Yang Ruoqing first settled A-Biao in a guest room in the front yard of the inn, locked the door, and paid two waiters at the inn to watch outside the door, preventing A-Biao from running out.

Then she settled Ah-Biao's daughter in the next room, got her some food and drink, and made her stay behind to keep her company. This way, the mother would be at ease.

They are all doing it for their mothers. Yang Ruqing understands this kind of feeling.

If it were her, if it were the baby, or Chen'er, or even Dazhi who had gone somewhere, she would definitely want to watch from the sidelines before feeling at ease.

After settling Ah-Biao and his mother, the next thing to do was wait for Chen'er and Xiao Yu to return.

It was nearing noon, but he still hadn't returned. The rain outside showed no sign of stopping.

This rain has been pouring since last night until this afternoon. The bloodstains from the fight at the bridgehead last night are probably washed away by now.

>Bloodstains can be washed away by rainwater, leaving no trace.

The evils committed by the Black Lotus Cult loom over countless innocent families like a shadow, an abyss that no mere storm can cleanse.

>

In the afternoon, the two of them finally came back.

"Where have you been for so long? Is everything alright?"

Yang Ruqing came to the door holding an umbrella to greet them.

Xiao Yu's face wasn't good, she didn't speak. Chen'er said, "Mother, let's go back to the room first, and we can talk later."

Back in the house, Yang Ruqing poured a cup of tea that she had prepared earlier for each of them. After sipping a few mouthfuls of hot tea to warm her hands and heart, Xiaoyu finally came back to her senses.

>

"Qing'er jie, I dare say it was the people from the Black Lotus Sect who did this."

Yang Ruqing's eyes widened. "What? Are you saying that those people were killed by the Black Lotus Cult?"

Xiaoyu said, "It's not about killing directly, but using indirect means to kill."

"How should I put this?" Yang Ruqing asked again.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Xiao Yu said, "I deduced it from the facial expressions of those deceased."

They share a common trait in their facial expressions: happiness.

"Happy?" Yang Ruqing was even more surprised.

"Can you still be happy if you're drowned in a foot basin?" Yang Ruqing asked.

Chen'er said from the side, "Mother, it's true, they are truly happy,"

>“As people approach death, there are only two possibilities: liberation or a grotesque and unwilling struggle.”

"But they, a few of them, were released from the Ministry of War and seemed to be intoxicated by the pleasure of it."

“They were all laughing, as if they had seen or experienced something most delightful…”

“Well, it's like... a student who failed many exams, suddenly passed one day.”

“Or perhaps a covetous person, seeing mountains of gold and silver…”

Upon hearing Xiao Yu and Chen'er's description, Yang Ruqing also started to ponder.

“I understand. They might have taken something before they died, a drug that causes hallucinations and lets them see illusions born from their own inner demons..." Yang Ruqing said.

Xiaoyu said, "Qing'er is right. There is indeed a kind of medicine inside the Black Lotus Sect that can make people hallucinate after taking it."

Yang Ruqing and Chen'er both looked at Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu continued, "Chen'er went to investigate the families of those deceased, as well as their relatives and friends, and neighbors,"

They all shared one thing in common: they were all devout followers of the Black Lotus sect in life.

"Because several of their families were well-off, recently members of the Black Lotus Sect frequently approached them, demanding money, claiming it was to bolster the Black Lotus Sect,"

"Several of them could no longer bear it and began to have thoughts of leaving the Black Lotus Sect, and then, they died very soon after..." Xiaoyu said.

Yang Ruoqing sneered, "It's easy to get in but hard to get out. Xiaoyu, are the rules of the Black Lotus Sect really like this? Do you take money from your followers?"

Xiaoyu shook her head. "When I was still sitting on the altar of the Goddess, there were no such rules. On the contrary, we would distribute silver and materials from top to bottom to those believers in need."

>

“As for those wealthy congregants in the temple, we won't force them to pay. We emphasize voluntary contributions.”

"I've been down from the altar for a year now. For that whole time, I've essentially been under house arrest. I imagine they've distorted the teachings beyond recognition by now!" Xiaoyu said.

Yang Ruqing nodded and turned her gaze to Chen'er, "Chen'er, have you reported this situation to Lord Huang, the county magistrate?"

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Chen'er said, "It must have been reflected. However, Huang DaRen is also very troubled. He knows it was the work of the Black Lotus Sect, but he is helpless because he can't get rid of them. Jianye City is so big, and the Black Lotus Sect members are good at moving secretly,"

Maybe they live among us just like we do, hidden in plain sight, doing ordinary jobs, perhaps even as scholars and artists.

Speaking of this, Yang Ruoqing smiled.

“I know a hideout they're using,” she said.

Chen'er raised an eyebrow: "Wasn't that the place Mother snuck off to follow last night and found?"

Yang Ruoqing nodded.

Chen'er said, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows. If we can't find the key figure in the middle, even if we capture one lair, it won't be of much use,"

"All we caught were a few women and children followers. They won't amount to anything, not to mention they'll only alert the rest."

>

Yang Ruqing nodded secretly, agreeing with Chen'er's analysis.

“I brought someone back with me today, he's also from the Black Lotus Sect. Perhaps we can find a breakthrough from him, and then wipe out all the key figures of the Black Lotus Sect in Ye City!”

Before you guys came back, I also took A-Biao's pulse myself. From his pulse, I couldn't see anything special.

Xiao Yu sat by the bed, feeling A-Biao's pulse. Yang Ruqing stood beside her and said.

Xiao Yu moved her finger from Ah Biao's wrist and looked at his eyelids, checking his tongue coating.

Please provide me with the text you would like me to translate. For example, if your content is: "

This is a sentence in Chinese.

This is a sentence in English.

Then he took out silver needles and pierced A-Biao's ten fingers, squeezing out half a bowl of blood.

Xiao Yu took out a bag of medicinal powder from her body, sprinkled it in, and shook it gently.

Upon looking, a small bowl of blood was seen, as if something were boiling within it.

Then it vanished, and all returned to peace.

"How are you?" Yang Ruqing asked again.

Little Jade turned around and said, "Just like the few deceased persons ahead of us, they were given that kind of hallucinogenic drug."

Yang Ruqing frowned, "Isn't it that in a few days, A-Biao will also die in the most illusory images he desires, like those before him?"

Xiaoyu nodded.

At that moment, Ah Biao who was lying in bed seemed to have signs of waking up, mumbling something unclearly.

"Can you guys understand what he's saying?" Yang Ruqing asked.

Xiaoyu shook her head, "It seems like a local dialect from Jianye. I don't understand."

Chen'er said, "He was calling his daughter-in-law and son's names, calling for them to come back..."

"His demon, in other words, the fantasy he most desires is having a wife and children by his side?" Yang Ruqing said.

Let me know if you have other text you'd like me to translate!

Little Jade nodded. "Yes, who knows, in just two days, he might see his daughter-in-law with his grandson standing in front of him waving at him. Then when he takes a step forward, he'll step into the river with a smile and die."

Genius in one second: m.