Chapter 22: Picking Up Gold

That night, after the banquet ended, Di Jiang and Wen Yao, along with Zhong Xu and Changsheng, cast an invisibility spell and secretly sneaked into the back mountain of Dong Family Fortress. They didn’t tell Zhong Xu what they were going to do; they only said that they were taking him to make some travel expenses so that when they returned to Taiping Prefecture in the future, they could buy a new property.

Zhong Xu didn’t ask further but felt that this matter wasn’t simple. He followed closely behind the three, always remaining vigilant. His intuition told him that tonight’s events were bound to be suspicious.

In the back mountain of Dong Family Fortress, there was a clear lake surrounded by grotesque rock formations adorned with gold and jade. Under the moonlight, they sparkled brilliantly like stars in the sky. However, the gold and jade were merely decorative elements on the rocks, which would be considered extremely luxurious by ordinary people, but not significant for the overall garden construction. These Taihu rocks were transported from afar. Most Taihu rocks are white, with few being black or yellow, and yellow ones are particularly rare. But Dong Qi’s rock was entirely yellow, occupying half the lake surface, with intricate and varied shapes, indicating its staggering cost. Even a random Buddhist pine tree in the yard was more valuable than gold and jewels.

The ancient cypress and pine trees in the garden stood tall and green, while the pathways by the lake were adorned on perfectly maintained grass without a single weed in sight. This showed meticulous daily maintenance, making one feel as if they were walking through a fairyland akin to Jade Pool. The maidservants lit crystal lamps every three steps on the corridor pillars. Though it was night, the place was brightly illuminated.

Each of the four had their thoughts as they entered, but after walking through this extravagantly built garden for a while, their minds began to reel. All were amazed by such luxury. “Who exactly is this Dong Qishan? His garden is even more magnificent than the imperial palace. If you didn’t know better, you’d think this was the capital city!” Wen Yao exclaimed.

“That’s right, I’ve never seen such a wealthy household before.” Although Changsheng was a sword slave, his upbringing environment was not much different from others except for being chosen by the Tai Xiao Sword Tomb based on his birth chart. This was his first time seeing such a lavish family.

“Did you see Dong Qishan during dinner? What did he look like?” Di Jiang asked the group.

Wen Yao shook her head, “Master Dong and his wife did not appear. Only the eldest young master Lian Cheng and three stewards were present, entertaining guests inside and outside. Miss Biling also didn’t show up. It seems...”

“What seems?”

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels like they don’t want to mention Miss Yezhen anymore. Maybe they haven’t accepted her death yet...” Wen Yao paused thoughtfully and then questioned, “Boss, you say that with such a large and powerful family, protecting a daughter should not be difficult, right? How could Master Dong bear to let his own daughter be disemboweled? And why does he treat this fake Daoist like a deity?”

“It’s possible that Dong Qishan himself ordered it...” Di Jiang pondered for a moment, adding casually, “After all, in Xianliang City, Dong Qishan’s position might be higher than the governor’s. He could be called the local emperor here. Without his approval, who would dare touch a Dong family daughter?”

“This makes it even stranger!” Wen Yao frowned, continuing, “Who would willingly let their daughter suffer so much?”

“The truth will eventually come out. Let’s wait and enjoy the show,” Di Jiang smiled slightly, making a ‘shush’ gesture, “Don’t speak. Someone is coming.”

Wen Yao nodded, then widened her eyes, staring intently at where Di Jiang was looking.

A middle-aged man dressed in Daoist robes came walking down the corridor—it was Ma Wenshan.

Ma Wenshan had shifty eyes and a lustful face, quickly disappearing out the back door. Along the way, guards, maids, and servants bowed to him when they saw him. Clearly, he held a respected position within Dong Family Fortress.

Di Jiang and Zhong Xu exchanged glances, leading Wen Yao and Changsheng out through the same door.

The outer walls of Dong Family Fortress were painted red with lacquer. Under the glow of two lanterns by the gate, the area outside the wall appeared eerie and ominous, exuding an indescribable sense of bloodshed.

Following Ma Wenshan’s instructions, several servants buried the golden chopsticks under a willow tree seven zhang away from the wall, at a depth of about three chi three cun, but without covering it with soil—only scattering loose cinnabar on top.

Thus, Ma Wenshan arrived at the willow tree and effortlessly retrieved a bag full of golden chopsticks. During this process, he recited no incantations, completing none of the supposed rituals.

“Boss! He wants to take our chopsticks!”

“We can’t let him succeed.”

Di Jiang and Wen Yao rolled up their sleeves, ready to step forward, but Zhong Xu quickly blocked them, asking, “Why are they your chopsticks?”

“The servant said these chopsticks were thrown away, and no one else dared to claim them. If I claim them, aren’t they mine?” Wen Yao looked furious, glaring fiercely at Ma Wenshan, “This person has beaten us to it again. We can’t let him get away with it!”

“Who’s there!” Suddenly, Ma Wenshan stood up and looked towards where Di Jiang and the others were hiding.

Di Jiang and the others immediately closed their mouths, holding their breath, staring at Ma Wenshan for a while. They found that he hadn’t relaxed his vigilance, still looking fearfully at them.

Di Jiang and Wen Yao exchanged puzzled looks, thinking, “The invisibility spell is still active. Could his Daoist abilities break our invisibility spell?”

But soon they realized that Ma Wenshan wasn’t looking at them but at something behind them.

A wisp of mist rose from the stream, gradually diffusing into a thin fog. In this mist, a woman dressed in black, holding a black oil-paper umbrella, slowly emerged from the haze.

Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her face pale as paper, and her lips crimson like blood.

She wore a smile on her lips, but her eyes revealed intense killing intent, making her look ghostly and terrifying.

She walked slowly, so lightly that even Di Jiang and Zhong Xu didn’t notice her presence until later.

“You… who are you!” Ma Wenshan pointed at Di Jiang.

Di Jiang turned around and discovered a shadow behind her unexpectedly. This person was none other than the woman they had met earlier in the day, who claimed to be Dong Yezhen.

Di Jiang smirked knowingly, quickly stepping aside to give the black-clad woman room to pass.

The woman acted as if she didn’t see Di Jiang and the others, her eyes fixed tightly on Ma Wenshan.

“Who are you! Sneaking around in the middle of the night, what… what do you want!” Sweat poured down Ma Wenshan’s body, soaking through his clothes. Strands of hair stuck to his cheeks, making him look disheveled.

At this moment, the woman folded her black umbrella, revealing her stunning face, and smiled faintly at Ma Wenshan, “Master Ma, you said I dreamt of bearing a ghost fetus and secretly mated with a ghost pearl. How is it that after just a few days, you can’t recognize me?”

“You… you’re Dong Yezhen?!”

Dong Yezhen nodded and smiled, “You destroyed my human form and scattered my soul! You made my unborn child unable to live or die! Now, I will make you pay with your blood and personally experience the agony of having your heart torn apart and bones corroded!” As Dong Yezhen spoke, she suddenly opened her bloody mouth, revealing sharp fangs, preparing to bite into Ma Wenshan’s back.

Trapped atop the artificial rockery, with a hungry ghost in front and a deep lake behind, Ma Wenshan was in a critical situation. At this crucial moment, Zhong Xu threw a talisman, hitting Dong Yezhen squarely on the face.

“Who’s there!” A flash of light gleamed in Dong Yezhen’s eyes as she looked towards where the talisman came from but found no one in sight.

Seizing the opportunity, Ma Wenshan pushed her away and jumped off the rockery. Then came a “crack” sound as Ma Wenshan’s leg hit the nearest stone, bending in an unnatural way.

Immediately afterward, a “splash” was heard as Ma Wenshan fell into the lake, bubbling twice before falling silent.

“Is he dead?” Wen Yao chuckled maliciously, almost clapping her hands in delight.

Di Jiang shook her head, “He only broke his leg. He’s still holding his breath underwater to survive. His swimming skills are pretty good.”

“Who’s there!” Dong Yezhen heard their conversation but couldn’t see their bodies. Her calm demeanor was disrupted, making her—no, the entire ghost—appear restless and anxious.

“You don’t need to worry; we mean no harm.” Wen Yao couldn’t help but respond, but quickly received a fierce glare from Di Jiang, signaling her to stay silent.

Reluctantly, Wen Yao closed her mouth.

No matter how Dong Yezhen roared or screamed, they didn’t respond again. Dong Yezhen realized she had encountered truly skilled practitioners and understood that this place was no longer safe.

“This isn’t over, far from it! I’ll be back! When I return, I’ll make the entire Dong Family Fortress pay with blood!” With that, Dong Yezhen disappeared into the night sky.

The surrounding air cleared once again. In the early summer season, fireflies occasionally flew among the grass, appearing harmonious and beautiful. But for those who witnessed the previous scene, peace of mind was impossible.

“Master Ma! How did you fall into the water? What happened to your leg?” At this moment, the servants whose vision had been clouded by the ghost regained their sight and discovered Master Ma lying semi-conscious by the lake, shouting for help. They immediately gathered around and summoned a doctor to treat him.

With one leg broken, Ma Wenshan was surrounded by layers of people. Even Dong Qishan and his wife changed clothes overnight and rushed to his room.

“What happened to the Master Daoist?” Dong Qishan asked anxiously, “Was it because of dealing with filth last night that you encountered evil spirits?”

“Great calamity... great calamity!” Ma Wenshan was still shaken, “Dong Yezhen, she, she...”

“What about her?” Dong Qishan’s heart tightened, “Are her grievances unresolved?”

“Not only are her grievances unresolved! She, she vowed to take the entire Dong Family Fortress with her in death!”

“What!” Dong Qishan slammed the table in shock. Beside him, Madam Dong fainted upon hearing Ma Wenshan’s words.

“Escort the Madam to rest.” Dong Qishan waved impatiently and dismissed all irrelevant people.

Once only the two of them remained in the room, Dong Qishan darkened his face and coldly asked, “Master Daoist, do you have a solution?”

“This...”

Dong Qishan grasped Ma Wenshan’s hand earnestly, “Master Daoist, if you have any difficulties, please speak frankly. Whatever I, Dong Qishan, can do, I won’t hesitate. I only wish for my family to safely endure this calamity.”

“Master Dong is too kind. However, resolving this matter will require immense manpower and resources. It might...” Ma Wenshan sighed deeply, speaking frankly, “It might be due to Master Dong’s excessive blessings in this life attracting karma. To protect the family’s lives, he must dissipate all his wealth!”

“Squander all his wealth? This...”

“Wealth is but an external possession. One must not cling to it at the cost of their life!” Ma Wenshan shed tears, appealing emotionally and logically.

Finally, Dong Qishan nodded, saying, “I will follow the Master Daoist’s instructions completely.”