Chapter 576: Family Secrets

Even ordinary people like Xiao Du and Xiao Ling, who knew nothing about cultivation, could sense the strangeness of the lanterns after witnessing the preceding events. Xiao Ling wasn't entirely sure why, but he felt something was off. Xiao Du, on the other hand, suddenly understood. This wasn't a reward for the old turtle; it was clearly an act of harm!

Although they were currently in a dream, they felt disoriented, like many people do while dreaming, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. They hid themselves behind the grass, terrified of being discovered by the soldiers. Even Xiao Ling, despite his martial arts skills, was extremely cautious.

Much later, after all the lanterns had been lit and released into the river, the riders mounted their horses and galloped back the way they came.

As the sound of hooves receded, Xiao Du and Xiao Ling, each unaware of the other's actions, cautiously stood up. They looked out at the distant river, where the lanterns had already drifted far downstream.

An unknown amount of time passed, perhaps hours or even days, when suddenly, the distant river surface was overcome by raging waves.

"Boom..."

A huge chasm erupted in the middle of the river, sending colossal waves crashing towards both banks. The spray shot up like heavy rain.

"Rumble..."

Dark clouds had gathered in the sky at some point, bringing with them flashes of lightning and thunder. Heavy, leaden clouds hung low, and bolts of lightning continuously flickered within them. The oppressive atmosphere created by the stormy sky weighed heavily on both Xiao Du and Xiao Ling.

"Boom..."

A bolt of lightning struck directly onto the river surface, and the sudden burst of light illuminated a vast expanse of water...

"Aarrghh..."

A ferocious roar echoed from the river. Xiao Du and Xiao Ling could distinctly see a colossal turtle thrashing amidst the lightning in the middle of the distant river. Amidst the torrential rain and wind, roars like those of ancient beasts reverberated from the water.

"Xiao Jing, you scoundrel, may you die a terrible death! Roar—"

A terrifying, malevolent aura, mixed with the river's massive waves, surged towards both banks. Xiao Du and Xiao Ling struggled to breathe, feeling a suffocating pain.

As this agony intensified, their bodies reached their breaking point. A massive, blood-red wave, like a towering wall, surged towards them, revealing the colossal turtle's monstrous face and flashes of heavenly thunder within its depths.

"Ah!"

Xiao Ling abruptly sat up in bed, panting heavily.

"Hoo... hoo hoo hoo..."

"Husband? What's wrong?"

Duan Muwan, lying beside him, also sat up. She saw her husband's pale face and vacant eyes, his face and body drenched in sweat. She reached out with her sleeve to wipe Xiao Ling's face. He looked at her with a hint of confusion, and then his eyes gradually cleared from their dazed state.

"Husband, did you have a nightmare?"

"Hoo... hoo... Yes, I had a nightmare, a terrifyingly real one..."

Xiao Ling steadied his breathing, the scenes from the dream still flashing in his mind. Unlike the dream's hazy clarity, his thoughts were much sharper now. He also found the name Xiao Jing somewhat familiar.

Meanwhile, in Xiao Du's study, Xiao Du also woke up startled from his dream, even falling directly off the daybed.

"Ah!"

"Thud!"

"Ouch, ah... Help, someone, quick!"

Xiao Du cried out in pain and panic, looking around with a startled and bewildered expression. The scene before his eyes gradually transitioned from the great river of his dream back to his familiar study.

A servant on night duty entered to attend to him, noticing an expression of panic on his master's face that he had never seen before, and the cold sweat that dampened his hair.

"Master, Master, what's happened?"

The servant quickly stepped forward, helped Xiao Du up, and settled him onto the daybed. Then, he fetched a cloth from a nearby shelf to wipe Xiao Du's face. Xiao Du had been slightly gasping for breath, only calming down after a while. The servant immediately offered him a cup of tea.

"Master, drink some tea to soothe your throat and calm your nerves."

Xiao Du steadied his slightly trembling breathing. His hand, as he took the teacup, was also trembling slightly. Only after a few sips of tea did he somewhat recover. He handed the teacup back to the servant, but he didn't grasp it firmly, and the cup nearly slipped. Fortunately, the servant's quick reflexes allowed him to catch it just in time.

"Master, did you have a nightmare?"

"A nightmare? Yes, that's it. Give me the cloth, you may leave now."

"Yes, Master. Please call me anytime if you need anything; I'll be waiting in the side room."

"Mm."

After the servant left, Xiao Du wiped his face with the cloth while instinctively looking at the lamp in the study. He stood up and removed the lampshade from the lampstand on the desk, revealing the softly flickering candlelight within.

Unlike Xiao Ling, Xiao Du knew exactly who Xiao Jing was, having diligently reviewed the family genealogy more often. Although somewhat dazed during the dream, upon waking, Xiao Du immediately recalled that Xiao Jing was their ancestor.

"Why did I have this dream? How could I dream of these specific events?"

As he pondered this, footsteps approached from outside, remarkably distinct in the quiet night.

"Father, Father, are you still in your study?"

"Come in."

Xiao Ling entered the study, closing the door behind him to prevent heat loss. As he looked at his father, he noticed he seemed somewhat disheveled.

"Father, what happened?"

Xiao Du waved his hand, speaking in a slightly weary tone.

"It's nothing serious. I just had a very vivid nightmare and I'm still quite shaken, covered in cold sweat."

Xiao Ling was startled by his words, instinctively sensing something was amiss. He immediately stepped closer and asked in a low voice.

"Father, did you dream of a wide, great river, a scholar named Xiao Jing, and an old turtle in that river?"

Xiao Du's body suddenly trembled, and he looked at his son with a horrified expression.

"You mean you dreamed it too?"

Xiao Ling nodded, his face grim.

"I dreamt it too. The old turtle helped the scholar Xiao Jing attain great wealth, and the scholar repaid him with lanterns from a hundred families. But those lanterns were very strange; soon after, they brought down heavenly thunder upon the river, and the old turtle cursed Xiao Jing amidst the storm..."

Xiao Ling paused here, looking at Xiao Du, whose face was equally grim, and asked cautiously.

"Father, this Xiao Jing, he couldn't possibly be one of our Xiao family ancestors, could he?"

Xiao Du nodded, instinctively glancing towards the study window and door before lowering his voice.

"Xiao Jing is indeed the ancestor from when our Xiao family first began to prosper. If I'm not mistaken, those river lanterns were not from benevolent households at all, but rather... gulp..."

Xiao Du swallowed, lowering his voice even further.

"In his later years, Emperor Zhen Taizu executed many meritorious founding officials, wiping out their families to the third or even ninth degree. This purge left no 'dragon-following' ministers alive in the court... Those lanterns must have been taken from the homes where blood flowed like rivers..."

Xiao Ling subconsciously swallowed as well, feeling both shocked and afraid. Even without understanding cultivation, he knew this was an extremely sinister act, and the subsequent thunder and lightning seemed to confirm it.

"Father, what else do you know?"

"Phew... this is ancient history, from who knows how many generations ago. How could I possibly know it so clearly? If not for this dream, I wouldn't even have known that our Xiao family ancestors had contact with supernatural beings... But I do recall your great-grandfather once mentioning a family precept that descendants of the Kyoto Xiao clan should not go near the Chunmu River, saying it was inauspicious for our family, though he never explained the full gravity of it..."

"Chunmu River... Father, why did we have the same dream? This dream..."

Xiao Ling didn't need to say more; Xiao Du now also believed the dream might be real. For father and son to share the same dream surely portended something, and it was likely not good.

As the Xiao father and son were filled with apprehension, in the Xiao family courtyard, a wisp of spiritual consciousness belonging to Ji Yuan and the old turtle gazed towards the study. However, due to the dream, the old turtle's spectral form was somewhat unstable.

Ji Yuan turned his gaze to the old turtle.

"Mr. Ji, I..."

The old turtle's malevolent aura in the dream had actually "exceeded historical accuracy" somewhat. This manifestation, triggered by the old turtle's own lingering resentment within its spiritual consciousness, made the old turtle feel uneasy in Ji Yuan's presence.

"Given such a past, even I might not be able to completely let go. To be repaid with such malice after showing kindness, if you weren't allowed to feel resentment, it would be truly unreasonable."

Hearing Ji Yuan's words, the old turtle breathed a slight sigh of relief, though he remained curious about why Mr. Ji had brought him here.

"Now the Xiao clan faces a significant turning point. This is also your chance to resolve this karmic debt with them."

"But... but Xiao Jing has long been dead, and he must be suffering all sorts of punishments in the underworld. What about the current Xiao family members and me...?"

The old turtle spoke hesitantly for a few moments, then saw Ji Yuan smile at his words.

"I am merely allowing you to resolve this lingering grievance. As for how to do it, that is entirely up to you. The gods and spirits of the Imperial Capital Prefecture and Tongtian River will grant me some deference and will not interfere with you."

With that, Ji Yuan looked towards the Xiao family study again. After a long pause, he said calmly.

"Once you've understood, simply let go of your thoughts. There's no need to dwell too much on worldly opinions; merely seek peace in your own heart. It's getting late, and I should also rest."

After saying this, Ji Yuan's figure slowly dissipated before the old turtle. The old turtle paused for a moment, then continued to gaze towards the Xiao family study until that wisp of spiritual consciousness could no longer be sustained and finally dissolved in the courtyard.

The next morning, in a room within a guesthouse at the Yin Residence on Rong'an Street, Du Changsheng finally awoke. Opening his heavy eyelids, he saw the ceiling of the Yin Residence guest room. He hadn't actually suffered any severe injuries; he had simply delved deepest into Ji Yuan's spiritual domain and overexerted himself. This caused his spiritual consciousness to become fully immersed, eventually trapping him within his own perception, which in turn left his physical body without its animating spirit, making him appear on the verge of death.

Currently, Du Changsheng's main issue was simply excessive mental exhaustion, which had significantly eased after this period of rest.

Just as Du Changsheng awoke, an imperial physician arrived for a routine check-up. Seeing that Du Changsheng had opened his eyes, the physician quickly scurried over.

"Celestial Master Du, you're awake? How do you feel?"

Du Changsheng had just regained his full consciousness. He grabbed the imperial physician's hand and asked nervously.

"Did it work? Did it work?"

He had no recollection of what happened after he fainted, fearing he might have botched the task.

"It worked! It worked! Celestial Master truly possesses great power; Chancellor Yin's body is recovering!"

"Oh... It's good that it worked, so good..."

Du Changsheng let out a long breath. This display made the imperial physician regard him with even greater respect; this was truly the demeanor of a high-ranking master!