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Chapter 44 Collecting Ghosts
In the afternoon, fewer people came to pay homage. The wives and concubines were tired from crying and wailing in front of outsiders in the morning, so they started to slack off. When no one was around, they would warm themselves by the brazier, and only howl when someone came.

Suddenly, a man wearing a yisa and cloud-shaped shoes stood in front of the mourning hall.

It was time for more work. The wives and concubines had just howled halfway in helplessness when the man raised his palm and a gray, soybean-sized pill rolled out from his palm and fell into the brazier.

call--

From the brazier where only embers remained, a pillar of fire about ten feet high suddenly rose up.

Although the pillar of fire was fierce, it was an eerie dark green color.

Countless tiny yet strange insects, which seemed real and unreal, flew up from the pillar of fire and filled the entire house.

Whether it was the wives and concubines in the mourning hall, or the servants who were looting property openly or secretly in the front and back yards, they were all chased by a swarm of insects.

The house was in chaos! They tried to fight and escape, but it was no use, and soon the insects pounced on them.

Some bugs crawled into their nostrils, ears, mouths, etc. Others melted directly into their skin.

In a short time, everything became quiet again.

Everyone was terrified, even though the bugs didn't seem to have any effect on them after they got into their bodies.

But after the terrifying scene just now, no one thought that those insects were really "harmless".

"Come all over."

The man gave an order, and everyone obediently went to the mourning hall.

"Where is Qiao Ziang's study?" the visitor asked coldly.

The wives and concubines rushed to lead the way.

A moment later, the man turned Qiao Ziang's study upside down and roared angrily: "Where are the things?!"

The wives and concubines were bewildered: "What is it that you are looking for, my lord?"

The visitor rushed out of the study and searched every room one by one.

"Hey... my lord..." The wives and concubines rushed to stop him. Each of them had gold, silver, valuables, land deeds, house deeds and the like hidden in their rooms.

Now is the time to put money before life.

The man shouted angrily: "Get out of here!"

A wall of fire rolled up, forcing the wives and concubines to retreat in panic with screams.

But the man searched out all sorts of valuables, but he threw them away without even looking at them. The pearls and jade were swept to the ground and smashed to pieces, leaving his wives and concubines heartbroken.

After more than an hour, the people searched the Qiao Mansion from top to bottom.

Every servant, maid, wife and concubine was searched several times.

When the man found Qiao Ziang's wife, a strong servant was furious and resisted on the spot, but was burned into a piece of charcoal on the spot!
But they still couldn't find what the visitor wanted.

He remembered something and returned to the study to take a closer look: one of the vases was missing from the side table in the hall outside the study.

"Someone got there first!" He gritted his teeth, turned around and left quickly.

These ornaments of literati and poets are all regulated and exquisite. Qiao Ziang is very particular about culture and will not make mistakes in this regard.

"Please spare my life, sir..."

The wives and concubines screamed and begged for the antidote, but there was no sign of the master anywhere.
……

The man did not leave Wangjingfang. He turned around and around in the square. After making sure that no one was following him, he went into the backyard of a solemn mansion in the northeast corner.

This is a secluded back garden.

Compared with the Qiao Mansion, this place is several times larger.

There were several exquisite houses hidden among the trees in the garden. He pushed the door open and said straight to the point, "The thing is gone!"

There was an old man in the room sitting on the chaise longue, reading a book in his hand.

"Is Qiao Ziang really dead? Or does he want to use that thing as a stepping stone to advance his career and join others?" asked the master.

"He didn't dare."

The master put down the book and thought for a moment: "The Extermination Bureau went to Hegong Lane today. There was a kid there who seemed to be involved in the Qiao Ziang case."

"The Extermination Bureau is here? Then we can't wait any longer. I'm going to catch that kid back." He acted decisively and turned to leave.

"Come back!" the old man growled. "You're a stranger and don't know the situation in Shanhe County. There's something strange about Hegong Lane." He tapped the table with his fingers. "Let Lao Qian go and test the depth of Hegong Lane. If there's a chance, bring that kid back."

"Master, if Xu Yuan is truly a problem, we must not let him fall into the hands of the Extermination Bureau!"

The master frowned and said, "I know what's going on! You keep watching the Qiao family. That thing might have been stolen by a thief within the Qiao family."

"Don't worry, those people in the Qiao family have been poisoned by my Gu Dan. Everything about them is under my control."

He went out and called "Lao Qian" in, and the master gave him some instructions.

Old Qian has a face full of wrinkles, a thin body, a hunched back, and looks like he could be blown down by a gust of wind.

He received the master's order, said nothing, nodded, and went back to prepare.

The master didn't know at this time that the two capable captains of the Extermination of Filth Division had suffered a great loss at the entrance of Hegong Lane, otherwise he would have been more cautious and would not have easily sent Lao Qian to test it.

After the master had finished arranging these matters, he picked up the book and was about to continue reading when a boy came up the path outside the door, bowed and said, "Master, Shanhe County Magistrate Wang Mingqian wants to see you."

The master didn't even raise his eyelids: "No."

"As ordered."

In the gatehouse of the mansion, Wang Mingqian, who came in casual clothes, did not dare to express any dissatisfaction and left the gift in disgrace.

……

Lao Qian lived in a row of gloomy houses under the west wall of the back garden.

This group of people were brought back by the master from Nandu.

Lao Qian received the task from his master and went back to his room to start preparing.

There were several hanged men hanging from the beams of the house - Lao Qian took them down and put them in his pockets one by one.

He picked up a hoe and dug out some bottles and jars from under the wall.

After thinking about it, he went out to call a carriage, left the city and went to Qilipu outside the city. In the small river outside the village, he put away the "net cage" he had set up a few months ago.

There were seven or eight half-human, half-fish drowned ghosts inside.

The old money was also collected.

When we returned to the city, it was almost dark.

"It's a good time to have a meal and get some work done."

……

Xu Yuan was also having dinner.

We are having meat-stuffed pancakes tonight, which is also Xu Yuan’s favorite.

Dice the pork belly, mix with chopped green onion, beat in eggs and mix well to make the filling.

The outer skin was kneaded by my stepmother herself, rolled out to be only two layers of hemp paper thick, and then fried in oil until both sides were golden brown.

After Xu Yuan ate three or five bites of each and was almost full, he realized a problem: today was already the second day since he came back, and he estimated that by tomorrow at the latest, these good days of enjoying delicious meals every day would be over.

You're about to start being disliked.

Lin Wanmo is actually very lazy - no matter how virtuous and hardworking she appears to be in front of the elders in the alley, she cannot hide the truth from Xu Yuan, with whom she has lived for more than ten years!

Of course, the stepmother didn't intend to hide it.

She is a good cook, but she absolutely does not enjoy cooking.

In order to maintain this standard of living, Xu Yuan felt that he had to do something to make her feel guilty.

So Xu Yuan felt around in his arms and threw a bundle on the table.

Bang!

Bang!

Coincidentally, Lin Wanmo also happened to throw out a bag!

　Asking for a monthly ticket.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)