Entering the Spirit Void 143. Subtle Hostility

The Soul-Pursuing Moon gave Yin Tianlan a cold glance and then said to her, "Lady Yin is also aware of this matter."

Ma Fengyang let out an "Oh" and asked Yin Tianlan, "Blue Sister, is that true?"

Yin Tianlan knitted her delicate brows slightly and said, "A senior member of that family once worked as a hired hand here. He had arranged with his family to return home by a certain date, but when the time came, he never made it back. So—"

Without waiting for Yin Tianlan to finish, Ma Fengyang interrupted and turned to the Soul-Pursuing Moon, "Is this what you call evidence?"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon gave a hum and replied, "Could this not be considered evidence?"

Ma Fengyang let out a hearty laugh, then nodded and said, "I hope you won't take offense, friend, but to tell you the truth, this cannot be used as evidence. Bayan is vast, and the world is so wide. If one or two people suddenly take it into their heads to travel, visiting famous mountains and roaming rivers, it is a common occurrence."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon snorted coldly, "Perhaps, but it is hardly normal to vanish for four whole years without a single message!"

Ma Fengyang said, "Of course it shouldn't take this long, but heaven is unpredictable and men face sudden fortunes and misfortunes. When traveling far from home, there is no telling what strange and sudden mishaps one might encounter."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon lowered his voice and retorted, "Master Ma speaks well; that sounds like the voice of experience. My late uncle, my great-uncle, and those hundreds of hired hands encountered such sudden and strange mishaps, which is why their whereabouts remain unknown!"

Ma Fengyang could not contradict his own words, so he nodded and said, "That is perhaps possible."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon snorted coldly, "What kind of misfortune could they possibly have encountered, Master Ma?"

Ma Fengyang shook his head, "That is hard to speculate!"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon raised his voice and said, "Not at all. Once you figure out one particular thing, it becomes very easy to discover the reason for their disappearance and the exact nature of the misfortune they met."

A chill ran through Ma Fengyang's heart, and he could not help asking, "Oh? Then I must trouble my friend to enlighten me."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon said coldly, "I have made inquiries. A laborer who completes a five-year term receives five taels of silver per month, amounting to sixty taels a year. Upon completing the five years, including the due interest, the total comes to three hundred and sixty taels of fine silver. Aside from the day the contract is signed, when the mine management advances sixty taels for one year to settle the laborer's family, the remaining silver is paid in full upon the completion of the term. Is this rule correct?"

Yin Tianlan and Ma Fengyang nodded in unison, "Correct, those are the rules."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon's gaze swept over Ma Fengyang and Yin Tianlan like a sharp blade as he continued, "I have also made inquiries. Last year, the number of laborers who completed their five-year term totaled five hundred and seventy. Calculating their total earnings, it comes to one hundred and seventy-one thousand taels of fine silver!"

At this point, the Soul-Pursuing Moon deliberately paused, fixing a peculiar gaze on Yin Tianlan and Ma Fengyang. Ma Fengyang frowned deeply, while Yin Tianlan blinked her eyelashes, seemingly beginning to comprehend.

The Soul-Pursuing Moon gave a cold laugh and went on, "Those one hundred and seventy-one thousand taels of silver are the very reason these poor laborers met with misfortune—they were brutally murdered!"

Ma Fengyang remained silent, but Yin Tianlan cried out in astonishment, "It actually turned out like this!"

Seeming to understand what Yin Tianlan was about to say, the Soul-Pursuing Moon hummed and said, "The young lady and I share the same thought. The murderers are those two factions known as the Northern and Southern Overlords."

Ma Fengyang finally spoke, "If that is the case, it is easily resolved. Blue Sister, swiftly dispatch someone to summon Hao Fu and Hu Mengxiong. We will confront them face-to-face and get to the bottom of this right and wrong!"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon burst into laughter, his voice sounding like spring thunder that chilled people to the bone! The laughter stopped abruptly, and he immediately said, "A fine idea, but what a pity!"

Feigning ignorance, Ma Fengyang asked, "Pity what?"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon replied, "No aggrieved party, no witnesses, no corpses, and no murder weapons. Based merely on the facts I have stated, will they confess?"

Inwardly, Ma Fengyang smiled with secret triumph, but on the surface, he wore a bitter expression and said, "If you put it that way, then nothing can be done!"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon sneered, "No, there is a way!"

"Oh?" Ma Fengyang felt a flutter of unease.

Yin Tianlan pressed relentlessly, "Tell me, what is the way? What way?"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon said, "First, I must ask Master Yin to make a clear decision!"

Yin Tianlan blinked her long eyelashes, "Do you mean severing all partnership ties with Hao, Hu, and the others starting from today?"

Ma Fengyang frowned, "Wait a moment, friend. The reason the Yin and Ma mines associated with Hao and Hu in the first place was in order to—"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon interrupted, "I know, but that is no excuse!"

Yin Tianlan made her decision promptly, "Very well, I agree to your terms."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon gave a faint smile, "I thank the young lady first. Furthermore, I have a declaration to make: from now on, whichever mine continues to collude with Hao and Hu, I will treat them as a principal accomplice to murder!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Tianlan merely knitted her brows slightly, but Ma Fengyang snorted and said, "Friend, are you threatening us?"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon said solemnly, "I care not how Master Ma chooses to view it."

Ma Fengyang said, "You cannot be so unreasonable, friend! Think about it, the Yin and Ma houses have interacted with them for many years. To turn hostile overnight and treat them as strangers—that simply doesn't make sense, does it?"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon said coldly, "There is nothing that doesn't make sense about it. Unless there are unspeakable secrets that cannot be revealed to outsiders, and you fear that making a clean break will provoke endless future trouble, there should be no further hesitation!"

Ma Fengyang was about to reply when Yin Tianlan spoke up, "I have already said I agreed to this matter, and that is my final decision. However, it is too late to handle it today; I will notify them tomorrow morning."

Ma Fengyang urged Yin Tianlan anxiously, "Blue Sister, you must consider this carefully! Don't forget, we still have nearly fifty thousand taels worth of goods currently in the hands of Hao and Hu!"

With a stony face, Yin Tianlan asked, "So what if we do?"

Ma Fengyang said, "Aren't you afraid that the moment they turn hostile, they will abscond with the goods?"

Yin Tianlan snorted, "They wouldn't dare!"

Ma Fengyang sighed, "Blue Sister, if what this friend of yours says about their crimes is true, just think—if they dare to commit such heinous acts, they would dare to do anything else."

A cold light flashed in Yin Tianlan's starry eyes, "Then let them try!"

Ma Fengyang glanced at the Soul-Pursuing Moon and said, "Blue Sister, why not adopt another approach and gradually sever ties with them?"

Yin Tianlan let out a laugh, "Fengyang, you should know my temper. Although I am a woman, I am decisive and clean-cut in my actions. My mind is made up, so you had better not say anything more!"

Ma Fengyang forced a helpless expression and said, "Very well, but I must warn you to be on your guard against them from now on. Remember, an open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to deflect!"

Yin Tianlan let out a contemptuous snort and did not reply. The Soul-Pursuing Moon smiled faintly and said to Yin Tianlan, "Young lady, Master Ma is family to you, and his intentions are good. Being careful is always better than being careless."

Yin Tianlan said coldly, "Save your worries!"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon still smiled as he said, "Very well. Since the young lady has everything under control, it is naturally not my place to interfere further. However, now that the issue with Hao and Hu has been resolved, shouldn't you release the innocent person you are holding captive?"

Before Yin Tianlan could reply, Ma Fengyang asked, "Blue Sister, what innocent person?"

Ignoring him, Yin Tianlan turned back to the Soul-Pursuing Moon and said, "Very well. However, before I release this person, there are a few things I must explain to you. Having traveled thousands of miles through wind and rain, this person had already fallen ill. Before he was captured at the ancient temple, he was also subjected to the sealing of his vital acupuncture points, so it is difficult for him to move right now."

Anxiety flared within the Soul-Pursuing Moon, though he maintained an outward facade of calm indifference. "How severe are his injuries?"

Yin Tianlan glanced at him and said, "It is an illness, not an injury!"

The Soul-Pursuing Moon smiled. Yin Tianlan continued, "He is already out of danger, but his constitution is weak. He will likely need ten days or half a month of quiet recuperation to fully recover."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon nodded, "Where is he?"

Yin Tianlan said, "At my private estate."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon asked, "When can you hand this person over to me?"

Yin Tianlan smiled brightly, "This person is neither your family nor your friend."

The Soul-Pursuing Moon replied, "True, but for a frail scholar to travel thousands of miles here, he must harbor some pressing matter. It is my bounden duty to ask him clearly; perhaps I can be of some help."

Yin Tianlan smiled again, "I must admit you have a way with words." Pausing for a brief moment of thought, she added, "How about this? There is no need for me to bother with the matters here anyway. I will take you there right now and hand the person over to you, how's that? Wait for me to change my clothes."

With that, Yin Tianlan turned and walked away.

Ma Fengyang stepped forward to block her path, calling out, "Blue Sister, stay your steps!"

Yin Tianlan halted and asked, "Something the matter?"

Ma Fengyang said, "I think Blue Sister has forgotten that we agreed to discuss the laborers' wages tonight. If Blue Sister goes off to the private estate—"

Yin Tianlan interrupted, "You can make the decisions; it's all the same." With a slight sway of her slender waist, she glided gracefully away.

Ma Fengyang glared at Yin Tianlan's retreating back and let out a cold snort. That cruel, sinister, and ferocious smile naturally surfaced at the corners of his eyes and lips—all of which the Soul-Pursuing Moon observed and committed to memory.

Perhaps sensing a sudden surge of danger, Ma Fengyang quickly regained his composure. He looked at the Soul-Pursuing Moon, wanting to force a helpless, wry smile, but instead snorted coldly and cursed under his breath, "Bitch!"

After a short while, Yin Tianlan emerged in a fresh outfit. She had changed into yellow garments, and the floral ornaments at her temples and collar had been replaced with blue ones, making her look exceptionally stunning and striking. She had already ordered a carriage prepared. After exchanging brief, polite pleasantries with the Soul-Pursuing Moon, she walked out of the hall, boarded the carriage, and sped away.

The Ma Family Inn was renowned far and wide in Bayan, its rooms constantly filled with guests. There was no special secret to this—the inn was simply clean, and its goods were of high quality and reasonably priced.

However, ever since the guests in the east courtyard arrived early this morning, the innkeeper, Ma Qianli, had not rested for a moment, bustling about back and forth. No one knew why he attached such immense importance to these guests.

Now that things had finally quieted down a little, Ma Qianli instructed the staff that he would be staying temporarily in the east courtyard as well, refusing all visitors and telling the waiters to properly manage the rest of the inn.

Furthermore, unless he summoned them, no one was allowed to step inside. Though the waiters did not understand the reason, they nodded and complied.

The guests had arrived at the crack of dawn, and now, right at noon, absolute silence reigned. In truth, Ma Qianli sat upright on the grand master chair in the main room.

His eyes were fixed firmly on the door of the main hall, his expression solemn and stern. Occasionally, he glanced toward the dark inner room on the left, covered by a cotton curtain, but quickly looked back ahead—a behavior that seemed rather odd.

At that moment, a voice drifted out from the left inner room, soft and gentle—clearly a woman's voice. The gentle voice said, "Look at you. Why must you torture yourself like this? Ah, why?"

Another voice replied, weak and frail, yet filled with intense emotion, "Xiaomei, I've finally seen you."

The gentle voice cut in, "Don't speak. You're so ill, and you've only just regained the ability to talk. Save whatever you have to say for a few days from now."

The weak voice answered, "No, I have to speak. I've missed you so much, I couldn't hold it back anymore. I don't even know how I managed to walk all the way here, but I was certain I would see you."

The gentle voice let out a soft sigh and said, "Look, you're being disobedient again. I won't allow you to speak anymore. If you utter another half syllable, I'll leave—I'll go so far away that you'll never find me again. Do you believe me?"

The weak voice chuckled, a smile that was strained yet supremely sweet. "You're still as unreasonable as ever."

"From now on, I truly forbid you to open your mouth!"

"Ah! It was so hard to see you, and I have a thousand words—"

"I knew you wouldn't listen. Don't be upset; I'm going to force you to sleep for a little while."

"I don't want to sleep, I just want to look at you, to look at you—"