Tao Zang Xuan Zhi

"I heard that the old lady is not running out of life or suffering from illness."

"Well, I heard that people were fished out of cesspools……"

"What! ?"

"Hey, this can’t be nonsense!"

"How could you say such dirty words to the old lady!"

"But...my cousin who watches the night said this……"

Zhong Wanling led the horse and walked expressionlessly on the stone road in the mountain city. The sound of the horse's hooves tapping struck her empty heart.

"Woohoo...who is it?"

"Someone must be plotting to kill the old lady!"

"Yes, yes, who can go there without any problems? Besides, there are always people around the old lady to serve her!"

"What is that good-for-nothing Zhong Lin doing! He can't even protect his own mother"

"Shh, do you want your life? Once the old lady leaves, it will be Zhong Lin who has the final say in this immortal sect."

"This is not necessarily true. I heard that Zhong Yan has recently regained the trust of the old lady."

"Yes, I heard that the daughter-in-law who serves the old lady has been replaced by Zhong Shuqian recently."

"Well, luckily he has a good grandson"

"I think it's him. He has been planning for so long to force his son-in-law to marry into his wife. Look at this method... Moreover, his daughter is not a good person."

The wind rustled the treetops, like people's whispers full of uneasiness, suspicion, sadness, and anger.

"No, didn't the old lady say that she would make Jie Shan the eldest son and grandson instead?"

"Yes, it is true that the two children of the Zhong Lin family are not up to par. The elder sister is doing better but has stagnated, and the younger brother has actually regressed. This is an unprecedented scandal."

"Yes, that kid Jieshan is quite humble and low-key, and he seems to be the most stable now. Zhong Yan could just wait a few more months and get what he wants, so why bother murdering his own mother?"

"It's hard to say, Zhong Shuqian has such a bad temper, and in the heat of the moment, she might even want to avenge her father for years of neglect."

"If you really say that, then I still think Zou Shui'er of the Zhong Lin family is more suspicious. What can't that woman do for money and power? She saw that her son was ruined and about to lose power, so she just kept doing it... Ka!"The man made a gesture of wiping his neck.

Thinking about what Zou Shui'er usually did, it was hard not to agree.

"Even if Zou Shui'er is determined, she must have a chance. The old lady is always surrounded by several people serving her. How can she, a mortal woman, do this?……"

The discussion suddenly stopped, leaving only the wind rustling the treetops.

A girl wearing a black round-neck robe embroidered with gold and a high ponytail came slowly leading a white-spotted horse.

There was the faint rustle of whispers from the crowd again.

"Why is she here?"

"Didn’t the homing pigeons just go out not long ago?"

"It would take a long time to get here from Lin'an to death, right?"

The girl's expression was dull, as if there was nothing in her eyes, and it was so empty that it was scary.

The crowd gathered at the entrance of the stone bridge was quiet again. Every time the girl took a step forward, the crowd dispersed and consciously opened a passage to both sides. No one dared to say a word.

The girl seemed not to see anyone at all and just walked forward. Her eyes were like looking at a desolate ruins

"stop! The mountain gate is closed, outside……"The guarding disciples on the bridge subconsciously wanted to stop the visitor from advancing, but were frightened by the girl's numb expression, and stammered:"Wan, Miss Wanlan!??" The girl,

Zhong Wanling, ignored her, and she even didn't even notice the guard. The disciples didn't even look at it, they just walked step by step.

The guarding disciples involuntarily made way for them and watched silently as the girl led the horse slowly up the mountain path, past the hanging ginkgo tree and the hexagonal pavilion, which was gradually covered by the lush new green.

Zhong Lin stood in the front yard of Zhong Mansion, instructing the housekeeper to clear the front yard and side hall.

Next month is the grand old lady's birthday, and the Zhong Mansion has already started decorating it early in the morning. Potted plants of marigolds, iron trees, and some blessing and longevity decorations have already been put out. All that is left is to set the table and hang it with red silk. Everything that was originally festive has now turned into nothingness. All these gorgeous decorations have to be removed now, and everything has to be replaced with the mourning ceremony.

Overnight, red affairs turned into white affairs, and the banquet hall turned into a mourning hall, which made people sad and sad.

"Peace, how's it going?"Zhong Lin greeted Zhong He who hurriedly came from behind. His expression was equally worried.

Zhong He nodded, quickly approached, and whispered:"We have moved to the ancestral hall for the time being.

Zhong Lin suppressed his grief and asked softly:"Has it been cleaned up?""

Zhong He nodded with difficulty."I have already bathed in incense. Fortunately, I found it early.……"Suddenly he realized that there was something wrong with what he said,"I've already told the undertaker that the grooming must be decent. Do we need to limit the time with him? That old boy is cheating and cheating, and he even wants to pay for it when the situation comes."

Zhong Lin also frowned. He frowned, pursed his lips tightly, closed his eyes, and whispered:"If he wants it, let him do it. Mom's problem is big and there is no need to delay it. As long as he can keep his mouth shut." Both of them knew very well what was going on. If this happens, we must send this person out of Lao Xianmen, as far away as possible

"Also, the time does not have to be too tight, it would not be good for him to become more inquisitive."

Zhong He nodded and said yes.

Zhong Cheng also hurried over.

Zhong Lin asked quickly:"Have all the letters been sent?"

Zhong Cheng wiped the sweat from his head and said:"Hurry up, hurry up, and finally send them all out."

"Nothing missing?"

Zhong Cheng shook his head and felt his mouth was dry. He and Zhong He were invited by Zhong Lin early in the morning. He immediately returned to Bu Meng Pavilion and mobilized his disciples to copy the obituaries. They had just finished copying them all. He personally and several close disciples We went to the Pigeon Hall together and sent them out one by one, and then came to meet the two of them.

"The fastest one should be from Lin'an, it should be Zhang Shangshu's Mansion."Although the niece-in-law seems gentle and courteous, he is actually a resolute and resolute master." He should arrive soon tomorrow evening (evening). Zhong

Lin shook his head and said:"No, the fastest one to arrive should be the clan members near Laoshan. Is there any arrangement there?""

Zhong Cheng is quite safe in his work."Yes, I didn't ask the clan members near Laoshan to send letters. Instead, I asked the disciples to invite them in person. They won't be so quick."

"good. Disciples from Xuanxing Pavilion have been arranged to guard the mountain gate and bridge entrance. They have already announced that from now on, the doors will be closed to welcome guests, and no one who has anything to do with the mountain city will be allowed to enter. The Qiaokou side also told them that the clan members who came after hearing the news should rest at the Xiacheng Inn first, and no one was allowed to enter the clan for the time being."Zhong He also responded. No matter how unreliable Zhong Shi of Xuanxing Pavilion is, he can't still grasp it clearly at this time.

Zhong Lin looked at the two cousins ​​and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhong and Zhong Cheng The two of them have gentle and modest personalities, but they are both very capable. They have always been favored by the old lady. The three of them often deal with each other, so they have a good relationship, which makes them even more reliable at this time.

"only……"Zhong He seemed to have something to hide.

Zhong Cheng also looked troubled.

Zhong Lin hurriedly asked:"What's wrong?"

"It seems that rumors about the death of the old lady have leaked out."Zhong He said with difficulty. This fact is difficult to avoid. The Zhong family is just a wealthy party and cannot really block the news, let alone stop Youyou's mouth. Moreover, the death of the old lady is indeed bizarre.

Zhong Cheng stopped talking. He He was one of the people who saw the old lady's body being fished out with his own eyes. Not to mention others, it was hard for him to believe that the old lady was not murdered.

However, this matter must not be investigated.

Regardless of the truth No matter what, the old lady must be allowed to pass away naturally.

This is the unwritten consensus of the three

"As a descendant, what’s wrong with wanting to avenge your parents?"A strong voice said coldly and sarcastically.

The three people raised their heads and saw a tall old man in black robes walking steadily towards them. The three people secretly complained in their hearts. The person who came was none other than the boss of the Zhong family, Zhong Zhong. Yan.

Behind Zhong Yan was a middle-aged woman in plain white clothes. The woman's left cheek was red and swollen, and her eyes were red and swollen. She had obviously been beaten. This woman was Zhong Yan's daughter, Zhong Shuqian.

Zhong Lin frowned. He advised in a low voice:"Boss, be careful, this matter is not good for my niece!"As he said this, he gestured with Zhong Shuqian behind Zhong Yan with his eyes.

"What can't be said? Those who are clean will be clean by themselves."Zhong Yan's eyebrows stood up and he pulled his daughter in front of him. Although Zhong Shuqian's eyes were swollen from crying, her eyes were stubborn. She stared straight at the three elders and pursed her lips tightly.

Zhong Yan's tone Severe."Qian'er was on duty last night. She was negligent and neglected her duties. She fell asleep in the middle of the night without realizing that it was her fault. I have dealt with her family law. If she really lied, she really pushed her mother down. Then let her jump down from there and be buried with her."

The other three were horrified when they heard this, and quickly stepped forward to stop them."Boss, what are you doing!"Oh, I can't do it!""No!" No!"

But Zhong Yan refused to give in at all. He glanced at the three of them, glared angrily, pointed at Zhong Lin's nose and scolded:"You people!...My mother is still unjust, but instead of trying to find out the truth and apprehend the real culprit, you are rushing to organize the funeral! Do you, do you want to make your mother feel unjust? ?"

"Zhong Lin! is that you! Did you have someone block the news and prevent them from notifying the government? ? What are your intentions! ? The person who died is your and my biological mother! Do you still have a heart?"

Zhong Lin looked at his angry brother and listened to his accusations word by word. He was unable to refute a word. He never thought.

Zhong Yan saw that his brother was shaken, and his heart skipped a beat. He grabbed Zhong Lin's hand and pulled it. I’m about to leave."Let’s go! Let's go to the official report together. We can't let my mother leave like this without knowing anything!"

Zhong Lin stood there. He couldn't leave, but he couldn't speak. If he could, wouldn't he want to?"Brother……"

Suddenly, a servant boy rushed out of the back hall in a panic, ran up to several people and almost threw himself to the ground before stopping."Master! Oh no, Miss Wanlan fainted in the ancestral hall!"

When Zhong Wanling walked into the ancestral hall, there was no one in the courtyard. The high gray walls stand tall, imprisoning the same gray sky. There are light stands on the outer walls of the corridors on both sides, and the light stands are covered with white lanterns, making the place look quiet and peaceful.

Zhong Wanling tied the horse to the horse post outside the door, walked into the outer door alone, walked past the screen wall, walked straight through the long patio, walked past the dim light of the lanterns, and walked past the vat that hides the wind and gathers energy.

The door to the main hall was open, and the ever-burning lamp dimly illuminated a wall of neatly arranged spiritual tablets. There was a table covered with white cloth in the main hall. There seemed to be a person lying on the table, covered by a pale white sheet.

Zhong Wanling slowly walked to the side, stretched out his hand, and slowly opened the white sheet.

Below is a face that is very familiar to her. It is her great-grandmother, the old lady.

Suddenly, the power that supported her galloping in the starry night, all her strength, disappeared into thin air. Zhong Wanling held on to the high edge of the table dejectedly and fell to his knees on the ground, his mind going blank.