"Yes, Madam." A servant immediately glared coldly at Rui Yuhuan. Rui Yuhuan had already been beaten and was too weak to reply. A mouthful of bloody blood entered her mouth, making her feel nauseous and almost vomit. She was filled with hatred, imagining what she might look like now. She trembled with rage and resentment. But she was afraid to see herself like that. She remembered how horrible Aunt Ming's appearance was; it had disgusted her so much that she couldn't eat for two meals. She was young and beautiful, but her once lovely face was now ruined. Rui Yuhuan, who always had a strong sense of pride and believed she could stand above many others, on a different level, now had thoughts of suicide. She couldn't bear to grow old so young, to become like Aunt Ming, repulsive to everyone. That was something she couldn't tolerate.
She hated Shang Shi to the core and wished she could kill her, but the thought of her face filled Rui Yuhuan with a sense of powerlessness. She sat blankly on the ground, able to hear the footsteps of the servants from the Ning family approaching her, but she remained extremely quiet and had no desire to resist.
"Bang!"
"Snap!"
A board slammed down, and a sharp pain shot through Rui Yuhuan's leg. Cold sweat poured down her body; the cracking sound indicated her leg bone was broken. Rui Yuhuan gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and waited for the board to smash down on her head and kill her.
"Stop! Cough cough, all of you stop!" But at that moment, a voice filled with shock and anger rang out.
Everyone looked and saw that it was Granny Xi supporting Old Madam Ning, who was trembling and had a face ashen with anger, as she came out. Granny Xi looked at Rui Yuhuan's terrifying face on the ground, a cold smile on her lips, while Old Madam Ning screamed in shock, clearly having fainted from fright. A pang of pain clenched in her heart, and her face was full of furious rage: "You dared to touch her, you dared to touch her! You deserve to die! Guards, take all of these people away and beat them to death!"
Madam Shang narrowed her eyes and said, "Aunt, these people are all servants of the Ning family. Although you are a highly respected member of the Ning family, you are already married. If you want to punish them, you should take their indentures first. Otherwise, I'm afraid you don't have the right to do so."
"You disrespectful brat! How dare you interrupt me? You're no better than me, tormenting such a beautiful young woman like this. Have you lost all your conscience and kindness? No wonder Baichuan is growing increasingly cold towards you. With your venomous heart, he naturally keeps his distance. Who knows when you might harm him out of spite? You deserve it!" Old Madam Ning was already so angry that she spoke without thinking. Madam Shang looked embarrassed by Old Madam Ning's words, her eyes filled with undisguised hatred.
Huang sneered, "Shut up, Ning Taohua! What do you mean by this? How can you speak to a junior like this for some bastard child who may or may not have come from? You really can't tell right from wrong. You clearly didn't take what I told you last time to heart. Is this Rui Yuhuan more important than your direct relatives? I think your brain has been eaten by a dog."
Old Madam Ning sneered: "What? You bring your people and run amok in my General's Mansion without any regard for right or wrong, and I, the old lady, can't do anything about it? What kind of logic is that? This is the General's Mansion, not the Ning Mansion. I'm in charge here. Aren't you deliberately insulting me and slapping me in the face? You don't respect me at all, so why should I give you face?"
Huang had been watching from the sidelines, offering no objection to Shang's actions. If possible, she even considered killing Old Madam Ning to resolve the Ning family's current predicament in the eyes of the world. Unexpectedly, even now, Old Madam Ning remained obstinate. She coldly smiled, "Ning Taohua, have you forgotten that you are the legitimate daughter of the Ning family? You've caused the Ning family to be questioned and vilified by everyone in the capital, from the Emperor to the common people, putting the Ning family's reputation on the spot. And you think you're right? The Ning family can't afford someone who constantly defames the Ning family and shows no remorse."
Old Ning's expression changed upon hearing this. She had been too angry to have expected Huang to say something like this, and her heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean by this!"
Madam Huang looked at Old Madam Ning with disdain: "What do you mean? As the legitimate daughter whom the Ning family has painstakingly nurtured, you have acted worse than even the lowly concubine's daughters in ordinary households. You have slandered the reputation of our family, shown no love for your own granddaughter, and acted recklessly. You are no longer worthy of being a member of the Ning family. Moreover, it's not like I haven't given you chances. Last time I kindly came to advise you, how did you treat me? And what did you do afterward? Your willful behavior has made the Ning family unable to tolerate you. From today onwards, the Ning family is severing ties with you. Don't use the Ning family as a shield anymore. You are not, and you don't deserve to be! If this is discovered, don't blame the Ning family for cleaning house."
Old Madam Ning's heart trembled, and she said in shock and anger, "How dare you! I am the legitimate daughter of the Ning family. How can you sever ties with me as you please? Huang! Don't think that just because you are now the matriarch of the Ning family, no one will care about you. The Ning family still has elders. I absolutely do not believe that they will agree to what you have done."
"Slap!" Suddenly, Madam Huang picked out a letter and threw it at Old Madam Ning's face, coldly saying, "This is the letter from those elders you mentioned, who jointly wanted to get rid of your status as the legitimate daughter. Ning Taohua, now that things have come to this, no one is to blame but yourself for being brainless, self-righteous, and reckless. You deserve it!"
Huang's sarcastic remarks made Old Madam Ning tremble. For years, she had been proud to be the legitimate daughter of the Ning family, and she had done much for the family. She never imagined that such a minor accident would lead these people to abandon her so easily. What had she done before? It was all a ridiculous joke. She had been abandoned by her own family—the very family that had given her honor, and now trampled on it. Old Madam Ning's mind reeled, and in her anger, her eyes rolled back as she leaned back.
Upon seeing this, Madam Xi immediately exclaimed, "Madam, Madam, wake up!" As she spoke, she pinched Old Madam Ning's philtrum hard.
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm..." After a few moments, Old Ning slowly woke up with groans, her mind still not quite clear. Seeing this, Huang didn't linger and quickly left with Shang.
When they arrived at the entrance of the General's Mansion, Ning Shi watched the two of them from afar, and Huang Shi also gave them a look before following Shang Shi in the carriage back to Ning Mansion.
Watching her mother and sister-in-law leave, Ning glanced in the direction of Anhe Hall and smiled coldly. Old Ning had always suppressed her in the General's Mansion, simply because she was her mother-in-law and the legitimate daughter of the Ning family—her aunt. Without this powerful maternal family backing, Ning believed she was in no way inferior to Old Ning. Now that the Ning family had abandoned Old Ning, it didn't mean they had abandoned her. This General's Mansion was now hers.
On the way, Huang and Shang sat in the carriage in silence. Suddenly, Shang whispered, "Mother, do you think Ouyang Zhide will blame us if he comes back?"
Huang's eyes turned cold: "Strange, of course it's strange. She's his own mother who raised him."
Mrs. Shang was startled and said worriedly, "Then...did we do something wrong?"
Madam Huang sneered, "You didn't seem scared just now, how come you've become so timid?" Madam Shang lowered her head but dared not reply. She had just had the idea of taking the opportunity to retaliate. In this Ning Mansion, Madam Huang also had a concubine she favored, so naturally she wouldn't be single-minded towards her daughter-in-law. There were also conflicts between the two, and her actions were actually meant to show Madam Huang. Madam Huang snorted, how could she not know Madam Shang's thoughts? However, Madam Shang was usually quite obedient, so she naturally wouldn't do anything to her because of this. She only said, "But even if Ouyang Zhide is the one to blame, he won't be able to cause trouble for the Ning Mansion. He doesn't seem to like Rui Yuhuan that much anyway. If he comes to the Ning Mansion because of this, he will naturally be accused of favoring a concubine over the legitimate heir. Given his affection for Ouyang Yue, in the end he will only blame Rui Yuhuan, or even Ning Taohua. We only severed ties with Old Madam Ning because we had no other choice, so he has no reason to come looking for us."
A smug gleamed in Madam Huang's eyes. Over the years, she and Old Madam Ning had fought, with both winning and losing, but now she felt a surge of exhilaration because she had finally defeated Old Madam Ning. Although Old Madam Ning was the matriarch of the General's Mansion, she was a notorious one. Now, without the support of the Ning family, she was nothing. Ning Taohua was no longer qualified to fight her. That old bitch had finally been defeated! At the same time, she felt a sense of gratitude towards Rui Yuhuan. If it weren't for her, it wouldn't have been easy for her to defeat Ning Taohua so quickly. Especially seeing Ning Taohua's eyes rolling back in anger made her happy; that old bitch deserved it!
Inside Anhe Hall, Madam Huang and Madam Shang left one after another, but Old Madam Ning had no heart to care. She trembled as she approached Rui Yuhuan, who was slumped on the ground. Everything she saw was a blood-red mess. Rui Yuhuan's face was expressionless, only her eyes were bloodshot and vacant. Old Madam Ning tenderly grasped Rui Yuhuan's hand: "My poor child, how could they have harmed you like this? Don't worry, I will never let them get away with this. I will definitely seek justice for you, my poor child." Old Madam Ning's voice was heart-wrenching, but then she suddenly remembered something. "Quickly, quickly summon a doctor to treat Yuhuan. Her face cannot be scarred. Go now!"
The servants of Anhe Hall exchanged glances, and finally, Green Robe ran out to fetch a doctor, but she knew in her heart that Rui Yuhuan's face could never be healed. The hidden nail in the ring was quite long, deeply embedded and cutting out a bloody gash. Such a serious injury could probably be healed even by a celestial being.
The other servants in Anhe Hall kept their heads down, not daring to look at Old Madam Ning and Rui Yuhuan, nor daring to speak. Although they had been blocked by a servant brought by Madam Shang earlier, they could have easily rushed out to stop them. But none of them moved, quietly waiting for Rui Yuhuan to be punished, because they were equally furious with her. Old Madam Ning favored Rui Yuhuan; she was usually obedient and well-behaved when she was around, but in private, she was extremely arrogant and meddlesome. Almost every servant in Anhe Hall had been scolded by her. Rui Yuhuan was just a little orphan girl; even the ladies, concubines, and daughters of the main household usually treated the people of Anhe Hall with courtesy. Who was Rui Yuhuan? She wasn't even qualified to order them around, yet she showed them so much disrespect. They dared not say anything in front of Old Madam Ning, but their complaints would harm Rui Yuhuan at the crucial moment. None of the servants in Anhe Hall would come to her rescue; they would rather she be killed by Madam Shang. Of course, they felt relieved at the time, but now they are also afraid that Old Ning will settle scores with them later. They wish they could find a hole to crawl into and hide from this matter for now.
Old Madam Ning held Rui Yuhuan, who was covered in blood, and found that the latter was trembling uncontrollably. It was an instinctive trembling that she couldn't control. Old Madam Ning felt even more heartache: "Yuhuan, don't be afraid. Your grandmother loves you. No matter what happens, your grandmother will be there for you. Don't be afraid."
Rui Yuhuan raised her head blankly, looking at Old Madam Ning's face filled with heartache and anger, but only spoke softly, "Why...why did you save me? Why did you save me?" Rui Yuhuan's lips trembled, startling Old Madam Ning. Of course she had to save her; how could she watch such a good child as Yuhuan die? She assumed Rui Yuhuan was just stunned by what had just happened and gently comforted her, "Yuhuan, don't be afraid. Stay here and don't worry. No one will dare to harm you again. I'm no longer a member of the Ning family. If they dare to cause you trouble, I won't hesitate to punish them. I will definitely protect you. Don't be afraid."
"You shouldn't have saved me! Why didn't you let me die? Let me die!" Rui Yuhuan suddenly roared, her face contorted in a terrifying grimace. Her eyes, equally bloodshot, gleamed with an eerie, dark light as she stared at Old Madam Ning. Old Madam Ning was stunned by her gaze, a chill creeping into her heart. Had she mistaken her for someone else? How could Yuhuan harbor murderous intent towards her? Yuhuan must be terrified, that's why she acted this way. Old Madam Ning felt even more heartbroken.
Little did she know that the murderous intent in Rui Yuhuan's eyes was directed at her. Rui Yuhuan had been disfigured and then had her leg broken by the Shang family's men. Even with her former pride, she no longer felt any meaning in living. She had lost the will to live; she was waiting for the Shang family to kill her. Old Ning saved her at this moment, unaware that Rui Yuhuan didn't need anyone to save her; she wanted to die. Even without seeing her face, she knew very well that her once beautiful face was gone forever. Her disfigurement was irreversible. Old Ning's act of saving her was like stabbing a sharp knife into her heart. As Rui Yuhuan spoke, she was reminded of the pain of the day, of how she had lost her former beauty and become an ugly woman despised by everyone. Old Ning's act of saving her wasn't helping her, but harming her. Rui Yuhuan clenched her fists tightly, the murderous intent in her eyes deepening. She ground her teeth, staring at Old Ning's throat so close to hers, as if she were about to bite it off in a fit of rage.
"Madam, the doctor is here." At this moment, the woman in green had rushed back, followed by a doctor carrying a wooden box. As soon as Madam Ning saw him, she said, "Quickly, quickly let the doctor examine Yu Huan."
The doctor stepped forward, but upon seeing Rui Yuhuan's appearance, he was so frightened that he took two steps back and hurriedly left, saying, "This old man is incompetent and cannot cure this young lady. Please find someone more skilled." He turned and left, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would have nightmares that night.
Old Madam Ning was startled, and Rui Yuhuan was so angry that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Old Madam Ning shouted, "What are you standing there for? Keep calling doctors until Yuhuan is cured."
Green Robe had no choice but to take several maids to fetch a doctor, but the doctors were all frightened away after seeing Rui Yuhuan's face, which made Rui Yuhuan so angry that she vomited blood and fainted. Later, she met a doctor who was bold but also pale with fright. As you can imagine, her face was disfigured and her legs were broken. Although they could have been healed, it took so long to heal them, and even if they were healed, they would still have sequelae.
In the main hall of Anhetang, a few white specks floated briefly in a pool of blood left by Rui Yuhuan before disappearing without a trace...
In a secluded courtyard in the capital, a man in black stood with his hands behind his back. A moment later, a woman in pink approached and knelt down, saying, "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency the Envoy."
The man in black turned around; it was She Ran, the person who had interacted with Rui Yuhuan and Pink Butterfly many times before: "Hmm, you can get up now."
Pink Butterfly remained kneeling: "Please punish me, Your Excellency. I have failed to fulfill the orders of my master and Your Excellency. Rui Yuhuan is not only useless, but has now become a cripple. This is my dereliction of duty, and I am willing to accept the punishment."
A cold glint flashed in the black-clad man's eyes as he looked at the respectfully kneeling Pink Butterfly and said, "This is not your fault. It's just that Rui Yuhuan is too stupid. The master gave her so many chances, but she didn't seize them even once. Now she's in this state, and it's her own fault. You don't need to take the blame for her."
Pink Butterfly was taken aback. Why was the envoy being so lenient? He would have punished her severely before. She looked up at the man in black and saw that he didn't seem to be lying. She thought to herself, "Since Rui Yuhuan is so useless and has ruined my master's important plans many times, I wonder if the envoy would like me to kill her to prevent future troubles?"
The man in black sneered, "There's no need to bother with a useless person like her. Now that she's being taken care of by the old lady of the General's Mansion, you'll have more contact with her. There's no rush to kill her. She's only of this use now. If she does a good job, it will be a great achievement for her. So you don't need to bother following her anymore. Let her do things herself."
Pink Butterfly was even more puzzled. Previously, her master and the envoy had been very concerned about controlling the General's Mansion, otherwise they wouldn't have sent her to assist Rui Yuhuan. Now that Rui Yuhuan's mission had failed, why weren't they punishing her? This was completely different from their previous behavior.
Seemingly noticing Pink Butterfly's confusion, the man in black continued, "I have a more important task for you to do now, so you don't need to worry about Rui Yuhuan's matter. Someone will take care of her. Now we need to focus our efforts on another matter."
Pink Butterfly immediately knelt down with a serious expression and said, "Yes, Your Excellency, please give your orders. I will do my best to complete the mission."
The man in black nodded calmly: "Your task now is to find Ouyang Yue's whereabouts as soon as possible, and then protect her secretly."
"What?" Pink Butterfly was taken aback. "Protect Ouyang Yue? This... I know why. She's just a legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. Although she's favored by Ouyang Zhide, it's not as important as sending someone directly to win Ouyang Zhide's favor..." And why protect Ouyang Yue? She shouldn't be of any value. Otherwise, why didn't they say so when the mission was given? Pink Butterfly had thought that the organization and the General's Mansion were enemies, but it turns out they weren't?
The man in black frowned as he looked at Pink Butterfly: "When did you become so talkative? Do you think you can control what the master thinks?"
Pink Butterfly was immediately startled: "This subordinate dares not."
The man in black said calmly, "However, I am also quite surprised. This was an order just given by the master, and I don't quite understand it either."
"Then... could it be because of Ouyang Zhide...?"
The man in black suddenly chuckled: "Because of Ouyang Zhide's favor? No, he's not qualified. Let me tell you, everyone in this General's Mansion combined isn't as important as a single finger of Ouyang Yue, do you understand? So you must handle this matter well. You absolutely cannot let Ouyang Yue suffer any harm before returning to the capital, otherwise, no one can help you then."
"What!" Pink Butterfly exclaimed in surprise, her heart filled with doubt and confusion. Wasn't Ouyang Yue just a legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, with a less than stellar reputation in the capital? She only managed to maintain her position in the General's Mansion because of Ouyang Zhide's favor. How could she possibly be of higher status than Ouyang Zhide, a high-ranking official of the court? There were quite a few people in the inner quarters who disliked her. She simply couldn't see what it was about Ouyang Yue that made her master value her so much!
Pink Butterfly clenched her fists, her brows furrowing slightly. Could it be that Ouyang Yue harbors some unknown secret?
☆、104、Detoxify with your mouth!
In one of the private rooms of the Babaozhai restaurant in the capital, two handsome men with different temperaments were sitting. One of them was dressed in a white robe embroidered with peach blossoms. Although it was autumn, he was fanning himself with a folding fan painted with a beautiful woman. He had a dashing face and his eyes were full of charm. Even the slightest movement of his peach blossom eyes seemed to exude a different kind of charm.
Compared to the man dressed in brightly colored clothes and laughing frivolously, the man opposite him was dressed in a long black robe and had a rare handsome appearance. However, his stern face made him appear quite dignified. The two of them were like two different worlds.
Leng Caiwen sat by the window, leaning against it, watching the scene below with interest. A bodyguard in a tight-fitting outfit stood beside him, who immediately refilled Leng Caiwen's teacup when it was empty. Leng Caiwen, seemingly observing something, smiled even more broadly. He lightly tapped the windowsill with the handle of his fan, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light: "That old fellow from the Ning family is quite adaptable, isn't he? Daiyu, aren't you even a little curious about what they're going to the General's Mansion for?"
The two sat at the same table, on which were laid out four dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious. Leng Caiwen was only interested in watching the fun, while Dai Yu ate in silence. At this moment, she raised her head and a faint glint of light flashed in her eyes: "Naturally, it's to cause trouble for the General's Mansion."
"I didn't know I was looking for trouble, but I don't know what kind of trouble it is." Leng Caiwen stroked his chin slightly, smiling like a cat that had just stolen some cream. Dai Yu looked at his expression, pursed her lips slightly, and lowered her head to eat her food, pouring herself a cup of wine and sipping it lightly. Her eyes narrowed, and she couldn't help but think of the first time she met Ouyang Yue. That woman was as cunning as a fox, yet intelligent and wise. She really couldn't imagine that such a woman would be forced to leave the capital by the women of the General's Mansion.
The reality was that even if he didn't believe it, Ouyang Yue was indeed not in the capital. Coupled with Ouyang Zhide's departure, the rumors surrounding Old Ning and Rui Yuhuan made the truth seem increasingly plausible, making it difficult not to believe. Hearing about this, Leng Caiwen was more proactive than anyone else, deliberately leading people to inquire about the matter throughout the city. Of course, this so-called inquiry also included his own interpretation, which further fueled the rumors in the capital, with condemnations resounding everywhere. Later, out of boredom, Leng Caiwen decided to start a betting game, and things spiraled out of control. Now, probably no one in the entire capital is unaware of the affair between Old Ning and Rui Yuhuan, and Leng Caiwen is undoubtedly half responsible for the scale of this incident.
Early this morning, Leng Caiwen took Dai Yu to Babaozhai. He had received news that the old lady and madam of Ning Mansion had gone to the General's Mansion by carriage, so he sent people there to keep watch. They were already watching the excitement at the place where the Ning Mansion's carriages always passed by.
At this moment, the Ning family's carriage slowly approached. A dozen or so rough maids followed behind the carriage, each of them plump and strong with menacing faces. They did not look like kind people at all. Leng Caiwen snapped his fan shut and turned around. He picked up his chopsticks and gave a sour, sarcastic laugh, then let out a long, satisfying sigh.
Dai Yu glanced at him indifferently: "You're really enthusiastic about this."
Leng Caiwen raised her head and looked at him with a half-smile: "Don't just talk about me. You didn't want to go out today, but after I explained why, you ran faster than a rabbit. You care about it too~" Although it was a joke, no matter how you looked at it, there was a hint of scrutiny in Leng Caiwen's eyes when she looked at Dai Yu.
Dai Yu ignored the deeper meaning in his words and said only, "But I don't know why Ouyang Yue left, or what her current situation is."
Leng Caiwen's expression also darkened. He was taken aback when he heard the news. He had initially thought it was just a rumor, but upon learning it was true, he felt a fire burning fiercely within him. There were already rumors circulating in the capital, but he had only fueled his anger by spreading the story further. Moreover... he had a feeling that he wasn't the only one involved. After all, no matter how capable or famous Ouyang Yue was, it wasn't easy for the news to spread to everyone in the capital. It could only be said that Old Madam Ning had failed miserably, and this was destined to happen.
Ouyang Yue... that woman is no ordinary person, she should be alright...
In the Xiangning Courtyard of the General's Mansion, after her hands were chopped off, Consort Ming suffered from a persistent high fever for two days. Doctors were dispatched and medicine was continuously prescribed before she gradually regained consciousness. During her unconsciousness, she remained in a daze, plagued by recurring nightmares. Sometimes, she would even laugh foolishly, seemingly oblivious to what she was dreaming about. This cycle repeated itself until Consort Ming was stunned for a long time upon waking. She thought to herself that the previous nightmares were truly terrifying; she had dreamt that her hands were chopped off in the middle of the night. How could that be? It must have been a dream.
Aunt Ming chuckled softly, turning her head to look outside. No one was in the room. Slightly annoyed, she reached out to sit up, but suddenly let out a loud howl. Cold sweat instantly broke out on her face from the pain. Aunt Ming's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked down at her hands. She saw that her once fair wrist was now tightly wrapped in a white cloth, which, after the earlier touch, was now damp and had turned a deep crimson.
Aunt Ming's heart tightened instantly. The throbbing pain in her wrists made it clear to her that she was in reality. Her hands were gone. Her hands were really gone. It wasn't a nightmare; it was real! Aunt Ming's eyes widened, and the next moment she screamed, "Ah!"
Her shout immediately woke up Qi Mama, Yang'er, and Xiao'er, who had barely slept these past few days while taking care of Aunt Ming and had just dozed off against the wall. The three were still groggy from lack of sleep and only realized the voice belonged to Aunt Ming after a moment's hesitation. Without hesitation, they rushed into the room, only to find Aunt Ming angrily slamming her arms against the bed. The white cloths on her wrists, which had been slightly bleeding, were now soaked with blood. Despite the pain, her face was contorted, and she was sweating profusely, yet she continued to pound the bed as if it were her own death. The three were startled and rushed over. Yang'er and Xiao'er each grabbed Aunt Ming's arms tightly, but Aunt Ming was surprisingly strong, causing them to stumble several times before they finally managed to steady her, their foreheads covered in sweat.
Aunt Ming's face was contorted with madness, her eyes filled with an unprecedented chilling ferocity. Mama Qi was about to offer some words of advice, but seeing Aunt Ming's appearance, she nearly bit her tongue in shock, swallowing back her words. Aunt Ming continued to groan, her expression growing increasingly sinister and crazed, staring at Mama Qi and the other two with a cold, menacing gaze, as if she were witnessing the murder of her father.
Madam Qi said in a low voice, "Aunt...Aunt, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I'll go and call the doctor right away..."
"Doctor, what do you mean 'doctor'? I'm perfectly fine, who gave you permission to call me 'doctor'!" Aunt Ming shouted angrily, scaring Qi Mama into not daring to move again. Aunt Ming's cold eyes swept over Qi Mama and the other two, who immediately lowered their heads and dared not breathe.
Aunt Ming's chest heaved, her face shifting unpredictably before settling on a deathly pale expression. The two bandages on her hands were stained crimson, and the room reeked of blood, making Aunt Ming's face even colder and angrier. She gritted her teeth and said, "I've been unconscious for several days."
"Replying...Replying to Aunt Ming, it's been three days today..." Mama Qi replied, forcing herself to speak.
A strange smile played on Aunt Ming's lips, her face chilling. This wasn't a nightmare; what she'd seen before wasn't a dream either—it had actually happened. She'd paid a hefty sum to send members of the ruthless Bloodthirsty Alliance to kill Ouyang Yue, and these people dared to break the agreement and attack her instead. Aunt Ming was furious. These people simply looked down on her, but the mastermind behind this was the Ministry of Revenue's mansion. Recovering from her initial anger, Aunt Ming sensed something strange about the whole affair.
No matter what, the Bloodstained Alliance is a well-known assassin organization. How could they take her money and then not do her job, instead harming her? Something went wrong. Was it a mission sent by the Minister of Revenue's office, and not intended to target Ouyang Yue, but rather her?
Thinking of this, Aunt Ming felt a chill run down her spine. How could this be? She was the daughter of the Minister of Revenue! How could they so blatantly disregard familial ties and lay a hand on her? But… but her current state—blind, disfigured, and crippled—was a grave insult to the Minister of Revenue's household. Back then, when Old Madam Ning proposed her to be a concubine, her parents weren't entirely in favor. Even as a concubine's daughter, she was no less than a legitimate daughter from an ordinary family. With her background, she might have been able to become a concubine in an even more noble household. However, they ultimately felt that Ouyang Zhide had more potential, and Aunt Ming also thought that Ouyang Zhide was quite outstanding among the young masters of the capital at the time. That's why they made their decision, and in the end, she was brought into the General's Mansion. However, she has always held a different status in the Ministry of Revenue's mansion. In this general's mansion, she was favored by Old Madam Ning and gave birth to the eldest daughter of the general's mansion, which was of great significance and brought honor to the Ministry of Revenue's mansion. Now, she has become a laughing stock of the general's mansion and a disgrace to the Ministry of Revenue's mansion. Is it because she has disgraced the Ministry of Revenue's mansion that they want to get rid of her?
Aunt Ming became increasingly confused as she thought about it. In the end, the beads of sweat rolling down her face were a mixture of pain and fear, and she couldn't tell whether they were from the pain or from her own fright.
Madam Qi cautiously observed Aunt Ming's expression, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Aunt, your hands were hung outside the General's Mansion by someone. Because of this, the Old Madam and Rui Yuhuan were scorned by everyone in the city. This morning, Old Madam Huang and Madam Shang from the Ning Mansion came and argued with the Old Madam. Old Madam Huang threatened to sever ties with the Old Madam..."
Aunt Ming was taken aback. So those people weren't sent by the Minister of Revenue's residence to kill her; she hadn't been abandoned by her family. Of course, her mother had always doted on her. When she sent the message back, her mother was so angry she almost fell ill. She demanded the killing of that useless little girl, Ouyang Yue, and naturally, they had no reason to refuse. So, there was a problem within the Bloodthirsty Alliance? Aunt Ming narrowed her eyes. She would definitely not let these untrustworthy江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang, a term referring to outlaws or scoundrels) get away with it.
The imperial court has its laws, and the martial world has its rules. They themselves have caused trouble, and she absolutely cannot let it go. The thought of her now crippled, both her hands and feet filled Aunt Ming with venomous hatred. She was now utterly useless; what could she do besides lie in bed? It was all the fault of those bastards from the Bloodthirsty Alliance, and especially that wicked Ouyang Yue. She would absolutely not let them get away with it, absolutely not!
Aunt Ming gritted her teeth, her hatred undiminished: "Mama Qi, go to the Ministry of Revenue and tell them that the Bloodthirsty Alliance has broken its promise, taken the money but did nothing, and even injured me! I demand an explanation. If I am not given a satisfactory solution, I will make everyone in the Bloodthirsty Alliance disappear from this world!" Aunt Ming had indeed suffered a terrible fate this time. She tried to harm Ouyang Yue but ended up losing both her hands, becoming crippled beyond repair. It was impossible for her to suffer this injustice in silence.
Her words did have some merit. While there weren't many assassin organizations in the martial world, there were still quite a few. The reason Dawo was hesitant to take on cases related to the imperial court was precisely because they feared offending some powerful figure one day, with potentially severe consequences. At best, they would be expelled; at worst, they would be wanted nationwide and executed without exception. The Blood Killing Alliance had also made a determined effort to rival the number one assassination alliance, which was why they expanded their scope. However, this was the first time they had encountered a situation where the target was unharmed, but the employer was maimed. It was likely that the Blood Killing Alliance would be facing considerable internal trouble.
On the dirt road, four men in black on horseback galloped along, all of them sweating profusely. However, none of them suggested resting. These four men were the same four men from the Blood Alliance under Hui Niang who had broken into the General's Mansion at night and cut off Aunt Ming's hands. After completing Ouyang Yue's instructions, they hurried back to retrieve the antidote.
"Thump, thump, thump, thump!" Suddenly, the front legs of the horse they were riding buckled, and it rolled to the ground. The four men were shocked and immediately dodged to the ground. They squinted at Yu with alert eyes and shouted coldly, "Who is it that is secretly plotting against us? This is not the behavior of a gentleman. Come out and show yourself at once."
Suddenly, a man emerged from the bushes ahead, followed by more than ten men in black. Each of them had a cold and stern expression. The four men immediately knelt down and said, "Your subordinates greet you, leader."
Leading the way was a man of medium build. His face was extremely dark, his features quite ordinary, but his eyes were unusually sharp. However, the most striking feature on his face was a hideous scar running vertically from his chin to his eyebrow, which completely ruined his appearance, making him look extremely terrifying and sinister. The four men immediately felt a chill run down their spines under their leader's gaze.
The leader of the Blood Killing Alliance is named Ghost Killer, which means that he has the ability to kill even ghosts. This shows how powerful he is and how powerful the Blood Killing Alliance is. Ghost Killer is also known as a cold and ruthless person in the Blood Killing Alliance. Sometimes, even if someone makes a small mistake, he may torture them severely before executing them. The people of the Blood Killing Alliance are very afraid of Ghost Killer.
Ghost Killer's lips curled into a cold, sinister smile, his voice hoarse and unpleasant as he said, "You've already accepted the mission, so why are you in the capital? Has the plan changed? Where is your leader?"
The four men exchanged glances, knowing full well that Ghost Killer hated nothing more than resistance. Not only had their assassination failed, but Hui Niang was already dead. Yet, they had returned to the capital to work for their target in order to save their own lives. Did they expect to get away with it? Knowing Ghost Killer, they knew this was impossible. They exchanged another glance, each seeing a hint of coldness in the other's eyes. One of them, the one who had disguised himself as a waiter at the inn, said, "Reporting to the leader, this target is extremely cunning. We chased after them all the way, but they fled back to the capital to seek refuge. We followed them here to complete our mission, but that person is the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion. Before Ouyang Zhide left, he sent several skilled men to protect her. Our leader was killed while protecting us, but the target escaped during the chaos. We were just about to give chase."
Ghost Killer stared at the four of them with emotionless eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It seems you are quite dedicated to the mission. Hmm, that's a good thing. It's just a pity about Hui Niang. Since it's to catch up with the target, you should hurry up and go. I've taken on another job in the capital."
The four men breathed a slight sigh of relief. If the ghost killers were there for business, then their actions hadn't been discovered yet. They figured they could extract the antidote from the man and woman before killing them, giving the ghost killers a buffer. The plan was sure to succeed. The four men bowed respectfully, mounted their horses, and prepared to leave.