Chapter 135: Mother-in-Law vs. Daughter-in-Law

"You enshrined Xiao Jinguai, Bitao, and the others as gods?" Aunt Liu said with a complex expression.

"How do you know?" Xiao Yu asked in surprise.

Li Dan, the Lacquer Garden Official, left with a belly full of gloom and worry.

No one knew how the Prince of Qinghe County would deal with the "infant old demon ghost" who cried, "Don't look down on the poor youth."

But it had nothing to do with Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu wasn't afraid of Sui Lei Yuanzi; she only worried he wasn't strong enough.

"Jinguai and Bitao visited me in a dream last night—not just me, but many girls from Hongxiu Fang who were close to them also know about this."

"Sigh, I wanted to keep it low-key, but now I'm forced to become a legendary figure revered by all."

Xiao Yu sighed helplessly, picked up a steamed bun with her hand, chewed slowly, and said, "It's not a big deal, but the cost was high—such an opportunity won't come again."

"You never told me before," Aunt Liu said with a mournful look. "If I'd known dying could make me a goddess, why would I have screamed 'Help!'? I'd have just died and become the City God's Grandmother—how perfect that would've been!"

Xiao Yu laughed. "You screamed for help after I enshrined them."

"It was purely a spontaneous, impulsive act."

"Holding the Investiture of the Gods, I could see nearby spirits."

"Seeing Bitao and Xiao Jinguai's miserable state, I softened for a moment and casually slipped them into the Investiture."

"It wasn't premeditated—it was pure chance, fate's will. Regret won't change it."

"I didn't tell you because even I didn't know what would become of Bitao and Jinguai in the end."

"Because I illegally enshrined them as ghost gods, all my merit from the Hongxiu Fang assassination case vanished instantly."

"Xiao Little Fengxian, are you here?" A girl's voice called from the courtyard gate.

Xiao Yu replied, "Is it Sister Chun? I'm having breakfast!"

Chun herself pushed open the gate and walked into the courtyard, arriving at the small pavilion. Seeing Aunt Liu in her wheelchair, she was startled, bowed, then fell silent.

Xiao Yu asked, "Is it Jinlian looking for me? I'll go to Yihong Academy after I finish breakfast—is that fine?"

Since Prince Master Gongsun moved into Yihong Academy, Jinlian hadn't trained her in the "Little Peony Sword" again.

Xiao Yu hadn't gone to Yihong Academy to flatter the noble guest for days, and hadn't seen Jinlian since.

For Chun to come looking for her so early today was indeed strange.

"Prince Master Gongsun originally planned to invite Xiao Little Fengxian to breakfast," Chun stammered.

"Prince Master Gongsun wants to see me? What does he want?" Xiao Yu asked.

Aunt Liu sneered, "Almost certainly related to Bitao and Jinguai becoming gods."

Chun looked at her in surprise. "You know too?"

Aunt Liu snapped, "Who in Hongxiu Fang doesn't know by now? By noon, I guarantee the entire Qingshuiwan and half of Tianmen Town will be talking about it."

Chun relaxed, dropped her pretense, and said plainly, "Last night, Jinlian dreamed of Bitao. Bitao said that last night, the Eastern Imperial Envoy enshrined gods on Beishan in Luodu."

She recounted Jinlian's dream in detail, then added, "At first Jinlian doubted it, but after Prince Master Gongsun heard, he solemnly told her the Eastern Imperial Envoy truly would enshrine gods in Luodu—and the timing matched. He then wanted to host a banquet for Little Fengxian Sister."

Aunt Liu said coolly, "I've never heard of hosting guests with breakfast."

Xiao Yu said, "Sister Chun, look—I'm already eating breakfast. Why not wait? Let Prince Master Gongsun finish his meal, then I'll go to Yihong Academy to see him, how's that?"

Not long after Chun left, she ran back and said, "Prince Master Gongsun will prepare a grand feast at noon to entertain Little Fengxian Sister. You don't need to go this morning."

Xiao Yu glanced at Aunt Liu. "It was just a few words to say, and you turned it into a mess."

"He shouldn't have meddled!" Aunt Liu said.

Seeing the faint disdain on her face, Xiao Yu was speechless: When facing noble guests before, how eagerly you fawned! You even wanted to bring Tianmen Town's top courtesan to entertain them. Now, just days later, you've discovered noble guests are everywhere and their value has plummeted—and you're already looking down on them?

After leaving Xiao Wu Xiaojing Wang Xuan, Xiao Yu immediately noticed Hongxiu Fang had changed.

Almost every girl, daughter, and old aunt she passed on the path greeted her with respectful, flattering smiles.

After the Hongxiu Fang assassination case ended, they'd already changed their attitude once.

But that time it was fear of a demon; now it was not just respect, but warmth and flattery.

Just pushing Aunt Liu's wooden wheelchair from Xiao Wu Xiaojing Wang Xuan to the front garden pavilion, over twenty girls greeted her.

They didn't even avoid Aunt Liu, directly discussing with her the construction of a "Holy Aunt Temple."

"Since Hongxiu Fang collapsed by half and is now being rebuilt, why not add a small chapel inside, enshrining Bitao, Xiao Jinguai, and the other twenty-eight Holy Aunts?" said Qing Luo, another "Red Card" of Hongxiu Fang.

Courtesans had ranks: Shao Yao, Zi Wang Xuan, Hong Wei, and others with fame outside Hongxiu Fang, who hosted elite patrons in their own private courtyards, were considered Flower Queens—Shao Yao was the pinnacle among them.

Jinlian ranked next, as Hongxiu Fang's top courtesan; the deceased Bitao and Xiao Jinguai, and Qing Luo now, were the next tier—"Red Cards"—then came the ordinary girls, and below them, tea girls and maids.

Girls like Zi Ying were still competing—future "Second-Generation Shao Yao," or "Second-Generation Jinlian"; if they grew ugly or ruined themselves, their fate would be worse than a maid's.

As a Red Card, Qing Luo still had some face in Hongxiu Fang.

But Aunt Liu gave her none, sneering, "Build a Holy Aunt Temple in a brothel, enshrining nothing but whores? Only you could dream up such a thing."

Qing Luo retorted, "We're whores, but Bitao and Xiao Jinguai are now officially enshrined gods by the Eastern Imperial Emperor. Does being a whore in life mean you're forever a whore?"

Aunt Liu sneered, "If you truly care for Bitao and Xiao Jinguai, forget them entirely."

"Don't build any Holy Aunt Temple. Don't speak of them again. Pretend they reincarnated once and are now completely severed from Hongxiu Fang."

"Just like if one of you ever marries well, you'd never hope your former sisters come knocking at your door."

"Even if they did come, they'd have to sneak in through the back gate."

Qing Luo's face darkened, but she couldn't utter a single rebuttal.

Xiao Yu smiled. "Auntie, no need to be so harsh. As the saying goes, heroes don't ask about origins—the Eastern Imperial Emperor—"

She suddenly fell silent.

She'd meant to say the Eastern Imperial Emperor himself rose from obscurity—"Are kings and generals born of noble blood?"

But the words stuck in her throat—she'd arrived too early. Liu Bang and Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't risen yet!

All Eastern Imperial Emperors so far were hereditary nobles.

"The Eastern Imperial Emperor doesn't disdain Bitao and Xiao Jinguai's origins. The Eastern Imperial Envoy personally bestowed their divine seals. Why do you belittle yourself?"

She thought a moment, then added, "But enshrining ghost gods in the front pavilion is inappropriate."

"Build a small chapel in a secluded corner of the back courtyard. Don't hang any sign saying 'Holy Aunt.' Just write two big characters: 'Toilet God.'"

"Below the Toilet God, place twenty-eight small gilded clay statues."

"If Bitao and Jinguai have spirit, they'll sense it, absorb the incense offered by others, and surely protect them."

"Little Fengxian Sister speaks wisely!" Qing Luo said quickly.

"Let's do it. There's a small empty patch beside the kitchen—we can build the chapel," the women declared, making the decision for Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

The girls, aunts, and daughters of Li Xiang Garden were too enthusiastic—Xiao Yu couldn't bear it, and fled back to Xiao Wu Xiaojing Wang Xuan with Zi Ying.

"Xiao Little Fengxian, you must watch me closely—don't let me fall."

Xiao Yu was used to practicing swordplay on rooftops; Zi Ying had no internal Qi and had never left flat ground before.

"Don't worry—I'm right beside you. You can't fall even if you try."

"Qi" is the foundation of transcendence. Whether one has internal Qi, and how strong it is, makes a vast difference.

Before cultivating breath techniques, Xiao Yu could only guarantee she wouldn't fall.

With internal Qi, she'd become almost a little superhuman—her movement and reaction speeds greatly enhanced.

Even now, sitting atop the roof's "spirit beast," six meters from Zi Ying, she could easily protect her.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu focused on three things at once: using her purple palace to deduce the flaws in the Southern Sea Nun's immortal art, silently circulating internal Qi, and guiding Zi Ying's sword techniques—when suddenly, a commotion erupted from the back courtyard.

"Damn it, damn it! You woman, pouting and smirking like that, slandering me behind my back!"

"Tell me honestly—since you came into my family as a daughter-in-law, how many times have I favored you? How dare you turn heartless?"

Xiao Yu stood up and turned to look. An old woman stood behind the second gate's stone wall, pointing and shouting furiously.

The gate, corridors, and walls blocked her view.

But from the voice, Xiao Yu recognized her: Wang's Old Court Lady—the wife of Master Wang.

"Mother-in-law, what's wrong? Why are you shouting at my courtyard?"

The reply came from a young woman.

Xiao Yu had seen her this morning: Nie Shi, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wang family.

A woman of extraordinary beauty.

Though comparing her to a courtesan was impolite, Xiao Yu thought if Nie Shi entered Hongxiu Fang, she'd be at least a Red Card—perhaps even a "Tianmen Town Famous Courtesan" like Jinlian.

Not because Nie Shi was promiscuous—only because of her appearance and bearing.

"Don't call me 'mother-in-law,'" the Old Court Lady cried. "I'm a greedy, status-obsessed little person. How dare you let me claim you as a daughter-in-law? Won't you shame me to death?"

Nie Shi had stepped out from the main house's small courtyard; her lake-green skirt was faintly visible.

She smiled. "I've said not a single harsh word to hurt you, Mother-in-law. Why are you so angry? Could it be someone is stirring up trouble?"

Xiao Yu's interest sparked.

Though watching others' family fights was impolite, she'd lived two lifetimes—and this was her first time witnessing an ancient mother-in-law and daughter-in-law feud.

She leapt lightly, crossing eight zhang from Xiao Wu Xiaojing Wang Xuan's roof to the eaves of the Wang family's inner courtyard.

She hid under the shade of the tree, openly watching the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law feud below.

Uh—she'd actually grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds to snack on.

The Old Court Lady roared, "Don't lie! Heaven watches all you do! You've slandered me countless times behind my back—barely stopped short of slapping my face—and still dare to smirk here?"

"Since this unfilial, unworthy woman came into my Wang family, what have I not done for you?"

"When you first arrived, bareheaded and barefoot, with only two old trunks and a few hemp clothes—that was your entire dowry."

"Yet I immediately dressed you in pearls and jade, draped you in silk, moved you into your own grand courtyard, and gave you servants to command—endless comforts."

"You don't even think about how to repay your in-laws' kindness, yet behind their backs you gossip and spread my faults to outsiders—surely heaven will not tolerate this!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu immediately thought of Aunt Zhang and Widow Huang.

Could it be that Nie Shi had quietly gossiped about the old lady, and they'd passed it on to the Head Matriarch's ears?

Nie Shi still smiled and said, "Madam, have you forgotten? It was the Wang family who begged Matchmaker Sun to come and plead on their behalf."

My father knew our family was poor and could not possibly match their status—he flatly refused. But Matchmaker Sun insisted, saying, 'The Wang family's Head Matriarch is exceedingly virtuous, not greedy for wealth or silk, valuing talent above all.'

I'm just an ordinary maid, with no talent to speak of, yet the Wang family insisted.

It wasn't me who forced myself upon them.

If Madam wishes to reclaim your fine robes and ornaments, I have two old trunks—my clothes inside are more than enough to wear."

Xiao Yu quietly gave her a thumbs-up: First round, Nie Shi's daughter-in-law wins!

The Head Matriarch flew into a rage: "What a cunning, sharp-tongued harridan! You refuse to reflect on your own sins, yet keep stabbing your mother-in-law right in the gut!"

"Let me ask you— is Feng Ni Po in your courtyard?"

"Feng Dry-Mother?" Xiao Yu gasped, looking past Nie Shi toward the smaller courtyard behind her—no one was there.

"What's wrong with Feng Dry-Mother? The Red Sleeve Courtyard is haunted—others may not know, but surely Madam isn't unaware?"

"You were plagued last night! Your daughter-in-law and the neighbors discussed summoning a great immortal to exorcise the evil spirits!"

"Old Man Li and the others, greedy for cheap deals, went to seek out the dog-meat Daoist from Xianyun Temple."

"I was uneasy, so I used my private savings to hire Feng Dry-Mother."

Nie Shi had kept smiling throughout, but now her smile turned to grievance: "But I hired Feng Dry-Mother—for Madam's sake!"