Chapter 76: The Ancestor's Belated Rebellion (Part 3)

While trying to find a way to rescue Yue Luozhu, they quietly expanded their influence behind the scenes. Yet after so many years, no one had managed to free Yue Luozhu.

That was, until recently—

The place where Yue Luozhu was sealed began to exhibit strange phenomena. Sensing an opportunity, they snuck close by, hoping to take advantage of the situation—or rather, to save her.

As for why the Yue clan descendants didn’t try to rebuild on their own and insisted on rescuing Yue Luozhu instead…

Jiang He explained: the Yue clan was fundamentally different from other families; Yue Luozhu, being of the direct bloodline, was the only one qualified and capable enough to lead the clan back to glory.

Ling Qiong, on the other hand, thought—well, that’s just how the author wrote it. If Yue Luozhu wasn’t rescued, how could the secrets of the millennia-old war be revealed? How could the protagonist enter the plotline of the great war from a thousand years ago? For all she knew, it might even tie into the past lives of the main characters! That’s how these stories always go. Dad gets it!

...

Tianqing Sect.

The rolling mountain range stretched all the way to the horizon, where a grand and imposing gate stood at the foot of the mountain. Several disciples in plain white robes were stationed at the entrance, greeting guests who arrived in various ways.

Ling Qiong lounged in her soft palanquin, lifting a corner of the gauzy curtain with her fingertips to peer outside.

It was a bit chaotic in front of the mountain gate. Two groups had collided, resulting in a confrontation.

“Cheng Tinghan, you lost because of your own lack of skill. How can you blame me?” sneered a woman in white, mocking the girl opposite her.

Cheng Tinghan accused her furiously, “You used underhanded tricks!”

The woman covered her lips and laughed softly. “You say I used underhanded tricks? Can you prove it?”

Cheng Tinghan fell silent, unable to produce any evidence, yet unwilling to let the woman leave, causing the situation to escalate further. Both sides had brought followers, and as tempers flared, they forgot about the time and place.

Just as a fight seemed imminent, Ling Qiong heard someone in the distance call out in a drawn-out voice—“Yuelu Manor has arrived!”

At that, both groups abruptly stopped and looked up at the sky.

A soft palanquin was descending slowly, its sheer curtains unmoved by the wind. The onlookers could only vaguely make out a figure within.

They exchanged confused glances. Arriving here in all manner of ways was nothing unusual—a palanquin was hardly a novelty. What was surprising was that Yuelu Manor had sent a palanquin—something no one had ever seen before.

The palanquin touched down steadily. Jiang He, waiting outside, lifted the curtain respectfully and invited, “Ancestor, we’ve arrived.”

Ling Qiong stepped out, and everyone at the gate turned to look.

—

A young girl, dressed in black, her somber attire unable to mask her stunning features.

Ling Qiong slipped her hand from her wide, flowing sleeve and flicked open a folding fan with a snap, covering her face. She asked Jiang He, “Why are they all staring at us?”

Had they found out her identity?

“Ancestor, we’re actually quite famous,” Jiang He whispered.

“…” Ling Qiong probed cautiously, “How famous?”

When she learned she was to attend the heroine’s funeral at Tianqing Sect, she found it all rather surreal. A villainous organization, yet invited to the heroine’s funeral. Wasn’t this just inviting the tiger into the house?

So far, she’d only gotten to know the inner workings of the manor; she hadn’t learned much about the outside world. Up to this point in the plot, Yuelu Manor hadn’t even been mentioned.

She was about to find out just how famous Yuelu Manor was…

Cheng Tinghan broke the silence. “Let Brother Jiang He judge for us!”

The other woman, glancing at Jiang He, was no longer as overbearing as before. “Such a trivial matter, no need to trouble someone from Yuelu Manor.”

Before Cheng Tinghan could respond, the woman added, “We’re not here today to cause trouble. I won’t argue with you further.” With that, she led her people straight through the gate, quickly vanishing from sight.

Ling Qiong, full of question marks, fanned herself in confusion.

...

Yuelu Manor enjoyed a stellar reputation across the continent, held in high esteem and respect, and possessed considerable status.

Ling Qiong: “…”

With things at this level, what was the point of seeking revival? Were their brains addled?

Just then, a disciple of Tianqing Sect came over and greeted Jiang He with a bow. “Young Master Jiang He, are you the only one attending today?”

“Yes,” Jiang He replied. “The elders are in seclusion, so I was sent in their stead.”

In truth, the Ancestor disliked the elders and refused to let them come along—though Jiang He himself wasn’t sure what the Ancestor’s issue with them was.

“I see.” The disciple looked at the girl fanning herself. “And this is…?”

“This is our recently recovered young mistress. We haven’t had a chance to host a banquet to announce her return before this incident occurred…”

The disciple, surprised, quickly offered congratulations. “Congratulations, Young Master Jiang He.”

Jiang He had previously explained: to be ready for Yue Luozhu’s return at any time, they always kept an identity open, making sure everyone knew such a person existed. That way, when Yue Luozhu came back, she could assume that identity.

So now Ling Qiong was the young mistress who had been missing for years.

Jiang He hadn’t spoken softly; everyone present had heard.

The young mistress of Yuelu Manor, lost for years, had finally been found…

But the girl looked so delicate and frail, with no sign of any cultivation.

—

“Young Mistress, Young Master Jiang He, please come inside,” the Tianqing Sect disciple urged them in.

As Ling Qiong walked away, whispers broke out behind her.

“Is she really the young mistress of Yuelu Manor?”

“Jiang He said so himself—must be true.”

“She doesn’t look much like the previous master…”

“Maybe she takes after her mother? Wasn’t the previous master’s wife said to be a great beauty?”

“Ever since the master died, Yuelu Manor has been without a head for years. Looks like she’ll inherit the position…”

“She doesn’t seem to have any cultivation.”

“…”

…

Ling Qiong suspected she was fated to make her entrance at the heroine’s memorial tablet.

Tianqing Sect was the heroine’s sect, and the heroine had a highly respected master there. Hence, her death had prompted such an extravagant funeral.

As for whether all these people were here for the funeral—who could say for sure?

Ling Qiong and Jiang He were led to a secluded courtyard to rest.

Ling Qiong—the Ancestor—lay on a rocking chair, eating grapes Jiang He had peeled for her.

“Yuelu Manor already holds such a position. Why bother with a revival?”

Jiang He peeled another grape. “Ancestor, the ‘Yue’ in Yuelu is not the same as our ‘Yue’. It’s not the same at all.”

“…”

What difference did it make? A comfortable life was all that mattered.

But clearly, the Yue clan didn’t see it that way.

They wanted not just to restore their former glory, but to reclaim the Yue clan’s name itself.

…

Later, someone came to invite them to another mountain peak.

White silk was draped everywhere on this peak, fluttering in the wind, lending the place a strange melancholy. Even the grass and trees seemed to exude sorrow, drooping listlessly.

“Yanwei Mountain resonates with the flora,” Jiang He whispered, seeing Ling Qiong watching the plants.

Yanwei Mountain belonged to the heroine’s master—who was also the male lead.

The state of the vegetation said enough about how much the male lead cared for the heroine.