Fairy, don't try to mess with my filial piety

She could only say in her heart, "Don't bother with the old man," and then returned to the inner room to rest.

The second patriarch shook his head. As someone who could lead a family, how could he not see the petty thoughts of this daughter-in-law? He sighed and said:

"It's been a bad year. I liked her in the early years. She gave birth to several talented descendants for my Gong family. But her granddaughter died in a well after returning for a visit. Several of her grandsons have also become mediocre and incompetent..."

The Gong family members in the front courtyard were silent, not daring to speak. They looked at the town entrance and then watched the sky.

The steward asked quietly, "Second Patriarch, do you want to wait any longer?"

The second patriarch said without hesitation: "Wait. Although Gong De was persuaded by Kongtong Mountain to return to secular life, he is still a down-to-earth person. He promised to return today and will not make any mistakes. He will wait until nightfall before stopping."

Gong De was the eldest son born to the wife of the Minister just now. He was the twin brother of the granddaughter of the clan who jumped into the well and died. He was a well-behaved person and worked hard.

Gong De was once sent to Kongtong Mountain to practice cultivation. Later, when he reached a certain age, he still had not crossed the threshold of cultivation. He had no choice but to return to secular life and live at home, otherwise he would have wasted his whole life staying in the mountain.

He had set out at the beginning of winter last year, returning to his former sect, Kongtong Mountain, to ask his senior brothers and elders to help him deal with the matter of his lost fortune. He had written back a few days ago, saying that he would arrive today.

After a long time, a few black spots appeared faintly on the horizon. They seemed to be coming with the last rays of setting sun, and the Gong family breathed a sigh of relief.

The black spot grew bigger and bigger. At the moment when night fell completely, several handsome and elegant immortal disciples descended and landed in the courtyard on their swords.

Gong De was also among them, his expression was not optimistic. He maintained a polite smile, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was worried about something.

The second patriarch smiled warmly and respectfully, and said quickly, "Gong De, why don't you introduce the three immortal masters to us?"

Gong De introduced: "This is Senior Sister Gu, Senior Brother Qiao Liang... and Junior Brother Qian Bao."

Gong De was not in a position to introduce the full name of the woman wearing a veil. She had a very high status. Although she was called the eldest sister, her say actually exceeded that of many elders.

He paused when introducing his junior fellow apprentice Qianbao, because this apprentice had come to the mountain two years later than him, but had already become an immortal in the eyes of the world, while he himself had no choice but to return to secular life and hometown...

Senior Sister Gu was straightforward. After a polite greeting, she stated her purpose directly:

"Junior Brother Gong has already told us the situation, but an elder in Kongtong Mountain has noticed the situation here before. He said that things here are difficult to handle and can only help you find out the cause and process of the matter.

This is to let you know how that good fortune was lost, and why Junior Brother Gong's biological sister committed suicide by jumping into a well."

...can help clarify the ins and outs of a situation, but can't solve it? What does that mean?

The second patriarch showed a puzzled look, and he said calmly:

"The courtyard is not a place for chatting. Let's go to the inner hall first. No matter what, everything will be arranged by Master Gu!"

The three disciples of Kongtong Mountain were not afraid of the Nian Beast custom. In terms of seniority, Senior Sister Gu's status was much higher than that of the great-grandfather of the Gong family. The taboos mentioned by the great-grandfather were not taboos at all for Senior Sister Gu.

After setting off firecrackers to "blast" away the aura on their bodies, several people from the Gong family entered the inner hall one after another.

The whereabouts of the granddaughter of the clan who jumped into the well and died are still unknown. Her body has not been found and it seems that she was washed away by the underground river connected to the well.

If someone hadn't seen the woman jumping into the well at that time, I'm afraid she would only be said to be missing now, and no one would know how she died.

After arriving at the inner hall, everyone sat down one after another. The servants and maids brought out the best tea to entertain them, and the rich aroma of tea filled the air.

The wife of the Minister, who had gone back to her room in a depressed mood before, now changed into thick clothes and accompanied her husband, Minister Gong, to the inner hall with an eager smile on her face to pay her respects to several immortal masters.

Senior Sister Gu maintained her previous straightforwardness, without beating around the bush. She asked:

"Is it because you saw Junior Brother Gong's sister in the Lihuo Mountains that you asked him to travel thousands of miles back to the sect to seek help?"

The Second Clan Leader had just opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the Minister's wife interrupted him:

"Exactly. It was discovered by the townspeople who went up the mountain to steal medicinal herbs out of greed. They said my poor daughter's corpse had transformed into a green-faced, fanged demon. She ate raw meat and drank blood in the mountains. She hid and watched people when she saw them, and she was ready to hurt anyone who got close."

After she finished speaking, she burst into tears, her voice so loud that it was difficult for others to speak. The second clan leader had someone send her back to her room. Only then did the assistant minister's wife quiet down and insist on staying in the hall to watch the gods.

The second patriarch added, "In recent years, hunters and herbalists have reported encountering a demon. However, the demon's body was swollen and difficult to discern. Recently, for some reason, it has transformed into the appearance of our granddaughter..."

Senior Brother Qiao Liang said, "This is a realm breakthrough. You must have hired a lot of independent cultivators to deal with it before, but those independent cultivators are all dead, right? This is in effect feeding it, causing it to break through the realm."

The Gong family lowered their heads in silence. When encountering a demonic situation, finding a celestial being was a time-consuming and laborious process. Often, they thought about offering a bounty and paying a casual cultivator to drive it away. Who would have thought...

The second clan leader's heart was heavy as he spoke, "Masters, I just heard from you that the elders from Kongtong Mountain had already discovered the situation here when they passed by, and even the immortal elders couldn't solve it?"

Junior Brother Qianbao nodded. "That's right. Before we set out, the elders told us that the zombie wouldn't leave the mountain, so we just had to stay away. We can help set up a magic circle. If the zombie does leave rashly, the magic circle can stop it."

Minister Gong was ill. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, coughed a few times, and asked seriously:

"Is there a chance my eldest daughter will ever be able to change back? If the situation on the mountain isn't addressed, that large area will become a forbidden zone, medicinal herb production will decline, and this town will decline with it!"

Minister Gong's words were already euphemistic. He actually wanted to ask directly why the situation there could not be dealt with thoroughly. Aren't you immortal cultivators?

How can we allow the demons to be active on that mountain?

Senior Sister Gu's face was hidden under her veil. Her clear and beautiful eyes glanced at Minister Gong, as if she understood what he was thinking. Senior Sister Gu said immediately:

“The Gong family’s good fortune wasn’t actually lost; it was taken back by a being in the mountains. This can be considered as returning it to its original owner.

The Gong family has reached its current state thanks to the help of that great fortune. Now that that fortune has been taken away, bad luck has begun to plague them. Shouldn't they reflect on their actions?"

Chapter 191: Girl, can you light a stick of incense?

The second patriarch didn't quite understand, so he quickly clarified:

"Master Gu, my Gong family is committed to upholding our ancestral land and treating the people with kindness. All expenses for festivals and festivals in town are paid for by my clan. We have absolutely no intention of doing anything dishonest or immoral!"

Senior Sister Gu had no intention of settling the good and evil of the Gong family. This was not her mission, and family affairs were not her responsibility. She was afraid that the Gong family still had doubts, so she brought up another past event:

"Back then, Grandfather Gong received orders from his master to guard this mountaintop. However, he was bewitched by the being within the mountain and accepted a great blessing. He then concealed this from his master and secretly unlocked the forbidden formation that trapped the mountain, replacing it with a defensive one. This allowed that being to escape freely at the end of the year..."

"During your great-grandfather's tenure, Kongtong Mountain received reports of 'nothing unusual' for a considerable period of time. Unknowingly, the mountain's climate had been restored."

"If we want to deal with the existence in the mountains now, we have to wait until one of the Kongtong Mountain elders reaches the end of his life and no longer has to worry about backlash. Only then can we take action without hesitation and completely eliminate them."

The Gong family was immediately shocked. The truth behind the Nian Beast's taboo was actually created by their own immortal ancestor?!

The graceful and elegant fairy lady stood up. She had no intention of condemning and remained calm as always. She said:

"Take us to the Gong family ancestral hall to see if the ghost of your ancestor is still there. I will help you find out why Gong De's sister committed suicide."

*

Chu Wuji left the inn and disappeared into the night.

The first thing they did was to go to the well that Xiaohong mentioned. There was a monument next to it, which stated that it was a well dug with funds from the Gong family and later given to the townspeople for use.

This place is still quite a distance away from the Lihuo Mountains. You have to walk at least a few miles to enter the mountain area. Although there seems to be a lot of grass and trees on the outside, in fact, it is not even at the foot of the mountain.

But looking at the high and steep mountains in the distance, I still feel like something is watching me.

"The well is sealed, and there's even a talisman next to it to send the soul away. I guess because of the well-jumping incident, the well has been abandoned."

Chu Wuji murmured, his eyes fixed on the talisman paper on the manhole cover.

During his early travels, he and his mother Bai Sujin both encountered people jumping into wells. If the place was wealthy, they would seal the well and dig a new one.

But in many remote rural areas, a well is dug by the whole village. If someone jumps into the well, at most they will be pulled out, and a master will be invited to perform a ritual for the well, and then people can continue to draw water from it. There is nothing they can do about it.

Now Chu Wuji can really see ghosts. Thinking back to the incidents of people jumping into wells that he had seen in the past, it seemed that it was just a disgusting thing and there would not be any evil corpse aura left. However, if the corpse was poisonous, that was another matter.

"Mom, can you sense if there are any ghosts down there? If not, I won't open the manhole cover, lest the townspeople wake up and get scared tomorrow."

The manhole cover is a large millstone sealed with yellow mud. If Chu Wuzhi opens it, it will be difficult to restore it.

The white snake in his sleeve spit out its snake tongue and said, "No, there is nothing in the well. Climb over the wall and go to Gong Mansion to have a look. There should be an ancestral hall nearby. There is a smell of incense."

Chu Wuji sighed deeply. He didn't want to climb over the wall and sneak in like a thief. Besides, he had accepted the "see-off money" from the Gong family.

He muttered, "A cultivator from Kongtong Mountain just entered the Gong Mansion. Will he be able to detect my aura directly?"

Auntie Qingshe laughed unhappily and said, "What kind of aura can you have? Those cultivators are only wary of the auras of strangers nearby. How could they pay attention to any aura?"

Chu Wuji was a little embarrassed. It was indeed true. He said, "What about you?"

"If those cultivators could detect my sister and I's presence, they would have turned around and fled as if they were facing a formidable enemy when they first flew into the town. Why would they have flown into the Gong Mansion?"

There is so much knowledge in the field of monks...

Chu Wuji muttered inwardly, without hesitation, and jumped over the courtyard wall with a light leap.

There are no servants guarding this area in the Gong Mansion. All the people are concentrated in the inner hall. They are probably arranged to guard the surroundings to prevent any ignorant servants from approaching there and causing disrespect to the immortal.

In Chu Wuji's sight, there was an ancestral hall not far away. He pushed the door openly and walked in, but controlled his movements.

Inside the ancestral hall, there is a family tree directory, the spirit tablets of ancestors are placed, and incense and candles are burned all day long.

After taking a quick look around the ancestral hall, Chu Wuji saw a weak old man sitting on the ground, sighing.

This is a ghost, but the breath is very weak. Standing in the ancestral hall where incense is constantly burning, the old man's body is translucent, and the part below the navel is almost invisible.

Chu Wuji strode over, took down a burning incense stick, and handed it to the ghostly old man:

"Have one, what do you call it?"

The old man was first surprised that a stranger entered the ancestral hall, but then he felt relieved. He was already in such a situation, so why should he worry so much?

The old man pointed to the corner behind the door of the ancestral hall and said:

"Warrior, please give my granddaughter one too. She has no spirit tablet and no share of the incense offerings from the ancestral hall. She has been starving for years. I pleaded at the well and asked the ancient beast to return her soul."

Only then did Chu Wuji realize that there was a ghost of a young girl there. His attention had just been attracted by the old man and he didn't notice that there was a "person" hiding behind the door.

They are all squatting in the ancestral hall. Can't they light one for themselves?

Chu Wuji did not complain. He took the largest incense stick, lit it, walked to the girl, put it to her lips, and said generously:

"You can burn a stick of incense for your great grandfather. That's a great help. No need to thank me."

The girl's ghost barely retained some consciousness. She blinked and looked confusedly at the vigorous big brother in front of her. She stepped back a few steps in fear to avoid his burning heat.

"That's not how you eat incense. Don't put it in your mouth..." The girl took off the big incense stick.

"I'm sorry for my lack of experience. I thought you were smoking incense by holding your mouth. Then how do you eat incense?" Chu Wuji apologized with a fist salute.

The girl then poked the incense stick on her forehead, and the big incense stick burned above her head and soon turned into ashes.

......Why does my forehead look like an incense burner?

Chu Wuji glanced into his sleeves and locked eyes with the snow-white snake beauty: "Mother, were you like this back then?"

Bai Sujin was amused by her son's puzzled expression and explained, "What are you thinking? The incense will gather on its own. It's just that this girl is a wandering ghost, so she can only steal the ashes from other people's incense burners."

Auntie Green Snake explained it more directly: "You gave her this incense stick. Actually, she can eat it however she wants. It's just that she has never seen other wild ghosts eat incense, so she thought she could only stand on the incense burner, so she used her head as an incense burner."

This female ghost is not very smart...

Chu Wuji stopped worrying about this. He didn't expect to enter an ancestral hall and find all the main characters together. Now he doesn't have to ask around everywhere, which is really convenient.

He handed another stick of incense to the girl and said calmly, "Girl, take a sip and tell me why you jumped into the well."

Chapter 192: The Truth About Grandfather and Grandson

The mind of a ghost is related to its own "vitality", but its soul is so weak that it is almost dissipated. Its self-awareness will gradually diminish, and it will become confused and muddle-headed, until only the desire to survive remains. It will then spontaneously harm people and plunder their vitality.

When a ghost reaches this point, it is like a domestic dog that has tasted human blood and flesh. Staying here will only be a disaster.

Fortunately, the ghost of the young girl had been trapped in the ancestral hall by her great-grandfather, unable to go out and do evil. After eating the incense handed over by Chu Wuji, her consciousness recovered a lot and she began to be able to communicate.

After Chu Wuji asked, "Why did you jump into the well and die?", the person concerned thought for a long time and showed a look of shame and bitter smile.

Seeing her expression, Chu Wuji lowered his tone and asked, "Is there a family scandal that you're reluctant to talk about? Or has someone... defiled you?"

"Neither. I made my own choice. I felt I couldn't bear it any longer, so I jumped... Now that I think about it, I feel so useless and worthless."

The girl spoke calmly now, with shame on her face, but no regret in her eyes. She did not regret her decision, but felt guilty about her lack of ability and failure to achieve a certain goal.

The great grandfather of the Gong family took a stick of incense from the incense burner, twisted it in his hand, and sighed sadly at the current situation, saying:

"Master, Gong Li is still young, and there are some things in her heart that she can't say. Let me help her to speak, so that you won't have to stand there and stare blankly."

......

The couple, Minister Gong and his wife, were a family marriage, and the status and background of their in-laws were comparable to that of the Gong family.

They may not be as glorious as the Gong family in terms of founding heroes, but they occupy high-ranking positions in two important departments in the court, which is no worse than the Gong family.

It’s just that the family members on my in-laws’ side are a little insufficient and incompetent. Several of the younger generations are ugly since birth and look ugly, so it’s not suitable for marriage.

It just so happened that the younger generation of the Gong family had been known for their "extraordinary talents" since childhood, so they discussed that when their daughter became successful in the future, she would be adopted by their relatives.

After all, the male heir, Gong De, is related to the continuation of the family line, and he cannot be taken away for any reason.