54 A Touch With Arrogance, A Step Into Cultivation 4 (1/2)

”Third Aunt!”

”Fourth Young Miss!”

”Young Miss!”

The Young Miss of the Sword Marquis suddenly released a relieved cry, rushing into the embrace of the mature woman who had just made her presence known. Similarly, two maidservants and two young scholars rushed through the crowd to arrive before An Fei.

Each hugged a bundle of books to their chest as they heavily panted before the slightly bemused girl. Neither maidservant nor scholar attempted to display any of the books they had plundered from the library, instead craning their heads to observe the 'newcomer'.

An Fei did indeed observe that once the two young scholars' gaze focused onto the mature woman, their bodies fiercely trembled as if given a powerful shock.

”Xun'er has anyone been bullying you?”

The mature woman crooned as she ran her fingers through the young girl's hair, wrapping the quivering bundle into a warm embrace. Ignoring the looks directed towards her by the observing scholars, maidservant, or a disgruntled Young Miss, the woman slowly continued to console the Sword Marquis's youngest daughter.

”Xun'er, Xun'er, ah! Be brave and quickly confess who attempted to hurt you. Auntie will seek the necessary amends for you, so be good and stop crying, alright?”

”Her… She was the one who disdained me…” the young girl shook in the mature woman's embrace as she pointed in An Fei's direction.

”The technique of my mother… I finally found it after searching for so long, b-but this girl! Sh-she refuses to let me take it, saying that I don't have any right and that the manual is her property!”

”…”

The young girl in the white dress blubbered as she tearfully 'confessed', rending both the crowd and An Fei into an awkward silence. Thirty-five pairs of eyes clashed in the atmosphere, each effused with a sufficient dose of bemusement and exasperation.

…where had the arrogant, cold and indifferent beauty that cared not a whit about others' considerations gone? Why did it seem as if the young lass before them was being pinpointed as a scapegoat for one's tardiness?

”This…”

An elderly scholar seemed to find this matter intolerable as he stepped forward to gaze deeply at the mature woman. As if his gaze could see through everything, the pair of lucid eyes never left the young girl's countenance.

”Elder Jiang, are you truly going to act whilst disregarding your conscience just based on this girl's words?” the old man finally spoke, his voice raspy and halting.

However, all he received in return was a disdainful smirk.

”Of course. Though my Xun'er won't be exempt from punishment if she ended up telling a lie, removing the blight to the Jiang Family's reputation possesses a far greater priority!”

The mature woman sneered at An Fei, the tantalizing lips rising into a derisive curve. Giving the young girl in the white dress a tight embrace, the woman strode towards An Fei with her chin raised, a scornful gleam within her gaze.

”A beggar's child dares to slight Xun'er of her mother's possessions? This elder must commend your courage, though this is the wrong location to flaunt your ignorance!”

”…why is the Fourth Young Miss of the Wei Family considered a beggar's child?”

Xiao Wen blurted out in a muffled yet clearly audible, her eyes flaring with cold anger.

”The Jiang Family doesn't possess the face required to slight the Wei Family as such, does it?”

”Hehe, if this were the outskirts of even the central streets of Jiang'an, then perhaps we would have to bow and scrape to your little runt of a girl,” the woman chuckled, the contempt in her voice magnifying with each word.

”However, this is the Pagoda of Sun and Moon. Your Wei Family, unfortunately, does not have any influence in here, whereas I possess the sole authority regarding the initial repository. How is that for an explanation, little servant girl?”

An Fei opened her mouth to quickly rebut in face of the mature woman's openly issued declaration of abusing her authority, yet one of the youthful scholars who had assisted the maidservants in searching for books rushed out at a faster pace.

”Elder Jiang, this is simply an abuse of your authority!” the youth scowled, his forehead creased into a deep frown.