Chapter 27

Back in the room, Yang Ji was still seething with anger.

Although he had made up his mind to leave the clan as soon as possible, every time he thought about how he and Uncle Liang almost died from being poisoned in their food, he found it hard to swallow his anger.

"‘A petty person is not a gentleman, and a man who does not use poison is not a hero.’ I have tolerated it time and again, but I am still being forced step by step. If I don’t find a way to give them a taste of their own medicine, such things will keep happening. I can leave the clan, but Uncle Liang can’t. For Uncle Liang’s sake, I have to give them a lesson."

Yang Ji stood in the room, his mind racing with thoughts. When his gaze swept over the small Ji on the table, his heart stirred, and he suddenly had an idea.

...

The night was silent, and no one knew how long it had been. A faint sound came from a dark corner.

At some point, two figures appeared not far from Yang Ji’s shack. They were dressed as guards, clearly members of the Yang clan.

The two stood motionless, like ghosts, silently observing Yang Ji’s room.

The light in the room flickered, and the oil lamp cast Yang Ji’s reading figure onto the window paper, forming a lively silhouette.

"Failed."

After a long while, a regretful whisper echoed in the darkness, barely audible in the night wind.

They had come to check if Yang Ji was dead, but the situation before them clearly indicated failure.

"This kid has a lot of luck. We were very careful this time, even some old hands wouldn’t have noticed. How did he find out?"

One of them said, his voice filled with deep confusion.

The two had done this secretly, without the knowledge of the "Madam." In the hall that day, the Madam had originally intended to deal with Yang Ji, but then it was left unresolved.

The two thought the Madam had many concerns and couldn’t use many methods. But they didn’t have such concerns.

As long as they secretly got the job done, they would surely gain the Madam’s favor in the future. They never expected that such a "small matter" would fail.

"There’s no choice, we’ll have to find another way."

The two looked at Yang Ji’s window in the darkness, their eyes filled with a fierce light.

Yang Ji was still alive, and this result was unexpected. But for the two, it wasn’t beyond repair. As long as Yang Ji was still in the clan, there would be plenty of opportunities to act.

Turning around, the two quietly left.

Sss!

The grass rustled. Just behind the two, a small black snake leaped and disappeared into the grass, quietly following them.

After they left, the window creaked open, and Yang Ji’s head appeared from inside.

"Sure enough, they came."

Yang Ji looked in the direction the two had left, his eyes cold and icy.

His reading by the window was just a ruse to lure them. Yang Ji knew that after poisoning him, they would definitely come to check if he was dead. As expected, they did.

The distance was too far for Yang Ji to hear what they said. But for him, the moment Xiao Ji followed them, they were as good as dead.

...

"Yuan Long" and "Zhao Ye" didn’t survive the night.

When the two bodies appeared stiffly before the Madam and the middle-aged steward, both looked very solemn.

"What’s the situation? Can you tell how they died?"

The Madam asked after a long silence.

"Can’t tell. I’ve never seen this kind of poison before."

The middle-aged steward said, his brows deeply furrowed.

Due to his past experiences, his knowledge was extensive, but he had never seen such a potent poison on the two.

For a prestigious clan with many experts, to have someone sneak in and kill two people without being noticed was a great irony.

"Little brat!"

A cold, hateful light flashed in the Madam’s eyes. She didn’t need to think to know that Yuan Long and Zhao Ye’s deaths were definitely related to Yang Ji.

"I told you before. This kid isn’t simple; he might have a powerful backer. Now do you believe it?"

The middle-aged steward said behind her.

Regarding the possibility that Yang Ji had a powerful mentor, the two had only speculated before, but now it was almost confirmed.

Both knew why Yuan Long and Zhao Ye had died.

Although the Madam had agreed to let the matter be handled, she clearly wasn’t satisfied and wanted to resolve it once and for all. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed Yuan Long and Zhao Ye to deal with Yang Ji.

Poisoning Yang Ji’s food was their own decision, but he didn’t believe the Madam didn’t know about it.

In this large clan, almost nothing escaped her notice. Her tacit approval was very telling.

However, the final result was clearly very different from the initial expectations. The person behind Yang Ji was a poison expert, which made both of them wary.

Yuan Long and Zhao Ye’s deaths were not just an act of revenge but also a warning— if they dared to continue to act against Yang Ji, more than just two guards would die.

"I admit I was wrong."

The Madam said coldly, "But are we just going to let that little brat off?"

She didn’t care about the lives of Yuan Long and Zhao Ye; such guards were insignificant and easily replaceable. What truly angered her was that Yang Ji had the audacity to threaten her.

This was intolerable.

"Hmph! Did I say that?"

The middle-aged steward sneered, "I have my own plans. A poison expert is indeed formidable, but as long as we guard against their methods, they can’t do much. However, for now, don’t make any more moves against that kid."

"Since you say so, let’s handle this matter together."

The Madam didn’t comment, quickly pulling out a letter from her sleeve and handing it over.

"What is it?"

The middle-aged steward raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

"That little brat sent it this morning. It went through several hands before it reached me. Take a look."

The Madam said with a cold smile.

"Go up the mountain to guard the tomb?"

The middle-aged steward laughed after reading it.

"It seems Yuan Long and Zhao Ye’s methods worked. He doesn’t want to stay in the clan and give you another chance."

"Hmph, his wings aren’t hard enough yet. He doesn’t have the choice."

The Madam’s face was grim, and after a pause, she said:

"Speak, are you going to agree or not?"

The middle-aged steward didn’t speak, his face thoughtful.

"Heh heh, agree, why not? If he doesn’t leave, are we really going to act against him in the clan?"

After a moment, the middle-aged steward sneered:

"Besides, if we don’t let him go, how can we lure out the person behind him?"

"Let’s do it your way."

The Madam pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Filial piety comes first," this was the clan’s principle. She knew that even if she refused, it wouldn’t last long.

...

Yang Ji’s application to leave the clan and go up the mountain to guard the tomb was ultimately approved. When he received the response, he felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

"Night brings many dreams. Take advantage of the clan’s agreement and leave as soon as possible."

Yang Ji thought to himself and began preparing for the trip up the mountain.

There was still some dried rabbit meat left from last year at home, which would be enough to last for a while on the mountain. If it wasn’t enough, his ability to catch rabbits by hand and Xiao Ji’s help would ensure he wouldn’t go hungry.

As for other things, they were not important.

The next morning, after warning Uncle Liang to be careful and to test all the food with silver, Yang Ji left the clan.

It was still dark, the streets were misty, and there were few pedestrians. By the wall, a few dark figures sat motionless, their status unknown.

Through the thick mist, the faces of a few beggars could be faintly seen.

"They are all pitiful."

As Yang Ji passed by these people, he paused, feeling a bit sorry. He took a few copper coins from his pocket and threw them over.

The coins hit the ground with a clinking sound, loud in the early morning.

"Young man."

Yang Ji was about to step forward when a hoarse voice came from behind. Two emaciated old beggars quickly emerged from the mist. One of them held the copper coins Yang Ji had just thrown, his black eyes staring at Yang Ji with a strange smile.

Yang Ji’s heart suddenly tightened. He had thrown the coins out of pity, but he didn’t expect this to happen.

Ordinary beggars wouldn’t be so bold. These two were very suspicious.

"What do you want?"

Yang Ji said in a low voice, his fists slightly raised in his sleeves, ready to defend himself.

"Heh, young man, don’t misunderstand. We have no ill intentions."

The older "beggar" smiled and waved his hand. His eyes were bright, and he no longer looked like a beggar at all.

"We’ve heard about your situation in the Yang clan. A good bird chooses its tree. Why stay in such a vicious clan? Join us! Only by joining us will you find your true path. Your anger, your resentment, we can help you with all of it."

"You?—"

Yang Ji’s pupils contracted, looking at the two with caution.

"That’s right. As long as you faithfully serve our master, you will be one of us. No one will dare to bully you, no one will mock you, and no one will dare to poison your food. —Even your father’s belongings, we can help you recover."

The older "beggar" said.

Sss!

Yang Ji looked at the two "kindly" beggars, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Cult followers!"

A thought flashed through Yang Ji’s mind.

He had heard about these people in the Han court’s propaganda. They worshipped evil entities from other dimensions, using bones and flesh to create evil altars to gain evil powers. They were the targets of the court’s full suppression.

In the past, many ignorant and naive people had been lured into their ranks, but these people had never appeared.

Yang Ji didn’t know much about them, but it was true that several people in Pingchuan County had been lured in and never returned.

These cult followers had once been eradicated, but for some reason, they had reappeared.