“It means countless people died because of Zhu Xuanjiu.”

Yan Sanhe’s lips twitched.

When Zhu Xuanjiu’s human skin was peeled away, when Taiwei spoke of the “Former Crown Prince Witchcraft Case,” everything in the netherworld aligned with reality.

This heart demon wasn’t Zhu Xuanjiu’s heart demon at all—it was the heart demon of thousands of crows.

The heart demon of those thousands of crows, besides exposing Zhu Xuanjiu the false gentleman, was the witchcraft case.

It couldn’t be bypassed, avoided, or escaped.

The death of Second Madam Zhu’s mother and unborn child, and Zhu Yuanmo’s aging, weren’t Zhu Xuanjiu tormenting his own descendants—it was the revenge of those thousands of crows.

Moreover, as long as this heart demon remained unresolved, the crows’ revenge would continue.

Yan Sanhe looked at the bed canopy and smiled bitterly, again and again.

No wonder she sensed life-threatening danger when she first detected this heart demon.

No wonder everyone in the Zhu family would die completely.

The true instigator of all this was the crows!

Li Buyan felt she couldn’t go on—her legs were weak. She needed to sit down and recover first.

Young Master Pei felt he was about done too.

Tea? Where was the tea?

His mouth was parched, his throat smoking—he was dying of thirst.

And Xie Zhifei’s ears had been in a constant state of ringing, like rising tide waters—rushing up with a whoosh, receding with a whoosh.

If there were regret medicine to buy in this world, even if it cost everything, even if it cost his life, he would buy a pill and swallow it.

Back then, it was he who chased to Yunnan Prefecture and begged her to take on this heart demon.

In other words, he personally pushed Yan Sanhe to the edge of a cliff.

Abandon the heart demon—death.

Continue investigating the heart demon—probably also death.

“Yan Sanhe…”

As soon as he spoke, he bit his own tongue, the pain bringing tears to his eyes again.

“All things have cause and effect. This has nothing to do with you.”

Yan Sanhe looked at him and suddenly smiled softly.

“It’s also a good thing. At least I don’t have to lie awake all night with both eyes open until dawn, constantly feeling guilty and ashamed.”

People shouldn’t feel guilty.

Once the heart feels guilty, food loses its taste, sleep won’t come—it’s unbearable.

“Miss Yan.”

Just then, Zhu Qing’s voice sounded outside the curtain. “Eldest Master Zhu just woke up and wants to see Miss Yan immediately.”

“I also want to see him.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze remained on Xie Zhifei. “He must have had an unforgettable dream too.”

Xie Zhifei said, “I’ll go with you.”

Yan Sanhe shook her head. “Xie Zhifei, I want to see him alone.”

Xie Zhifei’s heart suddenly sank.

…

Zhu Yuanmo’s dream was more than just unforgettable.

A wisp of his soul arrived at the netherworld’s Palace of Judgment, just in time to witness the judge sentencing his mother.

For every crime the judge named, Mother cried out her innocence.

After dozens of charges were listed, the judge threw down his token at Mother’s feet. “Cast her into the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Never allow reincarnation.”

Prison guards and demons dragged Mother into the Mountain of Knives Hell, ordering her to climb the mountain barefoot.

With each step, the knives cut deep into Mother’s flesh, blood flowing like streams.

Mother wailed in pain. Watching from the side, his heart felt as if it were being cut by knives, wishing he could suffer in her place.

He closed his eyes in agony. When he opened them again, the Mountain of Knives Hell before him had suddenly transformed into the Mountain of Fire Hell.

Prison guards and demons drove one ghost after another toward the Mountain of Fire.

At this moment, one ghost suddenly turned and ran, shouting for help as it fled.

This voice was too familiar to Zhu Yuanmo—it was his eldest son, Zhu Yunlan.

How could it be him?

He was still alive and well in the mortal realm.

Before Zhu Yuanmo could think further, he saw many ghosts turn around, their gazes looking toward him.

Like countless thunderbolts striking down, Zhu Yuanmo was shocked out of his wits.

Those ghosts’ faces were all familiar to him.

His wife Ling-shi, his eldest daughter, second daughter, second son, youngest son, second brother, third brother, third brother’s wife…even the old steward was there.

Everyone in the Zhu family had fallen into hell, with no cycle of reincarnation—only endless Asura seas of fire.

No words like “heartbroken” or “ten thousand arrows through the heart” could adequately describe the pain he felt seeing this scene. Zhu Yuanmo knelt on the ground, crying out with anguished tears:

“Zhu Xuanjiu, you truly are a beast!”

The prison guard demon suddenly turned and rebuked, “Where did this living soul come from? Get back where you belong!”

Zhu Yuanmo felt a sharp pain in his heart, and simultaneously, he awoke.

Only then did he realize it had been a Nanke dream—an illusion within a dream.

What shocked him even more was that he’d dreamed for four entire days.

“Miss Yan.”

Even recounting the dream once left Zhu Yuanmo with lingering fear. “Why could I see…on that side…”

“Zhu Yuanmo, want to hear about my dream?”

Without waiting for him to finish, Yan Sanhe recounted everything she saw in her dream.

After listening, Zhu Yuanmo’s face turned deathly pale. After a long while, he said, “That day, only Miss Yan and I entered the netherworld.”

With one sentence, Yan Sanhe knew he understood everything.

The two of them entered the netherworld, so the crows found them both and showed them the consequences of not continuing the investigation:

First, they would both die.

Second, everyone in the Zhu family would go to hell.

Zhu Yuanmo’s voice trembled as he carefully observed Yan Sanhe’s expression. “Miss Yan, if I want to recklessly push this heart demon forward…”

“Then I will recklessly accompany you.”

Yan Sanhe stood and walked toward the outside. At the door curtain, she turned and smiled faintly at Zhu Yuanmo. “Don’t be impulsive. I’ll give you another hour to consider.”

“No need to consider.”

Zhu Yuanmo suddenly threw off his quilt and quickly walked barefoot to Yan Sanhe. “Miss Yan, investigate!”

Yan Sanhe looked at him, her gaze sharp. “Not afraid?”

“Afraid. Scared to death.”

Zhu Yuanmo still couldn’t suppress the heaving of his chest. Every detail of that dream was like steel needles piercing his heart.

“Death ahead, death behind—death either way. I want to fight for them.”

With that, he knelt straight down before Yan Sanhe. “I also beg Miss Yan to fight for them.”

His sons and daughters, nephews and nieces—how wronged were they?

His second brother, second sister-in-law, third brother, third sister-in-law, his first wife—how wronged were they?

The old steward—how wronged was he?

Even if the final outcome of continuing the investigation was the extermination of nine generations, it was better than dying and going to hell, never to be reborn for all eternity.

Never to be reborn for all eternity?

Who could endure that!

“Then let’s fight.”

Yan Sanhe looked up and laughed. “We might just fight our way to a bright and clear world!”

The curtain fell. Zhu Yuanmo watched the swaying cotton curtain, tears streaming down his face.

“Elder Brother?”

“Elder Brother?”

Second Master Zhu and Third Master Zhu crowded forward, supporting him from left and right.

Zhu Yuanmo wiped away his tears, his gaze sweeping across both their faces.

“Second Brother, Third Brother, there’s something I’ve been hiding from you. His heart demon involves the Former Crown Prince Witchcraft Case.”

Second Master Zhu stumbled and fell.

Third Master Zhu staggered back several steps and collapsed onto the bed.

No wonder Elder Brother said this heart demon wouldn’t be investigated.

No wonder he fell so ill he couldn’t even rise.

No wonder he aged so much all at once.

So that was why?

That was why!