Chapter 41: Who is Cursed to Death?

The old man left behind quite a few medicine prescriptions; aside from those with ingredients that were disgusting or morally reprehensible, she had brushed through the rest, and finally managed to upgrade her Medicine Refining Entry to Medicine Refining Mastery.

Only then did she set her hand to refining medicine liquid in reality. Because she had the memory of refining this type of medicine liquid thousands of times in her mind, the proportions and mixing were second nature to her. By the time she finished the prepared materials, she had mixed nearly seven or eight bottles of medicine liquid.

Calling for the Housekeeper to organize the used equipment and drugs in the courtyard and return them to the storehouse, Ruan Xing instructed: "If Hong Xi comes during the day, tell him that from now on, there is no need for young boys or girls anymore. Tell him not to do this kind of thing again; change it to catching monkeys instead. I hear that a hundred miles south of Jiangning City lies Qianling Mountain, where monkeys are running rampant. They occasionally harass the villagers at the foot of the mountain, not only stealing their property but also harming young children. Have Hong Xi take men to Qianling Mountain to catch all the monkeys, collect their Heart Blood and ordinary blood separately, and bring back the monkey skins. The rest can be given to the local villagers for free."

"But... Qianling Mountain is over a hundred miles away from Jiangning City, and it's not our Red Head Gang's territory, is it?" the Housekeeper asked cautiously.

"What is there to occupy or not occupy in such a backwater place? Just go catch the monkeys and be done with it. Consider it me being kind-hearted and unable to bear seeing the common people suffer."

That's right, through her Simulation, she had concluded that the thing capable of replacing a young boy's Heart Blood was a monkey's Heart Blood. Some other animals' blood could work too, but the efficacy was only one or two tenths, which really wasn't worth it. Well, catching monkeys was better than catching children; it should pass the review.

Since they were catching monkeys anyway, it wouldn't be too much to take a few monkey skins to make Talismans, right? Ruan Xing yawned; it was almost dawn again, and she had to go back to catch up on sleep and adjust her biological clock.

However, when she woke up, Hong Xi gave her another "surprise."

She looked at the seven or eight handsome youths before her with an expressionless face, her whole body radiating the low pressure of someone who had just woken up.

The youths, averaging twelve or thirteen years of age, bowed to her softly and weakly, "This servant greets the Gang Leader."

"Where did you find these!?" Ruan Xing gritted her teeth and interrogated Hong Xi, her eyes glaring at the Housekeeper as well. "Speak, where did you find them!"

The Housekeeper said in a panic, "Old servant... old servant hadn't had the chance to speak yet, and Vice Gang Leader Hong had already brought them back..."

Hong Xi, meanwhile, bowed and said, "Gang Leader, rest assured. These are all from clean families I selected from our gang's properties. They have only been trained for a year and have not served anyone else."

Ruan Xing rubbed her forehead. It wasn't that she looked down on these youths for their background in pleasure houses, but she simply preferred fragrant and soft young ladies. She waved her hand: "You don't need to send people to me in the future. I have work arranged for you; go discuss it with the Housekeeper later. Now, give me back my Maid."

"... Yes."

Originally, Ruan Xing felt that asking Hong Xi to catch monkeys was a bit of a grievance for him, but now... not a grievance at all! Ruan Xing, having returned to the embrace of young ladies, lived two more days of comfort. She had learned the news about Qianling Mountain by chance from the fragments of the Simulator. Seven or eight years later, a gang force would be formed by villagers who could no longer survive due to the monkeys' bullying. She wasn't trying to eliminate dissidents for her future self, but rather thinking that since they had to catch monkeys anyway, why harm those law-abiding ones? Saving those villagers might even accumulate some merit for herself.

Hong Xi hadn't returned from catching monkeys yet when Hu San came to report new progress to her.

"Miss, the wake has been held for three days. Tomorrow is your father's funeral. Your mother sent someone to ask if you would like to go back and attend?"

A funeral, huh... She didn't want to attend that scumbag father's funeral, but in several Simulations, Ruan Mu had taken her sister and remarried less than a year after the scumbag father died. Ruan Mu had a weak personality, but her feelings for the scumbag father were truly deep; deep down, she was a relatively traditional woman. How could she remarry without even observing a year of mourning for her husband? Something must have happened. She said in a low voice: "Go, but go secretly."

She would only see them; if there were no external factors, she would not reveal herself to meet them. The new City Lord arriving in half a month didn't seem like an easy person to deal with; there was still danger around her.

"There is also an invitation sent by the City Lord Mansion. They will depart from Jiangning City the day after tomorrow. Would you like to go and see them off in person?"

Historically, whenever a City Lord changed, the common people in the city would spontaneously see them off, unless the City Lord was truly unpopular.

Logically, as the Gang Leader of the number one underground force in Jiangning City, Ruan Xing should go. However, in the Simulations, she had never gone once because she was focused on Alchemy. This time, she definitely had to go, because she still had questions to ask the old City Lord.

Ruan Xing nodded and wrote a reply on a Huanhua Note.

The next morning, Ruan Xing put on a veil and had Hu San drive her dilapidated carriage to Huaihua Alley.

Long strips of hemp cloth hung in front of the small blue-stone courtyard and the house. The scattered incense ash and paper money inside were gently swirled up by the wind, drifting outside to the street.

From inside came the sound of low, mournful weeping, as well as some rather sharp, harsh scolding.

Perhaps the courtyard was too small to hold everyone, as quite a few people were standing in the alley, gathered in twos and threes talking. The alleyway was narrow, and they blocked the path, so Ruan Xing's carriage couldn't get in, and the sounds from the courtyard were not clear. She had Hu San park the carriage further away and walked the rest of the way.

Why were there so many people? Ruan Xing frowned. Besides the neighbors, there were quite a few people dressed like country folk gathered there.

Ruan Mu was the only daughter of her maternal grandfather, born in his old age. Her maternal grandmother died early, and her maternal grandfather had no brothers or sisters. Where did these relatives come from? Could they all be the scumbag father's?

But the scumbag father was a Matrilineal Son-in-law... In this day and age, being a Matrilineal Son-in-law not only meant being looked down upon, but also having to sever ties with one's original parents. He had married into Ruan Mu's family alone, bringing nothing with him. Everything he ate, wore, and used was Ruan Mu's. It was Ruan Mu's soft heart, fearing he would lose face as a man, that kept her from publicizing it, and she even let her two daughters take his surname.

In Ruan Xing's memory, she had never dealt with these people. They had cut off contact for so many years, so why did they suddenly show up in a group for the funeral?

She suddenly grabbed Hu San, "There are too many people; it's too much trouble to squeeze in. Let's go to the alley behind and climb over the wall to the roof."

The two circled to the back of the house, channeled their True Qi to gain leverage from the wall, and leaped up. They crouched on the roof tiles with their bodies half-bent. With the eaves blocking them, and everyone's attention focused on the center of the courtyard, no one saw their figures.

In the center of the courtyard were the mourning hall and the Coffin, with Wreaths and Couplets on both sides. Ruan Mu was lying by the Coffin, crying until she was out of breath, while Ruan Tao, with slightly red eyes, was comforting her beside her.

More glaringly, a slightly plump woman was sitting on the ground wailing.

"Third Brother! You poor thing! You married such a woman and suffered for so many years! She cursed your parents to death, and now she's cursed you to death too! For the sake of such a woman, you made your parents and brothers angry, and she didn't even leave you an heir! What will happen to the Incense Fire in the future!"

The woman repeated these words over and over, occasionally mixing in some foul language. Ruan Mu didn't retort a single word. Only when the woman was tired of wailing did she timidly go over to help her up, "Sister-in-law, get up and drink some water..."

The woman didn't appreciate her kindness at all, savagely shoving Ruan Mu to the ground. Ruan Tao hurriedly went to help Ruan Mu up. The woman glared, "Who wants your hypocritical act! You curse your father, your mother, and your husband! Third Brother was the only Child Scholar in our village; the Village Head even said he was a young talent! After marrying you, he didn't pass the scholar exam for ten years! It's all your fault!"

"Not only did you ruin his future, but now you've taken his life! Do you think we don't know? You, this star of ill omen, gave birth to a little star of ill omen, and you've cursed my Third Brother to death!"

The woman's sharp voice was piercing and unpleasant. Ruan Xing couldn't help but cover her ears. Hu San whispered to Ruan Xing: "These people are clearly here to cause trouble. They have strength in numbers; they might bully the Miss's mother and sister. Miss, what should we do?"

Ruan Xing pursed her lips and said coldly: "Go report it to the officials. Don't reveal your identity; just slip a few taels of Silver to any Patrol Security Division guard and call him over."

The Patrol Security Division wouldn't care, and given Ruan Mu's personality, she wouldn't dare seek out people from the gangs. If this continued, these bumpkins might really get the better of them. She understood now why Ruan Mu would remarry so quickly; without a man in the house, two weak women would only be bullied by people with ulterior motives.

Fortunately, she had only broken the scumbag father's leg back then; otherwise, she didn't know how they would have survived these past half a month. At that time, she only thought about not letting Qiye think she was ruthless and on guard against her, and she was also worried that Ruan Mu and Ruan Tao would be sad, so she spared the scumbag father's life. She hadn't thought of this layer.

Hu San went to carry out the order, and Ruan Xing stayed on the roof to continue watching the development of the situation below.

Ruan Mu clutched the spot where she had fallen and hurt herself, patted Ruan Tao's hand, and said to the woman: "My husband voluntarily chose to marry into my family before my father passed away. This time, he injured his leg and died suddenly, which was an accident. Without my husband, I am more heartbroken than any of you! How can you say I caused it? Sister-in-law, what exactly do you want by saying all this?"

The woman looked at Ruan Mu with eyes full of disgust and jealousy, and sneered: "You ask what I want? Because of you, there isn't even anyone to hold the basin at Third Brother's funeral. An elder sister-in-law is like a mother; if I don't worry about Third Brother, who will? Erbao, come here!"

She beckoned, and a snotty black-skinned boy ran over. The woman smiled: "This is my second son, Ruan Erbao. Third Brother passed away suddenly, and there can't be no Incense Fire. We have already discussed it with the Clan Elder to have Erbao adopted by Third Brother. Today, let him hold the basin for Third Brother, inherit Third Brother's family property, and continue the Incense Fire and lineage for Third Brother in the future. This way, there will be a successor."

Ruan Tao was furious. Before Ruan Mu could reply, she suddenly stood up and pointed at the woman's nose, "So you were eyeing my mother's house! I was wondering why you never contacted us before but suddenly popped up now. But your plan is wrong! The house was left to my mother by my maternal grandfather! My father was just a Matrilineal Son-in-law; he had no private property at all. You can't even inherit a pot or a bowl!"

The woman's face changed, and she cursed: "What does a little girl like you know? Sooner or later, you'll marry out and be of a different surname. Don't interfere in our Ruan family's affairs. When she married my Third Brother, even she belonged to my Third Brother; the property and the house naturally belong to my Third Brother too!"

"Pah! Then go make a scene at the government office! My father was a Matrilineal Son-in-law. Do you understand what a Matrilineal Son-in-law is? Half a house slave! The land deed and documents at the Household Tax Division only have my mother's name on them. Let's see if they will give you the house!"

Ruan Tao put her hands on her hips and spat at her, not afraid at all. Before her maternal grandfather passed away, fearing that his daughter would be taken advantage of after he died, he had written it down in black and white on the marriage contract that he was a Matrilineal Son-in-law. She had seen that marriage contract with her own eyes.

It was just that Ruan Mu had been blinded by love, treating Ruan Fu like a normal husband, and coupled with her soft personality, it gave the scumbag father's poor relatives ideas. Ruan Tao hated her mother's lack of resolve, but now that she was the only one by her mother's side, she could only charge to the front like a little lion to protect her weak mother.

"You little wench, full of nonsense! Can't I deal with you!?" The woman cursed with foul language, stopped rolling on the ground, stood up nimbly, and swung her palm, intending to slap Ruan Tao. How could Ruan Tao, a ten-year-old girl, be a match for a shrew who was used to farm work and had a sturdy build? She closed her eyes in fear.

How could Ruan Xing watch Ruan Tao get hit? She broke off half a roof tile with her bare hands and threw it out.

"Ouch!"

It wasn't Ruan Tao who fell to the ground, but the woman who wanted to hit someone because she couldn't win the argument.

Ruan Mu crawled over tremblingly to hug Ruan Tao, lingering in fear: "Tao'er, are you okay? It's all Mother's fault; Mother is useless..."

Her tears streamed down again.

Ruan Tao shook her head in silence.

The woman clutched her head, blood flowing from between her fingers to stain her entire face, making her already fierce features look even more hideous; her eyes darted around viciously like a madwoman, "Who? Which bastard hit me with a rock? If you have the guts, stand out and see if I don't tear your face to shreds!"

No one made a sound; not a single one of them had seen from which direction the rock had been thrown, and Ruan Xing did not stand out either.

The woman was extremely angry and wanted to take it out on Ruan Tao again, "Ruan Dafu! You coward, you're just going to watch others bully me? Why haven't you held that little bitch down so I can beat her to death!"

A dark, thin man who looked thirty percent like Ruan Fu walked over and said in a muffled voice, "Sister-in-law, as long as you hand over the land deed, we will no longer hold you accountable for causing the death of our third brother."

Ruan Mu did not speak and only cried incessantly; Ruan Tao held Ruan Mu's hand, looking at these so-called relatives who looked human but acted like dogs with eyes full of desolation, "Fine... you want to force my mother and me to our deaths; being so devoid of conscience, aren't you afraid of retribution?"

Her eyes burned with raging hatred, which made Ruan Xing ache with pity; she couldn't help but want to go down there, kill them all, and then take her sister to practice martial arts and Cultivation, to settle scores with a free and easy heart.

Fortunately, the Feather Guards found by Hu San had arrived.

"Gathering a crowd to cause trouble, arrest them all!" The Feather Guards, bringing along a few temporary workers without official status, found a random excuse and prepared to take those people into custody.

The woman was stunned and hurriedly cried out, "Official lords, we didn't gather a crowd to cause trouble! It's this woman; she caused the death of my third brother, didn't leave any Incense Fire for him, and is even blocking us from adopting a child to him!"

The Feather Guard frowned, understood what was going on after a rough listen, and said impatiently, "What Incense Fire does a Matrilineal Son-in-law need? Even if there is an adoption, it should be a child from the woman's side of the family; why are you causing trouble here? A semi-slave plotting to seize the master's property? A grave crime, arrest them!"

Several people were wailing and howling as they were put into Shackles; even those Clan Elders who hadn't said much were not spared, and they were dragged away, trembling with every step in their Shackles.

The sparse crowd remaining were neighbors from Huaihua Alley who had come to pay their respects, along with some distant relatives and friends who had no real connection.

I slightly modified the previous chapter to add a patch; I forgot that the Medicine Prescription required Heart Blood when I was writing yesterday.

(End of chapter)