Antique Shop Zero: Disfigured School Beauty Becomes a Succubus to Pay Off Debts

Chapter 256 The Old Witch

Only three people remained at the table.

The hot pot was still bubbling away, the steam blurring their faces.

Cao Ye took out a cigarette case from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and just as he put it to his lips, he hesitated for a moment and then put it down.

Meng Xing glanced at him: "Smoke if you want."

Cao Ye put the cigarette back in the cigarette case and pressed the lid:

"No, thank you. My sister-in-law doesn't like the smell of smoke."

Meng Xing chuckled, his tone carrying the arrogance of an elder brother:

"Why should we be afraid of a woman like her?!"

Jiang Chaosheng couldn't help but glance at Meng Xing, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Pfft—" Cao Ye couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He turned to look at Jiang Chaosheng and extended his hand:

"Hey bro, Cao Ye."

Jiang Chaosheng did not reach out to shake hands, but instead picked up his wine glass and took a small sip.

Meng Xing noticed that the atmosphere was getting tense and quickly stepped in to smooth things over:

"His name is Asheng."

Cao Ye awkwardly withdrew his hand and looked Jiang Chaosheng up and down.

That gaze carried a professional scrutiny.

He noticed that Jiang Chaosheng had a somewhat otherworldly air about him, not in a deliberate way, but rather a deep-seated aloofness, like an isolated island that blends into the crowd.

"What do you do for a living, brother?" Cao Ye asked.

"Selling antiques."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ye visibly stiffened.

He looked at Jiang Chaosheng again carefully, as if he were checking a photo on a wanted poster.

Where do you sell antiques?

His tone remained casual, but Jiang Chaosheng sensed the wariness beneath it.

Meng Xing couldn't stand it anymore and slammed his chopsticks on the table:

"Are you getting your professional bug in? Are you interrogating my brother?"

Cao Ye smiled.

Also.

My occupational hazard kicked in.

He felt it couldn't be such a coincidence.

There are so many people selling antiques in Xia Kingdom, how could it be that one of them?

Furthermore, how could that person appear in a mortal's home?

He raised his glass to Jiang Chaosheng, adopting a very humble posture:

"I'm sorry, I'm a sheriff, it was just my occupational habit. I'll drink this first to apologize to you, brother."

Jiang Chaosheng ignored him.

The wine glass hung in mid-air, and Cao Ye's hand froze there.

Meng Xing sensed the awkward atmosphere, poured himself a drink, and tried to smooth things over with a slurred speech:

"We're all brothers, let's have a toast."

Jiang Chaosheng then raised his glass.

Is this a sign of low emotional intelligence?

If this is a small business owner, it would indeed be a sign of low emotional intelligence.

Knowing full well that the person in front of you is a high-ranking sheriff, why aren't you trying to curry favor with him instead of giving him the cold shoulder?

If this is the arrogance of the Human Emperor, then it is the arrogance of the Human Emperor.

If you raise a glass to the Human Emperor, does the Human Emperor have to give you face and clink glasses in return?

Of course, this is just an example.

Jiang Chaosheng did not consider himself the Emperor, nor did he ever care about such things. He always did as he pleased and never forced his cold and unfeeling heart.

He behaved this way after becoming the manager, and he was the same way before becoming the manager.

If he weren't so 'emotionally inept' and so cold-hearted, he probably wouldn't have fared so poorly in his mortal life.

Meng Xing leaned back in his chair and asked:

"Why is Ono in the South China Sea?"

Cao Ye held his wine glass, gazing at the amber liquid within, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Go pick up a guest who has come from afar."

Meng Xing grinned mischievously:

"You little brat, you're not one of those guys, are you?"

Meng Xing looked at Jiang Chaosheng and winked:

"You don't know, this kid just likes..." .

I wonder if this is a tradition in the Cao family? Haha.

Cao Ye shook his head, then his gaze turned serious:

"She's an old witch."

The Cowherd said he would send the Goddess of Light to the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs as a hostage.

Meng Xing realized that Cao Ye was serious and knew he really had a mission, so he stopped joking and said softly:

"be safe."

Cao Ye chuckled softly:

"In our line of work, who doesn't risk their life?"

Brother, I don't know when I'll be gone.

Meng Xing fell silent.

Cao Ye picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp:

"I've been feeling really unwell lately, I keep having a bad feeling about it."

Meng Xing remained silent throughout.

Cao Ye looked at Meng Xing and couldn't help but say:

"If something really happens to me one day, could you take over this mess I'm making of work?"

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at Meng Xing in surprise.

He knew what Cao Ye meant by the messy job.

Director of the Anomaly Management Bureau!

Because Cao Ye considered himself an ordinary person, not someone from the so-called "spirit world," he had no sense of caution.

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So at the dinner table, I thought I had subtly brought up these words.

How could Meng Xing be able to take over as the director of the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs?

At that moment, the bedroom door was kicked open, and Ye Yunyun, her face full of anger, appeared in the doorway.

She disregarded everyone's feelings and pointed at Cao Ye, angrily cursing:

"Cao Ye!

Of my husband's three friends, you're the one I find most annoying!

My husband and I have finally gotten a peaceful life, who wants to take your lousy job?!

Cao Ye shut his mouth and remained silent.

Jiang Chaosheng watched all of this with a smile.

Meng Xing quickly stood up to smooth things over:

"Hey, women shouldn't interrupt when men are talking."

We were just chatting, why are you getting so worked up, honey?

"Aren't you going to pick up an old hag?"

Hurry up and go, stop bullying our Meng Xing here.

My Mengxing is a man of honor. If he really gets involved in those messy things again because of that honor, I'll tear him apart!

Jiang Chaosheng suddenly narrowed his eyes.

Old witch?

The Mirror of Knowledge once said, "That woman is the root of all misfortune."

Could it be the old hag he was talking about?

Let me think...

Who could the old witch be referring to?

Cao Ye has an ambiguous relationship with Taiping Dao...

Jiang Chao suddenly remembered someone.

That lady from the Way of Peace!

Yang Xiao once said that the Cowherd was going to send a certain lady to the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs as a hostage.

Jiang Chaosheng frowned in thought.

In two days, the Dark Council will escort a woman to the Xia Kingdom.

Tonight, Cao Ye is going to pick up that lady.

Is there some hidden secret behind this?

coincidence?

Jiang Chaosheng never believed in coincidences.

Is it possible...?

Is this a smokescreen?

The goddess sent by the Cowherd was fake; her main purpose was to attract the attention of the Bureau of Anomalies and himself.

The real Empress will be sent back by the Dark Council in two days.

The logical loop is complete, and the truth begins to surface.

Seeing that things were going badly, Meng Xing quickly got up, muttering curses as he walked away:

"You spendthrift woman, stop talking about serious matters and go back home!"

Meng Xing coaxed and pushed Ye Yunyun back to her room.

Cao Ye looked at Meng Xing and grinned:

"Brother Meng is going to be kneeling on the washboard again."

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at Cao Ye, his eyes flickering slightly.

The mirror said:

"I should have killed that woman much sooner."

Mirrors don't lie, but they can deceive me.

Since that woman is going to die, and it can't be me who kills her, why not let the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs take action?

If the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs cannot kill her, then the backup plan will be used—to have Zhongshu imprison her.

Jiang Chaosheng turned around and said slowly:

"You have to kneel on this washboard; it could save a life."

Cao Ye was stunned, his face full of confusion.

Jiang Chaosheng picked up his wine glass, paused it at his lips, as if savoring the wine:

"If he really takes over your job, he might die."

Cao Ye watched him slowly finish the glass of wine, his eyes filled with growing doubt.

First of all, this person is an ordinary person—at least on the surface.

He certainly didn't know what kind of work he was going to give Meng Xing.

Why would he... say something so serious?

Cao Ye quickly realized what was going on.

This person must think he works in public security and criminal investigation, and thinks Brother Meng is some retired criminal investigator who has retired early for special reasons.

In his view, he wanted to bring Brother Meng back into the fray and back into the struggle against criminals.

Cao Ye smiled, a relieved "I see" in his smile:

"Brother, you're overcomplicating the job of a sheriff. Brother Meng isn't that easy to kill."

Jiang Chaosheng spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but every word was clear:

"Yes, it will. Who knows, one day I might be the one to kill him with my own hands."

Cao Ye narrowed his eyes.

That gaze was like a blade, slicing out from the slits of his eyes, thin and sharp.

"What do you mean?"

Jiang Chaosheng did not answer, but instead continued speaking to himself:

"So it's better if he doesn't go to the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs. I really like him."

Cao Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.

"You—know about the Bureau of Abnormalities?"

Jiang Chaosheng still did not answer him.

He put down his chopsticks, turned his head, and looked at Cao Ye.

That gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool, without any ripples, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

"Did I say something wrong?"

A slight smile played on his lips, a warm smile, as if he were chatting with an old friend:

"Over the years, under your leadership, the Bureau of Anomalies has been making a lot of underhanded moves."

He paused, then asked, seemingly jokingly:

"Aren't you afraid of offending me, Director Cao Ye?"

Cao Ye's eye twitched violently.

What's wrong with this person?

It's completely unfathomable.

Like a wisp of mist, like a pool of water...

He had never felt this way before.

. . . . .

P.S.: I haven't been feeling well this week, so I'll add more chapters next week.