Chapter Fifty-Three Like a Dream

  Tianshui City, Qingming Festival.

  The sky is drizzling with small rain, although it's already spring, there's still a bit of coolness.

  But this cannot stop people's enthusiasm.

  The Qingming Festival is the best time for ancestor worship and offering sacrifices.

  It is said that on this day, ancestors will return to their families and see if the family is prosperous or has been defeated.

  How's it?

  Of course it's from the offerings!

  If the family is still prosperous, the offerings are rich, with all kinds of three births and five animals, various colored rice cakes, everything is available. Of course, the most important thing is that the children and grandchildren are complete, united and concentrated in one place, performing various grand ceremonies and kowtows.

  Compared with the bustling and solemn ancestral tomb, the chaotic grave hill is even more desolate and miserable.

  Those who have no family and no descendants are hastily buried in a disorderly burial ground, with no one to offer sacrifices or mourn.

  But today is somewhat strange!

  An old woman with a hunched back and white hair, carrying a basket wrapped in white cloth, came to the chaotic tomb ridge with stumbling steps.

  Her eyes were tightly closed, and she walked with her hands out in front of her, feeling her way along, stumbling occasionally, as if she couldn't see the path ahead.

  "Poor old woman, the first half of her life was spent in luxury and wealth, but the second half was filled with the sorrow of sending off the deceased young ones, from then on she was heartbroken, even her eyes were blinded by day and night tears. Such an unfilial son, how can he face that basket of offerings!"

  "During the Qingming Festival, all women are not allowed to go to the cemetery, otherwise they will disturb their ancestors. The Qi family is so reckless that they let an old woman do such a thing, it's really shameful."

  People pointed and whispered, or responded with sympathy, or glared in anger, but everyone just grumbled behind their backs, and no one dared to really stop them.

  The Qi family in Tianshui City, the prosperity of their power, is second only to the city master's clan. Even if Old Lady Qi does things that don't conform to the ancestral laws and regulations, people also dare not speak out in anger, unless someone doesn't want to live anymore and dares to say three or four words.

  "Lei'er, your mother has come to see you, these are the dishes you like to eat, hurry up and enjoy them!"

  An old woman stood on the mound of graves, opened a white basket and muttered to herself.

  My eyes have dried out, and I can only mourn in my heart!

  "They all say that the appearance of a woman will scare away the ancestral spirits, but you are the son of your mother, how can you be afraid, right? If you eat it, just let your mother have a dream, and she'll come to deliver it to you every day!"

  She didn't know where Zile was buried, but stood in the chaotic tomb, closed her eyes, murmured to herself, as if talking to her son, her voice soft and low, full of love.

  The rain grew heavier, and the chill deepened.

  An umbrella shaded the top of Mrs. Qi's head, and Mr. Qi, holding the umbrella, was filled with helplessness, whispering: "Auntie, let's go back, it's late, my younger brother has already eaten his fill and gone home."

  As Qi Lei's older half-brother, he didn't need to come in person to hold the umbrella, but the whole city of Tian Shui knew that today, the old lady of the Qi family would personally offer sacrifices for her prematurely deceased son. Who knows how many pairs of eyes were staring at him? He had to make an appearance, even if it was just for show.

  Since Qi Lei's death, Master Qi has been unusually doting on Madam Qi, even going so far as to personally beat to death someone who spoke out of turn.

  "If Lei Er hadn't died, the position of family head would have definitely fallen to him!"

  The old man sighed more than once, then became sorrowful and looked at Qifeng sternly.

  "You are diligent and good at planning, but you pay too much attention to benefits and reputation. If these shortcomings are not changed, they will inevitably affect the future of our Qi family."

  Qī Fēng nodded and murmured in agreement, but in his heart he didn't think so, and was quite disdainful of Qī Léi.

  However, he was even more respectful to his wife's mother, serving her with filial piety whether in public or private.

  "What a great filial son!"

  Everyone watched as Qi Feng personally held an umbrella and escorted Old Lady Qi back to the manor, with no one failing to praise him.

  Just as the old woman of the Qis' household was about to step over the threshold, she suddenly turned her head around, her tightly closed eyes scanning all directions, revealing a look of anxious unease and mixed emotions of joy and worry.

  "Lei'er, is it you? Mom felt it, it's you, it must be you. Where are you?"

  She panicked and turned around, stumbling towards the door, her hands constantly rubbing together as if caressing her son's face, with a crazed expression that made onlookers' hearts ache.

  With a straw hat on his head, he stood proudly upright.

  He handed over the affairs inside Qitian Island, and with the help of Jīng Líng Dān, Bai Mao, San Zhao, and Man Niu broke through to the fourth layer, then rushed out of the thick fog, heading towards Tian Shui.

  There's someone he can't put down, you have to go see!

  He had originally planned to sneak into the Qi manor at night, and with his current abilities, he could easily pull off something like making a soul appear or sending a message through a dream. However, he hadn't expected that as soon as he arrived, it would be Qingming Festival, and he saw his mother alone in the chaotic tomb grounds, paying her respects.

  Even though his heart had already turned cold, he was still deeply moved, enveloped by a feeling of wanting to cry.

  So when he saw his mother enter the Qi manor, he couldn't help but let out a hint of breath, but unexpectedly, this hint of breath was detected by his mother.

  "Lei'er, Lei'er, it's you, it must be you!"

  She muttered helplessly, her tightly closed eyes darting back and forth, her hands rubbing together constantly.

  Zi Lei really wanted to walk forward, wanted to hold his mother's hand tightly, and wanted to answer that it was him.

  But in the end, he didn't take that step!

  Today's Qilei is no longer the Qilei of the past!

  And he also wants revenge, killing words, executing Hongmin. Today, once recognized, the Qi family will never have a peaceful day again.

  "Auntie, go back, little brother has left!"

  Qifeng felt ashamed, but in front of so many people, he couldn't lose his temper, so he had to take three steps and turn them into two, grab the old woman Qizao and force her into the mansion.

  "Your words may sound pleasant, but they're not genuinely filial!"

  Qili's eyes shot out two rays of light, with a power that could pierce through the heart, instantly seeing through Qifeng's thoughts, and couldn't help but feel secretly annoyed.

  If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to avoid family conflicts back then, he wouldn't have been so unrestrained and thought of jumping out of the mundane world to seek a magical one, only to be deceived by evil words and end up with his body destroyed but spirit remaining.

  "Everything seems like a dream, as if it happened yesterday."

  He slowly closed his eyes, recalling the scenes of the past, with both joy and sorrow in his heart, but ultimately like the eastward flowing water, quietly flowing away, never to return.

  "Tonight, I'll not only meet Mother but also warn Zifeng!"

  After all memories were deeply stored away, he regained his calmness of old.

  Mother is the one who gave me life, even if she has become a demon, I must repay this kindness, and Qifeng must be slightly punished.

  The night is deep and people are quiet, everyone has entered a dreamland.

  The residence of the ruler is heavily guarded, with a sentry post every ten paces and a watchman every five paces.

  Suddenly, a figure flashed by, extremely fast. Even when passing in front of the night watchman, the night watchman just blinked and thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.