Xu Yi's smile was seen by the Yu family as ironclad proof that she had killed their ancestor. Had they not retained a shred of reason, they would have charged at Xu Yi for a fight to the death.
"Do you know why I'm smiling? I'm laughing at your stupidity and ignorance.
Your ancestor's foundation was already damaged from a forced breakthrough, with only five years left in his lifespan. After my attack, which aggravated his injury, he fainted.
If he had been placed in a quiet location, he could have recovered on his own within half a month to a month.
Instead, you fed him a potent spiritual pill, forcefully stimulating his body, which led to this outcome.
Who do you say killed him—me or yourselves!"
The last sentence, spoken with resounding force, shocked all members of the Yu family, leaving them speechless.
They looked at each other in bewilderment, their expressions complex.
Was it truly their fault?
Under Xu Yi's relentless questioning, Yu Datong stumbled back a step, barely managing to stabilize himself, his head bowed to his chest.
The unease he had previously ignored resurfaced with full force.
Yu Datong's intuition told him Xu Yi was not lying; they were indeed the ones at fault.
They had personally killed their own ancestor!
Yu Datong's hands trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Realizing this truth, he became even more distressed, unwilling to face it.
"No, that's not it! The culprit is you! If you hadn't injured our ancestor, how could everything that followed have happened!"
Yu Datong suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.
Unable to bear the pressure of having harmed their ancestor, he decided to shift all blame onto Xu Yi.
"The reason I acted against him was because you were targeting the Zhang family. Are you allowed to bully others, but not allowed to retaliate?"
Xu Yi found it laughable.
If she hadn't come to Desolate City, Zhang Tianbao would likely be heavily injured, wandering the streets, his whereabouts unknown.
Xu Yi felt genuine contempt for the Yu family, the oppressors, who dared to shirk responsibility.
"You're an outsider, what do you know! This is something the Zhang family owes us Yu family!"
Yu Datong roared, revealing the ancestor's secret.
Of course, in his telling, the Yu family ancestor was devoted and affectionate, while the Zhang family ancestor was unfeeling and disloyal. This caused the Yu family ancestor to develop a heart demon, leading to his decline.
And what Zhang Tianbao was suffering now was merely him atoning for the Zhang family ancestor.
"The Zhang family ancestor and the Yu family ancestor had such a past!"
"I never expected the Yu family ancestor to be such a devoted lover!"
"No wonder the Yu family has been targeting shopkeeper Zhang like this; it turns out there's a reason."
The surrounding cultivators, upon hearing such explosive secrets, became agitated and couldn't help but discuss among themselves, their attitudes towards the Yu family subtly shifting.
Xu Yi was also taken aback; she hadn't known about such a entanglement.
However, she didn't fully believe the Yu family's words, as the Zhang family ancestor had already passed away, and there was no one to verify the truth of the Yu family's account.
"You're lying!"
Just as Xu Yi was formulating her rebuttal, Zhang Tianbao suddenly rushed out from the backyard, his expression one of intense indignation.
After Xu Yi imparted several secret techniques to Zhang Tianbao, he deeply felt their profoundness and immediately entered a state of deep meditation.
Xu Yi therefore did not disturb him, choosing to face the Yu family alone.
Just moments ago, Zhang Tianbao had awakened from his meditation. Seeing Xu Yi absent, he had rushed to the front, only to overhear the Yu family's accusations. This enraged him, causing his face to flush red.
"What's going on? Shopkeeper Zhang's expression doesn't look like he's lying. Could it be the Yu family is fabricating stories?"
"My ancestors have lived in Desolate City for hundreds of years, and I've never heard of any connection between the Zhang family ancestor and the Yu family ancestor. This whole thing..."
"But if what the Yu family head says isn't true, why has the Yu family been targeting the Zhang family? They practically have no dealings with each other."
Zhang Tianbao's words caused the situation to suddenly reverse.
All the cultivators turned their curious gazes to the Yu family head, awaiting his rebuttal.
The Yu family head actually felt some regret after revealing the past story, as the ancestor hadn't elaborated much, and he didn't fully understand the hidden details.
However, he was now in too deep to back down and had to stubbornly continue.
"You are three generations removed from your ancestor; you have no idea that she clearly had feelings for our ancestor, but after going out for a period, she suddenly returned with a stranger and quickly became Dao companions with that man. Who knows what happened in between!
If she hadn't fallen for someone else, why would our ancestor have been so heartbroken? This is what your Zhang family owes us!"
Yu Datong forced himself to maintain a brave front, not showing any signs of guilt, as if he had witnessed everything firsthand.
His demeanor did indeed fool many. Numerous cultivators believed his words and felt considerable sympathy for the Yu family ancestor.
However, a small portion remained skeptical.
"Bah! If the Yu family ancestor was truly a devoted lover, where did this large brood of Yu family members come from? Not a single word from men is trustworthy!"
Luo Chunniang muttered softly, a look of mockery etched on her alluring face.
Her voice was not loud, so only the surrounding cultivators heard her, not many others.
Xu Yi, with her exceptional hearing, naturally registered Luo Chunniang's words. While she felt the statement was somewhat biased, it seemed quite fitting given the current situation.
If the Yu family ancestor had truly been unable to forget the Zhang family ancestor, how could she have continued the family line and developed the Yu family into such a powerful entity?
This clearly defied logic.
Zhang Tianbao, who had been thoroughly angered by the Yu family, his neck and face flushed red, began to laugh heartily upon hearing Yu Datong's words.
"Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
"What are you laughing at?" Yu Datong asked hatefully.
"I thought you would concoct some outlandish story. It seems I overestimated you; your story is so absurd. The Yu family was destined to decline long ago!"
With Xu Yi's backing, Zhang Tianbao could finally stand tall and shout out all his true feelings.
"You impudent fool!"
Yu Datong's eyebrows were furrowed, displaying the demeanor of a family head. However, to Zhang Tianbao, who knew the truth, it was merely a show of false bravado, utterly hypocritical.
"My ancestor dedicated herself to cultivation and disdained worldly romantic affairs. It's impossible for her to have any unspeakable secrets with your ancestor! If there were any, it would be your ancestor's own wishful thinking!"
Zhang Tianbao bellowed, hands on his hips.
"Dedicated to cultivation?" Yu Datong sneered, believing he had found a flaw in Zhang Tianbao's statement. "How could one dedicated to cultivation become Dao companions with another? Perhaps they practiced dual cultivation?"
Yu Datong's last remark belittled the Zhang family ancestor to the extreme. The Yu family members erupted into exaggerated laughter, their faces beaming with schadenfreude.
Xu Yi and the female cultivators present all frowned uncomfortably, their animosity towards the Yu family intensifying.
"Yu family head, stop using your degenerate thoughts to speculate about my ancestor!
My ancestor never formed a pact with anyone until her death. As for the stranger you mentioned, he was merely a puppet created by my ancestor to deal with people like your Yu family ancestor!"