Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 025

Chapter 25

Sure enough, two days later, Temple Master Cang Hong called. Si Teng didn’t even answer, instructing Qin Fang, “Tell Master Cang Hong that he’s highly respected, and logically I shouldn’t doubt him. But he said there’s a monster in Qianhu Miao Village, right? If he says there’s a monster in the White House, I’ll have to go to America. He has to show me evidence, even if it’s just a hair from the monster.”

Temple Abbot Cang Hong was embarrassed and replied that he’d thought of that, but the monster was in Qiandong, and collecting evidence would take some time. He was worried Miss Si Teng would be anxious, so he informed her so early.

After hanging up the phone, he felt a pang of displeasure and threw the difficult question to Chen Yindeng. “I’ve always told you Si Teng isn’t that easy to fool. Now she wants evidence, so you decide.”

Chen Yindeng gritted her teeth. “It’s just evidence—demon scales and claws. I’ll just make her one.”

It seemed like this was the only way. Professor Bai Jin shook his head and sighed. After the meeting, he chatted with Wang Qiankun, lamenting that they hadn’t met in a long time. He was really excited to receive the invitation from the head of Baiyun Temple, thinking that this would give them a chance to glimpse the demon world and perhaps gain new insights. But he didn’t expect that this journey would devolve into revenge for old grudges. It was a real letdown, a dull and boring experience.

Wang Qiankun might have understood Professor Bai’s scientific research, but Yan Furui thought they were just too bored. Throughout their conversation, he only caught the phrase “mutual revenge” and quickly pressed, “Wasn’t Miss Si Teng seeking revenge on the Taoist sect? How did it become mutual revenge?”

Temple Master Cang Hong had warned against leaking secrets, but this wasn’t some secret intelligence operation, so Professor Bai had no such scruples and added a few more words. The gist was that Chen Yindeng’s grandmother had died at the hands of Si Teng, and there was already a grudge. Furthermore, Si Teng had placed such a severe curse on Magu Cave, so it was no wonder Chen Yindeng resented her.

Everyone should take responsibility for their own actions. How could they place a curse on others? It was simply too much! Yan Furui, feeling a sense of sympathy, felt a surge of grief.

***

Qin Fang received a call from Yan Furui. This time, he didn’t provide any undercover information. His tone was agitated, yet tinged with seriousness, as he announced he needed to speak with Miss Si Teng.

He talked to him instead; they were “one of us” after all. As he hung up, Qin Fang suddenly remembered something. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked Yan Furui, “Is there someone named Chen Yindeng living there?”

Yan Furui replied, “Yes, that’s the Taoist head of Magu Cave, the only woman here, and quite pretty.”

Ever since seeing the woman who looked so much like Chen Wan at the club that day, Qin Fang had been suspicious. Si Teng was certain the woman was Chen Yindeng, but he wasn’t sure if it was true. He wanted to prove it. “Can you take a picture of her for me?”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Secretly.”

Yan Furui was a little stunned. Only after he hung up did he realize what was going on: Secretly? What was going on with Qin Fang? Was he just obsessed with her because she was pretty?

But this secret photo really troubled Yan Furui. A back shot wasn’t very interesting. He had to take a front shot, right? But was it still considered a secret photo if it was face-to-face? Yan Furui’s phone was ordinary, and no one had taught him how to puff out his lips and scratch his cheeks to pretend to take a selfie. Plus, Chen Yindeng rarely left his room—so when he finally got a chance, he could barely capture most of her face from a distance…

The attempt was ruined. He forgot to mute it, and the button clicked, like a slap in the face.

Chen Yindeng was very sensitive and immediately turned to look over. Yan Furui didn’t even have time to put down his phone, stammering as if he’d been caught in bed. Chen Yindeng walked straight over, reached out and took the phone, and asked him, “Why are you taking my picture?”

If Yan Furui had been a well-trained undercover agent, he could have shamelessly replied that he wanted to take a picture of her because she was pretty, or something like that. Unfortunately, not only was he untrained, but he was also a bit naive and honest. He blushed and stammered for a long time before finally saying, “It wasn’t me who wanted to take the picture.”

Chen Yindeng laughed. “Did someone hold a knife to your neck and force you to take the picture?”

“No, that Qin Fang…”

At the word “Qin Fang,” Chen Yindeng’s expression suddenly changed.

It was really a quick punch. When her expression changed, Yan Furui suddenly found an excuse. “I want to visit Miss Si Teng today. You know, my master did something wrong back then, and I always wanted to apologize. When I called, Qin Fang next to Miss Si Teng asked me to take a photo of Miss Chen… I don’t think it was him who asked. It might be Miss Si Teng’s order. We had dinner at the club that day, and everyone met, but Miss Si Teng didn’t see you. Maybe… she just wanted to take a look…”

Yan Furui thought he was incredibly clever. This excuse was flawless. It openly pointed out his plans to visit Si Teng tonight, and it also helped Qin Fang save face. A grown man asking for a beautiful woman’s photo always looked quite lecherous, but putting the blame on Si Teng made it okay. Women can look at other women as they please; she’s a monster, after all.

Chen Yindeng’s expression hardened, and her finger reached for the delete key, deleting the photo.

She said, “What’s the point of looking at photos? It’s better to meet in person. Aren’t you going to visit Si Teng? I’ll go with you to meet Qin Fang.”

This was completely unexpected for Yan Furui. He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse, but a change of heart forced him to swallow his words.

This was a good idea. What he planned to say to Si Teng might be a bit sharp, and it wouldn’t be convenient with others around. If Miss Chen could get Qin Fang out of the way, it would be great.

***

Yan Furui arrived around 7:00 p.m., with no gifts this time. He was full of righteous anger, ready to call someone to task. Qin Fang opened the door for him, and he immediately sensed something was off. But he didn’t bother asking any more questions. He gestured toward the living room. “Si Teng’s in there.”

Yan Furui pouted, “Someone’s waiting for you outside too.”

Qin Fang was puzzled. “Who? Wafang?”

Yan Furui deliberately kept it a secret. “You’ll know when you see her.”

He swung his arm around and walked inside. Qin Fang was about to call him back to ask about the photo when his phone rang. Remembering Wafang was still outside, he simply closed the door and walked out, pressing his phone. It was Shan Zhigang on the other end, panting, his voice a little nervous. “Qin Fang, I saw An Man.”

Qin Fang stopped abruptly, hardly believing his ears.

“I actually wanted to help you check on that Zhao Jianglong. He’s still in the hospital recuperating. There were guards at the door, not letting me in, so I was just wandering around. Who knew, just now, I saw An Man with two men. I saw them going upstairs…”

He spoke incoherently, panting heavily. “Qin Fang, I’ll go check it out. I’ll call you back.”

Qin Fang suddenly realized, “No, no, wait until I get back…”

He was a step too late. Shan Zhigang had already hung up. Qin Fang cursed inwardly and quickly called him back. He wondered if Shan Zhigang had muted his phone to avoid being discovered following An Man, so he didn’t answer. Qin Fang’s hands were shaking with nervousness. He texted Shan Zhigang, “Don’t go,” three times in a row. Just as he was about to press send, a faint voice rang out from behind him.

“Qin Fang.”

The voice was so familiar, it felt like he’d heard it countless times.

—”Qin Fang, I’m hungry. Buy me an ice cream.”

—”Qin Fang, there’s a tandem bicycle rental over there. Let’s rent one and go around West Lake.”

—”Qin Fang, I’m dizzy from drinking too much. Can you take me home?”

—And that night, in his dream, the woman, soaking wet, sitting at the head of the bed, said to him, “Qin Fang, why haven’t you taken me home yet?”

Was this Chen Yindeng? She had the exact same face and even the same voice as Chen Wan.

He slowly turned around.

***

Yan Furui mustered his courage and said, “Miss Si Teng, I have a suggestion for you.”

Si Teng leaned back in her chair, smiling. “Yes.”

Yan Furui stammered. “Well… Miss Si Teng won’t be angry, will she?”

Si Teng smiled sweetly. “No, I’m the most generous person who readily accepts advice.”

Qin Fang told her that Yan Furui wanted to talk to her. What was he talking about? Even Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple was at a loss in front of her, so who was Yan Furui? He was just here to entertain her? Well, he was just sitting around doing nothing anyway.

Yan Furui made her laugh until she felt uneasy, but the arrow was on the string, so she couldn’t hold back. “Miss Si Teng, whether human or demon, everyone should keep their promises. For example, you promised to help Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple detoxify the Taoists if they found a demon, and you promised to forgive my master’s mistakes if I did something for you. You can’t just do something for us and then turn your back on us, or even stab us in the back. That…that’s not right.”

What the hell is going on? Si Teng was confused, but she still wore a smile on her face. “You mean, I’ll go back on my word and turn my back on you?”

Yan Furui hated seeing her smile, and his words began to stumble. “I used to… really trust Miss Si Teng, but I’ve heard something lately, and I think… well… the small things reveal the big picture… a drop of water can refract the sun’s brilliance…”

Si Teng said, “I don’t know if a drop of water can refract the sun’s brilliance. I only know that I can slap you so hard you won’t be able to find your way home. Yan Furui, are you tired of living? Or do you want to be buried with Qiu Shan?”

Didn’t she say she would accept advice and not get angry? Why was she threatening now?

“Where did you hear that? What rumors have you fabricated about me? Tell me.”

At this point, Yan Furui had no choice but to continue. “You killed Chen Cuiqiao, the head of Magu Cave…”

Here, he glanced at Si Teng. Seeing she didn’t react, he felt a little relieved and continued. “That’s fine. In the old society, the legal system was not sound, and Miss Si Teng can’t be said to be guilty… But why curse the people of Magu Cave? Cause the women to die in childbirth and have the children to be born without a mother? It’s truly cruel…”

Si Teng slammed her hand on the table. “Bullshit! Who cursed her? Only incompetent, low-class demons would secretly curse people. Everyone knows I’ve never been defeated. If I could overthrow her, I’d just raise my hand. Why would I need to curse her…”

She suddenly fell silent, slowly withdrawing her hand. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if remembering something. After a moment, she hummed and said, “Maybe that’s the case.”

Yan Furui was confused. Yes, yes, no, no. What did “maybe that’s the case” mean? Could it be that she couldn’t even remember what she had done?

Si Teng ignored him. She slowly leaned back, her expression turning disdainful. Yan Furui heard her mutter in a low voice. “You are indeed a piece of shit that’s not presentable.”