Chapter 152: Three Questions
Watching the black-haired girl leave, the door to the tea room closed, and the Wang family’s matriarch turned her head back, her expression gradually becoming serious, tinged with a trace of barely detectable helplessness and sadness.
“The blood-clan of Hua Country, from top to bottom, all call me the matriarch of the Wang family, but who knows my real surname is Tong… My short-lived husband died in the battle at Yashan at the end of the Song dynasty, and my family was also gone. Back then, I was just a servant, just a widow of the Wang family…”
The matriarch looked down at the teacup before her, the pale green tea reflecting her aged face, prompting a teasing laugh.
“Slowly, all the uncles, aunts, and sisters-in-law in this family have left one by one. My titles changed from Wang family’s wife to old sister, and finally to matriarch. I often wonder, am I really capable of holding up this whole family as just a woman…”
“Life just goes on like this, day by day, year by year, witnessing the rise and fall of dynasties, the shift of stars, and the changes in people and things. After licking the edge of a blood-soaked knife for so long, I almost forgot that I am a woman.”
“Heh, I never expected that eighty years ago, it was two women busying themselves, and eighty years later, it is again two women racking their brains…”
Wan Yue sat upright, slightly lowering her head, not picking up on that cue. Or perhaps she felt she had no right to compare herself to this legendary woman who protected half of Hua Country.
“As one grows older, the desire for tranquility grows stronger, and the more one seeks peace, the more one starts to overthink… As soon as the overthinking begins, one starts to meddle.”
The matriarch picked up her teacup and took a small sip, her smile unwavering: “In the past fifteen years, you have expressed three times your desire to see me. My dear girl, you resemble a deceased friend of mine. For this reason, I agree to discuss three matters with you today.”
Wan Yue immediately raised her eyes, looking straight ahead, as if she had prepared for a long time, just waiting for the matriarch to enlighten her: “Elder, the first question I want to ask: Was the information about the Tang family’s awareness of their enemies provided by the Wang family?”
After a few seconds, the matriarch shook her head slightly: “You’ve been probing into that kid from the Jin family, haven’t you, about what he could know… I can tell you now, yes, but also no.”
“If I had truly known that the Tang family was engaging in such abominable acts, I would have wiped them out directly, and there would have been no need for Dark Arrow to intervene.”
“To my shame, the Wang family did not realize that the Tang family was operating in the shadows. At that time, an outsider passed on a rather harmless message that my fifth son dismissed and casually handed to Dark Arrow…”
“It wasn’t until Dark Arrow suffered a major loss from the Tang family that everyone realized that the mysterious outsider had utilized the Wang family’s resources to alert Dark Arrow and dragged the Wang family into this mess… Fortunately, the outcome wasn’t too bad; at least it prevented the Engel family from succeeding.”
Saying this, the matriarch let out a self-deprecating laugh, clearly feeling that this seemingly calculated “coincidence” had a significant impact on the Wang family, especially since the Tang family played with fire right under their noses, which was a slap in the face for the Wang family.
Wan Yue gently nodded; this answer was basically in line with her own speculation. She couldn’t help but think back to the real reason she left the Hermit’s Alliance two decades ago and the mysterious intelligence she received from Europe fifteen years ago.
“Elder, my second question: The Wang family has known about the Goebbels family’s legacy for a long time, and you’ve mentioned before that there have been three entries in the last two hundred years. What really distinguishes Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao from other blood clans?”
The moment this question was posed, even Wan Yue herself laughed, as it was a vast question, nearly covering all aspects of the Goebbels family’s legacy. Her ideas were sparse, but these were the true answers she had been exploring for the past fifteen years.
“A clever girl, planning to take everything and pack it up, huh?” The matriarch pointed at Wan Yue with a smile, “Heh, you remind me of that deceased friend of mine from eighty years ago; you really resemble her!”
Wan Yue did not respond, appearing like a true little girl, grinning with curiosity, and the matriarch continued to observe her, eventually laughing out loud.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re the child of that deceased friend, so you must have known about the ancestral plan for quite some time… No need to deny it; I’m not foolish. Your cunning nature resembles her exactly.”
As these words left her mouth, the smile on Wan Yue’s face gradually faded, and she eventually hung her head in silence.
“The Ancestral Plan is the legacy of the Goebbels family, or rather, the Goebbels family is merely the guardian of the ancestral legacy. Although the Wang family can be considered a millennium-old clan, we only became aware of this matter about two hundred years ago.”
Regarding Wan Yue’s change in emotion, the matriarch seemed almost oblivious or merely smiled slightly before continuing her discourse.
“The Ancestral legacy gives birth to a progeny every century, called the Grandmother. Within the Grandmother, bloodlines are produced, and upon maturity, one is chosen to be sown into a blood clan, becoming the next generation’s Grandmother’s womb, known as the Queen.”
The Grandmother continuously devours blood clans to nourish the bloodlines, with the bloodlines producing Queens, which then return to the Ancestral legacy to give birth to new Grandmothers…
“The first two Grandmothers I encountered only had one bloodline, but this time, two bloodlines appeared, which puzzled me for quite a while… Fortunately, you had that boy Jin send me a sample of Jiang Yao; the Wang family is still eager to explore, but it won’t be something that can be understood quickly.”
“I’m also pondering what the ultimate purpose of the Goebbels family, and even the current Engel family, is… Besides coming to Hua Country, the Grandmother roams the world, leading to a growing hodgepodge of bloodlines within successive Grandmothers.”
However, we know that hybrid blood clans grow quickly, yet they are very unstable, so the Grandmother has turned into a large meatball, and I suspect that the unseen Ancestral legacy isn’t human-like at all.
At this point, the matriarch abruptly paused, started to drink tea, perhaps leaving room for the other to digest this information.
The Goebbels family’s legacy, that massive shifting mass of flesh that distorts life, is meant to create a hodgepodge of bloodlines as a Queen. But what is the ultimate goal? Wan Yue fell into deep thought again.
A few days ago, when you helped the Wang family’s seventh son in the south, you encountered the horrific substance that appeared in the Liang family. That was the terrible creation stemming from the Goebbels family’s experiments with the Grandmother or even the Ancestral legacy. Eighty years ago, the Tanaka family in Japan also had some, catching us off guard at the time.
“The power of the blood clan is so incredible, but what we can experience is probably just a tiny fraction of it. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many bizarre medicines emerging in the past few centuries, causing even the Wang family to be lured into concocting various potions and such.”
Some wish for longevity, some seek invincibility, while others desire wealth beyond measure… Thus, whatever the Goebbels family or the current Engel family intends to do, I am mentally prepared. But as long as it harms heaven and earth, I cannot stand idly by.
“What’s wrong? Do you feel you can’t handle it?” Seeing Wan Yue’s increasingly dazed expression, the matriarch sighed deeply, “Then, do you still wish to ask the third question?”
Wan Yue came back to her senses, got up from her seat, and directly knelt beside the matriarch, taking a deep breath.
Slowly, she opened her mouth: “Elder, the third question: domestically, who is most likely to cooperate with the Engel family?”
“Quietly gazing at Wan Yue’s face, the matriarch’s lips revealed a hint of amusement: ‘I can share my speculation; it just depends on whether your little frame can handle it…'”
“My dear girl, according to that kid Jin, you learned about someone bringing the Grandmother in from overseas more than a decade ago. If I’m not mistaken, your investigation ended with the Zhong family, but you couldn’t continue because the connection was broken.”
“Without that connection, or grasping the person holding it, you worry that those two little kids might follow that pathway and be taken away again. Or, even if you managed to block this time, there’s no guarantee there won’t be a next time… Am I right?”
The matriarch slowly spoke, causing Wan Yue’s heart to begin swirling amidst clarity and confusion.
“Yes, my judgment back then was that the Engel family sent things from Australia to the Zhong family through an overseas-registered company, then from Zhong to Tang family, with the Tang family feeding them through blood, and finally reclaiming the Queen.”
“Of course, it wasn’t until the Tang family was exposed that I clarified this logic, which was a case of hindsight. I don’t know who hosted the whole process in Hua Country, but I believe the Engel family would never do such things personally; Dark Arrow is watching, and the Wang family is keeping an eye as well.”
Wan Yue lowered her head and quickly voiced the question that had troubled her for long.
“Well, then I want to ask you a question: who provided you with the information that made you pay attention to the Zhong family? I estimate that those who know about the Ancestral plan can be counted on one hand within the country…”
The matriarch suddenly lowered her voice, her smile becoming quite mysterious.
“…”
Wan Yue was taken aback for a moment, slowly biting her lip, and after a few seconds, shook her head slightly: “Elder, I cannot say this, but it was definitely information obtained from the Engel family.”
“Well, being cautious is a good habit… But have you considered that this information may have been intentionally released by the Engel family to lead you to think in that direction, just to hide the real channel and the person controlling it?”
“The Australian company selling animal entrails that you investigated was linked to the Fujiwara family, right? The information you received was almost half a poker card; the person giving you the information may have long since been utilized by them.”
The matriarch’s remarks made Wan Yue’s pupils dilate sharply for a moment, but within one or two seconds, her expression returned to normal.
“Your insight is something I’ve also thought through… After all, the lead ended at Zhong family, and the information I could retrieve is also accessible to many others… To continue the investigation, one must reconnect the leads starting from Zhong family to other people; the Engel family has a motive to make me misjudge.”
At this moment, Wan Yue seemed to forget the venerable matriarch before her and entered into a state of deep thought, actually standing up and walking around the tea room.
“You clever little girl, you won’t easily let what you see confuse your mind. It’s a pity that those fools in the Hermit’s Alliance let you go…”
Seeing Wan Yue quickly find the flaw, the matriarch couldn’t help but nod slightly.
“Elder, the Ancestral plan entangles so many mainstream blood clan families, making it difficult to truly cover it up from everyone. The Engel family only needs to use a false piece of information to shift our focus to Zhong family, making us believe that the Engel family’s layout in Hua Country is tied to people or forces associated with Zhong family.”
“Indeed very malicious… In strict terms, only two families can be linked to Zhong family, Yi Xiao Ge and…”
It’s the Wang family because there’s a share of Wang family in Zhong family’s stocks, the other is Japan’s Fujiwara family…
“If the clues appear with Zhong family, Dark Arrow is also keenly watching those from the Wang family and the Japanese Fujiwara family! Meanwhile, the real channel for bringing in the Grandmother has been concealed!”
“According to the old lady, the Wang family has been keeping an eye on Zhong family, so the Grandmother was not sent from Zhong family to Tang family; that was an erroneous conclusion made after the Tang family was exposed. The Engel family could not possibly link the Tang family with false leads.”
Many mysteries seemed to clarify at that moment. Wan Yue pondered and clenched her fists, as if she had reached a conclusive insight from Zhong Jing back then.
“My dear girl, coming to this conclusion is good; since there are those who want us to take the blame for the Japanese, muddying the waters, it shows that their real channel must rely on several other families in Hua Country.”
The Liang family has already fallen into chaos, so it shouldn’t be them. The Zhou family to the east is suspicious, but not much, since the Wang family has a deep marital connection with the Zhou and has been watching over them. The remaining ones can only be…
At this point, the matriarch stopped speaking and slowly enjoyed her tea.
“The remaining ones can only be the Hermit’s Alliance and Dark Arrow…”
A thunderous horror exploded in Wan Yue’s mind, causing her to tightly close her eyes, her body trembling. It took a full minute before she breathed a sigh of relief, slowly opening her eyes, her expression even more desolate.
If before she only had doubts, now, having received this near-conclusive hint from the matriarch, the last thread of luck in her heart had thoroughly shattered.
Dark Arrow, that represents resources and power given by the entire national machinery, the guardian of the nation. Meanwhile, the Hermit’s Alliance is the blood clan community deeply intertwined with the underworld of this country, chaotic and complex.
“Thank you for the elder’s reminder… I, Wan Yue, will surely act with caution.”
Wan Yue bowed deeply again, truly feeling heartfelt respect.
The matriarch naturally accepted Wan Yue’s gesture and continued smiling: “As for why the Tang family was exposed, that’s attributed to another sly character… Even now, I’m quite interested in who that is.”
“This sly one is quite capable yet timid, nearly fooling everyone and causing the Tang family to fail completely. Luckily, because of this person, we avoided misjudgment. The Engel family probably did not expect that the carefully arranged true and false leads would ultimately be revealed in the Tang family.”
“That kid Jin said you had arranged for people to watch over the Tang family many years ago in City D. Your source of information is seemingly more miscellaneous than that of the Wang family.”
As the matriarch said this, she gave Wan Yue a meaningful glance.
Wan Yue’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure. Some things, even if the matriarch guessed pretty close, could not be spoken by her.
“Heh, over these two hundred years, I’ve finally understood. The Queen is a demon in their hands, while in ours, she might be a Buddha. Even if we don’t know the final result, I have no intention of allowing them to continue doing evil… Otherwise, they will continuously produce demons!”
At this moment, the matriarch’s expression was exceptionally fierce, as if this thought was a final determination forged through two hundred years of blood and struggle.
“So, little girl, we all have our tasks from today onward.”
“Let’s leave it at that for today. Stay here for one night; we’ll enjoy a bamboo banquet together, a signature dish in City Y. There’s still some time left.”
“You can take the little girl around; the nearby scenery and air are quite pleasant, it’s good for health. I plan to come here to stay for a while in a few years.”
With a smile, the matriarch stood up, and the housekeeper came in to begin tidying the tea table.
As for how to host guests, someone would handle it naturally. The matriarch had just returned to the inner room when the middle-aged villager who guided Wan Yue before walked in.
“Old Nine, what do you think is the difference between that girl and the Queen we met over eighty years ago?”
The matriarch casually asked as she sat on the couch.
“The aura is similar, but it feels purer.” The middle-aged villager, called Old Nine, had eyes sparkling with interest in Jiang Yan, “Elder, I suggest we still bring the girl into the Wang family for hiding; their research value is immensely high. The previous samples were ultimately not comprehensive enough and lacked a bit of heating!”
“Hmph, eighty years ago, you were so anxious that you burned that Queen to ashes. So, what’s your realization now?”
The matriarch teasingly pointed at her junior.
Old Nine’s face began to flush, seeming embarrassed as someone reminded him of past blunders: “Hehe, I was too young then, thinking that studying medicine wouldn’t save the nation or protect the family, better to engage in killing.”
Hearing this from her junior, the matriarch’s smile gradually faded, her tone turning serious: “Old Nine, your talent in the Wang family isn’t high, but you are clever and eager to learn. A hundred years ago, I sent you to study in the West to keep the Wang family updated, giving rise to the current Wang family Medical Research Center.”
“People cannot be hidden, because I made a pact with girl Zhu; once the Wang family attains the Queen, she must be handed over to Dark Arrow! A person without faith cannot stand; this is the principle that has allowed the Wang family to rise and fall for a thousand years.”
“This… Elder, that was merely due to the circumstances back then!”
Hearing this, Old Nine quickly grew anxious: “This is a monumental opportunity to gain insight into the Ancestral plan! With those two girls, the gap between the Wang family and the traditional blood clans in Europe and America may soon be narrowed!”
“Sigh, I just praised you for being the smartest person in the Wang family… As long as they are not in the Wang family’s hands, won’t we have to hand people over? Trees die if they remain in one place, but people live if they are moved…”
The matriarch sighed, clearly frustrated.
“Oh… right, right! As long as they are not in the Wang family but with the wind signal! Hehe, you are so adept at managing both substance and appearance!”
Old Nine was stunned for a moment, then immediately brightened up, bowing repeatedly.
“Little intelligence can only be used temporarily, not for a lifetime. Actually, mainly, I also don’t dare to trust Dark Arrow now; eighty years have passed, the rivers and mountains have changed, yet people remain the same…”
The matriarch stood up and walked to the door, gazing at the distant mountain bamboo forest, remaining silent for several minutes before turning back to say: “Old Nine, I may be an outsider when it comes to how far medical technology has reached today, but I can only give you a few months to pinpoint the key to solving this issue!”
I will let Wan Yue and Jin work on a thorough check-up for those two girls again and provide more comprehensive research samples to the Wang family. Whether they become demons or Buddhas depends on you!
“The old do not die; they are thieves. I, this old woman, can only live for another two hundred years at most, so I must resolve the troubles while I am still alive and not leave them for you. Whether it is money, material, or people, you can put forth your requests!”
The matriarch suddenly turned and, even without releasing any aura, the power of an authority was unmistakably revealed.
“Mm, I understand!”
Old Nine immediately reigned in his smile, bowing deeply.
