Chapter 10: 【010】Were You Raised on Sh*t?

Every heart soared along with that singing, as if undergoing a baptism of the soul. "If one had three thousand beauties, it would not compare to meeting a single soulmate." These incredibly shocking words sent a jolt through the Emperor’s body and mind. He, too, had once loved a woman so deeply, yet for the sake of this empire, he had been forced to abandon her. Only after many years did he realize how foolish that had been...

Such a melody, such singing, was infused with a soul, causing one to tremble as if slipping into an ethereal void, heart and spirit completely captivated...

How could there be such beautiful singing in this world? So unrestrained, so defiant of everything—it was truly a peerless masterpiece...

"Others laugh at me for being too crazy,

I laugh at them for not seeing through it all."

......

The entire palace echoed with that peerless singing. Everyone was filled with shock, staring at the woman who remained cold-faced and as languid as ever. She was indifferent to the world, saw life and death with detachment, was free-spirited and arrogant, unrestrained and wild, brilliant and stunning. Dare one ask, in this world, who could compare to her skills...

Yu Mutu watched Ningbi, seeing her neither humble nor pushy, possessing extraordinary courage. He thought to himself that it was a pity such a talented woman didn't look better, wasting such skills. Little did he know that years later, when Ningbi appeared in red as fiery as flame, reborn and radiating a dazzling light, he would realize what he had missed...

As the song ended, ignoring how shocked those present were, Ningbi held the zither and stepped out of the main hall. Very good! She, Qumu Ningbi, had achieved her goal. Dare anyone in this world still call her, Qumu Ningbi, a piece of trash? If you do, then you must have grown up eating shit.

Moving away from the noisy palace banquet, Ningbi felt the imperial palace wasn't half bad. Walking through the Imperial Garden, she saw exquisite pavilions and towers, serene and beautiful ponds and corridors, green and clear.

Suddenly, Ningbi stopped. Footsteps emerged from around the corner. Based on her years of experience, she could accurately judge that there were two people. Judging by the force of the footsteps, they should be women. Thinking this, Ningbi didn't take it to heart and continued walking. Sure enough, two women appeared. Judging by their hair accessories and dresses, one was likely a palace concubine, while the other, in a green shirt with loose hair, was likely an unmarried maiden.

Upon seeing Ningbi, both women showed expressions of disdain. Then, the gorgeously dressed woman mocked Ningbi, "Yo! Look who it is. Isn't this the trash from the Qumu Sect? You dare enter the palace? Are you here to put on a show for our amusement?" As she spoke, the two covered their mouths with their sleeves and giggled.

"Heh, was your mother's contraception unsuccessful, resulting in you, a beast with no eyes?" As she spoke, Ningbi feigned a thoughtful expression. Such foul language coming from a woman—yet Ningbi showed not a shred of shame. If you don't provoke me, I won't offend you; Ningbi had always been sharp-tongued, so how could she spare these two arrogant women before her?

"You! You! You piece of trash! How dare you curse me!" As she spoke, her arm was raised high, and with a fierce gust, she prepared to strike Ningbi.

Ningbi let out a low laugh. *Just you? It seems I can't communicate with you through words; I can only resolve this with force.*

In the blink of an eye, the woman's arrogant posture vanished, and she looked at Qumu Ningbi with a terrified expression. The hand she had just raised high was gripped tightly by Ningbi. "Did you grow up eating shit?" The tone seemed to carry a question. Before the woman could struggle, as the words fell, Ningbi’s fingers tightened with a *whoosh*. One could hear the sound of bone grinding against bone. Without the slightest effort, the hand bones of the gorgeously dressed woman were easily snapped. Qumu Ningbi didn't even frown; it seemed such things were a daily occurrence for her.