58 She had gigantic...! (2/2)
Xu Hexian hummed. The gates slowly crept up from below the horizon with two lanterns placed at either side welcomed the three friends back home. ”Yeah. If that guy really killed her like that…don't you think she'd try to get revenge?”
It was indeed odd. If the story had been one of nothing but truths then the ghost of Qun Tao should be extremely resentment, filled with angst and the desire to enact revenge.
But five attacks and not a single fatality did not fit the narrative well. Not to mention she wasn't every aggressive while being chased off by Xu Hexian. There was obviously something missing in the story.
”I guess we'll have to find out tomorrow,” Liu Suye yawned. They said their goodbyes and retired to their respective rooms.
The following day, the three friends met up again and this time headed down to the village early in the morning, when the air had yet to fully thaw and the warmth from the sun was weak.
In the morning, the village was just waking up. While in summer months, it would already be lively at this hour, with the chill of winter the streets were quieter and shopkeepers opened their doors much later. The three friends stood at a crossroad and deliberated their plans.
”Shall we split?” Liu Suye put his hand on his hips and glanced at his companions. ”A-Cai best go see if you can find trails of her from last night. A-Chao and I will ask around the village for more information about Qun Tao from when she was alive.”
”Huh!?” Xu Hexian whined in protest. ”How come I have to do the dirty work? Plus, I'm good at talking to others! Why should you take Meng-xiong with you! That's not fair.”
Liu Sumeng glared. Xu Hexian might have had a point but it didn't mean he had to be so blunt about it. Liu Sumeng had been trying his best at talking to others and improving his communication skills.
Liu Suye just shrugged, uncaring about the other two's personal grievances. He explained his idea with calm logic, ”You're the one that ran after her last night, so you have the best idea about where she could have gone. You also have a better idea of what she looks like.”
”I mean! She just looks like a corpse. With giant boobs! It's not hard to miss! So why does it have to be me?”
Liu Suye slapped a hand on Xu Hexian's shoulder. ”Listen, A-Cai! You're good at talking and I'm good at talking. And A-Chao is good at looking scary. Do you see what I'm getting at?”
An icy glare shot Liu Suye's way. ”What?”
The other two stared at the younger Liu. Suye shrugged, ”See what I mean?”
Shoulders sagged, Xu Hexian could do nothing but admit defeat. ”You're right. Dammit. I guess I'll go look for that big titty ghost!” He rolled up his sleeve as a show of enthusiasm before stomping off.
Liu Sumeng wondered if he was going to be okay.
As if reading his thoughts, Liu Suye mused, ”That ghost isn't too dangerous so nothing too bad should happen to our little A-Cai.” He emphasized the 'too' a little bit strong for Liu Sumeng's liking but Liu Sumeng supposed his older brother had a point.
Shrugging off the thought, they embarked on their investigation of this Qun Tao character. The first stop was the man that was said to be her killer. Ghosts weren't always very good at recognizing people, but if he still lived in the same place as he did before then he should have been her first target. Should have been.
The two brothers were pointed to a quaint house, a shoemaker's house they were told. He was a widowed man in years past his prime and not what Liu Sumeng was expecting to meet. The man was reluctant to allow the cultivators indoors and met them at the entrance of his home. His back was hunched and his expression molded into one of permanent sadness.
He sighed, deep and exasperated, ”Qun Tao? Ah…Qun Tao. A pitiful girl. She was so pitiful. I can't stop feeling sorry for her. It really wasn't my fault you know? It wasn't my fault… I didn't do anything wrong…” But the way his voice was faltered and how he refused to meet any of their eyes made Liu Sumeng believe otherwise.
He crossed his arms and allowed his brother, the one with gentler words, to do the talking. ”Have you heard about the recent attacks on the young men in the village?”
The shoemaker's lidded eyes went momentarily wide, ”The attacks? Was that Qun Tao…? Oh…I see…how pitiful. It really wasn't my fault though. I did what I had to do so…”
Liu Sumeng's lips were pulled down in the slightest of scowls, ”Has Qun Tao appeared here?”
The man shook his head like a wet dog, ”No…no. Qun Tao hasn't come. She hasn't come at all... That must mean she's forgiven me right…?”
The Liu brothers both frowned and shared a look before moving on.
”What do you think?” Liu Suye stroked his chin in thought.
”He's hiding something.”
”I think so too. The question is now what…”
It was definitely weird. Under all accounts, the shoemaker was definitely the one that ended Qun Tao's life. But that would mean he should have been her first and only target for revenge! And if it wasn't revenge that she was after then what could it be?
The next people they went to interrogate were the victims attacked by Qun Tao. They weren't difficult to find, the inhabitants in the village were familiar with the Heavenly Sword Sect Young Masters and readily pointed them in the right direction.
After the third victim had been questioned, a very clear pattern was beginning to emerge in regards to her targets!
They were all relatively attractive young men. Single and unattached as well…
Virginal!