The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 409: The Ancestor Will Light the Incense Himself

Chapter 409: The Ancestor Will Light the Incense Himself

Shuang’er’s body shook violently. "Miss..."

Her voice quivered with tears, struggling to understand how Xue Shengnan had turned so cold. They had been companions for years, supporting each other through thick and thin!

Yet Xue Shengnan remained icy and indifferent, slowly withdrawing her hand. Shuang’er, in a panic, quickly agreed, "I am willing. As long as it’s Miss’s command, I will do it!"

Xue Shengnan’s expression softened into a smile as she patted Shuang’er’s head, treating her like an obedient pet. "Good Shuang’er, your loyalty will not go unnoticed, and I will never mistreat you."

Shuang’er could only thank her with tears in her eyes. She had followed Xue Shengnan for years, understanding the harsh reality of their situation. Killing was a heavy sin, but the real torment was being burned by Ghost Fire and suffering endlessly.

Xue Shengnan’s refusal to personally end the lives of the Xue family was simply to avoid accumulating such sins and facing the afterlife’s punishment. Shuang’er felt a chill and her heart sank further. What she had thought was a sisterly bond was just an illusion; in the end, she was nothing more than a servant.

Cheng Wei raised an eyebrow and asked, "When will Miss Xue take action against the Xue family? Their deaths will surely alert the Ninth Princess."

In other words, they should either avoid drawing attention or coordinate their actions simultaneously.

Xue Shengnan had already planned ahead. "Lord Cheng, please take me to the mass grave."

Cheng Wei, realizing her plan, chuckled lightly. "Miss Xue, you’re indeed decisive and efficient."

He found himself increasingly impressed by her.

--

Not only had Xue Shengnan calculated Xiao Wanyi’s delivery date, but Nanli had also done so and advised Chu Hanlin to delay his departure to the military camp by a few days.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Lu had finalized the Divorce Law with the cabinet and the Ministry of Justice, securing Emperor Muwu’s approval. The law was amended and published, with notices sent to various local counties and posted for public awareness.

This swift resolution was thanks to Chu Huan and others’ contributions. However, they did not seek any personal gain from Prime Minister Lu’s offers of promotion. They genuinely wanted to help women seeking divorce, not to advance their own careers.

Prime Minister Lu felt regretful and mentioned this to Nanli.

After learning of their decision, Nanli approached Chu Huan. Coincidentally, Chu Yang was also present.

Chu Yang had improved significantly in his brief time at the Flame Sect. He delighted in showing his progress to his third brother, wielding a large sword with impressive skill. The sword was heavy, yet he swung it effortlessly, his movements swift and his breathing steady.

Nanli observed for a moment, impressed. After Chu Yang finished, he turned to Nanli. "Sixth Sister, how do you find my swordsmanship?"

The sword weighed over ten pounds, and despite swinging it for almost half an hour, Chu Yang showed no signs of fatigue, only a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Not bad," Nanli nodded. "But fourth brother seems to have switched to a different internal cultivation method."

She pondered for a moment before adding, "It suits you well."

Each person’s talent and physique were unique. The right cultivation method could lead to tremendous progress. Receiving such praise from Nanli was rare, and Chu Yang’s eyes lit up. "Yes! Master Zhao taught me the Fire Cloud Spell, which is an extraordinary internal cultivation method. Even at the second level, I feel full of energy and my body is lighter. My breath is stable and strong."

Nanli was surprised. "Fire Cloud Spell? I heard it’s a secret technique of the Flame Sect. How did Master Zhao pass it on to you?"

"Thanks to Sixth Sister’s talisman, Master Zhao was grateful and decided to teach me the technique," Chu Yang said earnestly, his gratitude evident. "Sixth Sister, you have bestowed great favor upon me. Please accept my bow!"

He began to kneel.

Nanli’s lips twitched. Her fourth brother was truly obsessed with martial arts, bringing that enthusiasm home. "Fourth brother, do you wish to shorten my life?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chu Yang tilted his head.

Chu Huan sighed. "Although you’re his elder brother, it’s not appropriate to bow to your younger sister. Stand up quickly! Do you really want Sixth Sister to suffer?"

"No, Sixth Sister should live long!" Chu Yang, with his simple mind, quickly stood up, smiling. "Anyway, learning such a powerful technique is due to Sixth Sister’s blessings."

Nanli felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn’t originally planned to use the Soul-Gathering Talisman for Zhao Lingfu. It was the Xuan Yue Ancestor who had made it possible.

As she thought about it, the bag containing the ancestor’s statue began to move. Nanli opened the string to find the statue trembling, as if trying to leap out of the bag.

She rolled her eyes. The ancestor refused to leave before but now wanted to enjoy incense offerings?

The statue’s movements grew more pronounced, and Chu Huan and Chu Yang, curious, asked if there was a living creature in the bag.

"It’s not a living creature," Nanli said, and just as she finished, the statue jumped out of the bag!

"What is that?!" Chu Yang reacted quickly, pulling Chu Huan back and swinging his sword at the statue.

"Don’t!" Nanli shot out a copper coin, clanging and repelling Chu Yang’s sword.

She caught the statue, inspecting it carefully and sighed in relief. "Fourth brother, if you had damaged the ancestor’s statue, I would have had to pay for repairs."

Chu Yang looked closely and saw it was a golden statue of an immortal, with an increasingly radiant and somewhat eerie smile.

The statue trembled again.

"Understand now?" Nanli said, irritated, as she placed the statue on a table and took out three high-quality incense sticks. "Fourth brother, come inside."

Chu Yang entered, puzzled. Nanli handed him the incense sticks and said, "The reason you have learned the Fire Cloud Spell is thanks to the Xuan Yue Ancestor. He values gratitude, so you should offer three sticks of incense in thanks."

Chu Yang was bewildered but followed Nanli’s instructions. He looked for a fire starter.

Nanli grabbed an apple from a plate and placed it in front of the statue. "Just stick the incense into the apple."

"Ah? How will the ancestor receive my incense?" Chu Yang asked.

"Don’t worry. He will light it himself."

The idea of the ancestor lighting the incense himself seemed even more mysterious. Chu Yang, holding the incense, bowed three times and silently expressed his thanks. As he placed the incense in the apple, to his amazement, the incense ignited on its own!