Qiu Ziqin had never imagined
that Ye Chen, who usually took others' oppression in stride,
could look so utterly pathetic.
Looking at how wretched he was now, she thought back to the proud, unyielding boy he had once been.
Heh. What a change.
Coming back to his senses, Ye Chen followed Qiu Ziqin's gaze and finally realized how disgraceful he looked.
His face immediately flushed red, as if he had suffered some terrible injustice.
He broke down, roaring,
"Master! I'm begging you, please go and accept the Slave Seal!"
"The Duke of Wei already agreed to spare me just now."
"As long as you put on a few seductive poses in front of the Duke of Wei,"
"maybe the Duke of Wei will soften for a moment and let us, master and disciple, go?"
Hearing that, Qiu Ziqin was so furious she could barely keep a straight face.
She had never imagined that the disciple she had always cherished could be such an ungrateful wretch.
Listen to what he had just said: he wanted her to flirt and flaunt herself in front of the Duke of Wei.
How was that any different from those women in the brothels?
What did he take her for?
For a moment, Qiu Ziqin felt utterly disheartened. She looked toward Mo Yunxuan.
"Perhaps the Wei State Duke Mansion would be a decent place to end up."
Watching Mo Yunxuan, who carried himself with effortless superiority no matter what he did,
Qiu Ziqin experienced for the first time what it meant to wield power that could shake the heavens.
At that moment, memories of the past came flooding back.
From a young age, she had displayed extraordinary talent,
but because she was a girl, her parents—who favored sons over daughters—wouldn't let her cultivate.
That was until a teacher from Taihua Academy discovered her and bought her from her parents with money.
Her parents, who were fretting over the bride price for their son, naturally had no objections to the deal.
The teacher brought her back to Taihua Academy and carefully tutored her.
That allowed her to stand out among the academy's many talented students,
and eventually earn the Empress's favor.
But from the moment she pledged herself to the Empress, that teacher never appeared before her again.
By then, she had already become the center of attention,
no longer the pitiful little girl whom people scorned and bought.
And she had deliberately tried to forget that teacher, and the past she had spent her whole life trying to erase.
Only after she reached the Void Refinement Realm and became Vice Dean of Taihua Academy
had she finally emerged from the weakness and insecurity of her youth and forgotten her hard, impoverished past.
Now that she thought about it, that teacher had probably been part of the Wei State Duke Mansion Faction too.
Who would have thought? She too was an ungrateful wretch,
and now she had raised a disciple who was just as ungrateful.
What goes around comes around. Who can escape Heaven's justice?
With her spirit shattered, Qiu Ziqin lowered her head and walked toward Mo Yunxuan.
She stopped only when a long saber held by an Elite Vanguard Soldier barred her way.
Without the slightest hesitation, she dropped straight to her knees, bowing until her forehead pressed against the ground.
"Your guilty subject, Qiu Ziqin, pays her respects to the Duke of Wei."
Her voice was low. The rich, magnetic tone she once had had turned hoarse.
Hearing the words "guilty subject," Mo Yunxuan was surprised and asked the question on his mind.
"Oh? What connection do you have to the Wei State Duke Mansion?"
Qiu Ziqin remained bowed as she recounted her history, her tone utterly steady.
Mo Yunxuan clicked his tongue in wonder, looked her up and down, and thought,
In a female-oriented novel, she'd be the undisputed heroine.
Then he turned and looked toward Wang Yuan.
As the old hand who had dealt most with the Wei State Duke Mansion's affairs, he should know something.
"Uncle Wang, does what she said ring a bell?"
Wang Yuan furrowed his brow and searched his memory.
With his cultivation at the peak of Spirit Transformation, he had no fear of his memories growing hazy,
but finding the detail among so many memories would still take some time.
After waiting for quite a while, Wang Yuan spoke again:
"My lord, Wang Changshun, a teacher at Taihua Academy who once served in the Wei State Duke Mansion, seems to have mentioned this."
"Oh? What did Wang Changshun say?" Mo Yunxuan's attitude toward Wang Changshun was rather gentler.
After all, Wang Changshun had been one of his people. He couldn't treat someone loyal to him with a scowl, could he?
"My lord, Wang Changshun once complained at the dinner table that the girl he'd adopted was an ungrateful wretch, and that he should have strangled her on the spot."
Hearing that, Mo Yunxuan looked with interest at Qiu Ziqin, still prostrate on the ground.
He could clearly feel her body tremble when Wang Yuan called her an ungrateful wretch.
Tsk, tsk. So when death came knocking, her conscience had suddenly awakened!
But she wouldn't get off that easily.
A dog raised by the Wei State Duke Mansion ought to serve the Duke of Wei.
Still, he was rather curious to know what had happened to Wang Changshun.
He wondered how Qiu Ziqin would react if she saw Wang Changshun again.
"Uncle Wang, where is Wang Changshun now?"
"My lord, Wang Changshun volunteered to atone for his crime by serving at the frontier. He fell in battle at the Northern Border ten years ago."
At that, Mo Yunxuan nodded and let out a deep sigh. He didn't pursue the subject any further.
Instead, he walked up to Qiu Ziqin and said in a low voice, "Raise your head."
Qiu Ziqin obediently straightened her upper body and slowly lifted her head.
Mo Yunxuan reached out and gently traced her cheek. Looking down at her from above, he could barely see his own knees.
She was a peerless beauty, truly.
It would indeed be a shame if she died.
Though Qiu Ziqin had lost all hope, she still felt Mo Yunxuan's touch.
An inexplicable flutter stirred inside her, making her want to hold on tight.
Mo Yunxuan made up his mind, withdrew his hand, and casually wiped it on her clothes.
That gesture made Qiu Ziqin, who had just begun to recover some of her vitality, sink into despair again.
It felt as if he had stabbed her right in the heart, leaving it aching in wave after wave.
Mo Yunxuan hadn't noticed these tiny changes in her expression.
He casually held out his right hand to the side, palm facing up. A nearby soldier respectfully offered him the long saber he was holding.
Fiddling with the slightly damp hilt, Mo Yunxuan looked at Qiu Ziqin through the blade, his gaze cold.
His tone was flat as he said, "I don't mind giving you a chance to atone."
"Weren't you just willing to sacrifice yourself for your disciple?"
"Go on, then. Show me how determined you are."
"Take this saber and bring me your disciple's head."
With that, Mo Yunxuan tossed the saber in front of Qiu Ziqin. It clanged against the ground.
The sound made everyone's hearts jolt.
What kind of demonic thing was that to say?
He was ordering a master to cut off her disciple's head!
How could anyone be so cruel?
Hong Yu's heart shook violently. She knew plenty about the vile affairs of high officials and nobles,
but this was the first time she had seen something so inhumane.
Qiu Ziqin, still heartbroken, suddenly saw a brilliant light flare in her eyes, as if she had found her purpose.
She quickly lowered her head, her voice regaining its former magnetic quality. "Yes, Master."
Hearing her call him "Master," Mo Yunxuan's lips curled up, and his gaze turned subtle,
as if he had discovered a very interesting toy.
If you think this book is good, add it to your bookshelf so you can find it again.
At the request of many readers, VIP members can now enjoy an ad-free feature.
Click to view
Before you continue