She thought the night would pass peacefully, but in the middle of the night she suddenly heard cries of pain.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Xinghe being pinned down by a strong man and beaten mercilessly, completely unable to fight back.
Mu Wanting quickly walked over and grabbed the man’s wrist to stop him.
Only then did she realize it was Shen Xudong from the second branch.
This man’s fighting ability was second only to Shen Xinglan.
He tried to pull his hand back, but found his wrist completely numb. He was surprised, not knowing what technique Mu Wanting had used.
He lowered his voice, his eyes fierce.
“Let go!”
Mu Wanting raised an eyebrow. “Then you let go of Shen Xinghe first.”
Shen Xudong sneered. “He brought this on himself.”
Shen Xinghe spat on the ground. “You stole our snake meat—why should I be polite to you?”
Mu Wanting narrowed her eyes, finally noticing that beside the snake meat, Zhang Caiyun and several concubine-born sons and daughters were crouching there eating, even finishing all the soup.
She said nothing, but instead pressed Shen Xudong’s acupoints and forced him upright. Shen Xudong’s face turned pale as he was pulled up against his will.
Shen Xinghe broke free from Shen Xudong’s grip and was about to punch him again, but Mu Wanting shot him a look, stopping him.
Mu Wanting said calmly, “Pay compensation. For the snake meat and Shen Xinghe’s medical expenses—five hundred taels.”
Shen Xinghe was touched, not expecting her to stand up for him at this moment.
Shen Xudong remained silent, his ears slightly red with embarrassment.
Zhang Caiyun, however, jumped up angrily, completely lacking any noble lady demeanor, acting like a shrew.
“We won’t pay! We already ate it—what can you do about it?”
Mu Wanting’s eyes narrowed. The second branch could not possibly be out of money.
“Then fine. If you don’t pay, then whatever injuries Shen Xinghe has, I will inflict the same on Shen Xudong. And I’ll make you spit out all that snake meat!”
She sneered and glanced at Shen Xinghe.
“Right arm broken, both legs broken, left eye swollen, and several punches on the body.”
With that, she walked toward Shen Xudong.
The second branch wasn’t afraid at all. In their eyes, Shen Xudong was extremely strong, and Mu Wanting was just a woman—there was no way she could do anything to him. They were even eager to see her humiliated.
“Go ahead and try.”
Shen Xudong lowered his head, looking at the much shorter Mu Wanting, not taking her seriously at all.
Shen Xinghe grabbed her sleeve, frowning with worry.
“You can’t beat him.”
Mu Wanting patted his hand.
“Then Second Sister-in-law will show you what it means to use softness to overcome strength.”
She suddenly moved with an uncanny, ghost-like speed, appearing behind Shen Xudong and striking the back of his neck.
Her mother had hired a master to teach her martial arts from childhood, tailored to her physique. What she excelled at was never brute force—but redirecting strength.
Shen Xudong raised his arm to block, but he was still half a beat too slow. His neck was struck, and he dropped to one knee, attempting to counterattack.
Mu Wanting twisted his arm like a snake coiling around its prey and snapped it—his right arm was broken.
Shen Xudong opened his mouth to scream, but Mu Wanting shoved a piece of cloth into it.
“Shh, cousin. Everyone’s asleep. Don’t disturb them.”
Zhang Caiyun panicked.
“Mu Wanting, I’m going to report you to the officials!”
Mu Wanting chuckled. “Do you want your right leg broken too?”
Her slender hand was already near his leg.
Zhang Caiyun hesitated.
Shen Xudong still tried to resist, but Mu Wanting was too agile—his strength felt useless, like hitting cotton. He couldn’t shake her off or escape.
Yet she still had time to smile at him.
That smile, on her stunning face, felt chilling to his very soul.
For the first time, he felt true crushing power—and inescapable fear.
Shen Xudong stammered in panic.
“Mother… give her… give her the money.”
Zhang Caiyun had no choice but to give in. If his legs were broken, the journey would be delayed and they would all be punished by the officials.
With a pained heart, she took out a 500-tael silver note, regretting deeply that she had ever let her son steal the food.
Mu Wanting said, “We are already separated. If you steal from our third branch again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
She glanced at Shen Xinghe, her tone colder.
“And if anyone from the second branch dares to beat someone from the third branch again, I will return it double.”
The second branch, frightened, quickly left with Shen Xudong.
Mu Wanting then turned to Shen Xinghe.
“Can you walk?”
Shen Xinghe froze, then shook his head.
Mu Wanting said nothing, walked over, and knelt in front of him.
Shen Xinghe said, “Mu Wanting, go call Shen Xingyi…”
Before he could finish, she lifted him into her arms.
His pupils shrank. She—she actually carried him!
His face instantly turned red with embarrassment.
“Put me down!”
Mu Wanting glanced at him calmly.
“Put you down? Can you walk?”
Shen Xinglan, awakened by the noise, watched them groggily.
With a “click,” Shen Xinghe let out a muffled groan—his right leg was set back into place.
He straightened up, about to complain, when another “click”—his left leg was also reset.
The pain was so intense it felt like his skull might split open.
He snapped, “Could you at least warn me before you set bones!”
Mu Wanting stood up, looking at him teasingly.
“Alright, I’m going to set your arm now.”
Shen Xinghe immediately tensed up.
But Mu Wanting only held his arm and told him to relax.
After several minutes of delay without setting it, Shen Xinglan realized she was deliberately teasing him.
Shen Xinghe gritted his teeth. “Why aren’t you doing it?”
Mu Wanting shrugged. “You’re too tense. I can’t do it.”
Before he could react—
“Click.”
His right arm was set.
In just a few minutes, he was sweating heavily from the pain.
Mu Wanting picked up some branches and tore cloth from his clothes.
At that point, Shen Xinghe couldn’t take it anymore.
This woman was way too shameless—first she wouldn’t let go of his second brother, and now she wasn’t even sparing him.
“Mu Wanting, what are you doing?”