Chapter 4: Bad People Must Be Tempered by Evil Ones

“Grandmother, Qi'er never expected that you would be so biased even in front of others. It is one thing that you refused to give Qi'er a name, and it is another that you made me follow the same ranking as the sisters from Aunt's house, but you cannot distort right and wrong like this.” If she claimed she hit her, then she should produce evidence. As a mercenary, she had plenty of ways to make someone feel like they were dying of pain without leaving a single trace.

Originally, she had felt some sympathy for the old lady, considering her advanced age and her status as the biological mother of the Marquis of Anding. But from the way the old lady had looked at her just now, and considering her usual behavior, she decided she could no longer show mercy.

A grandmother, faced with the only bloodline of her son, was unwilling to even bestow a name, and even allowed the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anding to follow the ranking of her elder cousins—Miss Seventh, Mu Qi, such a casual, throwaway name. One had to ask, was such a grandmother worthy of respect?

Mu Qi had always known the intentions of the old lady and her eldest uncle's family. By being ranked seventh, she would not be the noble eldest young lady of the Marquis's manor, but did this attempt to cover up the truth actually work? She was the eldest young lady of the Marquis's manor; looking across the court of the Kingdom of Dongwu, who didn't know that the illustrious Marquis of Anding had only her as his sole heir?

Status was something unrelated to the quality of a name. Once it was bestowed at birth, even the most deliberate attempts at concealment by others could not change it.

As for the old lady, having finally caught Mu Qi in a mistake, how could she possibly let it go? The Marquis of Anding's manor had allowed her to hold prestige for over a decade; how could she let a little girl ruin its reputation? Moreover, her son held an official position—though he was only a Rank 6 traveling official and not a high-ranking dignitary, her grandson was meant to take the imperial examinations and might even inherit a title in the future.

It had to be said that while the old lady was old in years, her heart was not old at all. Not only was it not old, but she was even bolder than most young people; to think she actually dared to dream of her nephew inheriting her title.

“You wicked creature! To be so disrespectful to your elders and so arrogant! My poor son, who passed away so early, leaving behind his only bloodline for me to raise with such toil and hardship... I never expected that once she grew up, she would be so ungrateful. The name and the ranking were all instructions left by your father; how can you, Seventh Sister, question your grandmother like this? Oh, my son, Mother has failed you. I did not teach Seventh Sister well, allowing her to become so willful and to rely on her favoritism to commit such scandalous acts that defy morality. I am guilty! I have failed the ancestors of the Mu family!” The old lady’s acting was superb; with a few wails of grief, she instantly reversed the one-sided public opinion.

Mu Qi looked coldly at the old lady. It seemed the woman would not stop until she had slandered her to death. “Since Grandmother dotes on Qi'er so much, then why did Qi'er not receive her coming-of-age ceremony? Since Grandmother loves Qi'er, why is Qi'er never invited to any banquets? Since Grandmother cherishes Qi'er as my father's only bloodline, why did you allow others to frame Qi'er and let them throw Qi'er into the river? Grandmother, Qi'er is your legitimate granddaughter; why are you so heartless toward her?”

Anyone could play the victim, but Mu Qi squeezed her palm with force. Her eyes instantly turned red, and a single tear hung precariously on the edge of her lashes, while the blood she had struggled to stop on her hand began to seep out again.

The old lady had not expected Mu Qi to counterattack so fiercely. She stood there with her mouth agape, unable to find a rebuttal, her body trembling even more from anger.

Seeing that neither her mother nor her grandmother could contend with Mu Qi, Mu Xiaqing called for a servant to support the old lady. She then pulled Leng Rumei to the front to face the crowd. She had put so much effort into this; she absolutely could not let this slut Mu Qi go so easily.

Glaring at Mu Qi, she said viciously, “Mu Qi, you are shameless! You committed such a scandalous act and yet you dare to talk back to Grandmother and hit my mother! Today, I will let everyone judge the truth—is it right for a niece to strike her aunt?” After Mu Xiaqing finished speaking, she lifted Leng Rumei's sleeve to show the crowd, claiming her mother was in so much pain that sweat was breaking out on her forehead, believing the injury must be severe.

Mu Qi didn't even spare Mu Xiaqing a glance. Truly mother and daughter—both equally moronic.

This farce had lasted too long. Mu Qi felt she was reaching her limit. Not only was she losing too much blood, but her wet clothes were making her body temperature drop dangerously low. Her feet had long since lost sensation; if this continued, her muscles would surely undergo necrosis.

Mu Qi intended to end this farce. She had only two goals: to clear her name of the charge of adultery and to drive this family of wolves and tigers out. Having traveled through time, she couldn't let her life be too much of a grievance.

Having made up her mind, Mu Qi struck quickly. “Sixth Sister, as sisters, why must you make things so difficult for me? Aunt's hands are perfectly fine; why must you insist on framing me?” As she spoke, she squeezed through the crowd, used her right hand to grab Leng Rumei's hand, and squeezed the exact same spot with force. “Aunt, tell them, did I hit you?”

“Impossible! Mu Qi, what kind of sorcery did you use?” Mu Xiaqing saw that there wasn't a single trace of a strike on Leng Rumei's hand, yet Leng Rumei's pain was undeniably real. Mu Xiaqing was certain that Mu Qi had done something to her mother.

Facing Mu Wanqing's suspicion, Mu Qi sneered. Sorcery? She might as well say ghost magic.

Mu Qi raised her injured left hand. “If I knew sorcery, would I have needed to destroy these hands to break a pig cage? Sixth Sister, Aunt, I beg you, stop acting. My father and mother are watching from heaven right now. Seeing you bully their daughter like this, they will come to seek revenge tonight.”

Mu Qi's bloody palm, with not a single patch of healthy flesh visible, made the hearts of those watching tighten in pity. The eldest young lady was truly pitiful.

Whether Mu Qi was pitiful or not was not something she cared to argue, but at this moment, she was undoubtedly the most loathsome person in someone's eyes. While Mu Qi spoke, her right hand secretly applied more pressure. Leng Rumei's wrist had already been crushed by her earlier, and now it was being squeezed again; Leng Rumei felt a desperate urge to die.

Seeing the situation turning entirely against her, she wanted to speak up and defend herself, but the moment she tried to think, the pain in her hand intensified. Furthermore, since there were no visible marks on her wrist, if she spoke, everyone would simply think she was acting. Leng Rumei gritted her teeth to endure the pain; despite the snowy weather, sweat poured from her forehead. In her eyes, Mu Qi was a demon—a demon wearing the guise of a fragile girl.

Mu Qi felt Leng Rumei's body trembling from the pain and knew the moment had arrived. “Aunt, tell them, was I framed regarding the adultery? How was I stuffed into a pig cage?”

Leng Rumei felt as though she were living a fate worse than death. Her mind held only one thought: *Please, let Mu Qi let go of my hand, my hand is about to be ruined.* Her survival instinct made her willing to do anything—not just answer a few questions, but even kneel if asked. “Yes... yes, Seventh Sister, you were framed! You were drugged and stuffed into a pig cage!”

Mu Qi continued, “In other words, I did not commit adultery, and I am still a pure and innocent girl?” Although Mu Qi herself did not care about virginity, a woman's reputation was still very important in ancient times; it was best to make these things clear.