Transmigrating to the Primordial Era as a Peerless Great Witch, Changing Fate in the Primordial Worl

After an unknown amount of time, the sky became somewhat overcast in the afternoon.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, as if a mountain rain was about to fall.

After passing through a desolate valley, Wei Xiaobao and his party found themselves in a relatively flat hilly area.

Looking into the distance, a sizable cluster of buildings can be seen nestled among the pines and cypresses at the foot of the mountain.

The projected image of Wei Xiaobao revealed a rather large mansion in front of him.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, one can still vaguely see the grandeur of yesteryear.

The house occupies a large area, but there are no other houses around it, making it seem somewhat lonely.

Perhaps it was due to the weather, or perhaps it was psychological.

In the hazy light, a faint, lingering aura of gloom seemed to shroud the mansion.

It exudes a sense of decay, desolation, and even a touch of bleakness and resentment, which is quite out of place with the surrounding green hills and clear waters.

Wei Xiaobao reined in his horse and gestured for the guards behind him to stop.

He narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the mansion's lintel, walls, and the vaguely visible outline of its interior buildings.

The gate to the house was tightly closed, and the stone lions in front of the gate were covered with dust and withered leaves. The characters on the plaque were blurred and illegible, but still faintly discernible.

He searched through the original owner's fragmented memories, and combined them with the secrets of the court and the anecdotes of the martial arts world that he had intentionally or unintentionally learned over the past three years. Suddenly, a name jumped into his mind.

"The bookmaker."

He thought to himself, his tone carrying a hint of understanding and solemnity.

Is the dealer a former Ming dynasty official?

Or perhaps they were officials from powerful families implicated in literary inquisitions and factional struggles during the current dynasty?

He vaguely remembered hearing rumors about a family surnamed Zhuang who were implicated in a major case and framed by the powerful minister Ao Bai.

Almost all the men in the family were slaughtered, leaving only women and children.

Is this where the tragic end is?

There was no village or shop in sight, and it was getting dark and rain was imminent.

Ordinary travelers might choose to take a detour or go to a more distant inn.

However, Wei Xiaobao was highly skilled and daring, and he was also carrying out an imperial mission. Not wanting to cause any trouble, he originally planned to find a place to rest.

Although the farmhouse appears gloomy, the buildings are in good condition. If one could stay there, it would be better than sleeping in the wilderness.

As he was pondering this, a woman's voice suddenly rang out from inside the tightly closed door.

His voice was cool and detached, carrying a hint of wariness, yet maintaining basic courtesy.

"This is none other than Chief Steward Wei, the Imperial Guard? Your widow, Lady Zhuang, pays her respects."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door creaked open and was slowly pushed open from the inside.

A series of footsteps sounded, not hurried, but with a sense of well-trained order.

The projection of Wei Xiaobao looked up.

From inside the door, a woman led a group of women out in single file and stood on the steps in front of the door.

At a glance, there were as many as thirty or forty women.

They were of varying ages, ranging from teenage girls to middle-aged women in their thirties and forties.

But they all had one thing in common: they were all dressed in white mourning clothes.

The white mourning clothes stood out starkly against the gloomy sky, exuding an intense sense of grief and desolation.

This startled the projected Wei Xiaobao.

Although he had guessed that the house might be inhabited by the widow of the Zhuang family, he did not expect it to be in such a state.

Moreover, it seems that the other party already knew his identity and whereabouts?

Is it a coincidence, or...?

He quickly calmed himself and glanced at the group of women.

The woman leading the group was about thirty years old. She had a beautiful face, but her brows were filled with an unyielding sorrow and determination. Her eyes were clear and sharp, clearly indicating that she was not an ordinary woman from the inner quarters.

The women behind her, although most of them had their heads down,

But he stood tall, his steps were steady, and his breathing was even.

Many people had slightly bulging temples and a glint of shrewdness in their eyes.

Especially the few people standing in the front row, with their deep and sharp gazes, gave him a faint sense of threat.

The projected Wei Xiaobao spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying a steady and powerful penetrating force that clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Is Madam the owner of this mansion?"

He first confirmed the other person's identity, and then asked the question that had been bothering him.

"How do you know my name?"

He knew that his trip was being kept secret, and that apart from Emperor Kangxi and Empress Jianning, few people in the palace knew his exact whereabouts or identity.

How did these reclusive women, seemingly isolated from the world, know this?

He stated his purpose in a polite tone:

"I have no ill intentions. My presumption in coming today is merely to ask for lodging for the night."

Please forgive me if I have been impolite.

He didn't want to cause any more trouble, especially since the other party's identity was sensitive and he was clearly skilled in martial arts.

"I will leave early tomorrow morning, without daring to disturb you."

Through the projection, Wei Xiaobao could see that many of these women had long, steady breaths and stable lower bodies, clearly indicating that they were trained martial arts practitioners.

The woman in charge and the two or three people beside her, in particular, possessed a restrained aura and sharp eyes, reaching the level of second-rate martial arts masters.

This group of women, skilled in martial arts, dressed in mourning clothes, and filled with grief and indignation, were clearly not to be trifled with.

If they were truly widows of the Zhuang family, one can imagine the hatred they harbored towards the imperial court and its officials.

His identity as the "Chief Imperial Guard" was quite sensitive in this place.

Similarly, these women felt as if they had encountered a ferocious beast when facing the projected image of Wei Xiaobao.

After three years of arduous training, Wei Xiaobao's physical body had reached the peak of the second tier. His blood and qi were as vigorous as a furnace, and his aura was extremely yang and strong, making him incomparably domineering.

Although he did not deliberately release hostility at this moment, the powerful vitality and oppressive feeling that he naturally exuded, like a tiger lying in wait, still gave everyone a strong sense of oppression.

Some young women, especially those with weaker martial arts skills, would unconsciously tremble slightly and lower their heads when his gaze swept over them.

The identity of the third young mistress, who is the leader, can be inferred from her self-designation as "Zhuang Wang Shi".

They seemed unsurprised by Wei Xiaobao's wariness and politeness.

She stepped forward and bowed slightly in return.

His gaze calmly met Wei Xiaobao's scrutiny, and he spoke slowly, his voice still cool, but with a hint of explanation:

"This young lady greets the guest. The guest may not know this, but our Zhuang family was originally a wealthy family that passed down the tradition of poetry and propriety and valued farming and reading. Although we are not wealthy and extravagant, we are well-off and have no worries about food and clothing. Our whole family is happy and content."

Her tone abruptly shifted, becoming sorrowful and icy:

"But later, he was maliciously framed by that heartless and treacherous official, Li Zhirong."

Li Zhirong was a henchman of the powerful and treacherous official Ao Bai.

He was instructed by Ao Bai to fabricate charges and frame my family.

At this point, all the women behind her showed expressions of grief and indignation, and some of them began to sob softly.

"As a result, all the male members of the Zhuang family, from eighty-year-old men to infants in swaddling clothes, were executed."

The third young mistress's voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with suppressed hatred.

"Originally, according to that corrupt official's plan, we remaining women were also to be exiled to the border and forced into prostitution, never to rise again."

She took a deep breath, a hint of gratitude and relief flashing in her eyes:

Fortunately, fate intervened and we were secretly rescued by a benefactor.

Our benefactor not only saved our lives but also rescued us from the jaws of death. Furthermore, she taught us martial arts, enabling us, these weak women, to protect ourselves.

Only then, barely managing to save himself, and after countless hardships, was he able to return to the old family home, now completely changed, to spend the rest of his life observing mourning for his ancestors.

This explanation of their origins and the source of their hostility indirectly explains why they knew the name and deeds of Wei Xiaobao's "great hero" and "great enemy" in capturing Ao Bai; such knowledge had likely already spread throughout the court and the public.

Those of them who had a blood feud with Ao Bai would naturally pay extra attention.