Fen Lei's eyes widened once more. He quickly whirled around, startled, and his eyes met those jade, gem-like eyes that stared coldly at him.
Shin Lu stood directly in front of Fen Lei. He was like a pure god from heaven, indifferent to everything, except that his gaze was not gentle.
The expression on his handsome face was severe and cold, and his indifferent gaze stabbed directly at Fen Lei like a dagger. His lips pressed tightly together, as if he found it disgusting to be in such close proximity with Fen Lei.
Their faces were very close, and Fen Lei could feel Shin Lu's faint breath against his face. It seemed to have the scent of wild chrysanthemums.
Fen Lei gulped, breaking out in a cold sweat. He could not speak due to intimidation, but after a few moments, he managed to swallow his fear and completely forget about it, having a sudden stupid idea.
He smirked and replied boldly, "Peeking, obviously. I just wanted to check on my future husband."
Of course, Fen Lei did not mean his last sentence. He had only said it to annoy Shin Lu. Husband? No way in hell. He actually felt sick after saying it.
Shin Lu's stony eyes flashed with a dark and dangerous look. When he heard Fen Lei's words, a vein on his forehead that had been completely invisible before suddenly became prominent. The corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly. He suddenly moved forward, pushing Fen Lei against the wall and pinning him against it.
Shin Lu's tall frame blocked Fen Lei's entire body. His slender hands were placed on both sides of Fen Lei's shoulders. The distance between them was so close that Shin Lu's body was nearly pressed against his.
Fen Lei could even hear Shin Lu's breathing. The deep and cold breaths of the ice master fell directly on his face, making his body ache.
"Have you no shame at all?" Shin Lu's voice was calm and cold, like a knife grinding against ice, but the undertone of his voice seemed to have an inexplicable trace of anger and irritation.
At that moment, Rin Yuhan had just pushed the door open and was about to address Fen Lei when he suddenly froze in place after seeing the sight in front of him. His cheerful expression was instantly replaced by speechless confusion and disbelief.
What on earth was happening before him?!
Shin Lu was still pinning Fen Lei against the wall; the two of them stood very closely. The innocent young man, Rin Yuhan, had no idea what was going on, but the situation between the two adult men looked highly ambiguous, and it looked extraordinarily intimate from the outside.
The two suddenly noticed the young man's presence in the room. A strange expression appeared on Shin Lu's face. He was extremely annoyed to be in this kind of position with Fen Lei in the first place and the wrong impression that the two of them had given to his disciple. His expression was severe, and his brows were twitching with anger.
He reluctantly loosened his grip on Fen Lei and stepped back, clearing a certain distance between them. He gave Rin Yuhan a cold look.
Fen Lei, who was still leaning against the wall, suddenly had a naughty thought and said something very provoking.
"Aiya~ Why did you stop, my sweetheart Lulu? I was starting to enjoy our intimate moments, and here you are, being a cruel master, not letting me have any fun~" He spoke with feigned coquettishness, trying to get under Shin Lu's skin.
"'M-my sweetheart Lulu'?" Rin Yuhan repeated, mouth agape. He could not believe Fen Lei, or Li Yuan, had just addressed his master with such familiarity.
Hearing this, Shin Lu's face became even darker. He clenched his jaw so tightly that it was as if he was grinding out marbles. He took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the anger that was rapidly building up inside of him.
"O-oh my god! I-I-I'm sorry! I-I did not mean to interrupt!" The innocent disciple, Rin Yuhan, snapped out of his frozen and dumbfounded state. He immediately retreated in panic and shut the door.
Shin Lu was utterly disgusted by the intimacy and closeness that he had just unwittingly experienced with Fen Lei. Looking at Fen Lei's smiling face, he suddenly felt a strong urge to punch him.
"Damned filthy, indecent, disgustful gay!" Shin Lu flicked the flowing sleeves of his robe angrily and left the room.
Fen Lei could not help but let out a whistle as he watched the cold beauty slam the door shut. He was a person who enjoyed stirring up trouble with others, and Shin Lu, with his stiff and unbending personality, was a perfect person to tease.
"Sweetheart Lulu" was too good of an approach to get Shin Lu's reaction. It really worked brilliantly.
When morning came, the whole village was in a state of chaos. The villagers were discussing something urgently, their faces filled with anxiety and worry.
Fen Lei, who had sat awake all night waiting for the perpetrator to show up, was sitting at the table in his room, sipping tea. There had been no suspicious activity the entire night, so he was frustrated. He should have just slept. He was not very interested in the matter anyway. He was simply following He Jin's absurd beliefs regarding his so-called training.
"Who cares about improving my skills at all? I want to go back to the underworld and rest peacefully!" he thought to himself, feeling even more frustrated that he still could not grasp Li Yuan's reasons for resurrecting him.
Suddenly, a commotion on the street caught Fen Lei's attention. He turned his head out of the window and saw several villagers running to the south. He frowned, placing his teacup back on the table, and stepped out of the inn, following the villagers. His expression still maintained its usual frivolousness, but his footsteps were quick and firm.
As he approached the scene of the uproar, the chaotic villagers were making a mess and blocking his way, but Fen Lei pushed through the mob, attempting to make his way to the front.
Shin Lu and Rin Yuhan had also just arrived in front.
"It is her! She is the culprit! She is the one behind the disappearances of our fellow villagers!" one of the villagers cried, pointing to the young woman kneeling on the ground.
Fen Lei eyed the young woman; her long black hair hung down on either side of her pale face, her eyes were dull and lifeless, and she did not show any sign of having any other expression. She was not resisting at all, like a puppet with strings cut loose.
"Hey, what do you mean she is the culprit? Do you have proof?" Fen Lei asked.
"What kind of proof does mister mejinsu look for? The fact that that woman is a necromancer says it all! She is evil!" one of the villagers exclaimed, followed by the unanimous agreement of the other villagers.
"Punish that woman! She is evil!"
"No! Kill that woman instead!"
"That is right! Dark arts practitioners deserve to die!"
"Kill that woman!"
"I am asking for solid proof, not a mere accusation!" Fen Lei yelled back. He was utterly disgusted.
"Call it necromancy or whatever the damn hell it is! But even though she is a practitioner of it, that does not make her the culprit unless you all provide solid proof! Now, if you have a basic understanding of what I am saying, go and yap! If you do not have, shut the hell up!" he added, his nasty attitude showing.
He knew he was acting out of character and that the original Li Yuan, given his soft and calm personality, would not do such a thing. But, unfortunately, he was not Li Yuan. He was Fen Lei, who was in the body of Li Yuan, and he had no control over his unpleasant attitude whenever it snapped.
The villagers fell silent in response to his stern outburst. They looked at him with some displeasure, but they were unable to refute his words. Even if they believed the young woman was the culprit, no proof had been found yet. But the villagers' faces were full of hostility. They clearly did not like the young woman whose occupation involved practicing dark arts and wanted to get rid of her immediately.
One of them still tried to rebut, "But-"
But Fen Lei interrupted, "I do not care how wicked dark arts practitioners are, or whether you people are full of prejudice in your brains! I still say that unless you have solid proof, SHUT. YOUR. MOUTH."
One villager stepped out from the crowd and said with a sharp tone, "We villagers know this matter better than outsiders! We have seen her perform evil rituals and summon evil spirits to harm us!"
Another villager chimed in, "That is right! She should have been chased out of the village a long time ago! Practitioners of dark arts always bring disaster and tragedy!"
Fen Lei's disgust grew more intense, and his face further darkened. He was about to counter those villagers again when a black-clad man in the crowd suddenly interjected. "That gentleman is right. Whether this young woman's practices involve necromancy or any other form of dark arts, the question of her innocence or guilt still requires adequate evidence. We cannot accuse her solely based on your assumptions and biased judgment."
Fen Lei looked at the black-clad man who had spoken. The man looked rather young, in his early twenties, his face handsome and stern. He was standing firmly among the villagers with a serious expression. His words seemed reasonable, and his manner was dignified and composed, unlike the impetuous villagers.
Suddenly, another voice that was icy and cold like a raging snowstorm cut through the noisy argument. "Enough!"
The villagers instantly fell silent upon hearing the cold command. They instinctively straightened their bodies and dared not make a single sound. The cold voice continued, "You people talk too much. Shut your mouths!"
It was Shin Lu. He stepped out from the crowd and moved towards the young woman who was kneeling on the ground, with Rin Yuhan following closely behind him.
"Yuhan, take this woman to the doctress and have her examined," Shin Lu commanded. His voice appeared to have calmed down from when he had just spoken to the folks surrounding the area.
"Hey hey! I will come with the good twin!" Fen Lei smiled and cheerfully insisted on carrying the young woman. The disgust on his expression was no longer evident.
"T-thanks Gentleman Li, but-"
"Ah, do not worry, kid. I am friends with the doctress. Let us go." Fen Lei walked first, carrying the young woman, unbothered whether Shin Lu would agree or object to his initiative.
Shin Lu saw Fen Lei pick up the young woman and was very displeased, but he did not say anything. He followed behind Fen Lei, with Rin Yuhan walking beside him, the three of them finally leaving the chaotic scene.
Fen Lei was having a headache with the young woman's dead weight. She was clearly not unconscious, but her body felt limp, making it quite difficult to carry her. However, being the lazy person he was, Fen Lei would definitely not put her down, even if his arms started to ache as he continued walking.
After a short walk, they arrived at the place where Yan Shiha was currently staying. It was located in the middle of the village. Fen Lei carried the young woman into the house while Shin Lu and Rin Yuhan followed closely behind. When the group entered the house, they found Yan Shiha sipping medicinal tea by the table and reading a book. Upon seeing the strange sight of Fen Lei carrying the young woman, she raised her eyebrows slightly.
Fen Lei was a little breathless. He put the young woman on the bed and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "She looks like a ragdoll. I was about to collapse holding her!"
Hearing Fen Lei's complaint, Shin Lu scoffed.
Yan Shiha pushed away the book and walked over to them, her eyes observing the young woman who was carried in. She placed her hand on the young woman's wrist, checking her pulse, and examining her thoroughly. "This woman... half of her soul is missing."
This strange announcement by Yan Shiha caused a brief disturbance in the surrounding air, but Fen Lei was not surprised at all. "As expected."
The three looked at him.
"There is no way this young woman is the one manipulating this entire matter," Fen lei added, the laziness evident in his tone and on his face.
"Manipulating?" Yan Shiha was puzzled.
Fen Lei nodded. "There are three possibilities. First, but probably the least likely, is that this young woman is the perpetrator. Second, she is not the perpetrator and is not associated with the real perpetrator. Third, she is not the perpetrator but is associated with the real perpetrator."
"Explain," Shin Lu said coldly, staring at Fen Lei.
Fen Lei sighed and gave Shin Lu a lazy look. "I am too lazy to explain everything, and these are just my guesses, of course, but I am pretty confident they make sense." As he spoke, he walked around the bed and looked at the young woman, who was lying there in a daze with no expression on her face. He continued in a lazy tone, "To be honest, looking at this young lady... my money would be on the third one."
He had said it so casually and confidently, as if he really had the money to bet on it. Absurd. He could not even afford a single decent meal!
Shin Lu raised an eyebrow, his tone a little more solemn and composed, "Based on what reasons do you assume she is connected with the real culprit?"
Fen Lei leaned against the wall. He casually crossed his arms and let out another sigh, his lazy expression never leaving his face. "Because half of her soul is missing. I suppose Elder Shin does not need me to explain the significance of this, does he?"