Chapter 14: Seeking Death, the Result is Destined to be Not So Good

Mu Qi's reaction truly startled Zhongli Wenhao. Fortunately, just as she looked over, he had already flashed his body and leaped down from the wall. That was close; this girl's reflexes were too fast. It seemed he couldn't afford to be careless in the future.

Mu Qi only caught a glimpse of a small fragment of fluttering black clothing. Her heart raced with alarm; the person on the wall just now must have possessed high-level martial arts, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to evade so many of Mu Sang's men. It seemed the Marquis Mansion was being watched. Currently, it was unknown whether the party was friend or foe; if they intervened on her eldest uncle's side, things would become troublesome.

Mu Qi felt uneasy, but her expression remained as calm as ever: "Uncle, please don't be agitated. This Marquis Mansion originally belonged to my father; it is only right that I, as his daughter, reclaim his estate. However, rest assured, Uncle. Although I have reclaimed the management rights of the mansion, you and Grandmother are, after all, my father's kin. How about this: I will allocate the western courtyard to you. Consider it a token of my respect as your niece."

The predecessor of the Anding Marquis Mansion was a General's Mansion. At that time, the General's Mansion was not this large; it was only when the Emperor posthumously honored Mu Mingyao that he also bestowed the two adjacent residences upon the Anding Marquis. Only after the three residences were merged did the mansion reach its current scale.

The "western courtyard" Mu Qi mentioned was actually a three-entry residence that had been merged back then. Because the household had been small at the time, that residence had not been renovated; only an arched gate had been opened in the wall, making it a part of the mansion. After more than ten years, although servants cleaned it from time to time, it had fallen into some disrepair.

It wasn't that Mu Qi was being merciful or couldn't bear to see Mu Mingchong's family living on the streets; it was truly forced by the pedantic filial piety of this ancient era. If she truly ignored them and drove Mu Mingchong's family out of the mansion, even if she had a way to prove they had attempted to murder her, people would still accuse her of being unfilial and disloyal.

Mu Qi did not want to deal with such trouble. Furthermore, the Marquis Mansion was already quite large; dividing off a dilapidated courtyard wouldn't make much of a difference.

Having heard Mu Qi's words, Mu Mingchong had just caught his breath when he suddenly felt a sweet, metallic taste in his mouth. "Mu Qi, you little harlot! In your dreams! The Marquis Mansion is mine; no one can drive me away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Mingchong sprayed out a large mouthful of blood. Leng Ruimei's eyes were poisoned with hatred, wishing she could poison Mu Qi to death. She had killed her cousin, beaten her daughter, and her husband had even vomited blood from anger—and now, she wanted to split their family off? In her dreams! *Mu Qi, you little wench, in this life, Leng Ruimei and you share a blood feud that cannot be reconciled under heaven.*

Mu Qi did not fear Leng Ruimei's gaze. In her eyes, Leng Ruimei was nothing more than a grasshopper after autumn; without the great tree of the Marquis Mansion to lean on, she wanted to see how much she could still hop about. "Qiaoyu, take these over. It seems Uncle won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin."

It was only then that people noticed that Qiaoyu, who stood beside Mu Qi, had not uttered a word from beginning to end, yet she had been holding a stack of white cloth in her hands.

As Qiaoyu walked toward Mu Mingchong holding the white cloth, Mu Sang also approached and pulled one end of the cloth. Qiaoyu held the other; together, they slowly unfurled the white cloth, which was two meters long and one meter wide. On it was written a "Petition of Ten Thousand People," with dense rows of names signed underneath. Upon closer inspection, one would find that some were not signatures at all, but rather drawings of symbols.

Looking at this petition, Leng Ruimei's body shook like a sieve. Had she not been supported by her maids, she likely would have collapsed to the ground by now. She murmured, "Impossible, impossible... it's fake, it must be fake."

When Mu Qi returned to her courtyard yesterday, she had arranged for Mu Sang to have people gather these signatures, intending to keep them for emergencies. She hadn't expected to use them so soon.

Mu Qi watched the bloodthirsty malice in Leng Ruimei's eyes. "Aunt, you truly are a person of status with a short memory; you've forgotten what you admitted to in just one night. Perhaps your niece can help you remember... remember."

As she spoke, Mu Qi turned her face toward the servants kneeling on the ground. "I am asking you now: Did your Uncle personally admit yesterday that he had usurped the Marquis Mansion and all its properties?"

The servants had long been intimidated by the Eldest Miss's aura, and at this moment, their resolve was even firmer. Following the Eldest Miss meant a way to survive; let alone answering such a factual matter, even if they were forced to fabricate lies, they wouldn't dare say a single wrong word about the Young Miss. "Yes, we heard it with our own ears."

"No, no, they are lying! Master, do not believe these dog servants!" Leng Ruimei argued desperately. Yesterday, she had sent someone to find the Master, but they only said they were being bullied by Mu Qi at the gate; they didn't dare mention this matter at all.

"Rise." Mu Qi first told the servants to stand, then turned to Mu Mingchong and said, "Uncle, regarding this matter, would it be better to discuss it here at home, or should we go to the Court of Judicial Review?"

Furious, Mu Mingchong kicked Leng Ruimei aside. An ignorant woman! It was all because of this ignorant woman that he had no strength to resist. He said indignantly, "Divide, divide! Divide it immediately!"

In contrast to Mu Mingchong's exasperation, Mu Qi smiled warmly. "Since Uncle has agreed, let's do this: three days. In three days, you and your family shall move over. Three days should be enough time for you to renovate the courtyard."

Upon hearing this, Mu Mingchong stumbled. Three days? Renovate what in three days?! Was that dilapidated courtyard even fit for human habitation? It would be more like rebuilding it from scratch. He had only spoken out of anger; how could this woman not understand? Mu Mingchong felt like vomiting blood internally, but as a grown man, he had already spoken the words. If he asked Mu Qi for more time now, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?

With a furious flick of his sleeve, he left indignantly.

Next came Leng Ruimei and her daughter, followed by the old lady being supported by others. From Mu Qi's angle, she could just see the old lady's profile. The lady's mouth was twisted at an unnatural angle; Mu Qi thought to herself that the old lady likely wasn't going to last much longer.

The thought flashed by, and Mu Qi felt no other emotion. In her opinion, the old lady deserved it. If she hadn't courted death, no matter how much she and the Uncle's family caused trouble, the old lady would have remained the respected matriarch of the Marquis Mansion. Now that she had acted this way, her end was destined to be poor.

Once everyone had left, Mu Qi left Mu Sang to follow at the rear. She pointed toward the black-clad figure on the wall from earlier and said, "Take me up there to take a look." The wall was five meters high; if Mu Qi truly had to climb it, she could, but it would take more time than flying directly.

Mu Sang did not understand why Mu Qi wanted to go up, but he still carried her up by flying.

Mu Sang's lightness skill was excellent, and his speed was very fast. Mu Qi felt the wind stinging her cheeks, and in an instant, she was standing atop the wall. She thought to herself: although her close-quarters combat was formidable, the martial arts of this ancient era were even more monstrous. If she wanted to live well, it seemed she couldn't rely solely on her status as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion; she also had to be able to protect herself.

"Miss, there are footprints on the wall," Mu Sang discovered the anomaly just then.