Why did you provoke me?

When Zhou Jingyan heard Nangong Tianshou say that everyone had been sent away, he was stunned for a moment.

"Where was it sent?"

"Nowhere is better, the countryside, remote mountainous areas," Nangong replied casually.

Zhou Jingyan's heart, which had been pounding, finally settled. He had thought it had been sent somewhere else entirely.

Nangong Tianshou saw through his thoughts. "I'd like to too, but like you said, they're not worth us getting our hands dirty."

"Third Uncle, if I do the same, the Zhou family of Kyoto will be completely wiped out, and in my hands no less. I will have no face to see my father."

"He didn't even make proper arrangements while he was alive, how can you blame him? If he causes you trouble later, just tell me, and I'll confront him," Nangong Tianshou said angrily.

Zhou Jingyan laughed in bed. His third uncle's protective nature hadn't changed at all.

He was getting tired after saying a few words.

"Eat something in a bit, then get a good night's sleep. As long as they don't come looking for you, even if they beat you to a pulp, it's none of your business. I'm leaving now, I'll come see you again tonight."

As she reached the door, she turned back and said, "You really scared Xiao Hao this time. Now that you're awake, spend more time with him."

Zhou Jingyan quietly recuperated in his room, with Xiao Hao bringing him meals every day. When he had nothing to do, he would write something with a pen. He would only leave when he was sleeping.

……

The research institute that Yu Meng visited.

Xiao Hong lay on the bed, her body gaunt and thin. Her eyes were not fully closed; she squinted at the person sitting beside her.

"Brother Chen, I'm afraid I can't stay with you any longer."

"Don't talk nonsense. I've already brought the children back; you'll have to wait until you see them one last time."

"I'd better not let them see me like this. I look too ugly."

"Where is it ugly?" Dean Chen's eyes reddened.

Xiao Hong pointed to the small box beside her. "Give these things to Yu Meng. Tell her to be careful."

"Didn't you have something like this in the bell you gave her last time? I didn't see her reply to your message either."

"I've been studying this for almost ten years and I still can't figure it out. She's so young, how could she be so fast? But she believes that day will come eventually."

Xiao Hong spoke a few words, but her breathing became even weaker.

"I'll have someone send it over. Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Dean Chen grabbed her hand. "Are you really that heartless to abandon me?"

"Alright, I'm an adult now. I owe no one anything in my life, and I don't know what I did wrong to deserve this suffering."

"Can't you leave some of your lines for our daughter? Those are lines imbued with spirit."

"You think I don't want to? But I don't know which ones are clean." Xiao Hong closed her eyes, a self-deprecating smile on her lips.

Dean Chen held Xiao Hong's hand, which was gradually growing cold, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

After a long while, he finally called people in to begin making funeral arrangements. He then sent messages to his children to tell them about their mother.

He also put that small box into the safe.

……

Yu Meng received this gift a month later.

She was puzzled as to why Xiao Hong had given her her sketchbook, as she remembered that Xiao Hong seemed to have a daughter.

There was a letter in the box, stating that it was Xiao Hong's last wish, and mentioning that there was a problem with the lines, urging her to be cautious. It was signed by Dean Chen.

Looking at the box full of threads, Yu Meng also put the bells that Xiao Hong had given her earlier together, and counted them to find a total of one hundred and thirty-seven.

Moreover, each one reached the level of the little black cat.

Yu Meng categorized the lines, and her natal lines were the most numerous, reaching an astonishing ninety-eight, only one less than hers.

The rest of the lines were a bit mixed up; some were from other number books, some were ones she had snatched, and there were only three or five of them, as well as some oddly shaped lines.

The first thing Yu Meng checked was her natal lines.

She didn't notice anything wrong with many of them, but a few were infested by Gu worms.

She picked out the lines containing the Gu worms and had the Overlord absorb their energy. Finally, she gathered them into a single line and made the Gu worms fight each other.

It took Yu Meng three days to finish dealing with this matter. She looked at the single remaining Gu worm among the lines. She had an urge to send it back to the research institute.

In the end, she suppressed the thought. Xiao Hong was already a Spirit Master, and she hadn't been able to solve this problem all these years. How difficult must it be?

If she solves the problem easily, no one will be grateful to her; they will only hate her or ruin her.

The reason is simple: without her, everyone is the same. With her, the living have hope, but how could her family be at peace with the dead?

Holding the last thread, Yu Meng's lips curled into a smile. This wasn't a gift; it was clearly a scheme.

Looking at the neatly arranged lines in the box, Yu Meng decided to give Ba Wang and the little black cat an extra treat.

Just how capable must this person be to plant a Gu worm into the lines of the deputy director of the research institute?

She should focus on improving her own abilities; everything else is meaningless. She didn't want Xiao Hong's tragedy to happen to her.

Secretary Wu looked at the sign outside Yu Mengmen that said she was in seclusion, and subconsciously wiped his eyes. Why was she in seclusion again?

Niannian leaned against the wall next to her and asked, "Uncle Wu, what did you give Fourth Sister that day?"

"I don't know either. It was sent by the research institute. It was addressed to Professor Yu, so I just gave it to her."

"You gave it to Fourth Sister, and that very night Fourth Sister went into seclusion." Niannian rubbed the soil on the ground with her foot, her expression somewhat forlorn.

Secretary Wu felt a pang of sympathy seeing Nian Nian like this. "I heard from Teacher Qing that a batch of good things came out of the experimental garden in the battlefield. Jing San is going there anyway. Do you want to go?"

"If there really are good things, how much can I take?"

Secretary Wu leaned closer. "Those are all going to the factory. Teacher Yu said that if they are useful for cultivation, you can use them."

"For us to use?" Niannian repeated.

"Yes, but your dosages are different. As for who uses more and who uses less, that depends on talent." This was said by Secretary Wu himself.

"Third Brother and the others were involved too?"

"Of course. They're all on our side; we have to treat everyone equally." This was the honest Secretary Wu. "But they aren't actual bone-drawing masters; the number is predetermined."

"I'll go with them whenever they leave." Niannian is now focused on improving her strength. However, there are very few things that can help her.

"We'll go tomorrow. You should go back and prepare. I still have some things to bring to Teacher Sun and Huang Yan, so I need to go back and prepare those too."

The two of them went their separate ways to make preparations.

After Dean Chen sent the items to Yu Meng, he stopped paying attention to them.

However, someone had their eye on Xiao Hong's lines, and on this day, the research institute welcomed an unexpected person.