Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 5: Huo Family's Past
Qingli's face was expressionless. "I saw what happened to you guys in the Danxia Gang just now. The house you mentioned is the original site of the Danxia Gang. No one has lived there for a long time. It's almost collapsed."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "Is the size right?"

Qingli remained silent.

Of course, there weren't many of their "remnants" who came to Xiazhou. Since that place was originally a gang base that could accommodate hundreds of people, it was obviously big enough.

"Since it's the right size, it won't take much effort to renovate it." Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "I have money, you know."

You just stole quite a bit of money... Qingli said coldly, "Why should we wait for renovations?"

"Because it's cheap. I believe you can't bring much money with you when you flee, so any savings you can make are valuable."

Qingli shut his mouth.

In reality, they were quite wealthy and wouldn't dwell on the price. Of course, it wasn't appropriate to flaunt their wealth in front of someone they'd just met. On the other hand, Qingli wouldn't engage in philistine negotiations with anyone, let alone a man who seemed to have other intentions towards her.

However, Liu Yan'er's self-conceit was so hilarious before that Qingli really didn't dare to judge what this man meant. It would be funny if he ended up being self-conceited too.

Finally, Shen Tang spoke with great interest: "Take us to see the place first, then we can make a decision."

Qingli frowned slightly and looked at Shen Tang with some surprise.

Do you really intend to continue to be involved with this person?
The Huo residence was built on the hillside, a large, independent estate with no neighbors. The original Danxia Gang site was said to be "adjacent to the Huo residence," but in reality, it was separated by a large expanse of farmland.

The group arrived at the gate of the original Danxia Gang site. Lu Xingzhou did not go in, but turned around and looked back.

Looking across the vast countryside, you can vaguely see the Huo residence in the distance, with green tiles and moss hidden under the shade of willows.

Lu Xingzhou's gaze became somewhat deep.

"Is this your house?" Shen Tang's voice sounded beside him, quite interested. "It's a nice place, quiet and secluded, with plenty of open space around. It's also very convenient for martial arts performances. But if we want to perform martial arts, the neighbors over there..."

Lu Xingzhou retracted his gaze and said calmly, "At least in the short term, that neighbor won't have the time to inquire about our affairs." He paused briefly, then suddenly laughed again, "If your clan wants to expand, this house alone won't be enough. What do you think, with the endless farmland and mountains behind it, wouldn't that be an excellent location for expansion?"

Shen Tang smiled and said, "That's good, but even if others are willing to sell, we don't have the resources to buy it."

"You still have to have dreams..." Lu Xingzhou said, "Besides... that mansion has a unique spiritual energy, hinting at the wonders of resurrecting the dead and turning their flesh and bones into flesh. It's especially effective for treating broken bones and tendons, as healing there can be twice as effective with half the effort."

Qingli was slightly startled, and Shen Tang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he subconsciously put his hand on the knee of his broken leg.

Carefully sensing the situation of the farm over there, I did have a vague feeling that it seemed real.

Whether or not the so-called special spiritual energy alone could cure the disease was another matter... The key question was, according to Lu Xingzhou's statement, was there a treasure beneath the Huo residence? If they could obtain it, would there be a greater chance of a cure?
As if he could read her thoughts, Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly and said, "There is no treasure. Perhaps there was one in the past, but it has been taken away. Now it's just the residual spiritual energy that hasn't dissipated yet."

Shen Tang said decisively: "We rented it."

"Miss Shen, you have to understand that the residual spiritual energy is in the Huo family's old house over there, not here."

"It doesn't matter." Shen Tang gave Lu Xingzhou a meaningful look. "Mr. Lu himself is also disabled. Perhaps our goals are very similar."

Lu Xingzhou grinned: "That'll cost extra."

Qingli: “?”

Shen Tang couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say it's cheap here?"

"If not, why would you come to see the house and experience the spiritual energy there for yourself?"

"..."

"Liu Yan'er has done this before. Young lady, don't easily assume that one has a crush on the other. Although I really like Baimao..." Lu Xingzhou gestured to the little Taoist boy to push the wheelchair away and walked away. "The repairs here are just replacing some beams and painting. We can move in in three to five days. We'll meet here again in five days."

The little Taoist boy turned around and waved: "Goodbye, sister."

After watching the master and disciple walk away into the city, Shen Tang and Qingli stared at each other for a long moment, each expressionless. After a long pause, Qingli whispered, "Do we really want to get involved with this person? He seems too mysterious and unpredictable, and it would only lead to complications."

Shen Tang said, "The Imperial Master's hexagrams led us to Xiazhou... The more unpredictable something is, the more likely it is to be fulfilled by the hexagrams, right?"

Qingli said sternly: "Yes."

Shen Tang's eyes were dim: "Know him first. Do your best to find out all the information about this person."

…………

"Commander, Grand Tutor Huo's family hasn't suffered any setbacks in recent years, nor do they have any enemies." An old constable from the Demon Suppression Division, well-versed in Xiazhou's past, reported to Sheng Yuanyao, "Back then, Grand Tutor Huo lost the Emperor's favor, and his family was idle in their old home in Xiazhou. In that situation, they were all very cautious and didn't dare to act too arrogantly. How could they have offended such a ferocious enemy?"

Sheng Yuanyao didn't believe what she heard and said coldly, "With their status in this remote border town, there's a limit to how cautious they can be. There's no Huo family here, so there's no need to cover up for them."

The old constable was a little embarrassed. "If I say I've bullied my neighbors a bit, it's not entirely impossible... ahem. But if I've offended anyone because of something like that, then there's really no way to trace it back."

It sounds like there are so many that it's impossible to find them, and yet they are being so cautious... Sheng Yuanyao said with a stern face: "Besides that, are there any special events? Even I heard in the capital that the seventh son of the Huo family died ten years ago."

The old constable wiped his sweat and said, "How can outsiders know the details of this internal affair of the Huo family except for the old man who has served the Huo family for more than ten years? The only rumor that has spread from the Huo family is that he died of a serious illness."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The old man who had been served by the Huo family for more than ten years... Aren't these the people who died in this murder case?
Sheng Yuanyao pondered for a moment and asked, "How much do you know about the life of this seventh son of the Huo family? I heard the Huo family talk in the capital and mentioned a person named Huo Shang. Is that him?"

The old constable said, "That's right, it's Huo Shang. We also wondered at the time why the Huo family gave their child such a name... but it's said to have been derived from divination, so it's not surprising."

"Well, what else?"

"It's said that the Seventh Young Master's biological mother was a lowly servant girl. The Huo family's master, after a drunken incident, took her as a concubine. The Huo family was quite respectable in this regard, treating all of the Seventh Young Master equally and nurturing him well. Unfortunately, he died suddenly of illness at the age of eight, and his mother also passed away from depression."

Sheng Yuanyao touched his chin and understood why the old captain said that the Huo family was okay in this respect.

If the family had a small number of descendants, such an unexpected son might be a pleasant surprise. But the Huo family had a large number of descendants. This was the seventh son, and there was no telling how many cousins ​​there were. The situation was much more tragic.

Given the abundance of offspring, the illegitimate offspring conceived by an accidental or lowly maidservant is not only inferior to the illegitimate sons of a concubine, but even worse than the illegitimate sons of a mistress. After all, concubines and mistresses are generally favored. However, the mother of an accidental or lowly maidservant is clearly not favored at all. Such illegitimate sons are often treated like servants, and are often the target of bullying by the various wives.

Being able to train everyone equally is certainly a commendable act of "kindness".

But in this world of cultivation, with the advantages of medicine and cultivation available to the wealthy and powerful, children aren't as prone to premature death as those from ordinary families. To die suddenly at the age of eight is likely due to limited care. It's unclear if this so-called "equal treatment" is just for show...

"Were there any other incidents before and after that?"

The old constable reminisced for a while, then continued, "Those years were marked by severe disasters and harvest failures across the country. It seems that not long after the Seventh Young Master's death, the old Grand Tutor suggested to the court that they search for sweet potatoes overseas. They eventually found them, and thanks to this achievement, the Huo family rose to prominence, and the entire clan moved to the capital. It's said that this plan, which benefited both the country and the people, was proposed by the eldest Young Master Huo."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart moved: "Are you sure it was not long after the Seventh Young Master's death?"

"It should be around that time, or maybe not long ago? Anyway, it must be around that time."

Sheng Yuanyao squinted his eyes and pondered for a long time, finally nodding: "I understand. Hmm... How much do you know about the former Danxia Temple on Danxia Mountain?"

"Danxia Temple used to be a dilapidated Taoist temple. There was only one old Taoist priest inside, and no one knew his name. He made a living by refining elixirs and doing fortune-telling, but it was said that he wasn't very accurate. No one knows when he passed away, and no one cares."

"Has he ever accepted any apprentices?"

"During the last few years, there did seem to be a Taoist boy nearby. He looked very weak and sickly, and he was often seen sitting on the ground."

Sheng Yuanyao asked hurriedly, "Sitting on the ground, is it because of a disability?"

The old captain apologized, "I didn't pay much attention to these things back then. I just saw him sitting on the ground and didn't know if he was disabled. If the commander wants to know the details, he can ask other elderly people who have been to Danxia Temple."

Sheng Yuanyao nodded. "One last question... Does the time when the Taoist child appeared beside the old Taoist coincide with the time when Master Huo Qi died?"

(End of this chapter)