Chapter 2: Who Shall Pay with Their Life?

Cheng Yunjian and Cheng Fenglan were twins, their brows bearing a certain resemblance.

Cheng Xi looked at them coldly.

Seeing Cheng Xi in such a state, Cheng Zhouxing's rage grew even greater. "Since you already left the mansion three years ago, what are you back for now? I will act as if I don't have a daughter like you—get out!"

"What am I back for? Naturally, to seek justice." Cheng Xi gave a mocking smile. "Cheng Zhouxing, do you dare to take your twins with me to have their bone age tested?"

"You dare to address your father by his given name! You are disobedient and unfilial, ignoring your elders!" Cheng Yunjian frowned and said angrily.

"A child born of adultery, yet you dare to speak in front of me, the legitimate daughter of the first wife? What are you?" Cheng Xi sneered. Seeing the bewildered look on Cheng Yunjian's face, she raised her eyebrows slightly. "Oh, you don't know yet? Your mother gave birth to you and your sister only half a year after marrying into the family."

Cheng Yunjian turned to look at his mother. How could that be?

Impossible!

"Shut up!" Cheng Zhouxing's face turned livid. "You are siblings by blood; what good does it do you to ruin his reputation?"

"In my early years, I wanted to live in harmony with you all, but you insisted on driving me out of the Cheng Family. It seems there is no benefit for me in being on good terms with you. Blood relatives? Who is a blood relative of yours?"

Facing her son's questioning gaze, Li Shi finally tore off her hypocritical mask completely. "I knew your father first. If it weren't for your mother, he should have married me. It was your mother who snatched my husband away; this is what she owes me!"

"Cheng Zhouxing abandoned you for the sake of his future, marrying a woman with a richer dowry and a better background. You don't blame him for being selfish and heartless, yet you hate my mother instead. My mother didn't even know about the illicit affair between you and Cheng Zhouxing; how innocent was she?"

Cheng Yunjian looked at his father and mother in disbelief, while Cheng Fenglan slightly averted her eyes and pursed her lips, saying nothing.

Lady Tai clutched her chest in a rage. "You, shut your mouth!"

Ignoring Lady Tai, Cheng Xi looked at Cheng Yunjian. "Your upright father is a despicable and shameless villain; your tolerant and kind mother is a harlot who committed adultery and conceived out of wedlock; your loving grandmother is an old hag who tormented her daughter-in-law. This is the background you are so self-righteous and proud of. Isn't it laughable?"

Cheng Yunjian looked at his father, then at his grandmother and mother, his face full of shock and disbelief. None of them looked at him!

How could it be like this?

"What exactly do you want?" Cheng Zhouxing quickly calmed down. "The matter of the Jiang Family breaking off the engagement with you was Jiang Weiran's own decision. If you want to blame someone, you can only blame him."

"You and Li Shi are truly husband and wife. Li Shi blames my mother, and you tell me to blame Jiang Weiran. Are you both good people, then?" Cheng Xi was full of mockery.

"The Jiang Family has been noble for generations; how could they let someone without talent like you become the wife of the heir?" Cheng Fenglan said in a deep voice. She knew she couldn't suppress her with family ties and filial piety, so she simply changed tactics. "This marriage, even without me, you and he would never have succeeded."

"Whether I succeed with him or not is our business; it is not a reason for you to seduce your future brother-in-law."

Cheng Fenglan was, after all, a young girl. How could she handle such words? She glared viciously at Cheng Xi. "He and I are truly in love!"

"True love? That's wonderful. I chopped off one of Jiang Weiran's arms for breaking the engagement. Since it's true love, I suppose you will surely marry him for the sake of love, right?"

The Cheng family was completely stunned.

Cheng Xi had chopped off Jiang Weiran's arm!

Cheng Zhouxing's vision went dark, and he nearly fainted. His mind was now filled with thoughts of how he would handle it if the Jiang Family came to hold him accountable.

He was only a Vice Minister; he couldn't afford to provoke the Zhenguo Duke Mansion!

This daughter of his was truly here to collect a debt!

Cheng Zhouxing looked at Cheng Xi with a dejected expression. "Are you satisfied now?"

Lady Tai clutched her chest and glared fiercely at Cheng Xi. "What exactly do you want?"

If this child stayed any longer, the Cheng Family would be finished along with her!

"I want justice. Can you afford to give it? My mother's life—who will pay for it?"

"Your mother died of illness back then!"

"If Li Shi hadn't revealed your illicit affair to my mother, would she have died of a broken heart?"

Cheng Zhouxing suddenly said, "You are my, Cheng Zhouxing's, daughter. If I am ruined, how well could you fare? Xixi, we are a family; we should sit down and discuss the matter of Jiang Weiran's severed arm properly. If the Zhenguo Duke Mansion comes to hold us accountable, neither you nor I can escape!"

Cheng Xi thought that for Cheng Zhouxing to reach the rank of Inspector, he was indeed capable of bending and stretching, and skilled at manipulating human hearts.

"You have probably forgotten one thing: why did Jiang Weiran and I become betrothed in the first place?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Li Shi and her daughter changed.

"If the Zhenguo Duke Mansion comes to hold anyone accountable, they won't come to me."

This time, Cheng Zhouxing also shut his mouth.

If it weren't for the illicit affair between Cheng Fenglan and Jiang Weiran, why would Jiang Weiran have broken off the engagement with Cheng Xi? And if the engagement hadn't been broken, why would Cheng Xi have chopped off one of Jiang Weiran's arms?

Cheng Xi's mother had saved Jiang Weiran's life; Jiang Weiran had returned kindness with enmity. The Zhenguo Duke Mansion could not possibly target Cheng Xi further, so their rage could only be directed at Cheng Fenglan.

Cheng Fenglan's face turned pale for a moment, then she looked at Cheng Xi again. "I have the talent of a Talisman Master and am valued by Yuan Dashi. I will soon be his apprentice." After saying this, she revealed a triumphant smile. "How could the Zhenguo Duke Mansion vent their anger on me? I fear they will immediately finalize the marriage between me and Brother Weiran."

Mentioning Yuan Dashi, Li Shi's confidence returned. She looked at her daughter and said, "What is the use of saying these things to a piece of trash? I doubt she can even understand."

Cheng Xi looked at Li Shi and her daughter with a mocking smile. "Then wait until the apprenticeship is successful before talking. You haven't even become an apprentice yet, but you've already started bragging."

Cheng Lady Tai looked at Cheng Xi and said angrily, "Your sister is exceptionally gifted; she is the glory of the Cheng Family and your glory as well. To be so narrow-minded is simply unfilial and inhumane..."

Before Cheng Lady Tai could finish her sentence, she saw that Cheng Xi had already turned and left, ignoring her completely. Her face turned black instantly.

"Where are you going? If you dare to step out of this door, don't you ever set foot in here again!" Cheng Zhouxing shouted at Cheng Xi's back.

Hearing this, Cheng Xi turned back to look at Cheng Zhouxing. "This mansion is my mother's dowry. If anyone is to get out, it should be you!"

Cheng Yunjian frowned and looked at his mother. "Is this mansion really the dowry of the eldest sister's birth mother?"

Li Shi said displeasedly, "Since she married your father, her things are naturally your father's. Why distinguish between yours and mine?"

Cheng Zhouxing's expression darkened, and he remained silent at the sound of this.

Cheng Fenglan withdrew her gloomy gaze from Cheng Xi, turned to look at her father, and said, "Father, your daughter has a way to reattach Brother Weiran's severed arm. Please accompany your daughter to the Zhenguo Duke Mansion."

"You really have a way?" Cheng Zhouxing was overjoyed.

Li Shi and Cheng Lady Tai also looked at Cheng Fenglan with joy and asked, "Feng Lan, is what you said true?"

Cheng Fenglan took a piece of Talisman paper from her sleeve and placed it on the table. The surface of the paper shimmered with golden light and was engraved with complex patterns; if one stared at it, it would actually make one feel dizzy.

Cheng Fenglan had someone bring a brush, wrote on the Talisman paper, and then threw it into the air. The Talisman paper disappeared into the horizon like a shooting star.

At this moment, Cheng Xi, who was walking through the mansion, suddenly paused. She turned to look at the sky and then reached out to grab at the void. "Receive!"

A golden light instantly fell into her palm.