The technique he had comprehended, along with the increasing number of killings, brought more and more knowledge and insights from the plundered memories.
It wasn’t just rote memorization of the technique’s formulas; even those insights were unearthed and claimed by Wang Sandong as his own.
For example, Wang Zhongli’s insights on “King Under Law”: “All kings under heaven are beneath the law! No one can stand above the law!”
Wang Sandong could clearly sense this pride that looked down on the world.
But…
It seemed pretty useless.
At most, it made him eat an extra cucumber at lunch with great boldness.
After all, he was weak and frail and didn’t expend much.
At the dining table, his appetite was truly small; the cucumber seemed like an after-dinner fruit for others.
After eating and drinking, Wang Sandong asked Yuan Di: “Grandfather put a few Glowing Wonderful Fish in the garden pond. They’re said to be very beautiful. Would you like to come see them?”
Yuan Di refused without thinking: “No.”
“Why?”
“Not interested.”
Wang Sandong said: “Grandfather and Zheng Xiao should be playing chess in the garden. We can watch for a while to pass the time. Let’s go, it’s boring to just sit around.”
Yuan Di heard this and hesitated slightly.
Thinking about it, Yuan Di nodded in agreement.
Supporting herself against a tree, Wang Sandong paused.
She smiled bitterly in self-mockery and said: “With my physical condition, I won’t end up having to use a wheelchair to get around, will I?”
Yuan Di glanced at Wang Sandong’s sickly-flushed face and said: “Hard to say.”
“Then it really would be worse than death.”
Wang Sandong sighed mournfully, took another breath, and continued walking forward.
Finally arrived at the pond edge.
Wang Sandong stood by the railing, panting heavily.
Finally arrived.
It was just an ordinary distance, yet it felt like undergoing a tribulation.
“Hey, I say, can you think of a way to regulate my body? Is there no method?”
Wang Sandong asked Yuan Di.
Yuan Di, holding her harp, came to the railing and looked down at the Glowing Wonderful Fish swimming in the pond.
For Yuan Di, whether Wang Sandong’s body was weak or strong didn’t matter.
As long as she didn’t die, as long as she could successfully transform into a woman, as long as she could frequently use “Soul Snatching” to kill, that was enough.
The corners of Yuan Di’s mouth curled up.
“You…”
Wang Sandong was so angry she was speechless.
Yuan Di still looked at the pond and said: “This kind of Glowing Wonderful Fish is really rare.”
Under the sunlight, the scales on the fish reflected all sorts of strange and colorful lights, like a dream.
The large pond, because of these few fish, became dazzling and indescribably wonderful.
Wang Sandong looked at Yuan Di’s profile, squinted, then suddenly hugged her waist, pressing her body tightly against her.
Yuan Di’s body stiffened slightly.
Not far away, Wang Tong’s face suddenly turned red, and he quickly turned slightly aside, looking away to avoid impropriety.
Wang Sandong whispered in Yuan Di’s ear: “If you like, we can catch two and raise them in our courtyard.”
Yuan Di’s arm holding the harp moved, wanting to elbow Wang Sandong away.
But she gripped the harp, ultimately restraining herself and not moving.
She pressed her dry lips together, her gaze wandering, and she didn’t see anyone else nearby.
“Get off,” she scolded in a low voice.
Wang Sandong not only didn’t get off but became even more unruly.
Yuan Di hugged the harp tighter, using it to press down on Wang Sandong’s hands.
Her face was calm, but her eyes had a barely noticeable panic.
Taking a deep breath, she threatened in a low voice: “Little beast! If you don’t get off, do you believe I’ll chop your little cucumber into pieces and feed it to the dogs?”
The words were fierce, but her heart was a bit chaotic.
Because she clearly felt a wicked thought rising from the bottom of her heart.
‘It must be because of the “Soul Hooking” empathy.’
Suddenly remembered there was still Wang Tong beside her.
Yuan Di subconsciously turned to look, but forgot that Wang Sandong’s face was right beside her.
She clearly felt her cheek touch something soft—if not Wang Sandong’s lips, what else could it be?
Instantly, Yuan Di’s face turned even redder.
At the same time, she noticed Wang Tong not far away, head bowed, back bent, holding a soft cushion placed below his abdomen.
Such a “proper” standing posture was clearly hiding his body’s shameful state.
With her own level of cultivation, she couldn’t avoid being affected by “Soul Hooking,” let alone an ordinary mortal.
“Get off!”
Yuan Di’s anger turned to fury, and her scolding voice rose a notch.
Wang Sandong quickly let go.
“Cough, why are you getting angry?”
Wang Sandong forced a smile and said: “Well… a little cucumber and a cucumber are two different things. Don’t confuse them.”
After clarifying, she changed the subject: “Let’s go, see Grandfather play chess.”
Saying that, she gave Yuan Di a deep look, her heart unexpectedly flustered.
‘Did Yuan Di actually know it was a cucumber? Or… Shouldn’t. Even with her high cultivation, could she see through things? This is just a high-martial world, not a xianxia world. Not that mystical.’
Wang Sandong thought randomly as she headed toward the pavilion where Wang Fa and Zheng Xiao were playing chess.
Yuan Di, following behind her, was also inexplicably flustered.
‘She knows it was caused by “Soul Hooking.”
Truly laughable.
Did this little beast really worry she would chop her “little cucumber” into pieces and feed it to the dogs?
Tsk.
Feed it to the dogs then.
It’s not like it had any other use anyway.’
Behind Yuan Di, Wang Tong was also flustered.
‘He was very worried that his shameful state would be discovered by the young master. The young master treated him so well, yet he had such dirty thoughts about the young master. Truly a sin deserving ten thousand deaths!’
Seeing Wang Fa and Zheng Xiao playing chess, Wang Sandong smiled and called out: “Grandfather.”
“Haha, Dong’er, you came just in time. I just brewed a pot of good tea,” Wang Fa replied cheerfully.
“It’s actually average,” Zheng Xiao teased.
“Not as good as the tea from Anzhi Courtyard.”
Wang Sandong entered the waterside pavilion and told Wang Tong to place a cushion on the stone bench.
Only then did she sit down.
She glanced at the chess game and smiled: “Grandfather, you’re about to win this game.”
“Not necessarily,” Zheng Xiao said.
“Still not convinced?”
Wang Fa smiled and stroked his beard.
“Come, come, the two of you, as a couple, can take me on together.”
The three of them chatted lively.
But Wang Tong’s gaze kept darting to the cushion under his butt.
‘Recalling his earlier act of using the cushion to cover his shame, and now seeing where the cushion was, his heart felt a strange satisfaction…’
Suddenly, he turned to look at Yuan Di and found her staring at him with a strange look.
Instantly, he was overcome with shame, face red, and quickly lowered his head, staring at his toes, blaming himself.
Yuan Di curled her lip disdainfully, not caring about the mindset of a lowly person, and turned her attention to the chess game.
Moments later, Yuan Di noticed that both Wang Fa and Zheng Xiao had aggressive natures.
Occasionally they defended, but it was passive, and they even tried to turn defense into offense.
Both were experienced players with sharp styles.
Saying they calculated ten moves ahead was not an exaggeration.
However, compared to eighteen years ago, Wang Fa’s personality seemed more composed, with much less domineering aggression.
Zheng Xiao lost, and Wang Sandong clamored to take the field.
Compared to Zheng Xiao and Wang Fa, Wang Sandong’s chess style was somewhat messy.
Sometimes, when the momentum was strong, she suddenly retreated to defense; sometimes, when she had long-term plans, after a few moves she changed tactics; at other times, seemingly casual moves often hid sharpness, capable of surprising victories.
Offense and defense uncertain, plans unpredictable.
The game ended.
Wang Fa actually lost.
Zheng Xiao smirked and said: “Truly ‘a flurry of punches beats an old master.'”
Wang Fa laughed heartily, looking at Wang Sandong, and said: “Dong’er’s chess style is like an unstable madman.”
“Hehe,” Wang Sandong laughed.
“Lucky, thanks for letting me win.”
“Another round,” Wang Fa said.
“No,” Wang Sandong stood up.
“I’m tired. Going back to rest.”
Zheng Xiao couldn’t help laughing: “Win and run away? That’s not appropriate, is it?”
“How can you call it ‘running away’?”
Wang Sandong laughed.
“I’ve decided never to play chess with Grandfather again.”
Then she looked at Wang Fa with a pitying expression and said: “Defeated opponent.”
With that, she left arrogantly.
Wang Fa burst into laughter, watching Wang Sandong’s back, his eyes full of doting and guilt.
His mind went back to sixteen years ago.
The events of that year had always been a worry in Wang Fa’s heart.
Wang Fa looked at Zheng Xiao and asked: “Why do you say that?”
Zheng Xiao said: “An interesting person, but unfortunately not long for this world.”
Wang Fa sighed heavily and said: “Maybe there will be a miracle. One never knows.”
“I hope so,” Zheng Xiao said.
A little later, at the entrance of the back garden.
Wang Jinghong and Wang Yunteng came toward them.
The two had just come from Anzhi Courtyard and were coming here to find Wang Sandong.
“The ‘Time Flower’ on Qingyun Peak has bloomed. Let’s go see it,” Wang Jinghong suggested.
“Haven’t you wanted to see it for a long time?”
“Haha, with Big Brother here, mere Qingyun Peak is nothing,” Wang Jinghong laughed.
“I can’t go up,” Wang Sandong said.
“Haven’t you wanted to see it for a long time?”
The ones who actually climbed Qingyun Peak to view the flowers, Wang Zhongli and the famous doctor of Xiangcheng, were both killed by Wang Sandong.
But Wang Sandong still agreed.
She dismissed the singer Yuan Yuan, ordered Wang Tong to prepare the carriage, and the three siblings set off together out of the city toward Qingyun Peak outside the city.
Qingyun Peak was extremely steep.
All four sides were like cliffs.
Ordinary people simply couldn’t go up.
Moreover, the peak often had strange winds and eerie clouds, somewhat dangerous.
Even someone with cultivation like Wang Yunteng would find it somewhat difficult to climb Qingyun Peak.
Even if he got up, he would have to be careful.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Wang Sandong looked up at the peak and said: “Two big brothers, if we really go up, don’t be unlucky enough to encounter a lightning tribulation.”
Wang Jinghong laughed: “Don’t worry.”
Saying that, he came in front of Wang Sandong and crouched down.
“Get on.”
Wang Sandong laughed, lay on Wang Jinghong’s back, and hugged his neck tightly.
She turned to look at Wang Yunteng and said: “Brother Teng, can you make it? If not, come down.”
Wang Yunteng looked up at the peak, his expression serious, and said: “I’ll try.”
Then he looked at Wang Jinghong.
“Brother Hong, be careful.”
He was a cautious person and didn’t want to take risks.
However…
Before coming, Wang Jinghong had said: “Sandong said when she was little she really wanted to see ‘the peace of time’ on Qingyun Peak.”
On top of Qingyun Peak, there was a strange flower, its colors variegated, its petals like the moon, its fragrance like orchid, its form like a dragon, hence named “Time Flower.”
Under the strange winds and eerie clouds, time was peaceful.
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