CFRSIO Chapter 29

Cangshu suddenly shivered, not knowing what had happened, when he saw the four or five guys who were laughing hysterically instantly lose their heads, their limbs also cut off.

It took only a moment for their heads to hit the ground.

Lin Yunliang appeared beside Zhang Qing’an, covering his eyes. He did not want Zhang Qing’an to see such a dirty scene. He wanted his Zhang Qing’an to be safe and happy, and these dirty things were not worth any of his effort.

Lin Yunliang would also find a way to deal with the “Young Master Zhang” mentioned by the kidnappers.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s okay,” he whispered to comfort the person beside him.

Cangshu’s eyes widened, looking at Lin Yunliang in disbelief. He had never seen the Demon King act so gently. Even when facing Chu Shi, whom he insisted on marrying before, his attitude was still tough, and he had even directly severed the man’s tendons and sinews.

However, it was undeniable that Lin Yunliang’s methods of dealing with those who bullied others were still cruel.

Didn’t he see that those few guys were already dead and could not die any further?

Fortunately, Siam acted in time to cover their mouths, otherwise, Cangshu would definitely have ruined things.

Zhang Qing’an’s tensed body instantly relaxed. He himself had not realized the fluctuations in his emotions. From the voice, it could be heard that it was a very gentle person.

Fortunately, Siam could only read Lin Yunliang’s thoughts, not Zhang Qing’an’s, otherwise, he would definitely be surprised by this thought. Who? Who do you say is gentle? Lin Yunliang is gentle? No, Lin Yunliang is never gentle, he is simply biased.

Siam was the biggest victim of his double standards.

However, Zhang Qing’an did something unexpected, “Let me see.” He grabbed Lin Yunliang’s big hand.

In fact, Lin Yunliang didn’t use any force at all, he couldn’t bear to. Zhang Qing’an looked too fragile now, making all his actions extremely cautious.

“Are you sure? It’s very bloody and filthy,” Lin Yunliang’s voice was still gentle.

“I want to see.” His voice was even firmer than before.

“Okay.” Lin Yunliang did not refuse, and in his heart, he was genuinely happy that Zhang Qing’an could be so strong.

Lin Yunliang clearly discovered his own abnormality. The feeling of easily holding the power of life and death of others when he acted was indeed somewhat intoxicating, even for him. If Zhang Qing’an was too timid to face these things, he could hide in the deep mountains for him.

However, he could not guarantee that he would never act again. After all, his status as the Demon King was there, and life might not be stable.

Since the person wanted to see, he naturally agreed, withdrew his hand, and instead firmly held Zhang Qing’an’s shoulder.

Zhang Qing’an first turned his gaze away. His eyes had been covered just now, but his sense of smell was still there, and he could smell the pungent smell of blood in the air. At that moment, he knew what was going on.

He didn’t know who this person who saved him was, but in his heart, he seemed to have an answer, knowing that this person would not harm him. Although they were meeting for the first time, his heart felt unusually different.

He took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and then turned to look.

Even though he had an idea, he was still scared. Those burly men had been living people not long ago, but in the next second, they turned into pieces of meat.

Taking a life in the blink of an eye. It further made Zhang Qing’an realize how ruthless this seemingly gentle person was.

He solemnly said, “Thank you.”

Lin Yunliang did not want to hear this, but given their current relationship, this attitude from the other party was already quite good.

Siam and Cangshu went to capture the other kidnappers and found the Flower Demon and the Fish Demon.

The three of them had pale faces and were covered in injuries, which made Cangshu, who was also a demon from Qingyun Mountain, very angry. He kicked the tied-up bandits again and again.

Siam then untied them one by one, and checked their condition. Seeing that the three demons were only a little weak and generally fine.

“Kuihua, why are you three here?”

Kuihua was the oldest of the three demons and seemed more steady than Pepper and Qing Shui, so it was correct to ask her.

Kuihua first waved her hand, then walked to the kidnappers and kicked them, even more fiercely than Cangshu’s kicks before, causing the already injured kidnappers to suffer more injuries.

Cangshu and Siam were not in a hurry, standing aside and waiting for them to vent.

After venting, Kuihua tidied her slightly messy hair and explained to Siam and Cangshu why the three demons were outside.

The three demons were also unlucky. They just ran out to play and would return on their own when they had played enough. Moreover, since they were a Flower Demon and a Fish Demon, it was easy to hide. Who knew they would run into a demon catcher.

The demon catcher, regardless of reason or excuse, said that he was acting on behalf of heaven and wanted to capture them.

They had not done anything, and they did not even owe any money to the stall vendors. Why should he act on behalf of heaven? The three demons were not weak, but they were outside, and this was not their territory. Acting rashly would make people suspect them of being intentional.

They could only fight and flee.

As a result, the demon catcher did not abide by the rules and used a formation to trap them here. And not long ago, they had just broken the formation when they ran into these people again, and were captured by them.

These people had blood on them, which showed that they had committed many crimes. Seeing that the three demons, Kuihua, were good-looking, they naturally had thoughts, but the three demons were not weak.

Therefore, they did not suffer much hardship, except that they had been locked up for too long and had not eaten, and they were a little wronged. They came out to travel and sightsee, but they were trapped before they could play enough. After finally escaping, they ran into this group of people again. Anyone would be angry, right?

Cangshu knew they were unlucky, but he couldn’t help but laugh.

The relationship between the demons was clearly good, because after Cangshu laughed, the three demons attacked Cangshu unceremoniously. They also had their limits and only attacked lightly.

Cangshu’s skin was thick and rough, and he couldn’t be injured at all.

“Why are you here?”

“I came out with the Demon King.”

Seeing that the faces of the three demons changed, with both panic and a hint of admiration, they were very contradictory, but it also showed that the relationship between the demons of Qingyun Mountain was quite good.

Pepper even blushed, “Is the Demon King also here?”

“Yes.” Cangshu, with his simple mind, directly revealed Lin Yunliang’s whereabouts, “The Demon King is currently with the human in front.”

“In front?” The three demons exchanged glances.

They had been here for a slightly longer time than the other captured people, so they clearly knew who was imprisoned there and why.

“You tell Lin Yunliang what you know, and he won’t blame you for coming out carelessly,” Siam said.

In fact, Siam could also know some things, but if he were to say it, it would be considered adding insult to injury. Besides, why would he court disaster? He wanted to be at ease for a few more years, so as not to be assigned any more tasks when he told Lin Yunliang about this.

The three demons had not met Siam, and did not answer immediately.

Cangshu then introduced, “He is the new demon the Demon King took in on the way, named Siam.”

“Listen to him, what he says is definitely correct.”

The three demons were still suspicious of this newly appeared demon, and did not say whether they wanted to inform Lin Yunliang about Zhang Qing’an’s situation.

They only said, “How is the Demon King now? How is Qingyun Mountain?”

Before they were trapped, they only knew that the Demon King had met a demon named Chu Shi. They knew nothing about Lin Yunliang’s insistence on marrying him. Therefore, they were also completely unaware of Qingyun Mountain closing its gates.

Cangshu told them all the things that had happened during this period.

The faces of the three demons became more and more unsightly. They wondered why no one responded to their calls for help when they were in the formation. It turned out that something had happened at home! This Chu Shi was truly hateful. To be married to the Demon King was a great honor, and he, a mere seducer, dared to be so arrogant? He even dared to collude with Shi Ren. Truly hateful!

“It’s best that I don’t meet that Chu Shi, otherwise I will make him pay!” Qing Shui said, shaking his fist, and said angrily.

“Then you might not have a chance to meet him. He is currently in the cold regions of the north,” Cangshu said.

Qing Shui just wanted to roll his eyes. He was still injured now, and he couldn’t exert much demon power. He was just saying it casually, why did he have to pour cold water on him so quickly?

“The Demon King wants us to go over,” Kuihua received the Demon King’s summons.

The few demons then went over.

Lin Yunliang had already taken people to a different place. That dark, damp, and cold place was not suitable for anyone to stay. Of course, he had to immediately take people to a warm, clean, and comfortable place.

They had to go to the bandit leader’s lair, but these were all farmhouses. Whether they were comfortable or not, they could only make do for now. He did not intend to reveal too much at this time. He could only do so for now and let people rest well.

Looking at the dark circles under Zhang Qing’an’s eyes and his pale face, it was clear that the person had not rested well.

Zhang Qing’an was picked up. His kneecaps had been dug out, and he had long lost his ability to move. But being held like this made him feel very distressed, so he had to bury his face. He didn’t want people to see, and he was deceiving himself.

Lin Yunliang’s movements were very gentle, as if he was treating a treasure, which made people blush.

“You rest for a while. I have already sent someone to buy some food from the nearby town.”

“Thank you.”

“If Young Master really wants to thank me, why don’t…”

Sitting on a clean couch, with soft cotton underneath, a pillow behind his waist, and a thin blanket covering his legs, he was incredibly thoughtful. Hearing this, Zhang Qing’an couldn’t help but grasp the blanket tighter, but looked at the person in front of him with a calm expression, waiting for him to continue.

Lin Yunliang wanted to tease the person in front of him. Seeing the person’s appearance, the words on his lips circled around and turned into:

“Does Young Master need any attendants?”

“My brothers and I were merchants in the past. We have some martial arts skills.”

“If Young Master doesn’t mind, can you take us in? Consider it a thank you gift for Young Master, how about it?”

Zhang Qing’an sized up the person in front of him. He was a handsome young man. Attendants? Them? Zhang Qing’an had only one attendant before, but that person…

Seeing the person’s emotions surge, Lin Yunliang’s eyes darkened, but he did not expose it. He had other ways to know. He did not need to force Zhang Qing’an to speak here. “Young Master, rest first.”

He pried open the person’s hand that was tightly gripping the blanket. He didn’t know how much effort it took to suppress the urge to reach out and rub it for him.

The blanket had embroidery on it, and perhaps the embroidery thread was too rough, which made Zhang Qing’an’s palm turn red.

He secretly sighed, No, the things here were still too rough. He still had to quickly prepare some more comfortable home textiles.

“I’ll call you to get up and eat later.” He also placed a pillow behind the person.

This allowed the person to rest directly on the pillow.

Outside the door, the four demons and Siam were already waiting.

Siam had transformed into a kitten and was being held by Kuihua. He originally wanted to stay on Cangshu’s head – Siam had only stayed on Lin Yunliang’s head for three days before being captured and thrown onto Cangshu’s back. Later, he got used to it.

But Cangshu was vain and didn’t let him lie on his head. In the end, Kuihua, who wanted to pet the kitten, picked him up.

They had seen cat demons before, but they had never seen such a cute cat demon, so they all had an itch to touch him.

“Demon King.” The four demons called out in unison. The voice was quite loud.

Lin Yunliang frowned. Fortunately, in order not to offend the person inside, he had already set up a barrier. The sound should not have reached inside.

Lin Yunliang nodded and instructed, “From now on, do not call me Demon King anymore.”

“Then, what should we call you?”

Thinking of his future plans, Lin Yunliang also pondered, “Just call me Brother Lin.”

The four demons looked at each other. It was obvious that they found it difficult to say. Lin Yunliang did not make things difficult for them, but instead spoke about other matters.

“How much do you know about Zhang Qing’an’s situation?” he asked the three demons.

The three demons knew in their hearts that this Young Master Zhang was probably the name of that young master.

“That young master was captured more than a month ago,” Kuihua glanced at Pepper and Qing Shui, stepped forward, and said, “We don’t know the specific reason, but that young master seemed to have been tricked into being captured by these bandits.”

“The person who instructed the bandits to capture them should be trying to find out the whereabouts of something from the young master, so they tortured him relentlessly. And…”

It was not that Kuihua couldn’t speak now, but Lin Yunliang’s gaze was too terrifying.

They had never seen such a murderous look on the Demon King. It could be seen how ordinary the person in the house behind was.

The four demons had all seen the barrier around the house. Kuihua didn’t know whether to continue speaking or not, and looked at Cangshu for help.

Cangshu had been with the Demon King during this period and must know something.

Cangshu didn’t know either. He didn’t even know why the Demon King had traveled thousands of miles to come here.

“Continue speaking,” Lin Yunliang said.

Kuihua then continued.

“The young master’s kneecaps were dug out, and he was fed poison to control him…”

Lin Yunliang was expressionless, but everyone around him felt a strong killing intent, and even flattened a nearby dilapidated thatched hut. The four demons all swallowed their saliva, and were a little afraid of the current Lin Yunliang.

They couldn’t understand what the Demon King was thinking.

“Do you know what the person who plotted against Zhang Qing’an looked like?” Lin Yunliang said.

Kuihua felt a little awkward, “We were also locked up at the time, and our demon power was dispersed…”

Under Lin Yunliang’s cold gaze, their survival instinct immediately kicked in, “But I remember the person’s voice. If I hear it again, I can definitely identify him!”

Lin Yunliang’s expression improved a lot. Then he assigned them tasks, telling them to buy food and supplies from the nearby town, not to worry about the price, just buy the best.

“Demon…” Pepper just opened her mouth to say one word when she paused, her face stiffening as she changed her address, “Brother Lin, what exactly are his plans?”

After Lin Yunliang finished giving instructions, he threw them some gold and silver and left, leaving the four demons in a daze. The Demon King had instructed them to buy food and supplies, and the best quality? Was he planning to develop territory here?

But it shouldn’t be like this. The Demon King didn’t need to do this kind of thing himself. Besides, this territory was not comparable to their Qingyun Mountain. The formation outside Qingyun Mountain was naturally formed over many years, and it was much more powerful than the formations in other demon kings’ territories.

The three demons looked at Cangshu in unison, all feeling that Cangshu should know something.

But Cangshu really didn’t know. The one who really knew was Siam.

Siam was still in the form of a kitten, but he had grown much larger, not the miniature size he was just now.

“He might have taken a liking to Zhang Qing’an,” Siam said, feeling that he knew too much. He found it difficult to keep secrets in his heart. He thought that these people were Lin Yunliang’s subordinates and were also infatuated fans of the Qingyun Mountain Demon King.

It shouldn’t be a problem to tell them, and it would be good for them to know in advance. This way, they would respectfully serve Zhang Qing’an in the future, and they would also know who to look for if something happened in the future.

But the four demons were not sensible.

“Impossible!”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

“There’s no possibility!”

“Nonsense!”

The four sentences came from the four demons, but their attitude was the same.

The four of them spoke in unison, making Siam speechless. Truly, no one believed the truth when he spoke it.

They were truly incorrigible.

“But, you,” he glanced at the four demons, “I,”

He continued, “We don’t need to eat either. Only those guys need to eat.”

“Moreover, as you all saw, he specifically let Zhang Qing’an have his own room. How can you not have any intentions?”

“What about Chu Shi? Didn’t Brother Lin like him very much before?” Cangshu said, feeling for the first time that this new companion didn’t understand their boss very well.

Siam almost rolled his eyes, “Where is that Chu Shi now? Do you remember what Brother Lin ordered you to do?”

Siam was by his side when Lin Yunliang gave the order, so he naturally knew.

Cangshu was speechless, because it was indeed true. The Demon King suddenly disliked Chu Shi and even told him to throw the demon out.

Could it be that Siam was telling the truth? But how could the Demon King fall for a human? Humans were cunning, full of schemes, and delicate and weak. How could they be a candidate for a demon queen?

Siam patted Cangshu’s shoulder and did not continue to say that your boss definitely loves Zhang Qing’an, and any persuasion or obstruction from you will be useless.

The three demons also found it strange.

Soon they arrived in town. Unlike the four demons, Siam had another task, a task specifically arranged by Lin Yunliang for him, a task that only Siam the cat could do.

Siam agilely ran between the houses, and he did find clues about what Lin Yunliang had asked him to do.

After Lin Yunliang learned about what had happened to Zhang Qing’an from Kuihua, he had an idea. Since the person who harmed him had not yet killed him, it meant that Zhang Qing’an was still useful, which was why he had spared his life.

Therefore, it was possible that those people were still in the nearby towns. And they should be in the town closest to the village. This was different from modern times.

In modern times, there were mobile phones and telephones, and distance was not a problem. But here, communication still relied on manpower. If they were too far away, then some information would not be so useful.

And he really found suspicious people near the town.

Siam obediently cupped his paws and sat on the roof ridge, looking like a cute kitten basking in the sun. Little did he know that he had already heard the conversation in the house clearly.

Lin Yunliang also heard it.

“Has that Young Master Zhang still not spoken?”

“He refused. He’s a stubborn old ox.”

“This cannot be delayed for too long.”

“I have the same plan. Let’s just use medicine directly. It’s better than wasting time like this.”

“Then you must be careful with the dosage. Don’t overdose and kill the person.”

“Don’t worry about my work.”

Even without being by Lin Yunliang’s side, Siam could feel Lin Yunliang’s surging killing intent. These people were foolish. Who did they provoke, but Lin Yunliang?

Who did they provoke, but Zhang Qing’an?

“However, this Young Master Zhang is quite ruthless. Although Zhang Qing’an and he are not born of the same mother, they are still brothers with the same father. How could he be so heartless? Moreover, weren’t they like brothers who loved and respected each other?”

“What do you know? Brotherly love and respect were all an act for others to see. Zhang Qing’an’s mother was a second wife. Now that the younger brother has grown up, and the stepmother is favored by the father, wouldn’t she have to scheme? What if the old man really doesn’t give him anything in the future?”

“So it was like this. But doesn’t Old Master Zhang care?”

“What is there to care about? Both are his sons anyway. Both palms and backs of the hands are flesh. And I heard that old man is not a good person either.”

“In short, there’s no need to worry about this. You and I just need to do our own jobs.”

“Big Brother is right!”

Lin Yunliang heard all of this clearly, and now he knew who to settle the score with.

Zhang family:

“Young Master.” A subordinate rushed in and cupped his hands.

“How is it?”

“Young Master, please rest assured. The matter is handled.”

The person sitting at the main seat looking at the account book then showed a satisfied expression. “Good.”

He took off the jade pendant at his waist and threw it out. “This is for you.”

“Thank you, Young Master, thank you, Young Master!!”

“Pass down the order, this matter must not reach the old man’s ears, do you understand?”

“Yes, please rest assured.”

“Okay, okay, you may withdraw.”

After the person left, Zhang Qingya had no mood to continue looking at the account book in his hand. It was not in vain that he had been a good elder brother for so many years. This matter was not his fault. He had to blame the old man for being biased.

“Young Master.” Someone else came looking for him. It was a maidservant.

Although she was dressed as a maidservant, her attire was clearly better, indicating that she was not an ordinary maidservant. She was a dowry maidservant brought by the second wife of the Zhang family.

Naturally, her status was higher.

“Madam invites you.”

Zhang Qingya showed a proper smile and said, “Is Mother not feeling well again? I’ll go over now.”

He followed the maidservant to the back courtyard to the madam’s room.

In fact, although they were stepmother and stepson, they still needed to avoid suspicion. When the new madam married in, Zhang Qingya was already seventeen or eighteen years old. And the new madam was also a beauty in her early twenties.

Old Master Zhang was also a man in his thirties.

However, no one in the family mentioned this.

On the couch lay a beautiful woman. She was wearing an embroidered dress and seemed to be feigning sleep.

“Madam, Young Master is here.”

“You may withdraw.”

“Yes.”

“Wait.”

Zhang Qingya said, “Is Mother unwell? It would be more appropriate to leave the maidservant to take care of her.”

The new madam then opened her eyes, her flowing eyes carrying a hint of resentment. “I told you to withdraw.”

The maidservant had been with the madam for many years, so how could she not know the madam’s intentions? She immediately withdrew respectfully. She also asked someone to close the door.

“What. You’re so reluctant to see me?”

“What are you talking about, Mother?” Zhang Qingya said, his expression somewhat evasive.

He had been foolish in the past. However, this person was now useless. Zhang Qingya withdrew naturally and quickly.

“However, if Mother is really unwell, then your son will go to find a doctor for Mother. Don’t delay it.”

The beautiful woman on the couch heard this, and her expression changed. “You, Zhang Qingya!”

“Don’t you believe me? I’ll tell everyone about you and me!!”

“About you and me?” Zhang Qingya smiled again. “What kind of nonsensical talk is this?”

“Your son doesn’t remember ever making things difficult for Mother.”

“Moreover, Mother should consider carefully before speaking.”

“Otherwise, can Mother really bear the consequences?”

“You!!”

Zhang Qingya was no longer the same as he was before. Naturally, he was not afraid of this stepmother. Moreover, with his plan now more than half realized, he no longer needed to worry about this mother and son.

The beautiful woman was speechless, because she knew that Zhang Qingya was telling the truth. Regardless of her situation at the time, she would be the one at fault.

She could only blame herself for being confused and doing something that should not have been done! But it was useless to regret it now.

“I only ask you one question, where is An’an? That’s your own brother!”

“Your own brother? My mother didn’t give me any brothers when she left,” Zhang Qingya sneered.

He had always looked down on this mother and son, but he was young at the time and needed to use some means to protect his status. But now it was different.

“Zhang Qingya!” The beautiful woman roared, and then moved to hit him. Only then did people see clearly that the woman’s legs could no longer move.

“How can you treat your brother like this!”

“That’s your own brother!”

She had not agreed to this matter in the first place, but Zhang Qingya’s methods were quite clever, forcing An’an to go. She was worried and sent someone to accompany him.

Now, the time had long passed, and neither Zhang Qing’an’s letter nor his attendant’s letter had been sent, which made the woman realize one thing. Her An’an, her son, her only support for the rest of her life, had probably met with an accident.

Then, who was the biggest beneficiary after An’an’s accident? Naturally, it was her nominal son, this man who was actually a few years younger than him!

This was why she immediately sent the maidservant to invite him over.

As a result, this person was so inconsiderate, and his attitude was so cold, which broke her heart.

“Do you have to be like this? I told you, An’an won’t snatch anything from you!”

Zhang Qingya showed an impatient expression, as this kind of talk was hard to be trusted.

“I have never planned anything for An’an! Doesn’t this prove my attitude? Why do you still have to make a move on An’an!”

“You haven’t planned?” Zhang Qingya sneered. “What about that old man? Why do I see him especially liking my brother?”

The madam was speechless. After all, she had no right or way to stop her husband’s thoughts.

“But…” she still wanted to say something.

But she seemed to have forgotten. If Zhang Qingya cared about these things, then how could he have had an affair with her, his stepmother who was only a few years older than him?

“Mother,” Zhang Qingya interrupted, raising his hand to stroke the woman’s cheek.

Even after so many years, this woman was still as beautiful as he remembered her, and she still stirred his heart. It was just a pity that they met at the most inappropriate time.

“You just stay in the backyard peacefully.”

“Don’t worry, as long as you don’t talk too much or meddle in other people’s business, then I won’t meddle in yours, and I will let you continue to be Madam Zhang comfortably.”

“But if you meddle,” his hand rested on the woman’s immobile, insensitive legs.

She probably didn’t know that her son had now fallen into the same predicament as her. Heh, but Zhang Qingya would not regret doing this.

“Rest well.”