There is a god in the sky

Chapter 57 Lord Xiao's Doubts 1

The abbot of Fayin Temple was about the same age as Master Wei, with a kind face and a friendly demeanor.

When Shen Lan saw Fu Qingyan in the meditation room, she was no longer surprised that she had been able to get in through the back door.

“Amitabha Buddha, I have heard that you are the savior of Liaochen. Please sit down.”

Shen Lan said modestly, "I can't be considered a savior; I just gave you a few doses of medicine."

Fu Qingyan asked impatiently, "Master, you still haven't answered me, where did Master Liaochen go?"

Shen Lan also looked over expectantly.

The abbot shook his head: "He is no longer a monk of Fayin Temple, and I do not know where he is."

"What? Why isn't he a monk at Fayin Temple anymore?"

"Everyone has their own destiny, so why should you be so fixated on where he is headed?"

Shen Lan felt it was inappropriate to ask Fu Qingyan directly, so she asked indirectly, "He said that you adopted him back then. I wonder how he has been doing all these years?"

The abbot looked up in surprise, "Young lady, who are...?"

Shen Lan nodded. "He and I were childhood playmates."

"I see. He must be feeling happy and joyful right now."

He smiled and had the young monk escort Shen Lan and the others out, clearly unwilling to entertain guests.

Shen Lan bowed and withdrew, feeling that the air in the temple was fresher than that at the foot of the mountain.

"Miss Shen and Master Liaochen actually knew each other a long time ago? No wonder you care about him so much. Why didn't you mention him before?" Fu Qingyan caught up and asked.

"It's nothing important," Shen Lan said casually.

On the way down the mountain, Fu Qingyan shared what he had found out with Shen Lan.

"I never expected that Master Chen, at such a young age, would be the most powerful martial monk in Fayin Temple!"

His fellow disciples told him that Master Liaochen practiced martial arts diligently every day, and aside from eating and meditating, he almost never stopped.

Guan Shu added, "If Master Liao Chen is so powerful, how come he fainted by the river that day?"

"Idiot, everyone gets sick, you're not made of iron."

"But judging from his appearance, he looks so lost and dejected. Could it be that he was kicked off the mountain by the abbot?"

As Shen Lan listened to their conversation, her thoughts drifted far away.

Liao Chen's behavior was indeed suspicious; otherwise, she wouldn't have suspected his connection to the Wu family's case.

Even though someone has now confessed and given a plausible account of the crime, she still harbors a sliver of doubt.

From the moment he appeared until he left, it was as if he was avoiding something.

As they entered the city, a carriage rushed up behind them.

The coachman shouted, "Get out of the way!"

When he heard the sound, it was too late. He quickly tightened the reins and turned the carriage around.

Horses crashed into them from behind, and Shen Lan nearly flew out of the carriage.

She gripped the carriage frame tightly and lay prone on the carriage, but even so, her head still ached from the impact.

Fu Qingyan covered his head and rolled around twice in the carriage, ending up next to Shen Lan.

Shen Lan asked worriedly, "Young Master Fu, did you hit your head?"

That silly kid is really unlucky. If he hits his head again, he'll be crippled if not dead.

Fu Qingyan struggled to his feet and found himself very close to Shen Lan. When he met her concerned gaze, his heart softened.

"Are you alright, Miss Shen? I'm fine, I didn't hit my head."

Shen Lan nodded. "I'm fine too."

Guan Shu was already arguing with someone outside, so Shen Lan and Fu Qingyan hurriedly got out of the car to check.

"So it's you guys, you're like ghosts that won't leave you alone!" A familiar voice reached Shen Lan's ears.

She chuckled to herself: What a coincidence, isn't this the arrogant and domineering Miss Han?

Guan Shu had never suffered such a loss before, and he raised his whip to lash out at the Han family's coachman.

"How dare you! You audacious servant, you dare to hit someone in public!" Han Rong rebuked.

"You were the ones who crashed into us first. My young master's injuries haven't fully healed yet. If something happens to him, can your Han family afford to compensate us?"

Han Rong's gaze fell on Fu Qingyan, her anger subsiding as she asked, "Who knows it's you? Whose family are you from? Why do you always bring a country girl with you?"

When Shen Lan saw her, she couldn't help but think of Liu Engui's wife, Madam Han.

The tragic fate of the Wu family was partly orchestrated by the Han family; otherwise, how could a mere village head dare to bully the Wu family?

Guan Shu put his hands on his hips and mocked, "In your eyes, Miss Shen is a country bumpkin, but in our eyes, aren't you just as much of a country bumpkin?"

In the eyes of the powerful and influential in Bianjing, a minor official in this remote Jianzhou Prefecture was naturally not worth considering.

"Hmph! How dare a mere servant spout such nonsense in front of me! Guards, seize him!"

Han Rong was used to being unruly in Jianzhou City.

If these words had come from Fu Qingyan, she would consider herself unlucky.

But how dare a servant laugh at her like that? If she doesn't teach him a lesson, he'll really think he's someone important!

Han Rong brought four guards with her this time, and the four of them drew their swords and surrounded Guan Shu.

Guanshu is a book boy who only knows how to talk big and has zero fighting skills.

Shen Lan shook her head inwardly. If this master and servant were to go out without anyone accompanying them, they wouldn't even know how they died.

She stood in front of the book and said to Han Rong, "Miss Han, if you have any grievances, please go to the yamen and talk to Lord Xiao. Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner."

"Lord Xiao? Xiao Ji?" Han Rong's expression changed drastically.

"Miss Han, why don't you just ask around and find out if we're living with Lord Xiao?"

Han Rong's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Shen Lan.

"So you're the female coroner that Lord Xiao brought back from Qingmu County?"

Clearly, Han Rong was very concerned about Xiao Ji's situation.

"it's me."

Han Rong snorted coldly: "Not so great."

Guan Shu peeked out from behind Shen Lan and provoked her, saying, "Miss Shen is prettier than you!"

Shen Lan reached out and pressed his head back down, whispering a warning: "Don't be reckless!"

Although they didn't need to be afraid of Han Rong, Shen Lan didn't want to get into a fight with someone over trivial matters.

Han Rong pointed at them, trembling with anger, but ultimately didn't make things difficult for them. She then led her people onto the carriage and left.

Guan Shu looked at Shen Lan with admiration, "Miss Shen was so impressive just now!"

This was the first time someone had stood in front of him when he was in danger; in the past, it was always him who stood in front of his master.

Shen Lan was amused by his admiring and worshipful gaze, and reached out to tap him on the forehead. "What she said is not wrong. You are just a servant. What are you trying to prove?"

Guan Shu retorted defiantly, "Then I am also a servant of the Marquis of Pingyang's household!"

Shen Lan thought that was the end of it.

Unexpectedly, that very evening, Han Rong personally came to the yamen to find Xiao Ji, bringing gifts, saying she had come to apologize.

Since she was a young woman, Xiao Ji felt uncomfortable seeing her, so he asked Shen Lan to do it for him.

The servant led Han Rong into the backyard, where Shen Lan was sitting in the main seat. He asked with a grim expression, "Where is Lord Xiao? Why is a servant sent to greet me?"

The servant replied neither servilely nor arrogantly, "Lord Xiao is busy with official duties, and there is a difference between men and women. Only Miss Shen is suitable to entertain guests at home. You can speak to Miss Shen if you have anything to say."