Chapter 167: Unhappy, She Really Beat Her

Great families have rules and do not permit arbitrary behavior.

Members of cultivation families have varying cultivation bases; if the powerful could shout for blood and kill within the family, what would become of order? Even non-cultivation families cannot resort to violence at the slightest disagreement.

Especially killing or beating one's own kin is absolutely forbidden. Even a family patriarch would never strike someone without cause; one must act with reason and evidence, winning people over through virtue.

He Shi: "..."

Qin He's constant scheming is indeed detestable, but there seems to be no reason to beat her now. Qin He slandered Qin Bi, and Qin Bi can tear off Qin He's hypocritical mask. The Hou Fu will deal with it, and Cui Shi will also punish Qin He.

Instead of saying anything, Qin Bi simply struck.

Qin Bi called for a beating, and Qin Xun actually slapped Qin He too. These two children.

Violence is not allowed; pull them back first. He Shi glanced at Qin He, who lay on the ground, dazed. She deserved it. He Shi said, "Ask what happened first. No one is to strike anyone else."

So, the one who was struck must endure it first.

Qin Yan Hou's wife shared this sentiment: "Help Qin He up."

Qin Yan and several concubine-born daughters had already stepped forward to help, along with Qin Jue's wife. Qin He was utterly humiliated and furious. One cheek bore a handprint from Qin Bi, the other from Qin Xun. The siblings had targeted the same side of her face, leaving two uneven marks.

Being slapped in front of so many people was the height of shame.

Especially being struck by a young master of the Hou Fu, it was even more shameful.

A girl being beaten by her own elder brothers only happens if she has committed a grave error.

Qin He thought of being struck and thrown to the ground just moments ago, filled with rage and vexation. Qin Jue's wife examined Qin He's bruised face and said, "They struck too hard; this is bullying!"

Qin He immediately began crying to Cui Shi, her eyes filling with tears: "Mother, Qin Bi, relying on her status as the Heir's Wife, is showing off her power in her natal home and bullying us of the Second Branch because we have no one. You cannot let her go unpunished."

Qin Xun was utterly exasperated: "Qin He, could you not just say a little less?"

He could not beat Qin He to death, but if Qin Bi struck, she would surely kill Qin He.

"Why should I say less? What happened to your skill in beating people just now?" At this, Qin He's eyes truly turned red, and tears fell with a pitter-patter. She turned to Cui Shi and the people of the Second Branch: "Mother, Brother, the Fourth Branch is too oppressive. This is not just beating me; Qin Bi and Qin Xun are slapping the face of the Second Branch."

Qin Xun was so angry he nearly fell over backward. She was asking for trouble.

Provoking Qin Bi, and Qin He would have to face the consequences.

Qin Bi's killing intent was heavy; Qin Xun had seen it early on. Qin Xun was not protecting Qin He at the expense of Qin Bi; mainly, Qin He was a member of the Qin Yan Hou Fu, and she truly could not be killed.

Cui Shi's face showed anger. Qin He looked at the crowd again: "Everyone saw it. I did not slander Qin Bi. She struck me without distinguishing right from wrong; she beats people without reason, a shrew."

Qin Bi moved to strike again. He Shi was startled: "Qin Bi."

Qin Bi stopped. With someone like Qin He, there was no need to argue pointlessly; just strike. If she didn't submit, keep striking. Talking nonsense to Qin He wouldn't hurt her; she deserved a beating.

"What?" Cui Shi's face darkened: "Qin Bi, you intend to strike someone right before my eyes? You give neither me nor your Second Uncle any respect! I said I would punish Qin He if she was wrong. Striking a sister in the manor in front of elders—is this how your legitimate mother taught you?"

"Exactly," Qin He's legitimate younger sister glared: "Beating people without reason. You used to be timid and submissive; I underestimated you. The moment you became the Heir's Wife, your true nature was revealed."

At these words, everyone's gaze toward Qin Bi changed. Could it be that Qin Bi's previous timidity was all an act? The moment she became the Heir's Wife, she no longer held her natal family in her eyes?!

If only others thought this way, it would be one thing, but if the Fourth Branch thought so too...

Qin He's legitimate sister's words would easily make the Hou Fu reject Qin Bi, including the entire Fourth Branch family that had always protected her. No one liked someone who played schemes against their own family, especially someone who turned her back on them the moment she rose to prominence.

"My legitimate mother is very good," Qin Bi defended He Shi. It seemed she still had to argue a bit. She said, "Was I timid and submissive before? So I am so unworthy in the eyes of my Second Cousin. Second Aunt, how I behave is not my legitimate mother's fault. As for Qin He, did Second Aunt teach her to say outside that I secretly bore He He Shizi's child?"

Qin Bi was the Heir's Wife formally married to He Yan. If Qin Bi bore He Yan's child, no one could criticize her.

Only Qin He had a mouth to talk nonsense? Since this had escalated to the education of the legitimate mother, Qin Bi did not mind arguing with Cui Shi. She wanted to see whether He Shi taught well or Cui Shi taught well.

Both were concubine-born, children of concubines. For a legitimate mother to teach them well required not just effort; the nature of concubine-born daughters could not be changed.

"You child," Qin Yan Hou's wife said, "Your Second Aunt would not teach Qin He to speak like that."

For the head mistress to teach a concubine-born daughter such gossip would be laughed at; the entire Hou Fu would lose face.

Slandering others is one thing; slandering one's own sisters is vicious.

Cui Shi felt a block in her heart and looked coldly at Qin He: "Did you say this?"

They had asked before; Qin He had avoided the main issue.

At this moment, Qin He naturally would not admit it. She stubbornly endured the humiliation, her eyes red, and said, "I did not. I only heard someone say it. I kindly asked a question. Those words were not spread by me."

"What a cowardly look," Qin Bi sneered. "So I spread those words myself?"

"I did not say that," Qin Bi retorted coldly.

A fierce expression flashed across Qin Bi's dazzlingly beautiful face: "But those words were brought to my face. Everyone talks behind others' backs, but no one else chattered in front of me. Only you danced those words right before my eyes."

Having finished speaking, Qin Bi was too lazy to deal with Qin He: "Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt, do you not think Qin He deserved to be beaten? Was one slap not too kind to her? If she had slandered someone else, that person would not have given her just one slap."

"She was slapped twice," Qin He's legitimate sister jumped out and shouted.

Qin Bi's mouth twitched. Was there any difference between one slap and two?

There was a difference between being dead and being alive.

Qin Yan Hou's wife and her sisters-in-law also seemed to feel that if what Qin Bi said was true, these two slaps were nothing. Who else but Qin He had a loose tongue? Cui Shi was even clearer that Qin He had likely played another scheme.

Who could have thought Qin Bi was not a harmless person?

Cui Shi did not know Qin Bi well, only that the concubine-born daughter of the Fourth Branch was usually quiet and did not cause trouble, unlike Qin He who loved to show off. She never expected that when Qin Bi was unhappy, she would really beat people!

Cui Shi glanced at Qin He. What a troublesome thing. If you were going to say it, say it. If your mouth was so good you could turn lies into truth, Cui Shi could at least save some face.

Now, the Second Branch had lost all face.

You cannot even win a battle of words against Qin Bi. What a useless thing.

Qin Xun asked Qin He: "Did you really say this?"