Chapter 71: Is There Still a Brother in This World?

The moment those words were spoken, everyone around who was listening to the commotion was startled.

"Such a terrifying rumor of a brother‑sister scandal—don't keep guessing! Beware, the Li family might hear and come for your life!"

"They dare to commit such filthy deeds, yet they fear me speaking out?"

"If I were to speak, that Li family's eldest daughter is dead, yet she still haunts her brother's thoughts; what kind of beauty could she have been? I even regret that I never saw her lovely face while she was alive!"

"Even if she were beautiful, what does it matter? To end her life by such a fierce self‑immolation—this kind of woman, her temperament is dreadfully terrifying!"

Coincidentally, Li Qingzhu, hidden among the crowd with a veil, heard every word without missing a single character.

When she, still suppressing her seething anger, returned to Prince Yun's private residence, she angrily smashed every piece of porcelain in the house to vent her fury.

"Why did he do this!?"

"Who exactly is that maid? Go find out for me!"

"Brother, how could you find some other person to replace Que'er? Even if Que'er is dead, she should remain the one and only in your heart!"

Li Qingzhu could not accept this at all; she sat on the stool, and before long tears streamed down her face.

Now the people of Jinling City must all think she is terrifying.

They say her self‑immolation was an excessively violent suicide, and that she caused the promising young General Li to break his leg.

Some even speculated that she and her brother had an illicit affair!

Yes, she was unusually close to her brother in daily life, but they never actually crossed any real boundaries!

Moreover, how could she be blamed for these things?

Even if the brother's leg is broken, it's his own incompetence—he never fought those people, he caused it himself.

She also cannot control this matter!

Yet Your Highness Prince Yun is becoming more and more impatient with her for continually refusing to give herself to him.

But if it weren't for the brother's matter that provoked the prince, he wouldn't have suddenly become so impatient.

Now events are not proceeding according to the plan she and Prince Yun set, and they seem to be drifting further away.

Why is it turning out this way?

No, she cannot let this continue to unfold uncontrollably any longer…

She must return home and quickly find a chance to go back to the General's residence!

When the country girl Liu Caoer and the Zhuang family finalize their marriage, she will seize a chance to return to the Li family and promptly stabilize the situation.

By then, her parents who have already lost her, as well as her brother, will cherish and love her doubly, and she will once again be the Li family's most honored legitimate eldest daughter!

Everything will naturally return to the right track…

"Servants! Go to the Li Family Villa outside the city and deliver a letter for me!"

Li Qingluo finally received the ten‑day appointment with Shen He.

During these ten days, the pretended Shen He never came to the General's residence again; although Li Qingluo continued to train hard, every time she drew her sword she thought of this matter.

In broad daylight, walking into the Righteous Villa, she still felt an unsettling dread.

Today, besides Deng Mama and Que'er, there were eight other martial‑skilled grandmothers and maidservants, all accompanying Li Qingluo here.

However, after reaching the outside of the Righteous Villa, Li Qingluo forcefully kept them all outside.

Although Deng Mama and the others initially refused, Li Qingluo said, "Grandmothers, have you forgotten that night? Under the General's very nose you could all get lost, let alone in this Righteous Villa?"

"Rather than letting each of you go inside and be diverted or confused, it's better to stay alert outside; if danger arises I'll shout, and you can come in then."

The grandmothers and maidservants thus temporarily held their positions and did not enter.

Honestly, the situation inside the Righteous Villa would be unbearable even for an ordinary maid.

Even though Li Qingluo has died once and even become a ghost, seeing the rows of coffins on the ground, the air reeking with rot, and the courtyard full of white curtains, she felt an uncontrollable nausea.

A shadow flashed behind her.

Li Qingluo instantly turned around.

All she held in her hand was a sword.

She knew that with her current skill, even if Shen He tried to test her again, she would inevitably be defeated.

Thus, Li Qingluo drew the sword merely to guard against any other variables.

Another shadow—

Li Qingluo swiftly drew her sword and shouted, "Master?"

The entire Righteous Villa was empty today.

Li Qingluo didn't believe ghosts could manifest in this world, so it could only be a person causing mischief.

She stepped toward the spot where the shadow had flashed, but before she could get close, Shen He called out from behind, "Qingluo, where are you going?"

Li Qingluo turned around, saw that it was indeed Shen He, and felt a chill run through her body.

Who were those two dark shadows just now?

Shen He walked toward her, dressed in black, hair tied high.

Li Qingluo saw that she was dressed in male attire; though puzzled, she recalled that she herself often went out in male clothing before, so she asked nothing further.

She first bowed and offered her respects to Shen He, then got straight to the point, "Master, was the person at Moonlight Garden that night really you?"

Shen He halted, a smile on her face: "Since you've already guessed, why ask further? Come with me, and I'll tell you the truth you seek."

Shen He turned and led Li Qingluo toward the house.

Passing the coffins, some highly decayed corpses were unbearably foul.

So Li Qingluo had to cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

Shen He seemed familiar with the place; in the back hall she moved a table aside, revealing a tunnel beneath.

After Shen He went down, Li Qingluo hesitated briefly, then followed and jumped down.

"Aren't you afraid I'll sell her?"

Chen He saw her silently daring to come down, and couldn't help but ask.

Li Qingluo: "Master, can you?"

Actually, Li Qingluo was just taking a gamble.

Chen He was playing tricks in Bright Moon Garden; they certainly had a purpose they wanted to achieve. If that purpose was her, that would be overly troublesome and unnecessary, after all she originally was together with them every day—it's hard to say when they would strike.

The depths of the passageway were pitch black.

Chen He led Li Qingluo to continue forward; only then did they say: "Luo'er, do you know? Actually, in this world, you still have a living older brother?"