Chapter 20: Secrets of the Feng Family Part 2

Lights shone in the corridor of the prefab buildings, and light leaked from the rooms. Faint voices drifted over, too distant for Wang Ya to make out clearly, but she figured Zhang Beauty, who had headed that way earlier, was probably inside now.

Wang Ya crept along the perimeter wall to the back of the prefab buildings and clearly saw bright light spilling from several first-floor windows onto the ground. Voices came from inside—a man speaking, and his voice sounded familiar. Wang Ya recognized it as one of Zheng Yanxia’s bodyguards. Zheng Yanxia had two bodyguards: the square-faced one named Fang Yan, who had shouted “Expert, hold on!” and ditched her to protect Zheng Yanxia during the Ghost Hitting Wall incident. The other was Dong Zi, who had replaced the bodyguard Wang Ya had seen once on the day of the Ghost Hitting Wall and never again.

The speaker was Fang Yan, the one who said “Expert, hold on!” He sounded a bit tense: “Miss Zhang, why hasn’t Mr. Tang come back yet? Did something happen to him?”

Wang Ya peeked through the corner of the window and saw it was a large office with a big conference table, filing cabinets against the wall, and two rows of partitioned desks. It resembled the offices she’d seen during job interviews. Zhang Beauty stood by the front window, back to her, while Fang Yan stood behind Zhang Beauty, half-perched on the conference table. Afraid of being spotted, Wang Ya only glanced quickly before ducking back to squat under the window.

Zhang Beauty didn’t respond, and Fang Yan fell silent too. The office quieted again.

A few minutes later, Wang Ya sensed movement from the direction of the site entrance. She turned and saw Old Tang returning. Like Zhang Beauty, Old Tang moved like a ghost without a sound, but differently: Zhang Beauty glided silently like a specter, while Old Tang moved with wind-like speed, his strides covering two or three times the normal distance.

Seeing Old Tang return, Wang Ya shrank lower, almost flat against the ground.

Less than two minutes later, Fang Yan’s voice rang out: “Mr. Tang’s back?”

Zhang Beauty’s questioning voice followed: “How did it go? What’s the deal with that wasteland across the way?”

Wang Ya’s heart skipped a beat; she felt a momentary daze. Wasn’t the wasteland across from the site exactly where she had Opened Yellow Springs earlier? She prayed inwardly that it wasn’t that spot. But buildings were going up everywhere nearby—only that large patch remained barren!

Old Tang’s voice came: “Guess who I saw?”

Fang Yan exclaimed, “Not the Ghost Granny, right?”

Zhang Beauty said, “Wang Ya?”

Old Tang’s voice carried both tension and excitement: “I saw Wang Ya over there Opening Yellow Springs to send off a ghost. That surge of Yin Qi was gathered by her. Afraid she’d notice me, I didn’t get too close. I waited until she left before going over to check carefully.”

Zhang Beauty cried out in shock: “Opening Yellow Springs to send a ghost? Wang Ya’s so young—how could she have the power for that? Could she really be a survivor of the Zhongyin Feng Family? Was the Ghost Granny not just stirring up hatred by lying about it?”

“‘Incense as Boundary, Other Shore Flower Opens the Path’—the Zhongyin Feng Family’s unique method. Wang Ya Opened Yellow Springs in just two or three minutes, as easily as opening her own back door. Who else but the lineage of Walk Yin experts from the Zhongyin Feng Family could do that?”

Zhang Beauty’s voice rang out again: “Impossible! I heard from the elders in my family that back then, the Zhongyin Feng Family left no survivors. It couldn’t be… impossible… If she survived, there’d be no way she’d stay hidden for decades. For the Zhongyin Feng Family to have descendants left—it’s too terrifying!”

Wang Ya, squatting by the wall, was utterly baffled! What did she have to do with the Zhongyin Feng Family? Her skills came from her grandma, who had learned them from a dying Taoist priest she met while fleeing disaster. That priest’s book was still at home, buried under the kitchen’s pickled vegetable jar in a Sealed Jar.

The room fell silent for about two minutes.

Old Tang spoke again: “Your Zhang Family was one of the initiators of the Feng Family massacre back then. You know the inside story best. Think again—did the Feng Family really have no survivors? Or did your family elders not tell you? I heard the Feng Family was wiped out over their Family Heirloom. Could Wang Ya’s ancestors have been involved in the massacre and obtained the Feng Family’s heirloom arts?”

Zhang Beauty shook her head: “Impossible! My great-grandfather said that when the Feng Family was exterminated, everything belonging to the Feng Family’s Legitimate Eldest Daughter, Feng Yuqin, was lost in the Underworld Courts. None of those who participated in the massacre got any real treasures.”

Wang Ya’s eyes widened in shock at the mention of the Feng Family Legitimate Eldest Daughter’s name! Her grandma’s surname was Yu, name Qin! If prefixed with Feng, wouldn’t it be “Feng Yuqin”? The pronunciation matched the Feng Family eldest daughter’s name exactly! Wait, no—that Feng Family Legitimate Eldest Daughter should have gone to the Underworld Courts. It couldn’t be her grandma, who was still very much alive!

Old Tang said, “How do you explain the Ghost Granny’s accusation and Wang Ya’s use of Incense as Boundary, Other Shore Flower Opens the Path to Open Yellow Springs? Earlier, I saw her fighting the Ghost Granny with street-fighter tactics and thought she was some wild practitioner who lucked out against the Ghost Granny with a few ancient bronze coins. I never imagined she was really from the Zhongyin Feng Family. But this is good—A’qi can be saved. The Zhongyin Feng Family has unique expertise in Walk Yin and Bind Soul techniques. There’s real hope for dealing with the Ghost Granny and rescuing A’qi. Wang Ya loves money. I’ll go back and discuss it with Shu Zhi—have him spend some to hire her. No matter what, getting A’qi’s soul back is the top priority.”

Wang Ya sneered inwardly and thought, No matter how much money you offer, sis won’t lift a finger!