The Interrogation

"Has Steward Zhang vanished?"

Upon hearing this news, Ren An couldn't help but furrow his brow, displaying a hint of surprise on his face.

The expression was not contrived; it seemed entirely natural.

The leader of the Bamboo Leaf Gang, a middle-aged man dressed in white, carefully observed Ren An's facial reactions but found nothing out of the ordinary.

To delve further, he stated:

"Our investigation indicates that the last time Steward Zhang was seen by others was when he departed from the budget district in your carriage."

Ren An didn't hesitate and truthfully replied,

"Indeed, that is the case."

"On that day, I was relocating to the central area, and since my mortal wife was pregnant and accompanying me on the journey, I purchased a carriage for our travels."

"Given the recent lack of safety in the budget district and my concerns about potential dangers on the road, I sought out Steward Zhang the afternoon before our departure and asked him to accompany us for a fee."

"The following day, after Steward Zhang escorted us to the entrance of the central area, he returned to the budget district alone. We haven't seen each other since then."

His words hold nine points of truth and one point of falsehood.

The monks belonging to the Bamboo Leaf Gang didn't find anything peculiar about this statement and immediately dismissed Ren An's suspicion.

From the very beginning, they didn't harbor much doubt towards Ren An; their intention was merely to visit and conduct an investigation. Firstly, Ren An lacked a motive for murder.

Secondly, his low level of cultivation made it impossible for him to carry out the killing of Steward.

There was truly nothing to question.

They still believed that Steward Zhang's disappearance could be linked to Black Iron Villa.

This belief stemmed from their surveillance of an undercover agent from Black Iron Mountain Villa, namely Steward Ouyang, who coincidentally vanished on the same day.

They suspected that Steward Zhang was also an undercover agent for Black Iron Villa, and they must have received a prior warning, prompting their hasty departure with Steward Ouyang.

Regardless, Steward Zhang's disappearance was most likely connected to Steward Ouyang.

After briefly questioning Ren An, the monks from the Bamboo Leaf Gang departed. As they walked away, the leading friar in white voiced his slight disappointment, saying,

"I had hoped to cast a wide net to catch a big fish."

Discover the hidden operatives of the neighboring Black Iron villas and remove them.

It's a positive development, but it didn't quite meet our expectations."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers couldn't help but shake their heads, feeling reluctant as well.

"Very well!"

The white-robed monk sighed once more before reaching a final decision: "Never mind, let's start shutting down the district tonight and uncover all the undercover agents known to the Black Iron Villa!"

On the opposite side.

Observing the departing figures of the Bamboo Leaf Gang monks, Ren An, who stood in front of the courtyard gate, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

That was a close call.

Luckily, these people aren't very skilled in investigation.

If this were in my previous life, anyone with a basic education of nine years could easily expose my lies with a simple visit and inquiry.

After all, the moving carriage was destroyed and all the belongings were lost. That's a major cause for suspicion.

"Perhaps it's not that the other party is foolish, but rather that they don't consider me a suspect at all.

Ren An couldn't help but chuckle at his own predicament.

With a sigh, he turned on his heels and made his way back to the house, settling into his usual spot in the alchemy room.

It was becoming increasingly challenging to make ends meet.

The monthly rent alone was a hefty sum of 100 low-grade spirit stones, not to mention the 1,000 low-grade spirit stones needed for the "Couples Flying Together" he had his eye on. Diligence was a must.

However, amidst his hard work, Ren An made sure to reward himself.

He would seek out Su Chen for daily conversations on the bed, and engage with Song Huaying to explore various paths towards immortality.

The days were filled with purpose and freedom, yet they seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye.

As the days passed, Song Huaying's pregnant belly continued to grow.

Witnessing this, Ren An adjusted his schedule, dedicating more time to her.

They would often take leisurely walks in the yard, discussing their future children.

The bond between husband and wife grew stronger with each passing day.

On one particular night, Song Huaying lay in bed, while Ren An sat by her side, sharing stories to lull her into sleep. These were tales of love from their past lives, captivating and enchanting.

[By sharing a love story with your wife Song Huaying before bed, your bond as a couple increases by +1.]

"Alright, let's pause here for tonight. I'll continue tomorrow night," Ren An suggested, urging Song Huaying to get some rest.

However, Song Huaying was hooked and immediately clung onto Ren An's arm, playfully saying, "Husband, I need to know if Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen ended up together.

Please tell me more, or else I won't be able to sleep."

Seeing his wife's adorable expression, Ren An couldn't help but reminisce about his own past when he used to stay up all night reading novels.

In the dimly lit dormitory, he would bury himself in bed, calculating how much sleep he could squeeze in and contemplating whether to spend another half hour reading before finally dozing off.

Consequently, I was reading intently until daybreak arrived.

As a result, he was well aware that if he continued to speak, his wife would persist in her flirtatious behavior and listen attentively until the next morning.

To prevent this, Ren An decided to divulge the story's conclusion all at once, opting for a comedic ending tailored to her preferences.

Song Huaying was immensely pleased with the ending.

However, instead of obediently going to sleep after hearing it, she playfully remarked:

"Husband, I'm famished and craving supper~"

"Ying'er, you're making progress."

"But darling, I truly am hungry."

"Alright, I'll go to the kitchen and prepare it for you, but you must sleep after eating."

"My husband is the best!"

"What would you like to eat?"

"I want to devour my husband~"

Song Huaying gazed at Ren An with sparkling eyes, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Ren An gently tapped her forehead and said, "You naughty girl, refrain from reading such books in the future.

Clearly, she really enjoys it."

"I don't care, I just want to eat."

"..."

[You and your wife Song Huaying communicated overnight, discussing various methods of achieving immortality, and deepening the bond between husband and wife.+1]

The following morning.

Ren An emerged from Song Huaying's quarters.

He planned to freshen up, have breakfast prepared by Su Chen herself, and then proceed with his alchemy practice.

However, after breakfast, Su Chen refused to let him leave.

"Husband, are you feeling tired?"

"What's the matter?"

Ren An was slightly perplexed by the question.

Su Chen pursed her lips and stated, "It's nothing, I'm just curious if my husband is tired."

"I just woke up, so I definitely shouldn't be tired."

"Husband, you're tired."

"?"

"You're tired."

Su Chen stubbornly asserted.

Ren An understood.

Out of her deep affection, this concubine wanted to sleep with him in their room.

He assumed it was because he had spent the entire night at Song Huaying's place, causing an imbalance in Su Chen's emotions.

He decided to return to bed and sleep in the morning.

Desperately, she gestured to him once more, whispering, "Darling, you're exhausted."

"Yes, yes, I'm quite tired. Let's go, Su will keep you company

"Okay."

After a short while.

[You and your wife, Su Chen, engaged in deep conversations and made efforts to expand your knowledge, resulting in an increase in spiritual awareness by +1.]

"Crack—"

With a rejuvenated expression, Ren An stepped out of Su Chen's room.

Initially, he had planned to dedicate his time to alchemy.

However, from last night until now, he had no desire to waste any further time.

He made the decision to step outside first, inhale the fresh air, clear his mind, and then return to his alchemy practice.

As he stepped outside the house, Ren An couldn't help but glance at his neighbor Ava Zen's residence.

This elegant woman in her menopausal years truly lived up to Steward Zhang's description of her being a recluse.

Ever since half a month ago, when she had been blocking the door in the morning to interrogate him, and since then, Ren An hadn't caught sight of her.

It was as if she had disappeared without a trace.

He wondered if she had been hiding within her home, never venturing outside.

The first few instances were solely a stroke of good fortune on my part.

Ren An shook his head and let out a wry smile.

Initially, his intention was to flirt with this stunning woman, hoping to manipulate her into becoming his Taoist partner.

His reasoning was that since she was a devoted monk, her cultivation must be formidable.

If he could form a deep connection with her and engage in intimate conversations, wouldn't his own cultivation receive a direct boost as systems reward?

It seemed like a logical plan.

However, based on the current circumstances, this seemed somewhat unattainable.

The beautiful woman was too engrossed in her practice.

It had been several days, and she hadn't even stepped outside once.

Even if he wanted to playfully tease her, he couldn't.

Unless, like the previous occasion when he spent the entire night exchanging thoughts with Su Chen, he made a bit more noise, preventing her from getting any sleep.

This would compel the beautiful woman to confront him the next morning, seeking an explanation for her sleepless night.

In other words, he would have to take the initiative and approach her, but there was a high probability that he would be met with a scolding.

In the courtyard of Ava Zen's residence, an unexpected presence materialized on the wall.

This mysterious figure seemed unsure, unsure of his purpose.

His behavior mirrored that of a secretive observer, akin to someone plucking flowers without permission.

Ren An narrowed his eyes and was taken aback to discover that this covert individual was, in fact, his neighbor.

A skilled swordsman who had attained an impressive level of mastery in Qi Refining, reaching the seventh stage.