Grandmother

Crane Garden was a several-acre plot tucked away in a corner of Hu Xinzhu's estate. Other than a row of quiet cottages along the back, the entire garden was made up of shallow ponds planted with an exceedingly rare variety of black bamboo veined with gold. Massive nests had been built among the slender stalks, housing no fewer than a hundred white cranes.

These white cranes were snow-white all over, save for a spot of crimson atop their heads. Golden light shone from their eyes, their imposing aura revealing them all to be peak Heaven-rank Magic Beasts. Some foraged in the ponds, some danced amid the bamboo grove, while others curled up in their nests for a nap—living utterly free and carefree lives.

In the main hall of the central cottage, Lin Qi sat solidly in a large chair, his mouth observing his nose, his nose observing his heart, saying nothing as he played dumb.

Sha Xinyue sat beside him, narrowing her eyes as she looked with a half-smile at the three men across from her, like dogs that had lost their homes.

Hu Tu's clothes were in tatters. His old face had remained intact, but through his shredded garments, one could see bruises the size of fists all over his body. Some had turned purple-red, with faint threads of blood spreading beneath them.

Hu Ye was dressed in rags, his nose bruised and face swollen. He sat dejectedly below his father, occasionally using a snowy-white handkerchief to wipe away the tears seeping from the corners of his eyes. Donkey's hooves had badly injured the outer corners of his large eyes; now, the slightest twitch of his eyelids sent tears streaming down.

Hu Xinzhu, who had only just returned from the imperial city, wore a long face. He sprawled limply