Chapter 50: She Truly Is Her Devoted Granddaughter

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It was not surprising that Bai Miao, who had lost the most luck to Su Man, could sense the strange aura about Su Man. However, it was somewhat strange that Old Madam Dou could also detect the unusualness in Su Man. Yun Zhi said, "I happened to learn about your stroke and coma while investigating Su Man. Could you tell me specifically what’s so sinister about her?"

Old Madam Dou held Yun Zhi’s hand and said, "I don’t know how capable you really are, girl, but Su Man’s situation is complicated; she’s not alone—there’s a greater power behind her. I've barely managed to leave City X. Yun Zhi, you’d better stop digging any deeper. Take your parents and let’s all hide abroad, far away from her."

No matter what difficulties Dou Wanqin faced, she always charged forward bravely. But no matter how strong and capable she was, there were matters beyond her control. Before, she couldn’t find her husband or daughter’s whereabouts; these past two years, after sensing the oddness in Su Man, she repeatedly tried to leave City X but failed.

For things beyond her power, Dou Wanqin thought the best solution was to stay as far away as possible. If she couldn’t escape Su Man and the people scheming behind her, so be it—after all, she was already in her sixties. Though there were regrets, she had enjoyed what she deserved.

But Yun Zhi was only twenty-one, a blossoming youth with a beautiful life just beginning and an infinite future ahead. Dou Wanqin did not want her granddaughter to become Su Man’s next "chosen" target.

Yun Zhi gently patted Old Madam Dou’s hand and said, "Grandma, don’t worry. Your granddaughter is very capable; I can protect myself and definitely won’t let Su Man or those behind her hurt you again. My parents will be safe too."

Old Madam Dou murmured, "You don’t understand..." Then she recounted how she had tried more than twenty times to leave City X in the past two years but failed—car engines inexplicably stalled, tires burst eight times, minor accidents twice; flights rerouted three times due to sudden thunderstorms; she broke her leg twice, suffered inexplicable abdominal pains four times, and fainted from headaches three times. Whenever she gave up on leaving City X, everything returned to normal. But whenever she felt aversion towards Su Man, she also experienced splitting headaches and discomfort.

Old Madam Dou wasn’t a fool—how could she not sense Su Man’s strangeness?

Two years ago, when Bai Miao was brought back by the Su family, Dou Wanqin realized Su Man was not their biological daughter but a foster daughter standing in for the real one. She felt deeply deceived and mocked.

Su Yuan had deliberately found a girl resembling the real daughter to ease Tong Qiu’s guilt. But as the biological mother, did Tong Qiu truly not know this was not her own daughter? Could there really be a mother who loved her daughter so much she couldn’t recognize her own child?

Moreover, when Su Man was brought back, the Su family’s three sons—the eldest ten, the second seven, and the youngest just one and a half, too young to remember anything—didn’t recognize her as a sister either.

And Su Man, already three and a half years old at the time, wasn’t sick or amnesiac; yet she did not recognize her biological parents? Su Man was not a lucky "lost and found" child but a counterfeit who usurped another’s place.

Thinking about how in the past decade or so, every time she met Su Man, her mind seemed to be bewitched, making her transfer her guilt and longing for her daughter onto Su Man, treating her with excessive kindness...

Furthermore, after reclaiming Bai Miao, the Su family became harsher with their biological daughter and even more doting on the fake daughter, Su Man. Dou Wanqin found all this absurd.

If she could find her daughter, she would never let her suffer even the slightest grievance for an outsider’s sake. But every time she felt displeasure toward Su Man, she would get a headache—how bizarre.

A few days after Bai Miao’s return, despite her headaches, she visited Master Dou, a Daoist priest known for accurate fortune-telling, who was a distant relative ten years her senior and had been sent to a temple as a child.

A month after her husband disappeared, she first sought Master Dou’s help to find him. He said he wasn’t dead but they might never meet again in this life; beyond that, his skills were insufficient.

Later, when her daughter was abducted, she sought Master Dou again. He said her daughter was safe but she wouldn’t find her soon; however, doing good deeds would bring blessings back to her daughter and improve their lives.

Later, when she wanted to find Master Dou again, he was gone from the temple, traveling around. Two years ago, by chance, she found his address again.

On this third visit, she unexpectedly met a kindly old monk claiming to be Master Dou’s friend. In the tea room, they spoke words Dou Wanqin could not understand and soon forgot, as if her memory was erased.

She only remembered waking up to find herself alone with Master Dou; the monk had vanished.

Master Dou cast a third fortune, saying she would face a fatal tribulation in July or August two years later. If she survived, her family would reunite, and everything would go well with health and longevity.

He gave her a string of Buddhist prayer beads to wear constantly, saying it was a gift from his monk friend, acknowledging her many good deeds.

With the beads, her headaches when thinking ill of Su Man lessened from severe to mild, but even then, she could not leave City X.

Dou Wanqin said, "I sent people to that address but couldn’t find Master Dou anymore."

"The first time, he said my husband was alive—I believed him, though I couldn’t verify it."

"The second time, he said my daughter was alive—I also believed him, though for over thirty years, I couldn’t confirm it."

"The third time, he said my fatal tribulation was imminent. I didn’t really believe it, but it turned out he was accurate."

"A month ago, the prayer beads mysteriously snapped, scattering the beads. I knew the tribulation was near, so I immediately contacted lawyers to draft a will."

"Before, I often thought about making a will. But each time, a strong thought arose in my mind—to leave all my assets to Su Man. If I tried to give it to others, I’d get severe headaches and faint twice in half a month."

"When the beads broke, I thought, since I’m about to die, I’d try again... but before I finished the will, I fainted again. This time, unconscious for a month, waking only now."

Old Madam Dou said seriously, "Yun Zhi, do you have some mystical abilities like my relative Master Dou? But as far as I know, even in the supernatural, there’s a hierarchy. You’re so young—how high could your cultivation be?"

"Anyway, Master Dou said that after I survive the tribulation, everything will be smooth. If we hide abroad, they probably won’t find us."

Old Madam Dou wanted to hide not for herself but for the sake of her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter she had finally found.

Yun Zhi knew her grandmother had exhausted herself trying to leave City X multiple times and had suffered many strange incidents, leaving her physically and mentally fatigued.

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Because she cared so deeply for her and her mother, she repeatedly urged to "hide far away."

Yun Zhi gently hugged Old Madam Dou, whose eyes had unknowingly reddened.

"Grandma, it’s all over now. You’ve left City X!"

"And believe me, will you? I’m much stronger than your relative Master Dou!"

"He definitely could foresee the danger of your return to City X but didn’t warn you or help you leave. I did. Look, we’re now in Haicheng, not City X!"

"Foreign countries are chaotic and not necessarily safer than ours!"

Old Madam Dou’s anxiety and worry were soothed by her granddaughter’s clear and firm words.

"Yes, yes, this isn’t City X. Foreign lands aren’t necessarily safe—your grandfather was kidnapped abroad and never seen again."

"But this is someone else’s home now. Will I be inconvenient staying here?"

Yun Zhi replied, "Nothing inconvenient. I’m good friends with Lu Zisha. You’ll stay here for a while until I handle things in City X, then I’ll bring you home."

To ease Old Madam Dou’s unease, Yun Zhi told her how she had accidentally awakened Lu Zisha, who had been comatose for four years.

Old Madam Dou had heard about Lu Zisha’s vegetative state but, due to distance, didn’t know he had awakened recently.

Learning that her granddaughter saved Lu Zisha’s life instantly comforted her. No wonder the Lu family lent her a place to stay.

Now Old Madam Dou truly felt her granddaughter might be even more powerful than her respected relative Master Dou.

"Yun Zhi, did you apprentice under a powerful master? What skills do you have?"

Unless she witnessed her granddaughter’s abilities firsthand, she wouldn’t easily let her go to City X, much less confront Su Man directly.

Yun Zhi understood her grandmother’s worry.

She took out a Wood Energy Stone, absorbing its power with her left hand and transmitting it into Old Madam Dou’s right hand.

Old Madam Dou felt a warm energy filling her body...

"That’s it! Before I woke up, my body felt exactly like this!"

She could clearly feel her weakened body gaining strength. So this was how her granddaughter helped her awaken.

The vitality from the Wood Energy Stone could nourish the body, slightly improving her condition, but it couldn’t remain long inside and would dissipate after a day or two.

Better than nothing!

Now that Old Madam Dou’s body was free of hostile energy, there was no worry about conflicting energies.

Yun Zhi increased the transfer rate and finished transmitting one Wood Energy Stone’s power in minutes.

Old Madam Dou felt no discomfort from lying still over a month and was full of strength.

"My goodness, your skills are amazing!"

Yun Zhi explained the Wood Energy Stone’s function—it was powerful but not as miraculous as Old Madam Dou imagined.

At least, it couldn’t cure all diseases.

Then Yun Zhi shaped a 50cm diameter water sphere hovering above her hand.

With a thought, it transformed into four ice spikes thrusting at the wooden door, nearly piercing it. With a wave, the ice turned into mist.

Finally, the door was only dampened.

Yun Zhi waved again, and the mist vanished, along with the water stains on the door.

"Grandma, see? I can control water, ice, and mist!"

Old Madam Dou was dumbfounded. "My goodness! My wonderful granddaughter, could you be a fairy descended from heaven?"

Yun Zhi teasingly said, "Who knows? Maybe I was a fairy in a past life, hehe."

Old Madam Dou rolled her eyes, speechless. "That was an exaggeration. There are no gods in this world. Even though I’m an old lady, I’ve seen sci-fi movies. What you have is a superpower!"

Yun Zhi smiled, swinging Old Madam Dou’s arm. "Yes, superpowers! But that doesn’t stop me from being everyone’s beloved little fairy!"

Old Madam Dou helplessly patted Yun Zhi’s head. "Your skills are impressive, but against the seemingly ordinary yet mysterious Su Man, it’s not enough."

Yun Zhi hadn’t revealed much to her parents about her powers because they didn’t know the dangers she faced.

But Old Madam Dou knew how strong Su Man and her backers were. Yun Zhi had to show some abilities to convince her.

Yun Zhi took out a pocket from Lu Zisha that could store items.

"Playing with the supernatural is easy, anyone can do it."

She pulled out a talisman of safety enclosed in a small red pouch.

"Here’s a safety talisman, Grandma. Wear it close to keep safe."

Old Madam Dou took it, checking that Yun Zhi and her parents also had them, then accepted it.

Yun Zhi continued pulling out items.

"Grandma, you can take these two pills. Open your mouth."

Before she could ask how such a small pouch held so many items, Yun Zhi stuffed in a longevity pill and a beauty pill.

After four Wood Energy Stones and some Hundred Flowers Dew nourishing her body, Old Madam Dou’s condition was like a normal person’s—ready to take medicine.

Taking the longevity and beauty pills together maximized the beauty pill’s effect.

Separately, the beauty pill could make her look ten years younger; together, it could reduce age by six months to a year, though it increased pain by 20%.

But for a woman, who wouldn’t want to look a year younger?

Yun Zhi also had a five-year longevity card but didn’t want to give it to Old Madam Dou yet—not due to reluctance but hoping she might get a ten-year card from Gu Yaya or Si Ming.

Si Ming’s system’s max longevity card was ten years.

Each person could only use the card once, so Yun Zhi wanted the best for her grandmother.

With Yun Zhi’s spiritual help, Old Madam Dou absorbed the pills’ power in three hours.

Looking dirty and embarrassed, Old Madam Dou sent her granddaughter away and went to the bathroom to wash.

After bathing, looking in the mirror, she was stunned to see herself transformed from 67 to 50 years old.

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What kind of miraculous medicine was this?!

She didn’t know where Yun Zhi got it. When she hinted before, Yun Zhi dodged the question, probably because it was inconvenient to explain.

Old Madam Dou didn’t pursue the matter; everyone had their secrets. Knowing the girl was doing well and genuinely accepted her grandmother was enough.

Otherwise, who would readily give her such precious things that restored youth and extended life?

Old Madam Dou changed into casual clothes and left the bathroom.

Now much younger and more beautiful, her features resembled Ran Yao’s more—three or four points of similarity instead of two or three—clearly mother and daughter.

She also had two points of resemblance to Yun Zhi, both sharing beautiful almond-shaped eyes.

Seeing her rejuvenated grandmother, Yun Zhi thought how fortunate she had given her parents the beauty pill recently; now the couple, aged 43 and 44, looked like they were in their early thirties. Otherwise, someone might mistake Old Madam Dou and Ran Yao for sisters.

Dou Wanqin took a deep breath, about to say the pills were powerful but useless against Su Man, when Yun Zhi manipulated a small water mist toward her face...

Old Madam Dou felt her mind go blank, then everything went dark as she fainted.

Yun Zhi quickly caught her grandmother and helped her sit on the sofa, then washed her face with cold water.

Two minutes later, Old Madam Dou slowly regained consciousness.

Yun Zhi awkwardly explained she had used water mist mixed with a sedative powder—their secret weapon that could incapacitate dozens of strong men with a wave.

Fearing Old Madam Dou wouldn’t believe her and would think she was exaggerating, she let her experience it firsthand.

Old Madam Dou: ...No need!

This girl truly was her devoted granddaughter!

Yun Zhi proudly said, "By the way, Grandma, I also have an invisibility talisman. It’s how my friends and I secretly took you out of the hospital in City X. Want me to show you?"

She kept her chat groups and safe houses secret from her grandmother.

But her powers, talismans, and pills were known to the official supernatural bureau, so she figured it was okay to reveal some to gain her grandmother’s trust.

"Uh, this is a lightning talisman, this is a defense array, this is a trapping formation, this is a peach wood sword, and this one is for exorcising ghosts."

Old Madam Dou: ...?!

Exorcising ghosts? Did she mean the literal ghosts?

Yun Zhi said, "There’s also this—called the Nightmare Bracelet. It makes you dream about ghosts, like being stewed, braised, or fried by ghosts... Grandma, what’s that look? Don’t believe me? Want to try it? I’m not exaggerating!"

"You’re my real grandma; I won’t let you dream about being eaten by ghosts—that would ruin our bond! Instead, how about dreaming you married eighteen handsome ghost princes fighting for your favor?"

"Stop, stop, stop! No need to try! I believe you already!" Old Madam Dou retreated, annoyed, "Do what you want, I won’t stop you anymore."

Yun Zhi pouted, "Grandma, we just reunited a few hours ago. Don’t you love me anymore?"

Looking at her bright-eyed granddaughter, Old Madam Dou twitched her mouth, speechless, "You know it’s only been a few hours? And you’re already tormenting me like this? Let’s go, get out!"

"Bang—"

The door slammed shut.

Yun Zhi stood outside, holding the pouch filled with all the items she had taken out, bewildered.

Just hours ago, Old Madam Dou had tightly held her hand, unwilling to let her return to City X; now, she was kicked out.

Yun Zhi used an icy palm power to twist the doorknob, unlocking the door.

She peeked in and said, "Grandma, stay safely at the Lu family’s house for now. I’ll have someone send you a phone later. As for my parents, after I finish affairs in City X, I’ll bring you to meet them to avoid complications. Could be a few days, or ten to fifteen days..."

Old Madam Dou was startled that Yun Zhi could easily open the locked door.

She grumbled, "Alright, I know!"

"And no matter how you stir up trouble in City X, you must come back safely! Understand?"

"Got it! I promise to come back safe!"

Yun Zhi chuckled, stored the pouch back in her personal space, and left.

—

Yun family arrived at Lu family’s main villa and sought Zi Ji.

"Zi Ji, please take good care of my grandma’s safety and daily needs for a while. Also, arrange a female housekeeper, send her a new phone, and see if she needs anything else."

Zi Ji: "Got it! No need to say more—I’ll treat your grandma like my own!"

Yun Zhi: ...

No need for that.

Probably just her overthinking; she didn’t dare say more. "I’m off now; I still have to go to City X this afternoon."

Zi Ji: "I’ll send you by private jet."

Yun Zhi didn’t refuse. "Fine."

...

Just after 1 p.m., Yun Zhi changed disguise again and appeared in City X.

She wore a new face and pretended to be a passerby, approaching the perimeter of the Su family villa district.

She projected her spiritual energy, accurately locking onto Su Man’s room.

At this moment, Old Madam Dou’s mysterious disappearance was discovered by her private assistant, Liu, and Su Man had been informed.

On the second floor of the Su villa, Su Man furiously smashed a vase in her room and shouted into the phone, "That damn old woman—does she have wings now or what?"

"Who was that woman who visited her yesterday noon? Investigate thoroughly!"

"It must be her! Though I don’t know what tricks she used."

After hanging up, Su Man was still enraged.

"Damn it, if only a few more days had passed, everything belonging to Old Madam Dou would have been mine..."