Qin Qingyue’s steps came to a halt. She turned her head, her crimson vertical pupils flickering. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t care in the least whether or not Zhuxin agreed.
Whether you want to or not, you have no choice.
When she’d captured Su Yingman before, she hadn’t cared either.
From beginning to end, the only one Qin Qingyue cared about was Jiang Huai, only her own man.
“Main Wife, that girl—she’s her daughter, isn’t she?” Su Yingman, braving Qin Qingyue’s Great Ascension pressure, spoke up cautiously.
When Qin Qingyue had “invited” Su Yingman away back then, she’d asked if her background was clean.
Qin Qingyue paused slightly, then realization dawned.
She’d been focused only on snatching the Pure Yang Body to help Jiang Huai establish his foundation, and had actually overlooked this crucial point.
Qin Qingyue strode forward and grabbed Zhuxin’s collar, her voice icy cold:
“You’ve given birth to a child? Been involved with other men?”
It might have sounded like nonsense, but Qin Qingyue cared deeply.
Choosing a concubine for Jiang Huai wasn’t something to be done casually.
Qin Qingyue demanded a spotless background—if not, they were unworthy to set foot in the Qin household, much less be tainted by Jiang Huai in the slightest.
The flaming battle armor on Zhuxin had long since dulled. Especially the armor on her right arm, which had been utterly torn apart by Qin Qingyue’s Dragon claws in their exchange, leaving her entire arm hanging limp.
Her temples were disheveled, blood still staining the corner of her mouth. She was in a sorry state.
Yet her beautiful eyes still held a defiant gaze, her bones brimming with a lofty arrogance, long accustomed to holding power.
Such unyielding pride made Qin Qingyue want to strike her a few more times, just to grind down those sharp edges completely.
“Dragon Lord.”
Zhuxin endured the searing pain, staring straight into Qin Qingyue’s cold eyes without a hint of fear, her voice hoarse yet clear.
“I don’t have a man. How could I give birth to a child?”
To become some man’s concubine? What utter humiliation!
What did they take her for—a plaything?
She was the head of a sect, of a great household in the Central Continent, her strength at the Immortal Ascension Stage—she would eventually ascend to the Immortal Realm.
With such status, how could she stoop so low as to become a concubine?
She already had a daughter. Even if she married a man in the future, she would be the Main Wife, not a concubine.
In this world, it was men who might become a secondary spouse; as for her, becoming a concubine was impossible!
Grasping at Qin Qingyue’s concern for purity of background, Zhuxin’s mind whirled, forcing herself to remain proud as she began to fabricate:
“My husband and I are deeply in love, as harmonious as zither and lute.”
“I would never demean my dignity and status by becoming a mere concubine! Dragon Lord, please choose someone else.”
She tried to use the excuse of “already having a husband” as a shield to dismiss Qin Qingyue’s idea.
Qin Qingyue’s slender brows arched, a mocking smile on her lips.
“Being a concubine to my man is considered demeaning your dignity and status?”
“How high could your status be? Is Blazing Sun Sect stronger than the Eastern Wilderness Dragon Clan?”
“It’s not even that you’re unwilling—even with your background, I’m not impressed at all!”
Before her words finished, Qin Qingyue suddenly pushed hard.
The force sent Zhuxin crashing again into the cracked stone wall, making her stifle a cry of pain.
She could only grit her teeth, swallowing her immense anger and humiliation.
She was not afraid of death, but she feared Qin Qingyue would take her anger out on her daughter. For Yao’er’s sake, she had to endure.
Qin Qingyue dusted off her hands, looking entirely unconcerned.
At the side, Su Yingman hugged her arms, but a flash of hidden dissatisfaction passed quickly through her eyes.
Demeaning her dignity and status by being a concubine? Zhuxin’s words were an invisible slap to her face.
With a Main Wife like Qin Qingyue and a husband like Jiang Huai, what was wrong with being a concubine?
Zhuxin might not mean anything by it, but Su Yingman, who had already come to terms with her status as a concubine—and even savored it a little—now felt uneasy and stifled.
“This is troublesome…” Qin Qingyue looked at Zhuxin, brows tightly furrowed.
The Pure Yang Body was right in front of her, yet she couldn’t use it—for a moment, she was at a loss.
Besides the Pure Yang Body, where could she find two more suitable Yin-Yang Body types in a short time?
Jiang Huai’s breakthrough was imminent and couldn’t be delayed.
The Southern Ridge Red Dragon and Northern Plains White Dragon…
Chi Hong’s side had just been negotiated with and couldn’t be disturbed again. The Northern Plains White Dragon was reclusive and unfathomable, too risky to attack by force.
Besides, even their Dragon Palace was difficult to locate. In such a short time, she might not be able to find it.
Did she really have to use Zhuxin as a one-time furnace and then toss her aside?
But Jiang Huai’s temperament would probably not agree to such a thing.
Zhuxin leaned against the cold stone wall, panting. When she saw hesitation on Qin Qingyue’s face, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief, quickly followed by a wave of indescribable humiliation.
So the other really did find her unworthy.
For a moment, she couldn’t tell if she was more relieved to have escaped disaster or more sorrowful at being so thoroughly looked down upon by someone stronger.
Zhuxin’s gaze unintentionally swept past Qin Qingyue to Su Yingman standing behind.
In her eyes, there was a natural and deep-seated scorn, unconcealed in the slightest.
Earlier, Su Yingman had called Qin Qingyue Main Wife, obviously willing to be a concubine—demeaning herself.
Well, it was the Huanhuan Sect after all—nothing was strange for their disciples.
Su Yingman felt thoroughly uncomfortable under that gaze, both ashamed and angry, a surge of vexation rising in her chest.
A plan came to mind. She deliberately spoke in a questioning, sweet voice:
“Main Wife, I do find something rather strange.”
“What?” Qin Qingyue’s thoughts were interrupted and she turned to ask.
“I once learned a little about the Blazing Sun Sect’s cultivation methods,” Su Yingman’s voice was soft, each word clear.
“Their True Yang Formula is an ultimate technique of pure Yang and extreme strength.”
“To reach the pinnacle, one must keep their primordial Yin unsullied, staying pure and chaste.”
“If that’s lost, it’s like cutting off the path of cultivation—one’s progress will be forever stunted.”
She paused, her gaze drifting meaningfully toward Zhuxin by the wall, then continued:
“But the technique Sect Master Zhu displayed earlier was clearly the purest Yang power, and her realm rose all the way from Integration to Immortal Ascension Stage. During this period…”
That was odd—Zhu Siyao was clearly not that young.
If Zhuxin had really had a child with her ‘husband’, she would surely have lost her primordial Yin.
Without that, how could she have kept cultivating after giving birth and broken through to Great Ascension?
Was the child adopted?
Qin Qingyue looked at Zhu Siyao, then at Zhuxin, slowly shaking her head.
They looked far too much alike—as if carved from the same mold. It couldn’t be adoption, could it?
Seeing this, Su Yingman lowered her head, her voice becoming even gentler:
“If Main Wife is uncertain, why not ‘check’ her personally, just like you checked me before?”
“Husband’s foundation establishment is what matters.”
Damn you!
Looking down on me? Acting so high and mighty? Fine—then I’ll drag you down with me!
Let you also taste what it’s like to degrade yourself as a concubine, to kneel at the feet of the same man and serve him.
The process she underwent, Zhuxin would not miss a single step.
Zhuxin’s face turned pale; she instinctively looked to her daughter.
Suddenly, she worried about how her daughter would see her if she learned the truth.
Zhu Siyao stepped in front of Zhuxin, indignant. “You’re not allowed to touch my mother! My mother already has a man!”
With a single glance, Qin Qingyue signaled Su Yingman, who stepped forward and dragged Zhu Siyao away as she kicked and struggled, ignoring her cries and curses—she could not break free.
“Whether you have a man or not—I’ll be the judge of that.”
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