Chapter Seventy-Six: The Truth

Wu Daoyi’s brows furrowed and his eyes blazed as he pointed rigidly at Zhang Qinglin.

Back then, Zhang Qinglin had hidden in the secret cabinet, peering through the crack, and saw someone rifling through boxes outside the room. When that person poked his head inside, Zhang Qinglin caught a clear glimpse of his face. Though the face was ordinary, Zhang Qinglin was already terrified. He pressed against the wood of the cabinet, watching as the man hurriedly left, only to return moments later, following the sound of crying to find Zhang Qinglin and pull him out of hiding.

Wu Daoyi burst into laughter, shaking slightly before steadying himself, then began recounting what had happened all those years ago. At that time, he assisted his father and brothers in tomb exploration. They’d excavated quite a few tombs, and in terms of experience, his eldest brother surpassed even their father, so their father favored the eldest. But Wu Daoyi, being the second son, was jealous and often sought out information, buying rare artifacts unearthed from tombs at low prices and selling them high. He even tampered with the goods, so the items he sold for high prices were mostly forgeries. When buyers complained, he argued back fiercely, earning himself a poor reputation.

When the ancient tomb was discovered in Six Lian Village, word spread quickly. By the time Wu Daoyi arrived, the entrance had been sealed off due to a murder at the site. He later learned the tomb had already been robbed and valuable items taken. Hearing these had ended up in Zhang Chuyang’s family at Zhang Family Tower, he rushed there. Upon arrival, he saw the yard crowded with people. He was about to enter when screams erupted from inside, startling him so much that he hid nearby and watched.

After the crowd dispersed, Wu Daoyi entered the Zhang home, only to witness a gruesome scene. He tried to escape, but Zhang Qinglin’s grandfather grabbed his pant leg. In his panic, Wu Daoyi kicked the old man several times, but the grip wouldn’t loosen. He grabbed the grandfather’s tobacco pipe from the table and struck him repeatedly on the head. The old man collapsed in a pool of blood, and the pipe snapped in two.

Wu Daoyi had accidentally killed someone. Clutching the broken pipe, he realized it concealed a monumental secret. Greed overtook him as he searched the house for valuables, uncovering several treasures. As he continued, shouts sounded from the yard. He had no choice but to hide. He never expected that someone who arrived later would look almost identical to himself. Amid the chaos, he slipped away as the newcomer entered.

Everyone stood in Old Xu’s house. Uncle Jiang stared incredulously at the man before him, whose face was a near-perfect match to his own, unable to believe what he saw.

“Dad, how can he look so much like you? Are you twins?” Jiang Xinyue exclaimed in astonishment, staring at Wu Daoyi.

Uncle Jiang waved his hand. “Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

Wu Daoyi chimed in, “Heh, it really is impossible.”

Zhang Qinglin glanced from Uncle Jiang to Wu Daoyi, puzzled by the strange coincidence. Was the world truly this mysterious?

Suddenly, Cheng Che’s expression twisted unnaturally. He stared wide-eyed, clutching his arm, then collapsed to the floor, curling up and shivering.

“Cheng Che, what’s wrong?” Zhang Qinglin rushed forward, grabbing his shoulder in concern.

Seeing Cheng Che in such distress, everyone crowded around. Jiang Xinyue asked anxiously, “Hey, Cheng Che, where are you feeling unwell? You should go to the hospital. Someone, help out!” She glanced toward Wu Cheng’an behind Zhang Qinglin.

Wu Cheng’an hurried forward, cradling Cheng Che’s head while Zhang Qinglin supported his shoulders. Together they lifted him onto a nearby chair.

Cheng Che’s eyes were half-closed, his body trembling and mind clouded. Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, bloodshot and staring straight ahead.

Uncle Jiang’s face stiffened as he strode over and lifted Cheng Che’s injured arm, his expression changing dramatically before quickly letting go.

Looking at Cheng Che’s arm, they saw the swelling had grown as red as beans, embedded deep in the flesh, resembling clusters of yangmei berries. But the black palm print stood out starkly, causing Uncle Jiang to step back and wave at Zhang Qinglin and the others, urging them to retreat and keep their distance. “Everyone, stay away from him for now.”

Jiang Xinyue was terrified. She’d seen Uncle Jiang lift Cheng Che’s sleeve first and cried out, then quickly covered her mouth and retreated behind Uncle Jiang.

Wu Cheng’an and Zhang Qinglin stood together, never having seen anything like this and feeling goosebumps all over.

Wu Daoyi’s gaze was steady; he showed neither surprise nor fear.

“What’s the story behind the black palm print on his arm?” Uncle Jiang asked, examining the wound closely.

“Uncle Jiang, it was left by an old woman. After the Soul Candle appeared in the Zhang family’s old house, this mark was found,” Zhang Qinglin explained.

“Did you find that old woman?” Uncle Jiang was startled at the mention of the Soul Candle, then leaned in to study Cheng Che more carefully.

“Dad, look at all those red lumps on Cheng Che. Why aren’t we taking him to the hospital?” Jiang Xinyue asked quietly, having calmed herself a bit.

Uncle Jiang turned and replied, “He can’t go to the hospital like this. Doctors won’t be able to help, and it might cause even more trouble.”

Suddenly, Old Xu strode in from outside. Someone in the house must have noticed the lights and the commotion and reported it to him. He entered, leaning on his cane, and his face changed dramatically as he took in the scene.