Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Evil Wolf

Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Evil Wolf

Translator: 549690339

It seems that Ding Gaochang’s visit wasn’t simply to discuss the case of Feng Ershu, but also involved other matters.

And it seems that they were not simple matters.

“As Miss Zhuang has guessed, I indeed came to seek for Miss Zhuang’s help.”

Ding Gaochang paused before he said, “To be precise, I am here to ask for Miss Zhuang’s help.”

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Qingning felt a slight surge of joy in her heart.

Originally, she intended to connect with the county magistrate, Ding Gaochang, to pave the way for the future. Now, since he had brought a favor to her door, it would naturally be fitting to accept it promptly.

“Master Ding, please feel free to state your business without formalities. If I can help out, I will definitely not refuse,”

Zhuang Qingning responded aloud.

“This matter…”

“To put it simply, it may take some time to explain.”

Ding Gaochang sighed and said, “I wonder if Miss Zhuang has heard that not long ago, a person died in Cuiwei Lake.”

“I have indeed heard about this.”

Zhuang Qingning frowned, “I heard by some that the person drowned. Others said that he committed suicide, while some people said it was a homicide. There were also those who alleged…”

“That the Water Ghost was involved.”

“Indeed.” Ding Gaochang nodded and continued, “Ever since the death in Cuiwei Lake, there have been rumors about the Water Ghost wreaking havoc, from bringing misfortune to taking lives.”

“At first, it was just dismissed as absurd gossip, even the county master said not to worry about it. He believed that with time the rumors would die down and no one would believe them. If the county government intervened unnecessarily, it would confirm the people’s beliefs that something was amiss, possibly causing people to think that the government was complicit, which would not be good.”

“I agreed with him, and so did not control the situation. But these rumors have become more and more severe, escalating from causing bad luck and taking lives to possessing people and causing havoc in the village.”

“Coupled with the recent death of two villagers who had previously visited Cuiwei Lake, the villagers are even more convinced of the Water Ghost’s curse. They believe that they cannot avoid the disaster even if they are on ground. In a short time, rumors skyrocketed. Many villagers are trying to flee their homes out of fear, even considering relocating the entire village.”

“Cuiwei Lake and Cuiwei Mountain have beautiful landscapes all year round, attracting many visitors. The original villagers would make money by guiding people, selling tea, snacks, and due to the convenient irrigation provided by the lake, they had good harvests from the surrounding fields.”

“But now, people are in extreme panic. Many people have stopped farming and no longer dare to set up stalls near Cuiwei Lake to do business. This has also led to a sharp decrease in visitors to the lake. If this goes on, not only the surrounding fertile fields will be abandoned, but the village might even be deserted.”

“What’s worse, with the rumors abuzz, since the world believes in ghosts and gods, somebody is taking advantage of the situation to make a fortune. He asked the villagers to hand over their silver money so that he could perform rituals to suppress the Water Ghost and ensure peace in the village. Moreover, this person is vicious enough to claim that the Water Ghost is a young male ghost and requires a young, beautiful, unmarried girl to be his wife, promising that problems will no longer occur afterwards.”

“The villagers did as this person advised and found a girl, intending to sink her into the lake at midnight to marry the Water Ghost. This matter was unbearable to some and was reported to me. I managed to rescue the girl and arrested the person who was spreading false information for temporary detention, pending decision from the county master.”

“However, having been deceived by this person for many days, the villagers held firm belief in him. Since we took that person into custody, the villagers begged at the entrance of the County Government Office, pleading for us to consider their livelihoods and release the ‘divine entity’. They argued it would be best for their safety.”

“Although the county master and I refused and tried our best to persuade them, explaining the logic and appealing to their emotions, they simply wouldn’t listen and insisted on making a fuss at the entrance of Government Office and unwilling to leave.”

“The county master found this matter very distressing since he couldn’t find any solution. However, when we revisited the case files of Feng Ershu last night, we felt that Miss Zhuang might have a solution. So, I came to seek Miss Zhuang early this morning, hoping that Miss Zhuang can drive away the Water Ghost in the same way, and calm the villagers.”

“Though the county master and I do not advocate these superstitions, I believe this is the only possible solution to calm the people at the moment and hence pleaded for Miss Zhuang’s help.”

Upon listening to these words, Zhuang Qingning understood the situation.

Since this direct approach wasn’t working, and the people refused to listen to their explanations, she would have to counteract these sinister intentions with similar strategies. Only by doing so, they could achieve their ultimate goal.

As for those who strongly believed in ghosts, if you cannot completely awaken them, then you might as well let them continue sleeping. Only this time, guide them to sleep on the right bed.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering the task of resolving the issue of the Water Ghost of Cuiwei Lake. If the host is successful in completing this task, allowing the villagers to believe that the Water Ghost has disappeared and exposing the evil person, she will receive generous rewards!]

Suddenly, the sound of Xiaowu in her brain startled Zhuang Qingning.

Recalling the cajoling Xiaowu had done a few days ago to complete the task, and linking the keywords such as ‘catching ghosts’ and ‘helping others’ together, Zhuang Qingning had every reason to believe that these matters Xiaowu had mentioned were related to Ding Gaochang’s request.

This task is not bad at all.

Zhuang Qingning stroked her chin and curled her lips into a smirk.

Why didn’t she mention earlier that it was about helping Ding Gaochang with this task, and allowing Ding Gaochang and even the county office to owe her a favor… She would have definitely agreed without hesitation.

Absolutely without any hesitation!

[So… was the recipe for the corn ribs soup given in vain?]

More accurately, she also added the formula for a mosquito repellent herbal pack.

Zhuang Qingning never let go of any opportunity to ridicule Xiaowu.

[Wuu wuu wuu, the host always bullies me. This time, I’ve truly suffered a huge loss…]

Well, you can’t really say that, right? You were also trying to complete the task and had no other choice, right? Besides, didn’t you mention that you couldn’t see the specifics of the task, so you couldn’t judge whether the task was what I wanted?

Completing the current task is the most critical thing, everything else is secondary.

Just as the proverb goes, no pain no gain.

[Right, the host is correct. The host is just like a fierce wolf…]

Ahem, alright, let’s focus on the task at hand.

Zhuang Qingning gave a light cough. Xiaowu, understanding the situation, swallowed her grievances for the time being and disappeared.

As for Ding Gaochang, he was surprised at first to see Zhuang Qingning’s silence lasting quite a while with a faint smile on her face. Then his face was filled with joy as he asked, “Seeing Miss Zhuang’s appearance, does she have a solution?”

“Sort of, I can’t say for sure if it will work, but it’s worth a try,” Zhuang Qingning responded with a smile.

Her words were light, but her gaze was brimming with unwavering determination..