Just Say We Turned Ourselves In

The steward of Marquis Li's Residence trembled as he raised his eyes to look at Li Yingling, whose expression remained eerily calm.

As the Marquis's most trusted aide, he had been the one paying the closest attention to this illegitimate daughter within the household.

On the surface, the Marquis showed no concern whatsoever—he had never even laid eyes on Li Yingling or her mother again.

Yet, the absence of any stance was, in itself, the loudest stance of all.

Though it wasn’t entirely accurate to say there had been no stance at all.

No one had personally heard Marquis Li utter the word "disgrace," yet that single word had spread like wildfire through the residence.

As the steward, it was his duty to fully grasp the Marquis's attitude toward this illegitimate child.

After repeated probing, he had come to understand the Marquis's position with absolute clarity.

How she lived was of no concern to him—but she could not simply die within the walls of the residence without cause.

After all, while no one dared speak openly of the illegitimate daughter, who in the shadows didn’t know of her existence?

The Marquis's Residence had its dignity to uphold, and so did the Marquis himself. A reputation for heartlessness would forever stain his name.

In the past, the worst he had done was express his disdain with a few harsh words. But there was one matter where he had thoroughly crossed Li Yingling.

The marriage between the Marquis's household and the second fool of Minister Wang's family had been his doing.

The influence of Marquis Li's Residence had been waning, barely clinging to its former glory, now reduced to little more than a second-rate household in the capital.

When one's own family lacked strength, the only option was to seek patronage—and Minister Wang had been the obvious choice.

After all, his idiot son was infamous throughout the capital.

Li Yingling's mother may have been of lowly status, but she was undeniably the Marquis's daughter—and more importantly, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Minister Wang had seen a portrait of Li Yingling and had been satisfied.

After all, the Marquis's household was a suitable match in status. As for the issue of her birth, wasn’t that just a matter of words?

The arrangement had progressed smoothly, a mutually beneficial exchange—until, at the critical moment, the young lady of the Li household had been abducted.

What followed was utter chaos, and he, the primary orchestrator, became the target of universal condemnation.

So when the steward laid eyes on Li Yingling again, the resentment he had suppressed all this time could no longer be contained.

He had failed to grasp the obvious hints from the two gatekeepers.

Now, the searing pain of his severed tongue jolted him back to reality.

The crushing pressure of a Golden Core cultivator weighed down on him like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

Gritting his teeth against the agony, the steward lowered his head, his eyes burning with hatred as he stared at the ground.

This damned bastard! If only you’d said you were with a Golden Core cultivator, the Marquis's Residence would never have sought out Minister Wang!

Li Yingling gazed at the steward. In the past, the sight of this old dog in such a wretched state would have sent her hiding under her blankets, laughing uncontrollably.

She would have laughed at his well-deserved fate, his tongue cut out.

And she would have thanked the hero who had done it.

But now, her eyes swept indifferently over the trembling figure before her.

With a slight raise of her hand, the Golden Core pressure emanating from her junior brother instantly dissipated.

Li Xingtian remembered his master’s teachings—always uphold his senior sister’s dignity.

Wen Qing and Qiu Ling glanced over but said nothing, simply stepping to stand beside the two.

After all, honored guests were honored guests.

The commotion had not gone unnoticed.

Soon, a middle-aged man in luxurious robes emerged from the main hall, surrounded by a retinue of guards.

Li Yingling’s gaze locked onto him instantly.

She had never seen her father before, yet in that moment, she knew without a doubt—this was the man who had abandoned her.

As a child, Li Yingling had spent countless nights fantasizing about revenge.

How she would torment her heartless father, how she would punish those who had tormented her and her mother.

How she would turn the Marquis's Residence upside down, force her father to his knees, make him apologize and swear to treat her mother well.

Childish. Ridiculous.

But now, all those thoughts were drowned out by a single question.

Her voice was icy as she addressed the man she despised most:

"Where is my mother buried?"

Marquis Li’s eyes flickered over the group behind Li Yingling, lingering on the two red-robed envoys from the Xuanwu Kingdom.

His eyes reddened instantly, his voice trembling. "Yingling… have you been well? I—"

BOOM!

A razor-sharp sword qi obliterated a side chamber to the right.

A dragon coiled around the blade in Li Yingling’s hand.

Her voice was hoarse, colder than death.

"Where. Is. My. Mother. Buried?!"

Chu Xingchen walked forward leisurely, hand in hand with Chen Baiqing, and came to stand silently at Li Yingling’s side.

Marquis Li immediately recognized this striking young man as the one who had abducted his daughter. But now, dressed in splendor, with the two envoys bowing deferentially to him, the Marquis knew he had no choice but to answer.

The problem was… he couldn’t.

Before Li Yingling could press further, Qiu Ling spoke up.

"Marquis Li, out with it. No more lies."

Her words carried a clear warning.

At last, the Marquis confessed. "The mass graves… west of the city."

Li Yingling let out a soft laugh. She had expected as much—yet the confirmation was still unbearable.

She had never asked before because she knew no one would answer her.

Li Xingtian spoke up from the side, his voice unguarded, his killing intent unmistakable.

"Senior Sister… shall we kill them all?"

Wen Qing and Qiu Ling exchanged glances. Should they intervene?

Li Yingling didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to Chu Xingchen, forcing a weak smile.

"Master, I…"

Chu Xingchen spoke gently. "Go. I’ll handle things here."

Grateful, Li Yingling nodded and immediately turned to leave.

Wen Qing and Qiu Ling watched as Li Xingtian’s grip tightened on his broadsword, his expression murderous.

Chu Xingchen spoke again.

"Xingtian, go with your senior sister."

With a slight nod, Li Xingtian sheathed his blade and followed after her.

After a brief exchange, Qiu Ling also turned to leave, trailing behind Li Xingtian and Li Yingling.

These two were also forces to be reckoned with—they couldn’t be left unsupervised.

Chu Xingchen glanced at the pale-faced Marquis Li and offered a reassuring smile.

"Don’t worry. As long as Yingling hasn’t made up her mind, you’ll remain alive and well."

Familiar with Li Yingling’s abilities, Chu Xingchen could sense that his eldest disciple had been sorely tempted to unleash her full power on this man.

But she hadn’t yet decided what she truly wanted.

Killing him would be simple—but some things couldn’t be resolved with death alone.

While Li Yingling wrestled with her thoughts, Chu Xingchen’s approach was far more straightforward.

If they were settling accounts, they would settle them thoroughly.

"Marquis Li, you will investigate and identify every single person who ever wronged Li Yingling or her mother. By the time my disciple returns, I expect every last one of them standing here—without exception."

"And as for Minister Wang… I hear he personally issued a warrant for her arrest. Invite him as well."

Chu Xingchen chuckled, his gaze frigid.

"Tell him… Li Yingling and I have come to turn ourselves in."