Feng Ziren's face was as dark as King Yama himself, gloomy and overcast.
He asked Feng Wuxie:
"Wuxie, you've been slow-witted since childhood, and both your parents are no longer with us. I am your eldest uncle, and I have always treated you like my own daughter. Your eldest sister has always doted on you and spoiled you. Why would you harm her today? What is the first rule of the Feng Family? Do you still remember?"
He had intended to simply dispose of this fool, but with so many family members gathered at Cangshu Ge, he had to put on a show of propriety—
Feng Wuxie nearly laughed out of sheer anger at his words!
Like his own daughter?
Doted on her and spoiled her?
Feng Wuxie ransacked the original owner's memories, turning them upside down, yet she could not find a single trace of Feng Wuxin ever showing her love or care.
Doted on her: meaning for over a decade, whenever she had nothing better to do, she would come over and whip her a few times, leaving her flesh torn and her body covered in wounds! That's what they called "doting"!
Spoiled her: meaning she would occasionally grace her with moldy pastries laced with drugs, watching with mockery as she happily devoured them like they were treasures, only to fall ill in agony afterward! That's what they called "spoiling"!
They kept her like a dog, chained at the front gate!
They kept her like a pig, imprisoned in a stinking pig cage!
Truly, they had "doted" on her to the bone and "spoiled" her straight into hell!
Feng Wuxie propped her chin on her hand and let out a cold, mocking laugh: "Eldest Uncle, you just said it yourself—I've been slow-witted since childhood, an idiot, a fool! As a fool who can barely even tell who her enemies are, how could I possibly remember the family rules?"
The moment those words left her mouth, not just Feng Ziren, but everyone present was stunned!
In all her fifteen-plus years of life, Feng Wuxie had never spoken a single sentence so fluently!
Only then did everyone take a closer look at Feng Wuxie—
And Feng Wuxie stood proudly in place, chin held high, eyes clear and bright, utterly fearless.
Since when had her clothes become so clean and new, no longer the filthy attire of the silly young miss she used to be?
Since when had she developed such a refined and elegant bearing of her own? Though the ugly whip scars still marked her face, that undeniable air of pride was somehow so captivating?
Since when had she stopped letting herself be bullied and humiliated, and stopped smiling that vacant smile?
And now, the faintly mocking smile at the corner of her lips—in a daze, it sent a chill down everyone's spine…
Feng Ziren also noticed the change in Feng Wuxie, and it made his heart skip a beat!
The Feng Family valued direct lineage children above all. Originally, among the candidates for heir, Feng Wuxie had been a major threat—it was only because she had always been a fool and a waste that the heir selection ceremony had never been held.
That was the only reason his precious daughter Feng Wuxin had even a sliver of a chance to compete for the position of heir!
And now this Feng Wuxie had actually regained her wits?
Then what about the position of heir?
Would it not simply fall into the hands of this direct-lineage young miss?
His daughter Feng Wuxin had trained painstakingly for fifteen years, finally becoming the Feng Family's genius disciple…
Was she now supposed to bow down at the feet of this waste?
At this very moment, this waste had injured a fellow clan sister in front of everyone, violating family law!
This was the perfect excuse to eliminate her!
"Wuxie, are you talking back to your elder?" Feng Ziren clenched his fists, secretly gathering Soul Power in his palm, ready to strike at any opportunity.
Feng Wuxie glanced sideways and caught Feng Ziren's little maneuver. She didn't expose him, merely letting out a light snort, her gaze filled with contempt:
"Is this what you call talking back? I'm just stating the facts, Eldest Uncle. Don't try to pin that label on me, or go out of your way to find excuses to kill me."
"Wuxie! Don't talk nonsense!"
Feng Ziren shouted her name in fury, his palm turning vicious:
"I just asked you—can you not answer what the first rule of family law is? Fine! I'll answer for you! The first rule of the Feng Family—no child of the Feng Family shall harm their own flesh and blood! Violators shall die! This is the first rule of the family, and also the one with the heaviest punishment! You attacked your eldest sister and gravely wounded her for no reason, violating family law. Today, I will discipline you on behalf of the Family Head!"
"On behalf of the Family Head?!"
Feng Wuxie seized on that phrase, staring down Feng Ziren with eyes as cold as ice:
"What right does Eldest Uncle have to act on behalf of the Family Head? Only the heir has the authority to exercise the family's powers of reward and punishment! Heh, I wonder whether the other elders and sisters of the family would actually accept your 'acting Family Head'?"
With that, she paused, then deliberately turned the conversation toward Feng Wuxia, who had been standing by snickering and watching the show.
"Second Sister, do you accept it?"
Feng Wuxia was momentarily taken aback, not expecting her former fool of a little sister to toss such a double-edged question her way.
But her surprise lasted only a split second. Soon, the calculation in her eyes was hidden away, her expression growing ever more unruffled, her smile ever more calm and composed, and her words utterly flawless:
"There is only one Family Head. Whoever can inherit the position of Family Head, Wuxia will naturally accept. However, it is also true that Third Sister did just strike Eldest Sister and injure her, violating family rules. The family rules are right here, and as an elder, Eldest Uncle should rightly discipline her. But he must not say things like 'acting on behalf of the Family Head' again."
As she spoke, she put on a conflicted expression—one that showed both heartache for Feng Wuxie and reluctance to defy her elders.
Playing a part! Feng Wuxie scoffed disdainfully.
Feng Wuxie knew that now that her secret of no longer being a simpleton was exposed, all those concubine lineage members eyeing the heir position covetously would surely want her dead!
She couldn't stand her eldest uncle's hypocritical elder act, nor could she stand Feng Wuxia's fake saintly face, so she simply laid it all out bluntly:
"Eldest Uncle says I violated the family rules by fighting my elder sister with lethal intent, is that so? Fine, today I've truly witnessed what it means to lie through one's teeth and to judge without knowing right from wrong! If you want to punish me, then punish me! If you want to kill me, then kill me! But if you fail to kill me today, I swear one day I will make you all regret this bitterly!"
"Still daring to be arrogant! You vile beast, accept your punishment!"
Feng Ziren instantly gathered a mass of thunderous power in his palm!
This thunderous force far surpassed the Fire Phoenix technique that Feng Wuxin had just conjured!
After all, Feng Ziren was an elder who had cultivated for decades—his Soul Power had already reached the Earth Spirit level!
Feng Wuxie knew the danger and shot out her silver needles once more in an attempt to defend herself!
But Feng Ziren, having observed the earlier fight, was already prepared for this move of hers. Before the needles even came close, he had already deflected them all…
Every needle missed its mark!
This was bad!