After seeing Li Xiuyuan's signal, the guards immediately walked in carrying a female corpse wearing a red wedding dress and a red cloth covering her head.

"This, this is?" Mr. Qiao was stunned for a moment.

Li Xiuyuan stood up and took off the red cloth on the head of the female corpse.

But I saw that this was a woman with a distinctive appearance and a pale face.

"It's my daughter." Mr. Qiao was shocked when he saw this, and immediately stood up: "What's going on? My daughter has been staying in the boudoir these days, why is she here?"

"What did you do to my daughter?"

Li Xiuyuan said: "Wansheng is a scholar. This time he kindly returned Master Qiao's daughter. Could it be that Master Qiao suspected that Wansheng had kidnapped Master Qiao's daughter?"

Mr. Qiao apologized: "I was confused for a moment and said the wrong thing, which made Mr. Li laugh. I did not doubt Mr. Li's intentions, but why was my daughter brought back by Mr. Li's guards? What you need to know

My daughter has always been at home and has never left the boudoir."

Li Xiuyuan said: "Wan Sheng doesn't know about this either. When Wan Sheng passed through Huaxian County yesterday, he encountered a procession of sending off relatives in the middle of the night. The procession of sending off relatives was not a living person, but paper figures and paper sedans, and there was also a...

The old ghost escorted the lady, and Wan Sheng believed that it was a ghost harming people, so he came to the rescue and rescued the noble girl from the paper sedan. The old ghost said that this was the married daughter of the Qiao family in Huaxian County, so he kindly rescued his daughter.

return."

"Young Master Li is also a man who has read a lot of poetry and books. The sage has something to say. If you don't speak, you can confuse the gods with your strange power. Mr. Li kindly escorted my daughter home. I am grateful. Since Mr. Li is unwilling to tell the truth, why bother to pretend to be a ghost?"

." Master Qiao said.

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said: "The sage said, "I don't talk about monsters and gods." It means that you should keep a distance from ghosts and gods, stick to your own moral principles in your heart, and cannot worship ghosts and gods. Being controlled by ghosts and gods does not mean that you do not believe in ghosts and gods. Mr. Qiao is older and

I should also understand this truth. I came to visit tonight just to send Miss Qiao back. I have no other request. Now that the matter has been done, I will leave that night."

After saying that, he bowed and wanted to say goodbye and leave.

Mr. Qiao looked a little embarrassed. Although he hated ghosts and gods, he also knew that they really existed.

"Master Li, please stay." He hurriedly greeted him with a sincere attitude, trying to persuade Li Xiuyuan to stay.

"I wonder what else Master Qiao has to do?" Li Xiuyuan said.

Mr. Qiao said: "I'm really sorry, Shicai. There have been a lot of chores in the house recently. I apologize for my poor hospitality, Mr. Li."

"Wan Sheng does not blame Mr. Qiao, but Mr. Qiao needs to remember that Miss Qiao's soul has left her body, leaving only her physical body. If she does not find her soul within seven days, Miss Qiao's life may not be saved.

And looking at Miss Qiao's condition, she may have been in a coma for three or four days. Master Qiao is also asked to hire some experts to summon Miss Qiao's soul, so as not to delay the period." Li Xiuyuan reminded kindly.

Mr. Qiao was shocked: "Mr. Li, are you serious about this?"

Li Xiuyuan said: "How could Wansheng talk about something that is of vital importance to his life?"

"Yes, but Hua County is such a big place, where can we find experts?"

Mr. Qiao looked at his daughter and saw that his daughter was unconscious, her face was gone, and her body was stiff. She was afraid that she might not survive more than two or three days.

"It may be useful to pray to gods and worship Buddha. If you are sincere, you may be protected by gods and Buddhas." Li Xiuyuan said.

In this world, there are ghosts and monsters causing chaos, but there are also gods and Buddhas to protect us.

When it came to praying to gods and praying to Buddha, Mr. Qiao frowned, seeming a bit angry. Then he calmed down his anger and said hurriedly: "Praying to gods and praying to Buddha is too vain. Mr. Li is also a scholar and is proficient in the affairs of ghosts and gods. I

I also ask Mr. Li to lend a helping hand and save my daughter. If Mr. Li is willing to save me, I will agree to it no matter what the conditions are."

After saying that, he bowed deeply to Li Xiuyuan again, with a sincere and serious attitude, hoping that he would help.

"I only have some ability to subdue ghosts, but I don't have the ability to summon souls and seize souls." Li Xiuyuan was a little confused.

Mr. Qiao thought for a moment and said hurriedly: "If Mr. Li is willing to help, I am willing to give him a family heirloom painting as a gift."

After saying that, he signaled again and asked his servant to go to the study to get the painting.

He felt that this Li Xiuyuan was a scholar and had guards around him to protect him. He must have a good family background. If he wanted to ask for help, he would naturally have to spend some money. The price was probably too low for such an ordinary thing, so he had to grit his teeth and give it to him.

Send family heirlooms and paintings to each other.

"Mr. Qiao's words are serious. He postponed his late birth not because he was greedy for money, but because he was afraid of delaying the time and harming Miss Qiao's life, so he did not dare to accept the matter." Li Xiuyuan said.

Mr. Qiao said: "I understand what Young Master Li means, but I have been looking for Taoist masters for a while. Since Young Master Li has the ability to communicate with ghosts and gods, I would like to ask Young Master Li for help. If this fails, it is also

My little daughter’s merit is shallow and she deserves this calamity. I don’t blame Mr. Li at all.”

After saying that, he bowed deeply again.

Li Xiuyuan felt that it made sense after hearing this. If he didn't help, Mr. Qiao wouldn't be able to hire a Taoist expert for a while. When the time comes, the time will also be delayed, and Daughter Qiao will still have to die.

And seeing how sincere Mr. Qiao was, it was really hard to refuse.

"Since Mr. Qiao said so, let me give it a try." Li Xiuyuan had no choice but to return the favor and agree to the matter.

"Thank you Mr. Li."

Master Qiao suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face.

At this time, the servants of Qiao Mansion brought a wooden box.

"Master, the painting is here."

At this time, Mr. Qiao said: "Help the young lady back to the room to rest, and prepare the guest room for the distinguished guests to settle down and rest."

"Master Qiao, you are so polite. How can I disturb your house tonight?" Li Xiuyuan said.

"You and I are both scholars, why should we be so polite? Besides, Mr. Li helped me find my daughter today. I have not repaid the kindness. If I don't show my gratitude to the landlord, if it spreads, it will make people in the county laugh.

Mr. Li, please don’t delay. Come on, now that the painting has been delivered, Mr. Li might as well appreciate it. I believe Mr. Li will like it."

After speaking, Master Qiao smiled, then opened the wooden box and hung the painting.

This painting is simple, the paper is yellowed, and it has been aged for some time. What is painted on it is a snow-white horse, with a slender body, like a horse and a dragon, strong and powerful, and extraordinary.

"Dragon and Horse Picture."

Li Xiuyuan looked at the big characters on the painting, and then casually looked at the so-called dragon horse, but his expression suddenly changed. He actually saw the dragon horse running in the painting, neighing, as if it was about to jump out of the painting and rush into the painting.

The lobby is not only lifelike, it almost comes to life.

Just as he was looking at the dragon and horse in the painting in amazement, the snow-white dragon and horse seemed to have seen Li Xiuyuan. It tilted its head slightly to one side and looked at him with a pair of eyes curiously.

Those eyes are so smart that no one would suspect that the horse is just an object in the painting, but rather a real horse.

A man and a horse looked at each other across the painting, and they became quiet.

"This painting...is unusual."

After a while, Li Xiuyuan looked back, took a breath, and said with some surprise.

Mr. Qiao stroked his beard and smiled: "Of course it is unusual. Does Mr. Li know who painted this painting?"

Li Xiuyuan looked at the painting again, and finally found a name in the corner: Zhang Sengyao.

"What, it's Zhang Sengyao's painting." Li Xiuyuan said in shock.

"Yes, and it is still an authentic work by Zhang Sengyao." Master Qiao said.

Li Xiuyuan said: "Zhang Sengyao's authentic painting is enough to be called a treasure handed down from generation to generation. Mr. Qiao is really blessed to have this painting."

Such famous paintings are hard to come by, and they are so precious that they are easily coveted. It is difficult to obtain, and even more difficult to keep. For example, who would dare to keep the painting of the sage Wang Xizhi at home?

If even a little bit of information is leaked, it will be enough to cause trouble. Even if the emperor knows about it, he will forcefully ask for it from you.

This is the crime of holding a treasure.

Of course, Zhang Sengyao's paintings may not be as good as Wang Xizhi's original paintings, but for scholars who love painting, they are treasures that cannot be exchanged for anything.

Even people like Li Xiuyuan who don't like painting are still filled with excitement.

When Mr. Qiao saw Li Xiuyuan like this, he couldn't help laughing and said: "Master Li only needs to save his daughter, and this painting will be given to Master Li."

Li Xiuyuan was about to agree, but after calming down for a moment, he understood the meaning of Master Qiao's words.

Such treasures handed down from ancient times were given to him just to save his own daughter. Obviously, the drunkard did not care about wine. He was using the dragon and horse picture as a dowry in order to recruit a son-in-law.

If the person is saved, everything will be fine for Mr. Qiao. He can not only save his daughter, but also find a good marriage for his daughter. So what if he gives away the dragon and horse picture.

The Qiao family has no children, so sooner or later this painting will be advantageous to outsiders, so why not give it to Li Xiuyuan, who is very fond of him.

If he can't be saved, there's no need to say anything else.

After Li Xiuyuan calmed down a little, he said: "Mr. Qiao's words are serious. Wan Sheng doesn't dare to ask for such treasures. If Master Qiao is serious, after Wan Sheng rescues Miss Qiao, he only needs to lend Wan Sheng this painting to watch for one night. It will definitely be there the next day."

return."

He also made it clear in his words that he had no intention of nostalgia.

"Master Li, you're welcome. It's getting late now. Please take a rest early. I still have some trivial matters to deal with at my house, so it's not convenient for me to entertain Master Li any more." Mr. Qiao's enthusiasm suddenly faded a lot.

Obviously, he felt a little bad about being rejected by Li Xiuyuan like this.

After all, scholars are all about saving face. Mr. Qiao took the initiative to propose this matter, but was rejected by a junior like Li Xiuyuan, so he naturally lost face.

"That night, I disturbed Mr. Qiao all night." Li Xiuyuan said.

After being polite, he followed the servants of the Qiao Mansion and left the lobby. He temporarily stayed in the Qiao Mansion for a few days and solved the problem of the missing soul of the Qiao girl.

"Young Master, why were you so surprised when you saw the painting just now? This is the first time that I saw the Young Master like this. In the past, there were thousands of taels of gold placed beside the Young Master, but the Young Master didn't even blink an eye.

"The guard followed behind with his luggage and asked curiously.
To be continued...