EBE Can't Chapter 58 just stop for a moment?
Can't Chapter 58 just stop for a moment?
Ming Kee's shop is shaped like the Chinese character "回" (hui), with the front two floors being the shopfront and the back floors being the lodging and warehouse.
The family is now sitting in the main hall of the backyard.
"Uncle!"
Ning Xiaoxi greeted everyone and sat down next to Ming Luoying, looking at them with a puzzled expression.
Ming Luoying patted Ning Xiaoxi's hand, "You two chat, Mother will go to the kitchen and check on things. We can eat and chat in a bit."
"Uncle!" Ning Ziqing sat down next to her uncle. "What happened?"
“Your eldest uncle is in trouble.” Ning Shi looked at Ming Shoucheng. “Now that the children are older, they can help. You should talk to them and ask for their advice. Ziqing, how are things at the Celestial Master Pavilion?”
Ning Ziqing took out the jade token and placed it on the table. "It's already registered. Mid-level Celestial Master."
Ming Shoucheng stared at the jade tablet with eyes as bright as stars. "Celestial Master? Is it really the Celestial Master?" Ming Shoucheng said, wiping his hands on his clothes. Then he gently picked up the jade tablet and saw the three characters "Celestial Master Pavilion" surrounded by mountains and rivers. Behind it was a star chart, with the thirty-six Heavenly Generals and seventy-two Earthly Fiends scattered on this small jade tablet like stars in the sky, yet it did not feel crowded at all.
After confirming that it was the jade token from the Celestial Master Pavilion, Ming Shoucheng put the jade token back on the table. "Three days ago, our last caravan that went to the border to collect furs returned. However, this time only twenty-three out of the fifty caravan members came back, and all the goods were gone."
Ning Xiaoxi and Ning Ziqing exchanged a glance. More than half of the people were gone, and all the goods were gone?
“Judging from the account of the steward who escaped, it seems that he encountered a demon.” Ming Shoucheng frowned. “I immediately took the steward to the Celestial Master Pavilion’s residence. The reception document told us to come back and wait, but it has been three days and we have not received any news from the Celestial Master Pavilion, nor have we heard any explanation.”
After saying that, Ming Shoucheng looked up at Ning Ziqing again, "I was just discussing with my sister and brother-in-law whether we should go to the city lord's mansion to report the case first thing tomorrow morning."
Ning Ziqing thought for a moment and asked, "Uncle, is the team leader still here?"
“Yes, because of their injuries, I sent all the men home to rest.” Ming Shoucheng nodded. “The foreman and the men in charge this time are all locals from Shancheng, and their homes are all in the city. I’ll have someone bring the foreman over.” After saying that, Ming Shoucheng went out to make the arrangements.
"Xiaoxi, what do you think?"
"If it were just people who were gone, then it's possible that a demon was causing trouble, but it's strange that all the goods are gone."
"What's going on with the Celestial Master Pavilion?" Ning Shi asked, somewhat puzzled. "When a victim reports a demon incident, the Celestial Master Pavilion has no reason to ignore it."
“We don’t know much about the Celestial Master Pavilion’s system yet, so this matter might not be easy to resolve,” Ning Ziqing said. “If we have the opportunity to go to Lingyuan Dao Academy to learn more, we will understand the Celestial Master system better.”
"I've also heard Brother Chang mention Lingyuan Daoist Academy; he studied there before graduating. What are the requirements for entering the academy?"
Ning Shi poured a glass of water and handed it to Ning Xiaoxi. "Currently, the imperial court and the Celestial Master Pavilion are managed by two different systems. Apart from the king, no one can inquire about the Celestial Master Pavilion at will. Even officials of the dynasty are not allowed to inquire without reason."
At this moment, Ming Shoucheng returned and sat down. "Merchants like us dare not inquire. Whether it is the imperial court or the Celestial Master's Pavilion, they are all unattainable for us common people." After saying that, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "Because of my brother-in-law's previous connections, our family has benefited a little, but compared with the real clans and Celestial Master families, we are just ordinary people and not worth mentioning."
At this moment, Ming Luoying called out and brought in the food: cold dishes such as mung bean noodles and shredded beef in chili oil; hot dishes such as traditional pork bone stew with tofu and vermicelli, braised pork, squirrel fish, and garlic-flavored bok choy, accompanied by mutton soup and dessert pea flour cake.
Ning Xiaoxi's mouth was watering just looking at it before she even ate it.
"Come on, eat up. Your uncle knows how capable Xiaoxi is, but it's never as safe as eating at home as it is outside." Ming Shoucheng reached out and put a piece of braised pork on Ning Xiaoxi's plate.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Ning Xiaoxi ate with a beaming smile.
Ning Shi, Ming Luoying, and Ning Ziqing all looked at Ning Xiaoxi, who was happily eating, with doting eyes, as if just looking at her was enough to make them content.
Ming Shoucheng looked at the family of four, his chubby face beaming with a smile. He never expected that what he thought would be a life of hardship and exile would turn into a family with two Celestial Masters. These were not Celestial Masters from a family with a lineage, but they had even been granted titles by several high-ranking officials and had the King personally order their removal from the list of criminals. What an honor this was!
Just as Ning Xiaoxi was taking small bites of pea flour cake, Manager Liu, who was leading the team, arrived.
Seeing the bruises still on his face and his slightly lame right leg, Ning Ziqing asked him to sit down and talk.
Manager Liu leaned back in his chair and recounted the events of that day in detail.
"It happened on the Tushan Grassland, about twenty miles from Muyun Mountain City. They wanted to hurry and reach the city before sunset. Just as they were about to leave the grassland, they suddenly found themselves facing a sheer cliff; one more step and they would fall into an abyss. Everyone was terrified, thinking they had taken the wrong path. But they knew the route so well, how could they be wrong? They had no choice but to turn back and find the correct way. But they hadn't gone far when they were surrounded by wolves. The horses carrying the goods were also frightened. I had no choice but to order the guards to break through, leaving fifteen guards to cover the rear, and then I led everyone to escape at top speed." The sadness recalling these events almost overwhelmed Steward Liu. "After that, fog began to spread across the grassland, and the sun seemed to set suddenly, shrouding everything in darkness. We were all exhausted, but dared not stop. At that time, we could no longer distinguish the roads, and just walked aimlessly. Later... later..." At this point, Manager Liu stopped, the fear in his eyes almost tangible. "Later, I heard the neighing of horses and the screams of the men. But all I could see was darkness, I couldn't see anything. Then, I felt myself being grabbed, lifted, thrown, and slammed to the ground, my right leg breaking. Then, sharp gusts of wind swept past me, and my whole body began to ache, the pain so intense that I couldn't help but faint."
Hearing this, Ning Xiaoxi said, "Manager Liu, may I take a look at your wound?"
Manager Liu glanced at Ming Shoucheng somewhat awkwardly. How could he undress in front of a young lady?
"Since Xiaoxi wants to see it, let her see it. The wound can be re-bandaged at the clinic later." Ming Shoucheng nodded.
Manager Liu, his face flushed, unbuttoned his clothes, letting Ning Xiaoxi examine the wounds on his chest and back carefully, not daring to move an inch.
"What about the injury on your leg?"
“It’s the same as this on my leg,” Manager Liu quickly said, afraid that Ning Xiaoxi would ask him to take off his pants again.
"Okay, all done." Ning Xiaoxi finished reading, turned around, and sat back down.
Manager Liu hurriedly got dressed.
Ning Ziqing poured a glass of water for Steward Liu, who quickly took it and drank it all in one gulp. He then stood there and continued, "When I woke up, I found myself surrounded by fallen workers. The carriages and goods were gone, and the guards were gone too. I led the remaining workers back in a sorry state."