“Lin Hai, a concubine-born daughter of the Lin Clan, married into the Shangguan family thirty years ago and bore one daughter, named Shangguan Xiyue.”
“One of her crimes: together with her husband, disregarded her biological daughter’s wishes and tried to force her into the Mo family, using the excuse of parental authority and matchmaker’s words to parade her own morality—yet in truth, she has failed as a mother, deserving of punishment.”
“Her second crime: imprisoning her own daughter without permission.”
“Her third crime: …”
“Shangguan Hong, a peripheral figure of the Shangguan clan, colluded with others to sell information about his cousin’s movements, which led to Lin Hai catching Shangguan Xiyue as she returned to school. He, too, deserves punishment.”
“……”
Each crime was stated more explicitly than the last.
As each name was read, countless people below began to tremble.
Some were anxious, fearing for their future.
They wondered whom this newlywed of the Su family was seeking justice for.
Even now, there were those who still refused to believe that this young mistress of the Su family was the same Shangguan Xiyue whom they had once bossed around and ordered about.
The difference in their status was simply too great.
So great that no one believed the two would ever cross paths in life.
Chunqiao cleared her throat and continued reading, “When all of you acted with such lawlessness, did you ever consider that a day would come when you’d be held to account? I—Siyu Zhi—am your retribution. Shangguan Xiyue is my closest friend, my only confidant in this life. From this day forth, should any wretched soul dare to trouble my sister, retribution will fall upon you as your lesson.”
Yu Zhi was the name Siyin Yan gave herself after she changed her name.
“Execute!”
As Chunqiao’s cold, bloodless voice fell, a dazzling blade’s shadow descended from the sky, as if nothing could withstand it.
The chill of the blade sent shivers through all who witnessed it, carrying with it a killing intent, its reflection clear in everyone’s eyes.
The sword light, deliberately slowed countless times over, forced the crowd to witness their future fate, bit by bit.
Terror gripped many, their pupils shrinking as they crawled desperately along the ground, trying to evade the strike that had already locked onto them.
“Don’t, please don’t kill me!”
“Madam, spare me, spare me! I know I was wrong!”
Yet the blade fell, inch by inch. Under the overwhelming presence of ten supreme powerhouses, these people couldn’t even stand.
With no one answering his pleas, Shangguan Hong, who had once betrayed Shangguan Xiyue’s whereabouts, could only kneel heavily before the young girl, “Cousin, cousin, I truly know I was wrong! Please, please, say something for me, I’m only twenty, I don’t want to die!”
Shangguan Xiyue looked at the young man clutching at her pant leg and suddenly kicked him five or six meters away in disgrace, “I treated you as my most trusted cousin. I even told you my parents might drag me home soon—how did you repay me?”
“No, please…” The young man was already sobbing in regret. If he’d known his cousin had such a powerful backer, he’d never have coveted that fifty thousand.
Never did Shangguan Xiyue dream that a mere fifty thousand was all it took for her most trusted cousin to betray her.
A little farther away.
Those not trapped beneath the blade’s shadow were still on their knees, shaken by the executions before them. Among them was Lin Hai.
“Thank heavens, I’m alright.”
At this moment.
For the first time, she was truly grateful for her identity as Shangguan Xiyue’s mother, and felt a sense of surviving disaster.
“Daughter, daughter.”
“From now on, Mom will treat you well.”
“Mom—truly loves you.”
Lin Hai wanted to embrace the young girl before her.
Shangguan Xiyue stepped back in silence, expressionless. “You don’t love me. You just see more value in me, and can’t wait to display your motherly affection.”
Kacha——
The blade fell amid wails, countless screams cut short. Heads rolled, blood soaking the entire Shangguan estate.
This vengeance, witnessed by all, left some unable to control themselves.
Gululu——
A severed head rolled right up to Lin Hai.
Shangguan Hong died with wide, unblinking eyes, like a vengeful ghost fixated on the once-dignified matron before him.
“Go away, get lost, don’t come near me.”
Chunqiao still announced her mistress’s words, “Given your mitigated crimes, I am no villain. Upon consideration, I have decided to give you all a chance at repentance.”
“What goes around comes around. If Heaven won’t judge you, then I will.”
“How you act in the future—choose for yourselves.”
“But if anything like this happens again, I will be your unerring retribution.”
Putong——
Upon hearing these last words,
Some collapsed in cold sweat, as if they’d just returned from the gates of hell.
Lin Hai wept with joy, “I’m safe, I’m safe.”
“Hahaha.”
But in the next instant, Chunqiao’s words shattered her hope, “Concubine-born daughter of the Lin family—Lin Hai, for bearing Shangguan Xiyue, you are spared out of gratitude for your merit.”
“But though the death penalty is forgiven, you are not free of all punishment. Jing’an Temple still lacks a nun to pray for blessings. Soon, you shall take the tonsure and become a nun, living by the ancient lamp and Buddha. From now on, pray for your daughter’s well-being. I trust you’ll be very content.”
“As for Shangguan Xiyue’s father, realizing his own crimes, he has volunteered to become a monk at Heima Temple. Since it’s his first offense, I grant him this mercy and approve his request. He will depart soon.”
“The remaining guilty parties…”
Each punishment was spelled out.
Most present felt no more relief.
Some, having merely spread a rumor once, found their actions recorded in detail.
It was as if some unseen hand was watching everything from the shadows.
Some shuddered, glancing back—only to find darkness lurking behind.
There were even some who had played no part at all, but gazed at the girl in the center with complex emotions.
He understood.
From this day, the very heavens above the Shangguan family had changed.
This girl, once always at the edge and not even able to decide her own marriage, had become a little phoenix today.
When one person soars, all those connected to them rise as well.
The Su family’s new bride embodied this saying perfectly.
Lin Hai looked at the courtyard littered with corpses; all relief gone from her face, she could only run toward her daughter, “Daughter, daughter.”
“You can’t be so heartless.”
“I gave birth to you, can you really bear to see me imprisoned in a nunnery?”
Chunqiao descended from the sky and bowed respectfully to the girl, “Greetings, Miss Shangguan. This servant is the personal maid of my lady. Please, come with me.”
Seeing the awe-inspiring judge now bow respectfully to her own daughter, Lin Hai once more reevaluated their relationship.
Chunqiao said, “My lady requests your presence.”
“Daughter!”
Shangguan Xiyue did not pause, even under the gaze of the ten supreme powerhouses.
Lin Hai had to stop, tears of regret welling in her eyes.
It turned out her daughter had been telling the truth.
She should have given her the phone much earlier.
There are a thousand remedies in the world, but none for regret.
For the rest of her life, she would live with her remorse.
“Don’t call me daughter.” Shangguan Xiyue suddenly said, “The moment you locked me in my room, before we’d even fallen out completely, whatever debt I owed you for giving birth was repaid.”
“Mother, you’re an adult, too.”
“You told me yourself: when you make a mistake, you must take your punishment.”
Scene after scene from the past surfaced.
Back when Shangguan Xiyue was small, Lin Hai’s heart hadn’t been so calculating.
On rainy days, she would hold little Shangguan Xiyue and chide her lovingly for stepping in puddles, gently teaching her the lessons of life.
Twenty years changes a person far too much; it can even erase pure intentions.
This time, Lin Hai’s regret was real—not for her own future.
She covered her face, kneeling and sobbing uncontrollably.
“My dear, it’s Mama who’s let you down.”
The sky above.
Chunqiao produced a very small storage device.
A single-use storage tool—usable only once.
“I ask that Senior visit the Mo family and deliver the notice of the wedding’s cancellation. Throw these heads at their door—no need for any pretense. Surely, the Mo family already knows what happened at the Shangguan household and are in a state of fear.”
“This blade was personally ordered by my lady—please deliver it to Mo Wuya. He should know what he must do.”
The true Mo family was inside the secret realm, also a first-class super clan, though no longer what they once were since the fall of their Thirteen Ancestors. The Mo family in Jing City was merely a peripheral branch.
That so-called young master of the Mo clan was just another unappreciated outcast. Now, faced with pressure from the Su main house, he probably already had one foot in the grave, just praying the Su family wouldn’t pursue things further—there was no way he’d dare take revenge.
Inside the villa.
Though it was already past ten, I still had no intention of sleeping, sitting in the courtyard and gazing at the distant sky.
“Still not back yet?”
This was about my one and only best friend, so until things were truly resolved, I had no mind for sleep.
Su Liumeng held my hand. She didn’t dare, as she used to, to squeeze onto the same chair with me. Instead, she dragged another stool over, sitting close enough to hold my soft little hand.
“It shouldn’t be much longer.”
Su Liumeng glanced at her phone, checking for mission updates.
“I still feel it’s too slow.” With one hand held, I could only nibble the fingers of my free hand, “Just thinking that I’ll soon see Cat Cat again makes me so excited. How about we just don’t sleep tonight?”
“Let’s stay up all night playing Stardust together—just this once, what do you say, what do you say?”
“It’s been so long since we last saw each other, and really, our bond started because of Stardust. Why not go all out and play all night?”
Clinging to Su Liumeng’s arm, I began to whine, “I want to loot with you! The first time we played, you were the little sister. The second time, you’re already my wife. Isn’t that amazing and wonderful?”
“You’re asking me? My answer is—absolutely not!” Su Liumeng’s eyes sparkled with laughter, “All night? What about sleep?”
“Getting bolder, aren’t you? Now you dare not sleep all night?”
“You’re young, you can handle it. But have you asked your baby if she can?”
“Careful you spend one night awake, and the next day your tummy hurts so bad you’re rolling on the floor, only to find out—oh no, you’re in premature labor. I’ll see if you can still laugh then.”
“……”
Premature labor.
Hearing those two words, I really couldn’t laugh. My whole little face drooped.
The words themselves were scary, but what terrified me even more was the image of Zhi Zhi, still just a little girl, sleeping soundly, only to be spun around and born in the next moment. The thought made my emotions spiral.
Don’t scare a child like that.
Zhi Zhi is still just a little girl!
That’s not how you’re supposed to be a mother!
“Fine.” I traced Su Liumeng’s palm, “Then just two rounds—two rounds and we go to bed.”
With pitiful eyes, I looked at the girl. “Two rounds won’t be too late, right? Just play a bit with me and Cat Cat, please? I haven’t ever played trios with you both before, you don’t know how much I’ve looked forward to this.”
Su Liumeng is the most important person to me.
Cat Cat is my best friend.
I’ve always hoped to play games with them both.
But life kept getting in the way, and there was never a chance.
Now that there finally was, I couldn’t help but get excited.
“Alright, I agree.” Su Liumeng was very generous.
“Yes!” I nearly jumped up, but remembering my current belly, I only hugged Su Liumeng and whined twice, finally feeling much better.
Suddenly, I patted Su Liumeng’s arm, “Quick, quick, go get some hotpot base and all the essentials. When Cat Cat arrives, she definitely won’t have eaten yet, so let’s have a nice hotpot together!”
“Aye, as you wish, my little princess.” Su Liumeng, once again commanded, could only sigh, stand up, and give me an exaggerated knight’s salute.
“That salute’s not standard enough—do better next time.” In a good mood, I swung my little feet.
Since it’s hard to wear socks now, I just left them off. Once I sat down, my slippers slid right off my feet.
“Wait—”
I suddenly stopped Su Liumeng, “Remember to prepare a divided pot—one side for my tomato broth, the other for you and Cat Cat’s spicy red oil.”
“Got it.”
Su Liumeng tried to leave, but I stopped her again.
“Never mind, make it a four-section pot. One with clear broth, one with old hen soup, too.”
Now Su Liumeng stayed put, giving me a long look, “Don’t push it… Can our little princess just give all her orders at once?”
I stuck out my tongue, “That’s really it. Don’t forget dipping sauces and the bean curd sheets I like—lots of them, please.”
“And carrots. Don’t forget those.”
Still claiming she was done… Su Liumeng’s eyes were helpless. Luckily, she was smart enough to wait for the full list.
Honestly.
Who likes those hard, sweet, weird carrots?
But, with her wife loving them, what else could she do but go along?
After Su Liumeng left, I gazed longingly at the sky.
When I saw a streak of light cross the heavens, I jumped to my feet in delight.
Ahem, time to game together!