Chapter 9: The Wang Family Claims the Throne!

The next morning, the rain had stopped and the sky was clear. The whole courtyard echoed with birdsong and the drone of insects. The stone paths were still damp, and raindrops clung to the treetops, ready to fall at any moment.

Outside Gu Qingyi’s room, Nangong Lin was already up bright and early.

She tapped lightly on the door and called softly, “Brother Gu, are you awake yet?”

“Yeah, I’m up. Give me a moment to get ready.” Gu Qingyi, still half asleep in bed, woke fully at the sound of voices in the hallway. He quickly gathered his things and opened the door.

He was greeted by Nangong Lin, already dressed and perfectly put together.

He couldn’t help but think, this little one gets up early.

“Good morning, Brother Gu.” Nangong Lin looked at him with a bright smile.

“Good morning, Miss Nangong.” Gu Qingyi scratched his head, a little sheepish.

After exchanging greetings,

“Brother Gu, can you come with me to see my father later?” Nangong Lin took the initiative, looking right at Gu Qingyi.

“I’ll follow your lead,” Gu Qingyi replied and nodded, so the two of them quickly gathered their belongings and headed downstairs.

Nangong Lin took two room cards and set them on the counter with a cheerful laugh. “Excuse me, we’d like to check out.”

The innkeeper’s assistant shouted, “You got it, miss! Two premium rooms, checking out!”

……………………..

They found a street vendor outside and had a simple breakfast before setting off.

Their path took them through a town called White Deer Town.

The place bustled with life. Pedestrians filled the streets, stalls stretched everywhere. The noise and energy of the crowd made it clear this was a busy corner of the world.

In White Deer Town, four major families held sway: the Huang family, the Wang family, the Zhao family, and the Liu family.

Among them, the Wang family was the most powerful.

The Liu family ranked at the bottom. Just as they came upon the Liu family estate, they saw its front gate surrounded by curious onlookers, packed so tightly there was barely space to breathe. The two couldn’t help but drift closer, wanting to see what was going on.

Nangong Lin’s curiosity was piqued. She slid up beside an older woman and asked in a gentle voice, “Grandma, do you know what’s happening here?”

The old woman turned, surprised, then explained, “Young lady, you haven’t heard? The Liu family, they’re really unlucky—how did they manage to mess with the Wang family’s eldest son?”

She shook her head, a bit of fear in her eyes. “That beast is infamous for bullying men and women alike. But what can you do? The Wang family’s power in White Deer Town is unmatched. The old patriarch reached Sword King Realm, and Wang Qiang himself is at the Sword Sea Realm. They’ve made a lot of enemies. Whenever he sees a beautiful girl, he just drags her off to the Wang estate.”

“A few days later, those girls leave the Wang family in coffins. Living, breathing people go in, but cold corpses come out. Their bodies are always covered in scars—no one dares imagine the suffering they endured. All we can do is hate them in silence.”

“In White Deer Town, aside from the four great families, the rest of us are just regular folks. None of us are cultivators. So no one dares cross the Wang family. If someone accidentally offends them, their whole family disappears by morning. No matter how well they try to hide it, everyone knows what’s really going on.”

The old woman glanced at Nangong Lin, then sighed. “The young miss of the Liu family, Liu Ruyan, is as pretty as you, my dear.” Bitterness crept into her eyes. “One day Miss Liu and her maid were shopping, and that beast Wang Qiang saw them from his seat in the tavern. He bet his cronies he’d win Liu Ruyan for himself within half a month.”

“Miss Liu is breathtaking, like a goddess descended to earth. That brute was head over heels from the moment he set eyes on her.” The old woman shook her head and let out a heavy sigh.

“After that, Wang Qiang started pestering the Liu family every couple of days. At first, he made excuses to see her, forcing conversations she didn’t want. But after a while, he got impatient. Today, he planned to just take her by force.”

Hearing this, Nangong Lin grew anxious. “Grandma, you said no one in White Deer Town dares say anything bad about the Wangs. Aren’t you afraid they’ll hear you talking like this? What would happen to you then?”

The air grew still for a long moment.

Finally, the old woman smiled kindly and patted Nangong Lin’s hand. Her voice was gentle: “Child, I’m old. I’ve lived long enough—I’m not afraid of dying anymore.”

“But you, child, you must take care and keep yourself safe.” Her frail hand cupped Nangong Lin’s young face, worry written in every wrinkle. “In this world, beauty in a girl is a curse. It draws trouble you never asked for.”

“But Grandma, what about your family?” Nangong Lin asked, worry clouding her face.

At the mention of family, the old woman’s tears began to fall, memories dragging her back into old pain. “Family? Hah… Once I had a happy home too, but that wretch inside there destroyed it. My poor son and daughter-in-law are both gone because of him.”

“Ah… fate is cruel.” Tears streamed down her face. “My son was handsome, my daughter-in-law the beauty of the whole region. They’d just gotten married, not even half a month. They should have had their whole lives ahead of them.”

“One day, she was out shopping for the house and that devil noticed her. The things Wang Qiang thought up… he actually set his sights on my daughter-in-law.” The old woman’s voice hardened, “My poor child, how could that monster target her?”

“That day, while she was home alone, that brute brought men to the house. He wanted to force her to be his concubine.” The old woman collapsed onto the ground. “But she was stubborn, fought until the end to defend her honor, and in the end she was murdered anyway.”

“When my son came home and found his wife dead on the ground, her clothes torn, he was furious and went to the Wang family to demand justice.” She pointed at the Liu family estate and sobbed. “But instead, he was beaten to death and tossed out like garbage.”

“Grandma, why didn’t you report it? Surely the authorities would handle something like this.” Nangong Lin asked in a shaky voice and reached down to help her up.

“Ha, they’re all in cahoots. Who would you even complain to? It wouldn’t matter, child.” The old woman looked at innocent Nangong Lin with a bitter smile. “I happened to be out that day, so I escaped. But I hate myself for being useless—for not having the power to avenge my family.”

“I’ve thought of ending my own life more than once, to go be with my son and his wife, and my husband too.” She wept openly now. “If it weren’t for the neighbors, for their words holding me back—telling me the enemy is still living well—I’d have joined them already.”

“If I died so easily, wouldn’t that be letting them have their way? I should live well, stay alive to see these evil people get what they deserve.” A wild, broken laugh slipped from her lips. “If not for everyone’s advice, I would have left long ago.”

“Grandma, my name is Nangong Lin. What’s yours?” Nangong Lin, her eyes bright with tears, looked at the old woman and asked softly.

“My name is Wang Wan.” The old woman collected herself, surprised to recall her own name after so long. Her deep eyes lingered in memories for a bit before she spoke again, “But girl, what did you just say your name was? Nangong Lin? Are you the only daughter of Nangong Wentian, the City Lord of Xuanwu City?”

“Yes, Grandma.” Nangong Lin flushed, realizing her identity was outed, and nodded awkwardly.

Wang Wan’s eyes filled with alarm. “I beg your pardon, I didn’t mean any disrespect!” She moved to kneel.

“Grandma Wang Wan, there’s no need for that!” Nangong Lin hurried to catch her, a bit frantic.

Wang Wan shook her head and insisted, “Etiquette can’t be abandoned.” Their commotion drew the attention of the whole crowd nearby.