Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 821 - 68 Miss He Was Not Much Aggrieved

It was perfectly normal for Huo Dali to suspect Wang Yunxiao of lying.

When the courtyard gate swung open, there stood He Lan dressed as a peasant woman. The girl lunged forward from four or five meters away, clinging to Wang Yunxiao’s chest without letting go.

"Husband, you finally came to take me away. I was so scared. Boo hoo hoo..."

Wang Yunxiao remained expressionless and turned to look at Huo Dali.

Huo Dali’s gaze was deeply intriguing.

Martial uncle? Ha...

I don’t believe a word you’re saying!

Wang Yunxiao couldn’t even begin to explain the misunderstanding here.

What decent girl uses her honor to slander others, right?

He could only forcefully pry He Lan off himself.

"Stand properly! I’ll settle the score with you later!"

After subduing He Lan, Wang Yunxiao helplessly cupped his fists and said, "Many thanks to Senior Huo for looking after her; I truly appreciate it."

Huo Dali waved dismissively and replied, "It wasn’t any trouble; I simply stumbled upon the matter. Zhu and Xue have committed too many wrongs, leaving the common folk furious but silent. Miss He’s actions to punish them will surely delight many."

This incident was lengthy to recount, yet not overly complicated.

In short, He Lan had just arrived here, unfamiliar with the local customs. While walking down the street, she unwittingly revealed her charm, catching the attention of scheming eyes. Word of this reached Zhu Lord Fourth.

Harboring hopes of mooching meals, He Lan half-heartedly allowed him to lead her away under the guise of capturing a demoness (certain righteous gentlemen had already concocted five thousand words of unspeakable fantasies by now).

But instead of enjoying a meal, what greeted her was a pile of corpses.

Some fresh, others unearthed from graves. Some intact, others missing parts.

Every corpse was cleaned meticulously—limed, dehydrated, air-dried—then dressed in fresh scarlet robes, placed in wooden boxes, and prepared for shipment to foreigners for rewards and favors.

Apparently, certain foreigners were especially obsessed with human products imbued with exotic allure and mystique. Some believed grinding them into powder for wine could enhance virility; others displayed them in circuses or museums.

Of course, certain foreign-educated officials would swear by their honor that these tales were baseless fabrications born of the ignorant masses’ wild imagination. Foreigners grew up drinking honey milk, receiving elite education, eating medium-rare steak, enjoying ballet and opera, and reading literary classics. They wouldn’t indulge in such things.

Zhu Lord Fourth intended to use these macabre items to frighten naive girls into submission.

He Lan was indeed terrified.

Whereupon the Zhu family’s eighteen members promptly met their untimely end.

It’s said that during Europe’s Middle Ages, a dark period rife with witch hunts, people would declare any beautiful woman a witch, then behead or burn her.

If they actually burned a true witch... recorded history seems silent.

But this time, the Zhu family got a taste of it.

He Lan, the seemingly harmless country girl Wang Yunxiao perceived as lithe and easy to push over, had been engaging in high-level schemes like stealing the Imperial Jade Seal since birth.

Never mind if her parents led her into the high-stakes game. After all, even Liu Bei’s son followed his fourth uncle in and out of Cao’s Army seven times.

In summary, she was a bona fide witch—authentic and unadulterated—a witch with local flair and original essence, standing on par with legends like Wanwan, Xianxian, and Minmin.

Of course, unlike those Jianghu predecessors of hers, He Lan’s parents and sect could vaguely be regarded as belonging to the righteous path, keeping her from being led astray.

She harbored some amount of benevolence and conscience—not much, but it was there.

Thus, only eighteen Zhu family members perished.

The not-so-bright He Lan, after annihilating an entire household, initially planned to grab the precious belongings and flee, but lacked a storage bag for items, and Zhu family possessions were too vast to carry.

So it was then she remembered the swallows’-nesting technique Counselor had taught her, opting to pose as Zhu Lord Fourth’s mistress—a concubine kept outside—joining the other mistresses who arrived upon hearing the news and squabbling over Zhu family’s inheritance.

Since Zhu Lord Fourth was dead, the deceased couldn’t speak to defend themselves.

The plan was solid and proceeded smoothly. Zhu Lord Fourth’s bizarre demise intimidated many potential troublemakers. Even the governmental office wasn’t keen on getting involved, watching from the sidelines as a few foolish women tore into each other obliviously.

Handling the other mistresses was easy. He Lan settled them neatly with a few words.

She hadn’t expected that the truly fearless would show up at this juncture.

Xue the Owner brought his shop assistants, carrying crosses, to Zhu household, beating his chest and proclaiming he was Zhu Lord Fourth’s sworn brother through blood oaths and burnt papers. Now that Zhu Lord Fourth had died tragically, it was his duty to care for Zhu’s wives!

Xue Owner disregarded all taboos, sweeping away Zhu household’s entire treasury, along with Zhu Lord Fourth’s mistresses.

Moved by Xue Owner’s apparent righteousness, He Lan considered this a potential meal ticket and followed suit half-heartedly.

But once at Xue Family’s residence, she hadn’t yet warmed her seat before being carted off alongside the other mistresses.

Zhu family’s wealth was split: seventy percent donated to the church as charity, thirty percent sent to the governor’s office for entertaining officials.

Xue the Owner, ever the executor, skimmed off some profit for himself while risking his entire family’s fate.

The concubines were sold below market value at Spring Warmth Hall; those with children sold elsewhere. Newborns murdered in washbasins, fetuses aborted on the spot.

He Lan hid a pillow under her clothes to feign a pregnancy of four or five months, muddling her way through the chaos until a group of men cornered her with wooden clubs and sinister smiles. Only then did she realize her free meal ticket had once again crumbled.

These days, even decent folks struggled to get a hot meal.

Thus, Xue Family had a late-night feast.

Listening to He Lan’s tearful recounting, Wang Yunxiao found his scalp prickling—so you’re basically wreaking havoc wherever you go, huh?

If he hadn’t intervened in time... hmm, nothing major would’ve happened anyway. Because lacking Jianghu experience, He Lan had already caught the attention of Shopkeeper Nong and Huo Dali while planning Xue Family’s nighttime feast.

The two managed to talk He Lan down and found her a temporary abode for now.

It was at this moment Shopkeeper Nong returned from outside, carrying a food box and bottle of wine. Seeing He Lan nestled against Wang Yunxiao’s chest and crying pitifully, he quickly pacified: "Young Hero Wang, please don’t worry. Miss He wasn’t wronged in any way and remains pure and untouched. You mustn’t blame her."

Blame her? Worry?

What kind of gibberish are you speaking?

Can’t you tell she’s deliberately acting spoiled with me?

Fine...

Seeing Shopkeeper Nong’s somewhat worried expression, Wang Yunxiao understood that his concern wasn’t for He Lan, but for him.

Miss He was already this adept at playing games—don’t, as her elder from the sect... or whatever your relationship is, join her in playing these games too!