Chapter 20
Relief washed over the Meng family the moment the guards arrived.
Lou Yuqing, however, noticed something different.
A squad of black-robed cultivators strode down the street, swords hanging at their sides, their formation tight and disciplined.
At the front walked a man with thick brows and sharp, piercing eyes. An eagle with outstretched wings was embroidered across his chest, its gaze so vivid it almost felt alive—like it could see straight through a person’s heart.
Ten subordinates followed behind him in two neat rows, their presence alone enough to make the air grow heavy.
He swept a glance over the scene, then turned to the resident who had led him here.
“Who’s causing trouble?”
Without the slightest hesitation, the man lifted his hand and pointed straight at Elder Wei Tu and the others.
“Them!”
A beat of silence.
Lou Yuqing and the others exchanged looks, a collective question mark practically hanging over their heads.
…Little brother.
What exactly is wrong with you?
It was obvious now—this guy had gone to fetch the guards from the very beginning, completely unfazed by Elder Wei Tu’s earlier display of power. In his mind, these people were nothing but bullies… and he had just bravely reported them.
The broad-shouldered captain turned his sharp gaze toward them, narrowing his eyes. A surge of pressure rolled outward as his voice rang like a bell: “So it was you who threatened to kill the people of Ping’an City?”
Lou Yuqing shot the resident a look, internally speechless.
What kind of criminal announces murder out loud before doing it? Do you want them arrested faster?
The resident shrank back under her gaze, suddenly unwilling to speak.
Elder Wei Tu flicked his sleeve lightly.
The captain’s pressure dissolved like mist—and in the next instant, a far more overwhelming force crashed down in its place.
Elder Wei Tu’s voice was calm, almost idle. “If I wanted to kill someone, it would take a single breath. Do you think I’d waste time lingering here?”
The captain’s shoulders buckled. He dropped to one knee with a thud, face draining of color. “This junior was blind to your greatness. Please forgive me, Senior!”
Behind him, his ten subordinates fared even worse—flattened to the ground, trembling.
A Nascent Soul cultivator.
They had patrolled the city for years, yet had never encountered someone like this. One exchange, and it felt as though a mountain had been pressed onto their chests.
Elder Wei Tu withdrew his pressure as easily as he had released it.
“I’m not here to make things difficult for you. This is a private matter. I have no intention of killing anyone.”
Only then did the Meng family’s breathing steady slightly.
The guards represented authority within Ping’an City. No matter how powerful Elder Wei Tu was, openly killing civilians would damage the Wendao Sect’s reputation.
As long as he cared about that, he wouldn’t act recklessly.
…Right?
The captain also exhaled quietly, gesturing for his men to stand before carefully choosing his words.
“Senior, I have duties to fulfill. I’ll need to ask a few questions… if you would allow it.”
Ignoring a report entirely would bring consequences—anything from reprimand to dismissal. And this situation… was already too public.
If word spread that he had simply sided with a powerful cultivator, his position as captain would be gone by tomorrow.
Elder Wei Tu was about to respond when Wei Houming stepped forward.
“Master. Let him ask me.”
The captain nodded quickly, almost gratefully.
“Yes, yes. The person who reported this said you came here seeking revenge on the Meng family. Is that true?”
Wei Houming shook his head. “No. I came to reunite with them. My master and the others accompanied me.”
“Reunite?!” the reporting resident blurted, eyes wide.
He had been so certain these people were enemies—otherwise why would the Meng family be sprawled on the ground crying?
…Wait.
His head itched.
It felt like his brain was trying to grow.
Around them, the crowd began murmuring.
“What’s going on? They’re relatives?”
“Look closely—doesn’t he resemble the Meng couple?”
“You’re right! The nose, the mouth… and those ears—definitely inherited from Old Meng!”
Once given a direction, the crowd’s observational skills sharpened instantly.
The Meng family’s brief relief vanished just as quickly.
Meng Siyu’s voice transmitted quietly to his parents: “They have no evidence. They can’t do anything to us.”
His greatest fear had been a private confrontation. Against Wei Houming and his group, they would have had no chance—perhaps even forced into confession.
But now, in the open?
As long as they denied everything, what could the other side do?
Fifty years had passed. What evidence could possibly remain?
Reassured, the Meng couple steadied themselves.
The captain hesitated before asking carefully, “Are you… the child of the Meng family?”
Wei Houming looked at the three of them. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
“Yes. They are my biological parents. And he—” his gaze shifted to Meng Siyu, “—is my elder brother.”
The captain sucked in a breath.
Family disputes.
The most troublesome kind.
He had learned that lesson the hard way years ago—helping one side, only to be blamed by the other. In the end, he’d thrown them both in jail just to stop the headache.
“Wait,” someone suddenly cut in, frowning in confusion. “Isn’t Xiaoyu a girl? Wouldn’t that make her your elder sister?”
Meng Siyu stiffened.
Almost instantly, he lowered his head, long hair slipping forward to veil the distortion in his expression.
Wei Houming didn’t even blink. His voice remained calm, almost indifferent.
“Man or woman… you can ask him yourself.”
The speaker hesitated, eyes lingering on Meng Siyu’s delicate features and slight frame, disbelief written all over his face.
“That’s impossible,” he insisted. “Xiaoyu is definitely a girl.”
Silence followed.
Not the quiet kind—but the kind that rang in your ears.
The crowd exchanged looks, uncertainty flickering between them.
“…If it wasn’t true,” someone muttered slowly, “wouldn’t he have denied it by now?”
No one was a fool.
If it were false, it would’ve been rejected immediately.
But this silence—said everything.
In that moment, something invisible yet very real seemed to crack apart.
The collective understanding of reality… shattered on the spot.
“How can Xiaoyu be a man?!”
Shock rippled through the crowd—especially among the male cultivators who had been close to him. Their expressions looked as though they’d just been struck by a hammer.
If Xiaoyu was a man… then what had all those past interactions been?
“Xiaoyu,” one of them said hoarsely, eyes full of desperate hope. “Say something. Tell them they’re wrong.”
Meng Siyu remained silent.
No one knew he was simply venting his fury inward.
Wei Houming… it’s all because of you.
Why did you come? Why expose this?
But when faced with the question, he hesitated.
Because once spoken, the lie could be dismantled instantly. Before, no one had ever thought to question it.
Now—there was no way to hide.
The cultivator’s face twisted, colors shifting wildly.
His youth. His feelings. His spirit stones—
All given to a grown man.
If not for the crowd watching, he might have already rushed forward and grabbed Meng Siyu by the collar, demanding answers.
And yet…
Even now, he found himself unable to hate him.
He still looked so fragile. So… in need of protection.
The cultivator turned to the crowd, voice strained but resolute.
“Xiaoyu must have his reasons. He's a good person. He wouldn’t do this without a reason.”
The crowd: ???
Lou Yuqing blinked.
…Wait. Brother.
You’re the victim. You lost money AND feelings. Why are you defending the scammer?
Si Nidie stared, horrified.
This guy’s brain is broken.
[But that’s exactly how PUA works. The brainwashing is too strong. Honestly, I doubt he even cares about gender at this point.]
Si Nidie froze.
…No way.
She looked again.
And sure enough—there it was. A trace of affection, lingering stubbornly in his gaze as he looked at Meng Siyu.
Si Nidie: Holy crap.
Her worldview shattered on the spot.
Gu Buqi and Elder Wei Tu both twitched at the corners of their mouths, pretending they had seen absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, Lou Yuqing’s thoughts continued, merciless as ever—
[He’s a black-hearted lotus, through and through.]
[Why pretend to be a woman? Not just for spirit stones—but to satisfy himself.]
[He was frail since childhood, stunted, mocked. So after coming to Ping’an City, he became a “girl.”]
[Everyone on Sunset Street pitied and adored this weak, innocent “young lady.”]
[No one knew it was all an act.]
[Meng Siyu enjoyed controlling people. It soothed his resentment. And over time… he became addicted.]
[At first, one target. Squeeze them dry, move on. Then two. Then three.]
[Juggling them all at once.]
[Over a hundred victims.]
[If Captain Wei hadn’t appeared as a bigger target, the number would’ve kept growing.]
Lou Yuqing quietly shook her head.
Wei Houming: “…”
Please stop. Please stop talking.
I get it. I’m the biggest victim here.
But Lou Yuqing had no intention of letting him off.
Her thoughts struck again—
[He was the one Meng Siyu destroyed the most. He had a bright future—until he was reduced to a cripple.]
[The Meng family’s luck was bizarre. Not long after recognizing him, Elder Wei Tu’s soul lamp went out. He died in the Netherworld Sea.]
[From then on, Captain Wei poured everything into them.]
[Resources. Pills. Artifacts.]
[He gave and gave—until he couldn’t pull himself out.]
[Until one day, he overheard the truth.]
[That he was abandoned. His mind collapsed. Qi deviation. Inner demons. Broken meridians. A shattered Dao heart.]
[A cripple.]
[And no one knew—Meng Siyu did it on purpose. He resented him.]
[So he used their parents to reveal the truth—just to break him.]
[Disgusting.]
[He wanted him destroyed.]
Wei Houming’s mind went blank.
Like a bolt of lightning had struck straight through his soul.