Chapter 2: 002 Counterattack

The gifting of the cloak was merely a small interlude; soon, Mu Qi continued walking toward the Marquis of Anding's manor as if no one else were there. Mu Qi was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment; since someone had gifted her a cloak to save her dignity today, she would certainly do her utmost to repay the favor.

As for those who had caused her to fall into such a state, she was determined not to let a single one of them go. However much she suffered today, those who harmed her would have to taste double the pain.

***

Plum Courtyard, Marquis of Anding's Manor

The Sixth Young Lady, Mu Xiaoqing, and the elegant Madam Leng Ruimei sat in the main seats, listening to the butler, Leng Shaocai, report on the process of Mu Qi being submerged in a pig cage. "Madam and Sixth Young Lady, please rest assured. I saw with my own eyes as Seventh Young Lady's pig cage was thrown into the river. The current was swift, and thin ice had formed along the banks. Seventh Young Lady is bound to die this time," Leng Shaocai promised, patting his chest, a triumphant smile spreading across his fleshy face.

Hearing this, Leng Ruimei breathed a sigh of relief. Since this matter had caused such a massive stir, it would be difficult to settle the aftermath if that little girl Mu Qi didn't die. "That's good, that's good. Shaocai, I can always rely on you to get things done. When the Master returns, I will also ask him to loosen his grip and let you manage the manors in the outskirts of the capital."

Upon hearing this, a glint of greed could not be hidden in Leng Shaocai's eyes. The manors in the outskirts were the most profitable assets of the Marquis's manor, containing three thousand acres of fertile land. With a little scheming, he, Leng Shaocai, could soon become a landlord himself.

"Thank you, Madam."

Mu Xiaoqing looked at Leng Shaocai's greedy expression with eyes full of contempt. She didn't know what her mother was thinking, trusting such a sycophant so much. However, thinking about how he had personally thrown that little slut Mu Qi into the river, Mu Xiaoqing found Leng Shaocai a bit more tolerable.

*Mu Qi, oh Mu Qi, if you didn't drown last time, let's see how you manage to come back to life to compete with me this time. The young lady of the Marquis of Anding's manor is me, Mu Xiaoqing.*

The more Mu Xiaoqing thought about it, the more excited she became. In her mind, she could almost see long lines of people coming to her door to arrange marriages. With Mu Qi dead, she finally wouldn't have to settle for the leftovers. She would show all those who looked down on her that she, Mu Xiaoqing, could also marry into a high and noble family.

Mu Xiaoqing daydreamed with her eyes wide open, the smile at the corners of her mouth widening until she was nearly laughing out loud.

Just then, a panicked cry suddenly came from outside the door: "Madam! Madam, something bad has happened!"

Her beautiful dream interrupted, Mu Xiaoqing was extremely displeased. When she saw that the newcomer was Qingyi, the maid by her mother's side, she couldn't help but scold loudly, "What are you shouting for? Have you no manners?"

Qingyi was already quite afraid of this tricky Sixth Young Lady; being scolded like this, she lowered her head and didn't dare to breathe heavily.

Although Madam Leng was dissatisfied with her maid, seeing her panicked state, she feared something truly serious had happened. She asked patiently, "What exactly is this 'something bad' that has you so flustered?"

Seeing the Madam speak, Qingyi stole a glance at the Sixth Young Lady. Seeing that she wasn't looking at her, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "While I was on the street just now, I heard that Seventh Young Lady has returned."

After speaking, Qingyi stole another glance toward the Sixth Young Lady, only to see that upon hearing the news, the Sixth Young Lady stood up in excitement, her voice rising an octave: "What? That slut isn't dead?" Mu Xiaoqing could not believe it. She had put so much effort into framing Mu Qi with such a crime, yet she still couldn't kill her.

The strongest reaction came from Leng Shaocai: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! I saw her being thrown in with my own eyes!" Leng Shaocai broke out in a cold sweat. At this moment, he no longer had the heart to think about the manors; his mind was filled with the thought of what he would do if Mu Qi actually returned.

"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes. She is almost at the main gate of the manor now, followed by many onlookers. I took one look from a distance and immediately ran back," Qingyi promised, panting.

Hearing that Mu Qi hadn't died, Leng Ruimei also lost her composure, but she quickly regained her wits. "Pass the order: close the gates."

"Yes!" Leng Shaocai obeyed the command and rushed toward the main gate.

Mu Xiaoqing grabbed Madam Leng's hand and said anxiously, "Mother, what do we do now? That slut actually came back to life."

Madam Leng patted Mu Xiaoqing's hand. After the initial panic, her heart steadied, and a deep, cold smile appeared on her face. "If we can't kill that little brat this time, it's just her luck. Don't forget, she carries the crime of being submerged in a pig cage for adultery. So what if she's alive? Her reputation is ruined; she won't be able to marry for the rest of her life, and she'll be pointed at by the whole world. She'd be better off dead. Don't worry, darling, just let her make a fool of herself at the gate. I don't believe a lowly creature like her can cause much trouble."

Madam Leng was certain that with Mu Qi's weak temperament, she wouldn't be able to stir up any waves. Her mind was already calculating when to send her to the ancestral temple, completely unaware that a commotion had already broken out at the gates.

***

Mu Qi walked all the way to the Marquis of Anding's manor. Looking at the majestic stone lions and the solemn main gates, she thought about how this residence was obtained at the cost of the Marquis of Anding's life. It should have been a place to shield his daughter from the wind and rain and ensure her prosperity. Instead, it was now occupied by villains, and his daughter—the real Mu Qi—had been harmed by treacherous people and had died a premature, tragic death. Does the Marquis of Anding, far away in the heavens, know of this result?

Mu Qi sniffled. Although she wasn't the original Mu Qi, she was occupying this person's body, and thinking about it still made her feel deeply saddened.

The ties of high nobility are thin. Her own biological uncle and grandmother were now bullying her, an orphan, for the sake of power. Since they were so willing to disregard blood ties and kinship, she had no need to hold back either. Mu Qi looked at the tightly closed gates, a cold smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

Did they think that by closing the gates, she would be helpless?

Did they think she was still the timid and weak Mu Qi of the past?

*Uncle, I have come to take revenge on behalf of Mu Qi.*

Mu Qi forcefully tore several strips of white cloth from her white inner garment. Squatting on the ground, she used her own blood to write upon them.

Because her back was to the crowd, people couldn't see clearly what she was doing, and they began to speculate. "Has Seventh Young Lady gone mad? I just saw her tearing her clothes."

"Isn't it obvious? With such a scandalous thing like being submerged in a pig cage for adultery being exposed, I'd go mad too if I were her."

The discussions grew louder and louder. Mu Qi kept her head down, completely ignoring them. The more fiercely the people cursed her now, the louder the voices accusing Mu Mingchong and his family would be later.

The writing was finished—red characters on white cloth, a piercingly bright blood letter. Mu Qi tied one strip of white cloth around her forehead and held a strip in each hand, slowly turning around to face the crowd gathered at the gate.

The blood letter was very eye-catching. Someone who could read shouted it out loud: "Lacking conscience, seizing property, and taking a life—unacceptable to Heaven and Earth!" As the words fell, an uproar erupted among the crowd.

"Heavens, I knew it! How could the legitimate daughter of the prestigious Marquis of Anding's manor commit such a scandalous act? It was a conspiracy all along! That uncle's family is truly despicable!"

"Exactly! Not only did they live in her house, but they also tried to drive her to her death. That uncle's family is truly malicious!"

Mu Qi listened to the discussions with satisfaction. As public opinion shifted toward condemning the uncle's family, it meant she had won more than half the battle in this all-or-nothing gamble.