie nodded.
"We truly thought the murder case was fabricated. We investigated it before, and by all accounts, such matters should have had police reports, but we couldn't find any."
Liang Ping thought for a moment and then said to Ding Yijie, "Information transmission wasn't very developed at your time. Sometimes, if there's a slight delay in some reports, they might be lost, which is a relatively normal situation... However, we can't definitively say there's no abnormality."
Ding Yijie's expression changed slightly upon hearing Liang Ping's words.
He asked Liang Ping, "What does that mean?"
Liang Ping tried to appease Ding Yijie, saying, "I don't mean any harm. I just need to rule out some possibilities and want to know if your situation has been affected by anything particularly special."