The ghost of Yu Baohua, who had appeared out of nowhere, looked highly suspicious.
However, with everyone present, it wasn't the right time to interrogate him further.
Uncle Meng had returned, and Ning Wei began to brief him on the next steps.
First, Yu Jiansheng was to be carried out whenever the sun was out, and then fed well.
As for Fangfang, Uncle Meng had consulted a doctor, who confirmed she was merely frightened, with no physical issues.
Upon hearing this, Ning Wei suggested to Uncle Meng, "Why don't we have Fangfang return to take care of Yu Jiansheng? They are husband and wife, so it would be more convenient."
Uncle Meng agreed, reasoning that with neighbors around, they could call for help if needed.
"Then, I'll have Auntie Meng send Fangfang back later."
As for why Yu Jiansheng and Fangfang had gotten themselves into such a state, Ning Wei told others they were possessed by evil spirits, without divulging specific reasons.
Everyone was extremely curious, itching to know more, but Ning Wei had no intention of revealing the truth.
As people gradually dispersed, Uncle Meng stayed to look after Yu Jiansheng, while Tang Tang had gone with others to deal with the small black snake. Ning Wei slowly left the Yu family residence alone.
Ci Yun's prolonged absence made Ning Wei highly suspicious of his true motives.
So, while no one was paying attention, Ning Wei planned to sneak into Ci Yun's home.
The events in town today were more dramatic than those at the Wang family's, so everyone was out discussing on the streets. Taking a small path meant she wouldn't be discovered.
Ning Wei successfully arrived outside Ci Yun's courtyard but hesitated to enter rashly, mindful of the large black dog.
After circling the outside of the courtyard, she found no sign of the rooster or the black dog.
Ning Wei's eyes darted, and she directly scaled the courtyard wall from the outside.
"Master Ci Yun," Ning Wei called out in a low voice.
Receiving no response, Ning Wei wondered if he had indeed gone out of town.
According to information Ning Wei had gathered from Uncle Meng, Ci Yun had been in town for many years. No one remembered when he arrived; it was as if the wooden house had simply appeared, and he had walked out of it.
At that time, strange things had also been happening in town, and it was through this opportunity that Master Ci Yun had entered everyone's awareness.
Later, no matter what happened in town, Master Ci Yun could resolve it perfectly, without any loss of life.
However, Master Ci Yun was eccentric, so no one in town was close to him, not even the sincere and warm Uncle Meng had earned this privilege.
The townspeople were very reliant on Ci Yun. Although occurrences like ghosts were infrequent, whenever something felt amiss, they immediately thought of Ci Yun.
With both the Wang and Yu families having experienced successive incidents, Ci Yun's continued absence had caused some confusion.
Ning Wei mused as she wandered around the house.
Ci Yun was truly not here; even the large black dog and rooster had been taken with him.
Yet, the quilts and clothes were still inside, and there were talismans on the table, making it seem as though he hadn't left.
Since Ci Yun was absent, Ning Wei boldly searched the house.
This place had become a trading market for the Mountain God. If Ci Yun was truly as people described, he couldn't be unaware of the Mountain God's true nature.
Coupled with Ci Yun's repeated warnings for Ning Wei to leave quickly, it indicated he knew the truth.
Ning Wei wanted to gather information, but seeing Ci Yun's uncooperative attitude, she knew he wouldn't volunteer any details.
"Since you won't tell me, I'll have to find it myself," Ning Wei muttered as she rummaged through the house.
Ci Yun's home was too simple; a single glance revealed all the furnishings.
Ning Wei didn't find what she was looking for and left Ci Yun's house feeling somewhat disappointed.
Upon returning to the Meng residence, everyone was preparing dinner.
Fangfang had returned to the Yu family, and with everyone's help, Yu Jiansheng was carried back to his room.
Since both were in need of care, Auntie Meng voluntarily took charge of their daily meals.
After all, the household already had eight extra people, so two more wouldn't be a burden.
After the meal was prepared, Auntie Meng portioned out food for the Yu couple into basins and placed them in a basket, intending to take it over.
Ning Wei offered to deliver it herself, which would also allow her to check on their recovery.
Auntie Meng agreed, as she didn't understand anything about exorcising spirits or dealing with ghosts. She had stayed at the general store all day, and all that happened at the Yu family's was relayed by others, likely with some exaggeration or inaccuracies.
The stories sounded perilous, and when Fangfang was brought over with blood all over her mouth, Auntie Meng had been truly startled.
"Then come back quickly after you've checked. We'll wait for you to eat," Auntie Meng said kindly to Ning Wei.
Ning Wei shook her head and refused, "No need to wait for me. You all eat first, just save my portion."
Without waiting for Auntie Meng to say more, Ning Wei grabbed the basket and hurried out.
Tang Tang looked at Li Ye with confusion and asked curiously, "Why aren't you going?"
"Speaking of which, you weren't at the Yu family's today either. I was the one assisting Ning Wei. Did you two have a fight?" Tang Tang said belatedly.
Hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Li Ye.
Li Ye replied in a low voice, "We didn't fight."
No one believed him. He was unwilling to be Ning Wei's errand boy anymore; they must have argued.
In fact, recalling the past, they used to bicker the moment they opened their mouths. It was unclear when their relationship had grown so close that even outsiders could perceive their ambiguous feelings.
Li Ye ignored their questioning gazes and retorted, "Something happened at the Yu family's today. Why was only Tang Tang at the scene? Where were the rest of you?"
At Li Ye's question, everyone's hearts sank.
They exchanged glances, but no one stepped forward to speak.
Li Ye sneered, "So, this team isn't as unbreakable as I thought. You all have your own agendas."
His sarcasm was evident, and anger flashed across everyone's faces.
Mei Nan also looked bewildered. He had gone fishing with Old Meng that morning and then heard about the incident at the Yu family's. Unable to help, he had simply stayed outside and observed.
Recalling, Song Zhi and the others had indeed never appeared.
"Where did you all go?" Mei Nan was uncharacteristically serious.
It had been difficult to reach this point as a team. If everyone had their own separate plans, the group wouldn't last long.
Zhu Yulian and the others looked at Song Zhi. Song Zhi felt immense pressure, and upon meeting Mei Nan's displeased gaze, he resigned himself.
"We went to the Mountain God Temple!" Song Zhi stated plainly but not loudly, as these matters were best kept from the Meng couple.