Chapter 557

"No way, this isn't a matter of love unrequited; is it that the elder brother‑in‑law can't accept his sister's passing?"

Wang Ping'an also wanted to say "Impossible," never having imagined that yesterday's speculation would be overturned when he saw one of the protagonists of the incident today. He knows he is not an all‑knowing, all‑powerful god; it's impossible to guess everything correctly, and making mistakes is normal, but this particular mistake left him in utter disbelief.

"Who in their right mind would be nostalgic about a peach blossom? That peach tree was obviously planted by my master and that grandmother named Zuo Wenjun together; otherwise my master wouldn't have had that look when he saw the tree!"

Wang Ping'an couldn't help but complain, muttering to himself: "It was clearly a case of love unrequited, so how did it suddenly turn into this?"

He doesn't particularly enjoy spectacles, but he does like gossip; after all, this matter concerns his master, and he cares deeply about his master, which is why he pays extra attention to this incident, and through it he hopes to understand why his master has never had a Dao companion in his whole life—whether it's because love wounded him or because he devoted himself entirely to cultivation.

He doesn't believe that his master planted that peach tree; a proper Taoist temple can plant trees in its courtyard, but rarely—no, actually never—has he seen a temple grow peach trees. Moreover, when he inspected that tree, it was just an ordinary peach tree, not even a low‑grade spirit peach tree.

Obviously.

That peach tree was planted by his master and the grandmother Zuo Wenjun that his master mentions; proper siblings, how could they possibly have planted a peach tree together?

"Gouzi Ge, you don't know—when Wenjun gave birth back then, a sudden complication arose and even the midwife was at a loss. I immediately sought out Dr. Zhao, but Zhao was also helpless…"

Le Wenmao's face was full of guilt and self‑blame, and before he could finish speaking, the angry Xuanqing Daozhang cut him off:

"They were of no use; you didn't even think to ask my master—could it be that my master is also helpless regarding Wenjun's condition?"

He didn't know what sudden complication occurred when Zuo Wenjun gave birth, but the fact that it endangered Zuo Wenjun's life and left both the midwife and Dr. Zhao helpless enough to illustrate the seriousness of the situation.

He also didn't know which midwife Le Wenmao hired, but he believes that, given Le Wenmao's regard for his family's Wenjun, he would have enlisted the most skilled midwife in Liangshui Town, and Dr. Zhao is likewise the most accomplished physician in Liangshui Town; their expertise is passed down through generations, and even the county seat may have only a handful of doctors who could match Zhao.

That it could render both of them helpless is enough to demonstrate the severity of his family's Wenjun's condition at the time.

However.

With his master's abilities, even though his master has not yet been able to do it, even if his family's Wenjun had reached the Hall of Yama, his master would have the power to bring her back; and he believes that as long as his family's Wenjun still has a breath left, his master's skill would be sufficient to rescue her.

Therefore.

The matter of his family's Wenjun is likely a secret that is inconvenient to mention.

He despises his own cowardice; even years ago he had already suspected that his family's Wenjun's death was strange, but he feared it would involve people he did not wish to entangle, so he has not set foot in his hometown for many years, nor has he investigated the cause of his family's Wenjun's death.

"At that time Liu Village was plagued by a vengeful ghost demanding lives; the villagers couldn't scrape together enough money to go to the county seat and hire an Immortal Official to subdue the rampaging ghost. With no other option, they could only find Kumu Daozhang and ask him to take charge!" At this point, Le Wenmao's face grew even more laden with self‑blame; he felt like slapping himself, and even though many years have passed, each time he recalls the incident his heart aches like a drill, his voice trembling with a sobbing tone, he says unwillingly:

"Originally Kumu Daozhang was unwilling to go. According to Kumu Daozhang, Wenjun was in the midst of childbirth, the most perilous time. When you left Liangshui Town back then, you asked him to take good care of Wenjun. He could not abandon Wenjun at her most critical moment; it was me, it was my fault, that I could not withstand the Liu Village villagers' pleas, and helped persuade Kumu Daozhang to go to Liu Village. By the time Wenjun's complications arose, it was already too late to call Kumu Daozhang!"

Kumu Daozhang was the old Taoist who had taken in Xuanqing Daozhang that year, and he is also the master of the abandoned Kumu Guan in Liangshui Town.

Xuanqing Daozhang's expression turned complex as he said, "Are you sure it was you who begged my master, that my master went to Liu Village?"

Liu Village.

He knows that it is far from Liangshui Town, nestled in a mountain ravine, and is considered one of the poorest villages of Liangshui Town. Its annual tax revenue is high; during the farming off‑season, Liu Village residents bring their families to Liangshui Town to beg, and some even sell their children and daughters—selling children and daughters has almost become Liu Village's industry.

It is unknown how many families have made a good living by selling their children and daughters, and there are even parents worse than swine and dogs; when they see their children achieve a better life, they immediately flock to them, spouting all sorts of flattering words, merely to reap benefits from the offspring they have sold.

As a result, Liu Village is notorious throughout Liangshui Town!

If a vengeful ghost were to claim lives, it would be quite normal; given the despicable deeds of Liu Village, spawning a few such ghosts is commonplace.

"Gouzi Ge, what do you mean by that? Are you implying that Kumu Daozhang did it on purpose, that he watched the death and did nothing?"

Although Le Wenmao is old, he is not senile; upon hearing Xuanqing Daozhang's words, he immediately reacted, giving Xuanqing Daozhang a strange look, never having expected Xuanqing Daozhang to say such a thing, and he denied:

"Gouzi Ge, I know you may have a deep misunderstanding of Kumu Daozhang, but you actually don't know that Kumu Daozhang truly cared about Wenjun; you just aren't aware. You may also not know that after Kumu Daozhang passed away, he kept muttering Wenjun's name. It is said that because he couldn't arrive in time to rescue Wenjun for our family, he died in sorrow!"

"Impossible!"

This novel you…

Xuanqing Daozhang subconsciously denied.

Although.

He is unwilling to speak ill of his master, but after all these years, given his master's attitude toward his family's Wenjun, how could he possibly be unaware?

He lifted his nose and raised his eyes!

Even though his family's Wenjun did many things—handling all the chores of the entire temple, inside and out—it was precisely his master who kept picking one fault after another, clearly targeting his family's Wenjun on purpose. If back then it hadn't been truly impossible, he would never have left his family's Wenjun at Kumu Guan.

He feared that as soon as he took his first step away, his master would immediately drive his family's Wenjun out.

(End of chapter)