Chapter 192: Madness

"Also, I want you to find that evil man who killed Yu'er, no matter what it takes."

"I swear I won't rest until I torture him to death and tear him limb from limb!"

The old woman said through gritted teeth, her voice icy cold and sending chills down one's spine.

"Mother," Zheng clan head hesitated, "if that person dares to go against the Seven Kills Tower, they must have an extraordinary background as well. If we pursue this matter..."

Before he could finish, the old woman interrupted with a cold gaze, "So you're saying we shouldn't seek vengeance for Yu'er?"

Zheng clan head paused, then swallowed his saliva before continuing, "...My child doesn't mean that. I just think that we should discuss this matter further and plan our next steps carefully."

"Discuss and plan?" The old woman let out a cold laugh. "I think you just want to drag this out, preferably until I'm dead, right?"

"Child dare not!" Zheng clan head exclaimed, his body shaking as he quickly lowered his head.

"Hmph! Only you know what you're really thinking. Right now, I just want to know if this dying old woman can still be the master of the Zheng family?"

"Mother is the pillar of our family. It's you who holds up the entire Zheng family, so of course, you can be the master," he replied.

"Since I can still be the master of the Zheng family, you will honestly do as I say. No matter the cost, I want you to find that person's trace before Yu'er's seventh day after death.

I don't care who he is or how powerful his background is!

Bring me his head so I can place it before Yu'er's grave and appease her spirit in heaven!"

Seeing the vicious and sinister look on his mother's face, Zheng clan head knew that any further objection would be futile.

He could only reluctantly agree, "Yes, child will take care of it."

As he watched the dejected figure of Zheng clan head leave, the old woman's face remained cold and indifferent, her killing intent thick and chilling, lingering in the air long after he had gone.

The hall fell into a heavy silence, not a single person daring to move, their breaths quiet and shallow.

Even the middle-aged beautiful woman was covered in cold sweat, her back soaked.

Outside the Zheng residence, about two miles away, in another grand mansion, a refined old man was writing leisurely in a study when his expression suddenly changed, his wrist trembling slightly. A drop of ink fell from the brush, staining the paper.

"Is the old woman of the Zheng family going crazy again?"

The refined old man set down his brush and, after a moment's thought, beckoned to a servant waiting by his side. "Go and invite the head of the family."

Soon, a middle-aged man dressed in a long robe, bearing a resemblance to the old man, hurried into the courtyard.

"Grandfather, did you call for me?"

"Just now, I sensed that the old woman of the Zheng family suddenly released a shocking killing intent. I don't know what she's up to this time. Go and investigate." The refined old man instructed.

"The old ancestor of the Zheng family?" The middle-aged man was startled. "Who would dare provoke her? Are they tired of living?"

"That's why I'm asking you to investigate. That old woman is nearing her end, she doesn't have many years left. If she goes crazy now, no one can stop her."

"Yes, I'll go investigate right away."

The middle-aged man quickly left.

Ever since the old woman of the Zheng family had been severely injured a few years ago and it was confirmed that she didn't have long to live, she had become an untouchable existence in the prefecture.

After all, who could withstand a crazed Precelestial Realm cultivator when they had only a few years left to live?

After his grandson left, the refined old man looked up at the distant sky, where a sliver of white was beginning to show. His heart stirred with emotion.

These were turbulent times, with hidden undercurrents stirring throughout the world.

As a Precelestial Realm cultivator himself, he had a vague intuition that something extremely important was about to happen.

He hoped that the old woman of the Zheng family wouldn't do anything crazy at such a critical time.

Half an hour later, the middle-aged man returned, his expression strange—a mixture of surprise and schadenfreude.

"Did you find out something?" The refined old man asked calmly.

"Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"According to our spies in the Zheng residence, the second young master of the Zheng family was killed last night outside the city in a brothel. His head was blown to pieces. The old ancestor of the Zheng family is furious and has already killed several of her guards."

The middle-aged man reported.

"The second young master of the Zheng family is the posthumous son of the late head of the Zheng family, isn't he?" The refined old man asked.

"Yes, his name is Zheng Yu. He was deeply favored by the old ancestor and was very arrogant in the prefecture. I never expected him to venture outside the city, only to be killed!" The middle-aged man's face showed a hint of schadenfreude.

"No wonder the old woman went crazy." The refined old man nodded, "The late head of the Zheng family had exceptional talent. At just thirty years old, he had already reached the Martial Arts Master realm. He had a bright future ahead of him and was expected to become a Precelestial Realm cultivator before the age of forty, making him the youngest in Cangzhou.

Chapter: The Calamity of a Smooth Path

"Who would have thought that fame at a young age and a smooth cultivation journey could also be a kind of calamity?" The middle-aged man shook his head. "The eldest of the Zheng family was the youngest Martial Arts Master in Cangzhou at the time, full of vigor and arrogance, even looking down on the Innate Realm cultivators in the prefecture."

"With the presence of the old woman of the Zheng family and the restrictions of the Holy Mountain, none of us took it too seriously. This only added to his arrogance."

"Over twenty years ago, a strange Innate Realm cultivator traveled to Cangzhou with his female disciple." The refined old man continued, "The eldest of the Zheng family, while out of the city, laid eyes on the extraordinarily beautiful disciple and gave in to his lustful desires. He wanted to take her as his concubine by force."

"As expected, this enraged the Innate Realm cultivator, who immediately taught the eldest of the Zheng family a lesson and beat him to death."

"When the old woman of the Zheng family learned of this, she went crazy and pursued the Innate Realm cultivator for over a hundred miles. In the end, both of them were severely injured, and the old woman barely managed to kill him. She even captured the female disciple and buried her with her son."

"The old woman herself was also badly injured and has never fully recovered even until now."

"I never thought that such a major event took place back then, and the eldest of the Zheng family died because of this." The middle-aged man sigated.

"You were still young back then, traveling with your master. Moreover, the eldest of the Zheng family didn't die a glorious death, and the old woman wanted to save face, so not many people knew the full story." The refined old man explained.

"The Zheng Yu you mentioned should be the posthumous son of the eldest of the Zheng family. After his death, the old woman's temperament changed drastically, and she became exceptionally cruel. Every day, someone from the Zheng family was beaten to death, and everyone in the family lived in fear."

"Later, when the eldest's wife discovered she was pregnant, the old woman was overjoyed, and her cruel behavior gradually subsided. However, she encountered difficulties during childbirth and passed away after giving birth to a son."

"With only this one descendant left, the old woman naturally doted on him dearly. Now that he has been killed, no wonder her killing intent was so strong."

The refined old man felt a little relieved. As long as it wasn't someone from their mansion who provoked the old woman, there was still room for negotiation.

However, he was also curious: "Have you found out who killed Zheng Yu?"

"No," the middle-aged man shook his head. "According to our spies, the Zheng family only knows that the killer was a black-robed warrior. His identity remains a mystery.

Moreover, it seems that the black-robed warrior didn't specifically target Zheng Yu. He was looting the brothel when he casually killed Zheng Yu."

"It seems they encountered a wandering expert. Just like the eldest of the Zheng family, he was also killed by an outsider." The refined old man sighed. It was unlikely that any martial artist in Cangzhou would dare to provoke the old woman, especially for something as trivial as this.

Only an outsider, unaware of the local situation, would dare to commit such a bold act.

"However, Grandfather, I've also discovered another piece of information." The middle-aged man's expression turned solemn.

"Apparently, when the black-robed warrior was slaughtering people in the brothel, he mentioned that it was a base of the Seven Kills Tower, and he was there on their behalf."

"What?!" The refined old man was shocked.

"I'm not sure myself, but this was what one of the dying bodyguards beside Zheng Yu said, so it's most likely true."

"Has the reach of the Seven Kills Tower extended to Cangzhou? I thought they were based in Zhongzhou. And who dares to provoke such an ancient sect?" The refined old man muttered, sensing that the situation was far more complex than it seemed.

However, the middle-aged man had another revelation to share: "Also, Grandfather, our spies have learned that the old ancestor of the Zheng family flew into a rage because of Zheng Yu's death. She not only killed all the bodyguards who were supposed to protect Zheng Yu, but she also plans to capture their families and clansmen for a live sacrifice to accompany Zheng Yu in death."

"What?!" The refined old man was stunned. He forgot about the Seven Kills Tower for a moment and stood up abruptly, his face filled with shock as he looked at his grandson.

"Live sacrifice?! Has the old woman truly gone mad?!"

Just then, the refined old man sensed a surge of heartbreaking grief, accompanied by cries for mercy, coming from the northwest direction—the direction of the Zheng family.

Without another word, the refined old man immediately used his martial arts technique and vanished from the study, rushing toward the Zheng family.

When he arrived, he saw a large group of people, chained and kneeling on the ground, crying and begging for mercy.

Chapter: The Calamity of a Smooth Path

Among the group were the old and the young, men and women, and even infants still in swaddling clothes.

Next to them lay the corpse of an elderly man, his head severed from his body, blood pooling around him. His decapitated head stared at the sky, eyes wide open, filled with anger and sorrow.

The refined old man immediately recognized that the heart-wrenching sorrow he had felt earlier was emitted by this elderly man in his final moments.

He also knew the identity of the deceased.

He was a manager of the Zheng family, a well-known figure in the prefecture with a cultivation base at the Internal Organs Realm.

This elderly man had always been loyal to the Zheng family, managing their various businesses with great efficiency.

Rumor had it that his son also served as a guard in the Zheng mansion, but he never expected that he would meet his end here.

"Old Ancestor, please spare our lives! Spare us!"

Plea after plea rang out from the group, as some desperately knocked their heads on the ground, their foreheads bleeding and staining the blue stone slabs with crimson streaks.

However, there were also those who glared at the old woman with hatred in their eyes, not uttering a single plea.

"Spare your lives?"

The old woman's expression remained cold, unmoved by the desperate scene before her.

"Who spared my Yu'er's life?

I entrusted those men to protect Yu'er, but they neglected their duties, resulting in his death.

Those useless fools deserve to die, and so do their families and clansmen. They will all accompany Yu'er!"

"No, Old Ancestor, please spare us! This has nothing to do with us. Please, Old Ancestor, spare our lives!"

The chained crowd became even more terrified, frantically begging for their lives.

However, the old woman paid no heed to their pleas.

She simply waved her hand and said, "Take these worthless creatures away and lock them up. Bring them out to accompany Yu'er on the day of his burial."

"Yes!"

Immediately, several guards stepped forward, pulling on the chains to drag everyone away.

"I won't go, I won't go! Old Ancestor, please spare my life! Spare me!"

Chaos erupted as some in the group refused to move, but they were forcibly dragged away by the strong guards.

Those who tried to escape were lashed by whips, their backs torn open and bleeding.

The entire area in front of the Zheng mansion resounded with pitiful screams and cries, a gruesome and heartbreaking scene.

Finally, when all of them had been taken away, the area in front of the Zheng mansion fell silent once more.

The nearby residents had heard the desperate cries but dared not come out to watch, let alone intervene, due to the intimidating power of the Zheng family.

"Old man, since you're here, stop hiding and show yourself."

After the area had quieted down, the old woman of the Zheng family suddenly spoke up.

The refined old man revealed himself, his expression uncomfortable.

The surrounding guards of the Zheng family were startled, their bodies tensing.

Before this old man had shown himself, not a single one of them had sensed his presence.

For him to conceal his aura and presence so perfectly right under their noses was a testament to his skill.

The answer was obvious.

This old man must be one of the most formidable Precelestial Realm cultivators in the prefecture, someone they absolutely couldn't afford to offend.

"Madame Zheng, have you gone too far this time?" The refined old man asked, his expression grim.

"Oh, I'm merely disciplining my servants. How have I gone too far?"

A sneer appeared on the old woman's face as she retorted, "They are all bonded servants of my Zheng family, with contracts signed in blood. Even if I slaughter them all, it's an internal matter of my Zheng family. When did it become any of your business, old man?"

"It's none of my concern if you want to discipline your servants, but if you plan to perform a live sacrifice, then it involves me."

The refined old man spoke with gravity.

"Live sacrifice is too cruel and goes against the natural order of the world and the will of the Holy Mountain. If you insist on performing such an act that defies the heavens, it is the duty of all to stop you!"

"Hahaha, the natural order of the world? The will of the heavens?"

The old woman of Zheng family laughed as if she had heard a hilarious joke.

Then, her face twisted with resentment as she continued, "If the heavens truly had eyes, why didn't they protect my Yu'er? My Yu'er was so well-behaved, and he only went out of the city to play, yet he met with such misfortune!

Those useless fools, who failed to protect my Yu'er, deserve to die!

I will make sure that all of them accompany my grandson!

Whoever dares to stand in my way will be my enemy!"

As she spoke, a powerful aura surged from the old woman's body.

She slammed the dragon-headed cane in her hand onto the ground, cracking the blue stone slabs beneath her feet.

Her eyes fixed on the refined old man as she asked, "Lin, are you sure you want to stop me?"

Sensing the surging power and the madness in the old woman's eyes, the refined old man's expression changed, and he found himself in a difficult predicament.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end