Chapter 112: Fighting for Rights

Hua Liulang cherished storage artifacts so dearly that, desperate to defeat He Dalang, he summoned infinite courage and perseverance; even with scant combat experience, he grew braver with every setback.

Watching He Dalang be beaten into a节节 retreat by Hua Liulang, Hua Changxi's mood finally shifted from gloomy to bright, while the expressions of He San, Hua Tai, and Hua Zhong turned somewhat ugly.

All three had realized that Hua Liulang was being put forward by Hua Changxi to slap the Hou Fu in the face.

He San's expression grew grave; if the He family's eldest grandson were injured by his concubine's natal family, he would surely be blamed by the senior branch, and with little influence in the Hou Fu to begin with, his position would become even more difficult.

Thinking thus, He San quickly glanced at Hua Tai, signaling him to step forward and stop Hua Liulang.

Hua Tai wore a bitter expression; as a mere mortal, how could he intervene in a fight between cultivators?

Hua Liulang clearly obeyed Hua Jiuniang, and as for Hua Jiuniang, how could he possibly control her?

This girl was unruly by nature; from their first meeting, she had shown little reverence for him as an elder. Without Hua Bin keeping her in check, his words would carry no weight.

Seeing that Hua Tai was of no use, He San felt annoyed and resentful, shifting his gaze to Hua Zhong.

Hua Zhong made no move either; he had come this time essentially to take the side of Hua Bin's family, letting Hua Bin's household and the other clansmen know that the Bo Fu was their backbone, and that if any daughter of the Hua family met with trouble, the Bo Fu would definitely step forward to support them.

He simply hadn't expected Hua Jiuniang to be so uncompromising, directly restricting the freedom of He San and those around him, and now openly inciting Hua Liulang to fight He Dalang with deadly intent.

Had she not considered that acting this way would offend the Hou Fu?

Hua Zhong glanced at Hua Changxi, whose lips constantly held a smile, and his heart skipped a beat; this Ninth Young Lady was clearly projecting an attitude of fearing no offense to the Hou Fu.

Who gave her such confidence?

Hua Zhong shifted his gaze again to Hua Liulang, who was locked in fierce combat; the number of cultivators in Hua Bin's lineage differed from what the Bo Fu had anticipated, which was another unexpected development.

Besides Hua Liulang, were there other cultivators in Hua Bin's lineage?

Recalling Hua Shiniang's identity, Hua Zhong harbored some suspicion: if the entire family of Hua Minghe were cultivators, then Hua Shiniang, as a direct disciple of the Taosu Palace Sect Master, certainly possessed such capability.

Was it the fact that her whole family were cultivators that gave Hua Jiuniang her confidence?

If so, then she was far too naive.

Seeing that Hua Zhong would not intervene either, He San grew extremely angry and could only confront Hua Changxi directly: "Ninth Lady, are you determined to make things this awkward?"

Hua Changxi shifted her gaze from the duel between Hua Liulang and He Dalang to look at He San, smiling as she said, "Third Master, it is merely a sparring match; you are making a mountain out of a molehill."

He San took a deep breath: "Fifth Lady and the child must still live in the Hou Fu in the days ahead; even sparring among relatives should know when to stop, otherwise Fifth Lady will feel uneasy in her heart."

Hua Changxi's smile vanished: "Third Master, my Fifth Sister suffered difficult labor, giving birth from yesterday until today; the first words you mention regarding her are not concern for her safety, but using her to threaten her family."

"You... truly have a heart hard as iron and cold beyond measure; toward the woman who bore your child, you can treat her life as worthless grass, showing not a shred of concern."

"Our family has been here for no short time, yet you have not offered a single explanation to any one of us regarding the cause of my Fifth Sister's difficult labor."

"It is evident that you look down on our family from the bottom of your heart, thinking us easy to dismiss, isn't it? Believing that a few vague excuses would suffice to fool us?"

"Let me tell you, this matter concerning my Fifth Sister is not over."

Saying this, Hua Changxi looked at Hua Tai and Hua Zhong: "Whether you invoke the authority of the Bo Fu or that of Master Hua Tai, it will be of no use; my Fifth Sister has her own natal family to stand behind her."

He San was so angered by Hua Changxi's words that his chest heaved uncontrollably; just as he was about to retort, he saw a troop of people running swiftly toward the small courtyard.

Both Hua Liulang and He Dalang were Qi Sea realm cultivators, and the commotion of their fight was considerable enough to alert everyone in the Hou Fu.

Leading the arrivals was Second Master He of the Wuyi Marquis's residence, followed by the male members of the Hou Fu and the young men of the He clan who resided on spiritual veins.

"Where did these audacious rogues come from, daring to run wild in the Hou Fu?"

"Third Lang, go and subdue that rogue entangled with your eldest brother."

Second Master He had already seen that He Dalang was struggling to cope, so he quickly ordered the He family's most formidable junior, He Sanlang, to step in and assist.

He Sanlang hesitated for a moment before charging out nonetheless, instantly turning the battle into a two-against-one affair.

He Sanlang's cultivation aptitude was even higher than He Dalang's; already a peak Qi Sea realm cultivator, his entry forced Hua Liulang into passive defense, and soon he was beaten by the two brothers until he lacked any power to counterattack.

According to He Sanlang's original intent, suppressing Hua Liulang should have ended the fight, but unexpectedly, He Dalang was unwilling to stop.

Having been beaten into a节节 retreat by Hua Liulang earlier and losing such great face, he naturally sought to redeem himself; seeing Hua Liulang restrained by He Sanlang, he attacked Hua Liulang with all his might.

Seeing He Dalang intent on killing Hua Liulang, Hua Zhong immediately shouted at Second Master He: "Second Master, this is merely sparring among relatives; stopping once the point is made is sufficient."

Before arriving, Second Master He had already learned what had transpired in the third branch; although annoyed that the Hua family had come to the Hou Fu to cause trouble, he had not intended to go too far.

However, he did not immediately order He Dalang and He Sanlang to cease; he intended to teach the Hua family a lesson, letting them know that the Hou Fu was not a place where just any cat or dog could run wild.

Seeing that Second Master He did not stop him, He Dalang's attacks on Hua Liulang grew even more ruthless.

Helpless, He Sanlang could only assist from the side.

Hua Changxi watched this scene coldly, making no move to help Hua Liulang.

Once one embarks on the path of cultivation, a cultivator will sooner or later encounter life-and-death crises; what her Sixth Brother lacked was tempering, and letting him experience some life-and-death dangers in advance was no bad thing.

He San, Hua Tai, and Hua Zhong were all watching Hua Changxi; seeing her make no move, their hearts all felt unsettled.

Especially Hua Zhong, who was meeting Hua Changxi for the first time, worried that her previous actions had been nothing but bluffing, that she actually possessed no real strength, and now that things had spun out of control, she could only watch Hua Liulang being beaten.

Under the joint assault of He Dalang and He Sanlang, Hua Liulang's passive beating was secondary; the critical issue was that his spiritual energy was depleting far too quickly.

Seeing his spiritual energy nearly exhausted, he simply threw out the Four Directions Flag given to him by Hua Changxi, trapping He Dalang and He Sanlang within the Four Directions Formation, and seized the opportunity to take out a bottle of top-grade First-Rank Fire Recovery Pills and swallow them.

Seeing Hua Liulang swallow ten pills at once, instantly recovering twenty to thirty percent of his spiritual energy, the expressions of everyone present who knew even a little about pills changed.

Only Hua Changxi furrowed her brows slightly.

She needed to raise her alchemist rank quickly; if she could refine Second-Rank spiritual pills, where would her Sixth Brother need to swallow ten Fire Recovery Pills at once to restore his spiritual energy?

Apart from the journey to Mount Wuzhi, she had not gone out for much tempering, causing her to overlook the cultivators' demand for pills.

With He Dalang and He Sanlang trapped in the Four Directions Formation, Hua Liulang had intended to catch his breath, but unexpectedly, the flags of the Four Directions Formation suddenly began to shake.

"Roar~"

A golden-yellow tiger emerged from He Sanlang's body, and while emitting a deafening roar, the tiger spirit shadow conjured from spiritual energy fiercely lunged at Hua Liulang.

Like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, it directly knocked over the Four Directions Formation flags, its blood-filled maw biting toward the stunned Hua Liulang.

It was easy to imagine that if Hua Liulang were bitten, he would undoubtedly suffer severe injuries.

Everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the tiger phantom, so much so that they forgot to react.

Just as the widely opened tiger jaws completely enveloped Hua Liulang, ready to snap shut, a giant hand condensed from fire spiritual energy grabbed the tiger by the neck; with a 'crack', the tiger's spirit shadow was crushed into fragments.

"Ah~"

He Dalang let out a miserable scream, crashed to his knees with a thud, and then clutched his chest in agony, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Dalang!"

Seeing He Dalang injured, Second Master He was both shocked and furious. Glaring at Hua Changxi, who had suddenly emerged from the small courtyard to stand behind Hua Liulang, he shouted, "You have immense audacity, daring to injure a scion of my Marquis's household! Men, seize her for me!"

The He family disciples standing behind Second Master He were clearly startled by Hua Changxi's earlier display, yet they dared not disobey his order. Gritting their teeth, they charged toward Hua Changxi.

With twenty or thirty people rushing at once, Hua Changxi found it tedious to deal with them one by one. She gathered spiritual energy in her hand, preparing to eliminate them all in a single strike, when she suddenly sensed danger descending from above.

Looking up, she saw a golden fierce tiger, even larger and more imposing than the one He Dalang had previously condensed, quietly materialize in mid-air. It opened its blood-soaked maw and bit down toward her.

Hua Changxi instinctively wanted to hurl a Fire Lotus to incinerate the tiger completely, but recalling that the tiger was likely the He family's bloodline totem, and considering Hua Wuniang and her child, she retracted her spiritual energy. Instead, she condensed a giant hand and slapped it toward the fierce tiger.

The fierce tiger collided with the giant hand. Although the hand shook slightly, it showed no sign of dispersing, while the tiger's spiritual shadow became somewhat unstable.

The fierce tiger halted in mid-air, glanced at Hua Changxi through the giant hand, and then vanished as silently and unobtrusively as it had appeared.

Upon seeing the oversized fierce tiger, the expressions of Second Master He and Third Master He had already changed. Now, witnessing the tiger voluntarily retreat, the shock in their eyes was nearly impossible to conceal.

Hua Zhong also guessed the identity of the owner of the oversized fierce tiger, and his heart was shaken beyond measure.

Hua Changxi had actually repelled Marquis Wuyi!

What exactly was her cultivation level?

"Ninth Sister!"

Hua Minghe's anxious voice broke the silence at the scene.

Fourth Brother Hua had arrived, bringing Hua Minghe and the Hua Family Elder with him.

Seeing the Hua Family Elder, Hua Tai felt a desire to see him more urgent than ever before: "Brother Bin, you have finally arrived."

Hua Minghe had not witnessed the earlier exchange between Hua Changxi and the fierce tiger, but the lingering aura of grim slaughter in the air was not unfamiliar to him, who had dealt with bandits for years; a fierce battle had just taken place here.

Seeing Hua Changxi and Hua Liulang surrounded by He family disciples, standing together with few allies, Hua Minghe's expression tightened, and he strode forward quickly.

Supported by Fourth Brother Hua, the Hua Family Elder reached the entrance of the small courtyard. Seeing the red spiritual energy barrier at the gate, he asked with some confusion, "What is this?"

Hua Tai glanced at Hua Changxi: "Your Ninth Sister created it."

The Hua Family Elder fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Hua Changxi: "Ninth Sister, why did you create this?"

Walking toward the small courtyard alongside Hua Minghe and Hua Liulang, Hua Changxi replied, "You should ask Third Master He about that. Fifth Sister was nearly killed by someone; naturally, I cannot let the culprit escape."

Third Master He frowned tightly: "No one harmed your Fifth Sister. She simply fell, which caused the difficult labor."

Hua Changxi did not argue with him, merely stating, "Third Master He, do you dare to swear a Heart-Demon Oath? You are a cultivator; if you dare to swear that Fifth Sister's difficult labor was not caused by human intervention, with the penalty that your cultivation will make no further progress should you lie, then if you dare, I will believe your words and immediately remove the spiritual energy barrier."

Third Master He knew the impact a Heart-Demon Oath had on a cultivator, so naturally, he would not swear it.

Seeing his silence, Hua Changxi scoffed and looked toward Fourth Uncle Hua and the Hua Family Elder: "Grandfather, Fourth Uncle, someone administered a drug causing massive hemorrhage to Fifth Sister while she was in labor. Had I not arrived in time, Fifth Sister would likely be dead already."

"Moreover, when I arrived, I happened to hear Third Master He say to save the child but not the mother. In his eyes, Fifth Sister's life was not a life at all."

Hearing this, the Hua Family Elder's brows knotted together. He both hated Third Master He for his heartlessness toward his fifth granddaughter and felt annoyed at his ninth granddaughter for being relentless now that she had the upper hand. The situation had become too stiff; no one would benefit.

Fourth Uncle Hua wore an expression of pure anguish, trembling as he asked, "Where is Wuniang? How is Wuniang?"

Recalling how Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt had previously approved of Fifth Sister entering the Marquis's household as a concubine, Hua Changxi felt somewhat displeased: "She is hanging on by a single breath."

Hearing this, Hua Minghe glared at her: "Speak properly. Can't you see your Fourth Uncle is beside himself with worry?" Saying this, he glanced at the spiritual energy barrier. "Remove the barrier; let us go in first to check on Wuniang and the child."

Hua Changxi said nothing, waved her hand, and the spiritual energy barrier dispersed.

Watching the Hua family enter the small courtyard, Second Master He dismissed the He family disciples. After a moment of hesitation, he followed them into the courtyard as well.

In the past, he would not have deigned to notice the natal family of a concubine belonging to his庶弟 (younger half-brother), but the strength Hua Changxi had displayed changed his mind.

The Hua family possessed the capital to make him look upon them with higher regard.

After entering the small courtyard, the Hua Family Elder and Fourth Uncle Hua first inquired about the condition of Hua Wuniang, who was still unconscious, then examined the newborn child, before following Third Master He into the main hall of the upper residence to take their seats.

During this time, Lady He the Third had intended to leave the courtyard, but Hua Liulang, guarding the gate, blocked her. In a fit of rage and frustration, she stormed directly into the main hall.

"You people of the Hua family are bullying us excessively! As the principal wife, staying in a concubine's courtyard to watch over her labor was already the utmost benevolence and duty. Now that her natal family has arrived, you still refuse to let me leave. What logic is this?"

The Hua Family Elder, unclear about the full situation, looked toward the Hua Family Matriarch.

The Hua Family Matriarch glanced at Hua Changxi but said nothing.

Zhong Shi indeed wished to smooth things over, but Hua Tai and Hua Zhong simultaneously stopped her with their gazes.

Both men understood clearly: after Hua Changxi had caused such a huge commotion, if the He family did not provide a proper explanation, this matter would likely not end.

Hua Changxi looked at Lady He the Third: "Why is Third Lady in such a hurry? The decision-makers of our family have now arrived and are about to discuss the matter concerning my Fifth Sister. How can you not be present?"

Seeing Third Master He remain silent and offer her no support, Lady He the Third was furious. Just as she was about to speak, she heard someone announcing from outside the courtyard: "The Marchioness arrives~"

The next moment, a lady of dignified elegance, appearing to be only around forty years of age, entered the small courtyard, surrounded by a crowd of maidservants.

The newcomer was none other than Dou Shi, the principal wife of Marquis Wuyi!

Neither Third Master He nor Second Master He had expected the Marchioness to come in person; they both rose immediately to welcome her.

Hua Tai and his wife, along with Hua Zhong, had also not anticipated the Marchioness would appear, and they quickly stood up as well.

Seeing this, the Hua Family Elder and his group also rose to their feet.

"We pay our respects to Mother."

"We greet the Marchioness."

"We greet the Marchioness."

Dou Shi entered the main hall with a faint smile. Her gaze fell first upon Hua Changxi, for no other reason than that among everyone in the room, this young lady was the only one who had not bowed to her, merely observing her with an inquisitive look.

"Everyone, be seated."

Dou Shi took her seat at the place of honor, then restrained the smile on her face. Looking at the Hua Family Elder and the Hua Family Matriarch with an apologetic expression, she said, "It is my fault and the Marquis's fault for failing to educate Dalang properly, causing your family's young lady to suffer."

With a Marchioness personally offering them an apology, the Hua Family Elder and the Hua Family Matriarch felt somewhat at a loss, unsure how to respond.

Dou Shi then looked at the other members of the Hua family, her gaze lingering notably on Hua Changxi for a moment: "Concubine Hua suffered greatly during this labor, yet she has also added a male heir to the Marquis's household. The Marquis's household理应 (rightfully) owes a reward."

Saying this, she turned her gaze toward Third Master He.

"Third Son, your father and I have decided to promote Concubine Hua from a secondary concubine to a noble concubine; from now on, her monthly allowance will increase to ten taels, and we will allocate a separate courtyard for her residence, while also increasing the number of maids and older female servants attending to her accordingly."

Master He San hurriedly replied, "I shall strictly follow Mother's instructions."

Dou Shi turned to Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua, asking, "I wonder if you are satisfied with this arrangement?"

Old Master Hua, knowing that Fifth Daughter was out of danger and had already given birth, wished to let the matter rest; just as he was about to express his satisfaction, he heard Hua Changxi's scoffing laugh.

Dou Shi looked at Hua Changxi with a kind smile and a gentle demeanor, saying, "This young lady must be Concubine Hua's younger sister; do you have any objections? Feel free to speak them out for everyone to hear; whatever the Marquis Manor can do, we will do."

Hua Changxi looked at her and said, "Lady Marquis, did you personally come all this way just to say these things to dismiss us?"

Dou Shi's eyes flickered, and she asked with a smile, "Then what is it that you wish to say?"

Hua Changxi said, "We will not question how my Fifth Sister fell yesterday, but regarding the fact that someone administered medicine causing massive hemorrhage during her childbirth, you must at least give us an explanation for this matter."

Dou Shi's face showed surprise, and she looked furiously at Master He San and Lady He San, asking, "Is this truly the case?"

Lady He San immediately denied it outright, saying, "Mother, there is no such thing; this younger sister of Concubine Hua arrived and immediately assumed we intended to harm her; as a daughter-in-law, I feel truly grievously wronged."

"What kind of family is our Marquis Manor? We are a household of high gates and grand courtyards..."

Too lazy to listen to Lady He San's sophistry, Hua Changxi cut in, "Enough, stop crying冤 (claiming innocence)," then looked at the Lady Marquis and continued, "Though I am but an insignificant girl, I have studied medicine for a few years; someone sought to kill the mother to keep the child, intending for my Fifth Sister to die in difficult labor; this matter is as certain as a nail driven into a board, and no one is wronging you."

Dou Shi had now witnessed Hua Changxi's forcefulness and asked, "Since Young Lady Hua speaks with such certainty, do you have any evidence?"

Hua Changxi glanced at Hua Sixth Brother outside the door, who immediately dragged in a middle-aged woman who was unconscious; "This woman has the scent of medicine lingering on her hands; Lady Marquis is welcome to send someone knowledgeable in medicine to examine her and see whether it is the drug that causes massive hemorrhage."

Dou Shi glanced at Lady He San, cursed the fool in her heart, took a deep breath, and said, "The Marquis Manor will deal with this woman."

"Hmph!"

Hua Changxi scoffed again, her gaze upon the Lady Marquis shifting from previous seriousness to contempt, saying, "It seems that apart from Master He San, everyone else in the Marquis Manor also treats our family as fools."

"What grievance does this woman have with my Fifth Sister, and why would she want to put my Fifth Sister to death? What benefit would my Fifth Sister's death bring to her?"

"At most, she is merely an executioner acting on orders; by pushing out a pawn to take the blame, do you intend to let the true culprit who harmed my Fifth Sister escape justice?"

Dou Shi looked deeply at Hua Changxi, then suddenly turned to smile at Old Master Hua and asked, "In the Hua family, has this young lady now become the one in charge?"

Without waiting for Old Master Hua to speak, Hua Changxi said in an indifferent tone, "Lady Marquis, did you appear in person not to resolve matters, but to use your authority to suppress us and force our compliance?"

The smile on Dou Shi's face vanished; for the first time, she failed to manage her expression, revealing her true emotions before the Hua family.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense.

Seeing his mother confronted by a little girl over the matter of her half-brother, Second Master He glared angrily at Master He San and was about to speak in support when Dou Shi spoke first.

"Regarding this matter... the Marquis Manor will give your family an account and will severely punish the true culprit behind it."

Hearing this, Lady He San's face turned pale with fear, and she looked at Master He San in terror.

Master He San looked at the Lady Marquis, trying to discern whether her words were true or false.

Dou Shi paid no attention to the couple and looked at Hua Changxi, asking, "Do you have any other objections?"

Hua Changxi said, "We want to take my Fifth Sister and the child back with us."

"Impossible!"

Master He San stopped them with an angry shout.

Dou Shi also spoke with great firmness, saying, "Concubine Hua was properly brought into the Marquis Manor as a concubine, and the child is of the Marquis Manor's bloodline; it is absolutely impossible to allow them to be taken away; there is no room for negotiation on this matter."

Old Lady Hua, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stood up, walked over to Hua Changxi, pulled her aside, and whispered, "Your Fifth Sister is not like you; she is an honest child; if she is divorced and sent away, how do you expect her to live?"

Fourth Uncle Hua also joined in, saying, "Ninth Daughter, Fourth Uncle knows you are doing this for your Fifth Sister's good, but your Fifth Sister already belongs to the Marquis Manor; now that she has given birth, the Marquis Manor is her home."

Hua Changxi looked at the two of them, thought of Fifth Sister Hua's nature, and realized that whether to leave the Marquis Manor was a decision she could not make for Fifth Sister Hua; she could only strive to secure more rights for her first; after a moment of silence, she looked at the Lady Marquis and said, "My Fifth Sister must raise the child herself."

A kind smile rose on Dou Shi's face again as she said, "The Marquis Manor is not as heartless as you imagine; we likewise cannot bear to see a child separated from its birth mother; rest assured, the child born to Concubine Hua will be raised by her side."

Hearing this, Lady He San's complexion turned three shades paler.

Hua Changxi added, "In the future, on the first and fifteenth of every month, my Fifth Sister must bring the child back to her natal home for a short stay."

Dou Shi agreed quite decisively, saying, "Agreed; as long as Concubine Hua is willing, even if it is not the first or fifteenth, she may return to her natal home for a short stay."

At this, the rest of the Hua family felt extremely happy and satisfied.

Just then, Seventh Daughter Hua entered, walked over to Hua Changxi, and said, "Ninth Sister, Fifth Sister has awakened; she wants to see you."

Hua Changxi glanced at the people in the room, then quickly left to go see Fifth Sister Hua.

Seeing her leave, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief; even Dou Shi's brows and eyes appeared more relaxed than before.