Fifteen years ago, Wang Yunhu, who was originally the deputy of the Clan Leader, seized that rare opportunity to join forces with others and successfully ascended to the position of Clan Leader.
At that time, Wang Yuan's parents had just passed away, and the tea hadn't even gone cold yet.
In order to consolidate his position, regardless of what Wang Yunhu truly thought, he had to take good care of Wang Yuan, the sole descendant of the former Clan Leader, and simultaneously exert his influence on him from a young age.
After hiring an old woman to raise Wang Yuan until he was about four or five years old, he was surprised to discover that this unfortunate boy was actually an idiot.
Thus, the position of the new Clan Leader gradually stabilizing, he lowered his guard and no longer paid much attention to this completely harmless fool.
He even dismissed the old woman and simply let the boy fend for himself, letting him survive or perish on his own.
Clearly, at that time, Wang Yunhu had not yet colluded with Master Ge to scheme against the Owl God Tomb, nor had he realized the potential value Wang Yuan might carry.
He was mostly busy devouring others' properties, dividing the main branch's houses and lands, and meanwhile buying people's loyalty.
Therefore, Wang Yuan had opportunities to disappear for days at a time; whenever the clan members thought he had been killed by mountain spirits or wild ghosts, he would reappear, abiding by the promise made to his grandfather.
In fact, he had gone to "Wangren Town" to seek refuge with his cousin, Huang Wu.
Although the siblings habitually bickered, they had grown up together and their affection for each other was profound; Huang Wu, besides their grandfather, was the only one who knew that Wang Yuan had been pretending to be a fool for over a decade.
The girl naturally did not treat him like an ignorant child.
Hearing the serious question from Wang Yuan, she no longer cared about absorbing Yang energy and lightly leaped back into the mirror beside her.
She sat on the edge of the bed, resting her chin on her delicate white hand, and thought deeply for a while.
Then she uttered a response that made Wang Yuan shiver.
"Grandma going silent? It must have been... fifteen years ago!
It was shortly after you were born, no more than ten days at most."
This question seemed to stir up memories buried deep within Huang Wu, prompting her to share a story from over a decade ago:
"Actually, I didn't spend too much time with Grandma.
After all, wasn't every ghost once a person?
It was also approximately fifteen years ago when I suddenly woke up and found myself inside a mirror in 'Wangren Town,' having become a ghost in the mirror.
For some mysterious reason, I was also dressed in a bridal gown.
Fortunately, I was not like those muddled ghosts.
Although much of my memory from my life was fragmented, and I had forgotten where I lived or what my status was, I was lucky to have retained my sanity."
"During that time, in 'Wangren Town,' I also saw my young aunt who was about to give birth, my uncle, and the very cold, stern-faced grandfather from the Wang Family.
But they were all in a hurry each time they came to discuss matters with Grandma and would close the door so I couldn't hear; Grandma also seemed deeply troubled.
Then, not long after, things went awry."
The beautiful girl in the mirror raised her delicate hand and seemed to knock from the inside, touching the surface of the mirror, generating a "thud, thud, thud" sound.
"Unfortunately, I cannot leave these mirrors in 'Wangren Town,' and even with the reflection in my eyes, the only person I can possess to absorb Yang energy from is you.
So I am also unclear about what exactly happened at that time.
All I know is that the day Grandma returned alone looking terribly upset, she immediately returned to her original form and instructed the maids not to disturb her any further."
"Indeed, fifteen years ago, something did happen that affected our entire family greatly."
Hearing Huang Wu's account, Wang Yuan's fragmented mental image became a bit more complete.
Based on the current clues, it was almost certain:
That year, his parents, grandfather, and grandma had definitely become involved, whether actively or passively, in a massive crisis related to the Owl God Tomb.
And most had met with misfortune.
One must know, according to what Wang Cheng said,
the Wang Family Clan was assigned here to guard the Owl God Tomb, which persistently ravaged Beimang Mountain and nearby counties, by the Divine Palace Supervisor and the Daling Department.
It's logical to deduce that besides the Wang Family members, who were mere mortals, it's highly likely that Grandma Longhuai, serving as the Earth God, was also a guardian of the Owl God Tomb.
In that event, which occurred on the day of the major festival of Yili King fifteen years ago, even though they suffered extremely tragic consequences, the menace of the Owl God Tomb continued to escalate.
It also very likely indirectly contributed to the covert and sinister plots of Wang Yunhu and Master Ge regarding the Owl God Tomb.
To bring me, a survivor from fifteen years ago, to the tomb for a ritual was ostensibly altruistic, but assuredly, there were unspeakable immense benefits behind it!
At this point, Huang Wu slightly furrowed her delicate brow and continued:
"There was also another strange incident, the day after Grandma returned.
A troop of Luoyang Royal Mansion's private soldiers, carrying the "Royal Decree Flag" of the contemporary Luoyang King, knocked down Grandma's Ancient Locust Temple.
The Dragon Claw Locust tree also turned yellow overnight, and then Grandma fell completely silent.
Had it not been for the Dragon Claw Locust tree being half withered and half flourishing over the years and occasionally responding, I might have thought Grandma had completely perished."
"Luoyang King?"
Wang Yuan chewed on this name that almost blistered his ears from frequent mention.
The "Royal Decree Flag" can govern both the military and the civilian, and here it acted akin to the Commander's Seal held by the princes of the Great Yan Dynasty.
The events that occurred fifteen years ago are decisively connected to the Owl God Tomb, involving descendants of the Yili King Zhou Yi from the Luoyang Royal Mansion were also expected.
"Didn't Grandma leave any words before falling silent?"
Even now, he was still not resigned to it, just like his grandfather and Grandma.
Knowing that danger was drawing near yet being able to glimpse only fragments was truly frustrating.
Noticing Wang Yuan's urgency, Huang Wu lowered her eyes, seeming to awaken some reluctant memories from the depths of her heart, she hesitated and said:
"Grandma only left a sentence that I completely couldn't understand.
Taboo: Whenever spoken, it must be known!
Do not ask, do not think, do not speak, do not pass on, and even more so do not investigate. Spend fifteen years safely hidden in the mirror, our two families have already paid enough for the people under Beimang Mountain."
'Whenever spoken, it must be known?
Is this one of the taboos that must be adhered to when the "Owl God Tomb" actively kills someone?!'
Huang Wu did not understand its meaning, but Wang Yuan immediately grasped the inside story.
The so-called "owl" is a fierce bird resembling an owl, with acute hearing, best at hunting at night.
The Owl God Tomb killing had this weird characteristic which also made complete sense.
At the same time, he finally understood the reason behind his grandparents' silence.
It was precisely because the more one knew, the more dangerous it became.
What they had done, the secrets they were involved in, they had told nothing to the brother and sister.
This also reminded him of the encounter while interrogating Wang Cheng previously in the Royal Mausoleum.
Perhaps it was precisely because the two who were unaware of this taboo discussed "Owl God Snatching Food" and the Owl God Tomb transparently under people's watch.
That led the man-eating "Weird" to go berserk prematurely.
However, Wang Yuan also knew that the number of people aware of the concept of the Owl God Tomb was far from few.
The Wang Clan members, Master Ge, the initial Imperial Dragon Guard, and the records left by the Divine Palace Supervisor...
If just uttering the three words "Owl God Tomb" could get one eaten out of thin air, not to mention far, the Wang Clan would have probably been devoured long ago.
The secret kept by Grandpa and Grandma was certainly far more significant.
This matter was deeper than he had imagined!
'Letting me hide in Daling Village, letting my cousin hide in the mirror in 'Wangren Town'.
They uniformly believed that if we could just carefully hide for one month after the two-hundred-year celebration, we could turn peril into safety.
No need to know, nor any need to take risks.'"
'If nothing unexpected happens, the passive plan devised by the elders indeed might succeed.
But the current situation is that if nothing unexpected happens, an accident is about to occur immediately.
Wang Yunhu and Master Ge are clearly planning something big.
The "Small Book of Life and Death" does not lie, and until now, the biography marked "Fate" still indicates 'misfortune'; if I do not take some proactive actions, I definitely won't make it through.
Now I can only be even more careful, even if I come to know that secret, I absolutely must not speak it aloud!'
Seeing the changing expressions on Wang Yuan's face, Huang Wu couldn't help but show suspicion:
"Wang Xiaoyuan, can you now tell me why you suddenly asked this question?
Be honest, are you hiding something from your sister?"
Recalling the taboo of the Owl God Tomb, Wang Yuan quickly denied and changed the subject:
"Not at all, I was just suddenly curious.
By the way, I came across a Magician on the way here and casually touched his corpse. Come, I'll show you a real treasure!"