Chapter 131: Night Summons

At the same time, in another corner of the Yu Family Estate, the eldest young master, Yu Fan, and the second young master, Yu Xian, were listening to the report of a man dressed in black. A moment later, as the dark-clad man finished speaking, Yu Fan let out a cold snort and said, "I knew that wretch harbored ill intentions. Father merely had her pretend to accept a suitor, but look at her—she actually went through with the sham as if it were real! Does she truly believe that simply by finding a husband, she can seize control of the Yu family fortune? What sheer delusion!"

"Second brother, you’ve had dealings with that Hu San. Do you have any idea whether this fellow possesses any cultivation base at all?"

Yu Xian frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and shook his head. "I merely crossed paths with Hu San once at a tavern. On the surface, the man seems devoid of any cultivation, yet he was remarkably generous with his wealth. Judging by Father's attitude today, I fear this lad is far from as simple as he appears on the surface."

"Eldest brother, do you think Yu Ning's enactment of this farce is her genuine attempt to rely on Hu San to contend with us for the family estate? Given Father's persistent doting on that wretched girl over the years, I'm afraid that in the end, neither you nor I will even salvage a single strand of hair!"

Yu Fan nodded, his expression filled with bitter resentment. "That is precisely what worries me. I had assumed that arranging a meeting between Yu Ning and the Crown Prince would provide a pretext to marry her off. Who could have foreseen that Father would object to this match as well? Combined with Yu Ning's behavior today, turning the pretense into reality, I suspect that Hu San was arranged by Father all along. If that is the case, the secret regarding the Superior Nether Spirit Flower will naturally never be divulged to the two of us."

"Once Father passes on, how shall you and I, ignorant of this secret, fare in this world? Will we be driven out of the Yu Family Manor like stray dogs?"

"What shall we do then?"

A look of anxious panic flickered across Yu Xian's face. He paced in a circle twice, clenched his teeth fiercely, and pounded his fist into his palm. "Eldest brother, why don't we take advantage of tonight, while they are newly wed and completely off their guard, and you and I...?"

With that, Yu Xian raised his right hand and made a fierce chopping motion downward.

"No!"

Yu Fan's expression shifted drastically. He hurriedly cast a warning look at the man in black nearby. The dark-clad figure bowed slightly and retreated to the window, cautiously lifting the latch to peer outside before shaking his head slightly to indicate that no one was eavesdropping.

"Killing that wretched Yu Ning will only make Father even more guarded against us. You have witnessed Father's attitude over the years. Rather than launching a nocturnal raid on the newlyweds and startling our prey, it would be far better to seek out the secret of the Superior Nether Spirit Grass tonight. Although Father has guarded against us meticulously, after all this time, it is impossible for us not to have uncovered even the slightest trace."

"Second brother, it is time to deploy our trump card. Once we acquire the secret of the Superior Nether Spirit Grass, how about you and I split the Yu Family Manor equally between us? I know you harbor feelings for Geng Yuhu; when the time comes, I shall arrange matters so that you may enjoy the warmth of a beauty."

Hearing this, a trace of hesitation flickered across Yu Xian's face. Then, as if recalling something, the hatred in his eyes deepened gradually. He spoke in a harsh whisper, "Very well, we shall stake everything tonight! Eldest brother, over the past few years, Father has entrusted me with recruiting candidates for the Thirteen Manors Treasure Hunt. Through this, I have managed to cultivate a modest force of my own. Combined with those who secretly swore loyalty to me during this year's competition, we have over two hundred martial arts experts at our disposal, among whom thirty-five are top-tier masters."

"Splendid!"

Yu Fan slapped his palm down fiercely and laughed. "With the addition of these two hundred-odd experts, coupled with the elite warriors within the Yu family army who are loyal to me, this endeavor is bound to succeed without a hitch! Second brother, time is of the essence; let us hurry and summon our men to gather right here. With guests and staff scattered throughout the manor tonight, this is the optimal moment for us to act."

"Very well, I shall go at once and have Hu Shan draw away the patrol guards."

The second young master nodded to his elder brother, strode rapidly to push open the chamber door, and vanished into the darkness amidst a flurry of hurried footsteps, disappearing entirely from the eldest brother's sight.

"Shadow, go instruct our men that a matter of great consequence is to take place tonight, and order them to assemble here in full force. Remember, proceed with utmost caution so as to alert no one. If anyone discovers us, do you know what must be done?"

The eldest young master sank into contemplation for a moment before abruptly turning his gaze toward the figure in the black in the corner.

"Shadow understands, rest assured, Young Master!"

A sharp gleam flashed in the dark-clad man's eyes. With a nod, he bolted forward. The tightly shut lattice window burst open, a dark shadow flashed, and in the blink of an eye, the man had vanished without a trace.

Not long after the two young masters made their resolute decision, a dark shadow suddenly materialized near Madam Yu's quarters. Before she could detect its presence, the shadow flickered its arm, and a dagger launched from its hand with a sharp whistle, burying itself deeply into the headboard of Madam Yu's bed.

By the time Madam Yu was alerted and pursued the intruder, the assailant had vanished entirely without a trace.

Staring at the gleaming dagger embedded in her headboard, Madam Yu's gaze suddenly hardened. She hurriedly wrenched the dagger free, tapped gently on its pommel with her finger, and pressed her pinky slightly forward. The end of the pommel popped open with a soft click, revealing a pale yellow strip of paper concealed within.

With a solemn expression, Madam Yu withdrew the yellow slip and read through it. Her brows knitted tightly together. After catching her breath, she first held the paper to a candle flame until it burned entirely to ashes. Then, she changed into a tight-fitting night garment, armed herself with a jade sword and hidden projectiles, softly bolted the door from within, pushed open the window frame, and slipped out of the room.

Glancing around to ascertain her bearings in the dark night, Madam Yu leaped gracefully into the air and vanished into the courtyard.

At almost the exact same moment, in an unpretentious courtyard deep within the Yu family estate, Old Master Yu stood with furrowed brows, listening to a subordinate's report. Once the briefing concluded, the old master began pacing back and forth anxiously.

"Go immediately to Ning'er's quarters and take a look. If she has not yet fallen asleep, have her come to see me. Oh, and if the bridegroom is also awake, bring him along as well."

When the old man finished issuing these instructions, even though the listener was his personal steward—the person closest to him who understood his temperament intimately and had even caught wind of the Yu family's greatest secret, the Superior Nether Spirit Grass—he could not help but gape in utter astonishment.

Throughout history and across the ages, it seemed this was the first time anyone had ever heard of a father-in-law summoning his daughter and son-in-law on their wedding night.

Although the steward was somewhat aware of the situation—knowing that this marriage was originally nothing more than a superficial formality designed to rebuff the Crown Prince's marriage proposal—now that the young lady had gone ahead and turned the pretense into reality, the old master's anger was certainly understandable. Yet regardless of the circumstances, now that the matter had occurred, even if they wished to resolve it, shouldn't they wait until daybreak tomorrow?

Nevertheless, facing Old Master Yu's overwhelming authority, the steward dared not ask too many questions. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he cupped his fists and said, "Understood. This subordinate shall go at once to notify the young lady and the groom."

By the time the steward hurried to Yu Ning's newlywed chamber, Hu San had already thoroughly grasped the typical behavioral manifestations of someone in the early stages of partial jiangshi transformation. He had practiced several times in front of a mirror, comparing himself against the motionless Yu Ning seated nearby, and had meticulously adjusted his facial expressions and movements until no glaring flaws remained.

By the moment the knock sounded on the door, Hu San had completely perfected his disguise as a disguised jiangshi while simultaneously controlling Yu Ning to react naturally like any ordinary person. He was confident that unless someone scrutinized him with extreme care, no anomalies would be detected.

"Who is it?"

Controlling Yu Ning, the two of them quickly lay down fully clothed upon the bed.

Channeling his Divine Incantation, Hu San manipulated Yu Ning. Her crimson lips parted softly, and a seductive yet slightly weary voice echoed through the room—utterly devoid of any hint that this was merely a puppet acting without conscious will.

Even now, Hu San could not help but praise inwardly, thinking to himself, *What a supreme-grade puppet! Had I not known beforehand, even upon hearing that voice, I would not have harbored the slightest suspicion.*

"Eldest Young Miss, it is I, Liu An!"

A wave of relief washed over the steward. It was fortunate that Yu Ning had not yet fallen asleep; had she been asleep and awakened by a midnight knock, if he happened to anger her, there was no telling the sort of trouble he would face down the road.

"Is something the matter?"

Hu San had no idea who Liu An was, so he could only use vague control to have Yu Ning pose the question.

"The master requests the Young Miss's presence at his quarters, stating that there is a matter of utmost importance to discuss. He also instructed that if the new son-in-law is not yet asleep, he should accompany you as well. As for the specific details, this old servant is unaware."

In the dead of night, amidst lingering sleepiness, such an inquiry seemed entirely natural, and Liu An harbored not a single doubt.

"Very well then, wait a moment. My husband has not yet fallen asleep either; we shall come right over to pay our respects."

Yu Ning replied indifferently, and the sounds of bustling movement and clothing rustling drifted out from within the room. In reality, however, this was merely Hu San hurriedly rustling the bedsheets while simultaneously stowing away the Soul-Guiding Incense and the bone scriptures into his empty stone storage, after which he quickly restored the room to its original appearance.

A moment later, the heavy door swung open, and Yu Ning, clad in her bridal attire, appeared before Steward Liu. Following closely behind her was Hu San. At this moment, however, he projected a dull, vacant expression, not even sparing Liu An a glance—naturally omitting any customary greetings.

*Could it be that the new son-in-law is annoyed with me for disturbing their tender moment and is harboring resentment?*

Liu An's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Yu Ning's flushed cheeks, radiant from the glow of passion, felt a sudden surge of heat in his chest, and quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to look any further. "Young Miss and Son-in-law, please follow me. The Master is waiting ahead."

With that, he set off to lead the way.

Hu San was well aware that this demeanor would arouse Liu An's suspicion, but since his current identity was that of a newly refined puppet, this was precisely how he ought to behave, which conveniently spared him the trouble of polite social pleasantries.

Directing Yu Ning's steps to follow closely behind Liu An, Hu San kept himself pressed near her side, perfectly embodying the dazed, mindless state of a newly completed puppet-corpse.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the courtyard where Old Master Yu was waiting. Liu An ushered the two into the chamber and, without lingering, bowed low and withdrew outside.