Otherworldly Merchant

Mr. Qin sighed. “I’m afraid so. My brother used a pair of scissors to break the cement floor.”

Qin Sisi began to sob. “My poor father. His body has not always been good. Why did he have to go through all this…”

Eventually, she pulled Qin Minghao’s hands and cupped them around her face.

Mr. Qin strode forward and pulled her aside. “Don’t stand close to your father. He’s sick!”

“Where’s the sword?” I asked. “I want to see the so-called Thunder Sword.”

Mr. Qin walked to the East wall and opened a built-in wardrobe. The Thunder Sword was in there.

I walked over and observed it.

The Thunder Sword looked ordinary. It was just a common sword from ancient times, just a little broader.

It was covered in mottled patina, but the blade was sharp. There were stains of bright red blood, which looked rather frightening.

Although it was rusted, I could still see some patterns carved on it. They looked complex and worn out, but I could recognize a lightning strike.

Thunder Sword... That must be why the sword got this name, right? 

I gently rubbed the sword. My hand was then stained with the smell of blood. I couldn’t get rid of it.

“Mr. Qin, how many people has this sword hurt since it appeared?”

“Around seven people,” answered Mr. Qin.

I was startled. “How did it manage to hurt so many people?”

“When the security guards saved my brother, they didn’t dare to counterattack. The blade cut some of them. Also, there were those four people from the Zhang family that killed themselves. So, that’s seven in total.”

I looked pensive but nodded. “I see. Anyway, I want to wait here with Qin Minghao alone. Is it okay?”

Mr. Qin denied my request immediately. “No, if we look at the time, my brother will soon wake up. If you wait here alone, it will be dangerous.”

I smiled. “I want to perform a secret technique to strengthen Qin Minghao’s soul and protect it from harm.”

“That’s good, then.” Mr. Qin exhaled in relief. “But it’s not safe for you to stay here alone. Qinghu, stay here and assist Mr. Zhang. Everyone else, please wait outside.”

“I alone am enough.” I rejected Mr. Qin’s good intentions. “This technique is special and cannot be used in front of outsiders. Otherwise, the effect won’t be as good. I hope you will understand.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Mr. Qin kept on insisting. “I can’t just let you risk your life. We have to ensure your safety.”

Sure, my safety! You just want to keep an eye on me!

Feeling helpless, I shook my head. “In that case, Second Young Lady, why don’t you stay here and give me a hand?”

Qin Sisi was a little surprised. “B-But I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s okay.” I smiled at her. “Just do what I say.”

Mr. Qin said, dark in face, “Sisi, please stay and help Mr. Zhang. If you encounter any danger, just call us. We’ll be right outside.”

Qin Sisi nodded. “Okay. As long as my father can be cured, I don’t mind putting myself in danger.”

After they left, I stood in front of Qin Minghao and took a good look at him.

Qin Minghao exuded a sour smell, and his clothes were stained with dirty dabs and even grains of rice. If someone were to see him like this, the Qin family’s image would collapse.

Qin Sisi became curious when she saw me standing still. “Is something the matter?”

I turned and said to her, “Miss Qin, can you help me with something?”

Qin Sisi nodded. “As long as it can help my father, I’ll do anything.”

I smiled. “Very good. Later on, just help me tell some lies. It’ll help us find the culprit.”

Qin Sisi gawked at me in disbelief. “Mr. Zhang, what do you mean?”

I answered vaguely, “Don’t worry. You just have to do as I tell you. Your Second Uncle will ask you what I have done in this room. You’ll tell him that I have drawn a strange pattern on your father’s body, that you saw your father open his eyes, and that he said something to me. However, you weren’t able to hear clearly what he told me.”

Qin Sisi looked at me with a strange expression. I was a little worried as I didn’t know what she was thinking.

She looked at me like that for half a minute. Then she asked, “Do you suspect my Second Uncle?”

I was startled. Although this little girl looked naive, she wasn’t stupid. On the contrary, she was rather smart.

I had just said something vague, but she still managed to catch the hidden meaning in my words.

Still, I could only deny it. “Girl, you’re overthinking it.”

Qin Sisi kept silent. After a while, she sighed and said, “You don’t need to deceive me. I’m taking Psychology classes at school, and I can see what you’re thinking. You think that I’m a crybaby, don’t you?”

I almost choked on my saliva. At first, this young lady indeed gave me the feeling of being a crybaby, but I didn’t expect her to be this smart.

Since I couldn’t hide it anymore, I simply said, “You’re right. I did have such thoughts before. Anyway, are you willing to help me?”

Qin Sisi nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

“That’s good.” I gave a wry smile. If I had known that she was a smart girl, I wouldn’t have asked her to stay.

Mr. Qin, who was waiting outside, lost his patient and knocked at the door. “How are you doing?”

“Almost done!” I answered then smiled at Qin Sisi. “It’s up to you to catch the culprit.”

Qin Sisi nodded.

After I opened the door, Mr. Qin restlessly came in. He exhaled in relief when he saw Qin Minghao sleeping. “It’s lucky that my brother hasn’t awakened yet. Otherwise, you would be in trouble…”

Then, he asked me, “Are you sure you can deal with this?”

“I should be fine,” I answered.

Mr. Qin patted my shoulder. I could tell that he was a little nervous.

“Mr. Zhang, I’ve asked my people to prepare a room for you. You should stay here tonight. If you don’t feel comfortable, I’ll book rooms in a hotel for you.”

I could see that Mr. Qin was testing me. If I chose to stay in a hotel, it was because I knew who the person behind all this was.

Thus, I chuckled and said, “I have never seen such a luxurious manor in my life. I want to stay here.”

Mr. Qin said, “That’s good, then. If you need anything, just ask the servants and maids in the house.”

Then, he excused himself and said that he had a lot of work to do.

Qin Sisi brought us to the third floor and showed us to our guest rooms. She was very gentle. “If you need any help, just call me.”

“No problem.” I smiled.

After Qin Sisi left, Li Mazi and the gold-toothed man couldn’t wait anymore and circled around me. “What did you see in there? Are you really sure you can deal with it?”

I laughed. “I was just deceiving them. I didn’t discover anything.”

The gold-toothed man and Li Mazi gawked and began to sweat. “Little Brother Zhang, you’re joking, right? Is this really the time to boast? Aren’t you afraid of losing your life?”

I glared at them. “You two are really cowards. Don’t worry. I’m one hundred percent confident that I can solve this.”

The two exchanged looks, then smiled bitterly. “You just said that you didn't discover anything. Now, you’re suddenly one hundred percent sure you can solve this? Who are you trying to fool?”