Chapter 65: Grief

Seeing this, Fatty did not dare to pester Yang Xuan any further.

Early the next morning, just as the two of them were about to step out, they noticed two unfamiliar faces in the inn.

One of them was a man dressed in a sharp suit, with handsome features and the air of a successful professional.

The woman beside him wore a plain dress, possessing soft facial features and a gentle, virtuous appearance, much like a newlywed next-door neighbor.

When Yang Xuan caught sight of the pair, his expression faltered slightly, and a deep, piercing chill flashed across the depths of his eyes, though it vanished in the very next instant.

The four of them brushed past one another, and none paid any particular attention to the rest.

At the entrance of Huangjia Village.

The village chief sat slumped on a stone stool, staring blankly ahead in absolute silence, looking as though his soul had been ripped away, appearing shockingly lifeless.

Huang Yuhang lay motionless on the ground, his face ashen, his fate—whether dead or alive—unknown.

The surrounding area was in complete chaos, littered with various debris and stained with horrifying, mottled patches of blood.

"Alas, what kind of terrible karma has Huangjia Village accumulated to bring about such a tragedy?"

"Indeed! When I passed by here in the dead of night last night, I heard a string of piercing, miserable screeches that scared the wits out of me. I thought it was haunted."

"Hush... Keep your voice down. This is bad luck."

"What is there to fear? I'm just sighing over it, not harming anyone."

"..."

The crowd chattered and buzzed with endless discussion.

At that moment, Yang Xuan approached the village chief.

"Village Chief, matters have come to this. Aren't you going to turn yourselves in?" Yang Xuan's cold voice rang out.

The village chief trembled slightly, turning his head to look at Yang Xuan, his face drenched in tears. "Yang Xuan, I beg you, spare my son! He is still young; he cannot withstand the punishment of the law."

The village chief's heartrending cry echoed across the entire mountain ridge, drawing profound sympathy from the onlookers.

"Village Chief, aren't you mistaken? It is not that I refuse to spare him. A life for a life, and a debt repaid in coin—you have committed a crime, yet you expect me to help you escape retribution?"

Yang Xuan shook his head. "Village Chief, you still don't understand."

After a brief pause, Yang Xuan continued, "Both Huang Daya and Huang Erya are already dead. Even if you surrender now, the ultimate outcome remains unchanged."

"But my son cannot die! He is only nineteen years old!" The village chief wailed hysterically, his voice cracking. "Yang Xuan, I beg you, spare my son! He is still so young!"

Yang Xuan sneered, "Does his youth grant him the right to murder? Ask your conscience—when he took someone else's life, did he ever consider their plight?"

"I... I..." The village chief was left utterly speechless.

He knew all too well what Yang Xuan meant. Two lives had been lost in Huangjia Village; there was simply no room for redemption.

"Village Chief, the two of you should turn yourselves in as soon as possible, rather than wasting time. You will face justice sooner or later anyway."

With that, Yang Xuan paid the village chief no further heed and walked straight ahead.

"Brother Xuan, wait for me!" Fatty chased after him closely.

Once Fatty and Yang Xuan had left, the village chief collapsed weakly onto the ground, his eyes bloodshot and tears streaming down his face.

He knew he was finished.

His son was the prime mastermind; under the criminal law, death was certain, and he, as the father, could hardly escape culpability.

Clutching his chest, the village chief burst into bitter weeping.

"Brother Xuan, are those two female ghosts still around?" Fatty trotted along beside Yang Xuan, peering around nervously.

Any initial terror he had felt was long gone.

Yang Xuan cast a faint glance at Fatty. "They are."

At these words, Fatty shuddered violently and hurriedly stepped back a few paces, keeping a safe distance from Yang Xuan. "Brother Xuan, let's hurry up and get down to business."

Fatty dared not linger; what if those two female ghosts decided to target him next? What would he do then?

"Hah, what a coward." Yang Xuan scoffed, too lazy to bother with Fatty, and turned to walk toward the house.

Fatty scratched his head. "Brother Xuan, I'm only worried about your safety."

Entering the room, Yang Xuan shut the door firmly, cutting off Fatty's prying gaze.

Summoning the spirits of Huang Daya and Huang Erya, Yang Xuan began to question them about their wishes.

"Huang Daya, Huang Erya, are you willing to reincarnate?"

Hearing Yang Xuan's inquiry, both Huang Daya and Huang Erya revealed expressions of internal struggle.

They were unwilling to simply fade away into nothingness, yet their tormentor was about to face sentencing, leaving them with no further reason to linger in this world.

After a long while, Huang Daya nodded first. "Yes. Thank you, Brother Xuan, I am willing."

"And you, Huang Erya?" Yang Xuan turned his gaze to her.

Huang Erya hesitated before answering, "I... I am willing as well."

Yang Xuan sighed softly. "In that case, go on to your reincarnation. I hope your next lives will be peaceful, fulfilling, and spent in complete tranquility."

With those words, Yang Xuan waved his hand, and Huang Daya and Huang Erya dissolved into two wisps of azure smoke, blending into the air and vanishing without a trace.

Stowing away his talisman papers, Yang Xuan stepped out of the courtyard.

All the residents of Huangjia Village had gathered near the village chief's house, and upon seeing Yang Xuan approach once more, they hastily scrambled out of his way.

The village chief was utterly disheartened. Had he known things would turn out this way, he never would have hired someone to appease Huang Erya's spirit in the first place.

Never had he imagined that it would ultimately lead to his son's doom.

Regret gnawed at him; if only he had foreseen this, he would never have acted as he did.

Yang Xuan walked up to the village chief, looked down at him from above, and spoke slowly, "Village Chief, take care of yourself."

The village chief slumped listlessly on the ground, tears soaking his face.

Leaving the village chief's home, Yang Xuan headed straight for the place where he had first encountered Huang Daya. If his deduction was correct, this was where her mortal remains lay hidden.

To send them smoothly into reincarnation, their corpses had to be recovered.

Squatting down, Yang Xuan carefully inspected his surroundings.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Beneath a pile of withered weeds lay a badly decayed corpse. Because of the body's presence, the surrounding grass had grown much taller than elsewhere.

Using a dagger, Yang Xuan pushed aside the rotting remains and began to unearth the body.

The corpse wore a blue floral dress; although unrecognizable, Yang Xuan could still vaguely discern that she had been a pretty young woman.

"Alas..." Yang Xuan sighed inwardly, placing the remains into his wicker basket.

"Brother Xuan, what are you doing?" Seeing this, Fatty hurried over and asked.

Yang Xuan answered truthfully, "Taking her to be reincarnated."

"Really?" Fatty's eyes lit up with excitement.

Yang Xuan nodded. "Yes. This young girl's grievances have been addressed, and she can finally rest in peace."

As Yang Xuan lifted his foot to leave, a surprised voice called out from behind him, "Are you Yang Xuan?"

Hearing the voice, Yang Xuan immediately halted and turned around to look.

About three meters away to his left stood an elderly woman in her late fifties or early sixties.

With a kind and benevolent expression, she wore a heavily washed, faded garment and was staring intently at Yang Xuan.

"Grandma? Why are you here?" Yang Xuan asked, stunned.

The old woman before him was none other than the village chief's mother—Huang Yuhang's grandmother.

"I have already heard about what happened with Yuhang. Master Lin, you did the right thing. Yuhang deserves to be punished." The old woman patted Yang Xuan on the shoulder, her expression resolute.