The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 318 Another Child Lost

A deafening wail erupted from Wu Chongyue's house; their youngest son, Wu Xingyang, had died.

This was a cry that Wu Xingzhou was not entitled to when he died.

Wu Xingyang was lying sprawled on the living room floor in his pajamas, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had died from poisoning.

The dog in the yard also died.

Qi Fei glanced at the dog's food trough; the noodles inside were the same as those left in Wu Xingyang's rice bowl. It seemed the dog had been caught in the crossfire.

“Brother Fei, look.” Wu Shanqiu suddenly said, pulling open Wu Xingyang’s collar.

Qi Fei gasped when he saw that Wu Xingyang had clearly carved a monster's image on his chest with a knife—that person had returned.

There was inflammation around the wound, indicating that it was carved by Wu Xingyang while he was still alive.

Zhu Haitang had clearly gone mad, wailing and trying to throw herself at Wu Xingyang, while Wu Chongyue cried and pulled her away.

Qi Fei didn't understand. They were all sons, so why did they only care about the death of their youngest son?

"It's said that the couple went out to run errands early in the morning, leaving Wu Xingyang at home alone. When they returned, they found him already dead. This noodle dish was cooked for Wu Xingyang by Zhu Haitang before she left, but of course she said she wasn't the one who poisoned him," Wu Shanqiu said.

Qi Fei used his gloved hand to pry open Wu Xingyang's lips, revealing fresh red marks on his gums. Just as he had guessed, Wu Xingyang hadn't eaten the noodles himself; they had been forcibly forced down his throat—which was consistent with Xi He's sadistic and perverse behavior.

He could almost picture the scene: Xi He had Wu Xingyang under control and poisoned his food in front of him, forcing him to eat the noodles in utter terror.

but why?
Although Xi He's behavior cannot be predicted using ordinary thinking, the people he killed each time were those he believed deserved to die—why did Wu Xingyang deserve to die?
Qi Fei tried to think according to Xi He's ideas, but once he did, his mind was filled with nothing but endless darkness.

Zhu Haitang's wailing nearby disturbed his thoughts, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

Qi Fei couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound. Due to Zhu Haitang's violent struggle, her top was torn out of shape, revealing her plump belly. There was a dark red mole on her belly, which immediately caught Qi Fei's attention. He knew he had seen it before.

He walked up to Wu Chongyue and Zhu Haitang, and silenced Zhu Haitang with just one sentence.

“Wu Xingzhou is not your son,” he said firmly.

Zhu Haitang's body, which had been struggling with all her might, collapsed to the ground.

Wu Chongyue, being the eldest brother in the clan, had managed to hold on despite the immense upheaval in his family, remaining silent for a long time, which spoke volumes. Wu Shanqiu, on the other hand, was bewildered by this sudden remark and leaned closer, asking curiously, "Brother Fei, what are you talking about?"

Qi Fei did not answer directly, but said to Wu Chongyue, "We found the girl. If Wu Xingzhou is not your son, then everything makes sense."

When Qi Fei said the word "girl," Wu Chongyue's face twitched uncontrollably.

“How could you… I don’t even know where she is…” Wu Chongyue murmured.

"Ah! Yes, we also have a daughter!" Zhu Haitang hysterically grabbed Wu Chongyue's trouser leg. "We also have a child!"

However, Wu Chongyue shook his head: "How could we possibly have the face to acknowledge this daughter..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of high heels came from the courtyard. It was Zhong Kui who had arrived, and the person closely following her was none other than Yi Luo.

“What a delightful reunion.” Zhong Kui’s words were somewhat sarcastic. “No wonder you reacted so coldly when I told you that Wu Shulan wanted to see you.” Zhong Kui said to Yi Luo beside her.

Yi Luo's face turned deathly pale, as if she had been forced to come by Zhong Kui.

“I heard everything you said just now,” Zhong Kui said to Qi Fei. “You reacted pretty quickly this time. Sure enough, you noticed the red mole on Yi Luo’s stomach.”

“That’s right. You can see a clear red mole on her stomach in the photos of her performing dance. Zhu Haitang also has one.” Qi Fei said, looking at Wu Chongyue. “Back then, you were so concerned about Wu Shulan’s illegitimate child because you coveted her child, right? In your family, only those who give birth to male offspring can become the eldest grandson. Back then, you gave birth to a daughter. You didn’t want to lose the status of the Wu family’s eldest branch, so you switched the two children.”

As he spoke, Wu Chongyue clenched his fists.

"Wu Xingzhou is Wu Shulan's son, but you didn't expect the second child to come so quickly, and it's a boy. You discovered that even if you hadn't switched the babies back then, Wu Xingyang would still be the first grandson born into the Wu family in the clan. Because of your unnecessary actions, this position of eldest grandson was taken by Wu Xingzhou, this illegitimate son. You have grievances you can't express, so Wu Xingzhou became your outlet. No matter how outstanding he is, you never like him. In your eyes, he has taken the eldest grandson position that should have belonged to Wu Xingyang."

Therefore, you acted very strangely in the face of Wu Xingzhou's death. His death was something you had been looking forward to, so that your biological son, Wu Xingyang, could rightfully inherit the position of the eldest grandson.

"Of course, because his death was suspicious, you were worried that once an autopsy was performed, involving blood type and genetics, it would be easy to discover that Wu Xingzhou wasn't your child. If the switch back then were exposed, your prestige as the clan leader would be completely destroyed, so you hastily cremated Wu Xingzhou's body."

“Yes!” Wu Chongyue raised his head. “You’re absolutely right. Even so, we never thought of abandoning Xingzhou, let alone killing him!”

“You did not kill Wu Xingzhou,” Zhong Kui said, gripping Yi Luo’s arm tightly. “But his death was the result of your actions back then.”

"What do you mean?" Wu Chongyue looked at Yi Luo with such unfamiliar eyes. This daughter, whom he had personally sent away, was like a stranger to him.

"Because I killed him!" Yi Luo said through gritted teeth. "I grew up in an orphanage and suffered terribly. I always wanted to know who abandoned me, and I swore to take revenge on the person who abandoned me." As she spoke, she glared at Wu Chongyue with hatred. "Years of effort finally led me to that person, and it was you, Wu Chongyue. I thought about killing you directly, but compared to the suffering I endured, I felt it would be too easy for you. At that time, I thought I was Wu Shulan's daughter, and I only wanted you to taste the pain of losing a child!"