Chapter 142 - Picking up the Trail of a King

It was another day for the spirit mediums in the Qiao family, and the princess was gently pushed out like before. Qiao Shan could only watch them from a distance like always, but unlike before, she had places to go. Using the excuse of seeing Li Heilong's condition as if she wanted to ask about his experience with the dybbuk, Qiao Shan went to see Li Feng. He said that he would be in the Li Family Estate today so she was hoping to run to him.

Who knew that she would feel something was wrong when she saw that limousine at the side of the road.

Qiao Shan was quick to recognize Li Yunru, and so she asked the driver to pull over. Qiao Shan got out of their car and walked towards the limousine. Li Yunru received her instead, but Li Feng found her presence a rather good distraction. He followed her cousin out and met with Qiao Shan.

"Qiao Shan, are you here to see Dad?" Li Feng tried to smile, but he really didn't want to. He was just being amicable since Qiao Shan was helping him get inside Cherry Med. Also, they had a history of saving each other's lives from the danger of being eaten alive by ghosts.

"I am… is everything okay? Why are you out here?" Qiao Shan regarded the limousine with a look and saw Mian Tianni's glaring eyes from inside. She quickly retracted her gaze and looked at Li Feng's handsome face instead. "Is today… no good?"

"Sorry, you should have called first. Today's… not really a good time." Li Feng didn't know how to act properly right now. He should invite her to the limousine to talk, but Mian Tianni would take out her anger on the poor Qiao princess. The son turned towards the limousine before looking at Qiao Shan again. "I have to attend to my mother. Ah, I'm sorry, but… can you just come again some other time?"

Qiao Shan nodded, but she was visibly sad for being turned away. She then turned towards the Li Family Estate and wondered what could have kept Li Feng from seeing his father. It was her first time seeing it, and it was such a shame that she had to say goodbye even before stepping inside.

When she turned away to walk back to their parked car, Hop's voice echoed: "Princess, it's for the best. I don't think I can challenge the King inside that house."

"King?" Qiao Shan stopped walking and turned towards the house again. Instead of sad reverence, her eyes quivered in terror. "A King is residing inside a habitable place? Even something more powerful than you, Hop? How is this possible? I don't feel anything so dark coming from Mr. Li. He lives here, doesn't he?"

"I don't have an idea. This King is good with concealing itself, but it's feeding right now so I detect it from a distance. It's incredibly voracious, and I doubt it hadn't killed anyone yet." Hop then insisted. "Let's leave this place for today, Princess. That thing might notice us, and I don't know if it will go out to feed on us. 

"That woman in the limousine… she's pouring out so much despair. If Li Feng wasn't absorbing it all, the King should have caught her scent."

Qiao Shan stared at the house before turning towards Li Yunru's direction. The other woman lifted her brows as Qiao Shan walked towards her. The princess then spoke, "Ms. Li, can I ask you strange things? I'm… investigating a tip. It's about the Li Family Estate..."

Li Yunru narrowed her eyes, but she only answered Qiao Shan with silence. If there was something worth investigating in the Li Family Estate, then Li Feng should have been able to handle it. It's just that… this woman had a King with her. If Li Yunru used Guangru as a reference, there might be something that the King had spotted that Li Feng and she herself did not.

"...is there any recent deaths in the estate? A maid or a servant?" Qiao Shan proceeded with normal questioning as if she was indeed checking out a potential infestation case. Li Yunru, however, was positive that nothing worth close to the signs of a phenomenon had happened in the house. The princess then stammered before asking, "...there's so much despair coming from Mrs. Li. Did something bad happened to Mr. Li?"

"For the sake of your investigation, I will tell you. They're divorcing..." Li Yunru spoke, "Enough of us. What did your King say? Is there anything worth the concern in your eyes?"

Qiao Shan then nodded before glancing in the limousine's direction. "Don't tell Li Feng for now, but… Hop detected a very strong King inside the residence. It's potentially dangerous, and it's our obligation to free any household of such things. However… Hop didn't know how it came to be..."

Li Yunru took a step back. "There's no way we wouldn't pick up on a King's trail! Are you forcing your way in?!"

The princess waved her hands as if meekly trying to dispel the agitation. "I know! I know! But Hop said it's feeding at the moment so it's on our radar! It's also capable of hiding itself so I don't question your ability. It's just that Kings are a whole another ball game for exorcists. I have a feeling that it's taking extreme precautions to avoid a shaman as strong as Li Feng and Mrs. Li."

Li Yunru bit onto her thumb. She couldn't just approach the estate and force her way in; neither could she come knocking and offering her services since Li Xin didn't believe in the occult. Before she could think of an answer, a hand then flew to her shoulder. When she turned, she saw Li Feng looking at the two.

"You… look like you're discussing something important. Is it about the project?" Li Feng asked. He saw them from outside, and the way they reacted to each other's words made him feel strange. Moreover, there was nothing he could do inside to help his mother stop crying.

"Uh, y-yes… I just remembered asking Ms. Li why she's not coming with us." Qiao Shan was quick to shrink and lie through her teeth. "I already submitted the papers, but it's not too late to register. She's just angry that Ms. Ren and I didn't seem to take her into account before."

"You should try to be more convincing..." Li Feng frowned, catching the lie on her lips. He had spoken with Ren Shanyue and Li Yunru about it already, and he was the one who shot down the idea of inviting Li Yunru. The cousin sister wouldn't blame someone else for it anymore; neither was it Li Yunru's style.

Qiao Shan only pushed her fingers against their tips and lowered her head. She was about to come clean when a strange shockwave came from the house. It was a wave of purification, and it felt so familiar and yet foreign. However, Li Feng knew exactly who it came from.

"...Black Horse?!"