A Good-for-Nothing 10: Li Zong

Sharp-eyed Zu Zhichong firmly refused to sit in the back of the car and eventually managed to take the front passenger seat.

In the back sat two people. One of them appeared composed and relaxed, while the other one's face was black with anger. Described metaphorically, the former was like summer and the latter was like autumn.

Zhu Qi looked into the interior rear-view mirror and suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a trifle awkward. He had no clue what had happened previously between the two. Recalling the conflict in the airport, he still had a lingering fear.

"Uh... Little Zheng, exactly what was it that had happened between you and Supt. Li?" Zhu Qi couldn't help asking curiously.

Zu Zhichong pressed his head against the back of the seat. Though there were no signs of curiosity on his face, he still pricked up his ears.

On the sound of Li Zong's name, He Zheng's face darkened even more. Arms crossed against his chest, he made no response.

Having received no reply, Zhu Qi looked in the mirror again and saw his cousin's darkening face. In the realization that he had asked the wrong question, Zhu Qi changed the topic with an intention to alleviate the tension. "Little Zheng, did the demonic Qi cause you any harm?" Though his cousin had been born into a family of exorcists, he was an ordinary person, so Zhu Qi was fairly concerned that he might have been hurt by the Dream Eater.

Naturally, on hearing the word "demonic Qi", He Zheng recalled his being fooled by these two men on the plane, his face getting blacker. He had a short temper over which he had little control. Given that his behavior had angered his cousin a moment ago, He Zheng didn't appear too aggressive. He turned his head aside to stare at the man's good-looking profile and asked in an unfriendly tone of voice, "Why did you play tricks on me!" Hearing his hostile tone, Zu Zhichong was breathless with anxiety. 'Oh, boy. The last one who talked to Chief like this kicked the bucket a long time ago.'

To his surprise, Li Zong wasn't angry at all. He twisted his head aside and blandly watched He Zheng. The look in his eyes was very calm, which, unexpectedly, made He Zheng feel a little awkward, as if he was a child throwing a tantrum.

"It was after I got off the plane that I decided to meet Zhu family," said Li Zong.

He Zheng flicked a skeptical glance at him. Zhu Qi hurriedly backed Li Zong up. "That's true, Little Zheng. Supt. Li didn't call us beforehand. Grandfather divined it."

Zhu family was nationally famous for superb divination skills. Members of this family could actually foresee the future. As a result, Zhu Qi's words aroused no suspicion in He Zheng.

"Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB) has always been on good terms with Zhu family. This time, Supt. Li and his assistant have orders to deal with the matter of the Ghost Festival, and Shen City is on their route. As locals, we naturally should perform the duties of the host. Even if Supt. Li hadn't called us, grandfather would have invited Supt. Li around."

These remarks of Zhu Qi's were meant for He Zheng. He knew that his cousin had always been bad-tempered since childhood, that he tended not to save others' face, so Zhu Qi said this lest He Zheng do anything impulsive and offend the guests again.

"There's another thing. Staff members of SMB always prefer to perform tasks in a covert manner. They never disclose their identity to anybody unless they have to." In fact, Zhu Qi was somewhat surprised. To the best of his belief, if civilians were involved when SMB agents were performing tasks, they would always erase those civilians' memory of the matter.

'Why didn't Li Zong erase He Zheng's memory? Was it because Li Zong already knew his identity?

He's a young master of a family of exorcists. Though he's incapable of practicing exorcism, it's not necessarily a big deal if he knows some inside information on this industry,' thought Zhu Qi.

Because members of Zhu family had little contact with outsiders, and He Changchun wasn't very close to them, so naturally they were unaware that He Changchun had promised to marry He Zheng to Li Zong in exchange for a dragon scale.

He Zheng subdued his anger and rested his eyes onto the cinerary casket on his lap. Watching the casket and thinking of the identity of the man beside him, He Zheng became more restless and started fidgeting, trying to get as far away from Li Zong as possible.

His father had agreed to give him the cinerary casket on one condition – that he married the hateful man sitting beside him.

'It seems that I have to find some time to have a talk with Li Zong about this. As long as Li Zong refuses, I won't have to marry him no matter how hard old man tries to make me to."

Unfortunately, He Zheng's plan sounded very promising, but the reality was –

Li Zong unnoticeably rested his eyes on He Zheng who was in a temper. What he was thinking was that if it were He Zheng whom he was going to marry, giving up the half a dragon scale didn't sound that bad.

Chapter end