109 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 109: Foolishness On a night when the moonlight was scarce and thin, the distant howls of dogs echoed from a neighbor's yard. A young, unfamiliar girl slowly awoke, perplexed. Who from the Lin family's old acquaintances would visit at such an hour? Could it be a villager with urgent business? With a mix of anxiety and curiosity, she pressed her ear against the door and softly inquired, "Who’s out there?" There was a moment of silence from Xiang Shi Yan. She then sprang up, swiftly perched on the Lin family’s courtyard wall, and leaped inside. The girl, who was leaning against the door, didn’t notice until Xiang Shi Yan let out a gentle cough, causing her to turn around in a fluster. Beneath the moonlight, Xiang Shi Yan looked like a celestial being in her ethereal white attire. The girl, clutching her dress in a mix of awe and fear, stammered, "Who... who are you?" In that instant, a rumor she'd once heard before marrying into the Lin family flashed into her mind—a story about Lin family’s young daughter who supposedly was taken as a disciple by an immortal six months ago. Everyone spoke with such certainty, claiming sightings of auspicious clouds and rainbows, making it all seem unbelievable. Though curious, the girl had only been in the Lin household a month or two and wasn’t familiar with past events. But upon seeing the extraordinary woman before her, she suddenly connected the dots. Seated at a small wooden table in the courtyard, Xiang Shi Yan addressed the girl, "My name is Xiang. Kindly inform the Lin family that an old acquaintance has come." The somewhat familiar-looking girl blinked, then hurriedly retreated inside. Within moments, Lin Xiang rushed out, hastily tidying his clothing. Before Xiang Shi Yan could speak, the man dropped to his knees in a panic, startling his new bride. The small Lin courtyard still bore remnants of the recent wedding celebration. From the shared chamber with Lin Xiang, Xiang Shi Yan easily deduced the situation. Feeling contemptuous but unwilling to waste time on such scoundrels, she directly asked, "Has He He... has Pan Di returned home?" To her surprise, Lin Xiang lifted his head and replied, "Pan Di has not come back." His face was ashen, more worried about Xiang Shi Yan reclaiming the hundred taels of silver than about He He’s safety. His lips trembling, he stammered, "Didn't Pan Di leave with you to the mountains? You mentioned she would sever all ties with the mortal world once apprenticed. Why would she return?" Fully aware of his eagerness to avoid responsibility, Xiang Shi Yan understood the situation. The generous hundred taels she gave the Lin family wasn't for gratitude towards their raising of He He; rather, it was meant for He He herself—a token to signify her worth and to relieve her from the Lin family’s control. It severed all ties between He He and the Lin family, making them incapable of sacrificing her for their gain. Xiang Shi Yan frowned and stood up. Since the Lin family knew nothing, she saw no reason to remain. But if He He was in the nearby Xinyang City yet hadn’t visited home, where could she be? A flash of insight occurred. Xiang Shi Yan recalled He He’s uncertain plan to run away, claiming she might go to her elder sister’s place. Turning back to Lin Xiang, who was still kneeling, Xiang Shi Yan noticed a slight release of tension from him. Suspicious, she arched an eyebrow and unleashed a hint of her Nascent Soul cultivator's pressure, causing the untrained mortal to collapse, pleading for mercy. "Are you hiding something?" she demanded coldly. "N-no... Not at all. We’re always honored to have you here. But about Pan Di—I speak the truth—she truly hasn't returned," Lin Xiang insisted, trembling with genuine fear. Observing his anxious expression, Xiang Shi Yan queried, "Then why this terror if there’s no guilt?" In a panicked rant, Lin Xiang explained how, during the past landslide, although Xiang Shi Yan had mitigated the flood’s effect, certain fields and granaries were still submerged, endangering the year's harvest. With limited resources, several families resorted to offering up fields to cover debts. This led to Lin family acquiring several plots—a sudden wealth rumored to stem from benefits received from the immortal who took Pan Di. Hesitant to expose their newfound wealth, Lin Nai Nai claimed they sacrificed her "coffin money," lamenting about Lin Yuan Tao’s urges to invest in better lands. Yet, Lin Xiang's splurging on leisure and gambling debunked their ruse. In reality, any purported savings were squandered, leaving neither Lin Nai Nai’s fallback nor Lin Ye Ye’s painstakingly saved funds—necessary for the modest coffin Lin Ye Ye was buried in. When questioned about the immortal who took Pan Di as a disciple, Lin Nai Nai spun tales of hardship and scarcity, manipulating perceptions of generosity and loss. With Xiang Shi Yan’s unexpected visit, Lin Xiang’s fears of their lies being uncovered erupted, hence his immediate prostration upon meeting her. Disgusted by their deceit, Xiang Shi Yan was disappointed to hear such a story without relevance to He He’s whereabouts. She coldly asked, "Your eldest daughter—her husband’s family is in Xinyang City?" Remembering He He mentioning her sister Zhao Di married into a city physician’s family. Lin Zhao Di was celebrated for her beautiful embroidery, contributing significantly to the Lin family’s finances and catching the eye of a suitor from the provincial capital, thus marrying into an esteemed family. Despite Lin Xiang’s initial reluctance to let Zhao Di marry, considering her potential to bring in more money over time, the prestige and advantage outweighed his greed. As Lin Xiang stammered, unable to articulate his answer, Lin Nai Nai came forth and stated, "Zhao Di has passed away." Xiang Shi Yan felt her heart sink. He He’s sparse affections for the Lin family were likely tied to her mother’s slight tenderness and her close bond with her sister Zhao Di. Yet with He He possibly missing and in danger, Lin Xiang shared a room with a new bride while Zhao Di was already deceased? "When did she pass?" Xiang Shi Yan asked icily. Lin Xiang, shrinking back, replied, "Two or three months ago... she died in childbirth." Xiang Shi Yan scoffed, "Her husband’s family runs a medical practice. How did she die in childbirth?" Lin Nai Nai, detecting the rising anger in Xiang Shi Yan’s voice, nervously smiled and explained, "It's common for women to risk their lives in childbirth. If it's time for the end, even the best doctor can’t save them." The audacity was repulsive! Even if fate was inevitable, how could her own family speak of life and death so coldly? Xiang Shi Yan, glaring contemptuously, shifted her gaze from the trembling mother and son to the frightened girl by the door. She reprimanded, "The hundred taels were meant as compensation for raising Pan Di, allowing her to pursue cultivation without distractions. Yet you spread lies, malign my name, and abandon your wife for wealth? Am I ignorant of how you and your mother treated Pan Di? Those taels should have been her mother’s alone for her toil and care! To think you dared!" Xiang Shi Yan wondered if she was suddenly reminded of her own mother, who had been deceived by a fox demon and lost her true heart. Such a despicable man wasn’t deserving of any of her emotions. An insidious thought sprouted within her—what if she killed everyone in this family? Who would ever notice? Her fingers trembled slightly, poised to act, when she heard Lin Xiang pleading more desperately for mercy. Unexpectedly, Lin Nai Nai remained calm. "Immortal, please don't be angry. It wasn’t my son who abandoned his wife... My daughter-in-law was very close to Zhao Di. Her health was already frail, and upon hearing of her beloved daughter’s death during childbirth, she fell ill and never recovered." "Zhao Di passed away in childbirth only two or three months ago, yet you rushed to remarry? And have the gall to let your elderly mother speak such nonsense in front of me. Aren’t you ashamed?" Lin Xiang tried to respond but cried out in pain instead. His fingers seemed to twist unnaturally as if they were being bent backward by an invisible force. The man in his thirties lay sprawling on the ground, tears and snot covering his face, with his hands deformed into a horrifying shape. Lin Nai Nai’s heart shattered upon hearing her son’s cries. She rushed to shield him, shrieking, "Why, Immortal? What does another family's wife have to do with you? My son is young and strong; what's wrong with him remarrying? My grandson is still young; how can he go without a mother?" Xiang Shi Yan gazed at the aged woman. She didn’t believe the woman was born without experiencing injustices due to her gender. Yet the pervasive culture of the mortal world, like binding malevolent spirits, caused many women, upon giving birth to sons, to share and bask in shared fortunes, dismissing the sufferings they and other women endured. It was all so pitiful. The woman showed no compassion for her daughter-in-law or granddaughter, yet her son losing nothing but a warm bed partner seemed an immense tragedy to her. Xiang Shi Yan felt both anger for their acceptance of such plight and disgust at their misplaced loyalties. The fault wasn’t solely Lin Nai Nai’s. How much of her malevolence was innate, and how much was molded by the world she grew up in? With a solemn expression, Xiang Shi Yan remarked, "The pain experienced by women during childbirth is far greater than what you’re feeling now. Your family matters are none of my concern, but if all men were truly like this, then I would seek justice for women everywhere." "If you’re seeking justice for all women, why hurt my son?" Lin Nai Nai’s face contorted, sharing an empathetic pain with her son. "Which woman hasn’t faced this? I have, everyone has; it's part of life. Do they seek pity with this pretense?" "Such foolishness! This was but a small warning. Speak another word of nonsense, and I’ll use magic to let your son experience childbirth himself, let him feel your so-called 'no big deal' pain." Xiang Shi Yan cast a pitiful glance at her and sternly demanded, "Tell me, where in the city can I find Zhao Di’s husband's family?" She didn’t want to admit feeling fortunate for being taken away by her master. It seemed to mock the mundane world’s women who didn’t realize their value, who followed rites and virtues, becoming mere appendages of their fathers, husbands, and sons, looking down upon their own gender. Most of them were not at fault, yet many might grow into this pitiful visage. Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t help but ponder what she would have become if not taken by her master and raised in this mortal world. Lin Xiang, who had been weakly lying on the ground, gasping for breath, scrambled up at Xiang Shi Yan's words. He glared at his mother, drenched in cold sweat, and revealed everything about Zhao Di’s husband’s family—their surname, the location of their medical clinic, the family’s generational details—leaving out nothing. When Xiang Shi Yan inquired about Pan Di’s whereabouts, Lin Xiang sensed impending trouble. Pan Di and Zhao Di had always been close. If Pan Di's sudden disappearance was linked to Zhao Di’s affairs, this unpredictable immortal would surely get involved. The woman had only twisted his fingers and stated such was "not meddling in family matters." To meddle would surely bring untold suffering. They desperately wished for Xiang Shi Yan to leave, preferably... without further investigating Zhao Di’s matters. Lin Xiang, seething with hatred, thought bitterly how much of a nuisance it was. Always disliked since childhood, now, even in absence, she brought them such trouble...