Chapter 220: Startling News of the Yao Family

Just as dawn was breaking, when I returned to the Yang family manor, Yang Shouren was already sitting in the Yang family hall; his facial expression was very gloomy, like an overcast day before rain. Beside him sat a middle-aged man in a white suit, and as soon as I entered, upon seeing him I mistakenly thought I had seen Shen Yuan Ning.

He looked, really too similar; he also wore a pair of glasses on his face, and that refined, scholarly air was exactly the same as Shen Yuan Ning's. The only difference was that Shen Yuan Ning's air was merely light and breezy, gentle and refined, whereas this middle-aged man, besides having a scholarly air, also had a gloomy air, making him look preoccupied.

Those with withered and gloomy appearances generally have four manifestations. The first is horizontal longevity lines on the forehead, located exactly in the center of the forehead, abruptly showing a few wrinkles. This physiognomy indicates that the person's fate will encounter nine out of ten difficulties, everything goes poorly, and there is a tendency to waste resources, making it easy to commit suicide out of despair in life.

The second is a dark area between the eyebrows with miscellaneous lines; it indicates difficulty controlling one's emotions, a fragile mind, and being easily overwhelmed by pressure, leading to emotional outbursts.

The third is crow's-feet lines at the corners of the eyes; people who develop such lines are pessimistic and anxious, putting pressure on themselves, which leads to listlessness and depleted qi.

The fourth is the frown muscle: when several vertical wrinkles appear between the eyebrows, it indicates a well-developed frown muscle on the face. Those with a well-developed frown muscle are under great pressure, feel melancholy inside, and belong to the type who like to keep things bottled up and never vent to outsiders.

And the middle-aged man I see now belongs to the fourth type. His well-developed frown muscle makes one always feel he is furrowing his brow, adding a touch of gloom to his otherwise refined scholarly air. This physiognomy is not a temporary gloom; it has been his nature since childhood, so it is deeply ingrained and shows on his face.

"Master Wang, have you caught the vandal who ruined my family's ancestral tomb?" Yang Shouren, seated in the main hall, hurriedly went to meet QingSongShu as soon as he saw him return.

Only then did I realize. It turned out that Yang Shouren already knew about this.

QingSongShu shook his head and gave a wry smile, saying: "I inquired, and what I did was extremely secretive; even when I sent my son and nephew to guard the Yang family mausoleum, I was meticulous and exceedingly cautious. Yet this thief is incredibly resourceful, somehow obtaining the news and, using the tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain, drew my son and nephew away."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shouren became extremely worried, but QingSongShu added at the end: "Fortunately my nephew realized something was wrong in time and turned back, thereby thwarting the thief's plot." Only then did Yang Shouren's anxious heart settle, and the relieved Yang Shouren thanked me profusely.

At this moment, the middle-aged man standing beside Yang Shouren spoke.

"I have already investigated the iron tablet that appeared in the ancestral tomb; it is Yunnan witchcraft, seemingly something from the Plowshare Witch Sect… cough cough." The middle-aged man spoke halfway, then burst into coughing.

Yang Shouren then introduced us to each other, and we learned that this middle-aged man was his younger brother, Yang Shouyi.

"After digging up that iron tablet, I called Shouyi to investigate covertly. I never expected the thief who struck in secret to hide so deeply, using many connections; after a long investigation, we still have not a single clue." Yang Shouren leaned on his cane and let out a heavy sigh.

Actually, it's obvious without thinking: the Plowshare Witch Sect has been secretly transmitted among the populace for many years. Its secrecy rivals that of the various major folk traditions; if a single iron tablet could accurately pinpoint the person who cast the curse, that would truly be strange!

Yang Shouyi, standing beside him, comforted Yang Shouren: "Elder brother, you needn't worry so much; as long as we are willing to investigate, we will eventually find clues. Anyone who wishes to harm the Yang family's century-old foundation will not come to a good end." Yang Shouyi slammed his hand heavily on the table, his expression bursting with anger.

Yang Shouren rose slowly, gazing at Yang Shouyi as he sighed: "I am already old; I may not have many days left. From today onward, all external affairs shall be entrusted to you to manage; you must take extra care in looking after them."

"Elder brother… I…" Yang Shouyi, upon hearing this, could not help but become anxious. However, he had not finished speaking when Yang Shouren waved his hand to cut him off.

"I know your nature; you don't like to engage in scheming with others, you just want to quietly be a teacher. But Rui'er is still young, and in this generation of the Yang family, only you remain. If you don't stand guard, who will? Do you expect me, after a hundred years, to let the painstaking legacy of our ancestors go to waste?" Yang Shouren stomped his cane heavily and declared decisively: "This matter is settled as such."

Seeing his elder brother's anger, Yang Shouyi could only glumly shut his mouth.

These two brothers are truly strange. The elder brother's gaze toward the younger is constantly filled with guilt. Meanwhile, the younger brother is someone who does not care for money, only likes to quietly teach, and prefers to be a recluse detached from worldly power.

After the two brothers had finished measuring their strength against each other, Yang Shouren again consulted with QingSongShu about matters concerning the Yang family mausoleum. For safety's sake, during this period we must still station more people to guard the ancestral tomb. Only when the spiritual energy underground recovers its vigor can we withdraw the personnel.

But just as the conversation was halfway through, a black-clad man rushed into the room, whispered a few words into Yang Shouyi's ear, and, accompanied by Yang Shouyi's furrowed brow, the atmosphere in the room instantly became solemn.

Anyone could see that, at this moment, Yang Shouyi's mood was extremely heavy.

"Ah Yi, what happened?" Yang Shouren turned his head to ask Yang Shouyi.

Yang Shouyi nodded solemnly and said: "My people have found news about the witch clan: there is a direct-line inheritor of the Plowshare Witch Sect near Yichang. Moreover, this person has had a conflict with our Yang family!"

Yang Shouyi's words made everyone glance sideways. First, the four words "Plowshare Witch Sect" are highly sensitive; second, Yang Shouyi said this person had a conflict with the Yang family, which suggests that this person is very likely the mastermind behind the calamity befalling the Yang family. But what exactly happened between this person and the Yang family? With such great hatred, would they really want to exterminate the Yang family's line?

Yang Shouren asked urgently: "Which family is it? Speak quickly!"

Yang Shouyi replied: "They are the Yao family, who are the hereditary lineage of the White Witch. Moreover, the heir of the Yao family has also come to Yichang."

As soon as Yang Shouyi said that, the others in the room had not yet reacted, but my heart leapt violently and I almost jumped up.

The inheritor of the Plowshare Witch Sect is also surnamed Yao and has come to Yichang. Could the Yao family heir that Yang Shouyi spoke of be Yao Wenju?

I was about to pursue the question, but as soon as I stood up, Pangzi slammed me down hard, using his gaze to signal me not to act rashly.

Indeed, if I were to ask him now whether he is Yao Wenju, the Yang brothers would surely wonder why I know someone from the Yao family, possibly even take offense; doing so would be pointless. The only thing I can do now is to listen quietly and see if I can glean any clues from Yang Shouyi's words.

After Yang Shouyi finished speaking, he stepped forward and said: "My subordinates have found that the Yang family apparently sent people secretly to the Yang village one night. Brother, do you think it might be because of the previous gambling hall profit dispute, where we sabotaged the Yao family and seized control of the gambling hall, leaving the Yang family holding a grudge, which is why they sent people…"

Yang Shouyi's refined face showed a solemn expression, and his words left a long question for Yang Shouren. At this point I became even more certain that the Yao family person he spoke of was Yao Wenju. The Plowshare Witch Sect, the Yao family heir, and the sensitive term 'gambling hall'—aside from Yao Wenju, who else could it be?

After hearing his brother's question, Yang Shouren furrowed his brows, slowly closed his eyes, pondered for a few minutes, then opened his eyes and said in a tone neither sad nor happy: "Shouyi, continue sending people to investigate. Report any findings to me promptly. If it's not the Yao family, all the better; if it truly is the Yao family…"

Yang Shouren abruptly stopped, his murky eyes suddenly flashing with a sharp gleam; a cold snort made my heart tremble. This seemingly elderly man appears to be a formidable figure as well, his aura akin to that of a centenary general who has battled on the sands.

"If it truly is the Yao family, then even if I must exhaust my century-old foundation, I will make the Yao family lose their descendants and have no peace among their chickens and dogs." Yang Shouren delivered the harsh words slowly, word by word, in a calm tone.

His tone was level, neither sad nor happy, yet the immense killing intent within it made people feel a chill from the depths of their hearts. To the listener, it was like encountering frost in midsummer, sending a cold shiver through the whole body.