Chapter 48: Words Of Comfort

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Words Of Comfort

Only after Lin Fan and the other Wenjian Sect disciples had disappeared from sight did Sui Sui finally turn his attention back to Yizhou.

As expected, Yizhou had already walked several steps ahead, seemingly having no intention of waiting for him.

"Senior Brother, wait for me!"

Sui Sui hurried after him, quickly closing the distance between them.

Yizhou slowed his steps slightly, just enough for Sui Sui to catch up. He glanced at him from the corner of his eyes.

"What is it?" Yizhou asked.

"Nothing." Sui Sui shook his head and fell into step beside him.

Sui Sui walked beside Yizhou for a few steps, quietly observing him from the corner of his eyes.

Yizhou’s expression was still the same as before. His face remained calm, his steps steady, and there was nothing outwardly different about him.

If Sui Sui hadn’t spent so much time around him, he probably wouldn’t have noticed anything at all.

But he knew Yizhou well enough to tell, this was the instinct of a devoted reader who had read the novel for a long time.

Yizhou was definitely in a bad mood.

And there was only one reason for it.

Lin Fan.

Sui Sui scratched his cheek, unsure of what he should say. Asking Yizhou directly about Lin Fan didn’t seem like a good idea. Judging from how he had reacted earlier, this was clearly something Yizhou didn’t want to discuss.

He also could definitely not directly comfort him as Yizhou would suspect the reason why, If he brought it up now, he might only make things worse and make Yizhou suspicious how Sui Sui knows about Yizhou’s previous life matters.

After thinking for a moment, Sui Sui decided to try a different approach.

If he couldn’t ask about the problem directly, then perhaps he could simply distract Yizhou from it.

"Uhh... by the way, about earlier, thank you for saving me, Senior Brother." Sui Sui rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed now that he had brought it up.

"When that spirit beast suddenly rushed over, I didn’t even have time to react. If you hadn’t stepped in, I probably would’ve been sent flying right, hehe." As he spoke, the scene from earlier immediately came back to him.

The spirit beast had been charging toward them so quickly that Sui Sui hadn’t even had the chance to properly react. Before he could do anything, Yizhou had already moved in front of him. With a single overwhelming strike, he had forcefully suppressed the rampaging beast.

Thinking back on it, Sui Sui couldn’t help but feel impressed.

That scene had been way too cool.

For a moment, his attempt to cheer Yizhou up was completely forgotten, and his inner fanboy couldn’t help but emerge.

"Senior Brother was especially impressive earlier." The admiration in his voice has become more and more genuine.

Yizhou, who had been quietly walking beside him, glanced over. There was a faint trace of surprise in his eyes, as though he hadn’t expected Sui Sui to suddenly bring up the matter.

Sui Sui, however, seemed completely unaware that he was being watched. Once he started talking, he became increasingly enthusiastic. "You looked really cool when you subdued that spirit beast earlier, you went like thiss... and thiss..."

Sui Sui continued to ramble, He even raised his hands to demonstrate the movement from earlier, enthusiastically reenacting the moment as though he had just witnessed something incredible.

The more Sui Sui recalled it, the brighter his eyes became.

Yes, this was how it should be!

The protagonist was supposed to stand beneath a golden halo, dazzling everyone with his strength and ability. He shouldn’t be treated like some terrifying villain whose name alone made people wary.

Sui Sui firmly believed that if he worked hard enough to keep Yizhou from becoming too extreme with his revenge and ruin the world, perhaps he could change the protagonist’s future and help him obtain the redemption he deserved.

With that thought in mind, Sui Sui continued his enthusiastic praise, completely unaware that his attempt at people-pleasing had already gotten a certain someone’s attention.

Yizhou glanced at Sui Sui beside him, his expression remaining calm as he listened to his enthusiastic rambling.

He didn’t interrupt Sui Sui.

He simply watched Sui Sui gesture excitedly as he recounted the earlier scene, his expression remaining calm while a faint trace of curiosity gradually appeared in his eyes.

Why was this little fool suddenly trying so hard to curry favor with him?

Thanking him for saving him was understandable, but there was no need to praise him this excessively. Sui Sui had been going on about how impressive he was ever since they left, and it was beginning to feel less like a simple thank-you and more like an attempt to cheer him up.

But why would Sui Sui do that?

He shouldn’t have known that his mood had changed.

The moment he saw Lin Fan again, the disgust he had buried for so many years had resurfaced almost instantly. He hated that person. Even looking at him was enough to make him feel irritated, and for that brief moment, he had nearly failed to suppress the disgust in his eyes.

Fortunately, it had only lasted for an instant.

After everything he had experienced, Yizhou had long since perfected the art of concealing his emotions. No matter how much he hated someone, he could maintain the same calm expression without revealing the slightest trace of his true feelings.

There was no reason for Sui Sui to have noticed anything.

Yet here he was, seemingly trying his best to distract him.

Yizhou looked at him again.

Sui Sui was still walking beside him, completely absorbed in his own rambling and seemingly unaware that he was being watched.

Could it be that this little fool had actually noticed something?

Yizhou couldn’t figure it out.

Still, whatever Sui Sui’s reason was, he couldn’t deny that his mood had improved somewhat.

The praise itself was nothing special. He had heard far more impressive compliments from countless people throughout his life, and he had never cared much for them.

But when those same words came from Sui Sui, they somehow felt different.

There was no deliberate flattery behind them, nor did Sui Sui seem to have any ulterior motive. He simply seemed to genuinely think that Yizhou had been impressive.

That sincerity made the words unexpectedly pleasing to hear.

Yizhou lowered his gaze, and the corners of his lips lifted into an almost imperceptible smile.

This little fool really was strange.

—

Returning to the inn, Sui Sui and Yizhou immediately spread the investigation records they had obtained from the City Lord’s Mansion across the table. Several thick stacks of documents were piled before them, each file belonging to one of the victims.

The records were surprisingly detailed. Along with each victim’s name and appearance, they listed their date of birth, place of residence, location of disappearance, and the names of their immediate family members.

Some files even included their marital status and occupation, providing enough information to piece together a rough picture of each victim’s life before they vanished.

Sui Sui flipped through the records one after another, carefully checking all the information.

Name: Chen Lianhua

Born: Dog Year, 6th Lunar Month, 14th Day, Shen Shi

Marital Status: Married

Place of Residence: East Willow Street

Another record stated:

Name: Zhang Meiyu

Born: Rabbit Year, 8th Lunar Month, 11th Day, Pig Hour

Marital Status: Engaged

Place of Residence: South Market District

For a while, the two of them continued going through the records, comparing the details and checking them against what they had already discovered. By the time they reached the end of the stack, Sui Sui noticed that something was missing.

"There doesn’t seem to be any file for the City Lord’s fiancée here." Sui Sui paused as he reached the end of the stack, his fingers lingering on the last page. He flipped through the records once more, this time more carefully, but the result was the same.

There was no name, no family background, no residence, and not even a basic description of the woman who was supposed to become the City Lord’s wife.

"Could they have forgotten to include it?" Sui Sui pondered, his brows knitting slightly as he tapped the edge of the file in thought.

"Hmm, could be," Yizhou said nonchalantly, giving a small shrug as if the omission was of little importance.

It was possible. She had only been attacked seven days ago, and perhaps the City Lord’s Mansion had been too occupied with the investigation to compile her information properly.

Still, Sui Sui found the omission strange. She was not some unknown passerby who had vanished without a trace. She was the City Lord’s own fiancée, and yet her entire record seemed to be missing from the files they had been given.

Sui Sui did not dwell on it for long. There were still dozens of other records left to examine, so he simply set the matter aside for now. If they needed the missing information later, they could always ask for it.

The two continued sorting through the files. At first glance, nothing seemed particularly unusual. The victims came from different families and backgrounds, lived in different parts of the city, and had disappeared under different circumstances.

There did not seem to be any obvious connection between them.

Sui Sui initially focused on their identities and the places where they had disappeared, thinking there might be some hidden connection between their daily lives. Perhaps they had all visited the same place, dealt with the same person, or unknowingly crossed paths with the culprit before disappearing.

But after several hours of comparing records, he still found nothing.

Then, while casually flipping through another file, his hand suddenly stopped.

Sui Sui lowered his gaze to the page.

He looked at the birth information again, then pulled two other records toward him. His eyes moved between the three dates, and the faint crease between his brows gradually deepened. Without saying anything, he reached for several more files and began comparing their birth information as well.

The more he checked, the stranger it became.

"Senior Brother, look at this." Sui Sui said, his tone turning slightly strange as he pushed the records toward Yizhou. If his guess was correct, then this could be far worse than they had initially thought.

Sui Sui pushed several records across the table and pointed toward their dates of birth. "I think I already know what they’re hunting for."

Yizhou glanced down at the records before looking back at him.

Sui Sui’s expression turned serious as he said "Don’t you think they’re targeting people with Yin-based attributes?"