Chapter 48

Cao Lang?

Cao Clan really has cat grease!

Wu Qian opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound, Cao Yu Clan suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck, her sharp nails sinking into his flesh; she almost howled: "Cao Lang, why did you take my Commendation Document?! Why?!"

Do you know what that is?

It's my life! My immunity gold medal! My... fig leaf!

Why did you take it, why?

Cao Lang, you really ought to die!

Cao Yu Clan grew more agitated as she spoke, exerting force with her hands, she actually lifted Wu Qian straight up.

Several little ghost heads on her shoulders stuck out scarlet tongues, incessantly licking their lips, as if they were about to pounce and devour Wu Qian alive.

Just then, several ancient copper coins flew out from behind me, striking Cao Yu Clan's hand precisely.

Black qi immediately surged on Cao Yu Clan's hand; she winced in pain and let go, and Wu Qian thudded to the ground.

It was Master Huiquan who made a move.

But this strike also completely enraged Cao Yu Clan.

Cao Yu Clan stared blankly at her own hand, then lifted her head; a pair of eyes bleeding tears swept over toward us.

The next moment, she laughed again: "Children, go, go find your father!"

Several little ghost heads instantly flew up, cackling eerily, each rushing toward the men in the manor.

Wu Chang and Wu Qian brothers scrambled and crawled straight to hide behind Master Huiquan, who at some point had a ruler in hand and swung it down toward the little ghost heads.

The little ghost heads obviously were somewhat wary, turning their heads and attacking us indiscriminately.

In a moment, the manor descended into chaos.

Li Qingying grabbed the whip and lashed out, the whip's crackling echoes reverberating nonstop through the manor.

The little ghost heads struck by the long whip instantly had black qi rising from their bodies.

Immediately, they turned their heads and all returned to Cao Yu Clan's body.

They did not lie back on Cao Yu Clan's shoulders, but instead sank into her body.

Immediately, Cao Yu Clan's already large belly swelled rapidly, growing larger and larger...

With a bang, that belly burst like an overinflated balloon, countless meatballs shooting out, reeking of foul stench as they hurled toward us.

Li Qingying shouted: "What the hell is this!"

She brandished the whip in front of me, whipping continuously.

Those meatballs seemed endless, exploding when whipped into a mass of blood, which quickly re-coalesced.

Li Qingying's whip, no matter how fierce, was still two hands against four fists, gradually becoming overmatched.

Master Huiquan sheltered the Wu family and retreated indoors.

The entire manor was enveloped in a thick black mist, and Resentful Qi arose.

Cao Yu Clan lifted her foot, step by step driving us into the main house.

Li Qingying gritted her teeth, raised the long whip and charged out again.

But now in this manor, it is Cao Yu Clan's domain, and Li Qingying cannot withstand it.

Next moment, Master Huiquan also gripped that ruler and rushed out.

He and Li Qingying's tactics differ; his target is only Cao Yu Clan.

He several times found the right moment, wanting to strike Cao Yu Clan's head with that ruler, but never succeeded, instead only aggravating Cao Yu Clan.

Seeing several little ghost heads reappear, tightly encircling Li Qingying, while Cao Yu Clan's claws also swooped down toward Master Huiquan's head...

A rooster's crow suddenly rang out.

It was already past three a. m.; the sky was about to brighten.

Almost in an instant, the little ghost heads lay back on Cao Yu Clan's shoulders; Cao Yu Clan pressed her feet together and hopped toward the west courtyard, soon disappearing.

Li Qingying let out a breath, muttering: "Thank goodness these ghosts fear rooster crow and dawn; otherwise tonight I surely couldn't hold out."

Master Huiquan put away the ruler, yet was not optimistic: "The ghosts' Resentful energy will keep growing with our attacks; she fears the rooster crow today, but may not fear it tomorrow."

This likely is why Master Huiquan is reluctant to readily engage Cao Yu Clan head-on.

Everyone sat together in the main hall, Wu Meng continually asking me and Master Huiquan what to do.

Wu Chang and Wu Qian brothers looked ashen, quietly urging Wu Mother to simply abandon this manor and move in with them.

But this huge manor had nearly exhausted Wu Meng and his wife's coffin savings; how could one say discard it just like that?

Wu Meng thought it over, finally turning to me: "The crux of the matter ultimately lies in that Commendation Document, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui; I am willing to offer five hundred thousand as redemption, please make an exception and save our Wu family, okay?"

I shook my head: "This matter can no longer be resolved by a single Commendation Document, but the document is indeed crucial; redemption is impossible, since the pawn period has long passed, yet we can do an exchange of goods."

Wu Meng immediately asked: "How would the exchange work?"

"I can first take the Commendation Document over." I said, "After settling the Cao Yu Clan matter, all items related to the chastity archway will belong to me."

Wu Meng scratched his head, confirming: "Just take things like those two pomegranate carvings and exchange them with you?"

I nodded.

Wu Meng slammed the table, excited: "No problem!"

I then had Master Huiquan serve as a witness, and had Li Qingying drive back to Dang Pu to fetch the Commendation Document.

The next evening, I handed the Commendation Document to Wu Qian, having him hold it and wait at the west courtyard gate.

At past eleven at night, the west courtyard duly transmitted a disturbance.

It was the same situation as last night: first there were sobbing and pleading sounds from inside the house, then Cao Yu Clan emerged from the main hall and encountered Wu Qian.

But this time, she opened her mouth and asked: "Cao Lang, have you seen my Commendation Document?"

It was not "May I ask", but directly "Cao Lang".

The Cao Yu Clan's resentment had indeed been provoked.

Wu Qian held up the box containing the Commendation Document and stepped forward: "Your... your Commendation Document."

The Cao Yu Clan's blood-red eyes lit up; she lifted the box lid, took out the Commendation Document inside, opened the first page, and read: "Jingcheng Cao Yu Clan, age sixteen, raised to be Lord Cao's concubine, widowed that very night, observed filial piety and chastity for three years, no offspring..."

Upon reading the three words "no offspring," she suddenly burst into laughter.

She laughed maniacally, blood tears streaming down from her eye sockets: "Observed filial piety and chastity for three years, no offspring... hahaha, observed filial piety and chastity, no offspring!"

"Why me!"

"Why can't you just let me go!"

"I want face! I also want face!"

She cried and shouted.

She held the Commendation Document with both hands, as if in pilgrimage.

The next moment, the Cao Yu Clan vanished.

On the window of the West Courtyard Main House, two figures appeared.

One was the Cao Yu Clan's, the other was a man.

The man's breathing was unusually ragged; he kept approaching the Cao Yu Clan: "Miss, miss, I've thought of you for many years; tonight, submit to me!"

The Cao Yu Clan kept dodging, the man kept advancing, until he had backed her into a corner.

Just as the man was about to pounce like a starving wolf, the Cao Yu Clan's voice rang out.

She held the Commendation Document in her hands, trembling as she read: "Jingcheng Cao Yu Clan, age..."

The Cao Yu Clan read it over and over until the man finally turned and left her room.

The scene shifted, and another, younger man appeared in the room: "Yu An, if you submit to me, I'll take you away, I'll take you abroad, we'll flee far and wide..."

At the moment the man lunged forward, the Cao Yu Clan held the Commendation Document, and her voice rang out again: "Jingcheng Cao Yu Clan..."