Back in the Zhen Manor, Madam Du was wearing a blue dress robe. On her head, she wore an ornate headband with a blue gem. She was in a hearty mood and was seated in front of a round table having her breakfast.
The table was filled with plum cakes, pineapple cakes, chicken, duck and porridge. The smell was enough to send one drooling.
Madam Du was eating a bowl of porridge. Discreetly, she asked, āGrandma Guo, have we receive any news from āthereā?ā
Grandma Guo was Madam Duās maid servant and was very much trusted by her. Everything that Du had commanded was carried out or see to by her.
Madam Duās ask was very cautious but Grandma Guo had understood: āMadam, there hasnāt been any news!ā
Madam Du jolted with shock and frowned, āIt has been a long while and there hasnāt been any news? What if something bad had happenedā¦ā¦ā¦.ā
Grandma Guo whispered in reply, āMadam, donāt you worry, we hired Qing Yanās most ruthless and powerful assassins. Even if Murong Xue is strong, she wouldnāt have escapedā¦ā¦ā¦ā
āDo you mean him?ā an icy voice rung out and an indistinguishable object flew across the room and landed in front of Madam Du.
Madam Du lowered her head and peering at her was severed head with bloodshot eyes. There was blood oozing out from the eyes and the entire head was drenched with it. Drops of it had made its way into Madam Duās porridge, staining it redā¦ā¦ā¦.
āAhh!ā Madam Du screamed out in terror.
Her arms were flailing with fear and they accidentally hit the severed head. It rolled under the table. Madam Du stood up panickily and wanted to leave the table but she slipped and fell with a heavy thud.
In the corner of her trembling eyes, she looked up as Murong Xue walked slowly towards her. Her light blue dress robe was swaying with her movement and her beautiful face was smiling. Her eyes, however, were cold with malice.
āYouā¦youā¦.you..ā Madam Du pointed at Murong Xue. She was so stunned she couldnāt speak, her body trembled like sieving flour: Murong Xue had returned, she was really backā¦ā¦.
āStep grandmother, I am human, not a ghost, you need not be so surprise! Even though you have hired many assassins to kill me but I got lucky and survived. But they didnāt!ā
Murong Xue smiled, she was holding more than one severed head. One by one, she threw them mercilessly at Madam Du:
āSurely, they arenāt strangers to you? They are the assassins you hired! You spent so much silver but couldnāt get rid of me, what a pity. So I brought back their heads to let you know that you have bought their lives instead and your pay didnāt go to wasteā¦ā¦ā
Madam Du was just the wife of a rich man. She knew how to scheme and hire assassins but she had never seen such a gory and bloody scene. The bloody heads Murong Xue threw had left her robe soaked with blood. It had stained her skin and she could feel the stickiness of it. It made the hair on her neck stood at ends.
And those heads had vacant eyes, it was as if they were glaring at her, making soundless accusations at her. She broke down into a cry, āHelp meā¦ā¦help me!ā
Grandma Guo came to her senses and paced quickly to put herself in front of Madam Du.
She looked coldly at Murong Xue and said, āMadam happens to be your great grandmother. Even if she did do something wrong, you are not fit to punish herā¦.ā
Grandma Guo was kicked 3 to 4 meters afar. She knocked against the wall and fell with a heavy thud. She spat out blood, it felt as if all her bones in her body had shattered.
āThe owner of this palace is speaking, when was it your turn to intervene?ā Murong Xue peered at Grandma Guo, āYou think I donāt know that you are her accomplice? Youāre also involved in hiring assassins to kill meā¦ā¦.and you still use that old hagās position to threaten me? You obviously donāt know where you belong!ā
Murong Xue kicked Grandma Guo once more. She rolled 3 to 4 meters away and hit the wall. She wailed with pain before passing outā¦ā¦.
Murong Xue gracefully walked towards Madam Du. She then lifted one of the heads and swayed it in front of Madam Du, āItās just a head, everyone has one of those on top of their necks. Itās not like youāve never seen one before, why are you so afraid? Is it because you feel guilty? Oh so you can feel guilt too, what a rare thing to witnessā¦.. ā
A sudden shout filled the air, Madam Du was charging towards Murong Xue with a dangerously sharp hair pin, flames of anger ablaze in her eyes, āIāll kill you, Murong Xue!ā
Kill her? Clearly, she doesnāt know what sheās capable of!
Murong Xue laughed coldly. She grabbed her wrist roughly and applied pressure. The breaking of bones could be heard. She had broken Madam Duās wrist. The hair pin fell on the ground.
āAhh!ā Madam Du wailed loudly with pain.
Murong Xue raised her brow and gave her a brutal kick, āShut up!ā
Madam Duās aged body hit the wall from the impact and her wailing stopped. Beads of sweat rolled down her wrinkled face and her brows knitted together. She curled up into a ball of pathetic agony.
Murong Xue walked up to her and gave her another merciless kick which made her roll to the table and hit it with a heavy thud. The impact sent the contents of the table crashing and pouring onto her ā plates, bowls, food. It was a terribly humiliating sightā¦ā¦.
Murong Xue walked towards her slowly. Ignoring the leftover food all over Du, she grabbed her collar when suddenly a voice said, āShe is well advanced in her years and canāt take many blows. If you keep kicking her, she might lose her life!ā
āAhh donāt worry, I know what Iām doing!ā Murong Xue smiled and grabbed Duās collar even more tightly, āAll because this is your first crime, I am sparing you. If you dare hire assassins to kill me again, I will cut your head off and kick it like a ball.ā
After threatening Madam Du, she released her grip and Du collapsed. Without turning her head, she walked out of the room. The air once again carried her icy warning to Madam Du: āDonāt treat me as a joke, I have never made jokes to my enemies. Even if you borrow the royal palaceās bodyguards, I can still kill you!ā
The maidservants who were in the room were trembling terribly in the corner. Murong Xue ignored them and walked out.
An arm lied on the floor, blocking her way, Murong Xue pretended not to see it and stepped on it while exiting.
āAhh!ā Grandma Guo yelled, her wail of pain so loud that it shook the heavens aboveā¦..\n