Chapter 14: Not Worth Sympathizing

"It hurts!"

The National Preceptor's left hand clamped down hard on his gushing right hand, staring in disbelief at the two severed fingers on the ground.

He goggled his pea-sized eyes, staring dumbfounded at the little doll in front of him who barely reached his thigh.

The little doll's eyes were wide and round, her face fierce, glaring at him through gritted teeth—looking like a small beast ready to pounce and bite at any moment, with some unknown weapon buzzing in her hand.

The sharp pain yanked him back from his shock, and the National Preceptor shouted toward the outside.

"Someone come quick! Help—"

Before he could finish, Cheng Qiuyun burst in and knocked him out cold.

Seeing a familiar face, the fear and fright Xiao Yu'an had been holding back could no longer be suppressed.

The small hand gripping the Chainsaw suddenly let go, and the little one ran over crying to clutch her aunt's thigh.

"Waaah… Elder Aunt, it was so scary!"

Cheng Qiuyun gathered him into her arms and comforted him softly.

"It's alright, it's alright, Elder Aunt is here."

Xiao Yu ran out with the other girls, but when those girls saw the door open, they all fled crying.

Only Xiao Yu didn't leave; she knelt before the aunt and nephew.

"Eldest Sister, please, please save me!"

Cheng Qiuyun raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with a meaningful gaze.

"They all ran. Why didn't you escape?"

Xiao Yu lowered her head, her eyes darting, in a timid tone.

"There are too many Guards outside. A child like me could never escape."

She sneered smugly to herself.

Good thing those fools ran off on their own. Otherwise, seeing so many of them, these two might think it's a bother and refuse to save me.

Yu'an turned his head from his aunt's arms to look at her.

"Why did you drug me just now?"

"What?!"

Hearing this, Cheng Qiuyun was greatly shocked. She carefully examined the little one in her arms.

"How do you feel? Anywhere uncomfortable?"

Yu'an shook his head.

"I'm fine."

Seeing he truly showed no signs of anything wrong, Cheng Qiuyun finally breathed a small sigh of relief, and the look she turned on Xiao Yu carried a cold, murderous edge.

Xiao Yu's expression stiffened. She lowered her head, her words evasive.

"I—I just wanted to survive. I still have a little brother at home. My mother has already passed, and my father took a Step-Mother. If I die too, what will become of my brother?"

As she spoke, she kowtowed heavily several times—thud, thud, thud.

"Eldest Sister, Little Sister, please, I beg you, save me."

It was Yu'an's first time facing a situation like this, and he was at a loss.

He didn't want to forgive this person, but her forehead was already broken and bleeding from the kowtowing.

He instinctively turned to look at his aunt beside him.

But his aunt simply watched him quietly, saying nothing.

【Fairy Sister, this person seems really pitiful.】

An Luo curled her lip.

Pitiful?

Not necessarily. Look at how smoothly she acted and moved earlier—clearly she's hurt plenty of people this way before.

【Then does Yu'an want to forgive her?】

Yu'an pursed his little mouth and thought for a moment.

【I don't want to.】

An Luo nodded. That's more like it. She had no desire to raise a saintly doormat.

【Then don't forgive her. Elder Sister supports any decision Yu'an makes.】

【Suffering misfortune cannot become her reason to hurt others. The moment she laid hands on the innocent, she stopped deserving sympathy.】

Hearing these words, Yu'an felt warm inside.

Fairy Sister said she'd support him no matter what!

He looked at Xiao Yu, gave a humph, then crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away.

"No need to explain! Anyway, I will absolutely never forgive you!"

Seeing this, Cheng Qiuyun's lips curved into a faint smile, a flash of approval passing through her eyes.

She had deliberately stayed silent just now, wanting to see how this little one would choose.

From the day Yu'an was born, the entire Pingnan Marquis Residence had shielded him in the palm of their hands; he had never witnessed the wickedness of the human heart.

As the future heir of the Pingnan Marquis Manor, being simple and guileless naturally wouldn't do—but Grandmother couldn't bear to let him face those cruel, dirty schemes too early, always thinking she'd deal with it after a while, until it was put off again and again.

But now things were different. The Pingnan Marquis Residence was gone, and Father and the others were also…

Yu'an had to grow up!

Hearing that "won't forgive," Xiao Yu's movements faltered for a beat, then she kowtowed even harder.

"I'm sorry, Little Noble One, it's all my fault. Please don't hold a petty person against you, don't lower yourself to my level."

Yu'an secretly glanced at her, then casually looked away, speaking in a tsundere tone.

"Hmph! The door is right there, leave if you want. I'm not like certain people — I would never deliberately cause trouble!"

Outside the screen, watching the little one's tsundere attitude, An Luo wished she could climb into the Live Stream Room and ruffle him a couple of times.

Cheng Qiuyun lowered her gaze and shook her head to herself.

Yu'an was still soft-hearted. Well, she'd teach him slowly in the days to come.

She had Cheng Feng take him out first.

"Wait!"

Yu'an ran to the corner, picked up the Chainsaw, took out a handkerchief, carefully wiped the bloodstains off it, then cradled it in his arms like a treasure.

The Divine Artifact Fairy Sister gave him — he absolutely couldn't lose it.

Cheng Qiuyun and Cheng Feng looked in confusion at the strange-looking object in his arms, mottled black and red.

Is this... a blade?

But there's a chain hanging off the blade — how would one even cut someone with this?

Their gaze fell on the two severed fingers on the ground.

But it really was very sharp.

Xiao Yu glared resentfully at Yu'an's retreating back.

They clearly had the ability to save her — why had they turned a deaf ear to her desperate pleas?!

She had only used a little Softening Powder, yet they had watched her die without lifting a hand!

And wasn't that little brat fine in the end anyway?!

That child would only be weak for a while, but if she stayed here any longer, she'd be dead sooner or later!

Fine — since you won't save me, then don't even think about getting out yourselves!

Xiao Yu's eyes darted; she glanced at the moonlight outside, silently calculating in her heart the time it would take the Guards on patrol to reach this side.

The moment Cheng Qiuyun turned her head, she caught that malicious look in Xiao Yu's eyes.

Xiao Yu quickly lowered her head, her expression shifting over and over.

Cheng Qiuyun gave a cold laugh and ignored her.

The Cheng Family Army's blades can slay the Enemy Army, can behead Treacherous Ministers, but they will never turn their edge against the old, the weak, women, and children.

But to simply let go of someone who had hurt Yu'an and harbored such immense hostility toward them — she couldn't swallow that either.

Cheng Qiuyun drew the Dagger hidden in her boot, walked over to the unconscious National Preceptor, the killing intent in her eyes nearly taking solid form.

Framing the Pingnan Marquis Residence, plotting against so many Loyal Ministers, and harming so many Innocent Girls...

A 'puchi' sound rang out in the room.

Cheng Qiuyun drove the Dagger deep into the National Preceptor's heart.

Seeing the scene, Xiao Yu clapped a hand over her mouth, sucked in a cold breath, and bolted for the door.

She was about to shout loudly, to call the Guards over, but before she could step out of the room, an icy-cold voice that cut to the bone rose behind her.

"Go ahead and try — see if you run faster, or my Dagger flies faster!"

Hearing that voice, Xiao Yu's legs went weak with fright. She froze, turned around slowly, and looked at Cheng Qiuyun with eyes full of terror.

Looking at the Dagger in her hand still dripping blood, she felt blackness wash over her vision in waves.

She really would kill her!

"I won't say a single word, I beg you, please don't kill me."

She regretted it — she shouldn't have been scheming against them just now.

Cheng Qiuyun ignored her, instead splashing all the wine in the room onto the floor, then pouring several more jars over the National Preceptor, and finally taking out a Fire Folder and tossing it out.

Soaked in strong liquor, the flames spread fast — in an instant, they were completely out of control.

Cheng Qiuyun walked slowly toward Xiao Yu with a half-smile.

Xiao Yu took a few steps back.

"You, you want to..." do what?

Before she could finish, Cheng Qiuyun's hand darted out and tapped her body in a single swift motion.

Xiao Yu opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.

Having done all this, Cheng Qiuyun turned and walked away.

Want to go tattle, to use others as stepping stones to escape?

Then I'll just make sure you can't speak!