11: Chapter 11 Purple Mansion

The ice at the end of winter began to loosen first at the bottom of Duansang Ravine.

The mountain patrol from Main Peak went down into the ravine to scout the path and first spotted a bloated boot sole; digging further down revealed a piece of a corpse.

When the news reached Duansang Ridge, Jiang Chengning was in the backyard of Niubei Hollow looking at the well.

Earlier, he had heard from Sun Changshui that above Foundation Establishment was the Purple Mansion, and the Zhou Family was currently on the threshold between Foundation Establishment and the Purple Mansion.

Sun Changshui had jokingly said that he favored the Jiang Family to achieve the status of an Immortal clan of the Purple Mansion.

Jiang Chengning did not reply; such ethereal things were not worth mentioning.

After Zhao Xing entered the house, the little bit of life in Niubei Hollow finally hadn't completely dissipated. Zhao Zhi and Ah Shi were squatting by the steps peeling bamboo shoots, Xiao Tao was sitting on the threshold watching, and the Song Clan was sewing clothes inside the room.

Jiang Yuhe was sitting next to the well rim, her hand pressed against the bluestone edge, eyes closed, slowly settling her Qi.

The well water was very still.

After the Start of Winter, the cold snails had already sunk to the bottom of the well and were usually invisible; only when Jiang Yuhe sat down would the water surface slowly rise with a bit of white Qi.

Suddenly, Liu Sanniang ran up the slope, her shoes covered in mud when she entered, her voice hoarse from shouting: "Brother Chengning! In the ravine... a dead body was carried out of the ravine!"

Jiang Chengning turned to look at her.

"Who?"

"People from Main Peak." Liu Sanniang swallowed a breath, "Accountant Zhou Chengli has already arrived and called for the stewards of every family to go over."

Jiang Yuhe also opened her eyes.

Having practiced Grain Rain for these past few months, her Listening to Rain ability could now hear the general gist. Before Liu Sanniang had even rushed into the courtyard, she had already heard the series of chaotic footsteps on the slope and that unstable Aura coming from the direction of Main Peak.

When she stood up, there was still a bit of lingering chill on her shoulders.

Jiang Chengning only asked: "Where is Shoushan?"

"He just went to the lower slope entrance to check the mill." Lin Suwen came out from the inner room, having understood most of the situation, and raised her hand to hand the coat behind the door to Jiang Chengning, "You go first, I will have someone find him."

Jiang Chengning nodded, put on his coat, and walked out.

Liu Sanniang followed him. Zhao Xing stood by the door, watching their backs without saying a word, only pulling Zhao Zhi behind her.

When Jiang Chengning arrived at Duansang Ravine, a circle of people had already surrounded the ravine entrance.

The mud was deep in winter, and the bottom of the ravine had collapsed severely; the corpses were buried in the frozen layer of black mud, and when they were dragged out, they were still covered in ice shards.

The Main Peak patrol had used two door panels as mats, placing the people on the gravel beach by the ravine. The straw mat was lifted to reveal two gray and bloated faces.

Jiang Chengning took one look and guessed it.

It was those two Zhou Family tenant farmers who had blocked Jiang Xingchuan in Duansang Ravine back then.

Low gasps sounded in the crowd.

"Main Peak people..."

"How could they be buried here..."

"How long has this been..."

Accountant Zhou Chengli stood by the door panels, his sleeves tucked, his eyes so small they looked as if they weren't open. He saw Jiang Chengning arrive and nodded at him.

"Uncle Chengning, you've come at the right time."

Jiang Chengning did not reply, only looking at the two corpses again.

The corpses had been buried for a long time, the faces were bloated, but the skin and flesh had not completely rotted. If Main Peak really wanted the Cold Households to see, how could they let the corpses rot until they were unrecognizable?

Seeing that he didn't respond, Accountant Zhou Chengli didn't get annoyed either, raising his hand to tell the patrol to turn the corpses over.

The clothing on the chest of one of them was intact, but a few fine marks were slowly seeping out from inside. The marks were not deep, pressed flatly, like traces left by something hard but not sharp.

Accountant Zhou Chengli reached out, took something from the hands of the person behind him, and placed it on the edge of the door panel.

A ruler.

A gray-green wooden ruler, with a line of light green embedded in its back; one look and it was clearly an old object used for measuring fields and identifying water.

The water-dividing green ruler from Gudong.

Jiang Chengning's eyes didn't move, but his hand in his sleeve gently tightened.

He had sold this ruler to the Sangyin Small Market some days ago. The market was managed by the Zhou Family, so it wasn't strange that it had flowed back into the hands of Main Peak. But at this moment, placed beside the two corpses, the meaning was different.

Accountant Zhou Chengli picked up the ruler and compared it to the chest of the corpse.

"The ruler mouth is flat, the back is narrow." He said slowly, "It looks very similar to these few wounds."

The surrounding Cold Households all fell silent; everyone knew the Jiang Family originally had a ruler.

But why this ruler ended up in the hands of the Zhou Family, they didn't know, and the Zhou Family didn't say, instead causing some speculation.

People in the crowd looked at Jiang Chengning, and some looked toward Niubei Hollow.

Jiang Chengning felt calmer instead.

These two people were killed by Shoushan using a blade, not by that green ruler; furthermore, the Jiang Family had no Cultivator capable of using this green ruler at the time.

The Zhou Family bringing these two people out at this time was nothing more than wanting to suppress the newly rising Jiang Family, only they had accidentally guessed the murderer correctly.

So he only asked one question: "Since the ruler has already entered the market, and Main Peak has it now, are you concluding that my family killed these people?"

Accountant Zhou Chengli smiled.

"I wouldn't dare say that." He said, "It's just that the corpses were buried in Duansang Ravine, and the dead were Main Peak patrols. The ruler is in the hands of Main Peak, and the wounds look like they were left by the ruler mouth. Uncle Chengning, you tell me, this account has to fall somewhere."

Fifth Feng, who had been shrinking behind the crowd, suddenly stepped forward.

After Feng Erkui died at Old Grave Slope, the Feng Family had collapsed halfway. Fifth Feng had become extremely thin over the past few months, and the fat on his face could no longer hold up, but his eyes were still sharp, like a wolf that had seen meat.

"Fall where?" He sneered, "The Jiang Family recently merged with the Liu Family, and the people and spiritual assets all belong to them. If it doesn't fall on their head, whose head should it fall on?"

He Qi stood next to him and squeezed forward half a step.

The Wang Family didn't make a sound, but they all raised their eyes.

This circle of people was not here to uphold justice for the Zhou Family.

They were here to see how this piece of meat would be divided.

Accountant Zhou Chengli didn't stop them, waiting until Fifth Feng finished speaking before slowly continuing: "The intention of Main Peak is also simple."

"Before the case of the corpses is clarified, the Jiang Family will pay double taxes next year."

"The Liu Family merged into the Jiang Family, and Main Peak didn't have time to pronounce the ownership before; now it must be supplemented. Those few acres of spiritual fields in Niubei Hollow and that well will all be removed from the Jiang Family's account first."

"After the beginning of spring, those capable among the Cold Households shall obtain them."

Once these words fell, the breathing of the surrounding people tightened.

Which family didn't want the well in Niubei Hollow?

Before Elder Liu was bedridden, that well had nurtured Spiritual Qi.

Even if it had been a bit barren later, it was still a spiritual well. Not to mention those few acres of land; no matter how thin the Liu Family had been these years, they had truly grown spiritual rice.

Jiang Chengning did not refute on the spot. He knew clearly that the Zhou Family didn't care who killed these two people; the goal was just to suppress the Jiang Family. The result wasn't important, and resistance would only invite harsher measures.

He only looked down at the ruler and slowly moved his gaze away.

"Whatever Main Peak wants, my Jiang Family accepts it." He said, "As for how the fields and well are divided, we will follow the rules of Main Peak."

Fifth Feng was stunned.

Accountant Zhou Chengli narrowed his eyes, as if he hadn't expected Jiang Chengning to be so compliant.

But he didn't push any further.

Anyway, what he wanted today was just to release the news that this spiritual asset was up for grabs. As for the rest, the Cold Households would start infighting themselves.

"It's good that the Jiang Family understands." Accountant Zhou Chengli handed the ruler back, telling people to cover the straw mat again, "Main Peak will set a date before spring. At that time, whoever has the ability, go and take it."

Jiang Chengning nodded and didn't say anything more.

With things reaching this point, the Cold Households by the ravine all had some thoughts in their hearts.

He Qi left first, followed by Fifth Feng, and the people of the Wang Family also scattered in twos and threes. They didn't say anything, but their feet moved faster than anyone else.

Jiang Chengning went to Niubei Hollow first.

Zhao Xing was drying cloth by the well in the backyard; seeing him enter, she stopped her hands first.

"Brother Chengning."

Jiang Chengning told her what had been said at Duansang Ravine just now.

After listening, Zhao Xing's face turned pale first.

"The well is also going to be removed?"

Jiang Chengning said: "Removing the account first, not taking it away immediately. Main Peak is just throwing this piece of meat out, waiting for everyone to bite it themselves."

Zhao Xing bit her lip and didn't speak for a long time.

Jiang Chengning looked at her and lowered his voice.

"Nurture the well as usual these few days. Don't panic."

Zhao Xing could only nod.

When Jiang Chengning returned to the ancestral house, Jiang Shoushan had already returned.

After hearing about the matter at Duansang Ravine, he asked: "Is the well still on our account?"

"Still there." Jiang Chengning said, "It won't move before spring."

The few people in the room soon calculated the account clearly.

If they really went to fight for the fields and the well, the Jiang Family would inevitably be unable to take care of everything.

The winter Qi of Shoushan was still being nurtured in the well, and it could not be lost right now.

Lin Suwen spoke first.

"As for the fields, let them fight first." She said, "We must guard the well to the death."

In the next three days, the expected oppression arrived as scheduled.

On the morning of the fourth day, Jiang Yuhe went to the well as usual to sit.

She went early, and the sky was still gray. Just as Jiang Yuhe pressed her hand to the edge of the bluestone, Listening to Rain heard it first.

Three strands of Qi were sneaking over hurriedly from outside the courtyard wall.

Jiang Yuhe immediately shouted: "Zhao Xing."

Zhao Xing was picking threads in the inner room; hearing this, she came out immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Go call Shoushan."

Zhao Xing didn't ask, turning to run outside.

Before she had left the courtyard, a figure had already vaulted over the wall.

Fifth Feng.

His left arm was still in a sling, and he was carrying a long knife in his hand. When he landed, his foot twisted, clearly his old injury hadn't healed.

Behind him followed Fourth Aunt Feng and He Qi. Now that there was an obvious piece of fat meat, these two families didn't go to fight to the death.

The Wang Family didn't show up, but they didn't know where they were hiding to watch.

As soon as Fifth Feng entered, he looked at the well, then at Jiang Yuhe.

"Main Peak said it clearly." He grinned, "Those among the Cold Households who have the ability can all compete. Your Jiang Family, on the other hand, seems to have treated the well as your own already."

Jiang Yuhe then stood up.

Having cultivated Grain Rain to this point, the Qi on her body was no longer as immature as it was at the beginning. But she was still shallow after all and not suitable for fighting.

"The well is still on the Jiang Family's account." She said, "Before Main Peak decides, no one is to touch it."

Fifth Feng laughed.

"The Main Peak never said that the well belonged to the Jiang Family."

Outsiders couldn't tell what was being nurtured in the water of the Liu Well, but Jiang Yuhe had been sitting by the well every day for the past few months. No one was a fool; this spiritual well must hold immense value.

Jiang Yuhe didn't respond, merely taking half a step forward to block the well opening behind her.

Fourth Aunt Feng was the first to make a move.

She cultivated Rain Water, and with a flick of her hand, a Talisman shot toward Jiang Yuhe.

Jiang Yuhe pressed her hand down, sinking her Grain Rain Qi, and deflected its path. The Talisman paper stuck to the edge of the well with a "snap" and failed to slide in.

He Qi was waiting for this exact moment.

He cultivated Spring Equinox and was best at borrowing momentum to neutralize force; with a shift of his feet, he lunged forward. Jiang Yuhe's shoulders swayed as she moved to protect herself, but Fifth Feng shifted his blade to slash at the spiritual well.

Seeing the shadow of the blade descending, Jiang Yuhe had no choice but to force herself another step forward, using her shoulder to block it.

The blade didn't actually land on her.

The Grain Rain Qi was heavy and substantial; gathering it at her shoulder, she barely managed to block the strike. The vibration traveled down through the bluestone, and the faint hint of winter intent being nurtured in the well was immediately disrupted.

Jiang Yuhe let out a muffled groan, and blood immediately appeared at the corner of her lips.

Just then, Zhao Xing came stumbling back from outside.

"Shoushan, he—"

Before she could finish, Fourth Aunt Feng pushed her backhand, sending Zhao Xing crashing into the doorframe, leaving a bruise on her forehead.

By the door of the east wing, Jiang Xingchuan's expression changed instantly.

He had been watching the whole time. From the moment Fifth Feng climbed over the wall, he had been standing behind the curtain.

When he saw that trace of blood at the corner of Jiang Yuhe's mouth, his hand was already raised. As he summoned his Awakening of Insects Qi, his palm began to heat up, and the Thunder Bud was almost ready to emerge on its own.

Lin Suwen, who was right beside him, gripped his wrist.

"You cannot act." She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

Jiang Xingchuan's eyes were filled with fire. "Mother!"

"If the well is damaged, it can still be saved." Lin Suwen stared at him intensely. "If you reveal yourself now, the Jiang Family will die first."

Jiang Xingchuan gritted his teeth, his entire arm trembling with tension. The faint lightning in his palm flickered on and off, but in the end, it did not explode.

Meanwhile, before the well, the conflict had escalated into a real fight.

Jiang Yuhe kept one hand on the well and the other suppressing her Qi, not even wiping the blood from her lips. He Qi was still dismantling her force from the side, and Fifth Feng's second blade was about to fall.

Suddenly, a shout rang out from outside the gate: "Everyone, stop!"

Sun Changshui, leaning on his crutch, practically crashed into the courtyard. Old Crow Chen followed behind him.

Although Sun Changshui had a lame leg, his hands were fast. He slammed his crutch onto the ground and threw himself between the well and the blade.

Fifth Feng dared not actually strike him, so he forced the blade to veer half an inch, hacking into the edge of the well and sending a spray of stone fragments flying.

Fourth Aunt Feng narrowed her eyes and retreated two steps, cursing under her breath, her momentum immediately faltering.

Sun Changshui stared at Fifth Feng, his gaze icy. "Does your Feng Family really want to burn all bridges?"

Fifth Feng was blinded by the fight; the flesh on his face twitched as he shouted back: "Burn bridges? When Chengpu lost his life back then, who among you cared!"

The courtyard fell silent instantly. Sun Changshui's grip on his crutch tightened sharply. "What did you say?"

Fifth Feng seemed to snap out of it, realizing he had let something slip. His expression changed, and he turned to retreat.

But once the words were out, there was no taking them back. Jiang Chengning had appeared at the courtyard entrance at some point and demanded sternly: "Fifth Feng! Repeat what you just said."

Fifth Feng didn't look back. Jiang Chengning took two steps forward. "How did my brother Chengpu end up in Duansang Ravine back then?"

Fifth Feng gritted his teeth, as if deciding to go all out, and spun around.

"How did he end up there? It was because Feng Erkui passed the word that there was Spring Sound in the ravine!" He panted heavily, his eyes red.

"The Main Peak released news back then that the Jiang girl was destined to die, so Erkui thought he'd get rid of the one holding your family together first. Your brother was just stupid enough to actually dive into the ravine; who can he blame for his death!"

The color drained completely from Sun Changshui's face. He was the one who had taken Chengpu to Fenchun Terrace back then. He had also been helping Chengpu with his cultivation all along.

All these years, he had been wondering whether Chengpu had heard something himself or had been lured there by someone. Now, Fifth Feng's words had ripped open this old account.

Sun Changshui swung his crutch. It struck Fifth Feng squarely in the face. Fifth Feng was sent reeling to the side, a tooth knocked out.

"If you mention Chengpu again, I will make you pay with Feng Erkui's life first." Sun Changshui's voice was hoarse.

At this moment, Jiang Chengning appeared unusually calm.

"Even if Fifth Feng let something slip, there was no need for him to reveal all the details about the Main Peak wanting to harm Yuhe, or even the Feng Family harming Chengpu," Jiang Chengning thought to himself while staring at Fifth Feng.

Fifth Feng, with a reckless attitude, was still facing off against Sun Changshui.

"His later words offended the Main Family and brought the feud with the Jiang Family into the open. As a current manager, he wouldn't be foolish enough to act so unwisely." Jiang Chengning displayed anger on the surface, but was calculating in his heart.

Now, there was truly no turning back for the Feng Family and the Jiang Family. The Feng Family had, in effect, placed themselves on the table, alongside the Jiang Family, as meat on the chopping block.

When Jiang Xingchuan fled back, he had told the family about the abnormal behavior of Liu Zhaoquan before he died. Now, Fifth Feng's irrational behavior, and the fact that others took it for granted, gave Jiang Chengning a lingering sense that something was wrong.

On the surface, he was furious and ready to fight the Feng Family to the death, but his body hadn't moved an inch.

Seeing that things were wrong, He Qi grabbed Fourth Aunt Feng and retreated. Fifth Feng, clutching his face, stumbled out as well. Before leaving, he glanced back at the well, his eyes filled with such hatred that it seemed he wanted to boil the water inside dry.

Once they dispersed, the courtyard was left with only the sound of heavy breathing.

Only then did Lin Suwen release Jiang Xingchuan's hand and rush to the well. "Is it still disrupted?"

Jiang Yuhe placed her hand on the bluestone and closed her eyes to listen for a moment.

The faint winter intent in the well had been scattered somewhat by the blade's wind, but fortunately, it wasn't completely gone. She slowly exhaled and said: "It can still be nurtured."

Lin Suwen finally let out a sigh of relief.

Jiang Chengning looked at the mess in the courtyard, and after a long while, he cupped his hands toward Sun Changshui. "Changshui."

Sun Changshui didn't return the gesture, only staring in the direction where Fifth Feng had run off. "I was the one who brought Chengpu into the path. Since the matter of his death has been brought up today, I cannot pretend I didn't hear it."

Jiang Chengning nodded without saying more.

He was no longer just an ordinary mountain farmer; he had come into contact with the world of cultivation and understood just how incredible the power of those Immortals truly was.

The sky gradually darkened, and the gash by the well remained. The framing by the Zhou Family, the greed of the Cold Households, and the old grudges of the Feng Family all weighed down on the Jiang Family. It seemed as though many things had been partially revealed.

Jiang Chengning called everyone into the house. Jiang Yuhe swallowed the warm blood in her mouth, and Jiang Xingchuan no longer had any intention of fighting to the death.

"Do you all feel that the scheme the Zhou Family set up today was a bit off?" Jiang Chengning asked slowly.

Lin Suwen lowered her eyes subtly. "Those people were a bit too impulsive."

Jiang Chengning nodded and shared some of his thoughts with them.

Jiang Xingchuan's brows were knitted together as he said cautiously: "For a moment, I was indeed very impulsive, but it vanished very quickly. Fortunately, Mother held me back."

"The Zhou Family's original script should have been for the Jiang Family to lose the spiritual field and the well, and for us to be injured and unable to recover," Jiang Chengning said slowly.

"But the result was that the Feng Family's old grudges were exposed, Sun Changshui came to help, and the Jiang Family was able to catch its breath. With Zhaoquan's accidental death and the Liu Family entrusting their incense to us, don't you think everything went a bit too smoothly..." Jiang Chengning looked at the people in the room.

Jiang Yuhe nodded and said: "Yes, it seems there is a person, no... a force, invisibly pushing the situation."

"The situation seems to be improving, but as the Jiang Family solves one problem after another, we will constantly be pushed into the limelight and attract attention."

"Its intention is to support our family, to quickly tip the balance among the Cold Households, and to make the Jiang Family powerful, thereby threatening the Main Family."

The people present were not stupid; the answer was practically screaming to be revealed: the Zhao Family.

The death of Liu Zhaoquan and the Zhou-Zhao conflict caused by Zhou Boyan's ambush of Qiu Hanshan were still fresh in their memories.

Supporting the Jiang Family and creating hatred and conflict was crucial in the Zhou-Zhao struggle. The Cold Households were the grassroots foundation; if they developed a rebellious heart, although the Zhou Family had the ability to liquidate the Jiang Family, the Zhou Family itself would also suffer heavy losses.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wang had just recovered his senses within the family genealogy. Unlike the perspective of the Jiang Family members, he could now see without relying on their eyes.

Although the range was limited to the vicinity of the Jiang Family, he could still see these situations clearly.

He clearly saw that there was an extremely thin line above the heads of the Feng Family, the He Family, Sun Changshui, and even the Jiang Family members.

It was just that the Jiang Family members were wrapped in a layer of faint light—this was the protection of the authentic genealogy, which greatly weakened the influence.

The moment Zhou Wang saw those lines, he recoiled, not daring to look again.

What Zhou-Zhao? Even if they flipped the sky, they were just Foundation Establishment clans. Yet, such methods were absolutely impossible for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to achieve. Only the Purple Mansion could do it.