Chapter 169: The Storm Subsides

Zhuyi successfully left the estate and went to report the matter to Fourth Madam Yu.

"Why didn't that child tell me when she was returning to the Ning family?" Fourth Madam Yu grew anxious upon hearing the news and immediately hurried over to the Ning estate. Arriving at the gates, she bypassed the formalities of having servants announce her and forced her way straight inside.

With Ning Baixia backing the Ning household, the masters themselves were not particularly intimidated by the daughter of the Sword-Wielding Sect Master. However, the domestic servants certainly were. As Fourth Madam Yu walked through the corridors, no one dared to cross her. A sharp-witted head housekeeper even hurried forward to lead the way for her.

After rewarding the guiding housekeeper with a spirit stone, Fourth Madam Yu entered Jing'an Hall just in time to see Yu Youwei being forcefully held down to receive a flogging. Pretending not to notice, she raised her voice and said, "My, what a lively gathering the Old Lady is having here!"

The two Ning family martial experts holding Yu Youwei immediately released her, and the surrounding crowd dispersed, quickly clearing the center of the courtyard.

Madam Liu had been eagerly waiting to watch Yu Youwei receive her punishment. Annoyed by Fourth Madam Yu's disruption, her attitude was far from respectful as she asked, "What brings Fourth Madam Yu here?"

Fourth Madam Yu replied with casual indifference, "Your husband addresses me as aunt, yet here you address me as Fourth Madam Yu. It seems this marriage has turned us into enemies."

Her fair face flushing to a liverish purple, Madam Liu was forced to lower her head and apologize, "Please forgive me, Aunt. It was a slip of the tongue on your niece's part."

The Second Old Madam of the Ning family, who had been dying to see Yu Youwei beaten to death with a club, felt deeply resentful that the girl had escaped her punishment. She stepped forward and snapped, "Your Yu family had the audacity to substitute a concubine-born daughter in the marriage, and yet you still have the nerve to come here and pick a fight!"

The moment she saw Yu Youwei being forcefully restrained, Fourth Madam Yu had felt as though her late husband in heaven were silently rebuking her for failing to take proper care of his daughter. Though she had tried to maintain her composure, being provoked by the Second Old Madam's words caused her to finally erupt.

"That remark is even more ridiculous! When the Ning family requested to fulfill the marital alliance promised by my late husband, it should naturally have followed the order of seniority, yet the Ning family specifically proposed to Fourth Young Master Ning. You looked down on Youwei for being born to a concubine, but I felt it was an injustice to marry her to Mofei in the first place! It was I, her legitimate mother, who compromised my conscience! I see no point in debating this matter with outsiders. I shall go straight to the Seventh Brother and ask him what on earth he means by this!"

Rushing to Yu Youwei's side, Fourth Madam Yu said with a furious expression, "Come, let's go to Jiangning Prefecture and ask your father's fine sworn brother how he intends to trample upon your father's daughter."

Her legitimate mother—was she truly willing to go this far for her? Yu Youwei stared blankly at her stepmother. The hand grasping hers held a warmth she had never experienced before.

The Old Lady Ning could no longer afford to play deaf and dumb. She stepped out to call out to Fourth Madam Yu, politely inviting her inside for a proper discussion, looking as serene as if she had no knowledge of the incident that had just occurred outside.

Fourth Madam Yu was not a truly unreasonable person by nature. Since the Old Lady herself had stepped forward, she suppressed her anger and led Yu Youwei into the house.

Madam Liu and the Second Old Madam followed them inside as well. The Second Old Madam seated herself across from Fourth Madam Yu, while Madam Liu took a position beside the Old Lady.

Maids served tea. Fourth Madam Yu picked up her cup, but set it down without taking a single sip.

As if venting her pent-up frustration, the Second Old Madam picked up her teacup, took a large gulp, and smiled as she said, "This spiritual tea from Mount Xianchen is truly the finest; no amount of money can buy it outside."

This was a subtle reminder to Fourth Madam Yu that the Sword-Wielding Sect, upon which she relied, was inferior in strength to the Xianchen Sect.

As a junior, Madam Liu could not casually chime in, but she felt a secret thrill listening to this, hoping that Yu Youwei and Fourth Madam Yu would take offense and cause a scene.

Fourth Madam Yu certainly caught the implication, but chose to ignore it entirely. The Sword-Wielding Sect had no intention of going to war with the Xianchen Sect, and taking offense at such petty remarks would only cause her to lose her dignity.

Old Lady Ning did not take up her sister-in-law's cue either. Sporting a faint smile, she exchanged pleasantries with Fourth Madam Yu, completely avoiding any mention of the commotion outside, and finally invited her to stay for a meal.

This was the Old Lady's way of signaling that she wished to let the matter rest. Fourth Madam Yu could no longer press the issue further. Pleading that she had already eaten, she exchanged a few more polite remarks before standing up to take her leave.

With Fourth Madam Yu's departure, the storm subsided.

Yu Youwei returned to Biyin Courtyard. Ning Mofei had not returned, nor did she send anyone to look for him. However, when Zhuyi returned and found Lanyi missing, she asked the courtyard maids, all of whom claimed to know nothing.

Zhuyi went out to search the grounds without success, yet she dared not jump to the conclusion that Lanyi had met with misfortune. By the following day, when Lanyi still had not returned, Zhuyi secretly slipped over to the Yu household to inquire, only to learn that Lanyi had not returned there either. She went to see Fourth Madam Yu.

Upon hearing the news, Fourth Madam Yu fell silent for a long moment before saying in a low voice, "Lanyi is probably not coming back. Have Songyi send some silver to her family and see if they need any assistance. If any of her younger siblings possess spiritual roots, send them to the Sword-Wielding Sect. Go back and tell the Second Young Mistress that Lanyi was summoned back by me."

When Zhuyi returned and told Yu Youwei that Lanyi had been called back to the Yu estate, Yu Youwei thought nothing of it, leaving Zhuyi to harbor a secret sorrow.

Two days later, Yu Youwei was practicing her swordplay in the courtyard.

The bare branches of the parasol tree swayed in the wind, casting scattered shadows across the ground. The Azure Frost Sword swept through the air with her movements, conjuring a sheet of azure light that enveloped her figure. The sword's radiance flickered gracefully amidst the swaying tree shadows, while a breeze sweeping across the courtyard wall carried fallen leaves from the annex, shredding them into fluttering fragments within the sword's light and filling the gaps between the shadows.

A maid from Jing'an Hall approached, only to be blocked at the courtyard gate by Zhuyi: "The Young Mistress is practicing her sword and cannot be disturbed. Whatever matters Elder Sister has, please state them right here."

The maids of Jing'an Hall enjoyed higher standing than even some unfavored young masters. Everyone in the household knew that the Young Mistress of Biyin Courtyard was out of favor, and that even Young Master Mofei no longer slept there. How could this maid possibly take Zhuyi seriously? With a disdainful expression and a dismissive tone, she dropped a single sentence: "The Seventh Madam has arrived from Jiangning Prefecture; the Old Lady orders your Young Mistress to come immediately," before strutting away haughtily.

Zhuyi hurried inside to report.

In truth, Yu Youwei had already heard everything. The whirling sword radiance abruptly vanished, and her soft sword reverted to a bracelet coiled around her wrist. Her flowing dark hair and skirt drifted down slowly, ethereal and serene, devoid of any mortal taint.

Just as Zhuyi entered the courtyard, she happened to witness this picturesque scene, which only made her feel a deeper sense of injustice on behalf of her mistress: Just because she wasn't born from the Madam's womb—in terms of talent and appearance, where in the entire Ning household could anyone find someone superior to her?

"You should stay right here in the courtyard to avoid anyone finding fault with you." Having been betrayed by a maid in her past life, Yu Youwei had always maintained a degree of wariness toward the maids serving her in this life, which was why she had been too slow to notice Lanyi's misfortune. Nonetheless, she felt genuine gratitude toward Zhuyi for running back to the Yu family to fetch her stepmother when she was being mistreated by the Nings. Anticipating more trouble at Jing'an Hall, she had no wish to drag this loyal girl along to suffer the consequences.

"You shouldn't always assume the worst. The Madam has simply arrived and wishes for you to go pay your respects," Zhuyi comforted.

"Perhaps," Yu Youwei replied listlessly. Ever since Yuyan's misfortune, her mental state had been deeply abnormal, leaving her entirely devoid of energy for anything. She truly did not take the Ning family's various slights to heart. As for Ning Mofei, she could barely remember what he looked like. Yet, she had no active desire to leave either.