Chapter 192: Madness

"Furthermore, you must find the villain who killed Yu Er—no matter the cost. I swear, if I do not see him torn apart, his body shattered into a thousand pieces, I shall never be a human again!" The Old Woman spoke through clenched teeth, her voice icy and venomous, sending a chill down the spine of anyone who heard it.

"Mother!" Zheng Jia Zhu flinched, hesitation in his voice. "That man dared to oppose Qi Sha Lou. His background must be formidable. If we pursue this... it could bring disaster."

But before he could finish, the Old Woman fixed him with a cold, piercing stare. "So you’d let Yu Er’s death go unavenged, is that it?"

Zheng Jia Zhu froze. He swallowed hard before replying, "I... I didn’t mean it that way. I merely thought we should consider this carefully."

"Carefully? You mean to drag it out—until I’m dead, is that it?" The Old Woman sneered.

"Son would never dare!" Zheng Jia Zhu trembled, bowing his head low.

"Hmph. What you think is your own affair. But let me ask you—can I still be the master of Zheng Jia, this dying old woman?"

"You are the pillar that holds up the entire Zheng family. Of course, you remain its master."

"Then do as I say. No matter the cost, find that man’s trail before Yu Er’s Seventh Day Memorial. I don’t care who he is, what power he commands. I will personally rip off his head and place it on Yu Er’s grave, to honor his spirit!"

Seeing the twisted, merciless fury on his mother’s face, Zheng Jia Zhu knew resistance was futile. He lowered his voice, barely audible. "Yes... I will see to it at once."

Watching his son retreat with a slumped, defeated posture, the Old Woman remained expressionless, her aura thick with murderous intent—cold, dense, and suffocating, lingering like a storm that refused to pass.

The hall was silent. Not a soul dared move, not even to breathe deeply. Even the Middle-aged Beautiful Woman was drenched in cold sweat, her back soaked through.

At a residence two li away, in a study within another vast mansion, a Refined Elder was calmly writing when his hand twitched slightly. The brush in his grip trembled, and a single drop of ink fell, blooming across the paper.

"Zheng Jia’s Old Woman… what madness is she stirring now?" The Elder set down his brush, then called out. "Fetch the Family Head."

Moments later, a Middle-aged Man in a long robe—bearing a faint resemblance to the Elder—rushed into the courtyard.

"Grandfather, you summoned me?"

"I felt a sudden surge of murderous intent from Zheng Jia’s Old Woman. Something’s wrong. Go investigate."

"Zheng Jia’s Old Ancestor?" The man stiffened. "Who dares provoke her? Does he wish to die?"

"Exactly. She’s nearing her end, with only a few years left. When a Xian Tian Jing on her deathbed loses control, no one can stop her."

"Yes, I’ll go at once."

Once the grandson left, the Refined Elder gazed toward the horizon, where the sky was just beginning to lighten. His thoughts churned.

These were turbulent times. The world simmered beneath the surface. As a Xian Tian Jing, he sensed something immense was about to unfold. Now, of all times, Zheng Jia’s Old Woman must not go mad.

Half an hour later, the Middle-aged Man returned, his expression strange—half stunned, half gleeful.

"Did you find anything?" The Elder asked calmly.

"Yes… but..."

"But what?"

"According to our spies, Zheng Jia’s Second Young Master—Zheng Yu, the posthumous son of the late Zheng Jia Lao Da—was slaughtered last night in an Entertainment District on the city’s outskirts. His head was shattered. The Old Woman is enraged, and has already executed several Guards in her fury."

"Zheng Yu? The son of the late Zheng Jia Lao Da?" The Elder asked.

"Exactly. He was favored by the Old Woman, and notoriously arrogant in Zhou Fu. No one expected him to go outside the city—let alone be killed like that."

"No wonder she’s in such a rage," the Elder murmured. "Zheng Jia Lao Da was a prodigy—by thirty, already a Wu Dao Zong Shi. He was on track to become the youngest Xian Tian Jing in Cang Prefecture before the age of forty. But fame at such a young age… it was his downfall."

"Back then, he was brash—unmatched, unafraid. Even some of the Xian Tian Jing in Zhou Fu didn’t impress him. But with Zheng Jia Lao Tai Po’s presence, and the constraints of Sheng Shan Jin Ling, we let it slide. That only made him more arrogant."

"Twenty years ago, a foreign Xian Tian Jing arrived with his disciple. Zheng Jia Lao Da, out for a stroll, saw the girl’s beauty and lustfully wanted her for a concubine. The Xian Tian Jing exploded in rage—killed Zheng Jia Lao Da on the spot."

"Upon hearing the news, Zheng Jia Lao Tai Po went berserk. She chased the man for over three hundred li, finally killing him in a mutual destruction battle. She also captured the woman and brought her back—her son’s burial companion."

"The Old Woman herself was left weakened, her lifespan drastically shortened. She’s never fully recovered."

"Who would have thought such a tragedy occurred," the Middle-aged Man said, awed. "Zheng Jia Lao Da died over a woman?"

"Back then, you were still traveling with your Master. And Zheng Jia Lao Da’s death wasn’t honorable. The Old Woman was proud—she buried the truth. Few knew the full story."

"Zheng Yu was Zheng Jia Lao Da’s only surviving heir. After his death, the Old Woman’s personality changed—she became violent, unpredictable. Servants were beaten daily. The entire Zheng family lived in fear. Only when Zheng Jia Lao Da’s wife discovered she was pregnant did her rage ease. But even then, she died in childbirth, leaving only one bloodline. The Old Woman loved that child like her own soul."

"Of course. No wonder she’s so consumed by rage. But tell me—did you learn who killed Zheng Yu?"

"No," the Middle-aged Man shook his head. "Our spies report only that the killer was a Black-Clothed Warrior. His identity remains unknown. And it wasn’t a targeted assassination—he was simply killing in the Entertainment District when he happened upon Zheng Yu."

"A visiting storm, then. Zheng Jia Lao Da was slain by a foreign Xian Tian Jing. Now his son meets the same fate. Only an outsider, unaware of Cang Prefecture’s power structures, would dare such a thing."

The Elder sighed. "If it were a local warrior, no one would risk angering the Old Woman. But a stranger… they don’t know the cost."

"Still, Grandfather, I have another report," the Middle-aged Man said, his tone now grave. "Our spies heard the Black-Clothed Warrior, during the massacre, declare that the district was Qi Sha Lou’s base. He said he came to destroy Qi Sha Lou."

"Are you certain?" The Elder’s eyes widened.

"I cannot be sure, but it was the last words of a Guard who died protecting Zheng Yu. It’s likely true."

"Qi Sha Lou’s claws… have reached Cang Prefecture? They’ve always been entrenched in Zhong Zhou. Who dares defy such an ancient sect?"

The Elder murmured, a sense of dread creeping in. This was far more complicated than it seemed.

But then, the Middle-aged Man dropped another bomb.

"Furthermore… the Old Woman, furious over Zheng Yu’s death, ordered all Guards who failed to protect him executed. She also commanded that their families and clans be captured—alive—and used in Living Human Sacrifice, to serve Zheng Yu in the afterlife."

"What?!" The Elder shot to his feet, his face pale with shock.

"Living Human Sacrifice?! Is she truly insane?!"

At that moment, a wave of overwhelming sorrow, thick with cries of anguish, surged from the northwest—the direction of Zheng Jia’s residence.

The Elder reacted instantly. Without another word, he vanished in a blur of motion, racing toward Zheng Jia’s estate.

When he arrived, he saw a horrifying scene.

A crowd of people—old and young, men and women, even infants in swaddling clothes—were chained to the ground, sobbing and begging for mercy. Nearby, a severed head lay in the dirt, eyes wide open, mouth frozen in silent fury.

The Elder recognized the man. A Housekeeper of Zheng Jia, a Nei Fu Jing master, respected throughout Zhou Fu for his loyalty and skill. He had managed the family’s vast holdings with precision. His eldest son served as a Guard in Zheng Fu—now dead.

"Ancestor, please! Have mercy!" The cries rose in desperation. People pounded their foreheads against the stone slab, splitting skin, staining the ground red.

But others stood silent, their eyes burning with hatred—fixed on the Old Woman atop the steps.

"Mercy?" The Old Woman’s voice was cold, unfeeling. "I spared you? Who spared my Yu Er? Your men were supposed to protect him. They failed. They are dead—wretched, worthless. And you, their kin, share their guilt. All of you will join him in death."

"No! Ancestor, we’re innocent! Please, spare us!" The chained people screamed, pleading.

But the Old Woman showed no mercy. She raised a hand. "Take them all away. Lock them in the cellar. On the day of Yu Er’s burial, they’ll be sent to serve him below."

"Yes, Mistress!" Guards approached, dragging the chains, hauling people away.

"No! I won’t go! Ancestor, please!" One man struggled, but was dragged off by brute force.

Another tried to flee—only to be whipped until his back split open.

The courtyard rang with screams, agony, and despair.

When the last person was taken, silence returned.

The neighbors had heard the cries, but no one dared look. Fear of Zheng Jia’s power kept them silent.

Then, from the stillness, the Old Woman spoke.

"Old man. You’re here. Stop hiding."

The Refined Elder stepped forward, his face grim.

The guards around him stiffened. Not a single one had sensed his presence—until now.

Only a Xian Tian Jing of the highest rank could move so completely unseen.

"You’ve gone too far, Zheng Old Lady," the Elder said, voice strained.

"Oh? I’m only punishing my own servants. What’s so wrong with that?" The Old Woman smirked. "They’re bound by contract. If I kill them all, it’s my family’s affair. What business is it of yours, old man?"

"You may discipline your servants. But if you perform Living Human Sacrifice—then it’s not just your family’s business. It’s the world’s."

The Elder’s tone hardened. "Living Human Sacrifice is monstrous. It defies Heaven, defies Earth, defies Sheng Shan’s law. Anyone with conscience must stop it."

The Old Woman laughed—loud, cruel, mocking.

"Defies Heaven? Then why didn’t Heaven protect my Yu Er? He was just playing outside—just a child! And yet, he was torn apart! Those guards—his protectors—failed. Shouldn’t they die? I will make every last one of them pay! And if anyone dares stop me… I’ll fight them to the death!"

With a roar, she slammed her dragon-headed cane into the ground. Stone cracked beneath her.

Her eyes locked onto the Elder, blazing with madness.

"Lin old fool… are you really going to stop me?"

The Elder felt the surge of her killing intent, the storm of fury in her eyes.

His expression faltered. He stood at a crossroads—between duty and survival, justice and fear.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end