The old madam, after hearing An Qingyao's words, felt a storm raging in her heart. For hundreds of years, the Hua clan had not experienced such fratricide, yet it was now reoccurring in her son.
At this moment, if she weren't being supported by Xia Wan'er and Granny Hua, she would have fainted on the spot.
"Do you have any evidence for what you're saying?" the old madam asked, forcing herself to remain calm as she looked at An Qingyao again.
"Yes, I can use the Illusionary Projection technique to recreate the scene of Hua Changqing killing Brother Ru Ye before your eyes. However, I need Hua Changqing's blood to activate the formation. Just a drop of his blood and a basin of clean water will suffice."
An Qingyao spoke to the old madam with such earnestness that it was difficult to refuse.
"Alright, Granny Hua, take someone to fetch a basin of clean water. Jinyu, go and get some of Hua Changqing's blood for me," the old madam instructed.
"Understood! Old Madam, I'll go right away!" Granny Hua responded and left.
Upon hearing the old madam's voice, Leng Jinyu also stepped out from the crowd, cupped his hands in greeting to the old madam, and turned to walk towards Changqing.
He understood the old madam's intention in asking him to fetch Hua Changqing's blood. It was likely to vent his anger over An Qingyao's earlier mention that Hua Changqing harbored feelings for the vulgar Xia Wan'er.
This old madam's mind was truly intricate and perceptive of others' thoughts, making her a rather respectable elder. However, her son, Hua Changqing, was truly a disappointment – all show and no substance, rotten to the core.
Just then, Leng Ruoli, standing nearby, had a sudden thought, a mischievous idea flashing through her mind. She quickly called out to Leng Jinyu.
"Father, I have a blood-sampling tool here. It will be much more convenient for you to collect the blood with this."
As Leng Ruoli spoke, she pulled a large syringe from her sleeve, demonstrated its use to Leng Jinyu, and then handed it to him.
Seeing the large syringe that Leng Ruoli handed to Leng Jinyu, Xia Wan'er couldn't help but let out a muffled snort. Ruoli's syringe was too exaggerated; was she trying to drain Hua Changqing's blood dry?
Holding the large syringe gifted by Leng Ruoli, Leng Jinyu walked briskly to Hua Changqing without looking back. Seeing Leng Jinyu's almost predatory glare and the unknown white tube in his hand, Hua Changqing suddenly felt a twinge of fear.
However, Hua Changqing was not only injured but also tightly bound by four attendants, making escape impossible.
Leng Jinyu approached Hua Changqing and directly aimed the large syringe Leng Ruoli had given him at Hua Changqing's wounded arm, forcefully plunging it into his injury. Hua Changqing cried out in pain, "Ah... My arm hurts so much! Leng Jinyu, you are too insidious!"
Leng Jinyu paid no mind to his pain. Seeing Hua Changqing's current agony, Leng Jinyu's anger subsided slightly, though he still harbored resentment.
He drew a substantial amount of blood from Hua Changqing. After some thought, he decided not to drain him completely, as the cause of the eldest son's death in the Hua family had yet to be cleared up, and Hua Changqing was a primary suspect. Thus, he spared Hua Changqing's life, but warned himself not to be so lenient next time.
After collecting the blood, Leng Jinyu handed the syringe of blood to Leng Ruoli and stood behind Xia Wan'er. A moment later, Granny Hua also arrived with the basin of water, and the old madam instructed Granny Hua to place it before An Qingyao.
Next, under An Qingyao's direction, Leng Ruoli poured the blood from the syringe into the basin of clear water in front of her. An Qingyao then took out two old locust leaves from her sleeve, held them between her fingertips, and rapidly moved her hands up and down, murmuring incantations.
After about three minutes, An Qingyao wiped the two old locust leaves with her eyes and then gently tossed them into the bloody water before her.
The scenes from Hua Ru Ye's death twenty years ago unfolded before An Qingyao in this basin of blood.
This basin of blood possessed a function akin to a modern television, replaying Hua Ru Ye and Hua Changqing sneaking out to play in the middle of the night. Initially, the two were having a grand time.
But as they played, Hua Changqing, taking advantage of Hua Ru Ye's lack of vigilance, inserted a needle several times thicker than a silver needle into the crown of his head. Hua Ru Ye let out a sudden scream and died on the spot.
In an instant, Hua Changqing reached out and touched Hua Ru Ye's nose, confirming he had stopped breathing. A triumphant smile spread across Hua Changqing's face... Afterward, to destroy the evidence, he dragged Hua Ru Ye's body into the sea and disposed of it, along with the needle.
He acted as if nothing had happened that night. It wasn't until the next day when the servants discovered Hua Ru Ye missing and reported it to the head of the Hua family (the current old madam). The head of the Hua family immediately dispatched people to search for Hua Ru Ye. They scoured over a dozen islands near the Hua clan but found no trace of Hua Ru Ye.
During that time, the head of the Hua family was nearly driven mad. Hua Changqing stayed by her side, constantly comforting her.
At that time, the head of the Hua family had no idea that her youngest son, a mere teenager, would murder his own brother. She often praised Hua Changqing for being sensible. The old madam now felt disgusted recalling it.
However, what Hua Changqing hadn't anticipated was that a few days later, a colossal wave surged in one morning and washed Hua Ru Ye's body ashore. It was then discovered by servants of the Hua clan who were heading out to fish in the morning, and they immediately informed the head of the Hua clan.
Upon hearing that her eldest son had been found, but as a corpse, the head of the Hua family fainted on the spot.
When Hua Changqing heard that Hua Ru Ye's body had washed ashore, his face turned ashen. But later, upon learning that his mother had fainted upon hearing the news of Hua Ru Ye's death, Hua Changqing's mind raced. He immediately devised a strategy, one that would also garner his mother's attention and favor.
Thus, he meticulously managed the entire affair of his elder brother's death, even inviting several elders of the Hua clan who lived in seclusion on other islands to examine the true cause of Hua Ru Ye's death.
Whether intentionally or by oversight, these elders, failing to notice the blood hole on Hua Ru Ye's head, unanimously concluded that the eldest young master of the Hua family had died of a sudden heart attack and drowned while out at sea alone.
Later, after a few days of fruitless investigation, the head of the Hua family had no choice but to let her son be laid to rest. Meanwhile, Hua Changqing's status within the Hua clan steadily rose.
As the old Hua madam witnessed the scenes from the blood basin, a weight like ten thousand kilograms pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted into Xia Wan'er's arms.