Chapter 302: Qu Shi sees— all the murdered doll spirits?

The clan elders all turned pale.

They did not believe that the old woman's words were merely teasing and deceiving them.

Could she be serious!?

How foolish!

"You, you, you— in this world there actually exists such a vicious woman as you. You know full well that being expelled from the clan register leaves you without family support or reliance, a nameless nobody, and she is still an unmarried maiden— do you really intend to do this!?"

"Even if you do not care for yourself, should you not consider the future of the granddaughter you constantly claim to love?"

"Without family backing, she will amount to nothing! Will you have her marry a mud‑legged peasant?"

"If Jing'er were not muddled by illness and had learned the truth, she would never agree to this!"

Pei Lao Furen: "Her greatest support and reliance is precisely me! What do you want these good‑for‑nothings to do?"

"Moreover, even if her father were not mad, he could not defy her wishes!"

Li Qingluo smiled and gave her grandmother a thumbs‑up.

She thought: Grandmother is indeed imposing; only by refusing to be wronged can one enjoy longevity.

Zhui Yu followed up with a shout: "Rest easy, old fogeys! Our young lady is destined for nobility— you'll never be worthy of a glance, so stop spouting useless excuses and refusing to let people go."

However, as Zhui Yu's words finished, Deng Mama and Zheng Mama, who had just gathered at the doorway, entered together: "Old Lady, Miss, we have already brought everyone back."

Li Qinglo looked toward the outside, where the sky had become completely dark.

"Let's go, the timing is just right."

"It's time to put on a good show."

Pei Lao Furen looked at Li Qingluo, her tone softening: "Do whatever you wish."

Li Qingluo bowed: "Yes, grandmother. If the elders are also interested, they might as well see with their own eyes what sordid things have happened in this household."

Having spoken, Li Qingluo helped Pei Lao Furen up and walked outward.

As she passed the statue‑like Prince Su, who had stood motionless and leisurely, she lifted her gaze, summoned courage, and met his eyes.

Today he also saw that she was never a pliable, overbearing young lady.

Next, he would see that even her own mother would not show her mercy…

Even if she were to be struck by heavenly thunder and lightning, she was born to be a rebel who overturns the natural order.

Far from being kind.

Only thus could she survive, protect herself, and protect those she wishes to protect.

Duan Rongshi did not avoid her gaze; only after Li Qingluo looked away first did he lift his foot and follow slowly.

Mingyue Garden.

The mottled tree shadows swayed back and forth in the darkness.

Like a ghost with hands, constantly reaching out, trying to drag the evildoers down to hell together.

Qu Shi and her birth mother, Lady You, clung tightly to each other.

Both were extremely nervous, scanning their surroundings; any rustle of wind or grass could make them scream and tremble all over.

Lady You cursed: "Do you Jiangjun Fu still have any shame?"

"At least I am also your Li family's mother‑in‑law, yet you treat me like this— is this how Jiangjun Fu conducts affairs?"

"Plainly bandits, outlaws!"

"To detain a court‑appointed lady here, you mad old couple— you will not die a good death!"

"When I get out, when I go home, you Jiangjun Fu— this time you won't even think of staying alive!"

Lady You's bluster was to bolster her own courage.

Qu Shi could only sob helplessly.

"How could this be…… how could this be……"

She truly could not understand: she had meant well in urging her mother‑in‑law to return home, and she had not dared to meddle further in Luo'er's marriage; she would reform herself and treat Luo'er properly from now on— why would they not give her this chance?

Lady You could not help but scold Qu Shi: "You foolish thing, still dreaming at a time like this?"

"Your daughter is a poison‑hearted, poison‑lunged little beast— what hopes do you still have for her?"

"That old woman must have long discovered what you did to her; you still want her to bear no grudge toward you!?"

"Hah, I think we mother and daughter are destined to be starved to death here by their deliberate scheme."

"But I, Lady You, am not someone easily frightened— there are hardly anyone in this world who dares to scare me!"

"Surname Pei, hurry over and untie me, release me——"

"Meow——"

A black cat darted out from the grass.

In the pitch‑black night, its only feature was a pair of oily‑green eyes, like glowing emeralds.

Yet its tail was held high, its body arched long and taut, and it gradually approached Qu Shi and her mother……

"This, this is Aunt Zheng's cat!"

Qu Shi screamed in terror: "Didn't I already order someone to beat it to death? How could it still be alive!?"

Qu Shi hid behind her mother as if seeing a ghost, continually retreating.

Although Lady You's face was also grim, she scolded Qu Shi: "Useless thing, just a beast— could it possibly eat—— ah!!"

Before Lady You's words finished, a furious "Meow!" rang out; the black cat lunged at her face, scratching and clawing.

"Ah!!!"

Lady You writhed in pain on the ground, desperate to fling the cat off, but the cat clung to her face, refusing to leave; in a few moments it had torn her face to shreds.

Qu Shi dared only to hide behind, watching this scene in terror, unable even to cry for help.

Just then, Qu Shi saw a shadow flicker past the doorway.

A familiar figure slowly walked out from the shadows.

She wore a long white dress.

Her long hair hung loose.

A face, in the moonlight that had just appeared, was as pale as a corpse……

"Zheng, Aunt Zheng?"

"You, you've come back?"

Aunt Zheng stared at Qu Shi with a blank expression.

She suddenly turned and walked outward.

The black cat also slowly came down from Lady Yu's face.

It let out an 'aow' and dove back into the grass, disappearing.

Qu Shi suddenly noticed that the ropes binding her hands and feet had somehow come undone.

She immediately turned to Lady Yu, who was still clutching her face in pain beside her, and lunged forward, asking: "Mother, how are you? Mother?"

Lady Yu raised her hand and grabbed wildly: "It's all your fault, my daughter, it's all your fault that I'm like this——"

Seeing Lady Yu's face covered in blood, Qu Shi gasped in terror and stumbled backward, falling hard to the ground.

Fortunately, she had dodged just in time; otherwise, that cat's claws would have struck her!

Wait, the ropes on Mother's hands are also loose?

Could it be because of that black cat?

But it never even touched me!

This strange affair made Qu Shi shiver violently.

And in an instant, all her body hair stood on end.

Qu Shi didn't have time to think further, and she couldn't even be sure whether the Aunt Zheng she had just seen was real or an illusion.

She could only hurriedly help Lady Yu, who was still wailing, up: "Mother, let me take you out quickly."

Qu Shi supported Lady Yu out of the Moonlit Garden; the moment they stepped out, she couldn't help but look back at the tilted, dust-covered signboard above.

She had struggled with the garden's owner for over a decade……

Could it be that she has truly died and become a vengeful ghost?

"Meow——"

The black cat suddenly leapt up onto the gate again, frightening Qu Shi into hastily supporting Lady Yu as they ran toward the garden.

But as she had just brought Lady Yu to the lakeside, she saw Aunt Zheng's figure again!

This time, Aunt Zheng had her back to Qu Shi.

The vast garden fell into an eerie orange glow as soon as she entered.

Not even half of the garden's servants remained.

Nowhere was there a person to be seen.

Only she and Lady Yu remained, plus Aunt Zheng standing by the lake like a ghost.

Qu Shi could not move her feet; her legs felt as if filled with countless heavy weights of lead.

Her whole body trembled like chaff in a sieve; summoning her courage, she cried again: "Aunt Zheng, is it really you?"

"Aunt Zheng, are you dead or alive?"

"Zheng——"

"Ah!!" Qu Shi screamed, watching Aunt Zheng plunge headfirst into the lake.

However, Aunt Zheng quickly climbed back ashore.

Her face was still smeared with hair.

Barefoot, she stepped step by step toward Qu Shi.

What made Qu Shi lose all control in terror was that, after Aunt Zheng rose from the lake, she was holding a bundle of cloth!!

Inside, could it possibly be an infant?

In an instant, Qu Shi seemed to truly hear an infant's wail.

Immediately afterward, Aunt Zheng began to weep.

"My child…… you poor thing…… just after birth, that wicked person threw you into the lake……"

"This lake water is so cold, so cold, so cold……"

"My child……"

Next, a girl's voice came pitifully: "Mother…… Baojie'er feels awful…… Mother……"

"Save me, save me…… waa waa waa, Baojie'er hurts so much."

"I don't want to die; my younger brother said, Mother no longer has any children, nor any relatives……"

"But the principal mother wants to kill Baojie'er……"

Qu Shi shrieked in terror: "No, it's not me——! It's not me, ah!"

She covered her ears and slumped to the ground, watching Aunt Zheng hold the child; in a blink, they vanished.

Qu Shi finally confirmed that Aunt Zheng was a ghost!

So, so she knows everything?

She has already seen her own children in the underworld, so she knows the truths of those years?

Is she now coming back to seek her life from me?

Perhaps because Aunt Zheng hasn't truly harmed her yet, Qu Shi, even though scared to death, still mustered her courage and roared: "I'm not afraid of you! Not afraid——ah!!"

A blood‑smeared infant suddenly crawled out of the lake.

Immediately after, following behind the infant, there was also a little girl about five years old.

Behind the girl, there were two even smaller infants……

They all babbled "yi ya" as they crawled toward Qu Shi.

Shouting "stepmother" with every breath.

Qu Shi finally broke down completely, sobbing: "No, no, it wasn't me, none of it was me…… don't look for me……"

"Save, save me…… really it wasn't me, ah!!"

Qu Shi screamed, trying to crawl up, but her legs were utterly weak and limp, she had no strength to rise.

She could only feel the first bloody, fuzzy doll burrow into her embrace.

Then quickly, her body was covered with dolls.

There were boys and girls.

They opened their mouths and bit all over her face and body.

Sucking her blood as if nursing……

Qu Shi's tears and snot streamed down her face as she could bear it no longer, shouting: "Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to——please spare me, I really didn't mean to kill you……"