Love on the Turquoise Land

According to Yan Tuo's idea, Nie Jiuluo should lie in the back seat and have a smooth ride home, but Nie Jiuluo disagreed. After lying down all night and finally standing for a while, she was supposed to lie back down again?

So they compromised—she would sit in the passenger seat first and lie down later if she got tired.

As the car left the neighborhood, Nie Jiuluo noticed a wireless earbud in Yan Tuo’s right ear.

She casually asked, “What music are you listening to?”

Yan Tuo shook his head. “Listening to Lü Xian’s updates. He’s also on the move.”

Then he briefly recounted what had happened over the past two days.

So much had happened. Nie Jiuluo couldn’t help feeling a bit shaken when she thought about it. This was the downside of working alone. Back when Jiang Baichuan was around, no matter how big a mess they made, someone would clean it up. But now, even if they escaped unscathed, they’d leave traces everywhere.

There were two things she wanted to tell Yan Tuo.

The first was that interrogating Chen Fu had revealed the whereabouts of Yan Tuo’s sister.

She had deliberately saved this news to tell him in person because telling him earlier would have been pointless. “Black-White Abyss” was just a name—no one knew its exact size or depth. Moreover, the Tuan Tou Army had the doctrine of “never entering the Black-White Abyss.”

Yan Tuo listened with surprising calm. He didn’t know why, but logically, shouldn’t his heart be racing or his eyes welling up with tears?

Neither happened. He drove steadily, keeping his usual focus on the road and the rearview mirror, only letting out a soft “Oh.”

Even Nie Jiuluo found it strange. “Your reaction really doesn’t do justice to all my hard work.”

Yan Tuo chuckled, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

Nie Jiuluo continued, “This Chen Fu is quite cautious. He only admitted to what I brought up—like when I mentioned blood sacs or the Black-White Abyss, he’d say a few words. But when it came to their origins or background, he refused to speak at all. After some thought, I gave him a cut on the top of his head—not enough to kill him, just enough to put him into a long sleep.”

Yan Tuo found it amusing. “This Chen Fu really keeps dying and coming back to life.”

Nie Jiuluo said, “I’m not toying with him for fun. First, there aren’t many Dixing left, so he’s a rare hostage. In the future, we might be able to trade him for something from Lin Xirou. Second, since I managed to get something out of him this time, maybe in a few months, when we have new leads, I can talk to him again and dig up more treasures.”

She was actually looking forward to another conversation with Chen Fu and had already planned her next appearance, aiming to give him a fresh wave of psychological torment.

The second thing was that, as of now, they still hadn’t been able to contact Xing Shen.

“With Jiang Baichuan in trouble, Xing Shen and the others are probably like startled birds—they won’t show themselves anytime soon. But knowing him, he won’t stay hidden for long… Let’s wait and see. Xing Shen has been through Qingrang. Once we get in touch with him, things like the Golden Door and the Black-White Abyss will be easier to handle.”

Yan Tuo had no objections. After a moment, he added, “I came out this time under the pretext of visiting business partners, so I can’t skip all of them. I checked the list—one of our major distributors is in Zhengzhou, dealing in wholesale herbs. When we pass by, I’ll need to stop by.”

Nie Jiuluo nodded. “No problem, go ahead. I can keep myself busy.”

Yan Tuo said, “If you don’t mind, I’d also like to make a detour to Anyang.”

Anyang, Henan? The name sounded familiar.Nie Jiuluo's heart stirred. "You want to go see that... Xu Anni?"

Yan Tuo silently confirmed.

Finding Yan Xin was important but not urgent—besides, there was nowhere to direct their urgency even if they wanted to.

Lin Ling's situation was still within controllable limits for now.

Only this Xu Anni lingered painfully in his mind, perhaps because he had been on the underground second floor when her father was beaten to death.

Nie Jiuluo was curious about the surveillance on Lü Xian and asked Yan Tuo for an earpiece to listen in.

Lü Xian's end was relatively quiet, though prolonged listening revealed he was also in a car. He seemed in good spirits, occasionally humming a tune.

Yan Tuo said, "Yesterday he asked me for a car—he must be driving himself to the farm."

At this remark, Nie Jiuluo noticed Yan Tuo had switched cars again.

She glanced around. "This car is pretty plain, not even a protective charm. The last one..."

The previous car had hung a Five Emperor Coins ornament and even came with a duck.

But she swallowed those words. Yan Tuo had lost that car indirectly because of her.

Yan Tuo replied casually, "Just a temporary switch. Didn’t care how plain it was."

...

By noon, they reached Luoyang. Yan Tuo searched for a well-rated restaurant and followed the navigation there, but Nie Jiuluo couldn’t be bothered with the back-and-forth of getting in and out of the car. She told Yan Tuo to just bring her back a meal after he finished.

Yan Tuo had no choice but to change his dine-in order to takeout, listing the delivery address as: "Third parking spot on XX Street, license plate ending in 856."

The food would take at least half an hour. Yan Tuo reclined both his and Nie Jiuluo’s seats. After a morning on the road, he was tired from driving, and she was tired from sitting. Lying back to relax sounded good.

Once horizontal, the world took on a new perspective. People bustled outside while the car’s interior felt like a tranquil haven.

Sounds also came through from Lü Xian’s end—faint clinking of dishes. He must have arrived at the farm and was eating in the dining hall.

Lin Xirou wasn’t present. Instead, it was the medical staff welcoming him. Yan Tuo heard a man say, "Welcome, welcome. We’re honored to have you here to guide our work."

Lü Xian replied modestly, "No need for formalities. Let’s progress together, progress together."

Such dull pleasantries. Yan Tuo closed his eyes slightly and sighed softly.

Nie Jiuluo heard him. "What’s the sigh for?"

Yan Tuo hesitated but decided to be honest. "I’ve got a bad feeling."

Nie Jiuluo turned to look at him. "Why?"

His eyes remained closed, giving her free rein to study him. Yan Tuo’s facial structure was perfect for sculpting—not just his face, but his overall frame was satisfying. A casual elbow propped or head bowed could easily become a flawless bust. Moreover, his expressions were never vacant. Sculptures needed to speak through posture and expression...

Nie Jiuluo picked up her phone, muted it, and snapped a photo.

Consider it preliminary modeling.

Yan Tuo said, "The progress we’ve made these past few days surpasses what I achieved in years—far surpasses it. But I’ve also gotten too involved. These last couple of days, I’ve been running around plugging leaks and putting out fires. The sense of crisis has skyrocketed. I feel like too many things were done imperfectly, leaving too many hidden dangers. One careless misstep, and it’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes."

Nie Jiuluo asked, "If you’re exposed, what’s your plan?"

Yan Tuo laughed.

The expression was perfect. Nie Jiuluo quickly snapped another photo. At first glance, Yan Tuo’s face wasn’t one that smiled often, carrying a tinge of melancholy. But precisely because of that, his smiles were exceptionally bright and striking.He said, "What else can we do? Since we've torn off the facade, let's confront them head-on."

As they were talking, someone knocked on the window beside them. Judging by the attire, it was a food delivery guy.

Yan Tuo rolled down the car window.

The delivery guy glanced inside the car. "Is this an order for Miss Nie?"

Nie Jiuluo reached out to take it. "Mine."

So she had also ordered something. Yan Tuo asked curiously, "What did you buy? I could've just added it to my order earlier."

Nie Jiuluo didn't let him see. "This is professional stuff."

After waiting a while longer, the food arrived, and the two began eating in the car.

Yan Tuo had never been to Luoyang before and had ordered based entirely on recommendations. It turned out the dish names didn't match what he had imagined. He had ordered something called "Premium Peony Swallow's Nest Dish," but when he opened the container, it was just a bowl of thick radish soup with floating vegetable leaves, already shaken apart during delivery.

Yan Tuo asked in surprise, "Where's the peony?"

Nie Jiuluo, who was familiar with Luoyang's cuisine from frequent visits to see the Longmen Grottoes, pointed to the carrot slices shaped like flowers in the soup. "There, the peony."

"And these leaves..."

"Just the green leaves beneath the peony."

"And the swallow's nest..."

"It's just shredded radish. When cooked in fresh broth, it tastes like bird's nest. The delivery shook it too much, ruining the presentation. Just use your imagination."

Great. To enjoy this dish, he had to imagine the taste of bird's nest, pretend carrot slices were peonies, and leafy greens were peony leaves...

Yan Tuo said, "Then why not call it 'Shark Fin, Roast Duck, Spicy Shrimp'? Might as well go all out with the imagination."

Nie Jiuluo burst out laughing. "Here, have some shrimp."

Yan Tuo took a bite and stopped complaining because, as a famous Luoyang dish, it actually tasted quite good—worthy of a positive review.

As they were enjoying their meal, Lü Xian's nervous voice suddenly came through the headphones, which had been silent for a while. "Miss Lin."

Both of them paused their chopsticks.

Had Lü Xian finished eating and met Lin Xirou already?

Sure enough, Lin Xirou's voice followed. "No need to stand on ceremony. Have a seat."

The sound of a chair being pulled back indicated someone sitting down. Even though the other side couldn't hear them, Yan Tuo instinctively held his breath and checked the dedicated phone.

Good, there was still some battery left.

Lin Xirou: "Did you talk to everyone in the medical office? How do you feel about it?"

Lü Xian replied nervously, "It's good. I just hope the company can allocate more funds to upgrade the medical office."

Lin Xirou chuckled. "That's a minor matter."

Yan Tuo listened impatiently to these pleasantries, wishing he could grab Lü Xian by the ear and yell at him to get to the point.

Lü Xian cleared his throat. "Um, Miss Lin."

Lin Xirou: "Hmm?"

Lü Xian: "About what you mentioned yesterday... regarding getting to know Lin Ling. I, uh, thought it over carefully after I got back and realized that people... people need to spend time together to see if they're compatible."

Lin Xirou replied coolly, "What do you mean?"

Lü Xian stammered awkwardly, "I mean, maybe we could... start by getting to know each other first."

Lin Xirou: "Oh."

Yan Tuo was so tense his forehead was sweating. While the audio feed let them hear the conversation, they couldn't see the speakers' expressions—making it easy to overanalyze. Lin Xirou's "Oh" sounded loaded with meaning, as if she didn't quite believe Lü Xian. Had Lü Xian acted too unnaturally?She smiled. "That's not what you said yesterday. Can I ask why your attitude changed so much overnight?"

Lü Xian hesitated. "Well, I had a chat with Yan Tuo..."

Nie Jiuluo glanced at Yan Tuo, who frowned slightly and sighed unconsciously.

Lin Xirou: "Oh, Xiao Tuo. What did he say?"

Yan Tuo's Adam's apple bobbed.

"He said Lin Ling is quite nice."

Lin Xirou smiled again. "Nice in what way?"

Nie Jiuluo lightly licked her lips. This Lin Xirou was truly hard to deal with.

Lü Xian stammered: "He said Lin Ling is quiet, well-behaved, and has good character..."

"But didn't you say yesterday that feelings are what matter most in relationships?"

Lü Xian was momentarily speechless.

Fortunately, someone knocked on the door just then.

It was Xiong Hei, whose arrival undoubtedly saved Lü Xian from further embarrassment. "L-Lin, Miss Lin, I need to use the restroom."

Footsteps faded away, followed by the sound of a door closing and another chair being moved.

Xiong Hei: "Sister Lin, what nonsense was he spouting this time?"

Yan Tuo's heart skipped a beat—had Lü Xian left his phone on the table in his panic?

Lin Xirou sneered. "Unwilling yesterday, willing today—what about tomorrow? Another flip-flop?"

Xiong Hei: "Lin Ling's the same way."

Lin Xirou: "Lin Ling is different. She's afraid of me. She wouldn't dare refuse what I say, at most she might grumble a little. But Lü Xian... Lü Xian isn't one of mine. Have you checked downstairs yet?"

Xiong Hei: "Not yet. It's pointless now—the root removal is tomorrow. We won't know the quality until after that. But it should be fine; we've kept tight control these past few times. Sister Lin, isn't it a waste to use this opportunity on Lü Xian? Couldn't we just drug—"

Perhaps Lin Xirou shot him a glare, because he didn't finish the sentence.

Lin Xirou's tone turned sharp. "Then who do you suggest we use it on instead? Someone more worthwhile?"

Xiong Hei: "Well, of course someone useful, a key figure—like that arms dealer in Yunnan, think of all the convenience he's given us. Lü Xian... just some random medical student. Even Jiang Baichuan would be a better choice than him..."

He didn't continue because Lü Xian returned.

The atmosphere suddenly became congenial again. Lin Xirou's voice softened. "Lü Xian, you can go now. Remember to book the hotel for tomorrow before we head back to the city."

...

The timing was perfect—the dedicated phone's red light flashed, signaling low battery.

Yan Tuo disconnected the surveillance feed, plugged in the phone to charge, and placed the earpieces, including the one Nie Jiuluo handed back, into their case.

Nie Jiuluo asked him, "What do you think?"

It was a bit messy, hard to sort out immediately. Yan Tuo packed the meal trays into a bag. "At least one thing is clear now—Lü Xian isn't a Changeling yet."

Nie Jiuluo nodded. "I agree. The mystery that's eluded the Turbaned Army for centuries might finally have an answer."

The Changeling phenomenon.

Jiang Baichuan had explained it to her before: in the Turbaned Army's dealings with the Dixing, there were occasionally bizarre cases where close friends, family members, or lovers—unscathed and fully conscious—would inexplicably serve the Dixing, even betraying their own kind.

When dealing with such people, the solution eventually became straightforward: eliminate them outright.But how exactly the "ghostly minions" suddenly came into being, why only one among a group of people would turn traitor—there had never been a clear explanation for this.

Nie Jiuluo looked at Yan Tuo: "From what I gather, Lin Xirou took Lü Xian to the farm this time to turn him into... a ghostly minion?"

Yan Tuo nodded. He had the same impression.

Lin Xirou and Xiong Hei's exchange contained a lot of information.

First, turning someone into a ghostly minion wasn’t easy. Xiong Hei had said, "Wouldn’t it be a waste to use the opportunity on Lü Xian?" This suggested that even for the "earth fiends," such opportunities were highly valued.

Second, this opportunity wasn’t available every day. They were waiting for tomorrow and had mentioned a key term: "root shedding."

Third, Lin Xirou and her group already had some ghostly minions under their control—ones that were "useful and crucial." The full list remained unknown, but at least one had been confirmed.

The arms dealer from Yunnan.

No wonder Xiong Hei and the others had access to so many illegal firearms. If they had contact with arms dealers who obeyed their every command, wouldn’t those dealers risk their lives to procure weapons for them?

Ghostly minions had to be useful and pivotal, capable of expanding and safeguarding the existence and growth of the earth fiends—like the arms dealer from Yunnan, or, for example, Yan Huanshan.

A thought struck Yan Tuo: "Do you think it might be one fiend, one minion? And that earth fiends can only turn someone into a minion at a specific time, like after 'root shedding'?"