Chapter 56: The Ending of the Gu Family
Shi Yuan watched the car disappear into the darkness and said to Gu Linyuan, "Traces of a life-swapping sorcery have appeared in the houses on the outskirts of Beijing. Shouldn't our Seventh Division investigate this thoroughly?"
Gu Linyuan paused for a moment, then immediately realized what he meant and chimed in, "That's right, I'll have He Tian check all the vehicles that left Beicheng city tonight when I get back."
Shi Yuan nodded and solemnly suggested, "Especially investigate who has been to this house."
"Great idea!"
Seeing the two of them talking in unison, Huan Ni couldn't help but interject: "We still need to find someone to visit Gu Zhao and spread the word that he recovered overnight."
Ran Wen mischievously added, "Good news should naturally be shared with more people."
Shi Meili didn't understand, but she couldn't be out of line, so she enthusiastically agreed: "Exactly! Exactly!"
The next day, some families in the northern part of the city were questioned about their whereabouts the previous night, and they also learned that someone in a house on the outskirts of Beijing was using evil magic.
Gu Lie's car also left the city of Beicheng last night and was among those questioned.
Gu Linyuan and Shi Yuan went in person.
People just want to watch the show; who wouldn't want things to get even worse!
They first routinely inquired about Gu Lie's whereabouts, and then asked about the whereabouts of other members of the Gu family.
They arrived at the Gu family early in the morning, aiming to catch the Gu family off guard, so when they were questioned separately, Gu Lie and Gu Dingbei hesitated a lot.
Relying on his blood relation with Gu Linyuan, Gu Dingbei avoided discussing his whereabouts last night, instead asking, "Linyuan, what happened?"
Gu Linyuan didn't hide anything: "The seventh site found traces of the use of evil magic in a residential house in the suburbs of Beijing. It's a routine investigation."
Gu Dingbei's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Last night, he and Gu Lie were both captivated by Gu Zhao's drastically changed personality and Feng Qing's white hair overnight. They were also confident that they had kept things discreet and that no one would notice anything unusual once the gates of the houses were locked, so they hadn't rushed to wrap things up.
Unexpectedly, the clues were discovered within just a few hours!
Where were you last night?
He carefully considered his words before answering: "I'm old, so I went to bed early."
"Where's Gu Lie? Where did he drive off to?"
Gu Dingbei gave a foolproof answer: "I was already asleep at that time, so I don't know."
At the same time, Shi Yuan asked Gu Lie the same question: "Where did you go last night?"
"I was feeling down after the divorce, so I drove out to get some fresh air."
"Where did you go?" Shi Yuan pressed.
“I went, to the outskirts of Beijing,” Gu Lie said. “I went for a night hike to clear my head.”
Night climbing? That's ridiculous!
Do you remember which mountain we climbed?
"It was too dark, I don't remember."
Shi Yuan nodded and then asked, "Where are the others? What is Grandpa Gu doing?"
Gu Lie hesitated for a moment, then gave a safe answer: "I left early, so I don't know."
Shi Yuan nodded, jotted down a few notes, asked a few routine questions, then closed the notebook and said she wanted to see Gu Zhao.
Gu Linyuan put away his pen and said he had questions for Gu Zhao.
This is the proper procedure, and Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie simply cannot refuse.
Moreover, they believed that Gu Zhao would handle the situation well.
But they seem to have forgotten the precautions they took last night when they kicked Feng Qing and cursed Lao Deng.
Gu Lie knocked on Gu Zhao's door: "Brother, the Seventh Division is here for a routine inquiry. Come out for a moment." This was a subtle way of reminding him.
If it were the old Gu Zhao, even if she were love-struck, she would still have no problem dealing with interpersonal relationships.
Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan were just asking routine questions, and Gu Zhao simply made up an excuse about being weak and going to bed early to get by.
If Gu Zhao is clever, he can continue to pretend to have a crooked mouth and eyes, and Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan won't ask too many questions. Otherwise, what can they do? They can't expect a half-crippled person to drive out and do bad things in the middle of the night, can they?
Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie were both relieved. Gu Lie even knocked on the door again to urge him, "Big brother, get up quickly!"
But, everyone, what you're looking at isn't what you're looking at anymore!
"Bang!" Something slammed against the door. Gu Lie paused, then explained to Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan, who were waiting to the side, "My brother's temper hasn't been very good since he fell ill. Please forgive him!"
Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan exchanged a glance, smiled enigmatically, and remained silent.
"Big brother?"
The door was suddenly pulled open: "Knock knock knock, knock on my head! Don't you know I'm sleeping?" Gu Zhao completely ignored Gu Lie's dark face and kept cursing until he saw Gu Linyuan's mocking eyes.
"Gu Linyuan!" He rubbed his eyes hard, then shoved Gu Lie aside and rushed to Gu Linyuan to complain, "Gu Linyuan, you bastard! They used evil magic on me, ruined my body, and trapped me in this useless body!"
"Mmm!" Gu Zhao's remaining words were covered by Gu Lie's hand. He smiled sheepishly and apologized, "My elder brother has just recovered from a long illness and is still a little confused. Please bear with him."
Of course, Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan should be lenient; otherwise, they would have been caught red-handed last night.
Shi Yuan smiled warmly: "So Comrade Gu has fully recovered. Congratulations!"
"By the way, which doctor was the one who brought him back to health?" she asked casually.
Gu Lie: "...Introduced by an old friend of my father's, he has already left Beicheng."
Shi Yuan nodded, carefully noting down Gu Lie's answer. Then she politely said, "We have a few questions to ask Comrade Gu. Otherwise, would you like to release the person first?"
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" 'You damned bastards! Let my father go! I'm going to expose you all to Gu Linyuan!'
Gu Lie dared not let go. He used to think that although his older brother was stupid and confused, he was at least passable on the surface and would not talk nonsense in front of outsiders.
Wait a minute! You really haven't said anything nonsensical? Didn't you speak recklessly last time?
Thinking of this, he dared not let go even more!
He said with a forced smile, "My older brother isn't feeling well, so he went to bed early last night."
Shi Yuan frowned, a look of suspicion on his face, and said solemnly, "Please release Comrade Gu and let him speak for himself!"
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" 'Let me go! I'll go with Gu Linyuan after I've finished complaining to him. Once I've cultivated back to my true form and regained my demonic power, I'll twist you into a pretzel!'
Gu Lie said with difficulty, "My older brother suffered a stroke and was traumatized; he often talks nonsense."
"It's alright, let him talk. We'll judge whether he's talking nonsense or not," Shi Yuan said in a businesslike manner.
Gu Lie then looked at Gu Linyuan and played the sympathy card: "Linyuan, your father's condition is unstable right now. Do you think you could make an exception?"
Gu Dingbei, adopting the demeanor of a patriarch, made the final decision: "Lin Yuan, you all go back first. In a couple of days, once your father's emotions have stabilized, I will personally lead a team to the Seventh Division."
Gu Linyuan glanced at Gu Zhao, who was staring at him expectantly, and then at Gu Dingbei, who appeared calm on the surface but was actually clenching his fists. He said, "Alright." Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie had just breathed a sigh of relief when Gu Linyuan added, "Let his wife come out and have a chat."
Gu Dingbei, Gu Lie: ...
For a moment, they didn't know whether to let Gu Zhao "talk nonsense" or to let Feng Qing come out!
Both of these are potential sources of trouble. If either one explodes, it will be easy to connect them to the evil magic in the outskirts of Beijing!
"My mom fell asleep because she was too tired from taking care of my dad. You can ask me any questions you have." Gu Xiyue looked at Gu Linyuan with red eyes. "Big brother, could you let my mom rest a little longer?"
Gu Linyuan sneered: "What a coincidence, one of you is still delirious, and the other is still asleep."
He closed his notebook: "Alright, we in the Seventh Division won't force you!" He looked at Gu Dingbei, "Old Master Gu, I'll give you three days at most. After three days, I must question Gu Zhao and Feng Qing."
"Okay, don't worry, I will personally deliver the person to the Seventh Division."
"No need, we will come again when the time comes." After saying that, Gu Linyuan and Shi Yuan left the Gu family.
After getting into the car, the two of them burst out laughing at the same time.
At the Gu family home, Gu Lie, who had left after hearing the engine sound, finally let go of Gu Zhao's mouth. Gu Zhao turned around and spat in Gu Lie's face, then raised his fist and punched Gu Lie.
Gu Lie was stunned and then punched in the face.
Even though the monkey has lost his demonic powers, he's still wild and quite skilled at fighting. After landing one punch, he threw another.
I was interrogated early in the morning and had to be careful about Gu Zhao's situation, smiling and acting like a grandson to him!
Not only did he not receive a kind word or a smile, but Bangbang also got punched a few times!
Gu Lie sneered and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb: "Gu Zhao, I've been putting up with you for a long time!" After saying that, he pounced on Gu Zhao and punched his annoying face.
"I'll teach you to put up with it!" Gu Zhao went forward without fear.
The two brothers started fighting back and forth in front of Gu Dingbei and Gu Xiyue.
If the person here today is truly Gu Zhao, then he is definitely no match for Gu Lie, and moreover, out of consideration for brotherhood, he would stop short of defeat.
But the demon inside Gu Zhao's body is a monkey demon!
That monkey demon can stir up trouble even when there's nothing wrong with him!
He doesn't have any martial ethics when he fights, okay?
While Gu Lie meticulously applied the treatment to his face and stomach, he always targeted Gu Lie's groin.
In the end, Gu Lie knelt on the ground, covering his private parts, while Gu Zhao spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted that he was going to the Seventh Division to file a complaint.
In the very end, Gu Dingbei slapped him hard across the face, saying with heartache, "Gu Zhao, wake up! Who are we all doing this for?"
"I don't care who you're doing this for!" he said, and slapped back with a "smack".
The world fell silent for a moment, and Gu Dingbei, Gu Lie, and Gu Xiyue all stared at Gu Zhao in disbelief.
Even Huan Ni, who was hanging upside down outside the window watching the commotion, was stunned. She immediately flapped her wings and flew away, eager to share this amazing sight with Shi Yuan and the others.
"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Gu Dingbei's chest heaved with anger. He pointed at Gu Zhao, speechless. Finally, he said, "You unfilial son! I shouldn't have saved you!"
"Go to hell!" Gu Zhao's voice was even louder than his. "You people treat monkeys' lives like dirt and you still think you're right!"
"I'm telling you, you better pray that the monkey's true form can be restored, otherwise, I'll eat you all!" After saying that, he let out a wild "roar".
Now, both Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie realized something was wrong. The two of them simultaneously restrained Gu Zhao, who was running away to complain to Gu Linyuan and get justice.
"Xiyue, tell your mother to go to the study!" Gu Dingbei said, and he and Gu Lie dragged Gu Zhao to the study.
Gu Xiyue's face was still a little pale. She nodded, turned around, and went back to her room to call Feng Qing.
She didn't know what had happened, only that after one night, her father was no longer paralyzed, but he seemed to have a problem with his brain. He not only hit his second uncle, but he also hit his grandfather!
Even more outrageous is her mother, who overnight transformed from a charming young woman into a toothless old lady!
At first, she even thought her mother was joking with her!
How could this happen?
She helped Feng Qing knock on the study door.
"Come in!" Gu Dingbei's voice came. She pushed open the study door, and a book hit her in the face.
She had been pampered since childhood, and in that instant, pain and grievances surged like a tidal wave, and tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably. Unfortunately, no one cared about her feelings.
Gu Zhaozheng was jumping around and shouting that he wanted to go to the Seventh Division to file a complaint and make the Gu family pay the price. He even tried to jump out of the window several times to escape from the Gu family.
Gu Lie chased after him, trying to stop him from leaving, and in the ensuing scuffle, Gu Zhao was punched several more times. Gu Zhao seemed to be having a good time, and the more excited he became, the more energetic he seemed. Gu Lie was about to kneel down in respect of him!
He's middle-aged now, and his energy and physical strength are long past their peak. He can't keep up anymore!
Gu Dingbei stood in the messy study, a rare look of bewilderment flashing in his eyes. He just felt that his eldest son was still young and shouldn't spend the rest of his life paralyzed in bed without dignity, but he didn't want an eldest son who was as troublesome as a monkey!
"Feng Qing, what exactly is going on?"
How did Gu Zhao become like this?
Feng Qing shook her head numbly. How could she know? She didn't even know why she had turned into an old woman!
"Do you have any way to help him recover?" Gu Dingbei had a secret thought in his mind: even if he becomes crippled, he would accept it!
"I don't know." The rough, aged voice broke Feng Qing's heart every time she heard it, but she still said, "Get me some nourishing food, and I'll think of something after I recover."
Gu Dingbei neither agreed nor disagreed, but instead asked, "Did something go wrong during the ceremony?"
"No, everything went smoothly," Feng Qing replied quickly, because that was her belief.
"I want the best ginseng and lingzhi, preferably the kind that is about to become a spirit but has not yet become one, that is the real tonic."
If she were still in her demon form, she could recover from this exhaustion by absorbing a few demon cores. But she is human now, and for demonic energy to enter her body would be suicide!
In that instant, she suddenly began to regret why she had gone to such lengths to become human!
What's so good about being a good person?
She doesn't want to get old or die!
She wants to turn back into a demon!
Thinking of this, she hid her trembling hands from excitement and said to Gu Dingbei, "He might have been struck by something. Find a demon and use it as a sacrifice to heal him."
Gu Dingbei frowned: "What does this have to do with the strange demons? Gu Zhao is human. Even if a sacrifice is to be made, it should be a human sacrifice like before."
Feng Qing made up a story: "Gu Zhao's situation is special, and he doesn't have enough energy."
Gu Dingbei was skeptical.
"Yoo-ho!" Gu Zhao broke free from Gu Lie's grasp, and with a push, the books in the bookcase fell to the ground with a clatter, followed by the loud crash of the bookcase falling to the ground.
Gu Dingbei took a deep breath: "I'll have someone figure out a solution for the strange demon. You should calm him down first."
In order to transform back into a demon and gain immortality, Feng Qing thought for a moment, then stepped forward and, following the same routine she used to appease Gu Zhao, said, "Ah Zhao, I'm feeling a little unwell. Could you help me back to my room?"
Gu Zhao indeed stopped his rampage in the study. Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie had just breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Gu Zhao muttering, "If you're not feeling well, go die!"
"You old hag, you're the one who ruined me! I'll kill you!" After saying that, he lowered his head slightly and charged at Feng Qing like a bull.
Given Feng Qing's current physical condition, if she were to be struck by the force of the attack, Gu Zhao might actually be able to get his revenge.
But Gu Lie hugged him tightly around the waist, his voice full of exhaustion: "Big brother, can you please stop messing around!"
Gu Zhao stopped what he was doing, as if he had listened to advice.
Gu Lie breathed a sigh of relief and released his grip on Gu Zhao.
"Go to hell!" Gu Zhao punched Gu Lie in the eye and spat at him. "Get the hell out of here!" He then took a few steps forward and grabbed Feng Qing by the neck. "You old hag, turn me back right now!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Lie knocked Gu Zhao unconscious again.
On the way back to the Seventh Division, Huan Ni vividly described the chaos in the Gu family. After listening, Ran Wen sighed, "With such a lively and adorable son, Old Master Gu has finally gotten what he wanted."
Shi Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "That's right, he should be very pleased."
Gu Linyuan's lips curled up, and the sunlight shone warmly on him through the windshield.
The fate of the Gu family was already sealed when Gu Dingbei decided to use a sacrifice to restore Gu Zhao.
Gu Linyuan just wanted to see the Gu family make a fool of themselves, so he never really took any real action.
Huan Ni found a new source of fun, taking Shi Meili back and forth between the Seventh Division and the Gu family every day, just to get the freshest gossip from the Gu family.
Today, Gu Zhao pried open the doors and windows to get out; tomorrow, he'll secretly spit in all the food to disgust everyone; and the day after, he'll sneak into Gu Lie's room and punch him twice.
Later, it wasn't just Huan Ni who brought the news; rumors began circulating in Beicheng's social circles that Gu Zhao had gone mad.
The reason was that Gu Zhao finally escaped from the Gu family while Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie were not paying attention, but he didn't know the way!
This isn't such a big problem. People these days are generally warm-hearted and love to help others. Gu Zhao isn't a stranger either. A kind older sister saw him lingering in the family compound and jokingly asked him if he had a fight with Feng Qing and was afraid to go home.
Good heavens, these words completely opened the floodgates for Gu Zhao's mouth. He recounted everything from how he was sitting perfectly fine in the car, waiting to return to the seventh solitary confinement cell, to how he was captured and used as a sacrifice to have his fate changed against all odds.
He focused on recounting how he outwitted and outmaneuvered the bad guys and survived unharmed. Then he said he was going to the Seventh Bureau to ask Gu Linyuan for help, saying that the man's body was too weak and he really didn't want him. He wanted to go back to being a monkey and rule the world!
Gu Zhao was eventually dragged away by Gu Lie with his mouth covered, but his words had already spread.
Gu Zhao had already experienced a "crazy" episode once. The Gu family said he was insane, and the other people in the family compound accepted it well.
Let them go crazy if they want; at least it's not their family members who are crazy.
Aside from being puzzled that Gu Zhao had suddenly stopped being paralyzed, they muttered a few words and then let the matter pass.
Unfortunately, Feng Qing was in a bad mood that day and was staring blankly at the dodder in the yard by the window when her neighbor across the street saw her.
Good heavens!
That affected posture was definitely Feng Qing, but that person was clearly an old lady!
When rumors were spreading everywhere, Gu Linyuan and Shi Yuan went to the Gu family again.
This time, Gu Lie was unable to cover Gu Zhao's mouth.
Later, everyone in the neighborhood knew that Gu Dingbei had his eldest daughter-in-law use evil magic to restore Gu Zhao to normal.
What? How could Feng Qing know evil magic?
Do you still remember Ji Shuyang from back then?
That's what Feng Qing did to him!
Feng Qing is a demon!
See the dodder in the Gu family's yard? Who grows this kind of thing in their yard?
Feng Qing is a demon formed from dodder seeds!
For a long time, the Gu family's affairs became the focus of discussion in the family compound.
Because of Gu Zhao's accusations, coupled with the testimony of the family in the suburbs of Beijing, Gu Dingbei and Gu Lie were convicted of murder.
Feng Qing, being a demon who had harmed human lives, was handed over to the Seventh Division for punishment. Gu Zhao, now neither human nor monkey, was also handed over to the Seventh Division.
Feng Qing was already exhausted and, after being imprisoned in the Seventh Division for only a few days, turned into a pile of withered dodder, which was then taken away and reused by the members of the Seventh Division who liked to refine magical artifacts.
Gu Zhao then volunteered to go to Changbai Mountain to cultivate again, promising never to cause trouble again.
Once he cultivates his true form again, he will be able to break free from Gu Zhao's body, at which point Gu Zhao's body will officially die.
The Gu family collapsed overnight.
Later, Gu Dingbei sent someone to tell Gu Linyuan that he wanted to meet him, but Gu Linyuan refused.
With the Gu family gone, the truth about what happened back then came to light, and he had no further connection with the Gu family.
With that in mind, he picked up his coat and car keys, preparing to go to the household registration office to change his surname.
The car was stopped just after it left the seventh location; it was Gu Xiyue who stopped it.
Gu Linyuan hated everyone in the Gu family equally, but he was rational. He didn't touch Gu Lie's wife and son, and as for Gu Xiyue, the best attitude he could have towards her was to ignore her.
Otherwise, he would remember that Gu Xiyue was born on the backs of Gu Linfeng, and that she deserved to die.
At that time, Gu Xiyue was still in Feng Qing's womb, so Feng Qing bore all the blame.
He didn't harm Gu Xiyue because he was rational, not because he had any brotherly or sisterly feelings for her and couldn't bring himself to do it.
Therefore, he couldn't understand why Gu Xiyue stopped his car and cried to him about her homelessness.
"So what? You came to me wanting my help?" Gu Linyuan's expression was complicated. "You and your father use the same brain, don't you?"
He's the one who ruined the Gu family. How could Gu Xiyue possibly think of taking care of the Gu family, especially since they're the descendants of her enemy?
After saying that, he released the brakes and prepared to leave.
"Big brother, could you lend me some money?" Gu Xiyue stood in front of the car and didn't move. "Everything in the house has been seized. I didn't bring anything with me except a few clothes."
Gu Linyuan shifted into reverse, released the brake, and stepped on the accelerator in one smooth motion, and the car sped away, bypassing Gu Xiyue.
Finally, I heard that Gu Xiyue went to find Fan Jing, but by then Fan Jing had already remarried. Her new family wasn't bad to her and her son, but second marriages are always bumpy, so of course she couldn't raise a niece who was already an adult.
She gave Gu Xiyue a few dollars to get rid of her.
After that, there was no further news about Gu Xiyue.
It wasn't until much later, when the Seventh Division captured a wicked demon, that they learned from it that Feng Qing had told Gu Xiyue the secret method to restore her demon form. Gu Xiyue took a risk and went to the mountain to ambush weaker demons, only to be killed instead.
Gu Linyuan didn't even blink when he heard the news.
With the Gu family matter settled, Shi Yuan and Gu Linyuan's revenge alliance officially disbanded.
In the following years, the country reinstated the college entrance examination and encouraged self-employment, leading to a flourishing of various industries.
The seventh place gradually faded into the background.
Five years later
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