Chapter 00248: Sinful Secrets
# Sinful Secrets
Chapter 248
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 248: Sinful Secrets
In the Liang village chief's house, there was a bustling atmosphere with family members around, but due to the special guest, the others were all sent to the kitchen.
At the large square table sat only He Lingchuan, the village chief, and Zhou Sefu.
As for the personal guards like Dan Youjun, they had their meals in the kitchen as well.
The rock wolf was enjoying a whole live duck, while even the monkey had received two fruits.
He Lingchuan came for a big feast, standard behavior for someone of his rank.
Not only did he want to have a good meal himself, but he also insisted that the village provide food for his subordinates, a usual affair for the local officials.
During good harvest years, the prominent families in the countryside didn’t mind; in fact, they took pride in it.
He chuckled as he sat down, "Just by looking at you, Village Chief Liang, it's clear you know how to treat your guests well!"
On the table was a large dish of goose meat cooked with potatoes, glistening with a black, golden oil, with a thick layer of fat.
The goose meat piled high, almost overflowing.
Other plates held fish, stir-fried bitter greens, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and pickled beans—simple yet hearty farmer's fare.
With a smile, the village chief personally served a piece of goose meat into He Lingchuan's bowl, saying, "This is a big goose raised for two years, weighing at least eight jin! Give it a try; it’s incredibly delicious!"
He Lingchuan ate like any local, dismissing any airs of nobility.
He took a bite of the meat and sipped the village chief's homemade rice wine, chatting and laughing with the two men, unable to help but clap his hands in mirth at the amusing stories of village life, as if the earlier conflicts had never occurred.
The village chief’s family had been listening from the side, and upon seeing the three men get along so well, gradually began to relax their guard.
After all, they were gentlemen from official families, with names and backgrounds; it wouldn’t be likely for them to turn violent during the meal, right? Surely not?
After several rounds of wine, the medicine monkey Lingguang made a few chirps from the windowsill.
To He Lingchuan, this signal meant only one thing: No one was around.
After finishing his duck, the rock wolf came over and lay outside in the courtyard, licking its fur.
Such a large monster standing there kept the villagers at bay; they dared not approach, only standing outside, observing from a distance.
Just as Village Chief Liang naively thought that he had successfully hosted the wealthy young master and that He Lingchuan wouldn’t stir up any trouble, He Lingchuan once again gave his shoulder a pat, saying, "You can tell a person’s future by looking at them as a child. Your grandson has a truly outstanding appearance; he will surely have a bright future."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Village Chief Liang was about to smile broadly when he heard He Lingchuan continue, "He looks just like you."
The village chief's smile froze.
"What?"
"Your grandson is just like you; he came out of the same mold, those eyes, that mouth."
"Of course, he looks like me; he is my grandson."
"Not entirely."
He Lingchuan leisurely chewed on the goose meat.
"Your son is outside, right? I think your grandson looks more like you than like him."
A tremor ran through the hand that held the wine cup, and Village Chief Liang steadied himself, asking, "Young Master He, that's too rude of you. What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Want to be honest here?" He Lingchuan moved his chair closer, leaning in to whisper, "I want to say, you have two grandsons, but you have three sons."
With a loud crash, Village Chief Liang slammed his cup down.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Shh—" He Lingchuan raised a finger to his lips, "Keep it down; don’t let the family hear."
The emphasis on "family" felt heavy.
Zhou Sefu was also confused, his hand behind his back, trying to count on his fingers.
Didn’t Village Chief Liang have two sons and three grandsons? Did Young Master He mean to say...? No way, right?
"Liang Su is the child you had with your third daughter-in-law."
He Lingchuan offered a playful smile.
"You old lecher, are you enjoying such great fortune at home, or are you having outdoor affairs in the fields? Does your son know you’ve put such a high green hat on him?"
Village Chief Liang didn’t know what a "green hat" meant and didn’t have time to think more about it; the muscles in his face clenched in anger.
"Young Master He, you are slandering me and damaging my reputation!"
Instinctively, he wanted to slam the table again but held it back.
"Quit the nonsense. Your third daughter-in-law looks at you like she’s about to drown from longing, tsk tsk, unlike how she looks at her wooden husband."
He Lingchuan patted him on the shoulder again.
"We’re all men here; who can’t see the affair?"
Village Chief Liang tilted his shoulders to dodge his hand, indignantly flushed.
"Where’s your proof? Without proof, you’re just talking nonsense!"
Even though he was showing anger, he didn’t raise his voice, instead lowering it.
He Lingchuan waved his hand, and the medicine monkey Lingguang didn’t know where it fetched a bowl filled with clear water and placed it on the table.
He pulled out two silver needles from his sleeve, each attached to a translucent soft pouch.
This was the tool used by Lingguang to administer medicine, temporarily commandeered by He Lingchuan.
He squeezed one of the soft pouches until it burst, with fresh blood dripping into the bowl, which didn’t disperse but rather sank to the bottom and formed a clump.
He then squeezed the other pouch to drop blood as well, and lightly shook the bowl.
The three of them watched as the two drops of blood at the bottom merged together quickly.
The color drained from Village Chief Liang’s face since he understood.
A moment ago, he had felt a slight tingling in his arm but hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was just a mosquito bite.
Turns out, that was this fellow's underhanded trick!
He Lingchuan said, "This is the blood of your ‘third grandson,’ Liang Su. Sorry, I inadvertently pricked him."
Village Chief Liang and Zhou Sefu finally understood why the child had earlier cried so loudly.
"And the other needle? That’s your blood."
He Lingchuan spoke in a gentle tone, "Liang Su’s blood completely blends with yours, proving the bloodline connection. What else do you have to say?"
Village Chief Liang, filled with shock and rage, hurriedly whispered, "Who knows what kind of substance you’ve put in that water!"
He Lingchuan looked at him sideways.
"Do you acknowledge it or not?"
"Forget it!" Village Chief Liang cursed, "I am innocent, and my third daughter-in-law is innocent too!"
He Lingchuan laughed.
"Right, you both are innocent together."
Zhou Sefu listened on the side, stunned, feeling that this trip was worth it.
"If you don’t acknowledge it, I’ll call everyone in the village over to conduct the experiment again right now."
He Lingchuan shrugged.
"Whether you agree or not, we can discuss it then."
Village Chief Liang’s face, which had turned red from drinking, now turned white, with sweat pouring down his nose.
As long as this wicked young master gathered the whole village to bring this up, even without conducting the experiment, as a village chief, father, and grandfather, he would already be defeated!
If the experiment succeeds, his reputation would be ruined; if it fails, the rumors would still persist, leaving a stain on his life.
How would his son see him? How would the villagers see him? Would he still hold onto the position of village chief?
After He Lingchuan finished speaking, he lifted the wine jar and poured another cup for the three of them.
Zhou Sefu didn’t move, merely enjoying the spectacle of Village Chief Liang, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
Typically, this village chief regarded himself too highly and had been rude to local officials, but now the retribution had come.
After a while, seeing that Village Chief Liang still hadn’t said anything, Zhou Sefu couldn’t help but say, "Village Chief, it’s just a few land deeds; if we stamp them with the village seal, it’s done. Why make things unpleasant for everyone?"
Only then did Village Chief Liang’s eyes move as he looked at He Lingchuan.
"As long as I agree to the seal, you won’t make a fuss, and won’t let the word out?"
"Of course."
He Lingchuan smiled.
"In a place like Shuangyu Village, I wouldn’t even come here without any mission. There’s no enmity between us, and there’s no need for me to antagonize you, right?"
Village Chief Liang turned to Zhou Sefu, who, not waiting for him to inquire, patted his chest and guaranteed, "I will keep it a secret; not a single word will escape from my lips. You can rest assured, Village Chief!"
Village Chief Liang remained silent for a long time, then got up and went into the inner room to fetch a cloth bag, returning with it in hand.
"Where are the land deeds? Bring them out."
Inside the bag was a seal.
He took a breath and stamped it onto the land deed.
According to village customs, with this stamp, the land buyers in Shuangyu Village could find tenants to collect rent.
Zhou Sefu checked each of the land deeds carefully, and upon confirming the seal was correct, he finally released a sigh of relief and nodded to He Lingchuan, carefully storing them away.
As for how Village Chief Liang would explain this to the village elders and villagers, He Lingchuan didn’t care.
People speak differently; if he didn’t have some ability, would anyone let him be village chief at such a young age?
He then asked, "Has Elder Liang from Chuan Yun Pavilion returned?"
Village Chief Liang’s face stiffened.
"He returned yesterday."
"He has gone to the state capital today."
He Lingchuan smiled.
"Is he interceding on your behalf?"
Village Chief Liang fell silent.
He Lingchuan wiped his mouth: "Task completed, I won’t bother you any longer."
Since Shuangyu Village was unwilling to do things according to the rules, following its own private regulations, then it shouldn’t blame him for not following the straight path.
To bend with the bent, and to yield to the yielding, one may still reap the right fruits.
Just as he was about to stand, Village Chief Liang suddenly said, "You, where did you hear about this matter?"
He Lingchuan gazed at him for a long while until Village Chief Liang felt unnerved by his stare.
It was only then that the young master replied, "It’s better for you not to know."
"Please clarify!" Village Chief Liang insisted, "Otherwise, when Elder Liang returns, I will say that you got me drunk and took the chance to coerce me into stamping the seal."
He Lingchuan chuckled, waved his hand, and the medicine monkey Lingguang jumped onto his shoulder, sitting comfortably.
He stroked the monkey's head and said to Village Chief Liang, "This monkey of mine has a pair of yin-yang eyes, able to see things others cannot. Earlier, while we were deliberating in the village house, there was a well beneath the eaves; sitting by the well was a boy of about seven or eight. He cried to my monkey, saying you drowned him in the river."
Village Chief Liang froze, opening his mouth but unable to voice a sound, like a fish out of water.
The young master He had indeed stood at the entrance for a moment when he arrived at the village house.
After a long while, he regained his voice, sounding harsh and terrifying, "What did you say?"
"I said the boy cried to my monkey..."
Just as He Lingchuan was about to repeat himself, Village Chief Liang interrupted him, "What kind of child?"
"Thin and small, with sparse hair, wearing yellow clothes his mother bought for him before the new year," He Lingchuan quietly explained.
"Oh, and he lost a shoe when you drowned him. He wants you to return his shoe."
Village Chief Liang inhaled sharply, making a choked sound, like someone choking him by the neck.
The wine he had consumed earlier began to sweat out of him.
Perhaps other things were also coming out.
"Is he still by the well?" The village chief didn’t dare to look at the door, asking the monkey in a trembling voice.
Lingguang shook his head.
"At noon, what kind of thing would be wandering outside?" He Lingchuan casually remarked, "Most likely, it has hidden inside the well; there must be water in there?"
Village Chief Liang numbly nodded.
He Lingchuan stood up once more, patted his shoulder, and spoke earnestly, "Take care!"
Village Chief Liang grasped his arm tightly, like a drowning man grasping at straw.
"What, what should I do?"
This chapter was first published on Qidian Chinese Network, updated daily at noon.