Chapter 8: Acting? 2

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the person sleeping on the tree branch, the shadows of long eyelashes falling across her cheeks. Suddenly, the person’s eyes opened, lazily glancing toward the doorway, the corners of her mouth curling into a smirk that was not quite a smile.

"Qinglan, I heard that the good-for-nothing from your family has returned?" Sure enough, a moment later, a rather haughty female voice drifted over. This must be Liu Caixia, the daughter of Minister Liu.

"Qinglan, I heard it too, but is it true?" This voice was somewhat softer, yet carried a hint of bold, martial-world flair. It must be Liu Caixia’s older sister, Liu Caiyun.

"Mm." Mu Qinglan responded softly, pointing a finger toward the courtyard where Qingyun was staying. "Fifth sister has returned, and she is currently living in that courtyard."

"Qinglan! That woman beat Qingxin into such a state! Why do you still call her sister?" Liu Caixia blurted out boisterously as soon as Mu Qinglan finished speaking.

"Caixia, regardless of everything, she is still my sister!" Mu Qinglan said with great magnanimity, a trace of faint anger in her tone.

"Caixia, stop it." Liu Caiyun scolded her younger sister, then looked at Mu Qinglan and sighed. "Qinglan, you are just too kind."

Qingyun curled her lips coldly upon hearing this. Sister? When they framed her six years ago, why didn't they think about her being their sister? Kind? A slap to death would be more like it! Is that kindness? If this Mu Qinglan were kind, there wouldn't be a single good person left in the world! The saying "three women make a play" must refer to the three of them, right?

Ming Feng looked up at Qingyun. "Master, they are coming over."

"It doesn't matter, ignore them." Qingyun shook her head and lay back on the tree, the laziness between her brows never fading.

"Bang—" The gate was kicked open.

Liu Caixia looked at Qingyun in the tree and curled her lips in mockery. "Yo! Isn't this where that good-for-nothing lives? It's not even as good as a dog kennel!"

Ming Feng’s face darkened upon hearing this. He couldn't help but look up at their master, only to find Qingyun still had her eyes closed, her face devoid of any fluctuation. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; his master’s composure was truly formidable!

"Isn't that so? This place is not fit for humans to live in." Liu Caiyun chimed in.

Qingyun opened her eyes and lazily glanced at them, replying without a second thought: "Mm, this place is indeed not for humans to live in; this is where gods live." As for her, Qingyun—according to the assessment given by her sister Qinghuang—was: fickle in temperament, lazy by nature, cold-hearted, black-bellied and insidious, evil and enchanting, and highly poisonous.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Ming Feng wanted to laugh but dared not. Are these three women courting death? Did they not know how formidable their master was? Even the Underworld Lord, Mo Zexi, had never managed to get the better of their master in a war of words.

Qingyun coldly glanced at Ming Feng and closed her eyes again, as if the person who had just spoken wasn't her at all.

Ming Feng felt a jolt through his entire body from that glance and immediately adjusted his composure.

"Fifth sister, come down quickly. It’s not proper for a girl to act like this." Mu Qinglan looked at Qingyun lying in the tree with a look of anxiety. "If Father sees you, he will surely punish you!"

Heh! This sounded like advice, but in reality, it was pointing out that she lacked the decorum of a lady. Qingyun’s eyes remained closed. Just as the three of them thought she had fallen asleep, a cold and arrogant voice fell upon their ears: "And so what? Many have wanted to punish me, Qingyun, but from beginning to end, not one has succeeded. Want to try? I don't mind, but you must have the courage to bear the consequences!"

Looking back again, Qingyun was sitting on the branch, arms crossed, looking down at them lazily with an air of looking down upon the world.

Liu Caixia was the first to lose her patience. "You good-for-nothing! Who do you think you are?" This good-for-nothing! Wasn't she always timid and cowardly? How did her temperament change like this? And she was damnably attractive!

"And who do you think you are?" Qingyun glanced at her lazily, curling her lips in mockery.

"Enough, stop arguing!" Mu Qinglan said softly, looking at Qingyun. "Fifth sister, come down quickly. Caiyun, you stop talking too." This good-for-nothing—in a few days, when she loses all face, the Empress Dowager will surely not allow her to appear again!

"Sister Qinglan!" Liu Caixia cried out coquettishly. "Sister Qinglan! This good-for-nothing beat Qingxin into a serious injury! Why can't I say anything!"

"Alright Caiyun, regardless of everything, she is the Princess Consort of Xuan." Mu Qinglan said softly, though the look she cast toward Qingyun, at an angle no one else could see, was filled with contempt: No matter what, you are still just the wife of a fool!

Hearing this, the laziness between Qingyun’s brows was finally replaced by coldness. She smiled, a perfectly flawless arc that hid a cold, murderous intent. "Ming Feng, see them out!"

As Ming Feng heard this, the three women felt themselves instantly pushed out of the gate by a powerful internal force, and the gate slammed shut behind them.

Qingyun sneered. "Ming Feng, have the people from Wuying arrived?"

"Master, they have arrived."

"Very well. In half an hour, I want this house to have no trace of its former self. If you can't do it, bear the consequences yourself." After saying this, Qingyun was already a hundred meters away.

Ming Feng looked at their master, his eyes turning cold. Those three women were truly tired of living!