Chapter 946

Gao Yang was not the least bit surprised, his eyes indifferent to the extreme.

His gaze fell upon the very top of the wide-bellied, narrow-mouthed grave, where piece after piece of blue brick had been stacked, sealing it tightly.

At this moment.

The old woman slowly turned her head. This was the first time she had looked back; her face was withered, and because she had been beaten so badly by the middle-aged woman, her face was swollen high, making her look somewhat terrifying.

Although there were six living people not far away, she acted as if she didn't see them, her dull, gray eyes staring straight behind Gao Yang's group.

That was the road leading to the village!

The small path was covered in thorns, yet there was no one in sight.

A flash of disappointment crossed the old woman's eyes, followed by a sense of relief, as if she had known it would be this way.

She turned back without any lingering attachment.

Before her was also a wide-bellied, narrow-mouthed grave, about 1.5 meters high; the shape of the entire grave pit narrowed gradually from bottom to top.

The opening at the very top was built up with five or six blue bricks, further shrinking the already small entrance. Overall, it looked like an earthen jar standing on the ground.

The old woman crawled toward the opening, her hands gripping the blue bricks at the edge tightly, her body inching downward until she disappeared into the darkness.

This scene happened so quickly that no one had expected it.

By the time they stepped forward, the old woman had already entered the grave.

"No, don't!"

Seeing this, Lv Luo could no longer hold back.

She hurried over, her voice filled with unbearable pity.

Chen Sheng and Wu Guang also stepped forward immediately.

Lv Luo continued, "Old lady, are you alright? We will save you right now. We saw with our own eyes how that woman bullied you; we will definitely get justice for you!"

After these words, a calm voice rang out from inside the Waguan grave.

"That woman is my daughter."

Once these words fell.

The expressions of Lv Luo and Shangguan Wan'er changed. They had guessed the woman was a relative, but they had assumed she was a daughter-in-law with no blood relation; they never expected her to be the old woman's daughter!

"Then we will take you to find your son; he will surely take care of you."

"This grave was repaired by my three sons together, and it was my eldest son who personally carried me up the mountain and sent me into this Waguan grave."

Lv Luo had wanted to struggle, but she was dealt a direct, crushing blow!

"Young Master..."

Lv Luo was almost crying, her beautiful eyes fixed on Gao Yang.

Shangguan Wan'er stepped forward and spoke toward the opening, "Old lady, we will give you some money so they will treat you well."

"The current Emperor is wise and provides dozens of coins every month to elders who have reached the age of sixty; there will be even more in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Lv Luo seemed to ignite with hope.

With money, that woman would surely change her attitude!

"Outsiders, there is no need. Even with money, it is useless, because I have passed sixty this year and am a person of ill omen!"

"If you truly cannot bear it, then stay here and chat with me for a while. That would already be a heaven-sized grace."

The old woman's voice rang out, carrying a touch of desolation.

But Lv Luo and Shangguan Wan'er both frowned, their faces full of confusion.

"Money is useless, and this old woman is a person of ill omen?"

At this moment.

Gao Yang stepped forward. He sat down on one side of the Waguan grave, his expression calm to the extreme, but his voice was incredibly gentle.

"Old lady, why is it that after sixty, one is called a person of ill omen?"

"Can you tell us about it?"

The old woman's voice rang out, "When a person is about to die, what is there that cannot be said?"

"In this Suiyang Prefecture, especially under this vast stretch of rolling mountains, there is an unspoken rule."

"Once an elder passes the age of sixty, regardless of whether their body is strong or not, they must be sent to this Waguan grave in advance to wait for death."

"Otherwise, for every day the elder lives longer, they will steal the lifespan of their descendants and bring endless bad luck to the family."

These words made everyone's expression change.

Shangguan Wan'er was even more filled with rage!

Da Qian had long ago issued strict orders to crack down on such feudal superstition!

Yet it still existed even now!

Even after Wu Zhao ascended the throne, there were policies for elders who reached the age of sixty!

What were the local officials doing?

Gao Yang was not surprised, but his expression grew even colder.

"So, just because of this ethereal rumor, you, old lady, were locked in this Waguan grave until death?"

Hearing this, the old woman said with a smile.

"Young man, you are mistaken. Do you see the blue bricks at the entrance?"

Gao Yang glanced at them and then said.

"I see them."

"What are these blue bricks for?"

The old woman replied, "After being sent into the Waguan grave, one does not die immediately. Every day after that, the son will come up the mountain to deliver food. For every day they deliver food, they stack one brick, until the blue bricks completely seal the entrance; then, they will not come again."

"That is when death comes."

Gao Yang fell into silence. ===== CHAPTER 948 =====