Chapter 517: Maybe Not Dead
Wu Chi's aunt was once the most talented Gu breeder in the entire village. Even Wu's grandfather once considered passing the position of clan leader to her instead of Wu Yan.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
After Aunt Wu passed away, Grandpa Wu seemed to age more than ten years overnight.
He felt ashamed that he hadn't raised his child well, causing her to misjudge people and harm herself and others. He also regretted not standing up for her and hurting his elder brother's only child.
"The culprit behind all this is the man your aunt brought back. Publicly, I've let down the clansmen who trusted me; privately, I've let down my elder brother and sister-in-law who are dying young. Therefore, I resigned from my position as clan chief, but no one blamed me..."
This matter weighed on Grandpa Wu's heart for twenty years, and even now, thinking about it still causes him unbearable pain.
So many people in the village died because of his negligence. It's impossible not to feel resentment. They hate the outsider who caused everything, and they also resent the witch who let the wolf into their home.
But Aunt Wu's sacrifice at the last moment did somewhat appease everyone's resentment.
When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. What's the use of their complaints now that the person is gone?
Furthermore, if we really delve into it, Aunt Wu is also one of the victims.
Needless to say, the Wu family was even more affected. Grandpa Wu knew very well that Aunt Wu's death back then was not only due to her guilt towards her clan and her disillusionment with her lover, but also because she was ashamed to face her relatives.
But it was precisely because of her understanding before her death that Grandpa Wu felt even more heartbroken and remorseful, and lived with regret for the rest of his life.
“Auntie is certainly at fault, but the real culprit is that man. This matter really cannot be blamed on you. Everyone has seen your character, and it is precisely because we know this that we cannot bear to criticize you.”
Wu Chi then smoothly changed the subject, saying, "My aunt and so many people in the clan died because of that man. What happened to that man? What became of him?"
Wu Yan shook his head: "The village was in chaos at the time, everyone was busy rescuing people, and then your aunt... By the time we came to our senses and went to look for that beast, he was gone. Later, we found a body dressed in wedding clothes in a ravine behind the mountain. The clothes and face were torn and soaked. We initially determined that it should be that man."
Wu Chi frowned: "So, none of you saw that man die with your own eyes?"
"You could say that."
"Could it be that the person who died back then wasn't actually that man?"
Upon hearing Wu Chi's words, many people present changed their expressions.
Wu Yan agreed with his son: "Everything happened too suddenly back then, and the search for people was quite rushed. In fact, over the years, when I occasionally recall the scene at that time, I also feel that there are many suspicious points in this matter. Now, the Golden Silkworm Gu has been discovered outside..."
"You suspect that the person in that village who raises Gu poison is..."
"Um."
Grandpa Wu pondered for a moment: "Achi's guess may not be without reason."
Wu Yan's expression turned solemn: "Then we..."
"It would be best to send a few trustworthy people over to take a look. The person who raised the poison is dead, and the higher-ups have taken over the matter. Perhaps they've found out something these past few days. I'll call them in a bit and ask them to bring our people over to check it out. If it really is him..."
Grandpa Wu's weathered eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives: "The matter that couldn't be completed twenty years ago has been dragged on for so long, it's time to give everyone an explanation."
After a moment of silence, everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, who should be chosen..."
Wu Chi volunteered: "I'll go."
“You can’t do it. Those people are still here. You have to stay and keep them in check. Your dad will go.”
Wu Chi was taken aback and subconsciously turned to look at Wu Yan, only to see him nod solemnly and say, "If it really is him, then it was my oversight back then that allowed this heartless bastard to escape. Now it is my responsibility to make up for this mistake."
Since he had already said that, Wu Chi couldn't say anything more, and only told him, "Dad, be careful."
As the saying goes, it's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person. That beast who could do such things could certainly not be a virtuous person.
Wu Chi believed in his father's strength, but no matter how powerful he was, it was easy to dodge a spear in the open but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow, and he was still somewhat worried.
"Grandpa, what do you plan to do with those foreigners?"
Wu Chi had always known that the people in his tribe were xenophobic and even harbored a strange hostility towards outsiders.
Before today, he didn't know much about what happened twenty years ago and once thought his clansmen were making a mountain out of a molehill. But now, he can understand their disgust and rejection.
However, this would probably mean that Tao Wan and Grandpa Tao would...
"Keep a close eye on them during this time, especially that Miss Ye. Don't make any rash moves until you figure out whether they are related to the strange things at the ancestral hall."
"Okay, I understand."
The grandfather and grandson were still discussing how to keep a close eye on these outsiders, unaware that every word of their conversation had already reached the ears of the people involved.
"Something strange about the ancestral hall? Did anything unusual happen at their ancestral hall before we arrived?"
Compared to that, Shi Yuyan was clearly more concerned about: "Do you think there might really be some unknown treasure hidden in their ancestral hall? Otherwise, why would they send so many people to patrol that area?"
Shi Yuyan knelt in the ancestral hall all night. Although he was too tired to sleep in the second half of the night, he could still hear the frequent footsteps outside.
According to his observation, at least three shifts were changed in just one night, with seven or eight people on each shift. If you didn't know better, you would think they were guarding some kind of treasure trove instead of an ancestral hall!
Shi Lang rolled his eyes at his imaginative younger brother and said helplessly, "Didn't they just say that there are Gu worms buried down there that went into hibernation after the ancestors died? Maybe it's to prevent the tragedy from happening again?"
"Probably not. Didn't they say that those Gu worms went berserk back then, and in order to save people, they should have already killed them...?" Shi Yuyan recalled the swarm of poisonous insects he had seen at Cui Yuezhen's house. The thought that these things might be buried under the floor where he was kneeling made him get goosebumps.
"Moreover, if there really are still Gu worms buried down there, how could they be so comfortable letting an outsider like me go in and kneel in the ancestral hall? Aren't they afraid that the tragedy of that year will repeat itself? There must be some great treasure inside."
As soon as Shi Yuyan finished speaking, Ye Wanxi's gaze fell on him, startling him so much that he trembled: "Wh...what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
“You’re right.” Ye Wanxi stroked her chin and pondered for a moment, then said with a half-smile, “Don’t you have to go kneel in the ancestral hall tonight? If you’re really that curious, why don’t you try to rummage through it yourself? Those patrolling people should only be guarding outside, so as long as you don’t make too much noise, you might not be discovered.”
(End of this chapter)
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