Chapter 588
Chapter 588
Chapter 588
An old ox with its eyes covered, driven by an old man, slowly pulled a long box into the entrance of the valley.
From the woods on both sides, figures appeared and bowed to him:
"Greetings, Sixth Elder."
The person in charge of guarding the entrance, nearing fifty, with a meticulously groomed beard, bowed and then stepped forward, speaking in a fawning tone:
"Sixth Elder, if you have anything to say, just give the order directly. There's no need for you to come all this way in person."
The Sixth Elder didn't look at him, but calmly asked in return:
"Is it not even allowed for me to run an errand for the mistress's death anniversary?"
"No, Sixth Elder, you've misunderstood me."
"How have you been lately?"
"Replying to the Sixth Elder, all is well and there is no cause for concern."
"Ah."
The Sixth Elder remained silent, and the blindfolded old ox continued forward.
The person in charge kept his gaze fixed on the box until the oxcart disappeared.
Once on the "road," the car stopped in front of the altar and mourning hall. The Sixth Elder got out of the car, turned around, opened the box, and carefully helped Ming Qinyun, who was lying inside, out.
Even though he was being extremely gentle, the mistress he touched still felt like a handful of broken porcelain.
Even the elegant clothes that he had specially changed into before setting off were now partially charred, partially frosted, and the rest of the clothes were soaked in pus, dripping down.
The Sixth Elder's eyes showed heartache.
As a peer, he had witnessed the dazzling brilliance of his young Miss Ming in her youth and had assisted her in leading the Ming family. Who would have thought that she would end up in such an undignified state?
"Your eyes are polished too brightly."
The Sixth Elder understood, shifted his gaze, and concealed the emotions in his eyes.
Ming Qinyun pushed away the old man's support and insisted on walking up the steps of the altar, swaying unsteadily.
"I hope everything goes smoothly."
"Don't worry, Madam, everything is going smoothly."
"Starting today, our distinguished guests will arrive in batches. Remember to greet them well and don't let anyone find fault with our manners, after all, they are the distinguished guests who will be buried with me tomorrow."
"Yes, it's been arranged. As for the person in charge of the guard, should we make any further arrangements afterward..."
"No, after searching for so long, we finally found someone at home who was about to jump ship because the ship was broken and had been bribed by outsiders, so let's keep him."
"But this kind of person..."
“This kind of person is also useful. If one day my Ming family is completely destroyed, we will still be counting on this kind of person to continue the family line.”
"Yes."
Ming Qinyun stopped, turned her head slightly, and asked:
"Sixth Brother, do you think I shouldn't continue to act willfully?"
The Sixth Elder remained silent.
Ming Qinyun: "Hehe, if I had known earlier that Liu Yumei was so resilient and that she actually managed to pull through to a brighter future, I wouldn't have done what I did. But now that the arrow has been released, there's no turning back."
Sixth Elder: "Indeed."
Ming Qinyun: "Deep in this place, I have already set up an array. The key is in the box. Sixth Brother, I still need you to go and deliver it to Xiao Zhao."
I genuinely like this child, Xiao Zhao. He's far superior to my granddaughter, Ming Yuwan. It's a pity he was born into the Zhao family of Jiujiang. If only he had been born into my Ming family.
Leaving this kid behind will make things a little more interesting on the river, and it will also serve as a tripping stone for that little beast.
"Alright, you can go now."
"Yes, mistress."
The Sixth Elder got back into the oxcart, turned the blindfolded old ox around, and drove away.
Ming Qinyun stood still, and only after the oxcart disappeared did she let out a sigh:
"Sigh, what's meant to happen will happen eventually, and no one is exempt."
The Ming family members are affected by the side effects of this technique, making them prone to extreme and uncontrollable emotions. As the matriarch, Ming Qinyun has developed the habit of absorbing the excess emotions of her family members into herself. The more she bears, the more comfortable and relaxed they will feel.
Originally intended as a good deed, and everyone had grown accustomed to it over the years, Ming Qinyun clearly sensed that the sixth brother's emotions were off whenever the elders of the Ming family came to her for discussions after the ceremony at Qinglong Temple.
Less anxiety, more despondency—this indicates the emergence of other thoughts.
Ming Qinyun was not angry about this. The sixth son did not intend to betray the Ming family. He had recognized the reality and felt that the situation was hopeless. He wanted to make the Ming family bow down so that the Ming family could have a lineage for revenge in the future.
"If kneeling down and kowtowing to apologize and make amends would be useful, I don't know why I would strip naked and crawl in front of Liu Yumei to beg for humiliation and beg for mercy?"
Those who survived the ceremony at Qinglong Temple said that Madam Liu's temperament remained as kind as ever, just like back then, which gave you hope.
When Liu Yumei dismissed the Qin Liu outer sect, she kept two children by her side to raise herself. One was to train them well before sending them to travel the river.
The other one... hehehe, isn't he just a hysteriac? He deliberately keeps a crazy kid by his side just to remind himself that he can't forget this grudge and that he must pay this debt.
After she regained her composure, she became more open-minded, and her gloom disappeared. It wasn't that she became easier to talk to.
She's always been the lazy type; she'd rather rely on others than let herself get tired.
She clearly couldn't bear the hardship of crossing the river with just a few lamps, yet she made it seem like she was deliberately making way for her man.
Ah,
But Brother Qin just falls for her charms.
so,
The fact that she was able to let go was not because she was at peace, but because there was someone even more ruthless and cruel who could help her bear it.
She immediately let go, happy to be a carefree elder who didn't concern herself with anything.
There was no chance, and no way out. That little beast went into hiding and traveled along the river. By the time he became famous, he had already made his mark. His character and methods... People are meant to grow up and devour the flesh and blood of their enemies. There's no possibility of showing mercy or leaving any room for maneuver.
Even if you actually kneel down, he'll probably be even angrier, feeling that your stance doesn't make his revenge satisfying enough.
Ming Qinyun walked to her altar, gently leaning her back against it for support.
Looking back on her youth, Ming Qinyun still can't let go of the past.
However, her attack on Qin Liu was not out of personal grudge. There are so many forces that want to kick Qin Liu when she is down. It is impossible that every family head has competed with her, Liu Yumei, for a man and lost.
If Brother Qin were still alive, and if Qin Liu hadn't fallen into decline, she would bring her nephews and nieces to visit, chat about the past over tea, and then subtly and naturally express her jealousy and resentment as a side dish.
To put it bluntly, that's the rule of the martial arts world: if you're weak, you'll be eaten; if you fail to kill someone when you try to eat them, you have to be prepared to be bitten back.
Ming Qinyun reached out and first picked up an apple from the offering table, then picked up a bottle of wine.
She placed the apple in front of her and smelled it. All her teeth had fallen out, so it wasn't that she couldn't eat hard things, but rather that biting into it would cause juice to splatter everywhere, making her look very messy, even though she was already quite filthy.
"Ok?"
After smelling it, Ming Qinyun pinched the apple with her fingertips, and what came out was normal juice, without the fragrance of the magical fruit.
"Ha ha……"
He then pulled out the cork, intending to take a sip before lying back in the stone coffin, but he couldn't smell any wine; it was just water.
"What an adorable and clever boy! He came here and even left a trace to let me know he was here."
Old Six, Old Six, you can't beat him. It's just a pity that his brilliance has been overshadowed by that little beast.
That little beast is just too beastly;
In the past, this kid would have been the quintessential Dragon King.
After putting the apples and wine back in their places, Ming Qinyun walked to the stone coffin and lay down inside.
The coffin lid slowly closed, stopping just before it was completely sealed.
"Oh, so you've lain here before, and even left your mark. Now you should understand Grandma's intentions, and know how much Grandma admires you."
Come on, be bold! Grandma's here, I'll be the real key for you!
"Click".
The stone coffin was completely sealed.
Deep within my soul, in the small courtyard.
Ming Ningshuang's body was pieced back together. She was wearing her wedding dress, sitting in front of the dressing table, facing the mirror, holding a piece of red paper, her lips slightly pursed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the marriage certificate lying beside him, and a smile appeared on his lips.
She was dreaming.
What they longed for was not marriage and family, but the promised... freedom for the village.
Since her birth, she has only seen three people, one of whom was standing at the door looking outside.
She couldn't imagine how happy it would be to have an entire village for her to play and roam around in.
As for guarding the tomb?
The fact that your sister's grave is being buried alongside your grave from your previous life indicates that you won't stay there forever.
When you are gone, I will use my sister's body to break out of the grave and go anywhere in this vast world.
Could it be that that village can still hold me captive?
……
While eating breakfast, Jiang Mo noticed that the number of people was incorrect.
He asked Zhao Yi somewhat excitedly, "Brother Zhao, three more guests checked in last night?"
Zhao Yi: "They are all my employees. They came with me to your place to check out potential collaborations. I went to your room tonight to get the key and told you. You said okay, feel free to stay anywhere."
Jiang Mo's facial muscles twitched.
However, perhaps because he slept too well last night, he was in a great mood today, so he couldn't get angry at Zhao Yi for his blatant attempt to take advantage of him.
Zhao Yi: "What's wrong, bro? Feeling the pinch?" Jiang Mo: "No, you should have told me sooner. I didn't fry enough eggs."
After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan sat on the roof, still wearing the werewolf mask.
The boy held a book in his hand, looking like a wolf cub forced to study under Zhao Yi's pressure.
In the northwest of the town, there was a fluctuation in the barrier, indicating that the Ming family had opened their villa here to receive distinguished guests who would be attending the funeral celebrations the next day.
Zhao Yi clapped his hands as he walked up the stairs and said:
"No matter what happens on the river, there are still rules to follow; but this world of rivers and lakes, when it goes crazy, is completely illogical."
"Isn't this also on the river, your river?"
"Hey, you've really elevated me to a high level right away."
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, didn't you see how busy I've been? Jiang Mo saw us running around with little flags and rulers and asked what we were doing. I told him that we were interested in his guesthouse design and wanted to replicate it when we got back to Jiujiang. He was so happy."
Led by Zhao Yi, the Liang sisters and Xu Ming set up an array inside the guesthouse. The blueprints were provided by Li Zhuiyuan. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary isolation array. Any martial artist traveling would set one up around their residence if they had the means. But only by actually entering and experiencing it firsthand could one perceive the profound mystery and terrifying nature of this array.
The reason they went to such lengths was that after discovering the true intentions of the old lady from the Ming family, the two were certain that she would send someone to deliver the keys.
Moreover, this key cannot be the array flag in Li Zhuiyuan's hand; it is not a physical object, but a token of affection.
This would assure Zhao Yi that the old woman didn't want him to die and would stand firmly by his side, prompting Zhao Yi to go to the funeral procession and light the pile of firewood that had already been laid out.
Zhao Yi lit his pipe and took a puff: "It's not easy to select a suitable person from within your own family and use their initiative to avoid the cause and effect."
Li Zhuiyuan didn't reply, and turned another page in the book.
Zhao Yi: "When a family needs to be split up and utilized in this way, it means that it has really reached the edge of collapse."
Li Zhuiyuan: "You should share these insights from your own experience with Ling Wuxing."
Zhao Yi: "This is an exclusive autobiography. If you want to see it, you can exchange it for the Ling family's secret techniques."
Li Zhuiyuan: "Tell A-Jing when she should be back, right?"
Zhao Yi: "Even without A-Jing, it's not like we can't accept this gesture of kindness."
Li Zhuiyuan: "But your real opponent in this wave is that old lady Ming."
Zhao Yi: "To be honest, I'm really not confident when facing her, Li."
Li Zhuiyuan: "That's what makes it interesting."
The sun passed through the afternoon, then through the twilight, and dusk gradually fell.
There were many people tonight, so Jiang Mo set up stools in the courtyard and brought out his beloved guitar.
"Let the wind keep blowing, I can't bear to leave..."
Just as they were getting started, the sound of a bell came from outside the guesthouse. Jiang Mo put down his instrument and went to open the door.
An oxcart was parked at the entrance, and an old man was sitting on it.
Jiang Mo turned to look at Zhao Yi and joked, "This isn't one of your employees, is it?"
Zhao Yi: "You have a keen eye, that's really true."
Jiang Mo: "This..."
The Sixth Elder urged the oxcart to drive into the courtyard.
His gaze first swept over Zhao Yi, then over the Liang sisters and Xu Ming sitting in the courtyard, and over the boy in the room sitting under the lamp doing his homework.
The Sixth Elder had met Zhao Yi many times, but this was the first time he had seen him so directly. He finally understood him.
Jiang Mo asked curiously, "Why is this cow blindfolded?"
Sixth Elder: "Because sometimes seeing things too clearly can cause a lot of trouble. It's the same whether you're a human or an ox. When plowing the fields, you have to be a little confused."
As they were talking, the Sixth Elder removed the black cloth from the bull's eyes.
The ox let out a soft moo, and Jiang Mo swayed and fainted. Zhao Yi helped him up.
Zhao Yi: "He has nothing to do with the underworld, I'll go and make sure he's settled in."
The Sixth Elder nodded.
Zhao Yi led Jiang Mo to his bedroom. Soothed by the sound of the cow, Jiang Mo would get a good night's sleep again tonight.
After covering him with a blanket, Zhao Yi grabbed a bottle of beer, left the room, and closed the door behind him.
Inside the room, Li Zhuiyuan closed his notebook and tossed his pen into the pen holder.
With a "snap," the starlight and moonlight above the guesthouse, like graffiti on a blackboard, were completely erased.
The Sixth Elder exclaimed, "A clever formation!"
With a flick of his fingertip, Zhao Yi knocked the beer cap off, took a sip, and said, "I remember the sixth elder of the Ming family cultivated the sword body."
Sixth Elder: "When you are young, you are greedy. You want to practice swordsmanship and hone your physique at the same time, but you end up being neither good enough for anything else. You should take my experience as a warning."
Zhao Yi: "You misunderstood me."
Actually, what Zhao Yi wanted to say was that if you were truly proficient in array formations, you would have known something terrible was about to happen when you saw this scene.
The Sixth Elder sat down in the chair and took out a battle flag from his sleeve.
"This is the key that my mistress asked me to give you."
"Isn't the current head of the Ming family a man?"
"With your intelligence, how could you not guess that my mistress is not dead?"
"You're right. When I heard that Madam Ming had passed away, I shed quite a few tears."
"You should have already seen what's going on there. The mistress was afraid you wouldn't dare to go, so she specifically asked me to give you the key. The mistress's intention is that she always has faith in you and believes you can continue to compete with that Li family head for the dragon."
Zhao Yi took another sip of wine, then looked at the Liang sisters and Xu Ming, and said loudly:
"Did you all hear that clearly? I didn't rehearse any lines beforehand. The old man's eyes are sharp!"
The Sixth Elder did not hand the array flag to Zhao Yi, but instead stuck it to his own chest. The array flag burned, burning through his clothes. The patterns on the array flag were branded onto his chest, and then quickly sank.
This means that to replicate that banner, one would have to strip it bare.
Zhao Yi: "Sixth Elder, what do you mean by this?"
Sixth Elder: "I think that's enough. If we continue down this path, the Ming family will truly have no chance of survival in the future."
Zhao Yi: "No, I'm just curious, when you wanted to kill Qin Liu back then, did you think it was enough? Did you ever think about leaving others a chance to live?"
This deadly conflict was started by you; why should you think you can just end it whenever you want?
Sixth Elder: "We have to try, to pull back from the brink."
Zhao Yi: "Sixth Elder, do you intend to betray the Ming family?"
Sixth Elder: "I did this to protect the Yu Ming family."
Zhao Yi: "Then what am I going to do? What am I going to do tomorrow?"
The Sixth Elder pointed to his chest: "The array pattern is right here. You can take it yourself."
Zhao Yi: "You expect me to attack you first, so you can then rightfully retaliate and kill me?"
The Sixth Elder remained silent.
Zhao Yi: "You wait here, I'm going to complain to the old lady right now."
Sixth Elder: "I'm keeping an eye on you now. Anyone who trespasses on the Ming family's forbidden area... will die."
Zhao Yi: "Are you the only one staring at me?"
Sixth Elder: "When I came, I dispersed all the other eyes. This kind of thing can't be done in a big way. We just need to see the final result."
"Do do do".
Just as the words were spoken, a knock sounded at the door, and a childish voice came from outside:
"Brother Yi, open the door quickly, I miss you so much."
Who are you thinking about?
"Ah, who can I tell?"
“Tell me, I’m not angry.”
"I miss my brother Yuan so much!"
Because Li Zhuiyuan had to replace Chen Jing in front of everyone, the real A Jing was kept silent by Zhao Yi until his wolf eyes, which were far away, could no longer detect the team's location, at which point he would reappear and rejoin the team.
After all, the best way to avoid surveillance is to become one of those eyes watching you.
Zhao Yi: "The door is locked. Open it yourself with your paws."
"okay."
Chen Jing stretched out a wolf claw, flicked the latch through the crack in the door, and came in.
Upon seeing Chen Jing, the Sixth Elder's expression immediately changed. He turned to look at the room, where the boy wearing a werewolf mask stood at the doorway, but his toes carefully did not cross the floor tile line.
The Sixth Elder was not surprised that Zhao Yi had the means to avoid his eyes and ears, but he was puzzled as to why Zhao Yi would resort to such a trick.
Looking at the boy's figure, he suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and his voice trembled slightly:
"Who...are you?"
Li Zhuiyuan removed his mask, revealing his face, and simultaneously held up the white invitation card that the Sixth Elder had personally handed him at Mount Lu, saying:
"Li Zhuiyuan, the head of the Qin Liu family, has been invited to attend the ceremony for the deceased's birthday!"
(End of this chapter)