Feng Xianyue and Old Madam Feng watched in terrified silence as the family planned for a marriage with no regard for the said bride’s opinion.
They had really gone too far.
After abandoning the original owner, now they wanted to marry her off to an old man.
How could she let them succeed?
“Zhifeng!
How can you marry off your daughter to an old man?” Old Madam Feng shouted, her eyes filled with unconcealed rage.
“Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents.
Xianyue is of age, and the Jiang family is a prestigious family.
She should be honoured to be entering such a good family,” Feng Zhifeng said, sipping a cup of tea, looking unbothered.
“Y…
you…”
“Alright, alright.
It has been decided then.
Xianyue will be marrying into the Jiang family.
This is a good match.
Don’t complain anymore,” Feng Ming said, sending a warning glance at Old Madam Feng.
“Feng Ming, you can’t do this.
Xian’er is just fifteen and already sickly.
How can she survive in the Jiang family?”
“Concubine Li, don’t test my patience.
You are just a maid who luckily became my father’s concubine.
I am now the master of the Feng family.
Don’t think you can go against my words,” Feng Ming shouted loudly, knocking the cup on the table.
“First brother, you have to teach her a lesson.
If not, Xianyue will learn from her.
The family punishment must be carried out.
Didn’t she already disobey Father’s words by returning to the capital?” Feng Lian said, her words bleeding with malicious intent.
Zhao Chen pulled at his wife’s sleeve, gesturing for her to keep quiet.
Feng Ming had always disliked Old Madam Feng.
Since childhood, he believed she was the cause of his late mother’s heartache.
She was just a maid—a woman who smiled too sweetly and stole a husband who was never truly hers.
He had waited years for this moment.
So when a vicious idea flashed through his mind, he didn’t hesitate.
At least it would reduce the hatred from his mother’s spirit.
“Feng Lian is right.
Without proper discipline, everyone would act as they wish.
Since Concubine Li came back without being summoned, disobeying orders, I will take the responsibility for Father in his absence and administer the family’s punishment on his behalf,” Feng Ming said.
The blood drained from Feng Xianyue’s face when Feng Ming called for the guards.
She knew the Feng family didn’t like them, but she didn’t know they were this evil.
How could they think of doing anything to an old woman?
“First Uncle, my grandmother is old.
Please forgive her and let us leave and return to the village.”
“Return to the village?
Ha!
There is no need for that.
You will stay and do your duty to the Feng family by marrying into the Jiang family.
And Concubine Li will be punished with forty strokes for disobedience according to the family rules.”
Forty strokes!
Were they trying to kill her grandmother?
“First Uncle, if she must be punished, I am willing to take it in her place.
My grandmother is old and cannot survive this punishment.”
“No, Xian’er!
You already have a weak body.
You are not allowed to take my punishment,” Old Madam Feng said, holding onto Feng Xianyue’s hand.
“I just regret that I brought you back and couldn’t protect you well.”
Old Madam Feng had thought she could plead with the Old Master to take in Feng Xianyue.
However, she didn’t think he would be in seclusion or that his sons would be so evil.
“Guards, take her away,” Feng Ming ordered.
“Xianyue, since you are marrying into the Jiang family, you cannot take her punishment.
But since Concubine Li is old and would be sixty soon, her punishment will be reduced to thirty strokes only.”
Thirty strokes?
This was still a death sentence to her aging grandmother.
“Grandmother!” Feng Xianyue shouted, running after Old Madam Feng as she was dragged away by the guards.
The rest of the family stood hurriedly, not wanting to miss the show, and followed them to the ancestral hall where the punishment would take place.
Once they reached the ancestral hall, the female servants laid Old Madam Feng on the bench and took out the punishment rod.
Male guards were forbidden from touching inner women of the house unless ordered by the matriarch.
So even if it was the guards who were ordered to bring Old Madam Feng out, it was a silent rule that only the female servants could carry out the punishment.
Feng Xianyue used her spiritual powers to push them away.
Unfortunately, there were guards nearby who were all at Foundation Establishment, so she couldn’t do anything to them but was instead harshly thrown to the ground.
She immediately got back up and ran to her grandmother but was held back by other guards.
Feng Xianyue struggled wildly, hoping she could somehow tap into her strange ice powers, but unfortunately she couldn’t, and could only helplessly watch as they began the punishment.
The rest of the Feng family members just stood by, watching without saying anything.
Some even had amusement in their eyes.
Feng Xianyue had never regretted being so powerless.
She had thought she had time to grow stronger steadily, but alas, she was terribly wrong.
Being in Black Crow Village had shielded her from the evil of this world.
Each sound of the rod hitting flesh made Feng Xianyue’s heart bleed.
Once.
Twice.
Each strike tore a piece of Feng Xianyue’s soul.
She could hear her grandmother’s muffled cries through the cloth stuffed in her mouth.
“Grandmother!” she cried out, sobbing loudly.
This was her fault.
She should not have let them return.
She hated these people so much and wanted to rip out their hearts.
They were so wicked and even covered her grandmother’s mouth, preventing her from making a sound so that the guests wouldn’t be alerted.
“Hmm, she got what she deserved.
What made her think they could just come back to the capital like they belonged here?” Feng Lian said, looking at the pitiful Concubine Li arrogantly.
Feng Lian watched with cold satisfaction.
She remembered when she was a child.
At that time, she was actually fond of her.
But then suddenly, her father started paying attention to Concubine Li whenever he came by.
He no longer cared about her, and his whole attention was taken by the vixen.
She even saw her mother crying the day Concubine Li was promoted to a concubine.
That woman had stolen everything from her family.
Now she was paying the price.
How could she let it slip away?
“One day, I will make you all pay for treating my grandmother this way!” Feng Xianyue shouted.
However, none of them bothered with her.
To them, she was just an insignificant ant they could trample on.
When the last hit met Old Madam Feng’s flesh, Feng Xianyue immediately ran towards her, catching her as she stumbled down from the bench.
Sobbing, Feng Xianyue held her grandmother in her arms, trying to lay her on her stomach so as not to hurt her backside.
But Old Madam Feng stopped her and instead cradled Feng Xianyue’s face, wiping away her tears.
“I’m so sorry, Grandmother.
This is all my fault,” Feng Xianyue sobbed out loud.
“Xian’er…
don’t blame…
yourself.” Old Madam Feng stuttered, finding it difficult to speak.
“All I have ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy.” She continued, tears running down her cheeks.
“Always remember,” Old Madam Feng whispered, her voice barely a breath.
“You were never a burden.
You were my greatest joy.”
“Grandmother…
wuu…” Feng Xianyue’s eyes glistened with tears, biting her lip to muffle the sobs threatening to escape.
Old Madam Feng smiled softly, the hand cradling Xianyue’s face slowly falling to the ground.
Panicking at the sight of Old Madam Feng’s still body, Feng Xianyue shouted, crying out loud.
“Grandmother!
Grandmother…
wuuu…
Grandmother, wake up!
Wake up, Grandmother!”
Feng Ming watched this with furrowed brows.
He didn’t expect the woman was so fragile.
He had hoped to only break her body, rendering it useless—not to kill her.
Thinking of the guests still in the house, he immediately gestured for the head servant to come.
“Clean this mess quickly.
Nothing that happened in this hall should spread outside.”
Feng Xianyue shook Old Madam Feng’s body continuously, stopping to feel her pulse with shaky hands.
She immediately became pale with sorrow.
Her grandmother was gone—the only family she had ever known in both lifetimes was killed before her, and she was so useless and unable to save her.
Her eyes glistened with tears and uncontrollable rage at herself and every living person in the hall.
She would make them pay.
Every single one of them.
Feng Xianyue swore it.
Not with a quick death—that would be too merciful.
She would tear down everything they loved, piece by piece, until they knew the same helplessness she felt now.
Thank you