UCS Chapter 88.2

Gao Shi lightly tapped his earpiece twice in response.

 

Then, instead of answering Wen Shidai’s question, he looked at Liao Zitu, who had maintained a low presence throughout.

 

“As for the second matter—I wonder what relationship Mrs. Wen has with the Wu family?”

 

Wen Shidai laughed heartily, “How could that be possible? My wife has always been in poor health and doesn’t go to crowded places. How could she have any relationship with the Wu family?”

 

“The Wu family is quite chaotic. To be honest, I used to be a playboy too, but since meeting my wife, I’ve reformed. I think there’s no one better in the world than my wife, so I quite despise Old Master Wu’s behavior—therefore our family doesn’t really associate with the Wu family. My wife absolutely couldn’t have contact with anyone from the Wu family.”

 

Wen Shidai waved his hand dismissively. He looked as if he’d heard some amusing joke, and Gao Shi could tell all his words were sincere.

 

The Liao Zitu he’d pointed out also just smiled gently and nodded, agreeing with her husband’s view.

 

“Oh? Is that so?”

 

Gao Shi took out a photograph and gently pushed the photo showing Liao Zitu’s profile toward the two people in front of him.

 

“On the day the Wu family was in chaos, someone took photos. We saw Mrs. Wen’s figure in the photographs.”

 

“Not just this one,” Gao Shi consecutively took out three or four more photos, one showing her face particularly clearly—as if it had been shot directly at her face.

 

Of course, these photos were a mix of real and fake, with that particularly detailed one directly synthesized by Ran Qiu.

 

Sure enough, Gao Shi keenly noticed Liao Zitu’s pupils tremble.

 

Wen Shidai also frowned as he looked, then slowly relaxed, “Ah, I never expected there to be someone in this world who looks so much like my wife.”

 

Gao Shi smiled ambiguously, “Oh? Is it really just a resemblance?”

 

Then he took out another photo. In this photo, though the person was wrapped in a large black coat, while walking, a glint of light was reflected from her wrist.

 

This was a screenshot from a video.

 

After Ran Qiu magnified and processed this glint, it could vaguely be seen as a silver bracelet.

 

This silver bracelet was very special.

 

Even though the magnification was too high and it appeared very blurry, you could still see this bracelet was crafted in the shape of a snake, with red snake eyes—whether rubies or red pearls was unclear.

 

Everyone’s gazes unanimously looked at Liao Zitu’s wrist. On her wrist was indeed a silver bracelet—this silver bracelet was shaped like a small silver snake with two red rubies for eyes.

 

This little snake was carved extremely exquisitely and lifelike, with perfect scales—almost like a real snake.

 

Even Grandmother Gao, a renowned fashion and jewelry designer, had never seen a similar bracelet.

 

There were many snake-shaped bracelets, but none could be carved so exquisitely.

 

Now Wen Shidai couldn’t say anything else. He looked at his wife, his doubt evident.

 

“Honey, what did you go to the Wen family for that day?”

 

Before Liao Zitu could speak, Wen Shidai said, “My wife has been cooped up at home for so long, she must get bored. Maybe that day she happened to go for a walk and wandered near the Wu family. The Wu family incident caused such a commotion—everyone’s human, what’s wrong with watching some excitement?”

 

Gao Shi looked at Liao Zitu, “What do you say, Mrs. Wen?”

 

Liao Zitu replied, “I was just out for a walk. Everything else is as my husband said.”

 

Gao Shi smiled enigmatically, “Ha? The Wen and Wu families are so far apart. During your walk, you actually wandered all the way to the Wu family?”

 

The Wu family estate was quite remote, indeed quite far from the Wen family.

 

Being questioned so aggressively, Wen Shidai got angry, “No matter what, these are my family’s affairs. Young Master Gao asking in such detail seems inappropriate!”

 

Gao Shi stared steadily at Wen Shidai, then suddenly smiled and looked at Liao Zitu, “Mrs. Wen, your love gu is quite well-placed. You’ve got the formerly wandering Master Wen under perfect control.”

 

Liao Zitu’s hand stroking the snake bracelet tightened, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Wen Shidai looked at Gao Shi bewildered, “What’s this about? That legendary Miao thing that can manipulate hearts? I never expected Young Master Gao to believe in such things. If I were under a love gu, wouldn’t I know it myself? We truly love each other—there’s no need for such things.”

 

However, no one paid attention to him anymore.

 

Yin Ling and Guiyan materialized from thin air.

 

Yin Ling moved lightning-fast, reaching out to grab Liao Zitu’s shoulder, while Guiyan appeared from the void to guard the front, blocking Liao Zitu’s escape route.

 

But the next instant, a white mist suddenly flashed before their eyes, and Yin Ling and Guiyan retreated backward.

 

“Hold your breath—the mist is poisonous!”

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu skillfully took out two gas masks from her handbag, putting one on herself and handing the other to Gao Shi.

 

Her small bag didn’t contain the lipstick and compact mirrors common to ladies, but was packed full of emergency supplies.

 

As the white mist gradually dispersed, everyone looked ahead in shock to see a snow-white python as thick as a bowl emerging from the white mist. Most of the white snake’s body coiled on the ground, while its head reared high, looking down at everyone.

 

Liao Zitu stood beside it, one hand gently resting on the white snake’s neck.

 

The white snake was more than ten meters long, its head almost touching the ceiling.

 

Wen Shidai beside them looked completely terrified, staring at the white snake and Liao Zitu while trembling. But whether he truly loved his wife deeply or Gao Shi’s earlier tentative remark had hit the mark—that he was indeed controlled by love gu—seeing the white snake, Wen Shidai didn’t die of fright like Xu Xian[mfn]Xu Xian (許仙) is a main character from “The Legend of the White Snake,” one of China’s four great folktales. He is the mortal love interest of Bai Suzhen (White Snake), a powerful thousand-year-old white snake spirit who has cultivated the ability to take human form. In the traditional story, Xu Xian is portrayed as a kind-hearted young man, typically described as either a scholar or physician who runs a herbal medicine shop in Hangzhou by West Lake. His character represents the ordinary human caught between supernatural forces and serves as a bridge between the mortal and spiritual worlds.[/mfn] seeing White Lady’s true form, but instead shakily moved to Liao Zitu’s side.

 

“D-darling, d-don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you!”

 

Yin Ling sneered coldly, his golden pupils almost taking on a bloody color, “Protect? Do you think your wife needs your protection? She has more blood on her hands than you have illegitimate children!”

 

Gao Shi lit a cigarette, and as smoke gradually spread around him, the room’s true appearance gradually revealed itself before him.

 

The seemingly pure white snake actually had threads of blood running through it, emanating an ominous aura.

 

And Liao Zitu wasn’t some delicate flower facing wind and rain, but a corpse flower that fed on human blood. The blood qi around her was so dense it almost materialized, shrouding her features in obscurity.

 

The blood qi on her body was even denser and heavier than that on Li Mochen.

 

Something flashed through Gao Shi’s mind—he seemed to know why Wen Shidai no longer had any illegitimate children.

 

The blood snake gu that had been fed with human blood and flesh had grown to such proportions that even Yin Ling found it somewhat troublesome.

 

Only Gao Shi still appeared unchanged, his expression showing no fluctuations.

 

“So what deal did you make with the Wu family?”

 

“Did you give that old Wu man love gu to make those girls willingly follow him? No, since you could empathize with Zhou Yun’s situation, you wouldn’t help the wicked. If you gave love gu to anyone, it would be to Zhou Yun.”

 

“So what was the content of your deal with the Wu family? Though you have killing intent, there are no vengeful spirits clinging to you… You know the Miao art of raising ghosts, don’t you?”

 

Liao Zitu looked up, for the first time directly meeting the gaze of a man other than her husband.

 

“That’s right, I do know how to raise ghosts.”

 

Her tone was indifferent, as if discussing the most ordinary matter.

 

“I killed those children, then refined their souls into child spirits and sold them to families in need.”

 

Wen Shidai looked at his wife in shock, as if he had never truly known her.

 

However, he quickly embraced Liao Zitu and comforted her, “It’s alright, darling. If you killed those things, then you killed them. The only children I truly acknowledge are those you bore. The others are just little beasts. You can treat them however you want.”

 

The two of them sweetly nestled together, like a loving couple to those who didn’t know better.

 

Gao Shi looked at Wen Shidai and asked, “Do you really feel nothing?”

 

Even if they couldn’t confirm before whether Wen Shidai was under love gu, now they could be certain.

 

Wen Shidai still stiffened his neck, acting as if he were completely lucid, “Ha, what should I feel? I only know that you bunch of bastards came to my house to attack my wife! Since they were my children, killing them is killing them. I brought them into this world, so naturally they belong to me! Whether they live or die is up to me!”

 

Gao Shi didn’t look at him, only asked Liao Zitu again, “So those pregnant women the Wu family brought home one after another were also used to raise ghosts?”

 

Liao Zitu’s other hand rested on the back of Wen Shidai’s hand that encircled her waist, “Human desires are bottomless ravines. Originally, the few child spirits I sold him were enough to gradually improve the Wu family’s situation, but he still wasn’t satisfied. He always felt the Wu family’s rise was too slow and asked if I had other ways to make the Wu family rise faster. So I told him that the strongest child spirits are made from one’s own bloodline.”

 

“I merely told him this method. As for him killing his own descendants to raise child spirits, that has nothing to do with me.”

 

Zhuang Xiuxiu was furious, “Six children! Old Wu killed six children.”

 

What Old Wu said was indeed correct.

 

The Wu family’s lineage was already weak, probably because his sons were all worthless, spending their days in debauchery and ruining their health. The children they bore were also unhealthy. Some died at birth, others barely survived only to become Old Wu’s raw materials for raising child spirits.

 

But upon hearing Zhuang Xiuxiu’s words, Liao Zitu actually laughed softly, “No, not six children. This man’s ruthlessness is far greater than you imagine.”

 

“Those six children were the ones who lived and then died. There were many more who died before being born.”

 

“After all, when it comes to raising child spirits, the most powerful are infant spirits who died before birth.”

 

“So… the miscarriages of those pregnant women he brought back were actually the Wu family’s doing?”

 

Liao Zitu nodded.

 

The giant python beside her flicked its tongue, making hissing sounds, while a foul stench permeated the entire room.

 

Perhaps she had been lonely for too long, or perhaps she felt these ignorant fools before her would surely die here, so she spoke quite freely.

 

“I know what else you want to ask—you want to ask about Zhou Yun, right?”

 

Looking at the angry people before her, she began to tantalize them, changing the subject.

 

“The best food for feeding child spirits is the birth mother’s blood and flesh.”

 

“Old Wu’s health was indeed much worse than before. All the illegitimate children he kept outside had died young, so he simply brought his outside women home.”

 

“The entire Wu family knew Old Wu was raising child spirits, but they all acquiesced. Even the Wu family matriarch, though unwilling and resentful about the old man bringing women home, also accepted it. They couldn’t bear to give up wealth and glory, so whether it was their own children or grandchildren, they could sacrifice them all, let alone an illegitimate child kept outside.”

 

“The first woman he brought home was capable—she conceived twins for him. When they were about seven or eight months along, Old Wu couldn’t help but act.”

 

“At that time, his courage wasn’t great enough, so that woman appeared to have miscarried due to an accident.”

 

“The twins died on the spot, and the Wu family gained a pair of child spirits to bring them wealth.”

 

“Logically, infant spirits are already powerful, and twins are the cream of the crop. Old Wu should have been satisfied.”

 

“But Old Wu still wasn’t content. He wanted to kill that woman as a blood sacrifice to obtain even stronger child spirits.”

 

Liao Zitu chuckled softly, “But it was interesting—the Wu family’s youngest son, though unlearned and unskilled, wasn’t completely rotten. He drove that woman out of the Wu estate in front of everyone. Since it was already exposed to the public, killing her would attract too much attention. Besides, Old Wu had more than one mistress outside—it wasn’t worth the risk.”

 

“So the Wu family brought in a second woman, wanting to raise another child spirit, this time using the birth mother as a blood sacrifice.”

 

“The second woman was Zhou Yun. The Wu family’s youngest son tried the same trick again, driving her out. But unexpectedly, this woman truly loved Old Wu—her love was genuine and deep. She wanted to threaten suicide to see Old Wu one more time.”

 

“But unexpectedly! Those twins were still quite ignorant. They thought it was because of this woman that they lost their mother, and because of this woman, their father was no longer as close to them. So they harbored great hostility toward Zhou Yun.”

 

“On the balcony, Zhou Yun had originally given up the idea of suicide and wanted to go down from the balcony to reason with the old master. But those twins quietly climbed onto the rooftop.”

 

“Zhou Yun was startled and tried to run, but was pulled by the twins and fell from the building.”

 

Liao Zitu’s hand gently stroked the white snake’s scales.

 

“That’s how it happened. Is there anything else you want to ask?”

 

Everyone present was shocked by this story. The venue fell into dead silence, until Gao Shi finally spoke first, “Wen Liang—or rather Wen Yan, there’s something strange about him, isn’t there?”

 

Liao Zitu chuckled lightly, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes, “Correct, it seems you’ve figured it out.”

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