Chapter 276

Chapter 276

“Hey, how did you know?”

The elderly man was surprised that I had guessed it. “You’re right. Eldest Grandaunt really did rise from a branch and become a phoenix. The master of the household took a liking to her.”

“The family was overjoyed, of course. In those days, being chosen by a rich master was almost like entering the imperial palace. Not only would her immediate family benefit, but the entire clan could hold their heads high in the village.”

At this point, the man sighed. “Everyone thought Eldest Grandaunt had begun a good life. But it didn’t last. Within a few years, she lost her life in Luo Mansion.”

I hurriedly asked, “How did she die?”

The man said, “The master of Luo Mansion was Luo Baichuan, and he was no good. Before Eldest Grandaunt, he already had six wives. She ranked seventh.”

“With so many women, trouble was inevitable. It was like an emperor’s harem, full of secret schemes and infighting. Luo Mansion sent a message to Eldest Grandaunt’s family saying she had accidentally fallen into a well and died.”

“But who would believe that? Children from poor families aren’t so foolish that they simply fall into wells. Her family suspected the other women had killed her, and that Master Luo, Luo Baichuan, was protecting the murderer. He refused to reveal the truth.”

The Seventh Concubine’s family had made the same assumption Seventh Master and I made at first.

But in truth, Master Luo had pushed her into the well himself. The other concubines had not killed her.

“Later, my Second Grandaunt, the one lying in the mourning hall now, became involved. Her name was Xu Xiu.”

The man continued, “Second Grandaunt didn’t believe the story. She wanted to investigate Eldest Grandaunt’s death, so she and my father investigated together. In the end, they really uncovered the truth.”

“My poor Eldest Grandaunt didn’t fall into that well. Someone killed her!”

His voice grew agitated. “Guess who did it. You’ll never figure it out.”

I was speechless but could only answer patiently.

Before I could speak, Anning’s desire to hear the rest got the better of her. She hurriedly said, “Master Luo killed her.”

The man was shocked. “Goodness, you’re an incredibly clever girl! You’re right. Luo Baichuan killed Eldest Grandaunt!”

“But the reason was even more infuriating. Some vile person spread a rumor that Eldest Grandaunt was sleeping with another man, and that her daughter belonged to that man. Can you imagine anything more outrageous?”

“We poor people may have had no money or dignity, but we still understood propriety and shame. Eldest Grandaunt was a respectable young woman. How could she have done something like that?”

“But that bastard Luo Baichuan believed the ridiculous rumor. He pushed Eldest Grandaunt into the well and drowned her, then lied to her family and said she had fallen in by accident.”

I was curious. “How did Immortal Maiden Xu and your father discover the truth?”

The man said, “My father was drunk when he told me, so he didn’t explain the exact process. But once they learned about the rumor, it wasn’t difficult to conclude that Master Luo had done it. A prominent household cared greatly about appearances.”

“Second Grandaunt then made a decision. She would sacrifice herself and marry into Luo Mansion too. She planned to kill Luo Baichuan, avenge Eldest Grandaunt, and take her daughter away.”
“My father tried desperately to stop her. He said it was too dangerous. How could poor people like us fight the rich?”

“But Second Grandaunt couldn’t swallow her anger. After Eldest Grandaunt died, her father died of rage and grief. That vengeance had to be taken.”

I asked the crucial question. “Immortal Maiden Xu was only one woman. Was she truly confident she could take revenge, or did she have some kind of plan?”

The man nodded. “From childhood, Second Grandaunt studied the Red Lotus Arts under an old senior in our village. Those were arts of the Mystic Sect. She may have been a woman, but she was capable. Even at that age, people from nearby villages already asked her to investigate supernatural matters.”

The Red Lotus Arts?

The Ninth Concubine had belonged to the Red Lotus Fa Sect.

The Red Lotus Fa Sect came from the Liangguang region. It had originally split from Maoshan as a branch called the White Lotus Fa Sect. Later, when the White Lotus caused chaos across Liangguang, the Red Lotus broke away specifically to counter it.

Red Lotus, Huaguang, Qinggang, the Ten Stars Sect, and the Great Red Forest Sect were once collectively known as the Three Fa Sects and Two Religions of Liangguang. They were all relatively famous.

Seventh Master had told me this.

“Don’t underestimate a woman. Someone who understands the esoteric arts of the Mystic Sect can kill without making a sound.”

The man sneered. “Luo Mansion was later wiped out, wasn’t it? Not one person survived. Those were chaotic times, so no one arrested Second Grandaunt. Her great vengeance was finally fulfilled.”

I stood dumbfounded. The Old Man spent forever on unimportant details, then jumped straight to the ending when he reached the crucial part?

“Wait, sir. How exactly did Immortal Maiden Xu take revenge? What was the specific process?” I pressed.

The man sighed and considered it for a long time.

I thought he was preparing to give details, but instead he said, “My father passed out drunk. He never told me the details. When I asked again later, he refused to tell me.”

I rubbed my forehead helplessly.

Anning continued questioning him. “What happened to your Eldest Grandaunt’s daughter?”

The man thought for a moment. “Eldest Grandaunt’s daughter died too. Second Grandaunt never said how. No matter how many times my father asked, she refused to answer. She only said the girl died in Luo Mansion.”

Perhaps the Ninth Concubine had been unable to stop the wretched hag from beating Xiuzhu to death and felt so guilty that she never wanted to speak of it.

Then I suddenly focused on someone else: the elderly man’s father.

I hurriedly asked, “Sir, what was your father’s name?”

He answered, “My father was Xu Changming.”

Xu Changming!

This man was Xu Changming’s son!

I asked again, “What did your father do? Did he ever… join a sect of the Mystic Sect?”

The man thought for a moment. “When I was young, my father was often away from home. Once, I eavesdropped on a conversation between him and my mother. I think I heard that he had joined some kind of sect, but I don’t know its name.”

“When I asked him later, he became furious and forbade me from mentioning it. I never dared ask again.”

“My mother died young too. Second Grandaunt mostly raised me. She never married again and had no children, so she treated me very well. My father didn’t remain in the village until I was grown, when he came back from outside missing one hand.”