Chapter 672 - Fanning their vengeful hearts

Linfeng stood up and invited the person standing outside the door. The former head butler came in and bowed politely in attention.

Xiong Zhi did not waste time. She laid down the pictures of Marga on the table. 

"Sir, can you please come closer and take a look at this woman?"

Guan Gu Ri and Guan Xixin leaned forward and looked at the photo as well. 

Their faces became shocked.

"Mother?!" Guan Xixin exclaimed.

Guan Gu Ri grabbed the photo with trembling fingers. After staring, he shook his head. "It isn't mother. She looks like mother, except for her hair and her eyes..." His voice trailed off.

Golden eyes...

Guan Gu Ri picked up the young Gunan's picture. 

The same golden eyes and vibrant reddish hair. There was no doubt that it was Gunan's mother. 

But how come Gunan's mother looked so much like their mother?

"That!" The former head butler exclaimed in shock. "How come she looked so much like the lady?!"

Linfeng pointed out the red hair. 

"It's only our suspicion, but when you served the former head, did he, by chance, spend time with a lady from a foreign country?"

The former head butler had a grave face and thought hard. 

"...When the Master was young, he always went overseas for his training as the future head of the empire. There are many chances that he could have spent the night with some of them."

"Perhaps this can help." 

Linfeng handed out another photo. It was an old photo of women in bizarre clothings.

One of the beautiful women was a strikingly beautiful red-haired woman with light golden eyes. Her smile was flirtatious and she looked stunning.

"...." Xiong Zhi had already seen this in Linfeng's folder as well. The first time that she saw it, she was shocked. 

Her eyes could not help but be drawn again at the silver-haired woman whose face was partially covered by another person's arm and a tuft of feather decor from the costumes. For some reason, she thought of the silvery threads with bluish moons.

But there was no way that the dignified Madame of the Lu family was once a woman who served entertainment for others.

They just likely had the same hair color.

"This... I've seen this group before... And this woman! That's right, I remember. There's also a picture of that woman in Guan's photo memoirs."

Guan Gu Ri and Guan Xixin were stunned.

So their grandfather actually had an affair?!

Xiong Zhi narrowed her eyes. "Do you remember that night? Did the former head interact with this woman?"

The old man had a solemn expression as he nodded. "I remember that night well because this was the turning point for Master Lu and Master Xiong's relationship. This was the day that their feud started. The four family heads all remember this night well."

Xiong Zhi blankly stared.

Why was her grandfather mentioned so suddenly?

Feud?

The former head butler continued. "Anyway, Old Master happened to stay the night with a red-haired woman. She must be this girl. A beautiful red-haired woman with golden eyes. It was only one night. After that night, the Master ordered me to pay the woman well for her service...." 

He suddenly stopped and looked at the shocked expressions of the two masters.

"Old Master was not engaged yet at that time. He got engaged to Madame a year later," he clarified.

However, this did not help to ease down the feeling of betrayal and shock in the two brothers' hearts.

So their grandfather made a mistake that night and it bore fruit? 

Which brought their illegitimate aunt to the world? 

Who in turn was sold to a human trafficking group?

Which caused the enemy to steal their third brother's identity?

What was up with this messed up fate?

The two were in a daze. They were speechless.

Linfeng thanked the old butler and led him out. He asked the head butler first to not let anything out yet as this was detrimental to the Guan brother's reputation and their plans. The former head butler was concerned about the current headmaster and the second master, so he naturally concurred.

Linfeng returned to the room. 

Xiong Zhi was sitting silently.

The two brothers were still motionless. The truth made them flabbergasted.

It was Guan Gu Ri who broke out from the spell first. He laughed exasperatedly. 

"Is there an end to these unpleasant surprises? What happens to our family? How come we fell to this extent?" He pulled on his hair out of frustration. "He is a Guan. Our enemy has the same blood as we did. What is this? Is this revenge?"

Guan Xixin sat on the couch. He was silent and his face was expressionless.

He had said many times that the fake was not his third brother. And he was right. 

But fate had cruel surprises. He was actually his cousin. 

"...."

Xiong Zhi deliberated if she should continue speaking about her doubts on their grandfather's death. 

However, it seemed like the two brothers were at their limit. 

Feeling the overpowering grief and confusion coming from their numb faces, she suddenly could not find herself to continue.

A warm hand enveloped hers. Linfeng whispered to her ears. "I'll break it to them."

Xiong Zhi slowly nodded and took a quiet breath.

She had constantly experienced in her past life many unfortunate events that kept piling up. It was like the heavens were playing a prank on her and was trying to see how much she could handle.

Xiong Zhi could sympathize with the two brothers.

However, in order to become strong, one needed to face everything.

In order to gain the whole support of the Guan Empire in the battle against Guan Gao Huan and Ming Zhi Yi, she needed them to be absolutely irreconcilable with giving up vengeance. 

Vengeful hearts could drive the people to go beyond their limits.

Linfeng broke the long silence. 

"Can you still handle it?"

The two brothers looked at him slowly with numb eyes.

Linfeng sighed. "....In fact, there's still more that we think you need to know."

"...."

"...."

Guan Gu Ri laughed once hoarsely. "There's more?" His bloodshot eyes then turned solemn. "We might as well receive all the bad news today." 

His c.h.e.s.t felt suffocated. However, he must steel his heart to what was to come. He was the elder brother. His third brother's grievances were still left unpaid.

Guan Xixin was forced to compose himself as well. 

Their family was doomed enough with tragic fates. Adding another dirt to a pile of waste was not a big deal.

Because they were already too overwhelmed to the point of numbness.

What could be bigger than what they have just discovered? 

...But they were wrong.

Linfeng's voice was solemn. "Then please brace yourselves. This is about the former head's death."

They both froze.

Linfeng: "We have suspicions that his death has something to do with Gunan."

Silence.

Guan Gu Ri's heart stopped beating for a moment.

Guan Xixin lost all blood on his face.

....Maybe, this was a truth that they could not handle at the moment.

******

There was a heavy atmosphere in the air.

Guan Xixin slowly stood up. 

"W-what do you mean? Are you saying that my grandfather's death is caused by someone?" Guan Xixin's voice trembled. "That... That someone harmed my grandfather?"

Guan Gu Ri's face was also deathly pale. 

With proven truths over the fraud Gunan and his identity, he did not have much doubt on Zhou Linfeng's words.

However, if what the man just said was true....

Guan Gu Ri clenched his hand hard. His nails dug on his palm and broke his skin, causing a trail of blood to flow.

The corners of his vision began to grow black and white.

He tried to control his breathing. 

Guan Gu Ri restrained himself from storming outside and kill that bastard with his own hands even if he had to be condemned as someone who murdered a person with Guan's blood.

No!

That bastard was not even worthy of that blood!

Guan Gu Ri swallowed hard and whispered, "Can you please tell us... why you came up to that conclusion?"

Xiong Zhi answered for Linfeng. 

"I believe you all heard about Xiong De who went to prison."

"...."

The two brothers nodded. Of course, this was the biggest scandal of that time that lasted for several months.

The attempted murder on Old Xiong, among other things.

Xiong Zhi continued. "Gunan has someone that provides him with a potent and undetectable poison. This poison can instantly kill if taken in micro-dose, but if taken in nano-doses across time, the effects will be suspended until it reaches the targeted micro-amount. The effects will then show without detecting the poison, unless the forensics has existing data and specialized equipment made for it.

"Gunan... He once used this against my grandfather through Xiong De. I got a sample of that poison and had my people research it. The results showed that it can cause slow organ failure, weakening immune and bodily systems, and symptoms that appeared similar to the severe effects of aging and poor health." Xiong Zhi paused. "Just like how your grandfather experienced."

Guan Gu Ri and Guan Xixin were blank.

Undetectable poison...

Slow organ failure...

"We only managed to get a look at your grandfather's medical condition when he was officially declared dead. We apologize for looking into it without your permission," Xiong Zhi added.

However, the two brothers were not concerned about this. 

Their minds focused on the word 'undetectable poison', organ failure, and the old head of the Xiong family who almost became a victim of it. 

In other words, there was once a chance to disrupt this murderous plan and save their grandfather.

What made them feel horrified and shaken was the fact that they failed to stop it, while the young Xiong Heiress was able to. 

She was able to save her grandfather, while the two of them, could not.

They could have saved their grandfather had they been a bit more attentive....

And yet they had been too preoccupied with other things and even exhausted their grandfather...

Shock, fury, guilt, and grief.

Myriad of emotions finally drowned them to a numbed state of blankness.

They had nothing to say.

They felt powerless and useless.