The Beginning and End

Along the way, Old Hai told us the whole story of this incident in detail.

Originally, the first target of this matter was not Grandma herself, but indeed Zhou Xuan.

The cause was that two or three years ago, Zhou Xuan, the pearl of the Zhou Family and a novice, once saved a pitiful child by soul-extracting and destroying an important disciple successor of the Maoshan lineage. Although the deed was done secretly, because that disciple was too important, the Righteous Path lineage was furious. After repeated investigations, they finally traced it back to Zhou Xuan.

Although the entire incident was caused by the Maoshan disciple having bad intentions towards the child, Zhou Xuan was the victor in the end. Thus, the direct descendant families of the Righteous Path not only spread rumors that Zhou Xuan was killing innocents, but also continuously targeted her in various duels.

Zhou Xuan, though young, had mastered the profound Ghost Summoning Technique of the Zhou Family. She was also very righteous and hated evil, and did not put the orthodox Daoist lineages in her eyes. Because of this, she constantly criticized their actions.

So, in the days that followed, in order to save people and for self-preservation, if anyone from the Righteous Path dared to obstruct her or even set a trap for her, she would retaliate fiercely. The scions and direct disciples of the Righteous Path families suffered greatly under her spells, with some even being killed by her.

This completely escalated the conflict. Several very powerful old figures from the Daoist lineages went to the Zhou Family and continuously exerted pressure, even threatening the Zhou Family Head, saying that if they didn't hand over the person, it would be difficult to say how the Zhou Family's descendants would die in the future.

The Zhou Family could not confront several orthodox Daoist cultivation families, so the Zhou Family Head relented, intending to hand over Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan's parents were from a collateral branch, and they clashed with the Family Head. They also informed Zhou Xuan of the news and told her to flee the world, instructing Zhou Xuan not to appear in the sight of the Righteous Path again.

Old Hai couldn't say where Zhou Xuan fled to later, only knowing that Zhou Xuan had indeed escaped and remained hidden for a long time.

Speaking of this, I also connected it to the marriage between Zhou Xuan and Zhang Yi Dan. This wedding happened during that period. It seemed that Zhou Xuan was both seeking refuge with Grandma and wanting to live a peaceful life.

Because according to Zhang Yi Dan, he had no idea Zhou Xuan was from the Zhou Family, let alone that she possessed powerful techniques.

However, even though she went into hiding, disguised and secluded in a deep mountain like Xiao Yi Hamlet, people from the Righteous Path could still find her through another method. They placed a strange curse on Zhou Xuan's parents, who had been expelled from the Zhou Family. This curse was said to be very powerful. Although it wouldn't kill them immediately, it could cause constant mental instability, leading to them howling like ghosts in the middle of the night.

Zhou Xuan somehow got wind of this. Later, to save her parents, she decided to return to her maiden home. This trip immediately led her into a trap set by the Daoist lineage families. It was said that she and her parents died miserably. After death, her body was even made into someone else's Blood Corpse, to be controlled and toyed with.

Upon hearing this, my face turned ashen. I tried my best to maintain a calm expression, but the shock and indignation in my heart surged like a spring.

"Wuwu... Don't the police handle this kind of thing?" Yu Xiao Xue cried, tears dripping down, wiping them as she walked.

"The Daoist lineage families claim to be orthodox, but their methods are incredibly sinister. How could they openly admit to plotting behind people's backs? Some things, only old folks like us can know through special channels. To others, even if they were driven mad by people from the Daoist lineages, it would be considered a delusion, and the matter would be settled by sending them to a mental hospital.

Besides, now that Zhou Xuan is neither seen alive nor her body found, how can they investigate? This isn't like stabbing someone with a knife, clean and quick, where the police can arrest the person and try the case. Now, the person was simply driven to death by insidious means." Seeing Yu Xiao Xue cry even harder, Old Hai could only sigh.

He turned his head and saw the change in my expression, knowing I was suppressing an impending outburst of anger. He immediately continued, "If the Righteous Path had captured Zhou Xuan and simply annihilated her soul, the matter would likely have ended there.

But who knew? Several disciples who died at Zhou Xuan's hands were from one family, and even their own sons were involved. They were unwilling to let it go and insisted on torturing Zhou Xuan until she was neither human nor ghost. Now, Zhou Xuan's soul was not destroyed, and after enduring so much torment, she actually attracted the attention of the Zhou Family's Old Mistress, whose whereabouts were previously unknown. Who is Old Mistress Zhou? Old Mistress Zhou is Zhou Ying, the infamous Old Demon Zhou, who always avenges any wrong done to her."

"Heh heh, this is actually retribution. Originally, if Old Mistress Zhou were still presiding over the Zhou Family, those Daoist lineage families might have been wary of Old Mistress Zhou's reputation and wouldn't have dared to go so far, perhaps not even daring to demand her handover! But who would have thought that Old Mistress Zhou disappeared during the Cultural Revolution? There has been no news of her for many years. The Daoist lineage families assumed Old Mistress Zhou, Zhou Ying, had long been dead, so they acted with extreme arrogance and tyranny."

"Old Mistress Zhou discovered her granddaughter's death and flew into a rage, attacking the Yang Family among the Daoist lineage families. That battle made the Yang Family Ancestor flee in panic. The Yang Family also inexplicably lost more than half of its spiritual energy. Not only that, but Old Mistress Zhou vowed to destroy the Daoist tradition of the Daoist lineage families, even at the cost of her own life. In this battle, the strength of the Daoist lineage families was almost shattered by her alone.

However, the matter was far from over. The Daoist lineage families were resentful and challenged Old Mistress Zhou. They don't know where they gathered many assisting experts, numbering over a hundred people, and set up a Hongmen Banquet outside the old town, explicitly inviting Old Demon Zhou to attend alone.

My old friend told me that the battle was truly earth-shattering. Old Mistress Zhou, wearing her unique ghost mask, even summoned a Ghost King. The Daoist lineage families and the assisting experts also suffered countless injuries. Just as they were about to be overwhelmed, a hidden master from the Maoshan lineage of the Righteous Path appeared from nowhere. This person might have had a grudge against Old Mistress Zhou, and at the cost of half his lifespan, he invoked a secret technique I've never even heard of, the Blood Cloud Coffin, to imprison a portion of Old Mistress Zhou's soul. But Old Mistress Zhou was also incredibly powerful. Not only did she escape the Hongmen Banquet unharmed, but she also snatched back the Walking Corpse of her granddaughter, Zhou Xuan, and fled."

Old Hai told us these strange events as if he were telling a story. Zhao He listened, his face flushed red, cursing the insidious nature of the Daoist lineage families.

Zhao Qian's eyes were filled with tears, sighing at the death of her peer, Zhou Xuan, while also being impressed by the heroic spirit of Old Demon Zhou.

Yu Xiao Xue got along best with Grandma and Zhou Xuan's sister-in-law. Her grief was no less than mine. I could see how deeply she felt things, as her tears never stopped.

"I know what you're thinking, but we who practice minor Daoist paths are like scattered sand compared to these orthodox Daoist lineage families. Even if we have a good reputation, our personal influence is limited to small places like counties and towns. To deal with the united orthodox Daoist lineages, it's almost impossible. Only someone like Zhou Xian, Old Mistress Zhou, who inherited the Ghost Raising Dao, a heaven-defying tradition, has the qualifications to challenge the Daoist lineages alone."

"What happened later? What happened after that? What did those who claimed to be the orthodox Daoist lineages do to Senior Zhou Xian? Where did the Blood Cloud Coffin go?" Zhao He asked urgently, now not so impressed with the orthodox Daoist path.

"Later, they carried the Blood Cloud Coffin to the Death Town, where the Yin energy is the heaviest, and sealed it. As for Old Mistress Zhou, her corpse will likely be recalled with the Blood Cloud Coffin." Old Hai shook his head again, a hint of unwillingness in his eyes.

"What exactly is the Blood Cloud Coffin? If it's broken, will my Grandma be alright?" I asked, clinging to a sliver of hope that there might still be a way, hoping for a turn of events.

"Heh heh, impossible. One of my old friends specializes in making coffins, and he knows about this powerful ancient artifact. The Blood Cloud Coffin is formidable. Once a soul is sealed within it, even if the person is thousands of miles away and dies, their body will return to the coffin on its own. And this coffin is rumored to be alive. My friend couldn't figure out its specific form.

In short, when the Blood Coffin opens, run as far as you can. Even if the Blood Cloud Coffin is placed right in front of you, you can't do anything about it. Besides possessing the abilities of the person inside the coffin, it can also command the surrounding Yin souls and fierce ghosts to attack anyone who gets close. At that time, we old folks heard about Senior Old Demon Zhou's situation and felt that she was a role model for us minor Daoists. So, we overestimated ourselves and wanted to see if we could save her before the Blood Cloud Coffin took effect. But what happened in the end?

We didn't even see the Blood Cloud Coffin, and instead of succeeding, we lost several people. Only I managed to escape from a deserted path in Death Town. Now that the main body of the Blood Cloud Coffin has returned, it's impossible for anyone to break it. Do you think you alone can defeat Old Demon Zhou? And the many wronged fierce ghosts in Death Town?"

Old Hai sighed and patted my shoulder. "This is why they felt confident placing the Blood Cloud Coffin in Death Town. This Blood Cloud Coffin, it cannot be broken."

His words finally allowed me to understand the whole story. It seemed Old Hai was not the one who caused Grandma's death, but rather someone who tried to save her. This misunderstanding was truly immense. I said sheepishly, "Old Hai, if you hadn't explained, I almost thought you were the one who harmed Grandma. I'm truly sorry."

"It's understandable to be anxious when you care. Besides, you are still young, and many things and arrangements were too coincidental. Misunderstandings are normal, don't dwell on it." Old Hai showed no pretense, showing concern as if he were looking at a junior.

Recalling that Grandma's body was sealed in Death Town along with the Blood Cloud Coffin, I felt immense indignation. After such a long separation, it had become a final farewell to Grandma. She died without peace, sealed in Death Town.

Having struggled to survive since the day I was born, my life is all thanks to Grandma. Therefore, no matter what, I must break this Blood Cloud Coffin, even if it's incredibly difficult.

As for those involved in her death, I will send them to hell one by one, household by household, even if it means incurring unresolvable karma.

This feud, I have escalated it immensely!