[Mo Dao Zu Shi Fanfiction] I Raise A Ying in Yiling

While Wei Chaoyan kept rambling on, Lady Yan arranged the things she had brought on the right side of the tombstone, then lit three incense sticks and placed them in front of the tombstone. With her left hand, she picked up the wine pot and poured a full cup of wine into a wine glass next to her. With her right hand, she raised the wine glass towards the tombstone and slowly poured the wine into the ground in front of the tombstone.

As he fell, his expression complex, he silently spoke to the people lying in the grave: "Ah Qing, Bamboo, this is the first time I've come to see you since you died. Truly, life is unpredictable! Half a year ago, you came to Yiling to find me. If I had known that day would be your death, I should have let you stay overnight at the shop or sent guards to escort you back to the village! But alas, hindsight is always 20/20!"

"Don't worry, Yan and the other two boys are doing quite well under my care and haven't suffered any hardship! That girl even has the audacity to adopt another child as your son, which is just ridiculous!"

“That little boy was a huge problem in himself. I don’t know if I was out of my mind to agree to get involved in this mess at Yan’s request. Tsk? Speaking of which,” Madam Yan looked at the tombstone suspiciously, “did you two really cast some kind of spell on me from heaven? Otherwise, why would I be so close to Yan? I’ve thought of everything for her and granted her every request? Even…”

Recalling how Wei Chaoyan had presented those documents and plans some time ago, her first reaction wasn't an instinctive urge to control her, but rather a genuine concern for her safety. The thought even crossed her mind of whether to conceal Wei Chaoyan's existence from her superiors to ensure she wouldn't be controlled or purged. Such compassion shouldn't exist in someone with her background as an undercover agent; even her past connections with Wei Zhu and Li Xiangqing shouldn't have swayed her actions. After much thought, she concluded that some unknown force must have influenced her.

"But even if you did something underhanded, it doesn't matter anymore. Whatever my initial reasons for being kind and favoritism towards her, I genuinely cherish this girl now, and I always consider whether anything I do will harm her. So you two can rest assured, with my protection and her own extraordinary adventures, she and the other three will definitely have a bright future!"

Yes, Lady Yan had long suspected that Wei Chaoyan might have a miraculous encounter. When she took out that thick stack of documents and methods, the story she fabricated, though logically sound, could not fool herself, the spy, nor her superiors who were spying on her.

Faced with the possibility that Wei Chaoyan had encountered extraordinary fortune, Lady Yan turned a blind eye and a deaf ear out of consideration for the friendship between Wei Zhu and his wife, out of affection that had grown over time, out of a desire to protect the benefits Wei Chaoyan had offered her, and also due to interference from some unknown force. Why then did the imperial court not take any action to seize the treasure, seemingly turning a blind eye, or even condoning it?

Lady Yan recalled the vague information she had overheard during her recent trip to Danyang Prefecture to report for duty and gather information, and smiled knowingly: "Ha, I see! It seems that Yan'er's opportunity is truly extraordinary! It seems that this fortuitous encounter is secretly protecting Yan'er from the interference of imperial power and other malicious forces, which is a great blessing! Well, that saves me, a small and weak underling, from worrying myself sick every day trying to find a way out for her. You can all lie down in peace now!"

Having figured things out, Madam Yan smiled and tossed aside her empty wine cup, then poured the wine from the pot onto the ground as well: "Alright, enough nagging. Drink up! It'll be a long time before I bring you wine again. Your good daughter has given me quite a bit of work!" Thinking of the visibly busy period ahead and the ensuing long stretch of time, along with her changing position and the considerable benefits she would gain, the smile lines at the corners of Madam Yan's eyes deepened considerably, and the slight upturn of her lips diluted the complex sadness in her heart.

"Alright, old friend, that's enough for now. I have to take some people to help Yan Yatou get going. See you later!" After saying that, Madam Yan turned around and waved goodbye to the person who was there in the void behind her.

"Yan girl, are you done? If you're done, let's go, it's getting late! If you're reluctant to leave, you can come and see them again next time!" Madam Yan raised her eyebrows and called out to Wei Chaoyan, whose eyes were red and who was still carefully rubbing the tombstone.

Upon hearing the call, Wei Chaoyan looked up blankly. It took him a while to realize the meaning behind Yan Niangzi's words. He wiped his damp face and replied in a louder voice, "Alright, coming right away."

With one hand supporting her on the ground for leverage, Wei Chaoyan managed to stand up with some difficulty. She had been squatting for a while, and her legs were numb and she couldn't exert any strength. As for Qingyan and Wei Ying, they had already been helped up by their companions with light but firm movements after they finished burning the paper money in their hands. They were leaning against them, looking at the tombstone with teary eyes and sobbing softly.