"What are you doing? We're all ordinary folk, who would know any demons?"
Cai Lihua, terrified, tried to back away, but the steep slope offered no stable footing. She had no choice but to brace herself against a large rock and crouch down again.
Someone suddenly lifted her up.
"Don't you bullies use your authority to oppress the common people," Meng Shaode quickly went to help the woman, shielding his wife and child behind him.
"Reporting to the leader, that old lady's legs are quite nimble, she got away."
As soon as these words were spoken, A'jiu turned her head to look. Her grandma ran off again?
Was she afraid her ginseng would be stolen? Or afraid of death? None of it mattered anymore, A'jiu was used to it.
However, A'jiu felt guilty at this moment. She knew about Tuoba Yan's situation. She opened her mouth, wanting to lie and explain, but lies always felt so hollow.
"If you don't know him, then why would a demon risk his life for this girl?"
The leader crossed his arms, his iron-like face pulled taut, his voice as cold as the dead of winter.
"We really don't know him." Meng Shaode's heart faltered when he heard it was about this matter.
If it were a month ago, he might not have suspected Xiao Yan. But this time, it was about Zhao Kun, who was Xiao Yan's subordinate. There was no need to distinguish between them.
It seemed Zhao Kun had been discovered, and it must be related to Xiao Yan.
But Meng Shaode was an old hand at this. Frowning with worry, he said, "We met on the road while fleeing famine, looking out for each other. We're really not close to him."
"Is that so? Little girl, you tell us."
The leader's eyes immediately noticed that this little girl in the family was the one whose eyes darted away. Based on years of experience, she was feeling guilty.
With a "whoosh," his saber was unsheathed and suddenly fell to A'jiu's neck.
A'jiu flinched violently in fear.
"Jiu'er!"
"Don't move, all of you, stay put."
Another saber was placed at Meng Shaode's neck. Cai Lihua's face turned ashen, and in the flickering firelight, she seemed on the verge of tears.
"They... they are ghosts, we really have nothing to do with them." A'jiu looked at her parents with knives to their throats. At this moment, she couldn't expect Zhao Kun to rescue them; he was already in trouble himself.
Ghosts? Meng Shaode and his wife exchanged glances.
Even the leader couldn't help but sneer, "You say you have no connection? Then what is this?"
He then took out a piece of paper from his embrace and held it up, pinching it in front of A'jiu for her to see clearly.
A'jiu gasped sharply.
Cai Lihua, ignoring the steel saber at her neck, leaned closer to look. To her shock, the couple cried out in unison:
"A marriage certificate?"
It's over. A'jiu looked at her terrified parents. They couldn't keep it a secret now.
"Speak, where is your husband?"
As soon as this question was asked, even A'jiu could tell these people had investigated everything.
It wasn't difficult to investigate. Following the leads to the Inspector, they would immediately know Tuoba Yan had impersonated someone. Once any suspicious loopholes appeared, they were sure to find clues.
A'jiu shook her head, "I don't know. He said he left and would never come back."
"Where did he go?" Cai Lihua looked at A'jiu, a stranger. This was the daughter she had held tight in her arms, afraid of overheating her, held in the palm of her hand, afraid of dropping her, and she had taken it upon herself to get married.
"Jiu'er, just tell us the truth." Meng Shaode sighed, his heart aching.
He truly hadn't realized this girl had such courage. It was said that marriage was a serious matter, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. Did she consider them her parents?
"I'm telling the truth." As A'jiu finished speaking, Cai Lihua raised her hand to strike.
Her hand stopped in mid-air as she bit her lip fiercely, unable to bring herself to strike.
"Arrest them and escort them back to the city. We'll interrogate them until she tells the truth." The man put away the marriage certificate and gave an order.
A'jiu's mind reeled. What could be done? Even if they arrested her, she couldn't conjure up Tuoba Yan.
Moreover, if the truth came out, then as her nominal husband and their daughter's son-in-law, wouldn't it implicate the whole family?