Lu Xi'an's mouth twitched.
One old and one young, only hearing their voices but never seeing them, and they dared to slash the city's leader in broad daylight.
If he couldn't guess who these two people were, he might as well be out of his mind.
He hadn't expected that after parting ways with Shu and Chai Xin over a month ago, they would arrive here and become urban legends.
He glanced at Yao Wei, who was refueling, and noted that the county ahead was named "Yao." But it probably had nothing to do with Yao Wei.
Yao County had always been the name here, and Yao Wei, being a Neo-Human of the New World, how could there be any connection?
After seeing Yao Wei's expression, he was somewhat surprised, realizing Yao Wei also heard about Shu and Chai Xin in Yao County.
"When exactly did this happen?"
Lu Xi'an asked the raggedly dressed commoner.
The man's arm was getting lower and lower, seemingly too tired to hold it up, so Lu Xi'an moved forward to search the man. After confirming there was nothing on him, he allowed the man to lower his hand, but only in Lu Xi'an's line of sight, not behind him.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The man said repeatedly, "This was probably twenty or thirty days ago... I can't remember too clearly."
Lu Xi'an asked speechlessly, "Why did you just say it was not long ago then?"
The man laughed sheepishly, "Ah! Just think of it as long ago, I misspoke, not 'not long ago.'"
Whatever, there's no point in arguing over such textual semantics.
Lu Xi'an couldn't be bothered to differentiate between 'not long ago' and 'long ago' with the man, thinking that if Shu and Chai Xin had arrived here about a month ago, then things seemed to have gone relatively smoothly at the start.
He just wasn't sure what they encountered in Yao County and whether there was any major trouble?
"You just mentioned vengeful spirits seeking revenge, what was that about?"
Lu Xi'an asked again.
The mention of vengeful spirits suggests that Chai Xin and Shu faced some danger in Yao Village, but later they managed to escape perilously and retaliated against their enemies.
The man said, "I don't know, I'm just a nobody. How could I experience such things!
"All I know is that the talk of vengeful spirits seeking revenge is making everyone in town scared, many people have fled."
Lu Xi'an asked, "How is everyone so scared?"
The man shivered and said, "Ever since the boss died, hasn't Yao County seen one or two people die every night?
"If it wasn't for the day I went out and suddenly saw someone dead at my doorstep, their throat slashed, I wouldn't have run away.
"Those two vengeful spirits killed so silently, someone was throat-slashed at my door, and I didn't hear a thing! Fınd the newest release on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥
"It's terrifying! Terrifying! What if I end up dying like that one day, it's too scary!"
As they spoke, Yao Wei had already filled the car with gas and called Gou back.
Seeing how the man trembled at the mention of vengeful spirits, Lu Xi'an knew persuasion would be futile, so he didn't bother.
Listening to the man's words, he was uncertain if the old and the young truly were Shu and Chai Xin.
Given their temperaments, even if they avenged someone, they should have left immediately. Why would they linger in the city after their kills, day by day, committing so-called serial murders?
And this was definitely not Shu's idea.
The old man who would lay under a tree to wait out a crisis, wouldn't get upset if someone took his things, how could he think up such revenge?
Reflecting carefully, Lu Xi'an suddenly thought this scenario was somewhat possible too.
The hunched little girl, just because someone in Mengxin City ruined her chance to leave with him and Yao Wei, had risked her life going to Mengxin City alone. Now, holding grudges and killing was surely possible.
One must remember, Chai Xin was just a regular person back then, but now she's a Neo-Human thanks to the Fungus Stone.
Once, in the wilderness of Mengxin City, she contended alone with the wolf pack, day after day, dancing on the edge of life and death until she wore out the wolves. So could she not also wear down the people of Yao County?
It seemed like Chai Xin might really scatter Yao County?
Moreover, did she somehow bind the old Shu to the chariot of war?
That's really impressive!
Thinking this, Lu Xi'an asked the man one last question: "What's the current situation in Yao County? Tell me about it."
The man cautiously asked with hope, "If I tell you, can you let me go?"
Lu Xi'an said, "Of course."
Killing this man served no purpose; better to hear an answer than waste a Blade.
The man said, still somewhat unbelieving of Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei, but being weak and powerless, what choice did he have but to forcibly trust these two Neo-Humans?
He said, "The county is about the same as usual. The boss's family ruled, and we had to serve them carefully, giving them whatever we found outside.
"If we didn't find much, or our tribute was insufficient, we'd be punished. If the boss was in a better mood, it might just be a few rounds of punches, whips, sticks. If not, having your nose shaved or ears chopped was possible.
"I fared better, only got punched a few times, and was just whipped recently. Right here, look—"