Luzhou Moon

Chapter 136

"Yes." Lian Junchu finally answered clearly.

Hai Qiongzi nodded and said to Jiang Shuying, "It was he who sent someone to urgently find my disciple and asked her to relay this message to me. I had already withdrawn from worldly affairs, intending to cultivate in seclusion in the deep mountains, but upon hearing that this matter is related to the Divine Pearl, I can no longer remain uninvolved!" He suddenly stamped his foot heavily and sighed, "It seems there are still many people in the world who cannot suppress their greed... Well, well, niece of the Jiang family, if you have anything else to say, just tell me. It was this humble Taoist who caused you trouble, and I will certainly resolve it for you before I leave."

Jiang Shuying was at a loss for words, but Lin Bizhi walked up behind Hai Qiongzi and whispered, "Master, I told you about Yingluo a few days ago..."

"Yingluo?" Yue Ruzheng was taken aback. Even Jun Chu didn't know if Lin Bizhi was talking about Ruzheng, but she saw that Jiang Shuying's expression was different, as if her sore spot had been touched.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot!" Hai Qiongzi exclaimed, clapping her hands sharply. "I heard from this female apprentice that a string of sea-blue necklaces appeared at Yinxi Xiaozhu. Jiang family niece, may I take a look?"

Jiang Shuying looked embarrassed. She hadn't wanted to mention this to Ruzheng, but now that Hai Qiongzi had brought it up, it was unlikely she could hide it any longer. Furthermore, seeing that Lian Junchu and Yue Ruzheng seemed inseparable, she feared that if she didn't reveal the truth, it might lead to a grave mistake if the two were found to be related by blood.

Therefore, she steeled herself and said to Yue Ruzheng, "Ruzheng, take off the necklace and show it to the senior."

Yue Ruzheng paused, then slowly took the necklace from under her neck and presented it to Hai Qiongzi. Upon first seeing it, Hai Qiongzi's white brows furrowed. After examining it closely, his eyes lit up, and he stroked his beard, saying, "Indeed, it's something I made myself." He then added in surprise, "This necklace should have been on Seven Star Island. Young lady, could you perhaps be a descendant of the Lian family?"

"Why did you say that Yingluo should have been on Seven Star Island?" His question surprised not only Yue Ruzheng, but also Jun Chu, who couldn't help but step forward to ask.

"Eh, this thing was originally a wedding gift from me to your father. If it's not on Seven Star Island, where else should it be?" Hai Qiongzi was unaware of the relationship between Lian Junchu and Yue Ruzheng, so she spoke the truth without thinking.

Lian Junchu was stunned, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, and couldn't speak for a moment. Yue Ruzheng exclaimed even more, "How is this possible?! Yingluo has been with me since I was a child, I'm not from Seven Star Island at all!"

Their reactions surprised Hai Qiongzi. Jiang Shuying, seeing that the matter had been exposed, had no choice but to say, "Ruzheng, when Master Lin was healing you, he discovered this person... These past few days I've been thinking that your aunt might be from Seven Star Island, and more likely, she has an unusual relationship with Lian Haichao..."

"Senior Jiang!" Lian Junchu couldn't help but call out, trying to stop Jiang Shuying from continuing, but Jiang Shuying glanced at him and said seriously, "Young Master Lian, I'm saying this not out of personal motives. I also know that your birth mother wasn't Lian Haichao's legal wife. Given this precedent, and the fact that Ruzheng's aunt received such a precious ornament, it's hard not to think of this."

Yue Ruzheng never imagined she would be connected to Lian Haichao. She stared blankly at Lian Junchu, then at Jiang Shuying, before finally saying, "Master, are you saying that this necklace might have been given to my aunt by Xiao Tang's father?"

Jiang Shuying was unwilling to answer directly, and only nodded slightly. Yue Ruzheng wanted to recall her aunt's origins, but the more anxious she was, the more confused she became. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through the back of her head, making her turn pale and sway as if she were about to collapse.

"Ruzheng!" Lian Junchu noticed that something was wrong with her expression and hurriedly stepped forward.

Yue Ruzheng was breathing rapidly, her eyes filled with pain. Seeing this, Hai Qiongzi called Lin Bizhi and asked her and Jiang Shuying to help Yue Ruzheng and quickly take her down the mountain.

After returning to Yinxi Xiaozhu, Haiqiongzi examined Yue Ruzheng's condition and told Jiang Shuying that she must have suffered an impact when she was young, coupled with a fright, which led to the loss of many memories.

Jiang Shuying sat weakly by the bed, gazing at the sleeping Yue Ruzheng, and said, "At that time, I only knew that she had ended up in Luzhou. I felt sorry for her and didn't think much before adopting her..."

Lian Junchu, who had been standing silently by the bed, suddenly asked in a low voice, "Senior, do you know where Ruzheng is from?"

Jiang Shuying thought for a moment and said, "Judging from her accent at the time, it sounded like a dialect from the Jiangnan region. But I rarely go out, so I don't know exactly where she's from."

Seeing that Lian Junchu had been staying with Yue Ruzheng, Hai Qiongzi stood up and said, "Young man, you and this girl are so in love, are you planning to get married?"

Lian Junchu was deeply depressed. Hearing him ask about this, she gave a bitter smile, "Right now, I just hope she's safe and sound..."

Hai Qiongzi said, "There's no need to worry too much. I will treat her again after she wakes up."

"But..." Jiang Shuying hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Lian Junchu and said calmly, "Young Master Lian, please come downstairs. I have something to say to you."

When Lian Jun first saw the complex look in her eyes, an unease began to rise in his heart. Sure enough, once they went downstairs, Jiang Shuying said to him seriously, "You two must not get married before you find out Ruzheng's background."

Lian Junchu stubbornly replied, "I will accompany her to search for her past memories, but what does that have to do with getting married?"

Jiang Shuying said coldly, "Do you think I'm still preventing her from marrying you because I resent Lian Haichao? I already told you, Ruzheng's jewel is something your father owns. What if her aunt is Lian Haichao's lover, or what if Ruzheng is actually Lian Haichao's daughter? How will you face that?"

Lian Junchu almost stopped breathing for a moment. After catching his breath, he forced down his chaotic thoughts and said defiantly, "Senior Jiang, don't make assumptions! This is absolutely impossible!"

"Why is it impossible?!" Jiang Shuying said solemnly, "You can make such a statement to me now, but can you be just as resolute in front of Ruzheng?"

Lian Jun was speechless for the first time.

"Now that things have come to this, it's not that I'm stopping you from being with Ruzheng, but rather that you need to think it through yourself and figure out how to resolve this!" After saying this, she lost interest and turned away.

Chapter 84

Despite the serious incident that occurred before the ancestral worship ceremony, Jiang Shuying still managed to arrange everything despite her physical limitations. Before the ceremony officially began, she led her disciples to kneel before the incense table and silently kowtow. Yu Hezhi's body had been brought back, covered with a white cloth, and placed in the courtyard.

Jiang Shuying, holding incense and candles, repeatedly apologized to the ancestral tablets, murmuring to herself as if lamenting or repenting. All the disciples were dressed in plain clothes, except for Yue Ruzheng.

Before long, the faint sound of bells and chimes rang out, the deep and lingering sound slowly reaching the small building in the distance.

Lian Junchu sat alone on the stone bench, beside him the green plum tree that Yue Ruzheng often mentioned. However, the flowering season was nearing its end, and most of the petals on the branches had withered, leaving only a few blossoms trembling in the wind.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Qian'er came down carrying a basin of water. Seeing him lost in thought, she couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Lian, Miss hasn't woken up yet. Could something be wrong?"

Lian Junchu then paused to reflect and comforted her, saying, "It's alright. Senior Hai Qiongzi has sealed several of Ruzheng's vital points, and she will wake up in a while."

Qian'er sighed and said, "Miss's illness has been going on for a long time, and it could flare up at any time. It's really frightening. Luckily, nothing bad happened during your fight just now, or it would have been dangerous!"

Lian Junchu asked, "I asked you to pretend you discovered the Junlei Heart Sutra earlier, how did Ruzheng also know about it?"

"I met Miss Qian on the way up the mountain. Seeing my hurried manner, she insisted I explain myself." Qian glanced back at the tightly closed window of the small building. "I know she didn't want me to take any risks..."

Lian Junchu nodded silently and said, "Qian'er, thank you for helping us again. It's rare that you trust me..."

Qian'er smiled shyly, "I trust Miss, so of course I trust you too." She then pursed her lips and said, "By the way, after Miss's condition improves, will you propose to Madam?"

She asked the question because she was unaware of the details, but Lian Junchu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing it. He didn't want to tell Qian'er about his troubles, but instead gazed at the plum tree, frowning, and said, "Qian'er, why is the path between Ruzheng and me so difficult..."

Qian'er was taken aback, thinking that he was still worried about the opposition from Jiang Shuying's side. Due to her own status, she could not make any comments about the madam, so she could only sigh along with him.

Lian Junchu was silent for a moment, then looked up and asked, "You've known Ruzheng for many years, have you ever heard her mention your aunt?"

"Aunt?" Qian'er pondered for a long time, her eyes filled with confusion. "She did mention... that aunt had a box filled with seashells and conches. Miss said that whenever they moved when she was little, her aunt couldn't bear to leave the box behind."

"Why do you move so often?" Lian Junchu asked, somewhat surprised.

Qian'er shook her head and said, "I don't know. She only remembers that her aunt often took her around moving house in a panic, sometimes even pulling her out of bed in the middle of the night and running away. Later, she didn't know how, but she got separated from her aunt and ended up wandering the streets alone, eventually ending up in Luzhou."