Chapter Forty-Four: The Truth

The journey was awkward and uneasy, but we finally arrived at our destination. Following Huang Gaoyuan’s directions, we found the household in question. It was not difficult, for only that family was holding a funeral.

The main gate stood open, and mourners came and went. We entered directly. In the living room, at the very center, lay a corpse rigorously shrouded in white cloth. The time since last night had not been long, so they had not yet had the chance to prepare a coffin.

"Who are you?" A middle-aged woman, her eyes red and face haggard, approached us. She must be the mother of the person who had died under the forbidden curse.

"I am here to save you," I said, my expression grave and deliberate.

"Save me? My son is dead. There’s no meaning left in my life! I don’t care who you are—today is my son’s funeral. Get out!" she cried in anguish.

I sighed and shook my head. "If that’s how you feel, I won’t meddle further. But it’s a pity you will never know how your son truly died."

With that, I made as if to turn away.

"Wait! What did you say? How did my son die? Wasn’t he beaten to death?" The middle-aged woman rushed forward, her bloodshot eyes wide, nearly grabbing my collar.

As expected, they did not believe in the curse of death. That was understandable; the forbidden talisman was taken by Zhuang Xingrui, so they’d never seen it, and the deceased bore visible marks of violence. Fortunately, I had planned to use a different explanation.

I sneered, "Beaten to death? You know where your son’s injuries are. Honestly, do you really believe he died from being beaten?"

The woman seemed to recall something, glaring at me with fury. "You were sent by Huang Wenyang, weren’t you? Do you really think I’d believe some nonsense about forbidden curses?"

"Of course he’d say that. Your son was neither killed by a curse nor beaten to death. It was the vengeful ghost from a year ago, seeking retribution! You know what your son did. I’ll leave it at that. Since you don’t welcome us, take care of yourself." I strode toward the door, with Wei and Xiao Qingwan flanking me.

Xiao Qingwan looked perplexed, unable to grasp what I was doing.

The middle-aged woman chased after us, stopping us at the threshold. Her face was pale, her expression stunned, her voice trembling. "You… what did you say?"

I ignored her and continued toward the exit. Suddenly, she cried out, "No! Impossible! Why my son? If she wanted vengeance, she should go after Huang Wenyang and his son! They were the ones who ruined everything! My son had nothing to do with it! Those heartless men did it all! It had nothing to do with my son!"

"You know whether your son was involved. Huang Wenyang and his son are certainly the principal culprits, but now it is your son’s life that’s being claimed! If not for Huang Wenyang and his son, your child would not have come to this end. They are the true murderers! Yet all of you helped cover it up! You are all accomplices! Your son was killed by the collective actions of everyone!"

The woman shuddered violently, her face drained of color, her body trembling.

Her son's death had already left her heartbroken, and my words were admittedly harsh. But only in this way could she be prompted to reveal the truth.

A few relatives attending the funeral came out, angrily pointing at us. "What are you doing? Don’t come here spouting nonsense! Get out! Leave at once, or don’t blame us if we get rough!"

I looked at the woman and said, "I know you have your reasons for silence, but I said I came to save you. If you wish to avenge your son, tell me what happened back then. Whether it’s Huang Wenyang or the vengeful ghost, we can help you resolve it. Of course, I won’t force you. It’s up to you if you want revenge for your son."

"Enough nonsense! Leave! Get out!" Several relatives moved to shove us out.

I glanced at the woman, then walked slowly toward the gate, deliberately dragging my steps. Silently, I counted—one, two, three, four, five, six...

"Can you really avenge my son?" The woman’s voice rang out.

I exhaled in relief—success! I wasn’t entirely certain about this matter, for I couldn’t be sure whether the deceased was truly tied to Huang Yunlei’s case. It was a gamble, but it seemed to be going well.

I turned toward her and nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"All right. I’ll tell you," she said, steeling herself.

The relatives grew agitated, urging her, "If you say anything, it’ll be over!"

"You know how powerful they are!"

"Who knows if these people are genuine or not? Offending them, they’ll never let it go!"

...

Tears streamed down the woman’s face. Wiping her eyes, she spoke in anguish, "My son is gone; what meaning is left for me? When he was alive, I failed to guide him, let him mix with the wrong people. That’s my fault. Now he’s dead, I wish I could make it up to him, even a little, even if there’s only a glimmer of hope. I’d give my life for his sake, if only I could!"

I felt a pang of sorrow. I glanced at Wei, to be honest, I had no ability to avenge her. Not for the vengeful ghost, nor for Huang Wenyang and his son. But Wei could—if he was willing.

"I’ll help you," Wei said to the woman, his voice calm.

I breathed easier, joy swelling within me. Wonderful! He truly wouldn’t stand by while others suffered. For his righteousness, I’d gladly call him “Master Wei.”

The woman wiped her tears and motioned us inside.

We entered a side room, leaving only the three of us and the woman.

"What do you want to know?" she asked, wiping her tears, her fierce demeanor gone.

Seeing her like this, I felt a little remorse. "Whose child was Huang Yunlei’s?"

"That child? Honestly, no one knows whose it was. There were too many men," the woman replied.

"Too many?" Xiao Qingwan asked, puzzled.

I was shaken to my core—the situation was even more dire than I’d imagined! How could this be? What had happened to Huang Yunlei?

"How could that happen? Was she forced?" I asked.

The woman scoffed. "It was all Huang Wenyang and his son Huang Lehao! Those two are monsters, not men!"

"What did they do to Huang Yunlei? Isn’t Huang Wenyang her uncle?"

"Uncle? Did that beast ever act like an uncle? Their family ties are so distant, merely a matter of generational titles. In reality, there’s no real relation. When he adopted Huang Yunlei, that was his intention all along."