Immortalis

Tong Xue: Five

The old servant seemed not to have expected such secrets to be unearthed so quickly. With another thud, he prostrated himself on the ground.

"The master was a good man. He only feared the young master might suffer further shock and wanted to settle matters peacefully. After all... given the state the young master was in at the time, even if someone from Boundless Mountain had come, they wouldn't have been able to get anything out of him."

"To suddenly go mad like that—if the Lu family had no history of madness before, then he was either frightened into it or poisoned."

Zhou Huai, himself afflicted with Evil Sickness, had seen countless physicians since childhood and had become something of a doctor through long illness. He asked, "Your young master wasn't poisoned, was he?"

The old servant shook his head: "During those two years, the master invited countless renowned physicians to the house. They all said the young master's illness was of the heart and couldn't be cured by ordinary prescriptions. Later, the mistress, heartbroken over her son, cried until she had no tears left. In desperate measures, the master brought in many Taoist priests and spirit mediums. The young master drank countless talisman-infused waters, but remained mad and delirious. Only after taking medicine would he stop his ravings, sitting daily in his room like a wooden puppet."

Shen Qingshi took out the Lu family genealogy obtained from the county office. Next to Lu Wenxiu's name were written the characters "Yu Shi." He asked, "But was Lu Wenxiu married?"

A bitter smile appeared on the old servant's aged face: "The young master's marriage was also arranged by the master. By then, the young master had been ill for nearly four years. Both master and mistress were exhausted. Then suddenly a spirit medium came to our door, suggesting we arrange a marriage for the young master to counter his misfortune with joy."

"When a prolonged illness shows no improvement, this is indeed the last resort one might consider."

Yang Wujian smiled, then glanced at the desolate courtyard in the torchlight: "But clearly, this method didn't save your young master either."

"Far from it..."

Speaking of this sorrowful memory, the old servant couldn't hold back his tears.

Eleven years ago, when the Lu family joyfully welcomed Yu Niangzi through their gates, no one could have imagined that in less than three years, the Lu family would meet such a tragic end.

The old servant said: "The spirit medium calculated that Yu Niangzi's birth characters were the most compatible with the young master's within ten miles. Though her origin wasn't distinguished—all the male members of her family had died in military conflicts, her aged mother had also passed away from illness, leaving her alone and helpless—the spirit medium also said that if her fate wasn't strong enough, not only would she fail to bring auspicious influence, but she would soon bring another funeral to the Lu family. Then the young master's illness would be beyond any cure."

Hearing this, Yang Wujian couldn't help but laugh: "What kind of talk is that? Lu Wenxiu had been mad for four years. Ordinary families wouldn't dare send their daughters to your household, would they? I imagine only an orphaned girl without parents would 'willingly' enter the Lu family gates, isn't that right?"

"But Yu Niangzi truly entered the Lu family marriage willingly."

Seeming to detect the sarcasm in Yang Wujian's words, the old servant hurriedly defended: "The master had concerns that day, and even explained the young master's condition to Yu Niangzi in advance. Yet she expressed no complaints, saying she was originally like drifting duckweed, and was grateful the Lu family was willing to take her in, giving her something to rely on. She promised the master that once she entered the Lu family, she would diligently care for the young master... Yu Niangzi kept her word. After entering the Lu household, she single-handedly managed all the young master's meals, daily routines, and even his three daily doses of medicine."

"But I heard from the county office that shortly after Yu Niangzi entered the Lu family, people started dying?"Shen Qingshi had a vague sense that something was amiss. It seemed too coincidental—both the timing of this spirit medium's appearance and Yu Niangzi's very existence.

The old servant sighed deeply.

Originally, Yu Niangzi had been married into the household to cure the young master's illness. Yet not only did Lu Wenxiu's condition fail to improve, even the mistress fell gravely ill.

Perhaps due to years of exhausting herself over her son's sickness, less than half a year after Lu Wenxiu's marriage, the mistress took to her bed and never recovered. It started with daytime coughing, then progressed to wheezing fits throughout the night. Multiple physicians prescribed various remedies, but none proved effective. After struggling for three more months, the mistress passed away the following spring.

At that time, the Lu family had no idea that Madame Lu's death marked only the beginning of their series of tragedies.

"Next to fall ill were Second Master and his wife... Madame Lu being frail succumbed first. When Second Young Master and Second Young Miss returned for the funeral, they too fell sick! It always began with coughing, then gradually they couldn't eat or sleep properly. Once they started coughing blood, it was over."

The old servant still shuddered recalling those scenes.

They had consulted physicians, of course. Those who came diagnosed consumption or some plague, until eventually even doctors refused to visit. Household servants left in waves, until only the most senior attendants remained, nursing the sick until their final breaths.

First the mistress, then Second Master and his wife, followed by Second Young Master and Second Young Miss. Soon, the newly-wed Yu Niangzi fell ill as well.

"What? Yu Niangzi also died?"

Zhou Huai wasn't foolish—he'd already considered the possibility of Yu Niangzi poisoning the Lu family. Yet contrary to expectations, while both Lu Wenxiu and Lu Guanshan survived, Yu Niangzi was the first to perish from illness.

Wiping tears, the old servant continued: "The strange thing was, only Lu family members caught this sickness. Those of us constantly attending them, serving medicine and water by their sickbeds day and night—none of us fell ill... When Yu Niangzi was dying, both master and young master had already been infected. In her final moments, she kept urging servants to make them take medicine, fearing the Lu family line would be broken."

"Medicine?"

Shen Qingshi raised his eyebrows: "What medicine?"

Even after all these years, the old servant remembered the medicine's scent. During the worst period, the entire estate lay shrouded in medicinal fumes.

"Other prescriptions showed no effect," he explained. "Only one physician's formula, while not curing the illness, could suppress the coughing. So we kept using that prescription."

"Other medicines failed, only this one stopped the coughing."

Zhou Huai also sensed something odd: "Who prescribed it? Do you remember that physician's name?"

The old servant pondered: "When Second Master and his wife fell ill simultaneously, the household descended into chaos. At peak times, the front hall would be packed with physicians. I believe... it was a female doctor. She didn't stay long—just provided the prescription and left."

"Do you recall what herbs were in that prescription?"

"Ephedra, dried tangerine peel... mostly common ingredients. But two components weren't available at local pharmacies—we had to buy them from a wandering healer. They were called... Wood Immortal Herb and Crimson Gold branches."

"Wood Immortal Herb? Crimson Gold branches? What are those?"Zhou Huai had taken countless medicines since childhood, yet he had never heard these two names. He asked the old servant to describe the appearance of the herbs, but the more he listened, the more alarmed he became.

"Reddish-brown small branches, serrated leaf stems? You're saying this is Wood Immortal Grass?"

Zhou Huai widened his eyes: "But isn't this Centipede Vine? Medicine King Mountain once prescribed this herb to me - small doses stimulate mental clarity, excessive consumption damages the heart and lungs... This medicine is rare, mostly used in the martial world for tempering hidden weapons. It's normal that apothecaries don't stock it, and even wandering physicians shouldn't have it."

Yang Wujian hadn't expected Zhou Huai to be useful in such matters: "Young master, you're quite knowledgeable. What about Crimson Gold branches? Have you seen them in your childhood too?"

Zhou Huai thought for a moment: "From the description, Crimson Gold branches sound somewhat like Datura Flower. This herb should be quite common in the martial world... It can both relieve pain and suppress coughs. In larger doses, it becomes knockout drops."

"So it seems, the source of this consumption disease that only affects the Lu family members is becoming obvious, isn't it?"

Yang Wujian smiled: "Old man, why don't you tell us - since the apothecaries didn't have it, how did you just happen to 'bump into' this wandering physician and learn that he possessed such rare medicine?"

Before the old servant could speak this time, Yang Wujian continued on his own: "I suppose it was Yu Niangzi who introduced him, right? After all, at that time, the first madam had passed away, the second master and his wife had fallen ill. Originally, tasks like gathering medicine were mostly handled by women. Plus, Lu Wenxiu's medicine had always been managed by Yu Niangzi. So when Yu Niangzi said she had a solution for this prescription unavailable at apothecaries, you naturally believed her."

The old servant gaped, dumbstruck.

"Centipede Vine damages the heart and lungs, while Datura Flower suppresses coughs and induces sleep. To avoid suspicion, Yu Niangzi early on mixed the poison into the prescription, deceiving you into continuing to poison Lu Wenxiu and Lu Guanshan after her 'death', completely wiping out the Lu family."

Shen Qingshi had already guessed the general picture. Ignoring the old servant's thunderstruck expression, he continued: "These substances originate from the martial world, meaning Yu Niangzi was from the martial world. If Centipede Vine is mostly used for tempering hidden weapons, then Yu Niangzi must be well-versed in this art. Those skilled in ambush are also adept at poisoning and disguise. Probably from the very beginning, the shamaness who made Lu Wenxiu marry for auspiciousness was Yu Niangzi herself. Later, that female physician and the wandering physician also..."

"But... but I personally witnessed Yu Niangzi breathe her last."

The old servant interrupted with a trembling voice. All these years, he couldn't let go of the Lu family. Even while wandering the streets, he would return to burn incense for the Lu family members, which naturally included offerings to Yu Niangzi.

Hearing this, Yang Wujian simply illuminated the old man's face with torchlight and smiled: "Old man, how old are you this year? You said that when the Lu family's illness struck so viciously back then, the younger servants all left, leaving only the elderly behind. Since that's the case, even if you personally watched Yu Niangzi breathe her last, can you really be certain she was dead?"

"What..."

By now, the old servant's legs weakened from the questioning, and he collapsed to the ground. Zhou Huai couldn't help but go to support him, but Shen Qingshi seemed utterly emotionless as he calmly continued: "With consecutive funerals in the household and fear of epidemic, corpses wouldn't be kept long but quickly buried. Since Yu Niangzi was from the martial world, she naturally had ways to deceive all of you.""But then why would she... The master and mistress treated her so well, never wronged her in any way! Why on earth!"

The old servant wept bitterly. Having served the Lu family since childhood, apart from that one time he bribed officials with silver, he had never seen the Lu family commit any evil deeds.

He truly couldn't understand - why would Yu Niangzi go through such pains to marry into the Lu family, only to exterminate them all?

As dawn approached, nearby residents heard the mournful weeping from the Lu family compound and gathered around. Shen Qingshi said, "There should be many people who saw Yu Niangzi in Westwind Town that day. If she's not dead, finding clues to locate her will reveal the truth."

Having said this, he immediately wanted to send people to investigate, but Zhou Huai suddenly called out to stop him.

"Perhaps we don't need to go through that trouble."

Zhou Huai pondered for a moment: "When Medicine King Mountain gave me this Centipede Vine, they mentioned that it was originally discovered by accident by a female disciple while gathering herbs. Medicine King Mountain only has a few plants. Later, this female disciple married into the Huai River Yu Clan. When Medicine King Mountain asked her about the Centipede Vine's growing location, she said that now, only the Yu family in the world could use this Centipede Vine."

"Huai River Yu Clan?"

Yang Wujian had also heard this name.

When Gu Yun gave her the Crescent Moon Blade, he mentioned that the owner of the Golden Rings, Zou Ying of the Crescent Moon Blade, had committed suicide in the Hero's Tomb years earlier. Many people died in the Hero's Tomb during those years, including Yu Chaolin of the Huai River Yu Clan, master of Cotton Needle Finger.

So it seems Cotton Needle Finger was originally a martial art that relied on sneak attacks.

Shen Qingshi, unfamiliar with martial arts matters, asked: "What about Yu Niangzi?"

"After Yu Chaolin committed suicide in the Hero's Tomb, he left behind two children - Yu Dongxue and Yu Xiahe. I think I vaguely remember hearing someone say..."

Zhou Huai struggled to recall, then slowly showed a look of astonishment on his face.

"Rumors say that Yu Chaolin went to the Hero's Tomb to commit suicide due to grief over his wife's death and conflicts with his children. After that, his two children - Yu Xiahe disappeared into the martial world, while Yu Dongxue went to Boundless Sword Manor to study swordsmanship..."