Guesswork, Regret, and Doubt

The difficulty of saving an entire family was easy to imagine.

So, after the Xu Family had settled down, that ancestor's health completely gave out.

"Out of gratitude and respect, the Xu Family's descendants also came to especially cherish Hong Feng, whom that ancestor had adored."

"Even now, the Xu Family still has many jade carvings of Hong Feng handed down from their ancestors."

"The Xu Family's Hong Feng jade carvings have become something of a family trademark."

"I was thinking... the Hong Feng my ancestor liked wasn't the plant."

"But... Ling Feng, the monster."

Xu Qingzhu's words made Xiao Xiao raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Why do you think that?"

Seeing that Master Xiao hadn't dismissed his guess, Xu Qingzhu relaxed a little and slowly explained his reasoning.

"Master Xiao, the Siheyuan you visited before was the Xu Family's ancestral home."

"That ancestor lived there, too."

"Although the house has been renovated several times since then, and it no longer looks quite as it did originally,"

"its general layout hasn't changed."

"From the window of the room where that ancestor lived, you could see that Hong Feng tree."

"And the family records include some details about that ancestor."

"One thing they mention is that someone heard the ancestor suddenly call out, 'Hong Feng.'"

"But everyone else thought the ancestor had simply been moved by the Hong Feng outside the window."

"The family records also say that the ancestor may have had a habit of talking to himself."

"More than one person heard faint voices coming from inside his room as they passed by the door."

"But when they knocked and went in, they found the ancestor alone in the room."

"I see."

Xiao Xiao murmured, then smiled faintly. "No wonder you thought that."