Chapter 5: Huo Family Old Matters

Qingli's face was expressionless: "I saw the changes at the Danxia Gang just now. Your so-called house is the original site of the Danxia Gang. It's been uninhabited for a long time and is almost collapsed."

Lu Xingzhou asked, "Is the size suitable or not?"

Qingli didn't speak.

Not many of their "remnants" came to Xia State. Since that place was originally a gang station that could hold hundreds of people, the size was obviously enough.

"Since the size is suitable, renovating and repairing it a bit won't take much effort." Lu Xingzhou smiled, squinting: "I have money, you know."

You just fleeced quite a bit of money... Qingli said coldly: "Why do we have to wait for renovations?"

"Because it's cheap. I believe you all didn't bring too much money when you escaped, so save what you can."

Qingli closed her mouth.

Actually, they were quite wealthy and weren't concerned about this small price. Of course, it wasn't appropriate to expose their wealth in front of someone they had just met. Moreover, Qingli originally wouldn't vulgarize things by bargaining over money with anyone, let alone with this stinky man who seemed to have ulterior motives.

But after Liu Yan'er's previous self-assumed affection and the resulting laughter, Qingli really didn't dare to judge what this man meant exactly. She didn't want to make herself look ridiculous by also being self-assumed.

As a result, Shen Tang spoke with interest: "First, take us to see the place, then we can decide."

Qingli furrowed her brow slightly, looking at Shen Tang with some surprise.

Are you really planning to continue getting involved with this person?

The Huo residence was built against the mountain, a large independent manor with no neighbors. The so-called "adjacent to the Huo residence" original site of the Danxia Gang was actually separated by a large area of fields.

A group of people arrived at the entrance of the Danxia Gang's original site. Lu Xingzhou didn't go in but turned his head back to look.

His gaze crossed over the vast fields, vaguely seeing the continuous Huo residence in the distance, with willow shade, green tiles, and green moss.

Lu Xingzhou's gaze became somewhat deep and distant.

"Is this your house?" Shen Tang's voice rang out beside him, quite interested: "It's a good place, secluded and quiet, with empty surroundings, convenient for practicing martial arts. But if we want to practice martial arts, the neighbor on that side..."

Lu Xingzhou withdrew his gaze and said faintly: "At least in the short term, that neighbor won't have the leisure to inquire about our matters." After a slight pause, he suddenly laughed again: "If your sect wants to develop, this house alone may not be enough. What do you think, isn't the continuous fields and houses on that side, backed by mountains, a very good direction for expansion?"

Shen Tang laughed: "Of course that would be good, but unfortunately, even if others were willing to sell, our strength isn't enough to acquire it."

"Dreams still have to be had..." Lu Xingzhou said: "Furthermore... That large house has special spiritual energy, hiding a trace of the wonder of bringing the dead back to life and healing bones. Especially for external injuries like injured tendons and broken bones, treating them there yields twice the result with half the effort."

Qingli was slightly startled. Shen Tang's eyes suddenly lit up sharply, and she subconsciously placed her hand on her broken leg's knee.

Carefully sensing the situation in the fields over there, she indeed felt a faint sensation, which seemed real.

Whether the so-called special spiritual energy alone could heal was another matter... The key was, according to Lu Xingzhou's words, was there a treasure under the Huo residence? If she could obtain a treasure, wouldn't there be more hope for healing?

As if seeing through her thoughts, Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "There is no treasure. Perhaps there was once, but it has already been taken away, and only the remaining spiritual energy has not yet dispersed."

Shen Tang resolutely said: "We'll rent it."

"Miss Shen needs to be clear, the remaining spiritual energy is in the Huo family's old house on that side, not on our side."

"It doesn't matter." Shen Tang looked at Lu Xingzhou meaningfully: "Mr. Lu himself is not in good health, perhaps our goals will be very consistent."

Lu Xingzhou showed his teeth and laughed: "Then I'll have to add money."

Qingli: "?"

Shen Tang couldn't help but say: "Didn't you say it was cheap here?"

"If I didn't say so, how would you all come to see the house and personally experience the spiritual energy over there?"

"..."

"With Liu Yan'er's previous example, Miss may not easily think someone has taken a liking to someone, although I really like white hair..." Lu Xingzhou signaled the little Taoist boy to push the wheelchair away, and they went far away: "The repair here is just changing some beams and columns and painting some paint, you can move in within three to five days. Five days later, you and I will meet here again."

The little Taoist boy turned his head and waved: "Goodbye, Sister."

Watching the master and disciple go far in the direction of the city, Shen Tang and Qingli looked at each other for a while, each with an expressionless face.

After a long time, Qingli just said in a low voice: "Do you really want to get involved with this person? He feels too mysterious and hard to fathom, and will only bring extra trouble."

Shen Tang said: "The national teacher's divination image points to Xia State... The more unfathomable, isn't it more likely to correspond to the divination image?"

Qingli said sternly: "Yes."

Shen Tang's gaze was deep and distant: "First, know the enemy. Use all your strength to investigate all of this person's information."

............

"Commander, there have been no changes in the Huo Grand Master's family in previous years, and no enemies either." In the Town Demon Department, an old constable proficient in the old affairs of Xia State reported to Sheng Yuanyao: "That year, Grand Master Huo lost the emperor's favor, and the whole family was idle in the old house in Xia State. In that situation, they were all cautious and careful. How would they dare to be too arrogant, and how could they offend such ferocious enemies?"

Sheng Yuanyao listened but didn't believe it, and said coldly: "With their identity in this remote border city, how cautious and careful they can really be is limited. There are no Huo family people here, no need for them to cover up their shame."

The old constable was a little embarrassed: "If you say they slightly bullied their neighbors, it's not completely impossible... Cough. But if they offended someone because of this kind of matter, that would be truly untraceable."

Listening to this, it seems like there are many things that can't be found, and they were still cautious and careful... Sheng Yuanyao said with a straight face: "Besides this? Are there no other special events? Even I heard in the capital that the Huo family's seventh young master died young ten years ago."

The old constable wiped his sweat: "This kind of internal matter of the Huo family, except for the old people who have served the Huo family for more than ten years, how would outsiders know the details? The Huo family spread the word that he died young from a serious illness."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The old people who have served the Huo family for more than ten years... Didn't some of these people die in this murder case?

Sheng Yuanyao pondered for a moment and asked: "How much do you know about the life of this Huo seventh young master? When I heard the Huo family talking in the capital, they mentioned a name called Huo Shang, was it him?"

The old constable said: "Yes, it was Huo Shang. At that time, we also muttered, how could the Huo family give their child such a name... But it is said that the name was given by divination, so it's not uncommon. "

"Mm, and then?"

"According to reports, this seventh young master's birth mother was just a lowly maid, who was with the Huo family's master one time after drinking... Afterwards, she was promoted to concubine. To say that the Huo family was acceptable in this regard, they also treated this seventh young master equally, and nurtured him well. Unfortunately, he died suddenly at the age of eight due to illness, and his mother also passed away from depression."

Sheng Yuanyao touched her chin, knowing why the old constable said the Huo family was acceptable in this regard.

If it was a family with few offspring, this kind of accidentally obtained son might be a surprise. But the Huo family had prosperous offspring, and this was already the seventh son. There were countless cousins in each branch, and the situation was tragic.

Under the premise of prosperous offspring, this kind of bastard accidentally born to a lowly maid was not only not as good as a legitimate son born to a normal concubine, but not even as good as an illegitimate child from an outer room. After all, concubines and outer rooms were generally quite favored. While this kind of accidental birth, with its mother's low status, obviously had no favor. This kind of legitimate son was often not much different in status from a family-born servant and was often the object of bullying by each branch.

Being able to nurture him equally was, of course, considered a praiseworthy "benevolence."

But in this cultivation world, with the advantages of medicine and cultivation in high-status clans, children may not die young as easily as ordinary people's children. Being raised to eight years old and still dying suddenly is probably due to limited care. Whether this so-called "equal treatment" was just for outsiders to see is hard to say...

"Before and after that, were there any other changes?"

The old constable recalled for a while and said again: "That year, the world disaster was very serious, and there were poor harvests everywhere. It seems that not long after the seventh young master died, the old grand master offered a strategy to the court to go overseas to find sweet potatoes. Later, they were found, and the Huo family's official position was restored because of this merit, and the whole family moved to the capital. It is said that this strategy beneficial to the country and the people was proposed by the Huo eldest young master."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart moved: "Are you sure it was not long after the seventh young master died?"

"It should be about the same, or just before not long? Anyway, it was definitely around that time."

Sheng Yuanyao narrowed her eyes and pondered for a long time, finally nodding: "I understand. Mm... About the previous Danxia View on Danxia Mountain, how much do you know?"

"Danxia View was just a dilapidated Taoist temple before, with only one old Taoist living alone inside. No one knew the Taoist's name. He just refined pills and lived his days, and also helped people divine and tell fortunes. It is said that it wasn't very accurate either. No one paid attention when the people weren't there anymore."

"Did he take disciples?"

"In the last few years, it seems that there was indeed a Taoist child by his side, who looked very weak and sickly, often only seen sitting on the ground."

Sheng Yuanyao urgently asked: "Sitting on the ground, was it because he was disabled?"

The old constable said apologetically: "I didn't pay attention to these things that year, I just saw him sitting on the ground, I don't know if he was disabled. If the Commander wants to know the details, you can ask other old people who have been to Danxia View."

Sheng Yuanyao nodded: "One last question... Did the time when the Taoist child appeared by the old Taoist's side and the time of the Huo seventh young master's death match?"