Shangguan Yushi's father was the Unrivaled King's long-deceased distant cousin and once-trusted aide. She was the Twins' older cousin and closest friend, but none of that could save her life. By the King Lord's order, she stood on equal footing with a servant, facing the fate of having her head cut off as an offering.
She had seen it coming. Though only fifteen, Shangguan Yushi understood the rules of Stone Fortress better than most people around her: a fallen master was worth less than a favored servant. Shangguan Ru, the one she depended on, had not yet grown into a towering tree. The Unrivaled King's daughter enjoyed enviable affection, but held no real power. That was the essential difference between the Ninth Young Master and the Young Master.
From this moment on, whether Shangguan Yushi and Huan Nu lived or died depended entirely on whether Shangguan Ru's resolve was strong enough.
Shangguan Ru snatched the Narrow Saber from her cousin and stood before the two of them, facing her eldest brother. She uttered a single word: "No."
Shangguan Chui—the Unrivaled King's eldest son—slowly shook his head. He had never approved of indulging the Twins too much. If Father had listened to his advice earlier, this absurd situation would never have happened. "Seventeenth Sister, this has gone far enough. Stop throwing a child's tantrum."
The Unrivaled King had nine sons and eight daughters. Shangguan Ru was the youngest, ranked seventeenth, but she had always insisted she was a boy—and a little older than Shangguan Fei. So the title "Seventeenth Sister" infuriated her.
She gripped the saber tightly and stood with her chin raised. "I said no."
The two men by the door looked at the stubborn Little Girl with disdain. They were no inexperienced Shadow Guards; in their eyes, the saber