Life is a series of choices.
Everyone often stands at the crossroads of fate, complaining about the pain of making decisions.
In truth, when life offers no alternatives, the suffering is even greater.
Standing at the entrance of the Qin Room, Wang Sandong’s heart had already sunk to rock bottom.
She had thought about kneeling and begging for mercy, about pleading with Third Uncle to spare her life for the sake of family bonds, and even about using her brotherhood with Wang Yunteng to soften Third Uncle’s heart.
But it was too risky.
Third Uncle would most likely choose to uphold justice at the expense of family.
The whole world believed that showing mercy to a demonic cultivator was womanly kindness.
History was filled with spiritual cultivators who had shown mercy to demonic cultivators and ended up dying horribly.
Wang Sandong was unwilling to gamble her life on Third Uncle’s womanly kindness. That would be irrational, with little chance of success.
However…
If she tried another approach…
Perhaps she had no other choice if she wanted to live!
She had to take a gamble.
Bet on Third Uncle’s kindness!
And also bet on her ability to resolve the trouble before Zheng Xiao returned!
Wang Sandong took a deep breath, reached out, and pushed open the door to the Qin Room.
Inside the Qin Room, various weapons hung silently in midair.
But the most eye-catching was that black demonic zither.
Wang Zhongxin stood blocking the door, warily eyeing the demonic zither while also guarding against Wang Sandong.
The moment the door opened, he immediately felt the strange “pull” emanating from the demonic zither.
He had heard from Wang Fa that the greedier one was, the more strongly one would be drawn to the demonic zither.
Fortunately, Wang Zhongxin was not a greedy man.
He steadied his mind and easily resisted the zither’s temptation.
Wang Zhongxin glanced sideways at Wang Sandong, then at the weapons hanging in the room, but did not step forward.
His body remained parallel to Wang Sandong’s—clearly on guard against her suddenly pushing him into the Hundred Weapons Formation.
“Third Uncle, you can go in,” Wang Sandong said.
“The formation won’t activate,” she added.
Wang Zhongxin snorted coldly.
“No need. Just say whatever you want to say right here.”
Even though she was his own niece, if she had turned to demonic cultivation, she could not be trusted.
Thus, Wang Zhongxin not only refused to step forward but even took half a step back, as if eager to leave the vicinity of the Qin Room.
For some reason, he was nervous.
Had he just started feeling nervous?
Or had he been tense for a while?
Wang Zhongxin wasn’t sure.
Perhaps it was because he feared Sandong really had become a demonic cultivator—that was why he was anxious.
Just like when he had checked the newborn Yunteng’s spiritual root aptitude—the same tension.
Beyond nervousness, there was also fear of the Qin Room.
After all, it was the Hundred Weapons Formation set up by Righteous Butcher, one of the Nine Surnamed Kings—a place that even the Zither Emperor treated with caution. It was only natural to be afraid.
With that thought, Wang Zhongxin slowly exhaled, looked at Wang Sandong, and said:
“No need to play tricks…”
But before he could finish his sentence, Wang Sandong suddenly stepped into the Qin Room.
With a hum sound, the hundred weapons trembled.
Immediately, a sharp axe swung down fiercely at Wang Sandong’s head.
Wang Sandong was a demonic cultivator.
But her body was weak and her reactions slow—even slower than an ordinary person.
She could only watch helplessly as the axe descended, unable to react in time.
She hadn’t planned to react either; she only hoped Third Uncle would respond!
Otherwise, she would die horribly.
At the critical moment, a hand suddenly reached out, grabbed Wang Sandong’s arm, and yanked hard, flinging her out the door.
It was Third Uncle Wang Zhongxin.
He had never been the type to “kill a hundred rather than let one escape.”
As long as he wasn’t certain Wang Sandong was a demonic cultivator, he would not stand by and watch his own niece get split in half by an axe.
However, in that yank and toss, Wang Zhongxin ended up positioned between the Qin Room and Wang Sandong.
Just as Wang Zhongxin released Wang Sandong’s arm, a strange black shadow suddenly emerged from Wang Sandong’s body, expressionless, and lunged at Wang Zhongxin.
Wang Zhongxin had never seen such a bizarre phenomenon; he was shocked.
But as a Fifth-Rank Master, he quickly composed himself, thinking angrily:
‘This wretch is indeed a demonic cultivator!’
He struck out furiously, a thick surge of spiritual power wrapped around his fist as he blasted toward the black shadow.
At the same time, uncertain about the shadow, the cautious Wang Zhongxin stepped back to prepare for any mishap.
But that single step became his fatal mistake.
The Hundred Weapons Formation behind him was triggered.
Attacked from front and back, Wang Zhongxin’s expression changed in alarm.
Then he suddenly realized the shadow’s strangeness: it wasn’t a physical object; ordinary spiritual attacks were useless against it!
Back when Liu Seventh Miss, a Fourth-Rank cultivator, had escaped danger by recognizing the shadow’s peculiarity at the critical moment, Wang Zhongxin, as a Fifth-Rank Master, could certainly do the same.
But there was also the Hundred Weapons Formation attacking from behind.
Zheng Xiao, who had set up the formation, was not a bloodthirsty person.
Thus, the outer attacks of the formation were mainly meant to drive away and warn intruders.
So when the formation was triggered, the only safe point to evade was the direction of the entrance.
And that only safe point was blocked by the shadow.
Realizing the shadow’s weirdness, Wang Zhongxin didn’t dare force his way through.
He made a snap decision.
Spiritual power exploded around him.
He endured the weapons’ strikes from the formation and dodged to the left, trying to slip out of the room while the shadow missed its lunge.
Bang! A weapon struck Wang Zhongxin, scattering some of his spiritual power.
The Hundred Weapons Formation, which even the Zither Emperor treated with caution, could not be endured by a mere Fifth-Rank cultivator.
Wang Zhongxin’s qi and blood churned from the impact.
He forced himself to charge forward, but then he realized the shadow hadn’t missed as expected; it still stood firmly blocking the door.
Wang Zhongxin understood with dismay:
The shadow’s lunge had been a feint.
Its only purpose from start to finish was to block the entrance.
What a good niece!
Truly treacherous and cunning!
So young, yet with such scheming.
If she were allowed to live, she would become a great scourge to the world!
Looking at the shadow’s dark face, identical to Wang Sandong’s, that expressionless, delicate face sent a chill down Wang Zhongxin’s spine.
He realized he was in mortal danger today.
He would die at the hands of his own niece.
Wang Zhongxin was both grief-stricken and furious, but he remained extremely calm.
He took a deep breath and decided to shout with all his strength that Wang Sandong was a demonic cultivator.
He believed that if he could only cry out, Wang Fa and Zheng Xiao, who were playing chess in the garden, would surely hear him.
But before he could make a sound, another heavy blow struck him from behind.
It was the smashing strike of a giant hammer.
The breath Wang Zhongxin had just gathered was instantly dispersed.
At the same time, the shadow in front seized the opportunity, reached out its eerie hands, and pierced straight through Wang Zhongxin’s chest.
Meanwhile, in the garden.
Zheng Xiao, who had been playing chess, suddenly narrowed her eyes.
She stood up directly and tossed out a sentence:
“Someone has trespassed into the Qin Room!”
With that, she flew into the air and sped toward the Qin Room in Anzhi Courtyard.
Wang Fa, hearing this, didn’t hesitate and followed closely behind.
Just as the two arrived above Anzhi Courtyard, they heard a weak and sorrowful cry.
“Third Uncle! Someone, help! Save him!”
It was Wang Sandong’s shrill voice.
Hoarse from screaming, she lay prostrate at the entrance of the Qin Room, staring at Third Uncle Wang Zhongxin’s corpse inside, tears streaming down her face.
There was an element of performance.
But also genuine emotion.
Especially after plundering Third Uncle Wang Zhongxin’s memories.
A memory from half an hour ago stabbed into Wang Sandong’s heart like a sharp knife.
Half an hour earlier, Wang Zhongxin had said to his son Wang Yunteng:
“Sandong doesn’t have long to live. Since you have nothing to do, why not take the trouble to escort her to New Capital? Haven’t you said she always wanted to see New Capital? It’s a good chance to avoid the recent spreading rumors.”
Wang Yunteng smiled and agreed: “I’ll go tell her.”
“Good. The Hongyun carriage service will provide a comfortable ride; it won’t be too hard on her going to New Capital.”
“I’ll go. I was just about to discuss some matters with your uncle anyway.”
Third Uncle, you shouldn’t have come.
You shouldn’t have died.
But I don’t want to die either.
I just want to live in peace…
Why is it so hard?!
Maybe I should never have come into this world.
After I die, I wonder if I can go back to the original world…
Perhaps I deserve to die.
I never wanted to come here in the first place.
It’s like a damn dream.
But it’s not a dream.
If a dream were this painful, I’d definitely wake up.
Wang Zhongxin was dead.
Dead in the Qin Room.
Too greedy, trespassing into the Qin Room—how could he not die?
Madam Wang, clutching the grief-stricken Wang Sandong, sobbed as she comforted her:
“You did your best.”
According to Wang Sandong, she had tried desperately to stop Wang Zhongxin from barging into the Qin Room.
But Wang Zhongxin seemed bewitched, insisting on forcing his way in, unable to be held back…
A mother knows her child’s heart.
Madam Wang could feel Wang Sandong’s self-blame.
As the head wife of the Wang Family, how could she not blame herself?
An elder sister-in-law is like a mother.
Two of her brothers-in-law had died unexpectedly this year one after another, and Madam Wang felt she must bear some fault.
Then she thought of her youngest child, who was frail and unlikely to survive until autumn, and her heart filled with even more guilt and sorrow.
Back then, she had forcibly taken her youngest child’s spiritual root to heal the eldest son’s injuries…
Was that wrong?
Madam Wang gently held Wang Sandong, tears falling silently.
Second Master Wang’s funeral had just been held not long ago, and now Third Master Wang’s funeral was about to begin.
Among the Three Great Families of the Old Capital, it seemed only the Cui Family was still peaceful, having merely lost a wastrel.
There were also rumors that the Wang Family’s misfortune was because Zheng Xiao had brought an unlucky item as her dowry into the Wang Family.
Because of that thing, the Zheng Clan had lost half its members.
On the night before the funeral.
Yuan Di stared at Wang Sandong, who was listless from excessive grief, and finally couldn’t contain her curiosity, asking:
“What exactly is that zither in the Qin Room? Did the Zither Emperor destroy half of the Zheng Clan because of it?”
Wang Sandong lay weakly on the bed. Instead of answering Yuan Di’s question immediately, she suddenly thought of another issue:
At the time, when she used the “Soul Snatching” shadow to attack Third Uncle Wang Zhongxin, it didn’t seem to provoke the Hundred Weapons Formation’s hostility…
“Speak!” Yuan Di’s tone turned cold.
Wang Sandong turned her head and looked at Yuan Di. Pulling herself together, she smiled:
“Want to know?”
Yuan Di kept her face cold, saying nothing.
“Come on, give me a kiss, and I’ll tell you,” Wang Sandong teased.
Yuan Di’s gaze was like a knife stabbing at Wang Sandong.
But Wang Sandong was unafraid.
She closed her eyes and sighed.
“Forget it if you won’t.”
At this moment, she wasn’t in the mood to tease Yuan Di.
She only wanted to find an opportunity to use the Soul Snatching shadow to invade the Qin Room…
Yuan Di stared at Wang Sandong’s annoyingly delicate face, expressionless, but her fists were clenched.
Her gaze finally landed on Wang Sandong’s moist lips.
Her face suddenly flushed, and then she turned and walked away.
High summer had quietly passed.
The night breeze carried a slight chill.
Yuan Di took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
She raised a hand and touched her cheek, feeling the temperature drop before continuing forward.