jdhmnovel Chapter 170 Yingning Leaves Home
Chapter 170 Yingning Leaves Home
Xiao Cui also saw through the Ghost Mother's plan, but she didn't know exactly how to match them up. The two had met once before. She had married Wang Yuanfeng to help her mother repay a debt of gratitude, and they were complete strangers. She was taken into the Wang Imperial Censor's house by her mother and stayed there.
The fact that Wang Zifu was able to walk into the village means that the Ghost Mother has accepted him. This is a village inhabited by ghosts and foxes. For an ordinary person like him to wander into the mountains, he must have been guided by the Ghost Mother.
But what happens after we bring him in? What should we say then? She thinks this Prince Fu really does seem like a bookworm, and this kind of thing about establishing kinship requires guidance from the Ghost Mother. She had heard before that this young master Wang had also passed the imperial examination at a young age, so why does he also have this dull and dazed look? There seem to be too many bookworms among scholars.
"Did this guy run away on his own? The Wang family doesn't even know their young master came to the mountain, how is he going to get back?"
"The old lady intends to keep him for the night."
"……no problem?"
Upon hearing Liu Qingyuan's words, Xiao Cui hesitated. This mansion looked grand and bright, but it was actually a "ghostly den." This was why Wang Zifu couldn't see the servants or notice the occasional passing maid.
Aside from Liu Qingyuan, who is a special case and difficult to categorize, there are only two living people in the house: Wang Zifu and Ying Ning. The yin energy is extremely heavy. Ying Ning has fox spirit blood and is not afraid of yin energy, but Wang Zifu is just an ordinary person who seems to be recovering from a serious illness.
Xiao Cui couldn't be sure whether having an ordinary person stay in such a place with such strong yin energy for a day would have any negative effects.
"One night won't matter. What about Xiao Rong?"
Xiao Rong was the maid who led Liu Qingyuan here. She was also a fox spirit and was specially left behind by Ying Ning's birth mother to take care of her daughter. In addition to following Ying Ning, she also took orders from the Ghost Mother.
At the main gate, Xiao Rong first pulled away Ying Ning, who was peeping, and then led Liu Qingyuan to this separate room. Xiao Cui also asked Xiao Rong for directions and came here.
Because she is a fox spirit, not a ghost, Xiao Rong takes care of many of the public affairs, which is much more convenient than for a ghost who has no physical body and is subject to many restrictions.
"The old lady called her away, probably to take Ning, who was playing in the backyard, to meet her 'cousin'."
Yingning was a playful person. When Wang Zifu came to the house, she didn't leave even after entering. She peeked at him from behind the door. Xiao Rong pulled her to the backyard, where she started playing by herself.
"I used to think she was too young and played along with her jokes and laughter, but now she's getting married."
That's not entirely true; she really isn't that old. Liu Qingyuan thought to himself, Ying Ning is only sixteen, and Wang Zifu seems to be only seventeen. In his opinion, neither of them is that old.
Once the Ghost Mother entrusts Ying Ning away, this house will be useless. Ying Ning is essentially still human. This house was built so that she could live like a normal person. The remaining ghosts and foxes have no use for it.
Yingning went to town, so Xiaocui couldn't visit her as often.
"So many children are born to humans and foxes, how come she's the only one who can't cultivate immortality?"
Speaking of this, Xiao Cui felt very regretful. Fox spirits have offspring everywhere, in large litters, but fox fairies are not like that. The number of children from several families of the same generation might only be about the same as the number of children from a litter of ordinary fox spirits. Xiao Cui's mother only had her as her child.
Fox spirits pursue immortality and seek the Dao. They usually either travel alone or find a secluded cave to cultivate in seclusion. Many of them have no children and have severed all emotional ties. Xiao Cui's mother only has her as her child, so Xiao Cui can be the one to repay the debt of gratitude to Imperial Censor Wang.
For Xiao Cui, finding a suitable playmate was not easy. Ying Ning was one, but she had a special constitution and could not pursue the path of immortality, so her lifespan was limited.
If it weren't for those five years of fate, Xiao Cui wouldn't have come at this time. If she hadn't had any conflicts at the Imperial Censor Wang's house and had lived peacefully for five years before coming to find Ying Ning, she probably wouldn't have found anything.
Meanwhile, things went smoothly. Yingning and Wang Zifu officially met, and the "cousins" finally got to know each other. The food needed time to cook, so Wang Zifu went to wander around the yard. The Ghost Mother came to Liu Qingyuan and Xiao Cui through another door.
They specifically instructed someone to invite him over; it's impossible that they just let Liu Qingyuan be a bystander on the other side of the wall. There must be other matters at play.
"I've kept the immortals waiting for a long time."
"If you don't mind, Madam, you can keep me here to listen."
"Are you really going to marry Ning to him? Is there no other candidate?"
Xiao Cui felt this wouldn't work; the prince looked dull and not very clever.
“Wang Zifu is the only son in the family. He lost his father at an early age and is now in charge of the household under his mother, Wu. The Wang family owns a lot of land and property. In terms of age, education and wealth, there is no other suitable match for him.”
The Ghost Mother had also investigated Prince Fu. Besides that, Madam Wang's family was related to Ying Ning's biological father by marriage. Madam Wang herself was also soft-hearted, and even if the two couldn't get married in the end, she would still accept Ying Ning.
"……Too."
Thinking back to the scholars I met and heard about in the city before, some of whom were almost bewitched and killed by painted skins, some who instigated fools to memorize the image of the judge late at night, and some whose families were so poor they couldn't even afford to eat... In comparison, Wang Zifu's conditions were indeed far superior.
In terms of the freedom after marriage, Xiao Cui actually had the best life. Wang Yuanfeng was initially a fool, and he was very obedient to her. Xiao Cui's daily life in the early days of Wang Yushi's house consisted of playing with the fool, and she was extremely carefree.
But she was an exception. Yingning was born of a fox spirit, but she herself was not a fox spirit like her birth mother and did not have enough magic power to protect herself. If she really married a fool, her life would only be more miserable.
"The reason I invited you here is that I have something I would like you to keep for me."
"What?"
"Land deed for this mountain."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingyuan looked up. Many demons and ghosts lived in the southwest mountains, which caused ghosts to frequently appear in the mountains, resulting in countless victims. He had always thought that the southwest mountains were too evil, so the forests here were unclaimed.
This place is not unclaimed; ownership belongs to the Ghost Mother, who lives deep in the mountains and forests, where ordinary people cannot enter, and thus no one knows the true owner of this place.
“A daughter needs a dowry to get married, but I am just a lonely ghost and cannot let that child get married like a normal woman.”
Xiao Rong appeared carrying a box, inside which was the land deed.
“My grave is here, it can’t be taken out of the mountain. For the past ten years or so, Xiao Rong has been the one to go out and register the land deeds, but she is a fox spirit and cannot go with me.”
When they were in the mountains, Xiao Rong could stay with Ying Ning all the time, and she could also be a maidservant when they went out for festivals. But she was a demon after all, and it would not be appropriate for her to live with Ying Ning in the Wang family for many years.
As for Xiao Cui, she was a fox spirit who came by accident. She was not a mortal either, and she could not stay in the city for long. However, the land deed could not be left unattended. If it was not registered for a long time, the records of the government would inevitably be wrong.
A group of ghosts and foxes are destined to be unable to attend Yingning's future wedding. If this mountain land deed is to be used as dowry, a reliable "person" is needed to keep it safe.
“Once Young Master Wang takes Yingning out of the mountain, this house will no longer exist. I would like to ask the immortal to keep the land deed for a period of time, so that it can be her dowry when she is officially married.”
Even if Yingning and Wang Zifu's marriage didn't happen in the end, the land deed to the mountain would ensure that she would have enough to eat and wear for the rest of her life, and she wouldn't have to return to this village full of ghosts and foxes, where there was no living person.
Previously, the Ghost Mother was worried about how to keep the land deed safe. It was not safe for Ying Ning to go to the Wang family alone with the land deed. It wasn't that she didn't trust the Wang family mother and son, but she was afraid that a servant with ulterior motives, or a thief who might visit one day, would take it.
Coincidentally, Liu Qingyuan arrived. Although he was not a mortal, he was not a monster and did not cause any conflicts with the people in the town. In fact, because of his outstanding strength, the talented people in the town respected him.
Once the land deed is handed over to him, there's nothing to worry about.
"This is truly an extraordinary task."
Having Jianzi Xianji keep a land deed for someone else... something feels off.
"Furthermore, I heard from Miss Xiao Cui that the Immortal Master is wondering why there is no White Lotus Sect here?"
"It's true."
This brings back old questions. The White Lotus Cult has members all over the country, and they can even infiltrate several in the capital. Why aren't there any here? It's impossible that Heaven knew in advance that it would land here and deliberately left a place empty, right?
"The White Lotus Sect used to exist; it was called Fasheng. It was completely wiped out more than ten years ago, and the White Lotus Sect has not existed here since."
"Made by the government?"
The fact that the White Lotus Sect hasn't reappeared for over a decade indicates that the previous crackdown was thorough enough. The Fasheng Sect, on the other hand, was probably wiped out completely.
"Do not."
The demon mother shook her head.
“The one who destroyed the Dharma and created sects was Yingning’s birth mother.”
Although there is only a one-word difference between fox spirits and fox demons, and both are foxes, the differences between the two are very large. Fox demons are monsters, and are also known as "fox spirits" in the common people's understanding. They are a mixture of good and bad, and are unrestrained, but few of them can enter the path of immortality.
Fox spirits are born to walk the path of immortality, aiming to join the ranks of immortals. In order to ensure a smooth path of cultivation, they pay attention to their own karma and cause and effect, do not kill or harm others, and must repay the kindness they have received from others tenfold.
The Qin family patriarch fell in love with a fox spirit. After the fox spirit gave birth to a daughter, the Qin family patriarch suddenly died of illness. The daughter stayed in the Qin family. The fox spirit couldn't bear to leave the child and often visited the Qin family.
Ordinary people can't really distinguish between fox spirits and fox demons; they just think they're all foxes. They figure that the person's sudden death must be related to a fox. So the Qin family found a Taoist priest to perform a ritual. The Qin family couldn't stay any longer, and the fox spirit took their daughter away to live elsewhere.
Fox spirits and fox demons are different, so why would they be afraid of exorcism methods? The answer is simple: that celestial master was not a proper celestial master at all. He was a sorcerer from the White Lotus Dharma Path sect who practiced evil and unorthodox methods. In fact, he was the one who cursed the Qin family patriarch to death.
Ordinary people don't understand the reasons behind this. They only see that their master inexplicably fell in love with a fox and then died suddenly. Since the fox is on the other side and they are all human, they naturally trust the Taoist master, who is also human, more.
The Fasheng Cult's consistent practice is to first curse the head of a wealthy family to death, then send someone to contact others under the guise of a master, making them believe that the deaths are caused by demons, while they themselves go along with the rituals and charge exorbitant fees.
How could the fox spirit who was being targeted possibly endure such humiliation? Since she was willing to give birth to a daughter for the Qin family, she must have invested her feelings. Her husband was cursed to death, she was framed, and even her infant daughter was left homeless. How could she possibly bear it?
Fortunately, there was no good cave in the Fasheng sect, so the fox spirit came to challenge her. The other side was not to be outdone and eventually lost control. She wiped out this branch of the White Lotus sect, but did not gain much benefit herself.
It's already difficult for a human-fox hybrid to have a child. After giving birth, her health was damaged. Without proper rest, she went to fight the entire cult, which only compounded her injuries. She didn't have many years left to live.
The revenge was taken, the harm was eliminated, and life was about to end. But the daughter was still young. The fox spirit entrusted the daughter to the ghost mother and then disappeared. For more than ten years afterward, neither the Fasheng Sect nor the fox spirit had any news. It seemed that they had truly perished together.
Now that Yingning has grown up, as a living person, she can no longer live with the ghosts and foxes in the mountains. And the ghost mother has not told her in detail about her birth mother's past.
"That girl is always laughing and joking, seemingly carefree, but she's actually very thoughtful. I'm afraid that if I talk to her too much, it will weigh on my mind."
The Ghost Mother felt that since Ying Ning did not inherit magical power and could not walk the path of cultivation, she did not need to inherit the grudges of her parents' generation. The Qin family did not recognize this half-fox daughter, and she could not live with the fox spirits. The local Fasheng Sect was also completely gone. Everything went with that fox spirit who slaughtered everyone. These old stories had nothing to do with Ying Ning.
The Fasheng Sect was completely eradicated, and the White Lotus Sect itself was very loosely organized. Since one branch here was cut off, the others in other places did not know and only thought that this place was still the territory of the Fasheng Sect. They did not take the initiative to interfere. This information gap meant that the area was not disturbed by the White Lotus Sect for more than ten years.
After understanding the reason, Liu Qingyuan was speechless for a moment. The reason why there was no White Lotus Sect here was because someone had eliminated it first.
"So this is what the White Lotus Sect is like."
After hearing all this, Xiao Cui finally realized what the White Lotus Sect really was. Before marrying Wang Yuanfeng, she had always lived a reclusive life and knew very little about worldly affairs. After marrying Wang Yuanfeng, who was an official of the imperial court, such a place would not casually mention a heretical sect like the White Lotus Sect.
So when Liu Qingyuan asked her about the White Lotus Sect, she at most felt that the three words "White Lotus Sect" sounded familiar, and that it might be something people were talking about on the street, but she herself didn't know much about it and could only define it as some kind of "thing".
"No wonder there are only letters, and she hasn't come back."
The fox spirits aren't particularly xenophobic. Even if Yingning's birth mother can't hand the child over to someone of the same clan, she can take the child to visit relatives and help them out if they run into each other again.
In the end, the relatives saw nothing, only some letters. It wasn't that she didn't want to visit, but that she was nearing the end of her life and had no strength left.
The next day, the Wang family, leading two donkeys, finally found the place. Their young master had gone out and hadn't returned, and the family was frantic with worry.
Using the excuse of "visiting relatives and seeing her aunt," Yingning left with Wang Zifu. Before leaving, her mother gave her a series of instructions, such as learning the etiquette of a well-bred lady and asking her cousin to find her a good husband. If you listened carefully, you could hear some hints in the words.
With Yingning gone, the former mansion and the road leading to it disappeared. Ghost Mother, Xiao Rong, and the others were nowhere to be found. The once luxurious mansion is now nothing but weeds.