Tang Zengshou had three daughters. The eldest was Xiao Yunlong's mother, and the second daughter married into Jiangdong.
It was said that the family the fourth aunt married into was a prominent clan in Jiangdong, possessing considerable prestige and status.
However, because Chuan City was a long distance from Jiangdong, Xiao Yunlong had only visited once when his fourth aunt got married. He was very young then and didn't remember much.
His maternal grandfather's third daughter, ranked fifth, was said to be a woman of strong character. Years ago, she defied her family's objections and married someone in Fusang alone.
From his scant childhood memories, Xiao Yunlong knew that his fourth aunt was quite kind. When he was very young and she was still unmarried, she had helped look after him.
Therefore, upon arriving in Jiangdong, Xiao Yunlong naturally intended to visit her.
The following morning, after breakfast, Xiao Yunlong informed Liu Ruyan of his plan. Liu Ruyan, perhaps because the film crew had caused a death the previous day and was paused for a few days, had nothing else to do. Thus, they set off together.
"Bufan, Ben Dao, you two go and keep an eye on Century Entertainment City. Prevent any accidents," Xiao Yunlong instructed before getting into the car.
For the past few days, with the help of Foyé, his sixth uncle Tang Shanbao had been taking over the entertainment city's various industries. However, Xiao Yunlong felt a lingering unease. After all, the street rat that had fled in disarray back then was backed by the forces of Jiangdong Pavilion.
Yet, to this day, there was still no sign of that stinking rat or any movement from Jiangdong Pavilion. Xiao Yunlong felt a degree of apprehension.
As the car slowly drove out of Ziyun Villa, Liu Ruyan suddenly reminded him, "Yunlong, are you really going to visit your fourth aunt just like this?"
Xiao Yunlong blinked in surprise. "Yes, why else?"
Liu Ruyan rolled her eyes and pouted. "You really are a straight man. We're visiting an elder, we can't go empty-handed, can we?"
Xiao Yunlong was momentarily speechless. "That's true. In that case, let's buy some gifts first. I'm not very good at this, so you can help me pick them out."
The two then detoured to a mall and bought several boxes of gifts before setting off.
According to his third uncle Tang Tianbao, his fourth uncle apparently held a position in the Jiangdong City Lord's Mansion, though it was a minor one, just a captain. Additionally, the Jiangdong Li family, where his fourth aunt belonged, had been involved in commerce, with a considerable scale of business, dabbling in both official and business circles.
The Li family resided in a villa complex called Huihao Ting in the southern part of Jiangdong. It was said that the real estate development of this complex was undertaken by the Li family.
The complex was situated at the foot of a mountain, with Mount Xuangui at its back. The Jiangdong River meandered around it like a jade belt, indicating excellent feng shui.
The Li family occupied the prime villa in the complex, a mountainside villa covering over a thousand square meters, making it exceptionally large and luxurious.
After passing through three security checkpoints, Xiao Yunlong was able to drive his car into the mountainside villa.
His fourth aunt, Tang Qingrong, was waiting at the entrance. She was a tall, slender woman, dressed elegantly though not ostentatiously.
"Yunlong, is that really you? I can't believe you've grown so much in just a few years."
Tang Qingrong hurried forward, scrutinizing Xiao Yunlong from head to toe. "You know, you really should have told me you were coming. I could have come to pick you up. The security here is quite strict; the guards didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
Xiao Yunlong smiled. "Fourth Aunt, you haven't changed much over the years; you're still as beautiful. The guards didn't trouble me at all. I just gave your name, and they let me through."
He then quickly pulled Liu Ruyan forward. "By the way, Fourth Aunt, this is my fiancée, Liu Ruyan!"
"Hello, Fourth Aunt!" Liu Ruyan greeted respectfully.
"Your grandfather mentioned it when we spoke this morning. Indeed, Yunlong, your fiancée is a great beauty."
Tang Qingrong took Liu Ruyan's hand, and they exchanged further pleasantries.
However, at that moment, a sudden, sharp voice cut through the air. "Xiao Yunlong, you troublemaker, why are you here?"
With that, his third aunt, Mo Qingqing, strode over from a side courtyard, accompanied by Tang Zijun and Tang Wenya, as well as two or three other young men and women.
Fearing retaliation from the Lei family and the Jiangdong Martial Alliance, Mo Qingqing had brought her son and daughter to his fourth aunt's place in the afternoon to seek refuge.
Tang Qingrong frowned. "Third Sister-in-law, I don't think it's appropriate to speak about Yunlong like that."
Third Aunt Mo Qingqing retorted, "Fourth Sister, you don't know. This brat causes trouble as soon as he arrives in Jiangdong. Never mind what happened in Chuan City; now he's provoked the Jiangdong Martial Alliance here. What do you say about that..."
Before she could finish, Fourth Aunt Tang Qingrong waved her hand. "I know about this. I spoke with Father this morning, and he told me the matter with the Jiangdong Martial Alliance has already been resolved."
"Resolved? How was it resolved? Would the Jiangdong Martial Alliance people just let Xiao Yunlong off the hook so easily?" Mo Qingqing asked, looking surprised.
"I don't know the specifics. Father didn't elaborate over the phone, but since it's resolved, that's all that matters."
Tang Qingrong shook her head. "It's rare for us all to be together today. Third Sister-in-law, let's go prepare lunch. Let these younger ones chat amongst themselves. Azhe, you two, this is your cousin Yunlong. You must entertain him well and not neglect him."
With that, Tang Qingrong and Mo Qingqing went inside, leaving Xiao Yunlong and the younger generation in the courtyard.
At this point, a young man in his late teens, dressed in designer clothes with an earring and a buzz cut, stepped forward and sneered at Xiao Yunlong. "Are you the legendary troublemaker cousin from Chuan City?"
Xiao Yunlong had intended to greet his cousin Li Ben Zhe, but he never expected such mockery from the outset, leaving him momentarily speechless.
His fashionably dressed cousin Li Minmin also stepped forward. "Cousin Yunlong, right? I heard Cousin Wenya say you've become a live-in son-in-law to the Liu family in Sucheng. Is that true?"
Without waiting for Xiao Yunlong to reply, Li Minmin continued, "However, Cousin Yunlong, your family is ruined now. Being a live-in son-in-law isn't so bad. Oh, right, I almost forgot. In the future, when you visit, don't bother bringing gifts. After all, it's not easy being a live-in son-in-law."
Although Li Minmin spoke with a smile throughout, her words were laced with contempt.
Xiao Yunlong felt utterly helpless, completely taken aback by the attitude of his cousins. He shook his head and smiled, too lazy to argue.
Tang Wenya, seeing this, chimed in, "Exactly. Bringing such shabby gifts, who are you trying to embarrass? The Li family is a prominent Jiangdong family; would they care about these trashy things?"
Liu Ruyan couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward. "You few, saying that is a bit too much. Regardless, Yunlong is your cousin!"
"Too much?" Li Minmin grinned. "Let me tell you, if it weren't for my mother, I would have chased you out with a broom long ago for being a rapist. We don't welcome disgusting perverts like you in our home."
Liu Ruyan's face darkened completely, and she was about to retort, but Xiao Yunlong reached out and patted her shoulder, signaling her with a smile not to bother.
Li Ben Zhe sneered at Xiao Yunlong. "Listen up, for my mother's sake, we won't kick you out. But you need to behave yourself. It's best not to cause any more trouble, or don't blame me for not showing cousinly affection."
"Alright, I've noted your words!" Xiao Yunlong replied with a faint smile.
"Good that you remember!" Li Ben Zhe snorted and swaggered inside. Li Minmin cast a contemptuous glance at Xiao Yunlong and followed him.
Tang Wenya and Tang Zijun, the siblings, seized the opportunity. "Xiao Yunlong, you troublemaker, now you know to keep your tail between your legs and dare not be arrogant? This is the Li family. Without Grandpa covering for you, you're just a live-in son-in-law, not even truly belonging here!"
With that, the brother and sister also walked in arrogantly.
Liu Ruyan couldn't help but ask, "Yunlong, you can tolerate this? Those four are going too far. If you hadn't stopped me earlier, I would have slapped them a few times!"
Xiao Yunlong shook his head and sighed. "They're just ignorant children who've been sheltered. Why bother with them? After all, as you said, we are relatives!"
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and turned to her with a mock scolding. "Ruyan, I've noticed that since you started practicing martial arts, your temper seems to be getting more irritable. You're always wanting to slap people. That's not good!"
Liu Ruyan lowered her head and mumbled, "I know. I'll be careful in the future!"
Xiao Yunlong nodded but said nothing more.
In fact, Liu Ruyan herself found it strange. Since she began practicing martial arts, specifically after she accidentally mobilized that ball of qi in her dantian during her fight with the Fusang warrior, her temper seemed to have become inexplicably more volatile. Even she found it peculiar.
Liu Ruyan had initially wanted to tell Xiao Yunlong about this phenomenon, but on second thought, it didn't seem like a major issue. It was possibly due to the many events she had experienced recently, leading to greater emotional fluctuations. Thus, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan then walked side by side into the villa's main hall.
In the kitchen, Fourth Aunt Tang Qingrong was directing two servants, while Mo Qingqing was assisting, seemingly preparing a grand lunch.
The hall was very spacious, with a large floor-to-ceiling window. Bright sunlight streamed in, illuminating the entire hall.
Li Ben Zhe and the other three were engrossed in a mobile game on the sofas, completely ignoring Xiao Yunlong and Liu Ruyan. Not only did they not offer any hospitality, but they didn't even offer a cup of tea, treating Xiao Yunlong as if he were invisible.
Xiao Yunlong simply shook his head and remained silent.
However, at that moment, a series of beast-like roars and cries suddenly emanated from the villa's backyard.
Xiao Yunlong recognized them as human cries of agony, and they sounded like an elderly person, which puzzled him.
Tang Qingrong was the first to rush out of the kitchen, shouting, "Azhe, what's wrong with your grandfather? Why is he having an episode in the middle of the day?"
"Oh no!" Li Ben Zhe leaped up, abandoning his game. He sprinted towards the backyard, shouting, "I forgot to give Grandpa his medicine this morning! Hurry, or something bad will happen!"
"You child, you only know how to play. If your grandfather has any accident..." Tang Qingrong complained as she hurried towards the backyard, with Li Minmin close behind.
Tang Wenya and Tang Zijun, likely familiar with the situation, remained seated, engrossed in their game.
The cries from the backyard were truly tragic, causing Liu Ruyan discomfort. She asked, "Yunlong, what exactly is going on?"
"I'm not sure. We'll know when we go and see," Xiao Yunlong replied, standing up. They then walked towards the backyard.
The roaring sounds were coming from a room on the left side of the backyard. This room was originally used for storing miscellaneous items, but through the iron-barred window, Xiao Yunlong saw a withered old man, his hair disheveled, his hands and feet bound by chains. He was covering his head and roaring in agony.
The sound was incredibly miserable and sorrowful, even more so than the cries of a slaughtered pig, truly heart-wrenching to hear.
Fortunately, the withered old man's hair had been completely cut off. Otherwise, judging by his appearance, he would likely have torn it out himself.
Liu Ruyan was visibly moved and stopped walking, unable to bear watching the scene any longer.
Li Ben Zhe and Li Minmin seemed accustomed to this. They quickly yelled at a flustered servant guarding the door, "What are you waiting for? Hurry and open the door so we can go in!"
The servant finally reacted and quickly took out a key to open the door. Li Ben Zhe and Tang Qingrong rushed in one after another, rummaged through a box in the corner, and retrieved a syringe.
However, the old man struggled violently, making it difficult to administer the injection. Even Li Ben Zhe and Li Minmin couldn't hold him down despite their efforts.
Tang Qingrong called out, "Yunlong, quick, come in and help!"
Xiao Yunlong, who had been observing through the window, entered. He reached out and grasped the emaciated old man's wrists.
With that grip, the disheveled old man finally calmed down slightly.
Tang Qingrong took advantage of the moment to administer the injection, which appeared to be a sedative. Meanwhile, Li Ben Zhe quickly grabbed two capsules from the box and forced them into the old man's mouth.
The old man's agitation and pain gradually subsided.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yunlong placed his right middle and index fingers on the old man's wrist to check his pulse.
As soon as he felt it, his pupils constricted, and his expression changed slightly.
Tang Qingrong, unaware of Xiao Yunlong's reaction, breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, Yunlong, that's enough. Let's go out now."
Xiao Yunlong nodded subtly and followed everyone out.
With a clang, the door closed.
Inside, the old man had slumped his head to the side. Although his hands and feet were still bound by chains, he appeared to have fallen asleep temporarily.
Xiao Yunlong couldn't help but ask, "Fourth Aunt, what exactly is going on?"
Tang Qingrong sighed. "Actually, I don't know the specifics. He's Ben Zhe's grandfather. About six months ago, he suddenly started having headaches. At first, no one paid much attention, but it gradually worsened. We took him to various hospitals for diagnosis and treatment, but nothing worked. In the end, for safety reasons, we had to lock him up."
She paused before continuing, "Everyone in the family says the old man is possessed. And it's not just him; many elderly people in several Jiangdong families have contracted this strange illness."
Xiao Yunlong nodded slightly and asked, "When Mr. Li first fell ill with this strange condition, did he only experience headaches on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and did the pain attacks usually occur around midnight?"
Tang Qingrong's eyes lit up at his question. She quickly asked, "Yes, it was indeed on the first and fifteenth, and usually around midnight. Yunlong, how do you know this? Do you know what illness the old man has?"