DTBS - Chapter 174
Chapter 174: Parenting Show 26: Eve of the Storm
"My younger sister is missing," Zhou Linwan sat on the steps, telling her story to the guests in front of her. "While tidying her room, I accidentally saw her diary. It recorded a mysterious island at sea, a rumor she heard from a classmate. She went to the island."
"So you suspect her disappearance is related to this island?" Mu Kaitai looked at her. "And then you abandoned Teacher Ming and came to the island to find your sister?"
She still remembered Ming Siwen and Zhou Linwan's wife-wife persona.
Zhou Linwan ignored the latter half of the sentence and replied, "After I got to the island, I was warmly received by the White-bearded Grandpa. I felt something was off with the residents here, so I didn't reveal my purpose at first, just secretly inquired about Ayin's whereabouts... Later, a girl I had chatted with died mysteriously."
She paused, then continued, "One after another, I found that anyone who showed signs of wanting to leave the island would die in a terrifying way. Initially, I thought it was related to the Great Shaman's black medicine, which is why I mentioned it to you before."
"Wait, is Sister Ding's black medicine problematic?" Ming Siwen looked surprised.
If it weren't for Tao Qiuyun's directness, they wouldn't have thought of falling out with the Great Shaman, and might have even drunk that bowl of Huoxiang Zhengqi water!
"I don't know," Zhou Linwan shook her head. "It's just that those who died had all drunk the Great Shaman's medicine before."
"That White-bearded Grandpa is definitely problematic," Lü Fangting believed that the enemy of her enemy was her ally, so she told Zhou Linwan, "We saw the victim's body. She had a knife wound, stabbed into her heart from the back. I think it was either the doctor or the painter."
"It wasn't me," Zhou Linwan shook her head. "I love peace, and I don't like seeing blood. I faint at the sight of blood."
"Then what do you do every month?" Ming Siwen questioned. She was now half-believing the words of a certain NPC surnamed Zhou.
"...That kind of blood doesn't make me faint." Actually, she didn't faint at the sight of blood; this was just her character setting for the show.
"Then what about the geese you raise? Don't you kill them yourself?" Ming Siwen still remembered being chased by the big goose and couldn't help but look back at the goose pen, but she didn't find the big white goose with black feathers on its chest.
"...They are ornamental geese, not for eating." Zhou Linwan lowered her eyes.
"So, what's in the bag you're carrying today?" Lü Fangting asked her.
"I once snuck into the Witch Shrine," Zhou Linwan was now answering every question. "I found a scroll that said there's a dark plant on Destiny Island called 'Mist-Breaking Lamp Filament'. It grows in the mist and can be used in medicine. It has healing effects, but if taken in excess, it can harm the body. If injected directly into the bloodstream, it accelerates blood circulation, causing a state of excitement. When the body's blood stops flowing, a certain substance accumulates in the blood vessels, eventually causing them to burst."
"That sounds a lot like the state of those who died," Mu Kaitai exclaimed.
"So it was indeed poisoning," Lü Fangting's expression was serious. "And the poison only slowly took effect after they were murdered."
"In my bag, I have a can of 'Developer Liquid'. According to the secret scroll, you take the feathers of a big goose from the first three days of the four seasons of the year, hang them outside to be blown by the eight winds, then mix them with mountain spring water from the winter solstice. Finally, apply the liquid to the victim's skin. If they were poisoned by 'Mist-Breaking Lamp Filament', red will turn into light pink."
"Wait!" Mu Kaitai remembered and, in her excitement, grabbed Ming Siwen's arm. "When we saw the body, we did seem to see a little pink on her arm."
"You applied it to the left arm?" Ming Siwen asked her.
Zhou Linwan nodded. "So the victim died from 'Mist-Breaking Lamp Filament'. And if Ayin and the others had the same symptoms, they should all have died from this poison. The White-bearded Grandpa, who hid the wounds on the victims, and the Great Shaman, who made the black medicine, should be in league."
"No wonder they took the bodies to the Witch Shrine and cremated and buried them the next day," Ming Siwen frowned. "It was to cover up the real cause of death."
The children couldn't understand the adults' conversation. Since Qinqin wasn't there, He Ruotang and Mu Xinxian decisively recognized Meng Huashi, who had the best relationship with Cat Master, as their big sister. They followed her into the courtyard, holding sticks and learning to herd geese.
However, without the leading goose, the other geese were unexpectedly docile and wandered around cooperatively. As the three little ones played, they suddenly poked a hole in a wall...
Meng Huashi was terrified. She quickly ran to Ming Siwen, tugging at her sleeve. "Auntie Ming, I'm sorry, I knocked down Auntie Zhou's wall."
The little girl's eyes were red, seemingly so guilty she was about to cry. "I'm sorry, will it cost a lot of money to fix?"
"The wall fell?" Ming Siwen was startled, suddenly remembering the fake wall they had found in the courtyard earlier. The woman immediately picked up Mengmeng, poked her soft little face, and said with a smile, "It's okay, Mengmeng, that wall was supposed to fall. Your Auntie Zhou won't blame you. Come on, let's go take a look."
"Really?" Meng Huashi still felt very guilty and turned to look at Zhou Linwan. "Auntie Zhou, I'm sorry, I'll help you fix it."
How could Zhou Linwan bear to scold her? Seeing that the little girl was truly frightened, she stood beside Ming Siwen, reached out and stroked her little head, comforting her, "It's okay, Mengmeng. There was a secret inside that wall. You found the secret, you're a lucky star, everyone will thank you."
"...Really?"
"Truer than pearls!"
Then, Ming Siwen and the others found a bomb inside. When everyone cast questioning glances at Zhou Linwan, the painter lady's expression didn't change: "I found a saltpeter pool in the mountains, so I suspected someone on the island was developing bombs, and I just happened to take a little."
"You took quite a lot," Ming Siwen retorted.
"Didn't you also take something from my drawer, Siwen?" Zhou Linwan replied calmly.
Ming Siwen: "..."
Seeing that the woman had nothing to say, Zhou Linwan's lips curved slightly.
She had deliberately put disposable gloves in the drawer. After all, she had heard from the director about the jar-touching segment in the Great Shaman's backyard. She didn't want Ming Siwen to dig in the black mud with her bare hands, so she specifically put many gloves on the same layer as the flashlight, hoping the actress would understand her intention.
"So, were those things in the underground passage of the cultivation center also installed by you?" Lü Fangting asked.
"No," Zhou Linwan shook her head. "I just want to find out the cause of my sister's death. If it's inseparable from this island, I'll blow this place up and avenge her."
Variety show veteran Ming Siwen immediately understood. The production team wanted them to split into two groups at the end to defuse the bombs.
While Ming Siwen's side was still chatting amicably, Qin Qingshang's side was in danger. The White-bearded Grandpa seemed to know they had discovered the problem. As soon as he arrived, he had the men in black capture them and take them to the underground passage to be locked up. As they walked, he confessed his crimes, a classic villain monologue at the end.
"I utterly hate the rules of this island, I utterly hate destiny! My fate is mine, not heaven's! Why should I die with the island master when he dies!" The old man was agitated. "Dragons live in water, tigers and leopards in the mountains, this is the will of heaven. And I, the Great Shaman, am appointed by heaven, why can't I live as long as heaven!"
Tao Qiuyun held the little cat in her left arm and the big cat in her right hand, walking through the underground passage under the supervision of the men in black, her expression calm and composed.
When they reached their destination and saw the huge bomb and the long-offline He Shanyan and Kong Fangshu, Gu Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, being with a couple was a bit awkward, and Qin Qingshang seemed to have a good relationship with Ming Siwen. She didn't know if Ming Siwen had told her about her.
"Where is the island master?" While Gu Yunfei was explaining what happened to the two male guests, Qin Qingshang looked at the White-bearded Grandpa. "Is the island master still alive?"
After speaking, she tried to incite the men in black, led by the rabbit mask, to switch sides: "Aren't you supposed to obey the island master? The island master was harmed by this old man. You should be listening to the Young Commander now."
"Don't waste your breath," the White-bearded Grandpa shook his head. "When the island master is absent, the Great Shaman can represent the island master. The Young Commander is insignificant compared to me."
"Your goal is to control Destiny Island?" Tao Qiuyun asked him.
"I am doing this for the good of Destiny Island. Do you know why Destiny Island exists? Because once young people have their own thoughts, they are unwilling to stay where they were born and raised. They go out, towards a wider world, but what about the elderly who cannot leave? What about the children who cannot leave home? What about those who are willing to stay and repay this land? More and more people leave, what is the final fate of Destiny Island? Decline!"
"But you can't deprive everyone of the freedom to go out!" Gu Yunfei looked at him.
"It wasn't like this before," the White-bearded Grandpa sat on a large rock. "In the past, Destiny Island residents could go out. If the children wanted to leave, we let them. But... no one ever came back. Even those who did return said this place was backward and not as interesting as the outside world. More and more people believed their descriptions of the outside world and left... One day, when the island master and I were gathering herbs in the mountains, we found a black plant we had never seen before. After consulting books, we learned it was called 'Mist-Breaking Lamp Filament'."
"Providence?" Tao Qiuyun thought the old man mispronounced it, so she corrected him.
The old man ignored her and continued his dramatic performance: "Later, a girl came to the island, named Qin Qingyin. The future Young Island Master fell in love with her at first sight."
Tao Qiuyun: "...?"
Qin Qingshang: "...!"
Tao Aiqin: ?
Oh no, my female lead mom is about to explode.
Qin Qingshang was about to explode, but she immediately held back. She didn't have the habit of getting angry at old people. She decided to make a note of it and settle the score with Qiuqiu later.
"The island master was indecisive. Although he was unhappy that the Young Commander had feelings for an outsider girl, he didn't stop them from falling in love. But while I was taking a walk late at night, I overheard the Young Commander and Ayin talking by the sea. Ayin actually dared to incite the Young Commander to leave this place! She wanted to destroy the future of Destiny Island!"
"This woman must die!"
The old man acted very seriously, his expression fierce.
Thus, Qin Cat's emotions were stirred. She always liked to immerse herself in the character's role. Hearing this, she decisively turned to stare at Tao Qiuyun: "Why didn't you tell me about your late-night chat with Ayin by the sea?"
"...I didn't think it was important."
"Did you have any deep contact?"
"..." The woman fell silent, and after a long while, she replied, "No, our feelings were expressed, but we stopped at propriety."
"Show me your script when we get back," Cat didn't believe her and couldn't help but mention out-of-character information.
Tao Qiuyun's breathing quickened slightly...
Oh no, if she saw the script, wouldn't it expose the truth that her character's essence was that of a scoundrel!
She had to call Secretary Zheng and ask the production team to change the script overnight.
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