Priceless porcelain throughout the room was smashed to smithereens.
Like a wild beast out of control, Qian Yuzhe, with bloodshot eyes, frantically destroyed everything within sight.
Meanwhile, Qian Yuhan watched silently, occasionally letting out a soft cough.
As long as we waited for Wu’s Rejuvenation Medicine to be ready, Father could have been restored to normal!
Why did it turn out ?!
Heavens! Are you blind?!"
Unable to accept the news of his father’s death, Qian Yuzhe was hysterical, storming out of the room and cursing the sky.
He charged at Qian Yuhan like a rabid dog, grabbing him by the collar and asking through gritted teeth, "How did you take care of Father? Why did he suddenly pass away? The Jade Bodhisattva was a sacred object given by Wu; how could it suddenly fail without reason? Tell me! Was it your doing?! Now that Father is gone, you’re the one in charge, aren’t you?!"
Frowning, Qian Yuhan suddenly lifted his hand and struck.
The crisp slap left Qian Yuzhe stunned.
"You, you dare to hit me! I..." Confused after the shock, Qian Yuzhe lunged forward again but was met with another slap across the face from Qian Yuhan.
"Qian Yuzhe! When will you come to your senses? Do you really believe that after taking that demonic Daoist’s so-called Rejuvenation Medicine, Father would get better?! Do you really think Father fell sick suddenly without reason? COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."
After the outburst, Qian Yuhan suddenly bent over and coughed violently, spitting out copious amounts of dark red blood.
Seeing Qian Yuhan coughing up blood, Qian Yuzhe instantly came to his senses and rushed to support him.
"This... this, what’s going on here?"
Supporting Qian Yuhan, Qian Yuzhe’s eyes were frantic as he nervously pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.
Weakly collapsing to the ground, Qian Yuhan tightly grasped his brother’s hand. "Yuzhe! Listen to your elder brother! Don’t have anything to do with that demonic Daoist any longer. He is not a good person... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."
He barely spoke a few words before Qian Yuhan began to cough again, the blood he choked up dark and blackish.
The blood looked as though it had already begun to decay, a sign of terminal illness.
"How could this be, Elder Brother? Wasn’t it Wu who allowed Father to hold on for so long?"
Not understanding why his elder brother held so much animosity towards Wu, Qian Yuzhe murmured his explanation.
"Foolish! Father’s sudden illness was his doing. That Jade Bodhisattva wasn’t a Sacred Object to prolong Father’s life. It was a demonic object. He was using the Qian Family to refine this Magic Artifact for him!"
Qian Yuhan’s words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving Qian Yuzhe frozen in place.
"Elder Brother, what you’re saying... What proof do you have?"
"Remember the itinerant sorcerer who directed us to Yuhua Temple? Not long after we returned from Yuhua Temple, I ran into him again in the city. He was entering lavish restaurants, spending extravagantly. While treating people to drinks, he bragged that he had made a hundred taels of silver with just a few words. Later, I had someone capture him and bring him back to our residence, where he admitted that Wu gave him a hundred taels to lead us to Yuhua Temple!"
Still somewhat in disbelief, Qian Yuzhe shook his head, his eyes dazed. "But what would Wu gain by doing this?"
"What for? Heh, heh, heh, what do you think our family has?"
"You mean... for money?"
"Exactly. He plotted to kill Father and then used the Jade Bodhisattva as a cover to make us think Father could still be saved, merely to drag out our hope. And that Corpse-Control Bell—he only said it could control the corpse boy to replenish Blood Meal for the Jade Bodhisattva and restore its Divine Power. He never mentioned that each use of the Corpse-Control Bell greatly harms one’s body, causing premature aging and early death. Once Father was on his deathbed, and I too had perished from using the Corpse-Control Bell, he would be able to control you and steadily devour our Qian Family’s fortune!"
After telling Qian Yuzhe all the truths, Qian Yuhan finally felt the burden on his heart lift.
"Is all of this true?"
Stunned and motionless, Qian Yuzhe muttered to himself.
Though he was loath to admit what his elder brother had said, Father’s sudden illness, the itinerant sorcerer’s pointed guidance, and his elder brother’s sudden severe sickness all substantiated the veracity of his words.
"You are truly worthy of being the Qian Family’s eldest legitimate son, Qian Yuhan. This Daoist truly underestimated you before."
Suddenly, applause came from outside the door.
Carrying a horsetail whisk and clad in a Taoist robe, Wu advanced into the courtyard with measured steps.
"You demonic Daoist! You beast, full of schemes and greed for wealth, how dare you claim to be a practitioner of the Dao?!"
Seeing the real culprit behind his father’s death, Qian Yuhan tried to rise in anger, but his weakened body could not even stand.
"Merely a tactic," Wu replied nonchalantly, without even glancing at the Qian brothers, as if passing two insignificant ants, and went straight into the inner room.
The Jade Bodhisattva sealed by the "Suppress" Character remained there.
Gazing at the petrified Jade Bodhisattva, lackluster and appearing like an ordinary stone sculpture, Wu’s eyes grew solemn.
He silently observed it for a moment.
Wu then slowly reached out his hand toward the Jade Bodhisattva.
The moment his fingertip touched the Jade Bodhisattva, golden chains formed from cloud script suddenly emerged on its previously petrified surface.
As the chains appeared, they seemed to respond to the aura within Wu.
One golden chain broke free, transforming into a long whip and lashing down fiercely!
His pupils suddenly turned into vertical slits, and Wu agilely dodged to the side.
But the golden chain was extremely fast and could adjust its angle autonomously.
Swiftly circling back, it landed a heavy, powerful lash on Wu’s shoulder.
His shoulder was ripped open, revealing twisted, black-and-red sinews writhing within.
With a muffled grunt, daring not to linger, Wu swiftly fled the room.
Once the abnormal aura was no longer sensed, the golden chains rejoined and then gradually vanished.
Standing at the doorway, his face pale as he looked into the room at the Jade Bodhisattva, Wu clutched his shoulder tightly.
Such a domineering Spell!
Where did the Taibao Sect find such an expert in Spells, to possess such skill?
Seeing Wu flee the room in disarray and guessing what might have happened, Qian Yuhan burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you demonic Daoist, it serves you right! It seems you won’t be able to take this Magic Artifact after all."
With a dark expression, Wu lifted Qian Yuhan off the ground and demanded in a cold voice, "Speak! Who cast this Spell?"
"Want to know? Call me ’Daddy,’ and I might consider it," Qian Yuhan scoffed, fearless under Wu’s terrifying gaze.
"You’re seeking death!"
Wu, enraged, flung Qian Yuhan away.
Qian Yuhan slammed heavily into the wall. His already decimated body could not sustain more. Managing to lift his head and sneer at Wu, his head then dropped heavily.
With a mournful howl, Qian Yuzhe scrambled and rolled towards Qian Yuhan’s body.
His father and elder brother had passed away one after another. Immense grief darkened his vision, his breath caught, and he fainted.
Glancing at the Qian brothers, Wu’s thick, dark eyebrows knitted together like centipedes as he muttered, "Who could it be?"
A hundred miles away, Qi Xiu, who was idly skipping stones by the river and awaiting the arrival of the Ghost Market Treasure Ship, sneezed without warning.
Who... who’s cursing me?