This scholar is a bit cruel

Chapter 306 Catch the adulterer
At noon.

While Luo Zijun was fast asleep, she suddenly heard a series of noisy footsteps outside.

Someone shouted, "Quickly, put out the fire! Quickly, put out the fire!"

He immediately got up, quickly put on his clothes, and left the room.

When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw thick smoke billowing from the western courtyard, and the sounds of running and shouting filled the house.

Just then, Xiao Huan ran in from the courtyard gate. Seeing him get up, she said in a panic, "Young Master, the mansion is on fire!"

Luo Zijun immediately left the courtyard and followed the others to put out the fire.

However, when he got closer, he found that the burning house was already mostly burned, and the raging fire and thick smoke made it impossible for anyone to get near.

The water buckets carried by the servants were like a drop in the ocean, having absolutely no effect.

Is anyone inside?

Luo Zijun asked.

The first to arrive, Zhiyuan, said in a trembling voice, "I heard that Qiushuang and Miss Qiuning are inside, and Qiao'er, Fang'er, and Granny Zhang are also there..."

At this moment, the guards, covered with wet blankets, prepared to force their way in to rescue the people, but then the entire house collapsed with a loud crash.

Screams and cries suddenly erupted from all directions.

Luo Zijun immediately walked to the corner, her soul leaving her body, preparing to use her teleportation technique to go in and save people. But for some reason, as soon as her soul left her body, she immediately felt a bone-chilling cold.

At that moment, it felt as if a venomous snake was watching him intently from somewhere nearby, ready to pounce at any moment.

He was startled and immediately used his spiritual vision to look around, but found nothing unusual.

When his spiritual vision swept over the collapsed house, he found that the people inside had already lost all life and their bodies were charred.

Without any hesitation, he immediately regained his senses and abandoned the idea of ​​entering the sea of ​​fire.

Thinking of the fire and the sudden chill he had just felt, he broke out in a cold sweat. Could it be that someone knew tonight was the night that would determine his success or failure in breaking through the barrier, so they deliberately lured him out of his body and then took the opportunity to destroy his physical body?

No, from beginning to end, only the Moon Palace Fairy knew that he was breaking through the barrier underground.

It's impossible for anyone else to know.

This fire couldn't have been targeted at him, but what was that chilling cold that had just struck him so hard? Was it specifically waiting for him, or for someone else, or was it just a coincidence?

Thanks to everyone's efforts, the fire was finally put out.

However, the entire house was burned to a crisp. The guards took their tools and began clearing the collapsed building, digging out the bodies that had been submerged inside.

There were a total of six corpses: the sisters Bai Qiushuang and Bai Qiuning, and four other corpses of maids and nannies, all of whom were burned so badly that their bodies were charred black and their faces were unrecognizable.

The entire Bai family wept bitterly.

As Luo Zijun looked at the two corpses, the bright smiles of the two girls and their shyness when they peeked at him couldn't help but come to mind.

Qing Tong once said that she would marry one of the girls to him.

They used to respectfully call him "Sir," and then sweetly call him "Brother-in-law"...

Luo Zijun saw many familiar figures and heard many sorrowful cries, and suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness in her heart.

My older sister and brother-in-law have also come, as have the people from the Su State Mansion and the patrol team from the city.

Luo Zijun spoke with her sister for a while before leaving.

Tonight is a crucial night for him; he must not lose his composure at this time.

Back in his room, he pondered the chill he had just felt for a while, but still had no clue what to do. So he closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and allowed his emotions to gradually subside.

We must not panic, we absolutely must not panic...

After tonight, he will be free, without any more constraints.

Therefore, from now on, he must not waste his energy thinking about anything that happens around him.

He wanted to focus all his energy on tonight's challenge.

The noise outside gradually subsided by evening.

Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan returned with red eyes.

Just then, Fenfen from next door came over to inform him: "Young master, Miss wants to see you."

Luo Zijun hesitated in the room for a moment, then looked out the window and said, "Fenfen, tell Miss that I am not feeling well right now and cannot go to see him. I will go tomorrow."

At this point, absolutely no mistakes can be made.

Fenfen pouted in the corridor and said, "Young master, I saw you go out at noon. It's one thing to lie to others, but how could you lie to Miss?"

Luo Zijun refused to back down: "Stop talking nonsense, just say it like that."

"Humph!"

Fenfen stomped her foot angrily and left, grumbling, "The young master's gotten too big for his britches! Baibai, Qingqing, did you see that? The young master's gotten too big for his britches; he's so arrogant he doesn't even know who he is anymore!"

Luo Zijun ignored her, thought for a moment, and then instructed Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan to lock the wooden door and from now on, no one was allowed to come in, and no guests were to be received.

No sooner had he returned to his room than a knock sounded at the door outside, followed by his sister-in-law Bai Qingtong's voice: "Brother-in-law, open the door!"

Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhiyuan quickly went over and said through the crack in the door, "Miss, the young master is tired and has already taken off his clothes and gone to bed. If you need anything, please come again tomorrow."

Bai Qingtong said from outside the door, "Wake him up, I need to talk to him."

Paper Kite looked troubled: "Miss, the young master ordered that no matter who it is..."

"Paper Kite, now that you're with him, are you going to disobey me?"

Bai Qingtong spoke from outside the door, her voice hoarse, clearly indicating that she had been crying for a long time because of her sister's passing.

Hearing this, Zhiyuan dared not hesitate any longer. She quickly opened the door, her face full of embarrassment, and said, "Miss, it's not that I didn't listen to you, but the young master..."

"It's okay. If he gets angry, he can just take it out on me."

With red-rimmed eyes, Bai Qingtong entered the courtyard and called out directly into the house, "Brother-in-law, are you asleep? I need to talk to you."

Luo Zijun sighed in her room, then went to open the window and said to the outside, "Can't we talk about it tomorrow?"

Bai Qingtong went up to the corridor and came to the window. Seeing that he was dressed neatly and obviously hadn't gone to sleep, she asked in confusion, "It's not dark yet, what is my brother-in-law doing hiding in the room all by himself?"

Luo Zijun didn't hide anything and said, "I'm preparing to break through tonight, so I don't want to let external matters disturb my mind."

Upon hearing this, Bai Qingtong's eyes widened: "Brother-in-law is about to break through again?"

Luo Zijun remained noncommittal, saying, "What exactly is it you want? If it's not urgent..."

"Okay, no rush."

Knowing the importance of breaking through the barrier, Bai Qingtong could only say, "It's just some trivial matter, I'll come back tomorrow."

Luo Zijun's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "About Qiu Ning and Qiu Shuang?"

A look of grief appeared in Bai Qingtong's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "The fire started in a rather strange way. Father specially invited someone to investigate and said that there was a trace of demonic energy remaining there."

"Evil spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun's expression changed drastically: "Is it the work of a demon?"

Could it be that the chill he felt earlier was brought by the monster? Did that monster not leave at the time? Or was it mixed in with the crowd?
Bai Qingtong said dejectedly, "I don't know either, I haven't found out yet. I just wanted to tell my brother-in-law to be careful."

Luo Zijun immediately became alert.

If a monster really did infiltrate the Bai residence, then things would be troublesome.

If his soul leaves his body tonight and goes underground to break through to the next level, while his physical body remains in the room, will that monster take the opportunity to come over and swallow his body whole?
Even if he breaks through his spiritual barrier and returns, he will be an unclaimed object. What should we do then?
"Brother-in-law, you're busy, I won't bother you any longer."

Bai Qingtong prepared to take her leave.

Luo Zijun suddenly said, "Qingtong!"

"Ok?"

Bai Qingtong stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

At this moment, Luo Zijun disregarded all etiquette and shame, and hurriedly asked, "Could you protect me again tonight?"

Bai Qingtong looked at him without saying a word.

Luo Zijun said somewhat awkwardly, "Tonight is of paramount importance to me. If I fail, I'm afraid I won't have another chance. In this Bai residence, I don't know who else to turn to, so I can only turn to you..."

Bai Qingtong deliberately said, "But men and women shouldn't touch each other. Brother-in-law and sister-in-law, a lone man and woman, in the same room, and right next to my sister's room..." Luo Zijun also felt it was very inappropriate, but at this moment, who else could he ask for help?

So, he could only brazenly say, "Qingtong, come inside. I've locked the doors and windows, no one will know... Xiaohuan and Zhiyuan won't tell anyone either..."

Bai Qingtong blinked her dark eyes: "Brother-in-law, the way you said that makes me feel like you're seducing and tempting me to have an affair with you."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"Pfft..."

Bai Qingtong couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, I won't joke with my brother-in-law anymore. I'll definitely help with the breakthrough. I'll go tell Hua'er outside to leave first and not to say anything."

With that, he immediately went outside.

Before long, she returned, but instead of going through the main entrance, she lifted her skirt and climbed through the window under the anxious and strange gazes of Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan, and then closed the window herself.

The two girls looked at each other in the corridor, their hearts pounding.

Luo Zijun warned from inside the room, "Remember, don't tell anyone. Lock the door immediately and don't let anyone in again."

The two of them simply said "Oh," without daring to ask any further questions.

Inside the room, the brother-in-law and sister-in-law locked eyes, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

After a moment of silence, Bai Qingtong suddenly said, "Brother-in-law, weren't you supposed to be breaking through tonight? How come you tricked me into coming here before it's even dark?"

"..."

Luo Zijun looked completely innocent: "Did I tell you to come in now?"

Bai Qingtong raised an eyebrow: "Shall I go out now?"

Luo Zijun hesitated for a moment, then said, "If we go out now and come back in at night, it will probably arouse more suspicion. Besides, we'll inevitably be seen coming and going, especially by that girl Fenfen. If she sees us, she'll probably spread the word everywhere..."

Bai Qingtong said, "Then what am I supposed to do now? Just sit there staring at my brother-in-law?"

Luo Zijun thought for a moment, then walked to the bookshelf and asked, "Do you read?"

"What book? Did my brother-in-law write it?"

Bai Qingtong also came over, picked up a book from the bookshelf, and opened it. The first page had a beautiful picture of a pair of small, snow-white feet, as delicate as white jade.

"Ok?"

She immediately closed the book and looked at the cover.

"Illustrations of Jade Feet, Volume Five?"

"Wow!"

Luo Zijun snatched it away and tossed it into her storage bag with lightning speed, saying, "This is a cultivation manual. You need to understand the acupoints on your feet first, but only men can practice it. Qingtong, why don't you read something else?"

After saying that, he quickly scanned the bookshelf again, as if afraid that there might be some books that were not suitable for the occasion.

"Martial arts techniques? Foot acupoints?"

Bai Qingtong looked at him with a meaningful gaze.

The atmosphere became awkward again.

Luo Zijun took a copy of "A Chinese Ghost Story" from the bookshelf, handed it to her, and said, "Take a look at this one."

Bai Qingtong took the book, glanced at the title, and said, "I've read this one before. Isn't it just about a poor scholar who has no hope of passing the imperial examinations, can't marry a wife, and has no one who likes him, so he can only dream that a female ghost will fall for him? It's too absurd."

Luo Zijun shrugged, speechless.

Clearly, this girl hadn't actually seen it; she had only heard about it from others and then made her own guesses.

"Brother-in-law, are the ghost's feet pretty?"

Bai Qingtong suddenly asked.

Luo Zijun: "..."

"I'm asking, when my brother-in-law described the female ghost, did he specifically describe how beautiful her feet were? He probably did, right?"

"……No."

"What about the techniques for using jade feet? Are there any descriptions of the acupoints on the feet?"

"..."

Luo Zijun ignored her, turned around and went back to the bed, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and said, "You can read your book by yourself. I'm going to cultivate."

Bai Qingtong's lips curled up slightly. She glanced at him again before walking to the table, sitting down, and flipping through the books in her hands.

Outside the window, the sun quickly set, and night quietly descended.

"Brother-in-law, may I light a lamp?"

"can."

Bai Qingtong lit the oil lamp on the table.

The dim light quickly illuminated the room, clearly reflecting her slender figure and the long hair that fell to her waist on the window.

"Brother-in-law, when do we start?"

"What do you mean 'we'? It's me!"

“Of course it’s us. My brother-in-law is starting his breakthrough, and I need to focus on protecting him. It’s clearly the two of us working hard together, not just my brother-in-law.”

"No rush, just wait."

"Brother-in-law, will the bed collapse? Won't it make too much noise?"

"will not."

"Really? What exactly is my brother-in-law trying to overcome?"

"Soul."

"Spirit?"

Just then, there was a knock at the small gate in the courtyard.

Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan heard the sound, but dared not respond.

The knocking continued, and then Fenfen actually climbed onto the wall and called out, "Xiaohuan, Zhiyuan, open the door quickly! My young lady wants to go talk to the young master!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan were startled, and Bai Qingtong, who was sitting at the table reading a book, also changed her expression.

Of course, the most panicked was Luo Zijun.

He quickly got out of bed and said to Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan outside, "Don't open the door!"

"Snapped!"

Unexpectedly, Fenfen jumped down from the courtyard wall and opened the door herself.

"Miss, you may come in now."

Pinky said with a hint of smugness.

Miss Bai, dressed in a white dress and without a veil, walked in through the small door with Bai Bai and Qing Qing, looking as beautiful as a painting.

"call--"

Luo Zijun immediately blew out the oil lamp on the table, grabbed her sister-in-law's wrist, and said, "Quick! Hide!"

Bai Qingtong said aggrievedly, "Brother-in-law, we have nothing to hide from each other, we have a clear conscience, and we haven't done anything improper, so why should we hide?"

Luo Zijun thought about it and realized that it made sense. If they hid, wouldn't that be like a guilty conscience?
"Even so, it wouldn't be good if my sister started overthinking things, especially with that talkative and gossipy girl, Fenfen..."

Before Luo Zijun could make a decision, Bai Qingtong quickly climbed onto the bed, took off her embroidered shoes, threw them under the bed, then pulled down the curtains and whispered, "Brother-in-law, I'm hiding on the bed. Knowing my sister's personality, she'll probably just stand outside the window and talk to you, she won't come in."

Just as she finished speaking, Miss Bai's voice suddenly rang out from outside: "Is he already asleep? It's alright, I'll go into the room and talk to him."

After saying that, he went straight into the house from the corridor.

Xiao Huan and Zhi Yuan were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they were speechless, but they dared not stop them.

Luo Zijun hurriedly said to the door, "Miss, I've already gone to bed. We can talk about it tomorrow, or you can say it right here outside the door. I... I'm not wearing any clothes."

Miss Bai arrived at the door and said coldly, "Open the door."

(End of this chapter)