Chapter 131: Questions for the Neighbor

After a moment’s hesitation, Ou Zhiqing still chose to accept the Jade House Guard.
She knew her own limits—if her abilities were too weak, she’d only drag down her companions at critical moments.

Xiao Qing pricked her finger with a needle and offered a drop of blood to the Jade House Guard.
It flicked its tongue and licked it.
Instantly, I felt the mental link between me and the Jade House Guard sever.
It had become Xiao Qing’s gu insect.

Using blood to feed gu insects, blood recognition of master, or absorbing enemy blood—on the surface, they all involved the gu drinking blood.
But in their mystical essence, there were significant differences.
Only a gu master like Bai Yue could explain it clearly; I didn’t understand.

After the Jade House Guard recognized its master, Xiao Qing really liked the snow-white gecko.
She let it crawl on her hand and played with it for a good while.
I was relieved—she genuinely liked this little pet.
If she hated geckos, it would have been awkward.

Afterward, Xiao Qing and I ate breakfast together.
She recommended some computer games to me.
Come to think of it, when Bai Yue explained things, she sometimes used gaming terms as analogies.
Did she actually love playing games?
It wasn’t obvious.

Xiao Qing chatted with me about some basic supernatural knowledge.
It wasn’t until noon that she got up to leave.
I wasn’t good at cooking, so I suggested eating out at a noodle shop for lunch and offered to walk her out.

As we reached the complex gate, we saw an old man making a huge fuss at the property management office.
Looking closely—it was the old man selling “ostrich” meat.

“That damned thief! Stole everything from my cold storage! All my stockpiled meat is gone!
You have to catch that wretched thief for me!”
The old man shouted.

“We’ll investigate it. Calm down—mind your health.
We’ll definitely get justice for you.”
The security guards comforted him.

“Then check the surveillance! Saying it’s broken is just an excuse, right?
I bet you’re trying to cover for the criminal!”
The old man yelled excitedly.

“It’s not that the surveillance is broken.
There simply aren’t any cameras outside your storage unit.”
The guard explained with a wry smile.

“I don’t care! If you can’t catch the thief, I’ll call the police and let them handle it!”
The old man declared righteously.

I listened in stunned silence.
Did this guy have no self-awareness as a murderer?
He dared threaten to call the police?
Didn’t he realize that if the police investigated the “stolen goods” from the Situ family, it would point straight to him?

This made me wonder.
Normal people might not notice the complex’s abnormalities, but police with supernatural means—
Even I could see the suspicious things; how could they miss them?

Plainclothes officers had already come investigating disappearances.
Yet they hadn’t arrested this meat-selling killer.
Was the evidence chain incomplete?
Not yet time to close the net?

“That’s the murderer? The one who killed the freak last night?”
Xiao Qing whispered in my ear.
She hadn’t seen the old man last night—only deduced he might be the killer from talk of his stolen storage.

“Yes, it’s him. Let’s not get involved.”
I said.
Bai Yue stole the meat.
This man was vicious—I didn’t want a murderer noticing me.

Nearby people whispered:
“Old Zhang’s storage is pretty big—how could it be emptied overnight?”
“Yeah, even with a big truck, there should be entry records.
How did the gate guards miss it?”
“Maybe he did too many bad deeds, and ghosts cleared out his place.”

After Xiao Qing and I left the complex, I noticed something unusual.
Thanks to my enhanced vision, I spotted a black sedan parked by the road, emanating thick black aura.

When the window rolled down, my sharp sight revealed several masked, sunglass-wearing people inside.
Even so, I could tell their facial features were all misplaced—one man’s mouth was even in the hair on top of his head.

I immediately avoided looking at the black sedan.
I guessed these were accomplices of yesterday’s bizarre man, here to check after their companion went missing.

Unlike the old man, who might not connect Bai Yue and me to the stolen “snake meat,”
these creepy people in the black car might be linked to the woman in the neighboring unit 12-1.
I hoped they wouldn’t come for me.

Thinking carefully, both incidents seemed tied to Bai Yue.
That girl was too reckless.
She might be bold because of her skill and fearlessness, but I couldn’t ignore the risks.

After seeing Xiao Qing off, I ate a bowl of noodles before heading back.
The black sedan by the road was gone—I didn’t know what decision those freaks had made.
The crowd at the property office had dispersed too; I wasn’t sure if the old man had called the police.

Back on the twelfth floor, I thought for a moment, then went to the neighboring unit 12-3.
I rang the doorbell.
Soon, the door opened, and Fan Yuxuan poked his head out.
“Miss Xia, what brings you here suddenly? Need any help?”

“I have some questions for you. May I come in?”
I asked.
Fan Yuxuan replied, “Of course. Please come in, Miss Xia.”

I’d already sent the golden bee gu to scout inside, confirming nothing unusual.
The Iron Wire Gu coiled quietly on my wrist, no reaction.
Only then did I dare enter.

Matching his refined, scholarly impression, his home was impeccably tidy—clean and fresh yet lived-in.

Fan Yuxuan’s study was a true study, lined with books.
A quick glance at the shelves and desk showed mostly medical texts: Surgical Examples, Compendium of Chinese Medicine, Illustrated Anatomy, and the like.

One bedroom had been converted into a laboratory, with a lab table holding a microscope, petri dishes, and a small dissection tray.
Silver instruments—scalpel, forceps, hemostats—lay neatly arranged, looking very professional.

“Heh, I’m preparing for graduate studies lately. Sorry it’s a mess.”
Fan Yuxuan said, closing the lab door and turning to make tea.

I found it impressive.
Even for grad prep, few people set up labs at home—usually using university facilities.
Especially in a rented place.

“How long have you lived here?”
I asked.
Fan Yuxuan thought and replied, “Over three years. Thanks to your father’s kindness—no rent increases. It’s helped a lot.”

He handed me a cup of tea.
I appeared to sip it, but out of his sight, I let the Iron Wire Gu dip in and drink.

I set the cup down and asked, “Do you know the little girl on the seventh floor?
The one called Fei’er?”