I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 146: The Death of Zhou An

Duan Rong arrived at the garden hall in the backyard, and Xiao Yu was standing by the door, yawning. As soon as she saw Duan Rong approaching, her expression immediately brightened.

She had worried all night, and now seeing Duan Rong unharmed, the stone in her heart finally fell. Her gaze swept over Duan Rong’s shoulder, noticing bloodstains seeping through the bandage. Her eyes flickered, and she asked, "Are you injured?"

Duan Rong smiled faintly and said, "It’s nothing! Where’s Elder Xiao?"

"Inside, chatting with Chief Accountant Xu!" Xiao Yu said, her beautiful eyes scanning Duan Rong’s body, not even missing a withered pine needle stuck to his knee.

"The Shopkeeper has something to say, let me bring it to Elder Xiao."

"Then you can go in."

Duan Rong pushed the door open and entered the garden hall, while Xiao Yu watched his back, her thoughts churning.

Though she didn’t know what Duan Rong had been up to, she deduced it was definitely related to Young Master Ruan Jing’s matter. Seeing Duan Rong safely return to the Escort Agency with only a shoulder injury, she finally felt relieved.

Duan Rong walked into the garden hall, paying his respects to Xu Shouxian and Xiao Zongting.

Xiao Zongting looked at the unharmed Duan Rong and felt great relief in his eyes.

"Elder Xiao, the Shopkeeper instructs to keep only Zhou An detained!" After paying respects, Duan Rong clearly conveyed Ruan Fengshan’s intention without wasting any words.

Xiao Zongting and Xu Shouxian were both startled upon hearing this, exchanging glances. Keeping only Zhou An meant that the investigation was complete; it was Zhou An who caused the trouble regarding Ruan Jing.

Xiao Zongting clasped his hands in respect to Xu Shouxian and smiled, "Chief Accountant Xu, thank you for spending the night here in the garden hall. Now, the matter has been clarified!"

"Elder Xiao, you accompanied me with contemplative tea all night. This night’s chat solved many heart knots. It was not a wasted night." Xu Shouxian replied with a smile, clasping his hands in return.

The two laughed heartily, with Xiao Zongting personally seeing Xu Shouxian out of the garden hall.

Afterward, Wang De’an, Zhu Shicheng were also released, leaving only Sun Huang with two Escort Masters to guard Zhou An, while the others were withdrawn.

As soon as Duan Rong left the garden hall, Xiao Yu called him and handed him a brown porcelain bottle, saying, "Golden Wound Medicine."

Duan Rong reached out to catch the bottle, raising his head as Xiao Yu had already turned away. Duan Rong watched the silhouette of Xiao Yu in the dim night, his gaze slightly moved.

Duan Rong returned to the dormitory yard in the middle courtyard.

He took out a key and unlocked his dormitory door, not having returned for more than a month. The cramped room had a slight musty smell, so Duan Rong opened the window for ventilation.

No place like home; Duan Rong felt completely relaxed once he stepped into his dormitory.

He untied the bandage on his shoulder, applied Golden Wound Medicine to the wound, and the powder’s stimulation caused a spasm-like pain. Duan Rong gritted his teeth and endured. Once the pain subsided, he changed into a clean cloth and rebandaged the wound.

Only then did he close the window and lay down on the bed.

"It’s not easy to still be able to lie on this bed alive after this trip!"

Having been transported to the Nine Provinces World for less than half a year, Duan Rong had nearly tasted all of this world’s harshness.

After the initial novelty of the transition faded, he started to miss the social survival on Blue Star...

Fighting and killing, truly not easy...

Duan Rong sighed as sleepiness washed over him, and he drifted into deep sleep.

In the moment he fell asleep, he seemed to see once more the bustling streets and vibrant city lights shining like a galaxy in the sleepless city...

In his dreams, a tear welled up at the corner of Duan Rong’s eye.

In the dream, he was homesick...

Sun Huang with two Escort Masters, guarded Zhou An.

Sun Huang stepped directly into the room, standing armed at the door, his face cold and hard like stone.

Now the situation was clear, only Zhou An was detained. Not only did Sun Huang need to prevent him from escaping but also guard against a potential suicide.

Yet Sun Huang’s concern was somewhat an overestimation. In reality, Zhou An lacked the guts to commit suicide.

At this moment, Zhou An sat there with a pale face, pretending to remain calm. His gaze occasionally swept over Sun Huang’s face.

Sun Huang stood inside, suddenly hearing the Escort Masters at the door, Yao Liangrong and Zeng Xiangui, whispering about Young Master Ruan Jing.

Sun Huang coughed, opened the door slightly, and shouted, "Stand guard properly, don’t gossip."

He had just said this when he suddenly saw Ruan Fengshan approaching from afar through the door gap. Sun Huang immediately opened the door and went outside.

Ruan Fengshan dragged along two unconscious servants, moving with a face as cold as frost.

Sun Huang clasped his hands and called out, "Shopkeeper," but Ruan Fengshan merely grunted from deep in his throat, stepping into the room, where Sun Huang promptly closed the door behind Ruan Fengshan.

Ruan Fengshan threw the unconscious servants on the floor, his eyes venomously fixed on Zhou An, who sat pale-faced yet trying to hold calm.

Zhou An glanced at the servants on the ground, his body weakening. He knew that once he admitted guilt and begged for mercy, he would be executed without a doubt. Refusing to confess might offer a slim chance of survival.

His shoulder trembled for a moment, forcing himself to stay composed and asked with feigned concern, "Has the Young Master been found? He’s only three years old; in those villains’ hands, each moment of delay adds to the danger..."

Ruan Fengshan’s gaze swept over Zhou An’s face, unexpectedly finding that Zhou An still wanted to endure through this, and sighed, "Did you have Jing’er write that character?"

Zhou An shuddered at Ruan Fengshan’s words, immediately falling off his chair onto the ground, his body limp with fear, yet his eyes spiteful as he muttered curses, "Yu Wenlong, you fool, how could you let that brat live... fool..."

Ruan Fengshan’s expression turned icy as he drew out a whip with thorns from his back, his eyes filled with rage, taking a couple of steps forward while shouting, "I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful venomous dog!"

Saying this, Ruan Fengshan lashed Zhou An on the face, accompanied by a scream, leaving a two-finger-wide, bloody gash on Zhou An’s face!

The thorny whip scraped off a layer of his skin directly!

Zhou An writhed and screamed in agony on the ground, and Ruan Fengshan continued to lash him fiercely...

Seeing Zhou An rolling and howling in agony, like bubbling in an oil pot, Ruan Fengshan’s face twisted savagely, a sense of satisfaction coursing through him.

Zhou An’s screams heard by Sun Huang at the door made his heart tremble slightly.

After beating Zhou An to a near-death state, Ruan Fengshan interrogated him briefly. Zhou An’s spirit was shattered, only seeking a swift death, thus recounting the events sporadically.

Upon hearing, Ruan Fengshan didn’t spare Zhou An but lashed him even more fiercely, until Zhou An lay still...

A figure with shredded flesh, resembling a red-haired blood gourd...

After venting the rage in his heart, Ruan Fengshan walked over and twisted Zhou An’s neck, who had actually already passed away...

Ruan Fengshan wiped the blood from his hands using the nearby curtains, catching a whiff of a foul smell...

Turning to look, one servant beside the door had awakened at some point, shivering like sifting wheat, yet remained with eyes closed as if still unconscious, with the ground beneath him soaked, evidently having lost control...

Ruan Fengshan walked over and directly snapped the necks of the two servants...

Having turned Zhou An into a blood gourd, his need for vengeance was fulfilled, lacking the interest to torture these two further...

Exiting the room, Ruan Fengshan looked at Sun Huang, speaking wearily, "Leader Sun, please! Handle the three corpses inside the room."

"Yes." Sun Huang bowed with cupped fists.

Ruan Fengshan left heavily, preparing to change clothes and wash up, as the sky had already brightened. He had one important task remaining.