It wasn't hard to imagine that after he died a few years later, the Zhou family would collapse. The monarch likely held back because he anticipated the Zhou family wouldn't last long.
From then on, the Great Ancestor of the Zhou Family turned over a new leaf, practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist sutras, doing all sorts of good deeds until he finally moved the heavens. His lineage flourished, and the Zhou family gradually prospered, becoming a titan that lasted for nearly four hundred years.
Nan Yue finished reading the record with an expressionless face and spat.
Nonsense!
The earlier records were somewhat realistic, though heavily embellished with flowery language. Simply put, the Great Ancestor of the Zhou Family was a rotten man without a bottom line or any sense of good and evil.
He built his fortune by killing people and being a sycophant.
He received his punishment because even the heavens couldn't stand his actions.
But the later records were pure rubbish. If practicing vegetarianism and chanting sutras really worked, and a frantic deathbed confession could cancel out all sins, it would be the most ridiculous thing Nan Yue had ever heard.
Clearly, the Zhou family used some unspeakable method.
They didn't even dare to write it down, even though it was hidden in the Lake-center Pavilion, a place almost no one could reach.
Nan Yue guessed that even if this method worked, it wasn't remarkably effective. After all, the Zhou family's wives still died within a year or two. They married new brides almost every year, yet few survived.
However, Nan Yue found it strange. Why was it the new brides who died and not the members of the Zhou family?
The people in Liping Garden could be considered candidates for the wives or concubines the Zhou family selected, which made sense.
But what about the mass grave and the bodies at the bottom of the well?
They couldn't all be deceased wives, could they?
Since the Zhou family cared so much about their public facade, even if the constant deaths were suspicious, they would surely give those women a proper burial.
That was for certain. If they didn't even bury their own legal wives, the Zhou family would lose all face.
From Nan Yue's experience, the Zhou family were the type of people who did the most disgusting things but insisted on having a facade to hide behind.
So they wouldn't make such a low-level mistake.
Then it was strange. Why did the other women die?
Nan Yue fell into thought. Suddenly, a strong sense of unease washed over her. She snapped her head around and found that the box on the left had been snatched away by a long hand.
"You Teng!"
Nan Yue's killing intent surged. She hadn't expected You Teng to be bold enough to sneak onto the pavilion and seize the opportunity to take the box while she was distracted.
You Teng didn't know the thing was dangerous. He only knew it was a clue, and a very important one at that.
With You Teng's sinister nature, Nan Yue was almost certain he wouldn't take such a big risk normally.
The only possibility was that You Teng judged his current danger wasn't that great.
On what basis did he make that judgment?
Almost instantly, Nan Yue knew the answer. You Teng must have discovered something she couldn't.
The crisis was centered on her, so You Teng was willing to take a gamble.
Nan Yue shifted her gaze and saw Zhu Xi Ning's group of three also vaulting onto the pavilion. They had clearly noticed You Teng's actions and wanted to support her.
They couldn't have failed to warn her, which meant the pavilion itself had the special ability to isolate sound and even awakened abilities.
...
A few minutes ago, Zhu Xi Ning and the others were watching the thing on Nan Yue's back with their hearts in their throats. Although they couldn't see what it was, Zhu Xi Ning's intuition told her it was extremely dangerous.
She wanted to go onto the pavilion to warn Nan Yue.
But she was worried about causing a butterfly effect.
To be honest, Nan Yue was the strongest person Zhu Xi Ning had ever seen. Even with the Ant God mask and her foresight combined, she was no match for her.
So Zhu Xi Ning was worried whether her rushing up would be a help or a hindrance.
Gu Xiang Kai thought the same, and since Jiang Siyan was a healing-type, his presence wouldn't make much of a difference.
This thought prevented the three from going up immediately. They were all afraid their appearance would startle "that thing".
None of them knew when You Teng had sneaked near the Lake-center Pavilion. The pavilion wasn't small, and with the three of them spread out, there were blind spots, not to mention their attention was entirely on Nan Yue.
So it wasn't until You Teng was already on the pavilion and his figure was spotted through the curtains by Gu Xiang Kai that he realized the man had sneaked up amidst the chaos.
What did he want to do?
It was nothing more than stealing the fruits of their labor. Since they could see the abnormality on Nan Yue, he surely saw it too.
"Boss!"
Gu Xiang Kai didn't hesitate. He swam desperately toward the Lake-center Pavilion, shouting for Nan Yue, but there seemed to be a problem with the pavilion. Nan Yue inside the curtains didn't react at all.
"A mental barrier!"
Jiang Siyan raised his voice from the other side and quickly explained, "Both the lake water and the pavilion have a certain degree of mental attack power. Everything will be isolated unless you're on the pavilion!"
The three had already swum to the pavilion and vaulted up, while Zhang Qixu stayed far away. He didn't want to cause trouble or get dragged into the whirlpool.
Unfortunately, they were a step too late. You Teng had already snatched the box on the left while Nan Yue wasn't paying attention.
The originally quiet night suddenly erupted with a fierce wind, blowing open the tightly drawn curtains to reveal a soaking wet You Teng outside.
He held the box in one hand and stared at the streaming screen. The ecstasy in his eyes made it clear that he must have received a massive amount of tips.
"Put that box down!"
Nan Yue's killing intent was so intense it even frightened Jiang Siyan, who had just climbed up.
Jiang Siyan had never seen Nan Yue like this. In that moment, it was as if he was looking into the darkest abyss. The overwhelming sense of dread even made him feel physically suffocated.
But You Teng didn't seem to feel it. He began to open the box on the left in a daze.
Was it mental guidance?...
"Get down!"
Black mist surged from Nan Yue's body, howling toward You Teng. Upon hearing Nan Yue's command, Zhu Xi Ning and Gu Xiang Kai, who had just reached the pavilion and were about to close in, turned and fled. Gu Xiang Kai even grabbed Jiang Siyan by the collar and dragged him into the water.
Jiang Siyan had never seen Nan Yue go all out. He seemed worried about her, and Gu Xiang Kai could see his hesitation.
What a joke!
Gu Xiang Kai thought of Antswamp Village, the nauseating Ant God, and the Nan Yue who had given her all back then...
Staying behind and getting caught in the crossfire would mean death.
So he dragged Jiang Siyan away, deciding he had to educate him on how terrifying Nan Yue could be once they were out.
As soon as Jiang Siyan hit the water, he looked back at the pavilion. He had also heard Zhu Xi Ning's prophecy and had been skeptical about the situation.
But now he knew that Zhu Xi Ning's prophecy was real.
It just wasn't Nan Yue who wanted to open the box, but the suddenly appearing You Teng.
If he opened that box, he would die, and Nan Yue, who was already carrying that thing on her back... would also die.
Rate on N.U.
