Strike First

Wei Yunxi looked at Wei Lingyue with eyes full of childlike adoration. In the end, he still reached out and took her, awkwardly coaxing:

"Be good, Yunxi. Your mother has only gone to the heavens. She will watch over you from there."

Wei Yunxi buried her head against Wei Lingyue's neck and closed her eyes, hiding the mockery in them. Yet she let a crystalline tear fall into her scumbag father's collar, making the hand patting his daughter pause.

Wei Yunxi spoke in a soft, childish voice:

"Daddy, are you going to let Concubine Du become Yunxi's mother?"

At those words, Wei Lingyue swept Chunyu and Xiamo with a sharp gaze. An unconscious pressure seeped from him, and the two maids immediately fell trembling to their knees.

Wei Lingyue said coldly:

"Yunxi, you are still young. These are not matters you need to worry about."

After saying that, he gently stroked the back of his second daughter's neck twice, and Wei Yunxi instantly lost consciousness.

Looking down at the kneeling maids, Wei Lingyue ordered:

"Take your young lady back to rest."

"Yes, Master!"

The two maids shakily rose to their feet, stepped forward to take the sleeping young lady, and hurried all the way back to Yunxi's small courtyard.

As Wei Yunxi passed out, there was an MMP she wanted to send to that scumbag father. She had underestimated the methods of the Cultivation Realm. Acting cute and playing innocent would not be enough to achieve her goal.

Wei Lingyue entered his wife's residence. The three rooms lined up before him had all been put to use by his wife. The middle room was for receiving guests, the room on the left was the bedroom and the place where she usually cultivated, while the room on the right served as a talisman-drawing room. Everything had been left exactly as it was.

Wei Lingyue released his divine sense and searched all three rooms. Then, from a hidden compartment in the White Jade Bed in the bedroom, he took out an exquisite Storage Pouch. The Storage Pouch was now ownerless. When he probed it with his divine sense, a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face. He then turned and left Zhuohua Courtyard.

Wei Yunxi knew nothing of this. The next day, she slept until the sun was high in the sky. Upon waking, she cursed Wei Lingyue, that scumbag father, over and over in her heart. Only after calming herself did she call Chunyu and Xiamo in to help her dress and eat. After all, she still could not cultivate.

Full and satisfied, Wei Yunxi began seriously considering what she needed to do next. She still remembered the contents of the novel. The first treasure she had given the female lead, Wei Yunqing—and also the most crucial one—was a Red Wooden Token. It had originally been left to her by her mother, but Wei Yunqing had tricked her out of it.

The female supporting character's mother had left too suddenly, without time to explain anything to her daughter or leave any clues behind. Moreover, treasures concealed their own brilliance. Even Wei Lingyue, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, had failed to see the small wooden token's true nature.

That was how Wei Yunqing had picked up such a bargain. Or perhaps it had been the protagonist's halo at work, allowing the female lead to see that there was something extraordinary about the little wooden token. So the first thing Wei Yunxi had to do was seize the treasure for herself.

At that moment, Qiutao and Dongmei returned. Wei Yunxi's eyes shifted, and she said to Xiamo at her side:

"Xiamo, have the two of them come in. I have something to ask."

Xiamo paused, then went to summon the two inside.

"Qiutao (Dongmei) greets Young Lady. May Young Lady enjoy every blessing!"

Wei Yunxi tried her best to make her little face look stern, then kicked her feet as she said:

"Rise and answer me."

"Yes, Young Lady!"

Only after the two stood did Wei Yunxi ask:

"Has Uncle arrived?"

"In reply to Young Lady, Feng Manor sent Master Jiaqing. He is currently meeting Master in the Reception Hall."

Wei Yunxi sorted through the relationships on the female supporting character's mother's side of the family. She knew that this Feng Jiaqing was her mother's elder brother, her eldest maternal uncle. He was at peak late Foundation Establishment, and his strength was beyond question. He was the current head of the Feng Family and had been quite close to her mother. The fact that he had come as soon as he received the news showed how highly he valued her.

She remembered this part from the book as well. Her eldest maternal uncle Feng had wanted to take Wei Yunxi to live at Feng Manor for a while, partly so she could avoid the ceremony where Wei Lingyue elevated his concubine to wife.

But the female supporting character had not appreciated his goodwill. She had been single-mindedly seeking her father's affection and, at her father's prompting, had refused to go to Feng Manor. She had even attended the ceremony where Wei Yunqing's mother became Madam Wei. This left her eldest maternal uncle Feng feeling as though he hated iron for not becoming steel. Though he still visited his niece from time to time afterward, he no longer put much thought into her.

Wei Yunxi sighed. As an adult, she could consider matters from the standpoint of her own interests. But for the real five-year-old Wei Yunxi, having lost her mother, she would naturally draw close to her father without even thinking about it.

But in the Cultivation Realm, blood ties might be bonds, yet they were not the sole thing holding family affection together. Strength was what mattered most. Little Yunxi simply did not understand this. Her mother had raised her too innocently.

After thinking it through, Wei Yunxi turned to Chunyu and said:

"You and Xiamo will accompany me to Mother's courtyard. Qiutao and Dongmei, sort out the clothes and jewelry I use most often. They will be needed shortly."

It was rare for the young lady to be so decisive. Chunyu immediately agreed, then nodded to the other three, telling them to do as instructed.

When Wei Yunxi arrived at the Main Courtyard of Zhuohua Courtyard with Chunyu and Xiamo, a maid was about to enter when she was stopped by the servants guarding the courtyard.

Wei Yunxi gave her a glance but did not recognize her. Chunyu, however, frowned, while Xiamo quickly said:

"Eldest Young Lady, this is Liuxu, Concubine Du's head maid. She is probably here to inspect Zhuohua Courtyard. Madam's body is not even cold, yet they are already so impatient—"

"Xiamo, do not talk nonsense in front of Young Lady."

Wei Yunxi said with a cold little face:

"Chunyu, send Liuxu away. Even if they want to clear out the place, they must wait until Concubine Du becomes Madam Wei. My uncle is still seated in the front hall!"

"Yes, Young Lady!"

Chunyu curtsied, then went to send Liuxu away.

Wei Yunxi guessed that Liuxu had been sent by Concubine Du to test the waters, so after Chunyu went over, she dismissed the woman with just a few words.

Only then did Wei Yunxi enter her mother's bedroom with the two of them.

"Chunyu, Xiamo, stand guard at the door. I want to stay inside by myself for a while."

"Yes, Young Lady."

The two knew that their young lady missed Madam, so they immediately withdrew properly and closed the door behind them.

Wei Yunxi did not waste any time. She went straight to the dressing table in her mother's room and pulled open the small bottom drawer of the cosmetics case. Inside lay a small lacquered-red wooden token, two fingers wide and one finger long. Ordinary Cloud Patterns were carved into it, while the character "Feng" was carved on its front.

Wei Yunxi swept her gaze across the dressing table, took out one of the hairpins her mother often wore, and ruthlessly pricked her own thumb. The moment blood seeped out, she immediately pressed the droplet onto the wooden token. The next second, the token transformed into a streak of red light and shot into her glabella.

In Haitang Courtyard, Wei Yunqing suddenly felt a pain in her heart, as though she had lost something important. Yet she could not say what it was. Tears fell like pearls from a snapped string, and the maid beside her immediately flustered as she wiped away her young lady's tears and tried to comfort her.

"Young Lady, what is wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"I want to go out!"

Wei Yunqing said clearly.

"Young Lady, where do you want to go?"