Chapter 192: Madame Wang, I Understand You

In the revised edition of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, additional content was inserted, including how Li Qiushui once seduced Ding Chunqiu, and the two secretly betrayed Wu Liangzi, moving the secret scriptures from Wuliang Mountain to Mantuo Villa; later, Li Qiushui fled, while Ding Chunqiu became Li Qingluo's adoptive father.

Afterward, Li Qingluo became involved with Duan Zhengchun, became pregnant, and then married into the Wang family, becoming Madame Wang.

Murong Fu's mother came from the Wang family, watching helplessly as her own brother took in the child, dying young, while Madame Wang later descended into madness—killing people from Dali to use as flower fertilizer, forcing men to marry their lovers—until the Wang family's reputation was utterly ruined.

So, did the old Murong lady do wrong in breaking ties with Li Qingluo?

No, she did not.

The one at fault is Li Qingluo.

Such a relative brings no honor to the Murong family; naturally, the Murong household's retainers feel the same, maintaining only a surface respect toward Li Qingluo.

When Gu Qing exposed these things, everything changed.

The Madame Wang of then broke ties with the old Murong lady; now, the Madame Wang of today is about to enact a classic rupture with the Murong retainers.

Madame Wang's eyes glistened with tears—both wounded and furious.

"Madame Wang, we have no such intentions!"

Deng Baichuan protested at once.

Such matters are inherently impossible to clarify; Deng Baichuan's declaration of "no such intentions" only confirmed he knew full well.

"Good, good!"

Madame Wang's gaze turned cold as lightning; knowing Deng Baichuan knew far too much, she snapped: "You're all excellent!"

The old Murong lady is already dead, yet you still insult her like this!

Deng Baichuan and Feng Bo'e had no defense, while A Bi, caught in the middle, glanced left and right, her face filled with confusion—she truly knew nothing, now a complete outsider.

Madame Wang turned to Gu Qing and demanded sharply: "What do you know?"

After all, it was Gu Qing who revealed this; Madame Wang wanted to know whether this private matter was now common knowledge across the land.

"Do you truly wish to know?"

Gu Qing asked first.

Madame Wang snapped: "Of course!"

"Not long ago, I went to Yanziwu to deliver a challenge to Murong Fu. Fearing he'd avoid battle, I dug up Murong Bo's coffin. And it so happened that my ears are sharp—I overheard many whispers that night. Everything I should and shouldn't have known, I now know."

Gu Qing spoke solemnly.

Hearing this, Madame Wang felt the world spin; she said: "Good, good."

Li Qingluo had always felt she had married down to the Wang family—after all, her adoptive father was Ding Chunqiu, her birth mother was even more illustrious, and her household's Langhuan Jade Cave held countless martial arts scriptures; when Murong Bo was alive, he often came to the Langhuan Jade Cave to read, and back then, Murong Fu's mother had to flatter her.

But now, the Murong family dares to insult her like this!

"You dug that grave well!"

Madame Wang said to Gu Qing.

Murong Bo deserved to be dug up!

Gu Qing nodded vigorously. Who had the highest hatred value in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber?

Murong Bo.

Digging up Murong Bo's coffin was Gu Qing's way of exploiting Murong Bo to earn good karma—he's already received his payout.

"Madame!"

Deng Baichuan hurriedly said: "Gu Qing is lying. Back then, the old lady never spread the truth widely; only a few of us close retainers caught fragments of it. Our reverence for you has never wavered—no one in the Murong household would ever joke with you."

Deng Baichuan thought he'd found a flaw in Gu Qing's words and rushed to mend the relationship between the two families.

Gu Qing smiled silently—he had already created an irreparable rift between the Murong family and Mantuo Villa.

"Madame, don't be deceived by him!"

A Bi, completely unaware, echoed Deng Baichuan's tone: "We deeply revere you!" Madame Wang's gaze fixed on Gu Qing.

This matter, once spoken by Gu Qing, made him complicit.

Gu Qing regarded her gaze calmly and said: "A Bi truly didn't know about your affair."

"..."

"..."

For an instant, Mantuo Villa fell utterly silent.

Gu Qing silently checked his system—he had satisfied A Bi's curiosity and received her good karma, but had also left her utterly stunned.

Madame Wang's blood pressure had already been sky-high; hearing Gu Qing's words, her head felt like it exploded, her legs went weak, and she fainted.

Gu Qing caught her in his arms, preventing her from falling, then lifted her rounded chin, pressing his thumb hard against her philtrum.

Those around had been ready to rush to her aid, but seeing Gu Qing genuinely helping, they let him continue; after he pressed several times, Madame Wang gasped, slowly opening her eyes—and saw Gu Qing.

!

"Let go of me!"

Madame Wang snapped.

A Bi might not have known before, but now everyone knew; even revived, Madame Wang felt dizzy and furious, as if she might vomit blood.

"Madame, stand steady."

Gu Qing finally released her.

After steadying herself, Madame Wang scanned the room, looking at those around her—the maids, servants, and old women beside her all forced blank expressions, pretending they heard nothing; when A Bi met her gaze, she immediately lowered her head.

"Since I married into the Wang family, I've never done anything to betray it. Whoever spreads lies about me—I'll cut out their tongue!"

Madame Wang said fiercely.

This was true—the Wangs merely took in the child, raising Duan Zhengchun's daughter; they were never cuckolded.

"The golden lion incense is cold, the quilt is tossed in crimson waves, I rise lazily to comb my hair. Let the jeweled box gather dust, the sun climbs the curtain hook. Afraid of the pain of parting, so many things I wish to say but hold back. Newly thin, not from drunken sorrow, nor autumn grief."

Gu Qing suddenly recited: "Enough, enough. This time you leave, even reciting the 'Yangguan' a thousand times, still you cannot stay. I think of the man from Wuling, far away, mist locks my Qin tower. Only the water before the pavilion should remember me, gazing all day long. Where I gaze now, from this day on, a new sorrow is added."

This was Li Qingzhao's "Phoenix Terrace: Song of the Flute." The first stanza describes the moment of parting; the second, the long, desolate grief after separation.

As a Song dynasty ci poem, it resonated deeply with Madame Wang's life—even if her literary skill was low, the verse stirred her heart.

A Bi, however, was stunned. As a disciple of Kang Guangling from the Xiaoyao Sect's Eight Friends of Hangu Pass, she had deep musical mastery and knew the current Song ci poems by heart; hearing Gu Qing recite it so effortlessly, she was astonished: Can he really do this?

"Madame Wang, I understand you!"

Gu Qing said to Madame Wang.

Understand your ass!

Madame Wang glared at Gu Qing: "Gu Qing, your sharp tongue twists truth into falsehood—you don't deserve the title 'Perfectly Good Man.'"

Gu Qing asked in surprise: "I've helped you understand—am I not worthy of being called a kind-hearted man?"

"Not worthy!"

Madame Wang snapped: "Gu Qing, you are one of the few evil guests Mantuo Villa has ever hosted."

An evil guest, huh.

Gu Qing dropped the pretense: "If I'm an evil guest, then I'll just threaten you directly—Madame Wang, you wouldn't want..."

Gu Qing whispered into her ear.

(End of Chapter)