Butler Chen Youde led a group of craftsmen to repair the houses in Anzhi Courtyard, raising clouds of dust and creating quite a clamor.
Wang Sandong, who enjoyed basking in the sun in the courtyard, retreated to the garden for some peace and quiet.
The evening sun wasn’t too hot, its warmth on the skin was comfortable and soothing.
Just as he was growing drowsy, his grandfather, Wang Fa, arrived.
This renowned old man was gaunt, with a white beard and hair.
His steps were steady, his breath deep, exuding an immortal aura.
With a casual wave of his hand in the air, a gentle spiritual power pressed down on Wang Sandong, who was about to rise to pay his respects.
“Rest.”
Wang Sandong smiled, not getting up, but still straightened his posture and bowed slightly.
“Grandfather, are you in good health?”
“Good, good.”
Wang Fa smiled, signaling a servant to place a chair next to Wang Sandong’s.
He sat down and extended his hand.
Wang Sandong understood and offered his wrist.
Wang Fa placed two fingers on his pulse.
After a moment, he found that Wang Sandong’s pulse was even weaker than it had been six months ago.
With such a pulse, Wang Fa wouldn’t be surprised if Wang Sandong died at any time.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed a trace of black demonic qi in the crevice of Wang Sandong’s fingernail.
Wang Fa withdrew his hand, looking at Wang Sandong’s clearly unhealthy, pale complexion.
He spoke with some guilt, “Child, I already know about you helping your father absorb the demonic qi. Sigh, all these years…”
He paused, sighed again, and said, “The Wang Family owes you a great debt.”
Wang Sandong agreed in his heart but joked with his words, “For a waste like me, being able to help father a little is just making use of waste.”
Wang Fa wanted to smile along but couldn’t.
He realized that the more cheerful and open-minded this little grandson appeared, the more uneasy his own conscience became.
Recalling that he had nodded in agreement to the extraction of Wang Sandong’s spiritual root back then, waves of guilt washed over him. Hesitating for a moment, Wang Fa said, “To absorb demonic qi with a mortal body and not die… such innate talent… if you had a spiritual root, your future would have been limitless.”
Wang Sandong gave a bitter smile.
“No choice. Just bad luck.”
Wang Fa’s lips trembled, words caught in his throat.
After a moment, he said, “The Zheng Family has met with misfortune. The marriage will have to be postponed.”
“It’s fine.”
As he spoke, Wang Sandong remembered Zheng Xiao’s wish to have a child and added, “Actually… it might be better not to marry at all. With my physical condition, there’s no need to harm someone else.”
Suddenly thinking of his eldest brother, he immediately and subconsciously used him as a shield.
“Besides, my eldest brother isn’t married yet. It wouldn’t be proper for me, as his younger brother, to marry before him.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Fa pondered briefly and said, “Your eldest brother’s mind, can’t you tell? He is wholly dedicated to cultivation and has not the slightest interest in matters between men and women.”
Before Wang Sandong could speak, he continued, “As for the marriage… don’t think too much about it. There’s no talk of harming anyone. At a time like this, forming a marriage alliance with the Zheng Family is an act of benevolence and righteousness from our Wang Family.”
“For an alliance… the Wang Family has plenty of men.”
Wang Fa looked at Wang Sandong and smiled.
“Silly child, marrying Zheng Xiao would be a great bargain for you. Do you know who Zheng Xiao is?”
“Ah… who?”
Wang Sandong played dumb.
“The Righteous Butcher, one of the Nine Surnamed Kings.”
When mentioning Zheng Xiao, a flicker of admiration even appeared in Wang Fa’s eyes.
“Such a person, isn’t she far better than the singing girls of Fengyue Tower?”
Wang Sandong pretended to be so shocked he couldn’t speak.
At the same time, he wondered in his heart if Wang Fa had already heard some rumors.
Wang Fa spoke again, “Your Liu Family cousin has arrived and is talking with your mother. I happened to be passing by and heard her mention the events of this afternoon. If you truly like that girl called Yuan Yuan, buying her and keeping her at home is fine. But broadcasting it everywhere is ultimately inappropriate. After all, our family is a prominent household; it doesn’t sound good.”
As an elder, he consistently used a consultative tone when speaking to Wang Sandong.
For sixteen years, Wang Fa had always treated Wang Sandong this way.
Because of the deep-seated guilt in his heart.
Wang Sandong recalled the beautiful yet detestable face of the woman from the rouge shop.
“Is it my cousin, Seventh Miss Liu? She definitely wouldn’t say anything good about me to mother.”
Wang Fa neither confirmed nor denied it, only saying, “The Liu Family reveres the Heavenly Dao and does not emphasize human sentiment. Therefore, some of their words can indeed be overly harsh. But… ultimately, they are good-hearted people without ill intent.”
He chuckled and added, “That cousin of yours, Seventh Miss Liu, gave your mother many beauty-preserving spiritual pills today. You could tell at a glance they were extremely valuable.”
Preserving one’s appearance had always been a matter of great importance to cultivators.
Some were willing to sacrifice cultivation progress to preserve their looks—like Zheng Xiao, Yuan Di, the Human Sovereign, the Zither Emperor, and others.
Some didn’t care about their appearance and never deliberately preserved it, like Wang Fa.
These cultivators who didn’t use spiritual power to deliberately preserve their appearance would rely on various spiritual pills and miraculous medicines to maintain their looks as much as possible.
The effect was naturally far inferior to the former.
Even so, spiritual pills with beauty-preserving effects were still exorbitantly priced.
“The Liu Family really knows how to profit from women,” Wang Sandong teased.
“All these years, they’ve made a fortune from things like rouge and powder, menstrual belts, and beauty-preserving pills.”
Wang Fa smiled and said, “The main street is very lively today. Would you like to go out for a stroll? I’ll accompany you.”
“No, I’m tired.”
Wang Sandong replied lazily.
The smile faded from Wang Fa’s face.
He sighed, “Then rest well. I have an appointment to discuss matters with the Cui Family head.”
It went without saying that the matters to be discussed were certainly related to the Zheng Family.
The affair between the Zheng Family and the Zither Emperor wouldn’t end so simply.
Thinking again of his marriage with Zheng Xiao, Wang Sandong sighed with worry but had no solution.
He could only pin his hopes on Zheng Xiao “knowing the difficulty and retreating,” choosing a more suitable marriage partner.
—
The sun set in the west.
The weather turned cooler.
Wang Sandong got up and returned to Anzhi Courtyard.
Feeling unwell, Wang Sandong went to bed early.
The menstrual belt had been used for a day. Even the “extra-large capacity” product from the Liu Family needed to be changed.
Changing to a new one was easy, but how should the used one be handled?
Have Wang Tong wash it?
Then the secret of his transformation would have to be revealed to him.
Even if he didn’t say it, Wang Tong would guess.
He wasn’t smart, but he wasn’t a fool.
Not good.
One more person knowing meant one more risk.
Better to wash it himself.
Although it wasn’t advisable to touch cold water at this time…
“Wang Tong, fetch two buckets of hot water,” Wang Sandong instructed.
Wang Tong asked from outside the door, “Is the young master taking a bath? Does this servant need to help scrub your back?”
“Not bathing.”
“Oh.”
Once Wang Tong brought the hot water, Wang Sandong instructed, “Go cultivate on your own. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
“Yes, young master.”
Wang Tong withdrew, closing the door behind him.
Wang Sandong began washing the menstrual belt.
He didn’t know what material this thing was made of, but as soon as it met the hot water, the blood on it separated very easily.
It didn’t require much effort at all; a simple wash and it was clean.
The Liu Family’s products were expensive for a reason.
Wang Sandong picked up the washed menstrual belt and held it up to the oil lamp to check.
He couldn’t see any bloodstains.
Still not entirely reassured, he brought it to his nose to smell, wanting to make sure there was no lingering scent of blood.
Unexpectedly, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Wang Sandong was startled, frozen in the posture of holding the menstrual belt to his nose, his gaze fixed on the doorway.
“Wang Sandong, I came to talk to you…”
Seventh Miss Liu stood at the door, maintaining her door-pushing posture, staring blankly at Wang Sandong.
Her face was slightly flushed, and she carried the scent of alcohol.
With her cultivation at the fourth rank of Spiritual Cultivator, her eyesight was astonishing.
Seventh Miss Liu saw the menstrual belt in Wang Sandong’s hand clearly at a glance.
Seeing his lewd action, she immediately became furious.
“You… are utterly despicable!”
She said, then made a retching motion.
Clenching her fists, she added hatefully, “It’s all because Aunt and Uncle spoil you too much.”
Wang Sandong finally snapped back to reality, quickly hiding the menstrual belt behind his back, then realizing it was meaningless to hide it now. For a moment, he was at a loss.
“That… cousin… it’s a misunderstanding, I… I…”
How to explain?
Could he explain?
Was it easy to explain?
It seemed no matter how he explained it, his actions just now…
Calling them “utterly despicable” wasn’t wrong.
But in fact, smelling it to check for odor, to determine if it was clean…
Where was the despicableness in that?
But he couldn’t tell the truth.
Otherwise, how would he explain where this used menstrual belt came from?
And he absolutely could not tell her the truth.
She wasn’t Wang Tong; she couldn’t be trusted.
“Alright, I admit, I wanted to study the craftsmanship of the Liu Family’s menstrual belts.”
Wang Sandong blurted out a lie.
“Seeing the Liu Family making money, I got envious.”
Seventh Miss Liu snorted with disdain at Wang Sandong’s “explanation,” glancing at the basin of bloody water on the floor, her face full of disgust.
“Could it be that it was used by that Yuan Yuan girl? Consorting with a woman of the pleasure quarters is one thing, but to actually… to actually… be so… it’s truly nauseating!”
With that, she actually spat at Wang Sandong.
Wang Sandong instinctively raised his hand to block and dodge.
Unfortunately, his body was weak, his reactions slow, and Seventh Miss Liu was a fourth-rank Spiritual Cultivator.
Even the speed of her spit was faster than an ordinary person’s.
Wang Sandong failed to dodge, and he didn’t manage to block it either.
Feeling the wet saliva on his face, Wang Sandong’s small face flushed crimson.
She’s fourth rank…
I’m third rank…
Can I win?
If I can’t win, I’m finished!
Wang Sandong raised his arm and wiped the saliva off his face fiercely.
He saw Wang Tong behind Seventh Miss Liu, his face also flushed red with suppressed anger.
As a servant, even if he was furious, he dared not make a sound.
He could only grit his teeth and clench his fists, even hiding his feelings of “impotent rage.”
Wang Sandong forced out a smile and said, “Wang Tong, go to Fengyue Tower and invite Miss Yuan Yuan. This young master wants to hear some music.”
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Wang Tong turned and ran.
Wang Sandong maintained his smile and said to Seventh Miss Liu, “Seventh Cousin, don’t be angry. You just came from my mother’s place, right? Looks like you drank quite a bit. Come, sit and rest for a while. That Miss Yuan Yuan’s music is played extremely well. You’ll definitely like it when you hear it later.”
“What kind of music could a lowly servant like that play! Don’t pollute my ears!”
Seventh Miss Liu did not sit down, merely blocking the doorway, her face full of disgust.
“Elder Brother Jinghong, what a hero he is! Among his peers, everyone respects and admires him! He shares the same birth mother as you, yet the difference between you is like clouds and mud!”
She grew more and more agitated as she spoke, a faint glimmer of killing intent even appearing in her eyes.
‘Fourth Aunt’ referred to Wang Sandong’s mother, Madam Wang.
Wang Sandong was inwardly alarmed, thinking, ‘Are you planning to clean house for the Wang Family?’
This murderous aura is too unsettling.
It’s also strange.
This Seventh Miss Liu used to dislike me, often speaking harshly, but she never went so far as to harbor killing intent!
Could it be…
Wang Sandong immediately thought of the Demon Emperor’s disciple’s “Soul-Seizing.”
To silently influence a person’s behavior—if it’s “Soul-Seizing,” it’s truly sinister.
If I could learn such a method, it would definitely be of great use.
“Cousin, I naturally cannot compare to Elder Brother,” Wang Sandong said softly, not daring to provoke Seventh Miss Liu further.
“But even so, it’s not a fault, right? At the very least… the crime doesn’t warrant death?”
As he spoke, Wang Sandong estimated the distance to Fengyue Tower and Wang Tong’s speed.
He hoped to delay as much as possible, waiting for Yuan Di to come and help handle the situation to avoid any accidents.
Walking to the table, Wang Sandong poured a cup of tea.
“Here, Cousin, have some tea.”
“No need! I find it disgusting!”
Seventh Miss Liu said, frowning tightly, her gaze fixed on Wang Sandong.
She said solemnly, “To be spat upon and not get angry… if you’re not extremely deep and cunning, then you’re utterly cowardly!”
Wang Sandong smiled evasively.
“It’s neither. Cousin, you’ve had too much to drink. No matter how ignorant I am, would I argue with a drunk person?”
Seventh Miss Liu was certainly not drunk.
She looked coldly at Wang Sandong, suddenly sighed, and shook her head.
“As the saying goes: Nobility lasts no more than five generations; after five generations, there will inevitably be a base offspring.”
The words were spoken lightly, but they were extremely cutting.
“Fortunately…”
Seventh Miss Liu smiled again, “fortunately, you were born without a spiritual root and won’t live long.”
Suddenly, her face turned angry again.
“Life is short, yet you still don’t cherish yourself! Neither man nor woman, a disgrace! You’ve completely disgraced the Wang Family’s reputation! Even my Liu Family is ridiculed because we are in-laws with your family!”
In the crevices of Wang Sandong’s fingernails, traces of black demonic qi appeared due to the surging of his qi and blood.
His mind buzzed with dizziness, and his heart pounded wildly.
His pretty face stiffened, but he still forced out a smile.
“Cousin, what can I do? I was born looking like this. Oh, right. As soon as you entered, Cousin, you said you wanted to talk to me. What did you want to talk about?”
Seventh Miss Liu clearly had no interest in calming her emotions for a chat at the moment.
She glared viciously at Wang Sandong and said, “Talk about why you haven’t died yet! Why do you still live in this world, disgusting people!”
Because she had been drinking, and because her emotions were too agitated, her face was flushed.
The killing intent in her eyes grew even stronger.