Chapter 252: The bastard brother wants to return to the manor to acknowledge his ancestors and rejoin the clan?

Li Qingluo came to the Pei Family Mausoleum.

There should have been someone guarding this place, but because Prince Su was investigating the case, the tomb guards had already been scared away.

The entire Pei Family Mausoleum was in utter disorder.

Bloodstains were still scattered all over the ground.

Although there were no corpses left, anyone could tell at a glance that a fierce battle had just taken place here.

After Pei Lao Furen arrived here, she grabbed Zhang Mama and stumbled to the graves of her parents and elder brother.

Li Qingluo also wandered around the mausoleum, and soon she found the entrance to the secret passage.

It was also the tomb chamber of an empty grave.

Unfortunately, the secret passage had not yet been dug open, so the inside was sealed shut.

"Mamas, bring the tools!"

Li Qingluo had already borrowed various shovels and spades on her way here, so she immediately called on all the mamas who had been brought along to start digging.

But she thought of how they were still in the prison, and how the prison had been collapsing all along.

The entrance to the secret passage was also buried.

At that time, they were far from where that sickly young master was, and could not make it back.

I don't know whether he is alright, and whether the entire space of the secret passage has completely collapsed and been destroyed.

Li Qingluo took a shovel and personally dug down.

She murmured, "That young master, I hope you are still safe and sound."

The underground passage was dug through.

Li Qingluo saw that the interior space was still fairly intact, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, although the prison had collapsed, this passage seemed not to have been completely destroyed by the mechanisms.

"Miss, who exactly are you looking for?"

Zheng Mama held a shovel, wiped her sweat, and asked.

Digging this hole is truly more exhausting than fighting in battle; today it has worn everyone out completely.

But fortunately, this digging was not in vain; inside there truly is another world.

Li Qingluo said: "This passage is another exit leading to the Pei Family Prison. Inside there is still a person waiting for me to fetch him; I almost slipped up."

"Zheng Mama, please accompany me inside. The rest of you mamas, thank you for your hard work; please rest where you are."

Having said that, Li Qingluo lifted her foot and entered the passage with Zheng Mama.

Only then did Zheng Mama notice that Li Qingluo was wearing a pair of very large men's shoes on her feet.

"Miss? This is……"

Zheng Mama was startled.

Li Qingluo opened her mouth, hesitated, and thought: Although I and Prince Su Your Highness are completely innocent, saying this out loud might not be believed, after all shoes are personal items.

To avoid trouble, Li Qingluo said: "My shoe fell off; I just picked up a random pair from the ground to wear. Don't tell Grandmother; I'll change back when we get home."

Zheng Mama breathed a sigh of relief, immediately nodded: "Miss, don't worry. The Old Lady hasn't noticed this yet; you can just hide it a bit later."

After saying that, the two no longer dwelled on the matter and hurried quickly into the passage.

The prison's mechanisms did not extend this far, after all this side is already outside the city.

If it were to collapse all the way, the city inside might also follow suit and sink.

Li Qingluo smiled; she herself didn't even know what she had been anxious about just now, to the point that her palms were sweating.

Two li outside, Li Qingluo hurried back to the place where she had parted from that sickly young master.

But the spot was empty; there was no sign of anyone.

"Where did he go?"

Li Qingluo looked around: "Hey? Is anyone still there?"

The only response was an empty echo and the sound of the dark river's current.

Zheng Mama: "Miss, who exactly is the person you're looking for? Why is there no sign of him? Could he have already left?"

"Left?"

The roads ahead and behind are blocked; that person is clearly an invalid—where could he possibly run to on his own?

Li Qingluo gazed at the dark river and suddenly thought: Could it be that his people have come to rescue him?

Perhaps one could also escape through this dark river?

She slapped her forehead hard: "Yes, I'm really stupid! How could anyone possibly trust a stranger with whom they've had no prior contact and no affection at all for no reason?"

"Having a chance to leave quickly is the wise choice."

She let out a relieved smile: "That's fine too; I no longer have any worries in my heart."

"Mamas, let's go."

Li Qingluo turned her head; she and Zheng Mama were about to leave when suddenly a low cough came from behind.

She turned her head in disbelief.

All that could be seen was a pale hand leaning against the wall appearing first, followed by a tall figure, extremely weak, supporting his chest as he slowly walked out.

His body was still trembling slightly.

Yet on his pale face, a faint smile appeared.

"Miss, you have indeed kept your word; my waiting this long has truly been worthwhile."

"Cough, cough cough…… cough cough cough cough……"

He clenched his fist and coughed violently again.

Li Qingluo hurried forward: "Young master, are you alright? Come on, let's get out first and talk later."

Li Qingluo and Zheng Mama helped a sickly young master out of the tunnel, startling all the grandmothers.

Outside the Pei family mausoleum.

The sickly man sat on a stone, letting everyone watch.

He seemed completely uncomfortable.

Wherever he looked, his eyes met another pair, and finally he simply raised his head to look at the sky.

At that moment, Pei Lao Furen and Zhang Mama walked over.

"Qingluo, who is this…?"

Pei Lao Furen's eyes were still red and swollen; seeing Li Qingluo appear with a strange man, she looked puzzled all over her face.

Li Qingluo was catching her breath; when she saw her grandmother arrive, she hurriedly stood up.

"Grandmother, who is this young master…?"

"What is his name?"

Li Qingluo also turned her head toward the other side.

The sickly man slowly rose, clasped his hands and said, "Old Lady, I am called Jingchuan."

Li Qingluo quickly followed, explaining, "Grandmother, today this young master Jingchuan rescued Qingluo and Miss Pan."

"However, because of his health, he could not return to the dungeon with us."

"Qingluo has repaid his kindness and promised to come personally to rescue him, so we were in such a hurry just now."

"Fortunately, Jingchuan is not seriously injured."

Jingchuan: "Miss, you are too kind. While I saved you, you also saved me. The debt is now settled; please do not worry about such a trivial matter."

Pei Lao Furen, however, was very grateful to Jingchuan.

"Where does this young master live? Perhaps we could escort you back to the city. Only then can this old lady be at ease."

Jingchuan: "Old Lady and Miss need not concern themselves with me. My household servants are probably anxiously searching for me now; they will arrive here shortly."

Hearing this, Pei Lao Furen did not press further.

She only said, "If that is so, we shall take our leave."

Pei Lao Furen led Li Qingluo away; Li Qingluo turned back to look at Jingchuan, smiled and nodded.

Then the grandmother and granddaughter, together with the group of grandmothers, left the Pei family mausoleum in a grand procession.

After they were far away, the bushes by the river rustled, and several figures emerged, sprinting forward.

"Young master—"

"We, your subordinates, present ourselves before the young master."

"Young master, quickly take the soup lady, and this is hot soup; you should drink a bit first, we will return immediately!"

"Indeed, young master, you have suffered greatly today. After sitting in that cold tunnel for so long, be sure not to leave any lingering illness!"

"It's all our fault; we were too late entering the dark river to rescue the young master, which caused this delay."

Jingchuan: "It's not your fault. I was afraid someone wouldn't let you leave. I also insisted on waiting for people to return."

"Cough, cough…"

A group of people instantly surrounded him to serve, offering hot soup, a warm stove, and wrapping Jingchuan's whole body even more tightly.

Jingchuan allowed them to fuss until he saw another figure approaching, then he called out, "Mother."

The subordinates turned and knelt again: "We present ourselves before the Mistress Xiu!"

The newcomer was one of the Fragrant Masters of the Lotus Sect, also a major patron who runs dozens of ironware shops across the world—Zheng Wanxiu.

Zheng Wanxiu waved her hand, and all the subordinates withdrew again.

She walked to Jingchuan's side, saw his condition and sighed, "Xiao Chuan, I heard you saw her?"

Jingchuan smiled and slowly nodded, "Yes, Mother. I also saw Grandmother."

"I didn't expect Grandmother to truly be as heroic as the rumors, indeed the only female general of DaLiang in the past."

Zheng Wanxiu: "You! Xiao Chuan, do you really intend to return to the Li family to claim ancestry?"

"Months ago, you clearly knew she was a Li family member, yet you avoided her. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Now you constantly watch her; what does that mean?"

"Do you truly care so much for this sister who has no feelings for you and whom you barely know?"

"Don't forget, you are only her half‑brother!"

"Moreover, if it weren't for her biological mother, our mother and child wouldn't have suffered so much; your twin sister, who shared the same mother, would not have been killed by that poisonous woman at age five!"

"Xiao Chuan, Mother's loss… is not just your sister's one child…"

"If it weren't for your wet‑nurse's vigilance, you would have been drowned in the Jiangjun Fu lake long ago."

"In the bitter winter month, when they pulled you out, your face was already ashen and lifeless."

"If not for Heaven's mercy, Mother wouldn't have lived to see you recover. To protect you, Mother sent you out of the residence to be quietly raised."

"Unfortunately, that also left you with a lingering illness, growing up soaked in medicinal broth."

"Even so, your body now differs from ordinary people; each autumn and winter is hard to endure, you must stay in the room where the earth‑dragon was burned, not daring to step out. If you catch a cold, how many times have you barely survived?"

"Year after year, do you know how Mother survived all this?"

Jingchuan stepped forward, embraced his mother.

"Mother, your son knows your suffering, and knows you hate the Li family, hate the Qu clan, and hate father."

"Six years ago, you seized the chance while being sent to Zhuangzi's place, finally escaped the Li family, and after reuniting with your uncle and son, you have been wandering the jianghu, becoming a jianghu woman."

"You showed your face, to carve a new world, wielding knives and guns, mixing with a group of men, even joining the Lotus Sect, only hoping one day you and your uncle could avenge your maternal family."

"The Lotus Sect wants to overthrow the DaLiang dynasty."

"You all cause havoc and slaughter, creating chaos and disputes."

The Lotus Sect can kill any official you name; you need only blink to assassinate and take their head.

The Lotus Sect chants the slogan 'No killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no false speech, no drinking,' but is the Lotus Sect of today really the one Mother believes in?

Murder and arson, burning, killing, looting, deception and fraud—what haven't they done?

Zheng Wanxiu's face flickered with a hint of annoyance.

She shoved her son away.

What are you saying this for!? To pull off something big, how could it be done without bloodshed, without reckless talk?

All sacrifices and methods today are for the sake of tomorrow's light.

Mother devoted herself to the Lotus Sect and has never regretted it!

Otherwise, I and your uncle wouldn't have made it to this day, let alone speak of later still being able to avenge our Zheng family!

Mother told you about Li Qingluo, yet you're here arguing with Mother about these—what exactly do you mean?

Little Chuan, could it be that you also want to leave Mother and your uncle?

Everything we do is also for you!

Young Master Jingchuan let out a bitter laugh.

Mother, is that so?

So, Luo'er's background is what you investigated, then you secretly wrote a letter to Pei Lao Furen, letting her know the truth, and only then did you send people to the mountains to fetch Luo'er back, right?