TRYMBPIETM 52: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (15)

Chi Qingning was shocked to the extreme, unable to believe Luo Huaiyu’s words no matter what.

What did it mean that he knew something he shouldn’t?

He clearly didn’t know anything at all, and suddenly, he was accused of this—how could he possibly believe it?

Moreover, his elder brother could never have said something like “make him shut up forever,” it was all lies, definitely all lies!

Having lived with the Chi family for so many years, Chi Qingning knew his older brother, Chi Xiaoyuan, all too well.

His older brother wasn’t exactly a good person—he always put his own interests first and was nice to him only because he had no qualification to fight for the family wealth. But his brother wasn’t the kind of person with no bottom line!

Things that shouldn’t be done, his older brother absolutely wouldn’t do.

And Chi Qingning thought that after all these years as brothers, even a dog would have feelings, and his older brother couldn’t possibly have no brotherly affection for him.

Saying something like “make him shut up forever” was simply absurd!

Chi Qingning absolutely didn’t believe Luo Huaiyu’s words and, unwilling to bring up the family’s embarrassing issues, could only straighten his back and forcefully maintain his composure.

He cared about face, loved reputation, and absolutely didn’t want to lose his demeanor at a time like this.

The other guests were also shocked by Luo Huaiyu’s words and looked back and forth between Chi Qingning and Chi Qingzhou, deeply moved by the dramatic scene of witnessing the turmoil of a wealthy family firsthand.

Director Hu, watching the subtle atmosphere outside the door, felt like crying without tears.

He was just a small-time director with no background, and he never wanted to be involved in such dangerous drama!

He just wanted to peacefully shoot the variety show—couldn’t all this trouble leave him alone?!

The villa’s entrance fell into an eerie silence. Chi Qingzhou, contemplating Luo Huaiyu’s words, remained calm.

Ah Yu and his relatives didn’t need to lie about such matters, and was it true that his younger brother had encountered Sheng Yihang for the first time today?

He looked up and carefully scanned all the guests.

Shen Wenxing and Xue Jinshi were clean, with no trace of death qi.

The other five guests and the director, however, were tainted by Sheng Yihang’s death qi, with Chi Qingning being the worst.

Chi Qingzhou quickly sorted through his thoughts.

Looking at Chi Qingning, he sighed softly, “It seems that when the last episode finished, Sheng Yihang left a mark on you.”

Earlier, in Lingxian County, Ah Yao had mentioned encountering two strange people at the foot of the mountain. There was no doubt those two were Sheng Yihang and the man in the trench coat.

With the trench coat man’s ability to conceal his aura, it was highly likely that they marked Chi Qingning the last time they met.

From the circumstances of today’s confrontation, it was clear that before the mark activated, they had no way of noticing any abnormalities.

Chi Qingzhou shook his head, “His strength may not be very impressive, but his ability to conceal his aura is unparalleled.

Xing Shuangzhan confirmed Chi Qingzhou’s assessment with a soft affirmation.

“His ability and methods for concealing his aura are one of a kind in the cultivatiob world. As far back as I can remember, there hasn’t been anyone better.”

As far back as Xing Shuangzhan could remember? Chi Qingzhou thought for a moment—didn’t that mean this person had been the only one for over a thousand years?

He couldn’t help but feel somewhat amazed.

Anyone who could perfect such an ability to this degree could certainly be called a true master.

With such a talent and capability, this person chose to go down the wrong path…

Chi Qingzhou murmured, “He’s like Qu Feng.”

Chi Qingning didn’t hear what Chi Qingzhou just said.

He had been waiting anxiously for his second brother’s judgment, and now, he couldn’t help but step forward.

He asked in distress, “Second brother, what did you just say?”

Chi Qingzhou smiled at Chi Qingning. “I said Sheng Yihang’s body was stolen from Ah Ting over three weeks ago.”

That time was quite delicate.

Chi Qingzhou had just calculated—on the day Sheng Yihang’s body went missing, it coincided with the day he fought Qu Feng.

By the timeline, the man in the trench coat had stolen Sheng Yihang’s body in the early morning, and by noon, Ah Ting confirmed it had been taken. Around that time, Chi Qingning exposed the truth about the fake young master, and he fought with Qu Feng.

After he dealt with Qu Feng, Ah Lai woke up, and it wasn’t even 2 PM yet.

Adding up the time, Ah Yao likely encountered Sheng Yihang and the man in the trench coat around 2 PM that day.

Ten or so hours was enough for a cultivator to bring a corpse from Yuntian Province to Qunqing Province, but it wasn’t exactly a wide margin. Those two must have been in a rush to get to Qunqing Province after Sheng Yihang’s body was refined.

“Why were they in such a hurry?”

Chi Qingzhou wore his usual smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

“If it was really older brother who ordered them to act, the only time I can think of is around noon.”

That was when Chi Qingning exposed the fake young master’s truth.

But at that point, it would have been too late to start their actions.

Chi Qingzhou asked softly, “Are they in such a rush to get to Lingxian County really to help older brother?”

Given the timeline, it made more sense to say that the man in the trench coat wasn’t directly ordered by Chi Xiaoyuan but was instead just going with the flow.

After all, Chi Qingning had the mark on him, and they hadn’t left him completely untouched.

Chi Qingning’s shoulders suddenly relaxed. Looking at Chi Qingzhou, his eyes couldn’t help but redden .

He really hadn’t expected Chi Qingzhou to support his thoughts. The moment the heavy stone in his heart fell, his emotions became like a spilled bottles of seasoning, mixed with various feelings.

He didn’t know how to describe his emotions at this moment. In the end, it was gratitude that took the lead.

He didn’t want to believe that his older brother was so cold-blooded. He didn’t want to lose face because of a wealthy family feud between brothers.

He had already given up on his biological family, but if his older brother targeted him like this, what did everything he had done mean? How would others view him? Would they think that his parents’ rejection of him was fake, and that it was just an act he put on with his parents to stay in a wealthy family?

He couldn’t imagine the scene of being misunderstood like that.

He didn’t want to be pointed at, didn’t want to suffer from such discussions, but he was helpless.

He felt embarrassed.

He felt extremely awkward.

To others, Chi Qingzhou’s few words might just seem like simple questions, but to Chi Qingning, they were like a lifeline.

In the past, he had wronged Chi Qingzhou, yet Chi Qingzhou was still willing to stand by his side. This really shocked him.

In this moment, he suddenly understood Tang Qichen, understood Xu Xinxin, understood Song Yuzhi. Amidst deep gratitude, he also felt an immense shame.

Instinctively, he reached out to grab Chi Qingzhou’s sleeve and whispered, “Second brother.”

Chi Qingzhou gave him a somewhat puzzled glance but didn’t immediately pull his hand away.

Luo Huaiyu wasn’t clear on the timeline and, hearing Chi Qingzhou’s question, found it quite reasonable.

His sister tugged at his sleeve again, exchanged a few words with him, and his expression shifted. His brows furrowed deeply.

He turned to Chi Qingzhou to confirm, incredulously, “Is this true? Did you hear it clearly?”

His sister nodded, then moved her lips. Luo Huaiyu’s brows furrowed even tighter.

He turned to face Chi Qingzhou, carefully considering his words.

“A few days ago, Sheng Yihang attacked my family. My sister was the first to regain consciousness. She couldn’t move at the time, but she could already recognize voices.”

Chi Qingzhou’s emotions remained calm.

He nodded and asked, “Did your sister hear their conversation?”

“Yes,” Luo Huaiyu said, “At the time, both of them were rather weak. Sheng Yihang had just been forcibly turned into a living zombie, unable to control his strength. The man in the trench coat… I don’t know if something went wrong during the corpse refining process, but it seemed like something backfired and couldn’t even walk, so Sheng Yihang had to carry him out.”

Luo Huaiyu’s sister had no talent in cultivation, but after her death, she was drawn to Luo Huaiyu’s direction.

Stimulated by the resentment and Sheng Yihang’s death qi, her soul awakened within her own corpse, and she clearly heard Sheng Yihang and the trench coat man’s conversation.

At the time, the man in the trench coat urged Sheng Yihang to act, hoping to activate the mark on Chi Qingning before the variety show began. But Sheng Yihang was unwilling.

Sheng Yihang said, “They’re all going to Yun Tian Province anyway, can’t we wait until they’re there to act? Why go to all this trouble? Doesn’t the result end up the same?”

The man in the trench coat responded, “It’s different. Chi Xiaoyuan has urged me several times. If I don’t do something soon, he’ll get anxious.”

Sheng Yihang sneered, “Interesting. Is this the so-called brotherhood of wealthy families? It’s almost as if it’s made of paper. You used to say I was ungrateful, that Luo Huaiyu was ridiculous to consider me a friend, but now it seems, I’m the better one. These two brothers from the Chi family are even more laughable.”

“A joke? You and those two brothers from the Chi family are comparable?”

The man in the trench coat’s tone was even more mocking than Sheng Yihang’s.

“You know what you are, and I know what I am. The reason I made you into a living corpse, you know very well.”

“Chi Qingning ended up like this not because of brotherly love, but simply because he knows too much.”

“If he hadn’t investigated the source of the rumors back then, or had backed off in time, he wouldn’t have been targeted by Chi Xiaoyuan.”

The rumors the man in the trench coat was referring to were the “illegitimate child” rumors about Chi Qingzhou, which had spread from Chi Xiaoyuan.

Sheng Yihang’s tone was filled with doubt. “That’s called knowing too much? It’s just a lie Chi Xiaoyuan spread, isn’t it? Even if it’s embarrassing, it’s not worth making Chi Qingning shut up forever.”

“It’s best if he forgets forever, but if that doesn’t work, then make him shut up forever,” the man in the trench coat corrected. “And I didn’t say it was because of this rumor. The rumor was just a trigger. He dug too deep when he investigated the rumor.”

Sheng Yihang grew impatient. “So what exactly is it? What’s the matter that would make him resort to such drastic measures against a brother he’s grown up with? After so many years, even raising a dog would make someone feel something!”

The man in the trench coat was silent for a long time. Just when Luo Huaiyu’s sister thought he wouldn’t answer, he spoke.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. It doesn’t hurt to know. If the plan goes smoothly, you’ll be under my control for at least a few years. It’s better for you to know early on what kind of people you can and can’t provoke.”

Sheng Yihang: “Is that so? Then tell me.”

The man in the trench coat said, “Do you know who Chi Xiaoyuan’s mother is?”

Sheng Yihang: “Who knows!”

The man in the trench coat said, “Her name is Fan Tao.”

Sheng Yihang didn’t understand and found it confusing. “What’s wrong with that name? Although I don’t think it sounds very nice, it doesn’t seem like there’s any problem with it.”

The man in the trench coat responded sarcastically, “I almost forgot. You’ve never been part of the cultivation world, so you don’t understand the basics. Fan Tao is a woman of mixed Han, Puluo, and Danlin heritage. Half of her bloodline comes from the Puluo people, and the shamans of the Puluo tribe can practice necromancy.”

“However, even necromancers cannot escape the calamities of the heavens. Fan Tao is ruthless enough to do whatever it takes to survive. She abandoned her tribe, sacrificed one son, and managed to pull herself and her eldest son out of the Puluo tribe’s deadly calamity.”

“She was willing to let her younger son be labeled as an illegitimate child, willing to be the subject of all kinds of insults, just to hide her identity.”

“If her true identity is exposed, she will never have peace again.”

“You asked why Chi Xiaoyuan wanted to silence Chi Qingning? This is the reason.”

Luo Huaiyu recounted their conversation up to this point, and Chi Qingning, who had been listening with wide eyes, was the first to speak up.

“Nonsense! I didn’t know any of this! I only found out that the rumor was spread by my older brother and didn’t investigate further!”

He couldn’t dare to dig deeper!

Chi Qingzhou, rarely frowning, said decisively, “Impossible. My mother is definitely not a shaman of the Puluo tribe.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his friend, it was that this didn’t make sense.

He and Ah Lai were friends, and he had once been invited to the Puluo tribe for a ceremony.

Accompanied by Grand Shaman Geng, he toured the entire Puluo tribe’s land, even entering the hall where the shaman tokens were stored.

The Puluo tribe’s shaman tokens weren’t ordinary identification tokens.

Shaman tokens could only be made from dragon’s brain resin. After being soaked in various herbs and engraved with numerous formations, they were sent to the tribe’s hall, where they were enveloped by the tribe’s mountains and the spiritual energy.

This caused all the shaman tokens to undergo a peculiar transformation—

All blank shaman tokens didn’t need to actively record names. As long as a Puluo tribe member successfully learned the shaman’s techniques, the corresponding name would appear on one of the tokens.

Moreover, deliberately damaging a shaman token could not erase the recorded shamans.

As long as there were enough blank tokens, every shaman of the Puluo tribe, unless they completely dissipated into the heavens, would have their name appear on a new token if the old one was destroyed.

This was a unique ability of the Puluo tribe, somewhat like the Book of Life and Death in the underworld.

This characteristic made it very difficult for the Puluo tribe’s shaman tokens to go wrong. It was also one of the reasons why Qu Feng had gone to great lengths to steal the identity of Grand Shaman Nuo Xin.

Chi Qingzhou softly said, “I’ve seen all the Puluo tribe’s shaman tokens, and my mother’s name isn’t on any of them.”

He was certain of this.

At the time, there were dozens of blank shaman tokens in the hall. With his perceptive abilities, he clearly sensed that each token was effective.

He couldn’t accept Ah Yu’s statement.

His mother as a Puluo tribe shaman? How could that be?

Chi Qingning didn’t understand these things, but he felt that Chi Qingzhou must be right, and his confidence grew stronger.

After thinking for a moment, he raised his voice, “And my mother isn’t named Fan Tao. Her last name is Yao, and her name is Yao Min. You can check it!”

“Yao Min?” Zhong Lingshu, who had been watching, froze for a moment when she heard the name, then hesitated before speaking, “I remember Mrs. Chi used to be a celebrity?”

Chi Qingning responded, “Yes. My mother wasn’t a huge star, but she was at least a third-tier actress back in the day.”

Zhong Lingshu fell silent for a few seconds, noticing the expression on Chi Qingzhou’s face, and immediately had a thought.

She gritted her teeth and decided to speak up.

“If you’re talking about the Yao Min I know, then Yao Min wasn’t actually her real name.”

Zhong Lingshu was a senior figure in the entertainment industry, but when she first entered the industry, she was just an ordinary newcomer.

Back then, third-tier actress Yao Min married into a wealthy family and didn’t retire from the industry after having children. But just as her career was about to reach its peak, she suddenly retired, which shocked many in the industry who were in the know.

Everyone couldn’t understand Yao Min’s choice, and Zhong Lingshu was one of them.

Zhong Lingshu said, “I still remember my agent back then told me that Yao Min was the stage name she came up with. I’m not sure if she’s of mixed ethnic heritage, but I’ve indeed heard a rumor that her real name is Fan Tao. The master who changed her name said that she wasn’t suitable for the entertainment industry, and the name Fan Tao^[1] would only drag her down. If she wanted to be a star, she had to use the name Yao Min^[2] to succeed.”

Whether this was true or not, Zhong Lingshu couldn’t be completely certain, but she leaned towards it being true because she had seen Yao Min lose her temper over it.

Yao Min seemed to think the name was too rustic and hated being called “Sister Min.” Once, when her assistant wasn’t paying attention and called her that, Yao Min threw a cup of hot water at her and slapped her twice.

Chi Qingzhou was stunned, slowly lowering his head and looking at the shadow beneath him.

The shadow remained still on the ground, and Xing Shuangzhan didn’t make a sound.

The guests were stunned by these consecutive revelations. They glanced at Chi Qingning and then at Chi Qingzhou, noticing their serious expressions and daring not to even breathe.

Chi Qingning was also dumbfounded.

He stared at Zhong Lingshu in a daze, unable to say a word.

He didn’t know any of this. He had no idea.

He had never investigated any of these things, and he didn’t have the means to do so.

He was just an ordinary person. The people he could rely on were those from the Chi family. How could he have the ability to investigate such matters?

In an instant, he panicked, instinctively looking at Chi Qingzhou.

Chi Qingzhou was staring at the ground, lost in thought, completely unaware of his gaze.

That made him even more frantic.

Luo Ting recalled for a moment, then uncertainly said, “The Puluo tribe doesn’t have the surname Fan, so this is probably just a name. If that’s the case, she really could be a shaman of the Puluo tribe.”

The Puluo tribe’s funeral customs were special, and they had specific rules when naming shamans.

No matter what surname a tribe member had before, once they became a shaman, the surname was automatically dropped, and only the first name remained.

For example, Grand Shaman Geng didn’t have a surname —his name was just Geng.

Before becoming a grand shaman, his surname was Li.

NuoXin and NuoQi, two grand shamans, were the same, and Chi Qingzhou’s friend Ah Lai was too.

Chi Qingzhou finally lifted his head, “My mother can’t be a shaman. If my mother’s name isn’t on the shaman tokens, she couldn’t be one.”

He couldn’t accept this idea.

And also…

Chi Qingzhou: “If I also had Puluo blood, there’s no way I could have calculated the opportunity to resolve the Puluo tribe’s calamity three years ago.”

He and Xing Shuangzhan had a contract, which naturally hindered their ability to calculate each other fates.

As long as there was even a slight connection to the Puluo tribe, he wouldn’t have been able to calculate such detailed results.

There had to be something wrong with all of this.

Luo Ting felt this reasoning made sense and looked at Luo Huaiyu, suspecting that his sister might have misunderstood.

Luo Huaiyu’s sister pulled on his arm, her lips moving quickly as she said something else.

Luo Huaiyu nodded, his expression becoming more serious.

He turned to Chi Qingzhou and said, “My sister says she definitely didn’t misunderstand. That’s exactly what those two said. Zhouzhou, the man in the trench coat also said that although the Puluo tribe’s ghost deities aren’t as powerful as the true gods, they’re still a significant threat to people like him. Because of this, he’s extremely jealous of you.”

Chi Qingzhou: “Jealous of me?”

Luo Huaiyu nodded, “He said that you and he are the same kind of cultivator, that something happened to you which he couldn’t understand, and from now on, you won’t be restrained by the Puluo tribe’s shamans or gods.”

However, the man in the trench coat, because of Chi Xiaoyuan leverage over him, had no choice but to do things for Chi Xiaoyuan from time to time.

“He looks down on Chi Xiaoyuan, but fears your mother. The reason he went to Ling County was to try to find a way to break free from your mother’s influence.”

Chi Qingzhou shook his head again.

“I still think my mother isn’t a descendant of the Puluo tribe. If she were, there’s no way I could have calculated the Puluo tribe’s fate.”

There was also the reason why his mother allowed those rumors. The man in the trench coat’s explanation was actually quite far-fetched.

After a long silence, Xing Shuangzhan suddenly spoke in a voice only Chi Qingzhou could hear, “No, you can. Qingzhou, when you were 10 years old, you offered yourself as a sacrifice to me. After I pulled you back from the brink of death, you became neither human nor ghost.”

“You are unique and irreplaceable.”

“From that day on, bloodlines can no longer bind you.”