Chapter 651: Chapter 351: Misunderstandings Deepen, Love Beyond Control, Xiaotuan’s Past, Loyal Lady (Part 3)

Gu Nianjun interrogated the Flower Thief. Some tried to deceive their way through with clever words and sophistry, but to no avail, and they received severe punishment. They were stripped naked, their hands and feet bound, and a rope circle hung around their neck, suspended from a tree, slowly witnessing their demise.

Those who confessed frankly, were a strong force of righteousness among the scattered Jianghu guests, acting solely upon the ethos of Jianghu. Hearing of their crimes, in anger, they struck them dead with a single blow. Beaten to death by a mob, their death was unbearably tragic, leaving no complete corpse.

The Flower Cage disciples were involved in secrets. Tendons in their hands and feet were severed, castrated on the spot, never to be a man again, leaving behind interrogations about Flower Cage Sect matters. Gu Nianjun, having left the mansion, was originally the legitimate daughter of the Gu Family’s "Dragon Court Prefecture" in Yu Nan Dao, holding a very high status, decisive in killing, and highly skilled in her methods.

This matter gradually came to light, Zhou Shijie, upon reflection, found himself inferior, feeling more inadequate. With all things clearly managed, Gu Nianjun sought again to pursue Li Xian. Yet Li Xian was sly as a fox, and what a schemer Wen Caishang was, nonetheless fell into the trap, still unable to move. Gu Nianjun’s skills were extraordinary, but the idea of capturing Li Xian was futile.

She attempted capture several times, only to be toyed with. The vastness of the human sea prevented any hope of capture. Gu Nianjun was deeply worried, knowing Li Xian had begun to distinguish himself in Flower Cage Sect, gradually revealing his prowess. Without intervention, he would surely become infamous as a great Flower Thief. Although Gu Nianjun was biased against Li Xian, she did not hate him, only worried that Xiaofan’s future would be completely destroyed by him.

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. Li Xian, like a fish into the sea, disappeared without a trace. With so many obstacles, his existence could not be hindered. Various difficulties couldn’t block his path.

Now, let’s talk about another side.

Bixiang Water Pavilion remained the same. Xiaotuan had no worries about food or clothing, and she had grown a little taller. She was originally a poor village girl, her father had died early. Orphaned, she and her widowed mother depended on each other. Fortunately, her mother was skilful and knowledgeable in embroidery and needlework, highly praised for ten miles around.

Gradually, villagers sought her mother to mend clothes and adorn them with flowers. Although they couldn’t exchange for money, occasionally it would grant a bun or a mouthful of soup, barely keeping their bellies full.

As the chaotic times approached, common clay embryos sank into a sea of bitterness and destiny hardships. Xiaotuan, influenced by what she heard and saw, learned needlework, embroidery, and sewing skills from her mother. She was naturally gifted, far surpassing ordinary people. She learned skillfully and shared her mother’s workload.

Unfortunately, her mother was fated to suffer, as the world grew more chaotic, making survival very difficult for the orphan and widow. Even with a skill, they couldn’t avoid being bullied. Bearing grievances and humiliation, swallowing sorrow, they managed to barely survive. Xiaotuan observed with maturity beyond her years, but could only adapt.

At the age of five, her mother, due to overwork, fell seriously ill. Though it wasn’t life-threatening, her hands and feet trembled, making it impossible to embroider or sew... Xiaotuan had to take over her mother’s work, mending clothes for others to earn food.

Her mother, unwilling to drag her down, contemplated hanging herself. But clothes were too expensive, so she turned to swallowing needles to end her life. When Xiaotuan returned home, she found her mother dead, all sorts of emotions surged over her. She cried for days, trying to wake her mother, but the deceased were gone, and grief was of no use.

Xiaotuan thought to herself, "Mother and I suffered too much; dying could be a relief. As long as after death, there is peace in eternal sleep, that’s something good." She then prepared a resting place for her mother.

At the age of three, Xiaotuan vaguely knew one thing. Her father, who died early, was buried on a desolate mountain. Next to her father’s earthen grave grew evergreens, seemingly good Feng Shui. Buried there, there was shade from trees against the heat and protection from the wind.

Unfortunately, they were targeted, and his grave was dug up along with his body, which was discarded elsewhere. That grave was seized by another family in the village. Xiaotuan’s mother knew of this and sought to reason with the family. That family had three sons, each tall and strong, true village bullies.

They drove her mother away. Mother and daughter, extremely weak, sought people to argue fairness. But the village chief and villagers were unwilling to mediate, afraid of offending the village bullies. The mother and daughter were utterly helpless, forced to work together to move the father’s grave.

They chose a secluded spot for reburial.

That matter offended the village bullies; seizing the grave wasn’t enough. They frequently defiled the new grave, utterly provocative. The mother and daughter suffered bullying but endured in silence. Since that incident, Xiaotuan deeply understood the importance of peace after death. She thought, "Living people can retaliate with curses when bullied. Dead people, however, cannot react. Mother always said, when father was alive, he was strong and respected, potentially becoming the village chief. Yet after death, he faced defilement with no recourse. Mother... will never let this happen again!"

Thus she planned a grand burial. But with no savings, no Qi Power, even digging the grave was difficult, causing her dizziness with concern. Additionally, the bully family wouldn’t relent, keeping up with their bullying attempts to seize Xiaotuan to make her a child bride.

Finally, a villager, unable to watch any longer, secretly approached Xiaotuan, saying, "Xiaotuan, you aren’t bad-looking, quite pretty. This village is unbearable. Tomorrow, I’m delivering a pile of wood to the city elders on an ox cart. Hide your mother’s remains among the wood pile on the cart."

"You must... look for an opportunity to sell yourself. This way, you can bury your mother and avoid being taken as a child bride, suffering a lifetime."

Xiaotuan agreed. Dragging her mother’s remains, hiding them inside the ox cart, she waited through the night. The plan went smoothly, successfully transported into the city. Xiaotuan then set her mother’s remains, wrapping them in a somewhat clean cloth.

She embroidered "Sell Myself to Bury My Mother" in fine handwriting, hoping to catch the eye of city elders. Her appearance was fair, her age very young, her talents admirable, quickly being chosen as a maid by a household.

The steward from the Liu Family in the city wanted to buy her for a hundred Wen Coins but needed to return home immediately. Xiaotuan pleaded, "Sir, if I enter the house now, what about my mother... Can you allow a few days, let me bury my mother first...?"

The steward arrogantly said, "Oh, oh, oh, the dead are already dead, what’s the point of burying? Or are you so precious like those lords, choosing among five for burial, must be buried in a Feng Shui treasure land?"