The Gusu Mistake - Chapter 52

“Father!” Jiang Yilan rushed to Jiang Zhen, who was lifeless, and tried to help him up. But his body was already cold and stiff; she couldn’t do anything. “How could this happen!”

“Yilan!” Jiang Yilan knelt before Jiang Zhen, frozen in place. Yuan Ruo gripped her shoulder. “Your father is gone, calm down!”

Jiang Yilan raised her tear-filled eyes and threw herself into Yuan Ruo’s arms. “How could this happen? Why did this happen?”

While comforting Jiang Yilan, Yuan Ruo scanned the other bodies and finally noticed something was wrong. “Wait, your elder brother isn’t here!”

“Big brother?” Hearing that Jiang Ze was missing, Jiang Yilan immediately let go of Yuan Ruo and searched carefully. It was true; Jiang Ze’s body was nowhere to be found. “Big brother, is big brother still alive?”

Afraid Jiang Yilan couldn’t handle the truth, Yuan Ruo didn’t extinguish her hope. “Since his body isn’t here, he should still be alive. The Gu poison in him has been neutralized, so there’s a chance he escaped!”

“I’m going to look for him!”

“Hey, you…”

Yuan Ruo was about to stop Jiang Yilan, but before the words could leave her mouth, Jiang Yilan returned. She said nothing as she lifted Jiang Zhen’s body into her arms.

Outside the city, in front of Jiang Zhen’s tomb, Jiang Yilan stood silently for a long time.

“Yilan, it’s getting late!” Yuan Ruo didn’t want to disturb Jiang Yilan, but given the circumstances, with the killer still unknown, it was too risky to linger. So, she spoke up to remind her.

“Let’s go back!” Jiang Yilan turned and started walking away.

“Yilan!” Yuan Ruo quickly caught up to her. “You…”

“I’m fine!” As she spoke, Jiang Yilan kept her gaze lowered, as if afraid that looking up would reveal her deep sorrow.

“Little sister? Is that really you?” Jiang Ze’s voice suddenly came, finally causing Jiang Yilan to look up.

“Big brother?” Jiang Yilan couldn’t believe her eyes. She ran to Jiang Ze. “Is it really you? You’re still alive?”

“Yes, I’m still alive!” Jiang Ze’s face was filled with sorrow and hatred.

Jiang Yilan looked at Jiang Ze and asked, “What exactly happened to the Jiang family? Who killed Father?”

Jiang Ze gritted his teeth and said, “It was Jiang Yuan!”

“What?” Jiang Yilan couldn’t believe it. “How could it be Jiang Yuan? He… he shouldn’t have that much power!”

“He naturally doesn’t have that power!” Jiang Ze said. “But the people he brought with him do!”

Jiang Yilan pressed on, “Who did he bring?”

Jiang Ze’s gaze lingered on Yuan Ruo for a moment. “It was the Wu family, Wu Yunfei!”

“Wu Yunfei?” Yuan Ruo was even more agitated than Jiang Yilan. “Are you sure it was him?”

Jiang Ze replied, “He admitted it himself. I’m absolutely certain!”

Hearing this, Yuan Ruo looked at Jiang Ze with suspicion.

Jiang Ze, though not brilliant, wasn’t stupid. He immediately guessed Yuan Ruo’s meaning. “When they arrived, I originally planned to protect Father and leave together, but Father knew he had the Gu poison and couldn’t walk. Although my Gu poison was neutralized, some residual toxins remained. Father told me to escape through the back door…”

“So you left?” Yuan Ruo pressed.

“I…” Jiang Ze fell silent, lowering his head in shame.

“You did nothing wrong!” Jiang Yilan spoke up then. “If you hadn’t left, you would have just been another body, and I would have had no family left!”

“Little sister…” Jiang Yilan’s understanding moved Jiang Ze to tears. “I… I went back to the Jiang family for a moment and saw Father struggling to confront Jiang Yuan. It was then that the person in the black hood took off his hood and said he was Wu Yunfei of the Wu family!”

“Wu Yunfei…” Yuan Ruo almost gritted out the name. “I should have known, I should have known…”

“Yuan Ruo!” Jiang Yilan looked at Yuan Ruo, her eyes filled with concern.

“I’m fine!” Yuan Ruo smiled faintly, but it was a bit sinister. “When I went to the Wu family back then, I saw that the Wu family patriarch was indeed sick, but I forgot that he also had a son. Now it seems he and Jiang Ting conspired to harm my elder brother!”

Jiang Yilan also fell into deep thought. “The other day, I thought your elder brother’s body looked like it was harmed by the Myriad Parasites Gu. Now that I think about it, it’s also possible that several people attacked at once, causing the Gu worms on their bodies to attack together. The effect would be the same as the Myriad Parasites Gu!”

Yuan Ruo gripped her sword. “It looks like it’s time for me to go home!”

Jiang Yilan asked, “Are you going back to the Han family?”

“Naturally!” Jiang Yilan glanced at Jiang Ze. She didn’t blame him for escaping alone, but on an emotional level, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of a grudge. “If you’re afraid, you can wait for me here!”

“What are you saying?” Jiang Ze heard the resentment in Jiang Yilan’s words. “I did escape, but it was out of necessity. It doesn’t mean I’m a coward who fears death!”

“I didn’t say you’re a coward who fears death!” Jiang Yilan’s gaze was distant. “But… Father is dead!”

“I…” Jiang Ze had nothing to say and could only express his resolve. “No matter what, I’m going with you on this trip!”

“Then let’s go!” The hint of resentment Jiang Yilan felt passed. She took a box from her person and handed it to Jiang Ze.

Jiang Ze was suspicious. “What is this?”

“Ice Toad!” Jiang Yilan placed the box containing the Ice Toad in Jiang Ze’s hand. “I was originally going to bring it back to save Father, but now there’s no use for it. You keep it; you might have a use for it someday!”

Jiang Yilan finished speaking and left. Jiang Ze was still frozen in place, but Yuan Ruo caught up with her.

“You gave the Ice Toad to your elder brother?”

“He’ll be managing the Jiang family in the future; he might have a need for it.”

“You’re just giving the Jiang family to him like that?”

“Yes.”

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