Chapter 4: The Hypocritical Second Mother

“You...” Mu Wanyun saw how she acted as if no one else was around, speaking so contemptuously of her as a villain. She was so angry she wanted to strike out, but Wan Ling’s words—“Big Sister wouldn't be afraid and wouldn't dare go out to fight me, would she?”—forced her to swallow her furious rebuke. She let out an indignant huff, flicked her sleeves, and stormed out first.

Following her out, the people she brought along also followed. At any rate, Wan Ling's courtyard, aside from an old tree and a pile of firewood, consisted only of some small patches of lawn and dirt.

“Miss, please be careful...” Chun'er stood not far behind Wan Ling. Seeing her standing face-to-face with Mu Wanyun, she couldn't help but offer a worried reminder.

“Don't worry. Big Sister, will you strike first, or shall we strike together?” At Chun'er's worry, Wan Ling turned back with a slight smile and looked at Mu Wanyun to ask.

“Preposterous! Does a martial arts waste like you even need me to strike first? If you have the ability, bring it on. I want to see just how much skill your fists and feet actually possess!”

Hearing such arrogant words, Mu Wanyun issued a cold, angry rebuke, crossing her arms as she waited to see what would happen.

“Alright then. Since that's the case, Ling'er will strike first. Big Sister, make sure you watch closely.”

Wan Ling smiled slightly at Mu Wanyun's arrogance and conceit. She didn't believe Mu Wanyun's skills were any worse than Mother Superior Sun's from before. If she fought head-on, she wouldn't gain any advantage. Pretending to be desperate, she took two steps back with a delicate cry and stumbled forward. Seeing Mu Wanyun's disdainful sneer and crossed arms, Wan Ling reached her and suddenly struck.

Her footwork and hand movements accelerated instantly. *Bang!* As Wan Ling easily dodged, a punch landed squarely on Mu Wanyun's shoulder. The latter's arms flailed wildly as she retreated several steps before managing to steady herself, narrowly avoiding a fall.

“Miss, watch out...” On Mu Wanyun's side, the maidservants saw Wan Ling running over with a stumbling gait and watched with light, amused smiles. But with a sudden shift, that figure approached rapidly and dodged away, while their own Miss was forced into continuous retreat. They hurried forward to support her, managing to catch Mu Wanyun just in time so she didn't collapse on the spot.

“Let go of me! Damn it, it seems I underestimated you. If you have the ability, show it! Die, Mu Wanling...”

She had thought it would be a laughable scene, but she hadn't expected this girl's movements to be so fast—so fast that she didn't even have time to react before being hit. Supported by those around her, Mu Wanyun shook them off in a fit of shame and rage. She shouted, her palms sweeping out with a faint yellow light as she struck toward Wan Ling...

Chapter 5: The Hypocritical Second Aunt

“Whew, you've got some skill. No wonder. But wanting my life, Mu Wanling, won't be that easy...” As the palm wind erupted, Wan Ling felt a strong gust of wind hit her face.

The wind blew Wan Ling's somewhat messy hair backward, and even the hems of her clothes fluttered behind her. The powerful palm wind was far more intense than the strike Mother Superior Sun had used on her earlier.

Wan Ling retreated rapidly, narrowly dodging the palm wind. As she dodged, a tree behind her—large enough to require two people to encircle it—was snapped clean in half by Mu Wanxia's strike.

To think she would strike so ruthlessly at a sister who possessed no martial aura; at least she had some skill herself. Her reflexes were fast enough; had she not possessed that skill, she might have been killed on the spot.

With a startle in her heart, her figure swayed slightly as she pretended to have narrowly escaped danger, patting her chest and sighing softly. With a slight curl at the corner of her mouth, before Mu Wanxia could even react, Wan Ling leaped upward.

In the instant when no one could see clearly how she had moved, they only felt a shadow flash before their eyes, and Mu Wanxia's figure froze. Something was already pressed against her neck.

“You...” Feeling the tightness against her neck and seeing the tree branch pressed against her throat, Mu Wanxia's eyes were filled with disbelief, but more so with terror and panic.

“Damn you, Mu Wanling! Don't think that because you are kind to me, I will let you off. Die!” Seeing Wan Ling's eyes filled with a light, carefree smile like a clear spring, and the mocking curve of her lips, Mu Wanxia's eyes flashed. Consumed by rage, she reached into her sleeve, and a long whip lashed out toward Wan Ling's head.

“Damn it... I let you go out of sisterly affection, yet you are so heartless. In that case, don't blame me...”

Seeing Mu Wanxia being so domineering and arrogant, Wan Ling's remaining shred of mercy dissolved. A cold light flashed in her eyes as she spun her body, dodging the attack just in time. Her slender hand reached out and grabbed the whip as it lashed toward her.

Just then, an angry rebuke rang out: “Xia'er, cease this insolence! How can you strike your sister like this? Don't you know that you possess martial aura while Ling'er does not? That single palm strike might have taken her life, do you understand? Apologize to your sister at once!”

Following this, several people entered. Lady Liu, the Second Aunt, arrived in a dignified and elegant deep purple long robe, accompanied by a middle-aged man with a magnificent beard who walked with a commanding, tiger-like stride. Behind them were two maids in green and an elderly nanny in grey.

“Mother, it was her...”

Seeing her father and mother arrive, Mu Wanxia directed her ire at Wan Ling. She stopped her attack in a fit of indignant resentment, and taking advantage of Wan Ling's momentary distraction as she turned aside, she pulled back her whip. Stomping her feet, she walked toward the two adults to complain in anger.

“Enough! You are the elder sister; do you not understand the rules? Master...” Seeing her daughter acting this way, Lady Liu frowned in displeasure and gave a light rebuke before turning to look at the man beside her with an appeasing expression.

“Ling'er, I heard from your Second Aunt that you were unwell a few days ago. Are you feeling better?” This man was the father of this body. In Wan Ling's memories, this father had never given her a kind look and was rarely seen, yet now he was showing concern for her health.

Although Wan Ling was unsure of this father's true intentions, since he was being polite to her, everything was easy to handle.

With a slight smile, she spoke respectfully to Mu Shengtian, “Ling'er greets Father and Second Aunt. My health is fine now. However, the rice, flour, meat, and vegetables that Chun'er and I eat in the back courtyard have run out. Also, the weather has been a bit chilly lately, and the clothes and house are somewhat damp, so I would like to ask Second Aunt to...”

“Ah... Madam will provide everything according to Ling'er's requests. They are all children; how could she be lacking? Ling'er, have you been taking your medicine every day?”

Mu Shengtian spoke to Wan Ling, paused slightly, and stroked his long beard while looking at Lady Liu beside him. He spoke with a hint of displeasure before stepping forward to ask her.

“Yes, Father, I have been taking the medicine...” This father rarely treated her this way, and Wan Ling found it a bit hard to read. But regarding the person who had tampered with her medicine, she simply smiled and said calmly.

“Of course. I will have the servants deliver the rice, flour, meat, vegetables, bedding, and warm clothes shortly. Since Master and Ling'er have things to discuss, this concubine will not disturb you. Xia'er, let's go...”

Hearing this, Lady Liu gave a gentle smile. Seeing that Mu Shengtian wanted to speak with Wan Ling, she understood and led Mu Wanxia away...

“You, Mu Wan...” Mu Wanxia was already furious seeing the rare harmony between her parents and Wan Ling. Now, seeing Wan Ling gain things while blocking her and her mother's path, she turned back and shouted in anger.

“This child! You are all family; how can you glare at your sister like that? Ling'er, call her Second Aunt...” Seeing her beloved daughter like this, Lady Liu frowned and held her daughter's hand to reprimand her, before turning back to look at Wan Ling with a kind, yet confused expression.

“Heh. It's just that... Second Aunt, you know the courtyard where Chun'er and I live hasn't been repaired for years and is too damp. So, I was wondering if Second Aunt and Father could allow us to move back to the small courtyard where Mother used to live...”

She would have food to eat and clothes to wear, but the place she would live was a dilapidated small courtyard that even an ordinary servant would find hard to match. In her memories, it leaked whenever it rained. Since they wanted to act kind in front of her, she might as well go along with it and not wrong herself, right?

“This...” Seeing her act this way, Lady Liu couldn't help but hesitate. Although she lowered her head helplessly, Wan Ling caught the moment of hesitation and glanced at her composed father beside her.

***

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