Chapter 25 — Stirring Trouble in the Mourning Hall (1/2)
“Third Sister, I, I’m just want to pay my respects to Great Aunt, is that okay…?” The voice Yun Wu used was soft and laced with entreatment. It sounded like she was choking back a sob too, leading those who heard her to suddenly feel as though they were witnessing an episode of oppression between an evil elder sister and her innocent younger sister.
The outsiders were oblivious, but the Yun family members knew well the implications behind Yun Wu’s appearance.
Didn’t the Ninth Miss perish in the Forbidden Grounds? Then where did this one come from?
Skepticism ran through their minds, and they were shocked to the core.
“You, you’re not dead?” Yun Lingshui stared wide-eyed at Yun Wu, who appeared confused as she gave a feeble shake of her head.
“No. Third Sister, why are you insisting on my death?” Ignorance, doubt, and confusion were on full display in her tender and reddened orbs. It truly did seem as though she had no idea what Yun Lingshui was talking about.
Since Yun Wu’s arrival, Yun Qi’s curious and insightful gaze had been on fixed on her. Then, as if something had dawned on her, she suddenly looked meekly at Yun Lingshui, “Third Sister, could you be talking about the time Ninth Sister1 misbehaved, when you, Sixth Sister, and Eldest Sister punished me in the back mountain by lacerating me, whipping me, and throwing me off the cliff?”
Yun Wu’s frail body trembled a bit. “I, I didn’t die… I’m sorry, Third Sister.” Those words of apology contained deep chagrin and fear and created quite a disturbance in the Mourning Hall.
Ninth Sister? She was Yun General Manor’s sickly, good-for-nothing Ninth Miss?
When she first revealed her identity, traces of disdain and ridicule had been visible in the eyes of many, but after hearing the rest of her story, their hearts filled with shock and disbelief.
Whipped? Lacerated? Thrown off a cliff?
And those things were done by Yun General Manor’s three most promising Misses? Who in the capital didn’t know that Yun General Manor’s Eldest Miss was gentle and amazingly talented, that the Sixth Miss was clever and lovable with exceptional talent, and that the Third Miss was a legitimate daughter with both beauty and talent?
They had the approval of the entire capital… but behind closed doors, the three Misses actually had such cruel hobbies?
“You… you’re spewing nonsense,” The enraged Yun Lingshui paled. There were too many people present, so she could only grit her teeth and refrain from pulling out her whip. Internally, Yun Wu sneered. On the outside, she whimpered pitifully, “I, I… I’m sorry, Third Sister, don’t be mad. If, If you want to vent, you can lash me a hundred times again with your whip, I, I promise to not cry…”
With every word, she trembled harder and harder.
A hundred whiplashes?
Quite a few people inwardly sucked in a breath. A hundred whiplashes were enough to heavily injure —if not kill— a sickly good-for-nothing like her. Wasn’t the Third Miss a bit too harsh?
“Slut, why are you slandering me like this?” The color red filled Yun Lingshui’s vision, and she angrily dug her nails into the cushions of her palms.
“I’m not. Third Sister, don’t be mad, I promise I’ll listen to you and stay in the back mountain. When you and the other sisters come to vent by hitting me, I won’t cry. Don’t, don’t be mad, Third Sister, okay?”
In the eyes of everyone else, Yun Wu was clearly trembling with fear while still trying to appease and curry favor with Yun Lingshui. Yun Wu’s words revealed that the Third Miss had a truly unknown side to her.
“You little slut, you’re deliberately trying to stir trouble! Just you wait…” By now, Yun Lingshui’s eyes were blazing with anger, and although she’d intended to maintain her sweet facade, Yun Wu’s seemingly naive and innocent words had caused her to lose all rationality.
From her waist, she withdrew her whip, which she lit with teal-colored battle spirit and swung fiercely at Yun Wu. Within the younger generation, the peak of Rank One with Innate Teal Rank2 was considered outstanding.
Whoosh! The whip tore through the air, and it was clear that she planned to take Yun Wu’s life. Meanwhile, Yun Wu’s eyes flashed coldly, but she appeared to pale with fear, and her body began to shake. Right before the attack landed, she staggered back a step and unexpectedly fell to the side, just in time to avoid the whip.
“You dare dodge?” Yun Lingshui narrowed her eyes.
Dodge?
As many of the spectators saw it, Yun Wu was much too weak to dodge an attack made by a Practitioner at the peak of Rank One; not to mention, she was shaking like a leaf. She must’ve coincidentally tripped.
At the same time, quite a few people thought the Third Miss was being excessively savage and unreasonable, and that she was going too far. Just look at the Ninth Miss—she was frightened and shaking to such an extent!
“I… Third Sister, I was wrong…”
“Hmph. Last time, you didn’t die. Today, I’ll definitely beat you to death!” Yun Lingshui’s features contorted into a vile visage. The whip crashed down again, and this time, murderous intent flashed in Yun Wu’s eyes.
Although she had her own motives for appearing at the Mourning Hall, if she had to, she certainly wouldn’t mind letting the mother-daughter pair share the Mourning Hall. However, before she could send out two poisonous silver needles, a great oppressive force swept out from the sidelines.
When the whip was just a fingertip away from her, it was snapped in half. Yun Lingshui quickly staggered back and paled, “Grandfather!”
“Behave!” A loud voice thundered, shaking the hearts of everyone present.
Innate Teal Rank, Master Practitioner3, unknown attribute. The whip had been broken by oppressive force alone, without the aid of any battle spirit.
Strong.
Old Master Yun Qi truly deserved to be the person even the imperial family had to treat with courtesy. It must be known that in Zhou Dynasty, there were very few people who could break through to the rank of Master Practitioner, and no more than ten people in the imperial household held that level of strength.
The Mourning Hall sunk into silence.