"Hahahaha... It’s not that serious, go home."

"Mr. Fang, see you tomorrow."

Tang Zheng saluted.

He looked longingly at Fang Che’s desk until he saw that his own application was still on top.

Then he chuckled, "I’m leaving."

"Get lost."

Fang Che laughed and scolded, "Seeing your expression, don’t worry, I won’t forget to sign!"

"Hehe... Mr. Fang is mighty!"

...

As Tang Zheng walked home, his steps became much lighter. In his hand was a large package of the meals he had packed.

This was a habit he had developed over the past two months.

Near Little Mei’s house, in an empty yard, a family moved in two months ago, with two elderly women and an old man who seemed to be paralyzed, and the two women appeared to struggle taking care of him.

So sometimes Little Mei would go over to help take care of them, and Tang Zheng developed the habit, at the Guardian Hall, to always pack an extra two meals when he ate.

And then bring them back after his shift.

You see, the cafeteria at the Guardian Hall served food intended for Martial Artists, very rich in nutrition and Spiritual Power.

Ordinary families couldn’t easily get this kind of food, and for the frail elderly, it was an excellent tonic.

Since Little Mei praised him twice for having a kind heart, Tang Zheng simply made bringing food a routine.

Thinking that after going to Little Mei’s house, he would tell her about the two of them, even Mr. Fang approved; if her mother opposed, Mr. Fang promised to speak personally.

Guaranteed success.

And in ten days, I’ll officially be a Deacon! My lifelong goal is about to be realized.

If I tell Little Mei this good news, how happy would she be?

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on his lips, and his steps quickened.

As he neared, Tang Zheng saw the tightly closed door from afar, feeling anxious, he sped up his pace a few more steps.

And then he stopped suddenly.

Why was the door closed?

Tang Zheng frowned, Little Mei had said, I’ve marked your shift days clearly. As long as it’s the day you’re off duty, I’ll leave the door open for you; if a man has to knock every time he comes home, it doesn’t seem like a family.

So every time Tang Zheng came, the door was always open.

He had been accustomed to it for such a long time.

But this time, the door was tightly closed, like an unmistakable cold shoulder.

Cold and indifferent.

The door to the small yard of the three elderly next door was ajar.

He furrowed his brow, having an inexplicable ominous feeling in his heart, his eyes pondering as he walked forward step by step, reaching the door, giving it a push.

It didn’t move.

Barred from the inside.

It’s already evening.

Little Mei is inside, why bar the door?

He sniffed with his nose, faintly sensing a subtle smell wafting from within.

This smell... like alcohol... the kind that lingers for a long time.

This smell was peculiar.

Most people might not detect it.

But Tang Zheng’s expression changed.

Because he had genuinely smelled this scent every day lately.

"The smell of death!"

Only when someone has died, and not very long ago, will this smell waft; soon after it wafts, it turns into a faint odor of decay, becoming stronger and stronger...

"Little Mei!"

Tang Zheng felt a burst in his brain, shouted in alarm, shook his palms to break the latch, and rushed in immediately.

The yard was silent.

He frantically charged into the room to see Little Mei lying peacefully on the bed, as if asleep.

"Little Mei? Why are you... asleep so early?"

Tang Zheng nervously stepped forward, holding onto a sliver of hope.

He hoped his lover would wake from her dream and gently say to him, "You’re back?"

But she didn’t.

Little Mei still lay quietly.

There was still a sweet slumber on her face.

Tang Zheng cautiously reached out and gently touched her; it was ice cold.

Little Mei was dead.

The sweet slumber on her face, like the corpses Tang Zheng had seen these past days, was peacefully asleep, and then they were gone.

Tang Zheng felt his legs go weak, sat down heavily in front of the bed.

He wasn’t an official Deacon, didn’t need to be on night duty, so he had slept here last night.

Little Mei had still been sleeping soundly at dawn when he got up; typically, Little Mei would sleep until Chen hour, then after lunch, take an afternoon nap, about an hour.

But now this faint smell couldn’t be from a morning death, it was only possible that she was lost during the noon nap.

Tang Zheng wept, his tears flowing like a stream.

Looking at the genteel face before him, he choked on his words.

"You said you’d stay with me for a lifetime... You said you’d give me children..."

"We even discussed the children’s names, planned how to live the future days, but why didn’t you keep your promise?"

Little Mei lay still, serenely asleep. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"No, this isn’t right!"

Tang Zheng suddenly realized, Little Mei was healthy, and a Martial Artist too; though her cultivation wasn’t high, she had reached the Martial Master Realm.

No illness, no injury, by all means, she could live to two hundred without problems.

So why did she die so mysteriously?

And this death, much like those in the city...

Noon nap!

Passed away!

Tang Zheng abruptly stood up, his eyes turning sharp.

With a reverse hand, a short knife slipped into his sleeve.

He flipped out and swiftly reached the neighboring yard, where the two elderly women were hunching over, picking vegetables; seeing Tang Zheng approach, they gave toothless smiles: "Little Tang is here, huh, worked hard today? Little Tang is such a good person..."

"Yes indeed, Little Tang is such a good person, it’s rare to find such young people these days."