The Cycle of Reincarnation in the Four-Courtyard House: A Journey Through the Heavens

She stared blankly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. A subtle ripple appeared in her usually calm eyes, and a vague sense of familiarity quietly crept into her mind along with the ring—she had indeed seen this antique-style ring before.

My thoughts drifted back to that distant childhood, following this sense of familiarity.

Before the image was fully clear, a gentle figure first appeared in my memory.

He was a middle-aged man, dressed in a plain-colored long robe, with a tall and straight posture like a pine tree, and a gentle and refined demeanor in his eyes.

She was still young at the time, and only remembered that the man treated her very well. He would bend down and pick her up, his fingertips carrying a faint scent of ink and fresh grass.

On his finger was a seven-jeweled ring exactly like the one before her, its seven-colored light shimmering gently in the sunlight, so bright it made her unable to open her eyes, yet it was also deeply imprinted in her mind.

As the ring's radiant light shimmered before her eyes, the middle-aged man's features became increasingly clear—sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose, and a faint smile always playing on his lips. When he looked at her, the tenderness in his eyes seemed to overflow with affection.

Li Qingluo subconsciously reached out her hand, her fingertips hovering in mid-air, trembling slightly, as if she wanted to touch the warmth of that distant memory, or as if she was confirming the authenticity of the ring in front of her.

"Father......"

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Just then, a clear and melodious voice rang in her ears, and Li Qingluo suddenly woke up, only to find that her cheeks seemed to be wet.

Wang Yuyan reached out her small hand to wipe away the tears on Li Qingluo's cheeks, looking at her with a worried expression.

Li Qingluo patted her daughter's hand, forcing a smile as she said, "No...it's nothing. Mother was just thinking about some things from the past."

Li Qingluo then looked at Li Xiao and gestured for him to enter.

"Junior brother, please come inside to talk!"

Through the change in address, Li Qingluo seemed to have come to believe Li Xiao's words.

"Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Li Qingluo then instructed the maids in the manor to move the jade statue to her study.

In a quaint and elegant living room at Mantuo Manor, Li Qingluo asked somewhat anxiously, "May I ask, junior brother, how is my father now?"

A look of sorrow appeared on Li Xiao's face. He gently stroked the Seven Treasures Ring and replied in a low voice, "Master passed away a month ago!"

"What—"

After hearing this, Li Qingluo swayed slightly, and Wang Yuyan, who was next to her, quickly supported her mother. It took her a while to recover.

"How...did my father...die?"

Li Xiao sighed and then recounted to Li Qingluo what had happened after he found Leigu Mountain.

"What did you say?"

The white porcelain teacup in Li Qingluo's hand clattered to the ground, shards mixed with warm tea splashing onto her silk skirt. Oblivious to this, her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Xiao, her voice trembling with extreme shock and anger.

Ding Chunqiu was actually her father's disciple, and her mother had seduced Ding Chunqiu to plot against her own father.

Such a ridiculous incident, even if it happened in the 21st century, would be condemned by everyone, let alone in this era of strict feudal etiquette.

Li Xiao nodded solemnly, and then a scroll appeared in his hand.

After unrolling the scroll, Li Qingluo and Wang Yuyan realized that it was a portrait.

The painting depicts a girl of eighteen or nineteen years old, whose appearance is extremely similar to Li Qiushui or Wang Yuyan.

The girl's eyebrows and eyes had a touch of innocence and childlike charm, and a slight smile played at the corners of her mouth, making her indescribably charming and approachable.

The only difference is that she has a dimple at the corner of her mouth and a small black mole next to her right eye.

"This...this is...my mother?"

"Something's not right... something's not right..."

Li Xiao pointed to the small black mole and dimple on the person in the painting and said, "Your mother doesn't have this beauty mark, nor this dimple!"

Li Qingluo suddenly realized, then fell into confusion again: "Then who is she?"

"The person in the painting is your mother's younger sister—Li Canghai!"

"this......"

A guess seemed to form in Li Qingluo's mind.

Actually, these things weren't told to Li Xiao by Wu Yazi. Li Xiao had watched the TV series and read the original novel, and knew that the person Wu Yazi truly loved was Li Qiushui's younger sister, Li Canghai.

Li Xiao told Li Qingluo all about the love and hate involved, which plunged her into a long silence.

These are all grudges from the previous generation, and as a junior, she doesn't seem to have any right to criticize them.

Wasn't she the same? She was pregnant with Duan Zhengchun's daughter, but was eventually abandoned by that heartless man. With nowhere else to turn, she joined the Wang family of Gusu.

After she married into the Wang family, her husband was frail and sickly and died young. She raised Wang Yuyan alone.

After a while, a hint of icy coldness appeared in Li Qingluo's eyes.

"Junior brother!"

Li Qingluo's voice was hoarse and broken, her eyes bloodshot. She grabbed Li Xiao's sleeve as if it were her last straw: "Since you know all this, you must have the ability. I beg you, I beg you to avenge my father and get rid of that traitor Ding Chunqiu!"

She paused, took a deep breath, and spoke with a resolute tone, as if she had nothing to lose.

The resources and wealth she had accumulated at Mantuo Manor over the years were now her bargaining chips: "As long as you're willing to help, I'm willing to pay any price. The books, secret manuals, gold, and jewels of Mantuo Manor are all yours to take. If you need my help, I will not hesitate to lend a hand!"

Li Xiao shifted his gaze to Wang Yuyan, who was also looking at him with intense eyes.

Li Qingluo seemed to understand something, and she also felt that this was an opportunity.

"Junior brother, if you're willing to help, I'm willing to marry Yu Yan to you!"

At this moment, Li Qingluo was so focused on revenge that she couldn't care less about anything else.

Besides, her junior brother was only a few years older than Yu Yan, and his appearance and family background were both outstanding, making him a perfect match for her daughter.

Wang Yuyan was immediately stunned by her mother's words.

"Mother...you...what are you saying? My cousin and I..."

"shut up!!!"

Li Qingluo was furious upon hearing this. She looked at Wang Yuyan sternly and said, "How many times have I told you? Murong Fu is approaching you because he wants to obtain the martial arts manuals in our Langhuan Jade Cave."

"Moreover, all his thoughts have always been on the restoration of the Yan state. He is a man who does things by any means necessary and has no sense of loyalty or righteousness whatsoever. He is not someone who can be entrusted with anything."

"Mother...don't let your feud with Aunt affect me and my cousin!"

"Yu Yan! I am your mother. Would I lie to you? The Murong family is only after the restoration of the Great Yan Dynasty. All talk of love and affection is just a tool in their eyes!"

Wang Yuyan remained silent, but anyone could see that she didn't believe her mother's words at all.