Nan Zhi and the Wang family also had something of a past grudge.
A while ago, when the tiger-chang were devouring people and the bailiffs were trapped on Wenshan, several people saw with their own eyes that Nan Yi and Wang Fugui's nephew, Zhou Dalang, had a disagreement.
Zhou Dalang had spouted lecherous nonsense, which displeased Nan Yi, who promptly gave the fellow a punch that knocked out two of his front teeth.
Later, he died a miserable death in the tiger's mouth and ended up as one of the chang ghosts before being conveniently eliminated by Nan Zhi.
Wang Fugui was Zhou Dalang's maternal uncle.
Since Zhou Dalang was dead, there was no way the Wang family wouldn't investigate what happened on Wenshan that day and why only Zhou Dalang had died.
Among the common folk, some busybodies had privately spread rumors, saying that Nan Zhi had selfish motives when she saved people that day.
Although only a few people said such things, they were heard by those with ill intentions.
That was why Young Master Wang had said what he did, claiming that Nan Zhi owed their family a life.
“Whoever said that is talking out of their ass.”
Nan Zhi had a serious expression, resting her chin on her hand as she cursed with a straight face:
“I asked around, and that idiot Zhou Dalang brought it on himself.
In the middle of the night, he saw a beautiful woman in the mountains and didn't have the slightest suspicion. He even took the initiative to strip off his official uniform and saber...
What's the difference between that and washing yourself, jumping into a pot to be cooked, and delivering yourself to a tiger's door?
Besides, I'm not some Bodhisattva who saves all sentient beings. If I can save someone, I will; if I can't, he can go to hell.
He was a coward who became the demon tiger's chang ghost and tricked his former colleagues into their deaths. For someone like that...
I only burned his bones and sent him to his death. I didn't shatter his soul or prevent him from entering reincarnation, which is already an act of great mercy.”
At this point, Nan Zhi paused, her knuckles crackling as she squeezed them.
“The Wang father and son actually dare to blame Zhou Dalang's death on me? They even planned to use their power to pressure me and find someone to trash my family's meat shop?
I just don't understand. Why do they think that I, who have the power to kill them easily, would bow to their influence?
What, do they think people with money and power have an extra head or an extra life?”
Are you kidding? She was already cultivating; was she supposed to fear mortal power?
Was this some kind of joke?
What kind of cultivation was that?
If it were anyone else who had suddenly joined the Demon Suppression Division, they might still be restricted in their actions and feel wary after hearing the conversation between the Wang father and son.
But what did Nan Zhi have to fear?
To her, this was just a game. Even if she killed every NPC in the server, it wouldn't have the slightest impact on reality.
Of course, considering the game's future playability, her favorability with various factions, and even hidden achievements, Nan Zhi wouldn't actually do that.
But now she was facing a pair of wicked men who had ill intentions toward her and the Nan family.
Killing them wouldn't even be a burden.
“You asked me to promise you one thing before—was it to kill the Wang father and son?”
Nan Zhi enthusiastically suggested to the ghost before her:
“That's easy. Issue a mission right now, and I'll hurry back and hack those two to death.
No, hacking them is too bloody. Maybe poison? No, that's too ugly...
Oh, I know! I saw my father slaughtering pigs and draining their blood before. He would first cut a slit in the pig's neck and then slowly drain all the blood.
Even though the pig dies slowly from blood loss, the meat won't have a strong gamey smell.
If all else fails, I'll give the Wang father and son a cut each. That way, it's good for you and good for me. What do you think?”
Across from her, Wanniang was dressed in hempen mourning clothes, sitting lightly by the well, her eyes fixed eerily on her:
“...Sister Zhi, those words make it hard to tell which of us is truly the life-taking ghost.”
The City God Temple was empty at night, and the entire backyard was so quiet that only the hooting of owls could be heard.
The old temple keeper had long since gone to sleep, and his room was pitch black, with only the occasional sound of rustling as he tossed and turned or coughed.
Wanniang sat by the well that was said to bless marriages, holding a white bone in her hand as she slowly combed her long, loose hair.
Her face was a grayish-blue, and her skin looked as if it were coated in a thick layer of powder, but a closer look revealed that her entire body was as white as a paper figure.
Wanniang had been hanged, so her long tongue hung down to her chest, unable to be retracted. At first glance, one might mistake it for a blood-red scarf tucked into her chest.
In a dilapidated temple deep at night, a female ghost in mourning clothes sat by a well, unhurriedly combing her hair with a long tongue hanging out.
If anyone were unfortunate enough to pass by and see this scene, they would likely be scared out of their wits.
Nan Zhi blinked with a pure expression:
“Ahem, I just thought the atmosphere was too serious, so I thought I'd tell a joke to cheer you up. Why did you take it seriously?”
Wanniang: “...”
No, when you were talking about how to slaughter pigs just now, you didn't look like you were joking at all.
Which one of them was the vengeful ghost?
“Alright, let's talk business.”
Nan Zhi cleared her throat and brought the conversation back:
“Wanniang, you have confided in me like a sister. I promised you before that I would do one thing for you that was not against the laws of heaven or a disregard for human life.
I visited the Wang family today and happened to learn about the old history between the Qu and Wang families. It seems it is now time for me to fulfill my promise.”
“Wang Fugui told you about the grudge between him and the Qu family?”
Wanniang's movements slowed as she frowned and said coldly:
“A heartless and ungrateful scoundrel like him would never tell you the truth.”
“Wang Fugui has been in business for years and is smooth-tongued with everyone.
I just overheard a bit while he and his son were talking privately.”
Nan Zhi shrugged. Looking around and finding no place to sit, she simply sat on the edge of the well like Wanniang:
“What exactly happened to the Qu family back then? And Wang Fugui, what is his connection to you...”
“Though twenty-nine years have passed since then, I have never dared to forget.”
Wanniang set down the white bone and sighed softly. Her gaze toward Nan Zhi seemed to carry a hint of nostalgia:
“Back then, I was just like you, in the prime of my youth.
My Qu family had been in business for three generations. By the time it reached my father, Qu Chengling, we began selling wine.
My father discovered a wine formula from an ancient book called ‘Immortal Drunk.’ Legend has it that on the day the wine is finished, its aroma can even make the immortals in heaven long for it...”
Qu Wan was the only daughter of Qu Chengling. After her mother gave birth to her, there was no more news from her womb.
Although her father wanted a son to inherit the family business, his fate with children was thin. Even when Qu Wan was eleven, her mother's belly did not grow large again.
Though her father felt it was a pity, he saw that his only daughter was clever and had a good head on her shoulders. At a young age, she could already follow the master brewers to learn how to make leaven. Only then did he give up on having a son.
Since his only daughter was clever and bright, he figured he could just recruit a son-in-law to marry into the family in the future. The children they had could still take the Qu surname, and the distillery would remain in the hands of the Qu family.
From then on, her father spared no effort in training his daughter, personally teaching her how to select ingredients, make leaven, steam, and remove the grains...
He even handed over the formula for ‘Immortal Drunk’ to Qu Wan.
Qu Wan did not fail her father's expectations. Not only did she learn quickly, but she also grasped everything instantly. Not only did she personally follow the master brewers to brew wine, but she even improved the flaws in the ‘Immortal Brew’ formula.
Because of this, the wine she brewed was highly popular, and the ‘Immortal Brew’ gained great fame. Every day, the entrance to the Qu Family Distillery was crowded with customers coming to buy wine.
Rate on N.U.
