Chapter 324

“Xiang Hou, why don't you take your mother and Cui Cui to have some fun? The three of you would be perfect. The waterfall is incredibly beautiful, just like a fairyland.”

“What about you, Uncle Tian?”

“Me? I won't go. Who goes touring their own hometown?”

“No, Uncle Tian, this is a prize you won. How can we possibly accept it?”

“Go ask your mother. Discuss it with her.”

“Well… alright. I'll go ask her. Uncle Tian, come in for some water.”

“No, no, I won't come in. I'll just wait here, haha.”

Old Uncle Tian stood at the doorway, rubbing his hands.

Li Juxiang, holding the prize ticket, went inside and found Liu Jinxia sitting there, writing a eulogy based on a guest's birth characters.

Liu Jinxia was writing a draft. The beginning involved taking a thick book and deciphering the birth characters according to its instructions. The end had a fixed structure: mourning the deceased, wishing them peace and well-being in the afterlife, and occasionally asking them to bless their living descendants. The middle section consisted of excerpts from scriptures, a passage from Taoism and one from Buddhism, primarily to give it an air of sophistication.

Liu Jinxia only circled and marked passages. She would wait for her granddaughter to come home from school and have Cui Cui transcribe them, as Cui Cui's handwriting was becoming increasingly beautiful. According to Cui Cui, she learned calligraphy from Sister A Li and also learned to paint. Xiang Hou mentioned that Cui Cui's school teacher also praised her for her painting talent.

“Mom, Uncle Tian is here again. This is the prize ticket he won.”

Li Juxiang handed the ticket to her mother and relayed Uncle Tian's words.

Holding the ticket, Liu Jinxia looked up and held it against the sunlight streaming through the window, as if checking for counterfeit money.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Checking if it's real or fake. There are so many scammers nowadays.”

“Look at what you're saying! How could Uncle Tian be that kind of person?”

“You never know. A trip for three? What a coincidence! It's entirely possible he plans to kidnap and sell off three generations of our family.”

“Mom, you're getting more and more ridiculous.”

“It's always good to be cautious. Why would he just send this to our family out of the blue?”

Li Juxiang suppressed a smile. “Mom, are you genuinely clueless or just pretending?”

Liu Jinxia glared at her daughter exasperatedly. “I'm this old, how could I still be thinking about that? Isn't that just absurd? Life is pretty good now. I earn a little money, play a little mahjong. Am I supposed to be tired of living too comfortably and want to bring home a memorial portrait frame for myself? Whatever he's thinking, it has nothing to do with us. Don't pay him any mind. Let him keep indulging his fantasies alone.”

Li Juxiang went out with the ticket.

Liu Jinxia continued flipping through the scriptures and marking lines.

A short while later, Li Juxiang returned.

“Mom.”

“Did he leave?”

“Uncle Tian said that besides the luxury three-day trip, there's also a refrigerator, a color TV, and a big sofa.”

“What?!”

“But you have to claim those at the prize center in Jiujiang, and the winner needs to bring this ticket personally to redeem them.”

“That's getting more and more ridiculous!” Liu Jinxia stood up, fuming. “That old man is really determined to traffic people!”

Although household appliances no longer required coupons to buy these days, their prices were still not low, making them significant purchases for average rural families.

Liu Jinxia walked around her desk, left the room, and headed straight for her ceramic jar. Seeing this, Li Juxiang quickly ran out, signaling Old Uncle Tian to flee immediately, or her mother would come out with a scoop of manure.

Old Uncle Tian wanted to stay and explain that this was a task his young master had assigned him and he had to complete it. But looking up, he saw Liu Jinxia actually emerging with a long manure scoop.

Old Uncle Tian: “Jinxia, this is real...”

Liu Jinxia, without hesitation, swung the manure scoop towards him.

Terrified, Old Uncle Tian immediately turned and ran away.

Splash!

A large amount of liquid splattered in front of the dam's entrance. However, it wasn't manure, but water.

Liu Jinxia tossed the manure scoop aside, put her hands on her hips, and watched the fleeing Old Uncle Tian exasperatedly.

At the card table that afternoon, Liu Jinxia recounted the incident.

Granny Hua immediately said, “That old trickster, he has ill intentions.”

Wang Lian also expressed her concern: “Don't go. What if something happens?”

The main reason was that Old Uncle Tian's initial identity in the village was a member of the Jiujiang Zhao Family Acrobatic Troupe. At first, he was in a wheelchair, but later he walked as fast as if flying, which instantly lowered his image to that of urban beggars pretending to be disabled. The young people from the troupe left, but Old Uncle Tian didn't. He would occasionally freeload food and drinks from Li Sanjiang. In short, everything about him screamed unreliability.

His only redeeming quality was his decent appearance. Dressed in new clothes, with his hair neatly combed, he looked quite dignified when he stood there. Most old men of his age in the countryside had started to shrink and become hunched, but Old Uncle Tian truly stood out among them. But looking good couldn't fill their stomachs, and the old ladies were long past the age of romance. He was a stranger from out of town, with no proper job, no homestead, no allocated farmland, and he was a drunkard. After working hard to send off their in-laws and raise their children, why would they want to take in another old man to serve in their old age? What a burden!

The old sisters were all condemning him, except for Liu Yumei, who remained silent. However, she was the linchpin among the old sisters, so Granny Hua specifically prompted her:

“Sister Liu, what do you think?”

Liu Yumei: “It's a good thing, go for it. A three-piece set is worth a lot of money.”

For a moment, the other three sisters all fell silent.

Finally, Liu Jinxia awkwardly asked, “Sister Liu, are you really going?”

Liu Yumei: “He mentioned this yesterday when he was drinking with Li Sanjiang. I've also seen the prize ticket; it's real. You can claim the items if you go, it's not fake.”

Liu Yumei's words were like 'imperial decree' here. When she said it was real, the three old ladies immediately changed their tune.

Granny Hua: “My goodness, that old man is really generous!”

Wang Lian: “He's really spending a fortune on Sister Jinxia!”

Liu Jinxia pressed down the corners of her mouth firmly, trying not to laugh. Regardless of age, vanity exists. But Liu Jinxia's mind was still very clear:

“My family doesn't lack these things. He won the prize, he should take it himself. I don't care for it.”

Liu Yumei couldn't be bothered to persuade her further. She only knew that Old Uncle Tian was Zhao Yi's subordinate, and no matter how outrageous Zhao Yi might be, he wouldn't engage in human trafficking.

Upstairs, in the room.

A Li was doing handicrafts. Beside her, Cui Cui was diligently drawing. A colorful pheasant she sketched looked very lively. But Cui Cui was neither satisfied nor proud, because what she was copying was the phoenix A Li had just finished drawing.

Just then, Cui Cui suddenly let out a cry of pain. She put down her paintbrush, grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, and beneath the bangle, a circle of bruises appeared.

“It hurts so much…”

A Li stopped what she was doing, glanced at Cui Cui, and then extended her hand to her. Cui Cui offered her right hand to Sister A Li.

“I don't know what happened, this part became…”

A Li held Cui Cui's forearm with her right hand, raised the small purple hammer she had been using with her left, and struck the bangle.

Crack!

The bangle cracked and shattered into pieces on the floor.

Cui Cui was startled, then her eyes welled up, and she began to cry uncontrollably.

Waaah... waaaah...

She had few friends since childhood; not only did children her age in the village avoid her, but even adults disliked her, believing that wherever she went, she would bring bad luck to that household. Even now, after skipping grades and making new friends and classmates, in her eyes, Brother Yuan Hou and Sister A Li, who played with her and didn't look down on her, were the most special. This bangle was made by Sister A Li herself, and it was her most cherished gift. She had never taken it off since putting it on. But in the blink of an eye, the bangle was destroyed. Cui Cui wasn't blaming A Li; her crying was pure, born of sorrow.

The old ladies playing cards downstairs heard the crying from upstairs. Such scenes were actually quite common; it was rare for children to play together without someone eventually crying. But here, it was quite rare.

Liu Jinxia chuckled, saying to Liu Yumei, “Did Sister Liu's A Li make my Cui Cui cry?”

Liu Yumei also laughed, finding the situation amusing. In fact, Liu Yumei was already imagining her own A Li getting angry, pushing Cui Cui to the ground, and glaring at her fiercely. But no matter how she thought about it... she felt it couldn't possibly be true.

It just so happened that it was Liu Jinxia's turn to sit out the next round, so she went upstairs to check.

“Cui Hou, Cui Hou...”

Hearing her grandmother's voice, Cui Cui immediately snapped out of her sadness, quickly gathered the broken bangle pieces from the floor, wiped her tears forcefully, and replied:

“Grandma!”

Liu Jinxia appeared outside the screen door, and Cui Cui walked over.

“Grandma, I just accidentally fell and cried because it hurt.”

“You're so sensitive. What if crying so loudly disturbs your Sister A Li?”

Cui Cui pouted.

Liu Jinxia's eyes, which had long undergone cataract surgery, noticed the alarming circle of bruises on her granddaughter's wrist. She immediately opened the screen door, pulled her granddaughter out, and examined it closely. Of course, she wouldn't believe this was caused by girls fighting. This was clearly not man-made; it looked more like... an illness. Yes, an illness! She was in that business herself, but she was most unwilling to believe that her own granddaughter would be involved in such matters.

“Come, come with Grandma. Grandma will take you to the clinic.”

Cui Cui was pulled downstairs by Liu Jinxia. When they reached the dam, Liu Jinxia went over first and said:

“I don't know what happened, but the child has a circle of bruises on her wrist. I'm afraid something is wrong with her body, so I'm taking her to the clinic to see a doctor.”

Liu Yumei put down her cards, waved her hand, and said, “Let me see.”

Liu Jinxia urged Cui Cui to extend her hand to Sister Liu.

Liu Yumei just glanced at it and immediately knew what was going on. Her own granddaughter had personally crafted a bangle and given it to Cui Cui to suppress her powerful fate. Now, for some unknown reason, Cui Cui's fate had changed, and the bangle, no longer having anything to suppress, began to become a burden on her body. The bangle was gone; needless to say, her own granddaughter must have knocked it off. Heh, no wonder Cui Cui was crying upstairs just now.

Liu Yumei held Cui Cui's wrist with her right hand, picked up her teacup with her left, poured the warm tea onto the area, and then began gently rubbing the bruise with her right thumb. As she rubbed, the bruise gradually faded away.

Granny Hua: “Hey, it's gone! What's your secret remedy?”

Wang Lian: “Did the paint wash off?”

Liu Jinxia's mouth dropped open. Even if she hadn't directly experienced something, she was well-versed in such matters. She had instinctively suspected earlier that the marks on her granddaughter's wrist were unusual. If the doctor at the clinic couldn't find anything wrong, she would probably have to use her own methods to sort it out back home. Therefore, upon seeing Liu Yumei remove the marks so easily, she instinctively thought of that possibility: could Sister Liu...

Liu Jinxia shook her head, quickly dismissing the thought. She had been feisty her whole life, never yielding to anyone, but she was both deeply afraid and deeply respectful of this particular person. She would rather believe Sister Liu understood traditional Chinese medicine than believe she used that kind of method.

“Alright, it's nothing.”

Liu Yumei let go of Cui Cui's hand and, as an aside, took a piece of flaky pastry and offered it to Cui Cui's mouth. Cui Cui opened her mouth with a happy smile, accepted it, and began chewing.

Liu Jinxia chuckled and patted her granddaughter's head. “You'd gobble down everything given to you, wouldn't you? Don't you know to take it out and eat it slowly, bite by bite?”

Cui Cui: “Hehe.”

Liu Jinxia asked, “Sister Liu, what happened to the child?”

Liu Yumei: “After skipping grades, the academic pressure was too great, causing qi and blood stagnation.”

Liu Jinxia: “Then, then, then... what should we do?”

Liu Yumei: “Take the child on a trip, let her relax, and once her heart knot opens up, she'll be fine.”

She had only mentioned it briefly before, but now, combining it with the changes appearing on Cui Cui, Liu Yumei felt that Zhao Yi's arrangement for Old Uncle Tian to send Liu Jinxia's family to Jiujiang likely had its necessity. Even as a card-playing sister, Liu Yumei genuinely cared about her. As for ordinary old ladies in the village, she genuinely couldn't be bothered to play with them. In Liu Jinxia, Liu Yumei actually saw a reflection of her past self. With no man in the family, it wasn't easy for a woman to support a household, whether in the countryside or in the martial arts world...

Liu Yumei: “Cui Cui, can you recite 'Viewing the Lushan Waterfall'?”

Cui Cui: “Yes, Li Bai's poem. 'Sunlight on Incense Burner produces purple smoke...'”

Liu Yumei smiled at Liu Jinxia:

“What a coincidence, this waterfall is the very one written on the prize ticket.”

Her granddaughter was Liu Jinxia's root. Therefore, Liu Jinxia took the prize ticket. But she gave Old Uncle Tian a sum of money. Old Uncle Tian initially didn't want to accept it, but Liu Jinxia insisted; if he didn't take the money, she wouldn't take the prize. Old Uncle Tian had no choice but to accept it.

Liu Jinxia earnestly explained to Old Uncle Tian that she had no such intentions towards him, suggesting he look at other old ladies, and she could even help him with matchmaking. As for the prizes, Liu Jinxia promised to help Old Uncle Tian claim them, but she wouldn't keep them herself. Furthermore, Liu Jinxia knew that the money she gave certainly wouldn't cover the travel expenses, so upon their return, she would have Li Sanjiang treat Old Uncle Tian to a good meal at a restaurant in town.

She clearly distinguished matters and spoke plainly.

Old Uncle Tian, holding the money, watched Liu Jinxia's retreating back. His liking was genuine, and it grew stronger. But Old Uncle Tian also knew that there was probably no chance between him and Liu Jinxia. Yet, he still hoped to see her tomorrow.

Oh, no, he wouldn't see her tomorrow. They were taking the tour bus arranged by the travel agency to Jiujiang tomorrow morning. The prize ticket, of course, was fake, but Old Uncle Tian had found the travel agency himself. As long as he was willing to spend money, everything was simple.

Dragging his lonely figure, he walked to Aunt Zhang's convenience store, bought a pack of cigarettes, and then picked up the phone to dial.

“Hello, young master, everything's taken care of. They'll depart tomorrow morning. Young master, is everything alright at home? Oh, the Zhao family is gone.”

He hung up the phone.

Old Uncle Tian dropped to his knees on the ground with a thud. He let out a wail, crying with profound sorrow. His devotion and loyalty were naturally to his young master, but his identity as a family-born servant of the Zhao family also gave him deep feelings for the Jiujiang Zhao clan. The Zhao family was not just his home, but also the place where his ancestors had lived and taken pride.

Li Juxiang, who had come to buy mosquito coils, saw the scene and heard the commotion from afar, and simply turned around and walked back. Back home, Li Juxiang told her mother about it.

Liu Jinxia was stunned for a moment. “What?”

“Mom, did you say a lot of harsh things to Uncle Tian earlier?”

“No.”

“Then Uncle Tian, he really looks quite pitiful.”

“You pity him?” Liu Jinxia poked her daughter's forehead forcefully with her finger. “If it weren't for you, your mother would have remarried very easily back then; people were fighting over her!”

Cui Cui had an oval face, a standard beauty. Li Juxiang was also more beautiful than most women her age in the village, which indicated that Liu Jinxia must have been very beautiful in her youth. The reputation of causing the death of her in-laws and husband didn't matter. As long as she remarried far enough away, there would still be plenty of men fighting to marry her.

Li Juxiang: “Yes, yes, I believe it. Even now, isn't someone crying for you?”

Liu Jinxia: “Do you want a stepfather? As for you, there's no need to intentionally stay single. You're still young, and life is better now. Find someone reliable, honest, and from a poor family, and we'll have him move in with us.”

“Mom, do you want Cui Cui to have a stepfather?”

The mother and daughter bantered for a few sentences, both laughed, and then went to bed early.

Early in the morning, the travel agency's bus arrived, parked on the road outside the village path. It was a small bus, picking up just the three of them. When Liu Jinxia handed the prize ticket to the tour guide on the bus, the guide looked puzzled for a moment, then took it, examined it, and nodded, saying, “Alright.”

Seeing that the guide had finished inspecting it, Liu Jinxia reached out and snatched it back. She still needed the ticket to claim the three-piece set in Jiujiang. If she lost the voucher and couldn't claim them, wouldn't she have to compensate Old Uncle Tian?

Cui Cui, traveling for the first time in her life, was very happy. She looked out the window, eating snacks.

“Mom, do you know how much I used to envy Brother Yuan Hou? He could travel all over the country.”

“Silly child, your Brother Yuan Hou isn't going for fun, it's for work.”

“Then I want to get into Brother Yuan Hou's university too, so I can also work all over the country.”

Liu Jinxia turned her head and said, “As long as you can keep studying, Grandma will support you no matter what!”

Then, Liu Jinxia asked Li Juxiang:

“Did Ying Hou pass his exams?”

“It's not time for acceptance letters yet, is it? Anyway, he seems to still be sick at home, lying down.”

Hearing this, Liu Jinxia looked at her granddaughter's wrist, which had returned to normal, and sighed:

“Studying really isn't easy.”

Li Juxiang nodded in deep agreement. “Speaking of people, watching Lan Hou study and take exams used to seem so simple. But for me, it just wouldn't work; no matter how I tried to read, nothing would sink in. Lan Hou's son, Little Yuan Hou, is also very good at studying. It's probably genetic.”

Liu Jinxia: “Pfft, pfft, pfft! My granddaughter didn't inherit your brain, don't say such inauspicious things!”

“Surname Li, I think my brain is already good enough, but I still want to peel open your brain and see how it's actually structured inside. Could it be that my losing to you is just due to genetics?”

The Karma Fire in Li Zhuiyuan's hand suddenly flared up, scorching Zhao Yi's new skin.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!”

Zhao Yi writhed in pain, but only stamped his feet in place, not daring to step out of the circle beneath him. Once the last trace of rejection was removed and the dragon skin was perfectly integrated, Zhao Yi still had to smile and say:

“Ah, my Brother Zhuiyuan has really worked hard.”

The incredibly complex matter was handled effortlessly by the young man. Perhaps the young man was already accustomed to such things, as most of his companions enjoyed this treatment. Zhao Yi had managed to take advantage of the official benefits this time; after all, he was an external team member. His new skin looked no different from his old one, but its effects were entirely different. For an all-rounder like Zhao Yi, physical improvement often led to all-around development.

“They've arrived. I need to go back to the city to host them. Are you coming with me?”

“I won't go.”

“I'm going back to the Zhao family tonight.”

“I'll go later.”

“Alright.”

Zhao Yi left the practice room.

Li Zhuiyuan sat cross-legged, waved his hand, and some candles around him extinguished while others lit up. From below, continuous clicking sounds could be heard. This practice room was actually the prototype for the permanent array Li Zhuiyuan wanted. The young man simply intended to set up a larger one in the fields behind his great-grandfather's house. After all, besides his own use, it also needed to become a training ground for Run Sheng and others. Now, using Zhao Yi's current setup, the young man adjusted the feng shui alignment and the array.

He took out a porcelain bottle sealed with a forbidden talisman, pulled off the lid, tore off the talisman paper, and initiated a 'spirit journey.' There was no movement inside the bottle; the creature was timid and dared not come out. Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to invert the bottle and tap its bottom. A small red earthworm finally emerged, landed in the young man's right palm, and naturally coiled itself into a mosquito coil shape.

Blood mist rose from Li Zhuiyuan's palm, then condensed into an array flag. The crimson earthworm trembled there. The young man had to poke it with his fingertip, tendrils of Karma Fire flowing around his digit. With each touch, it recoiled. Like herding sheep, he guided the crimson earthworm onto the array flag, making it cling to it. Then, he carefully refined it with his fingertips. Soon, a dragon-like pattern appeared on the array flag. With it, Li Zhuiyuan's efficiency in controlling arrays would be further enhanced. In fact, at his level of array mastery, any minor improvement was extremely difficult. A significant enhancement like this was even rarer and highly sought after.

Mainly... it was simply too extravagant. Even among the core disciples of major families and sects in the jianghu, how many could afford the luxury of using a flood dragon spirit to assist in array operations? Hm, Li Zhuiyuan also felt it was a bit extravagant and wondered if he should create some spells based on this flood dragon spirit. For instance, like this...

The young man waved his right hand diagonally, and the Karma Fire transformed into the shadow of a flood dragon, encircling, then quickly extinguishing.

“Spirits' Confinement and Generals' Command.”

The young man extended his finger forward. On the originally black illusory chain, a flood dragon form materialized, looking more vivid and powerful. Unfortunately, he had stripped this creature too thoroughly, causing it to be as pure as a blank sheet of paper yet overly weak. Those two techniques just now didn't increase in power at all; they just made the spells look much better when used. Although Li Zhuiyuan wasn't keen on such flashy displays, he had to admit that sometimes flashiness was indeed useful. For instance, when 'borrowing authority,' adding a black flood dragon circling before the illusory figure of Emperor Fengdu, or a black flood dragon prostrating beneath the Bodhisattva's illusory lotus platform...

When it came to slinging karmic mud, the young man was absolutely professional; Emperor Fengdu knew this best. But the Emperor was still alive, after all. Doing it occasionally was fine, but if he did it too frequently or aggressively, he might anger the Emperor. Bodhisattva, on the other hand, was an option...

Both the Qin and Liu families had no spirits left, but the Bodhisattva was still alive. He could now fully dedicate himself to studying how to extract more benefits from the Bodhisattva by pretending to be a 'false Bodhisattva' or a 'Bodhisattva inheritor,' and then dump all the negative karma onto the Bodhisattva to bear. Firstly, the Bodhisattva also had Sun Baishen below them, who could mutually support him in undermining things. Secondly, and most importantly, the Bodhisattva was suppressed by the Emperor, so They couldn't leave hell to find him. Moreover, perhaps the more fiercely he exploited the Bodhisattva, the happier Emperor Fengdu would be, possibly even prompting the Emperor to lend him a hand.

Perfect, he also had to go to Fujian next to integrate the Spirit Generals. Wait... Before going to Fujian, he had to return to Jinling for his final exams.

He walked out of the practice room.

Outside, at two tables and chairs, Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin were both reading. A You glanced at Brother Bin's progress from time to time while reading, and finally couldn't help but chuckle:

“Brother Bin, you're not making progress as fast as I am!”

Tan Wenbin calmly turned a page and said:

“I'm on my second round of review.”

Lin Shuyou: “...”

Li Zhuiyuan walked between them, continued forward, and arrived at the thatched pavilion by the cliff. Zhao Yi's small residence was indeed well-built. The young man looked up, gazing forward. The mountains were shrouded in mist, and the waterfall, like a white bolt of silk, cascaded down from the profound heights above, appearing as if the Milky Way had fallen from the nine heavens. Li Bai truly did not deceive him.

“They actually didn't lie to us.”

Upon arriving in Jiujiang city, Liu Jinxia insisted on claiming the prize first. Watching the refrigerator and color TV being loaded into the small bus, a weight was finally lifted from Liu Jinxia's heart. As for the sofa, it was a whole set and required a truck for transport. Liu Jinxia personally watched them being loaded onto a truck and depart for Nantong.

After resolving this matter, Liu Jinxia finally had the mind to enjoy the trip. They first went to their accommodation, expecting a guesthouse, but ended up in the old city district. At the entrance, they even met an acquaintance, Zhao Yi.

Liu Jinxia: “What are you doing here?”

Zhao Yi: “Oh, my hometown is right here. Since you're here, how can I not be your guide?”

Liu Jinxia found it odd, but seeing Zhao Yi's enthusiasm, she felt awkward saying anything. Zhao Yi helped lead the way, pointing to the courtyard ahead and saying, “That's where you'll be staying for the next few days. It's not a guesthouse or a hotel; it's considered an old estate in our Jiujiang area, a place money can't buy you a stay.”

Liu Jinxia: “How did you arrange that?”

Zhao Yi: “By leveraging my connections, of course.”

Liu Jinxia: “Are your connections that valuable?”

Zhao Yi: “My connections certainly aren't enough; I had to borrow your connections.”

Liu Jinxia thought Zhao Yi was joking around, so she scoffed at him, but still asked with concern, “It's not delaying your work and earning money, is it?”

Zhao Yi: “Actually, my family is quite wealthy. Organizing the acrobatic troupe was just for traveling the world.”

Liu Jinxia clearly didn't believe him. “Then is your family home also very big? Where is it?”

Zhao Yi pursed his lips, revealing a shy smile, as if his boast had been exposed.

The courtyard was large and meticulously clean. The furnishings inside were also antique and elegant, with musical instruments, chess sets, calligraphy, and paintings everywhere. Liu Jinxia knew that Zhao Yi hadn't been lying just now. As she looked around, Liu Jinxia felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the place.

Li Juxiang: “Mom, what's wrong?”

Liu Jinxia: “Xiang Hou, it feels like I've lived in this place in my dreams, haha.”

A Ping came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron, and was very happy to see so many guests in her home. But when A Ping's gaze fell upon Cui Cui, she froze. She ran forward, knelt down, and hugged Cui Cui tightly, beginning to cry. A Ping had mistaken her identity; because Liu Jinxia was old, she only 'recognized' Cui Cui.

Through a crack in the window, Jin Xingshan lay there, watching the 'family of three' outside, a faint glow emanating from him. A smile spread across Jin Xingshan's face. To him, this faint crack before his eyes was like flowing honey. Zhao Yi had previously asked him how they should reveal their identities. Jin Xingshan said he didn't want to reveal himself; he just wanted to see them, to see them with his own eyes. The old man knew he was nearing his end. He didn't want to reveal himself and then, a few days later, make his daughter experience the pain of parting again.

Although A Ping's actions were exaggerated, it was clear that she bore no ill will; she simply liked Cui Cui very much. Soon, A Ping brought out a large pile of snacks for Cui Cui to eat. Some were store-bought, some she had made herself. Cui Cui thanked her while choosing what to eat. When Liu Jinxia saw the osmanthus crispy candy, she couldn't help but reach out, take a piece, and bite into it. She was an elder, and it wasn't dignified for her to take snacks along with her granddaughter, but she did so as if possessed.

The moment the crispy candy entered her mouth, it felt soft and moist, its flavor seemed to melt entirely, permeating her throat, soothing her heart and spleen. Taking another breath, she felt as if she could smell the full fragrance of osmanthus in the courtyard.

“Mom, is it that delicious? So delicious you're crying?”

Liu Jinxia wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertip. “It is indeed delicious, you try some.”

Li Juxiang took a bite. It was delicious, yes, but in recent years, their family's circumstances had improved, and they could eat whatever they wanted, so she found the osmanthus crispy candy quite ordinary. Liu Jinxia couldn't help but eat the entire piece of crispy candy in her hand, bite after bite.

A Ping brought out the food. According to Zhao Yi, it was included in the luxury tour, so they could eat as much as they wanted. The meal was very rich; A Ping had made almost every dish she knew how to make, filling a large table. Liu Jinxia was startled by the scale of it, and couldn't help but look at Zhao Yi a few more times. Zhao Yi's enthusiasm was clearly intentional, as if he was deliberately trying to please her. Such people usually had an ulterior motive.

Liu Jinxia: “Zhao Yi?”

“Yes?”

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Yes.”

“Is it about Old Uncle Tian?”

“No, no. Hehe, please eat first. I'll explain properly after dinner.”

Liu Jinxia picked up her chopsticks with some hesitation. She was a cautious person. Since it wasn't about Old Uncle Tian, it wasn't directed at her. So what was Zhao Yi's motive? Liu Jinxia instinctively turned her head to look at Li Juxiang sitting beside her. A bizarre thought emerged in the old woman's mind: Could it be that Zhao Yi had taken a liking to her Xiang Hou?

However, these suspicions were suppressed the moment the first bite of food entered her mouth. Liu Jinxia's eyes welled up again, and tears unconsciously flowed out as she ate.

Li Juxiang said, somewhat puzzled:

“Mom, are you crying because the food is delicious again?”

After dinner, dusk approached. The official sightseeing would only begin tomorrow.

Liu Jinxia sat on a stool, fanning herself with a cattail leaf fan. A Ping and Cui Cui were playing, drawing together. Zhao Yi came out, carrying tea.

Liu Jinxia spoke a polite generality: “Oh, I really don't see the point in traveling. It's only because I won this prize; ordinarily, I wouldn't spend money on a trip.”

Li Juxiang: “Cui Cui also said that when she grows up and earns money, she wants to take you, her grandma, to travel more.”

Liu Jinxia: “There's no need to go to all that trouble. Just give me the money for the trip, and I'll be happier.”

From inside the house, the sound of a zither could be heard.

Liu Jinxia: “Is someone playing a zither?”

Li Juxiang: “It's probably Cui Cui playing.”

Liu Jinxia: “Don't let her break their zither; it looks very expensive.”

The zither music was Jin Xingshan laughing. He didn't find Liu Jinxia's words unsophisticated; he only knew that an elder who could say such things must also be doted on by their children at home.

Zhao Yi, holding the tea, knelt before Liu Jinxia. Liu Jinxia was so startled she dropped her cattail fan and stood up from the stool. Immediately, she looked at Li Juxiang. Her first thought was that this young man was about to make a formal proposal and discuss his relationship with her daughter. But there was such a large age gap between them, and Juxiang already had a child. She would absolutely never agree! However, when she turned and saw her daughter also looking confused by Zhao Yi's actions, Liu Jinxia became even more bewildered. Was this a case of unrequited enthusiasm, and her daughter was actually unaware?

Zhao Yi didn't realize how his enthusiasm had led the old lady's thoughts astray. Primarily, he was driven by a desire to compensate, so he was genuinely sincere for once and didn't pry into others' internal thoughts.

“Grandma Liu, I'd like to formally recognize you as my god-grandmother.”

“God-grandmother?”

Liu Jinxia breathed a sigh of relief. This meant he was on the same generation level as Cui Cui, so she had completely misunderstood.

Zhao Yi: “After we establish this relationship, if your family ever has any problems, you can tell me directly. Whatever Zhao Yi can do, even if it means stripping off my own skin, I will help you accomplish it!”

Liu Jinxia: “There's no need for that...”

Zhao Yi looked up and shouted loudly, “God-grandmother!”

Liu Jinxia instinctively responded, “Oh...”

Zhao Yi immediately stood up. “It's done.”

Liu Jinxia was still a bit confused and bluntly asked, “Aren't you afraid of bad luck, boy, to form this god-relationship with me?”

Zhao Yi shook his head, thinking to himself: It was truly bad luck when your ancestors encountered my Zhao family back then...

Deep into the night.

Zhao family's outer residence, ancestral hall.

Below the platform, a group of Zhao clan members, after listening to Zhao Yi's narration, some turned pale with fear, some burst into tears, some were incredulous, and some were flushed with anger. Earlier, in front of them, Zhao Yi had ordered the accountant to inventory the wealth in the storeroom and distribute it to the Zhao family's servants. Some objected, and some even stepped forward to stop him. These people quickly became corpses lying on the ground, their blood staining the ancestral hall's red floor an even deeper crimson.

All the servants were dismissed by Zhao Yi. Even the accountants, after taking their share, bowed to Zhao Yi one by one and left with their packed bags. The altar table in the ancestral hall was shaped like a coiled dragon. Zhao Yi only left Zhao Wuyang's spirit tablet; he kicked off all the other tablets. He was now effectively sitting imposingly on the altar table.

Immediately after, Zhao Yi began to speak. First, he spoke of the shameful deeds committed by the Zhao family ancestors, then the secrets deep within the ancestral home, and finally, how he personally destroyed the ancestral home and sent the Zhao family's forefathers to hell with his own hands. There were many collateral descendants of the Zhao family, so such a declaration naturally couldn't be kept secret; it would definitely leak out. Zhao Yi intended to use the mouths of the Zhao family members to proclaim his 'deceitful and treasonous' act to the jianghu. What kind of rumors? Nothing was more credible than the family members themselves spreading the news.

“I announce that from today forward, the Zhao family is disbanded. There will be no more Jiujiang Zhao in the jianghu.”

This statement pushed the emotions of the crowd below to their peak. Crying and shouting grew louder, and a group of people, blinded by rage, cursed Zhao Yi and charged towards him. Zhao Yi waved his hand, and the array within the ancestral hall activated.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Patches of blood mist dispersed. Tonight, Zhao Yi showed no mercy in killing those with the surname Zhao. He did this to allow as many people as possible to survive, but if they were disobedient... then they should hurry and report to the underworld.

“Hurry up, be quick. Those who want to die, those who are unconvinced, step forward.”

No one dared to step forward again.

Zhao Yi: “As long as I am alive, if anyone tries to revive the 'Jiujiang Zhao' name and attempts to rebuild the Zhao family, I don't know what the jianghu's reaction will be. However, I, Zhao Yi, will personally visit their doorstep and destroy them!”

After speaking, Zhao Yi stood up. He slapped the head of the coiled dragon on the altar table with his palm, and the altar table ignited.

“I allow you one last bow, a final farewell.”

Everyone in the ancestral hall knelt down and began to kowtow. For a moment, cries shook the heavens.

Zhao Yi walked through the flames and came to the back. Li Zhuiyuan stood there.

Zhao Yi: “Don't worry. I've thoroughly cleaned out this group of Zhao's, both inside and out. Anyone with dirty hands is already dead. Actually, the collateral branches of the Zhao clan never had high status. Most of them couldn't compare to the family-born servants. Their only purpose was probably to produce potentially talented Zhao children for the family. You've worked hard, Little Brother Yuan.”

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, black light swirling in his eyes. Piercing through the flames before him, he could see a cluster of cluster amaryllis swaying on the heads of most of the kneeling Zhao family members below. The reason it was 'most' and not 'all' was that in such a large family, it was quite normal for a few children not to be biologically related to the Zhao family.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a talisman paper and flicked it into the raging fire on the altar table before him. A stream of fire swept out, then turned black, taking the form of a flood dragon, and circled before the young man. Zhao Yi's eyes lit up. This move by Li... tsk, truly beyond words. With the altar table already there, the young man was too lazy to set up a new one.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan said in a deep voice:

“Today, the matter has been clarified, the chief culprits have been eliminated, and lesser offenses cleared. Recalling Heaven's virtue of cherishing life, I therefore request the revocation of the 'Seal of the Entire Clan's Judgement' command!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the black fire dragon swept downwards, striking the ground. In an instant, sparks flew everywhere. The cluster amaryllis on the heads of the Zhao family members withered one after another. Zhao Yi looked up towards his own head; he couldn't see it, but the young man gave him a slight nod, meaning that the flower on his head had also withered.

From the ethereal, a faint, majestic voice sounded in Li Zhuiyuan's ear:

“Granted.”