“It was you who begged me to arrange this marriage, yet now you’ve ruined a perfectly good young woman. From this day forward, you shall reflect deeply within Yuwang Manor! If you fail to repent and reform, you shall remain confined there for the rest of your life!”
Yuwang’s face instantly stiffened, his eyes turning blood-red in an instant. This was clearly indefinite house arrest. “Imperial Father!”
“Silence!” Qinglong Emperor waved his hand decisively, approving the divorce between Yuwang Consort and her husband. All dowry was to be returned intact to the woman. As for Junzhu—being a royal descendant, she certainly couldn’t be raised in the Shen family.
“Junzhu shall be sent to the palace starting today to be raised by the Empress Dowager. Former Yuwang Consort Shen Shi is permitted to visit her in the palace at any time.”
After speaking, Qinglong Emperor cast another cold glance at Yuwang. “You’d better behave yourself. If anything happens to Shen Shi or Junzhu, regardless of whether you did it or not, I shall hold you accountable.”
“Yes.” Yuwang lowered his head, his expression dark and vicious. That wretched woman Shen Yu had destroyed his grand plans!
Most baffling was Bai Yangyang—had that madwoman lost her mind, actually revealing the manor’s secrets in public!
He had killed Bai Yangyang, but couldn’t silence the gossiping masses. Tomorrow, those officials in the Censorate would surely make trouble over nothing!
What was most hateful was that now he couldn’t lay a finger on Shen Shi, but instead had to periodically arrange for her protection!
His Imperial Father’s fury today clearly indicated longstanding dissatisfaction, merely using this incident as an excuse.
That wretched woman Shen Yu had truly outdone herself!
Shen Yu’s eyes reddened as she dragged her sickly body to kowtow three times heavily before the Emperor. “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.”
With the complete return of her dowry, even if she were to reside long-term with the Shen family hereafter, her elder brother and sister-in-law wouldn’t be able to complain.
……
The Shen family sent people to move Shen Yu’s dowry.
Yuwang stared fixedly at Shen Yu with cold, sunken eyes, his expression filled with deep resentment. “Shen Yu, don’t think you’ll fare well after leaving me.”
“You’re nothing but worn-out shoes I’ve grown tired of. Even after this divorce, you’ll have to live in shame, enduring scornful glances—just like that Su Tan who could only slink away from Jingcheng!”
Shen Yu looked back coldly, finding it laughable that she had once been so blind to think this man was some refined gentleman. He was merely vile and disgusting—even a dead rat in the sewer would be cleaner than him.
“My affairs are no concern of Your Highness Yuwang.”
Shen Yu expressionlessly turned to leave, while Yuwang continued hurling vulgar insults, shaming her as a wanton woman. “Actually, it was for the best that Bai Yangyang killed that bastard you bore. How could someone of my noble status allow an heir to emerge from the womb of a wretched woman like you?”
Shen Yu paused, a trace of mockery curling at her lips. “Your Highness’s nobility? Perhaps that was true before. Henceforth, it’s hard to say.”
A vein bulged violently on Yuwang’s forehead as he moved to teach Shen Yu a lesson, when suddenly the beam above them collapsed without warning, crushing him to the ground.
“Ah!”
Yuwang’s features contorted fiercely, his lips trembling as bean-sized sweat drops fell from his forehead.
The sudden turn of events startled Shen Yu too.
But within moments, she regained her composure and left expressionlessly with her people, leaving only panic among Yuwang Manor’s staff as they wept and called for physicians.
……
“Crush him to death!” “Why didn’t it crush him to death!” “He bullied my A Niang—I want to crush him to death!”
The Night Cry Ghost glared with crimson eyes, hating its own insufficient strength—it could only make a roof beam fall and cripple Yu Wang’s leg.
Su Tan looked at it. She couldn’t use mystical arts to strike back at mortals, but when a ghost sought revenge on humans, she could choose to stand by and do nothing.
“If you kill him, you’ll end up suffering torment in the underworld prison. His death isn’t worth regretting, but how will you protect your A Niang in the future then?”
The Night Cry Ghost stared at her in confusion.
Su Tan reached out and patted the ghost’s head, a smile curling at her lips. “How about I send you to be reincarnated?”
“You and your A Niang still have a bond. In your next life, your A Niang will be your child. Will you protect her then?”
The ghost tilted its head and gave a small nod.
Pouting, it suddenly said softly, “You’re not a bad woman~”
“You protected A Niang, you protected little sister. You’re a Fairy Sister.”
“Fairy Sister, that bad uncle bullied you because he has no taste. You’ll meet the best uncle someday.”
Then it scratched its head, “Forget it, no uncles—no bad uncles or good uncles. Fairy Sister should go up to the heavens and become an immortal~”
Su Tan chuckled softly and stroked the ghost’s head again, reciting the ‘Supreme Three Lives Karma Resolution Sutra’ to guide it to liberation.
The Night Cry Ghost’s form gradually turned translucent.
Su Tan felt a faint golden light gathering around her Dantian.
That was the light of Merit.
She had been unable to find Xiao Changle’s soul. Later, she switched to Cultivating the Path of Emotionlessness. By guiding resentful spirits and sending wandering souls who had resolved their karmic ties to the underworld, she could accumulate Merit.
When she had enough Merit, the Heavenly Dao would reveal where Xiao Changle’s soul was.
…
Song family residence.
Song Tingchen walked under an umbrella into his son’s courtyard. Song Xiao, with red-rimmed eyes, immediately rushed into his arms. “A-Die~”
“A-Die, there’s no school tomorrow. Can you take me out to explore?”
“Alright.” Song Tingchen patted his son’s head. He had always felt deeply indebted to Song Xiao. “What made you suddenly want to leave the estate?”
Song Xiao mumbled, “The classmate behind me… yesterday after school, his parents took him out.”
“He laughed at me, saying I’m a motherless wild child who definitely has no one to go with.”
A sharp pain pierced Song Tingchen’s heart.
Instant, fine-needle pricks of ache spread through him.
Xiao Xiao had always been sensitive. He might have been hurt by those words yesterday, and today, receiving Su Tan’s cold treatment—even if he didn’t say it aloud, he must be feeling deeply upset inside.
“Alright.” Song Tingchen stroked Song Xiao’s head.
Song Xiao immediately pressed his advantage. “Then can A-Die play with me a little longer today?”
He tugged at Song Tingchen’s sleeve, looking up at him pitifully.
A ripple stirred in Song Tingchen’s usually indifferent eyes. There were no children his age in the estate, and at the academy, Song Xiao seemed to be ostracized too. Just like his own childhood, he had no playmates, gritting his teeth through those difficult times alone.
“Fine, A-Die will stay with you.”
“From now on, A-Die will set aside two hours every day to be with you.”
“Today, A-Die will first help you review your studies.”
Song Xiao nestled dependently in Song Tingchen’s embrace.
“A-Die is so good~”
Only then did he notice the wound on Song Tingchen’s forehead. “A-Die, how did you get hurt? Who bullied you?”
Song Tingchen paused, lowering his gaze. “It’s nothing. Just a scratch from sparring with someone.”
Song Xiao blinked his eyes. “Then I’ll blow on it for A-Die. Blowing will make it stop hurting.”
Song Tingchen paused, then finally nodded with a smile. “Alright.”
…
“A-Die, I want to eat sugar cake~”
About half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed when Song Xiao began feeling hungry. His craving was instantly stirred up. Normally at this time, he would eat a plate of pastries and drink a bowl of steaming sweet soup.
Song Tingchen’s brow furrowed.
“Xiao Xiao, be good. Look at what time it is now. Besides, in your current condition, how could you be allowed to eat so many sweets?”
Song Xiao’s eyes reddened as he wiped his tears. “I’m A-Die’s child. Can’t I even eat one piece of sugar cake?”
“A-Die, do you really not want me anymore?”
Everyone at the academy said his A-Niang didn’t want him anymore, and that someday his A-Die wouldn’t want him either.
Song Tingchen’s frown deepened.
Over the past two years, perhaps due to growing, Song Xiao had become much chubbier than before.
Old Madam Song said that most children around this age were like this – they would slim down once they started shooting up in height.
If they really starved the child, that’s when he would truly become sick.
Song Tingchen crouched down and wiped away Song Xiao’s tears.
In the past when he had to go away for battles, he had never truly raised a child himself, nor did he have younger siblings to care for when he was young.
So when his mother said this, he hadn’t thought much of it.
But now he sensed something wasn’t right. “Xiao Xiao, tell Daddy the truth – do you need to eat sugar cake every day to fall asleep?”
Song Xiao sniffled, gently biting his lip without saying a word.
Grandmother and Aunt Qing had both said he mustn’t tell A-Die about this.
If he really told A-Die, he wouldn’t get to eat sweets anymore.
“No… no…”