Shangguan Ru wrenched free from under her eldest brother's arm, then snatched the Ink Jade Palm and wooden saber from Shangguan Fei. She glared at Shangguan Chui, huffing with anger, but said nothing. For now, she had won, though the victory wasn't one she had earned herself.
Aunt Tong stepped around the overturned tables and chairs and gathered Shangguan Fei into her arms. "Oh! Why is your neck bleeding? Who did this?"
Her gaze shifted to Shangguan Chui.
"My sister stabbed me."
Shangguan Fei said miserably. He had suffered plenty that night.
Aunt Tong stared in surprise, thinking the young master was so frightened he had lost his wits.
Shangguan Ru's face tightened. "I did it. Big Brother thinks I'm not fit to be a son of the Shangguan Family, so I proved him wrong."
Shangguan Chui snorted, disdaining an argument with a child.
Aunt Tong had nothing more to say. She took out a handkerchief and carefully bandaged Shangguan Fei's wound.
Gu Shenwei got up from the floor and tried to move behind Shangguan Ru. Aunt Tong glanced at him, her expression far from friendly, so he wisely retreated to stand by the wall.
Shangguan Yushi got up too and secretly straightened Shangguan Ru's clothes and tidied her hair, careful not to draw Aunt Tong's attention.
No one in the room spoke.
After a while, King Lord still had not appeared. Shangguan Chui kept one hand on the Narrow Saber at his waist; the huge bags under his eyes seemed to swallow his expression. Suddenly, he said, "I'll kill these two dog slaves who incited their master to make trouble."
In a young master's eyes, his cousin Shangguan Yushi was no different from a slave.
Shangguan Ru stretched out an arm to shield Shangguan Yushi. "I said no."
Shangguan