"Calling them dead children all day long—aren't you afraid outsiders will laugh when they hear it? They're living, breathing children, yet you insist on cursing them as dead children. No wonder it caused a conflict!" Xia Yunxuan frowned deeply, glanced at me, then swept his gaze over the rest of them.
I recalled my household ghost and sized up Xia Yunxuan, the Xia family's grandfather. The old man spoke in a measured, proper way and had even taken my side. How strange. He was nothing like I had imagined.
"Dad, Big Brother's child is always causing trouble. We were worried, so we planned to go into the mountains to look for him. But after he came back, Xia Zhong said he wanted to take him to the Nine Tripod Society for questioning. Who could have known Big Brother would be unhappy and immediately attack..." Xia Qingyu hurriedly explained.
Xia Qingshu immediately added, "That's right, Dad. Big Brother practically..."
"Hmph, enough! I heard everything just now. What sort of place is the Nine Tripod Society? It's a strategic facility. What were Xia family descendants doing there?" Xia Yunxuan said coldly, then looked at Xia Zhong. "Why did the Nine Tripod Society enter the rear mountain? Where's your secret order? Who told you to enter the rear mountain?"
That question left Xia Qinghao, Xia Qingyu, and Xia Qingshu deathly pale. They then looked toward Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan arched her brows. "That's right. I issued the secret order. I only wanted them to monitor him. Who could have known he would kill two of them? If we didn't question him, who would we question?"
"You, you... You're simply using public power for private ends! One Enlightened person brought several disciples who were all on the verge of Enlightenment up the mountain to