Chapter 2: Haunting of the Broken Temple

"I'm fine."

She gently grasped her hand, but for now, dealing with the enemy was urgent.

The hulking man's vision was blurred, he could see nothing; the excruciating pain drove him insane, and his sword swings were completely uncoordinated. Shen Qingquan easily dodged the attack, grabbed the dead soldier's blade beside her, and slashed his thigh!

Then, another slash!

Within the Broken Temple, his gut‑wrenching screams kept echoing, chilling anyone who heard them.

She deliberately avoided his vital spot; soon, he collapsed, barely alive, with blood spilling everywhere.

She hoisted the blood‑stained greatsword and walked step by step toward the Sixth Sister.

At this moment, the Sixth Sister's gaze was hollow, but when she saw her, a faint light began to gather in her eyes.

Her nose went sour; this really was her Sixth Sister, the pure‑hearted, spirited, slightly spoiled yet always clingy biological younger sister.

Ning Shi shakily cradled the scar‑covered Shen Qingci, crying so hard she was no longer human in shape.

She still came back too late…

Shen Qingquan looked at her, tears slipping down.

A pair of gaunt little hands clasped her; the Sixth Sister's face was covered in blood, swollen and red, and she struggled to give her a smile, opening her mouth to say something silently.

—Sister, don't cry.

In an instant, her tears fell like rain.

Her Younger Sister!

The best Sixth Sister!

She should have been in the prime of her youth, yet suffered such a calamity!

Hatred surged like a mountain‑crushing wave, engulfing her.

She held back her tears, placed the blood‑stained blade into her palm, and her cool eyes offered encouragement.

She seemed to understand something.

She slowly looked toward the blood‑splattered hulking man not far away…

"Go, don't be afraid, Sister is here."

Those words seemed to inject power into her icy body; her eyes filled with hatred, the previous helplessness, despair, and fury erupted like molten lava!

She let out a roar and, as if maddened, rushed to his side, hacking wildly!

Blood splattered all over her!

Scalding, crimson.

Until the man fell silent, his flesh shredded beyond recognition and unable to move… a pair of hands grasped her.

Meeting Sister's dark, gentle gaze, Shen Qingci could no longer hold back and threw herself into her arms, sobbing loudly!

Shen Qingquan held the Sixth Sister, her eyes gazing toward the night sky, serene and cold.

Revenge had only just begun.

Shen Qinya, Xia Chengche!

And the Xia royal family—those who once oppressed and humiliated her—she won't spare any of them! You all just wait!

…

Shen Qingquan's shoulder throbbed with pain, and she vaguely heard sobbing.

Father, mother.

Brother.

Younger Sister…

Scene after scene of blood‑red flashes passed, and she suddenly opened her eyes to see her mother and Younger Sister's worried faces.

"Qinger, are you awake?"

She looked at them and finally recalled everything that had just happened in the Broken Temple…

"Qinger, you scared mother to death. You fainted just now…"

A sharp pain shot through her shoulder. "Mother, where's Brother? Father?"

"Your brother is still unconscious; your father is fine."

"Sister…"

Beside her, Shen Qingci's eyes were blood‑shot, her pale, colorless face swollen and bruised, and upon seeing her awaken, she lunged into her arms.

"Sister! Sister!"

"Sister is here, don't be afraid."

She quickly calmed herself; at that moment, Shen Juancheng approached, "Qinger, this is the medicine I found on the soldiers… use it quickly…"

"I'll take it."

Ning Shi hurriedly took it; she looked at the hunched, gaunt, inhuman father before her, recalled the once refined, graceful, steady father, and couldn't help her eyes redden.

But after only a few months, the father seemed ten years older.

Countless words swirled in her heart, but now was not the time.

"Father, we'll rest here for a while and leave before dawn. Grandmother's fate is uncertain, and these soldiers' corpses must be dealt with thoroughly…"

"I understand. You rest; I'll handle it."

But after one night, the eldest daughter seemed to have grown up.

He, as a father, could not protect his children, and instead caused his beloved daughter to suffer…

His heart was desolate,

But now is not the time for his sorrow!

He turned to deal with the soldiers' corpses.

Shen Qingquan then came to the unconscious Brother, saw his emaciated, blood‑splattered face, and felt another surge of hatred in her heart!

She quickly composed herself, administered medicine to Brother, and checked his pulse.

Having lost too much blood, he was very weak, and after traveling nonstop without food for many days… not only Brother, but also father, mother, and Sixth Sister had not eaten for a long time.

On the road of exile, they ate the wind and slept in the dew, starving without a bite. The Shen clan collapsed, and all manner of demons and monsters sprang up, as if eager to trample them.

She only learned in her previous life that this involved Xia Chengche and her good sister's "handiwork". It was to make her suffer enough that, after he emerged, she became even more grateful and devoted to him.

This life, she will never do that!

Now the most important thing is food!

Also warm clothing, clean water, and supplies!

Because the flood will arrive soon!

She remembers clearly that at this time in her previous life she had been unconscious; when she woke on the second day, her father was carrying her, but he had become separated from mother and Younger Sister.

The flood raged, and the already frigid winter weather brought heavy snow, with dripping water turning to ice, making their already arduous exile route even more miserable.

Father, carrying her and the unconscious Brother, was nearly killed by the flood's onslaught. Their wandering journey led them to be captured by a group of refugees, who almost ate them like lambs.

Father fought to the death to protect them, breaking three ribs and sustaining permanent injuries; even though he survived, when he learned that mother had died and Sixth Sister was abducted by Japanese Pirates, his grief overwhelmed him and he died of depression before reaching forty.

Later, she searched the four seas but could not locate Sixth Sister; only at the end did she learn that Sixth Sister had originally fallen into Shen Qinya's hands, was locked in the Red Sleeve House, tormented all day, and died early.

And she… ended up treating her enemies as benefactors, not realizing they were the true jackals and tigers!

A fierce hatred flashed in her eyes. Shen, Qinya, Ya, you must live well! We'll meet again soon!

She calmed herself: revenge must be taken, but impatience would ruin the grand plan.

Now, what she must do is first protect the whole family, and safely get through when the flood arrives.

Now, with one hour left until dawn, she must hurry to prepare!

Ah, right!

Choubao!

Thinking of this, she immediately let her consciousness dive into the system, "Choubao! Are you there?"

Ping!

"Choubao is dead; if nothing else, please burn paper!"

A baby‑voiced, fluffy little cotton puff appeared in the air with a pop.

At this moment, inside her body was a bright white space, and a cotton‑ball‑like mass materialized in the air.

"Choubao, how did you become like this?"

Choubao is the spirit of her Island System.

In her previous life—no, her first life—she possessed a modern soul, was the CEO of a listed company, a definite winner in life.

She never imagined that on the day the company went public, she went from extreme joy to tragedy, got into a car accident, and then transmigrated to ancient Xia Dynasty, becoming the newborn legitimate daughter of the Shen Family, Shen Qingquan.

She adopted a "make the best of it" attitude, yet her life turned out to be full of hardships: her clan was destroyed, she was blind to the wrong people, and ultimately met a tragic death.? This novel first appeared on 17K Novel Network; see the official content promptly!