Chapter 418: The Kong Family Manor

Su Yan was satisfied with Zhou Li's answer, though she still needed to remain vigilant regarding this trip.

Before setting off, she had already communicated with Zhou Li, hoping he could stay behind.

However, Zhou Li's attitude was extremely firm; he stated that no matter where she went, he would follow.

Since he was impossible to reason with, Su Yan could only bring him along.

"Senior Sister Su, where are we going this time?"

Looking at the scenery outside, Zhou Li finally remembered to ask about their destination.

The evil spirits in the county town had all been cleaned out by him, so it was time for them to move their base of operations.

Su Yan's expression gradually turned serious. Curling her lips, she uttered four words, "Nanling, the Kong Family."

Because Su Yan had said she left something at home, Su Jianguo did not go directly back to the factory after exiting the train station, but instead returned home first.

Although Su Yan had repeatedly assured him that this was just a simple trip, Su Jianguo couldn't help but feel uneasy for some reason.

He entered the house and went straight to Su Yan's room.

When he pulled open the dressing table and saw the items Su Yan had left inside, he was instantly stunned.

Inside were actually ten gold bars and ten thousand yuan.

Su Jianguo's breathing quickened; even as the deputy director of a textile factory, this was the first time he had seen so much money.

However, instead of feeling any joy or excitement, he grew increasingly nervous.

Fortunately, Su Yan seemed to have anticipated this, as she had left a note inside.

It was written very simply; Su Yan told him that this money and the gold bars were earned while she was in the capital, and she guaranteed they were legal and obtained without violating any morals.

Su Jianguo stared at the note for a long time, finally letting out a heavy sigh.

His daughter had truly grown up; she no longer needed his protection.

And her purpose in leaving this money was very clear: to ensure he would never lack food or clothing.

He certainly could not fail to honor such a sentiment.

***

Deep within layers of rolling mountains lay a very secluded yet prosperous manor.

The area of the manor was almost as large as two or three ordinary villages.

Aside from the lush greenery, even the air felt slightly different from the outside world.

In the northwest corner of the manor's center, a dozen young men and women were working hard to practice activating the talismans in their hands.

Dressed in black clothes and black trousers, Kong Nian listened to the sounds of the youths training nearby while being supported by others; her expression was so grim it looked as if it could drip water.

"Has my paternal uncle still not emerged from seclusion?"

Kong Nian's voice was no longer as clear and bright as it once was; it was now so sinister it made one's scalp tingle.

"He has not," the disciple responsible for looking after her answered cautiously.

Her entire being seemed shrouded in a shadow, eerie and terrifying.

Ever since she had returned, everyone had told her that Kong Shankui had been in seclusion continuously until now.

Every day since her return had been an ordeal; day after day like this, she was truly being driven mad.

"Where is Kong Xiang? Tell him to come see me!"

"Miss, Martial Uncle Kong has also been very busy lately..."

"Do you all think I'm a fool? Even if my eyes are blind, my heart is not! Send Kong Xiang to see me right now!" Kong Nian roared in fury, showing no regard for the people nearby.

As expected, her roar immediately drew everyone's attention, and gazes turned toward her one after another.

Some were sympathetic, others were mocking.

Kong Nian breathed heavily, also sensing the atmosphere, and quickly turned to stride away.

"Senior Sister Kong is throwing another tantrum," the young men and women couldn't help but whisper.

As one of the family's carefully cultivated future heirs, Kong Nian held a significant position within the entire Kong family.

To these people, Kong Nian had always been an existence to look up to, and many of the family's youths even held a secret crush on her.

But all of this had changed during the month last year when Kong Nian had left the family.

Everyone in the family knew how wretched Kong Nian looked when she returned; not only were her eyes blind, but even her ocular superpower was almost entirely gone, and her temperament had changed drastically.

Since her return, Kong Nian's roars could be heard here almost every day. Gradually, everyone began to distance themselves from her, unwilling to have any interaction at all.

The person who arrived in Kong Nian's room was not the Kong Xiang she wanted to see, but Gan Hua, who came carrying medicinal soup.

Currently, in the entire Kong family, Gan Hua was perhaps the only one who could still treat Kong Nian normally.

However, her special treatment of Gan Hua was not without reason.

Back at the Zhou family ancestral grounds, only Gan Hua had risked her life to protect her.

"Junior Sister, the kitchen brewed some medicinal soup, so I've brought it to you."

Gan Hua walked straight to the table and set down the tray.

Kong Nian's eyes were still covered by a black cloth, but even the mere scent of the soup made her feel nauseated.

"Why is it you? I want to see Kong Xiang!"

Gan Hua seemed long accustomed to her fury, explaining, "A riot occurred on the south side of the manor. Martial Uncle Kong took the disciples to handle it the day before yesterday and has not returned yet."

Kong Nian's emotions flared instantly. "Even you are lying to me?!"

Kong Xiang was clearly avoiding her.

Everyone was avoiding her, treating her like a calamity.

"I am not. Martial Uncle Kong truly is not here. You should drink the soup while it's hot so it can be effective," Gan Hua said, cautiously bringing the bowl to her lips.

Kong Nian, however, angrily pushed his hand away.

The soup bowl fell from Gan Hua's hand, making a piercing sound.

Even so, Gan Hua was not particularly startled, and since the bowl was made of silver, it did not break even after hitting the ground.

"Junior Sister, why must you make things so difficult for yourself?"

Turning herself into this volatile person that everyone feared.

Kong Nian's chest heaved violently, as if flames were burning within her.

"Others might not know, but don't you? I am already a useless person! Kong Xiang promised me that as long as I returned to the family, he would find a way with the Patriarch to restore my sight. But now, I have become a prisoner, unable to even step a single foot outside this place!"

By the end, she was screaming hoarsely.

The only thing Gan Hua could do was offer kind words of persuasion. "Martial Uncle Kong restricted Junior Sister from leaving the manor for your own safety. As for the matter of restoring your sight, Martial Uncle Kong also said it must wait until the Patriarch emerges from seclusion. Junior Sister, you should wait a little more patiently."

He could understand her feelings, but impatience would solve nothing.

"Then how much longer must I wait? Gan Hua, tell me, is the Patriarch truly in seclusion?"

Kong Nian gripped Gan Hua's wrist tightly, as if doing so could force the truth from him.

Gan Hua endured the pain and did not pull his arm away.

"Of course it is true. Junior Sister, the Patriarch is your paternal uncle; do you not even trust the Patriarch?"

(End of Chapter)