Chapter 129: A Sudden Turn of Events

Madam Yu the Fourth watched her daughter from the shadows, unable to discern whether she felt joy or sorrow. Under her care, the girl had been as pure as a blank sheet of paper; how had Yu Youwei managed to corrupt her after such a short time? Yet, she had to admit that her delicate daughter had lost some of her fragility, gaining a newfound spark of intelligence and vitality.

As her gaze shifted to Yu Youwei, Madam Yu’s heart skipped a beat: this girl’s expression was far too similar to Tianming’s. There was an indefinable, wicked charm in her smile, and those eyes were as cold and fathomless as a frozen abyss. She had seen a similar look in Yu Shiyu, which was why he was her favorite among the Yu clan’s younger generation, but this girl was the very reflection of Tianming.

"Tianming, why did you give her eyes that look so much like yours?" Madam Yu whispered to the wind, her eyes misting over.

Exiling the pregnant Mu Qingxi had not been her idea; it was the decision of Yu Tianming’s principal wife. Nominally, it was to please her, but in reality, the old matriarch harbored a selfish desire to prevent Yu Tianming’s child from remaining in the Yu household.

If Yu Tianming’s biological mother had not died in childbirth, she would have been the Master of the Yu family’s equal wife. After her death, the old master saw only Tianming as his true heir. The old matriarch had always held a grudge against that mother and son. Had the Yu family not needed the support of the daughter of the Sword Sect Sect Master, the matriarch would not have kept even this mother and daughter after his death.

Though she saw through the matriarch’s intentions, Madam Yu was too indifferent to care, and even less inclined to champion the cause of Mu Qingxi and her daughter. Even though Tianming had sought her permission before taking Mu Qingxi, the very existence of Yu Youwei was a thorn in her side. That she had not already moved to eradicate that thorn was proof enough of her magnanimity and mercy.

Before seeing those eyes that so closely resembled Yu Tianming’s, Madam Yu had lived with a clear conscience. Now, she felt as if Yu Tianming were silently condemning her.

"Go, call Ruyun here," Madam Yu ordered without turning her head.

The female disciple standing silently to the side bowed slightly and drifted away.

The titans of the Sword Sect had by then relocated to the main hall on the central peak, and the Yu sisters, along with Ling Yanfeng, were summoned as well. Initially, the Supreme Elder Ling had objected to Yu Ruoshuang entering the main hall, but Sect Master Ying had insisted on her presence.

Upon entering the hall, Yu Youwei’s gaze fell upon a massive scroll hanging in the center. It depicted a swordsman in green dancing with a blade atop a lonely, thousand-fathom peak, accompanied by a poem written in bold, sweeping cursive script: "Alone, I have fought through three thousand miles; one sword has held back a million troops." Her expression shifted violently as she blurted out, "The Old General’s Journey!"

Except for Ling Yanfeng and Yu Ruoshuang, the others looked on in astonishment.

Sect Master Ying asked in a deep voice, "Girl, how do you know the origin of this poem?"

Swallowing hard, Yu Youwei offered an unnatural smile. "I once read a miscellany that contained this poem. I recall it was written by someone named Wang Wei."

Supreme Elder Ling commanded urgently, "Recite it! Recite the entire poem!"

"I don't remember it," Yu Youwei replied with blunt finality. Then, with a sorrowful expression, she added, "Let us handle the urgent matters first. Poetry and literature are trivial; perhaps at a more relaxed time, I might recall it. For now, let us resolve the issue concerning my sister."

"Poetry and literature?" Several people repeated the words in unison, looking at each other in shock.

An elderly man in hemp robes from the neutral faction spoke up bluntly, "As for Ruoshuang’s matter, the Sect Master has the final say. As you said, girl, the Sect Master has issued a new rule: Ruoshuang may deal with that little animal Ling Yanfeng whenever she pleases. Now, girl, tell the old man, what is this 'poetry' you speak of?"

Yu Youwei glanced at Sect Master Ying. Seeing the old fox lower his eyelids, she understood the situation. She feigned a naive, bashful expression and scratched her head. "A poem is just a poem!"

The old man in hemp robes good-naturedly changed his question. "Can you recall the full text of 'The Old General’s Journey'?"

"I will try," Yu Youwei answered obediently. Just as the old men’s eyes lit up with excitement, a sly, intelligent smile flickered across her face. "But with you all staring at me like that, I feel nervous and cannot think of a single word. I had better return to my sister’s room; I won't be as tense there."

Sect Master Ying knew that this bright, crystal-clear-hearted girl would not be easily coerced into revealing everything, so he smiled and remained silent. Those in his faction followed suit.

Supreme Elder Ling and his cohorts wanted to pressure Yu Youwei, but they knew that neither Sect Master Ying nor the neutral faction would permit it. They could only glare at her in frustrated silence.

The old man in hemp robes said, "Very well. Ruoshuang, take your sister back."

Yu Ruoshuang bowed in acknowledgement and led her sister back to Yingxia Peak.

The Yu clan disciples within the sect were gathered at Yingxia Peak. Yu Youwei looked at her clansmen, their spirits broken by their confinement beneath the precipice, and her brows furrowed involuntarily. She turned to her sister and said, "The Yu family is in crisis, and our second brother cannot return for the time being. You must take good care of our clansmen here in the Sword Sect and ensure no one bullies them again. Of course, you must also constrain them to avoid trouble and focus on their cultivation. Furthermore, with that old Ling fogey protecting him, it is unlikely we can butcher that animal Ling Yanfeng. Your bottom line is that he must marry into our family as a matrilocal husband. Otherwise, he must pay for his crimes with his life."

"I still have to marry him?" Yu Ruoshuang lowered her head in embarrassment.

"He is marrying into our family, not you into his. Once he enters the Yu house, he must follow our rules. As for what those rules are, let our second brother teach him when he has the time." Yu Youwei lifted her sister’s chin, a wicked, charming smile playing on her lips as she openly instigated, "Besides, if you don't like him, you can simply leave him out in the cold and recruit another husband who is more to your liking."

A spiritual sense swept down from the main peak, one portion of it suddenly turning sharp, only to be jointly forced back by two other spiritual senses.

Yu Youwei glanced toward the main peak, the smile on her lips deepening.

Yu Ruoshuang looked at her sister thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as a sly, fox-like grin formed on her lips. Clearly, the art of raising a fox was not mastered in a day. She said straightforwardly, "Understood. If I cannot butcher him, I will bring him into the Yu house and discipline him thoroughly."

Yu Youwei chuckled. "There is a saying: 'some things are meant to be understood, not spoken.' Keep these thoughts to yourself; do not voice them, or you will make people wary."

"Understood. I will keep them to myself from now on," Yu Ruoshuang nodded, having learned her lesson well.

"Find me paper and brush. I will write down the parts of 'The Old General’s Journey' that I remember. I cannot recall the rest for now, but once I return and find that book of poetry, I will send it to you. Alas, the Yu family estate in Dongling Prefecture was destroyed by Ling Yanfeng and those butchers from the Wu family; I wonder if that collection of poems still exists." These words were a mix of truth and fabrication. Yu Youwei had given the Sword Sect elders a taste of what they wanted, left herself an out, and simultaneously framed Ling Yanfeng. As for how this would play out, that would depend on how Sect Master Ying chose to act.

"The Dongling Prefecture Yu estate was destroyed?" Yu Ruoshuang asked with a trembling voice. The other Yu disciples also chimed in with anxious questions.

Yu Youwei gave a rough account of the situation involving the Dongling Prefecture and the Yu family in the Sword Sect’s imperial capital. She pulled her sister into the room, saying as they walked, "Even if the secular world and the cultivation world are far apart, a month has passed; there should have been news. From now on, be more vigilant. Do not be so naive as to let others bully you again."