Asked About The World Of Mortals

Chapter 16: Human Hearts

When Madam Zhang knocked on Li Qinglin's door, Li Qinglin was sitting cross-legged on the bed practicing cultivation. He didn't show any expression upon hearing the knocking and simply said, "Please come in."

The door opened, and a fragrant breeze filled the room. Madam Zhang entered gracefully, carrying a jug of wine, and asked softly, "Apologies for the humble accommodations in the countryside, please forgive any negligence, young master."

Li Qinglin opened his eyes and said, "Madam's guest room is clean and exquisite, there is no negligence. I thank Madam for her hospitality."

Madam Zhang put down the wine tray, poured the wine from the jug, and said softly, "There is nothing much to offer guests in the countryside. On this cold night, why not have a cup of warm wine?"

Li Qinglin looked at her without saying a word.

As long as one is not a blockhead, it is clear that the intention to flirt couldn't be more obvious, especially since Li Qinglin was waiting for her in the first place.

Seeing that Li Qinglin didn't respond, Madam Zhang raised her cup and took a sip herself, smiling lightly, "The wine is just the right temperature." As she spoke, she slowly moved closer to the bed, offering the wine cup she had sipped from to Li Qinglin, "Can the young master drink?"

Li Qinglin took the wine and smiled, "The wine is fragrant, and so is Madam. How can I not drink?"

Madam Zhang's expression became even more charming, her eyes seemingly about to drip with water, "Does the young master want something even more fragrant?"

Li Qinglin looked at her dressed in mourning white and sighed, "It's just that Madam is now like this... it inevitably makes people feel uneasy."

"What does it matter? The deceased is gone, and people always have to look to the future." Madam Zhang coquettishly said, "Moreover, this mourning attire, isn't it more interesting?"

"It is indeed more interesting." Li Qinglin smiled ambiguously, "Unexpectedly, there is such charm in this rural estate."

Madam Zhang smiled enchantingly, "It seems that the young master is not only wealthy and noble, but also well-traveled..."

Li Qinglin laughed, "Madam's taste is more appealing than the mediocre women in my family. Why not come back to the capital with me? I guarantee that Madam will enjoy endless glory and wealth, far better than being in this rural estate without even a decent hairpin."

Madam sighed lightly, "Leaving Huo City... I am unfortunate and afraid that I won't have the chance to enjoy wealth and prosperity. If the young master is willing, accompany me for one night and leave behind some memories..."

Li Qinglin didn't know that his sister and Qin Yi had already eavesdropped on something valuable. From his perspective, he had actually obtained the answer he wanted.

A flirtatious widow in a countryside farm is not someone who observes mourning as a virtuous woman. If such a person can climb up to the high branches of the capital and enjoy glory, it is most likely out of impatience. Even if there are reasons not to go, they would hesitate before responding. However, this woman immediately refused without any hesitation.

If it weren't for the fact that he coveted what she managed in this farm, it would be because he feared that his own unspeakable secrets would not be hidden from the high gates of the capital.

The strange events in the village must be related to her, even if she is not the one responsible.

"If that's the case, I certainly can't bear to go against Madam's goodwill," Li Qinglin finally raised his head and drank from his cup.

Seeing him drink, a hint of joy appeared in Madam's eyes.

At this time, the nun outside had already arrived outside this guest room and was still standing on the opposite roof. Seeing this situation, the nun shook her head secretly.

"With such a strong aura of death, no amount of spices can cover it up. This woman is either a demon or a monster. Li Qinglin seems to have a hidden agenda, daring to drink the wine she handed him," Li Qinglin looked like he had a plan, but she couldn't figure it out. She felt that this person was beyond saving, a typical victim of seduction.

"But it's really strange..." She looked at the tortoiseshell in her hand, which she had been using for divination since she saw Li Qinglin: "The dragon battles in the wild, its blood is mysterious and yellow. Why would Li Qinglin have this kind of divination? Hasn't he already retired from the battlefield?"

Inside the room, Li Qinglin's eyes began to blur, revealing a lecherous expression as he reached out to embrace the lady's waist. The nun sighed and had no intention of divining anymore. No matter what this prince had done, she couldn't ignore the fact that the demon was harming people.

Just as she was about to intervene, a sudden change occurred in the room.

The lady, who had been sitting in Li Qinglin's arms with a smile, suddenly reached out and brushed against the jade pendant around his waist. Suddenly, the jade pendant emitted a strong multicolored light, within which there seemed to be a terrifying burning sensation that penetrated her body along her hand.

"Ah!" The lady jumped up as if she had been electrocuted, clutching her head in pain, stumbling and crashing into a chair in the room. The wine jug and cups fell to the ground, and she continued to wail while holding her head.

This was the sound that Qin Yi and the others heard.

"This jade pendant..." The nun was stunned for a moment, but she didn't make a move and just watched coldly.

The noise in the village became chaotic, and the young master rushed over with a group of servants. Qin Yi and Li Qingjun took advantage of the chaos and rushed into the room.

The first glance upon entering almost made Li Qingjun vomit.

The beautiful face of the lady had begun to decay, as if a layer of skin was peeling off, and countless maggots crawled out from her face, extremely disgusting.

The multicolored light on Li Qinglin's body also began to fade away, calming down in front of everyone's eyes.

A huge corpse worm slowly detached itself from the skin, and shot out of the window in an instant, disappearing.

The young master and the servants behind him were dumbfounded.

Thinking of the previous tenderness and sweetness, and realizing that she didn't know and was almost simultaneously bent over vomiting with this monster in front of everyone.

Corpse Worm Demon, this is the true form of Lady Zhang, nothing more than a delicate human skin disguise.

"Corpse Worm Demon." Liu Su said in Qin Yi's mind, "It's just wearing a human skin, not even able to transform, relying on absorbing the essence and vitality of humans to grow. That's why the young master of the manor looks like he indulges in wine and women, but in reality, his essence has been drained."

Hindsight... Qin Yi combined the information from the spiritual hall and came to the same conclusion. Fortunately, the young master didn't manage to possess the demon, otherwise, he would have met a tragic end. The so-called "missing" servants were probably all killed by being drained of their essence, and then placed in the cave to form an array. The purpose was probably to use the Spirit Gathering array to completely transform into human form, and then... engage in a sexual relationship with the young master?

The reason Li Qinglin was so attractive to her was also because she believed that by absorbing Li Qinglin's innate cultivation, it would help her transform, not because Li Qinglin was incredibly handsome.

Thinking of this, Qin Yi suddenly felt much better...

Glancing at the young master, she saw that after he vomited, his expression became dazed.

"She really cares about me..." he murmured, "Originally, she didn't need to try so hard. She had been slowly approaching for many years, but only became anxious in the past few months..."

Li Qingjun heard this and was also dazed for a moment, then sighed.

Perhaps it was true.

"You will pay... you will pay..." the young master's expression gradually became ferocious.

Li Qingjun shook her head and said, "You're crazy. She's a demon. She's the one who killed the people in the manor."

Qin Yi tugged at her sleeve and said, "He knows about the arrangement under the cave, and he even helped lie to the ancestors. The so-called harm was a conspiracy."

Li Qingjun was stunned and fell silent.

"Where is the demon? Did you see her?" The young master turned his head ferociously and looked at the servants, "Who saw her?"

The servants retreated in fear and took a step back, "No... we didn't see anything."

The young master looked at Li Qinglin on the bed again. Li Qinglin seemed to still be in a dazed state, with a flushed face and a trance-like expression. He suddenly laughed and said in a stern voice, "The three of you murdered my stepmother. Don't you have any respect for the law?"

Li Qingjun retorted angrily, "Stepmother? She's just a big pile of worms..."

"No one saw the demon." The young master sneered, "We only know that my stepmother died when you three arrived! If it wasn't for you plotting for wealth and life, then who else?"

Li Qingjun didn't argue, but sighed, "Are you seeking revenge for her?"

Qin Yi added, "This brave warrior, are you sure you want to resort to violence in the manor? I suggest you report to the authorities."

The young master looked at Li Qingjun's spear and also showed some fear in his eyes. Qin Yi's words reminded him that regardless of whether he could win or not, fighting to the death with a Martial Artist would only result in a ruined manor. What would be the point?

After all, a monster is still a monster. Even if she had genuine feelings, she was still a monster. Thinking about that disgusting corpse worm, all his anger dissipated. Why should he risk his life for revenge?

Why not settle it privately?

A thought flashed through the young master's mind, and he slowly said, "Reporting to the authorities would be troublesome for the three of you who are suspected of murdering my stepmother. I, the young master, have some connections in the county. Even if you are a dragon crossing the river, you may not be able to act recklessly here."

Qin Yi said, "There's no need to worry about that. I trust the government."

Li Qingjun laughed bitterly.

The young master didn't know their confidence. Seeing their stubbornness, he pointed at Li Qinglin on the bed and said, "Your elder brother was drugged by my stepmother's unique medicine. I also have the antidote."

"Oh?" Qin Yi smiled, "What do you want us to exchange?"

"As long as you leave behind that jade pendant, we will provide the antidote. Let's pretend that this never happened."

When the truth is revealed, one shows their true colors.

Remembering the strange power of the jade pendant they witnessed earlier, it was obviously effective against evil spirits. The young master calmed down and abandoned his revengeful heart, immediately becoming greedy and wanting to possess it for himself.

Liu Su quietly said to Qin Yi, "This jade might be a very powerful Law Treasure. I'm quite interested..."

Qin Yi silently shook her head.

On the other hand, Li Qingjun was so angry that she scolded the young master, "You're worse than that demon. Although she has harmed many people, at least she had some genuine feelings for you. But you're not even worth a piece of jade."

If he really wanted revenge, Li Qingjun might have praised him, but now she was just angry.

The nun on the roof outside sighed as well. Under her feet, the corpse worm had been cut in half, unable to escape. She looked down at the demon's corpse and whispered, "Why bother?"

Suddenly, a sigh came from the bed in the room. Everyone turned to look and saw Li Qinglin, who had been in a state of confusion, sitting up quietly. His eyes were clear and there was no trace of confusion.

He smiled at Qin Yi and said, "Qin Xiong, I've said it before, sometimes humans are more troublesome than demons."

(End of this chapter)