Chapter 8: The Youth
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She furiously pointed at Sheng Xiayan’s nose, shouting sternly, “I am your mother, and yet you dare speak to me like this! Do you even know what manners are?”
“It’s precisely because your father and I know your nature to be so willful that we have tried to temper your fierce temper. Yet, look at what you’ve become. What sin have I committed to give birth to someone like you...”
The lady feigned heartbreak so convincingly that her eyes turned red with feigned sorrow; an uninformed observer might have believed her truly distraught.
But such petty theatrics were utterly ineffective against Sheng Xiayan.
Memories of the past surged within her mind; Sheng Xiayan clearly saw through it all.
Seething with rage, she spat, “Bah! How dare you call me your daughter? Is there such a cruel mother in the world as you? I am the one cursed through countless generations to have such parents!”
“If you are so dissatisfied with me, then write a letter right now to sever all ties between us. We can both be free and no longer have to endure your madness in my ears.”
Sheng Xiayan rolled her eyes in disdain, refusing to show her any mercy.
The lady’s throat tightened, feigning exasperation as she lunged to strike Sheng Xiayan.
But Sheng Xiayan was no pushover; as she dared to approach, Sheng Xiayan swiftly retaliated with a slap right across her head.
Madam Jiang froze in place, utterly shocked that this wretched girl would actually dare strike her!
She pounded her thigh in fury. “Outrageous! You shameless wench dares to lay hands on me! Guards, seize this wretched girl at once!”
Her venomous glare swept over the nearby servants.
Several servants immediately surged forward, attempting to capture Sheng Xiayan.
But contempt curled at Sheng Xiayan’s eyes and brows — these mere lackeys thought they could catch her? What a fool’s dream.
With hands on her hips, she fiercely kicked one of the servants.
Taking advantage of their distraction, she swiftly fired a poisoned needle from a concealed device.
The poison was silent and swift — death would appear sudden and natural, like a sudden collapse.
This was more mercy than they deserved.
She kicked several more servants, each falling dead on the spot.
Madam Jiang was utterly stunned, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
Her face turned ghostly pale, her limbs icy cold.
Instinctively, she blurted out, “Since when did you become so skilled in martial arts?”
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She had no recollection of ever arranging for Sheng Xiayan to be taught martial arts, nor had she ever known her to possess such skills.
In the past, whenever she was bullied to the brink of death, all she ever did was cry, never once resisting...
Could it have been an act all along? If so, how could she have maintained the facade for so many years? But if it wasn’t an act, then how could all of this be explained?
Only now did Madam Jiang belatedly realize that Sheng Xiayan’s past frailty might have been a sham.
Sheng Xiayan yawned, too indifferent to bother with them.
Her gaze swept over the remaining servants who were retreating in terror.
Her tone was light and careless. “Whoever dares come at me first will be the first to die. Your lives belong to yourselves; dying for others is never worth it! You all have families—think carefully about what I say.”
She exuded an overwhelming aura of dominance that was intimidating to behold.
Especially her eyes, which glimmered with a chilling light, as if commanding all living things to submit wherever she went.
Seeing the fate of the others, the remaining servants fled in a flash.
Stretching lazily, Sheng Xiayan grabbed Madam Jiang by her clothes and flung her out the door as if discarding a piece of trash.
“Stray cats and dogs aren’t welcome in my courtyard. If you dare disturb me here again, I will make you regret it and beat your teeth to the floor!”
Sheng Xiayan glared fiercely, brandishing her fists in warning.
Madam Jiang stomped with rage, wishing she could rush forward and tear Sheng Xiayan’s face apart.
Seeing her so furious yet powerless to punish her, Sheng Xiayan felt a surge of satisfaction.
With many maids watching, Madam Jiang was unwilling to lose face.
If she failed to suppress Sheng Xiayan today, she would become a laughingstock and could no longer maintain her position here.
“Sheng Xiayan, you are utterly insolent! Beware, I will tell your father and have you punished according to family law. Not only have you bullied your sister, but you have also defied your elders and violated filial piety, a grave breach of decorum! If you knelt before me now, I might forgive you for being the one who bore you.”
She cleared her throat, maintaining an air of superiority.
Sheng Xiayan burst into loud laughter, scrutinizing Madam Jiang with a smirk.
“With your petty, twisted nature, how could you possibly have given birth to a daughter with such grace and dignity as me? You could only produce someone like Sheng Xiayi — a wild, desperate girl who flings herself at any man she sees. If you want to be my mother, you’d better try reincarnation next life.”
With a sneer, Sheng Xiayan slammed the door shut with a kick and strode inside with an air of hauteur.
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Madam Jiang’s dignity shattered into pieces, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Sheng Xiayan, you wretched girl, mark my words, one day you will pay the price! I want to see just how long you can stay so arrogant — you’re nothing but a lowly wretch...”
She spat Sheng Xiayan’s name as a curse.
The nanny nearby chimed in, “Yes, Madam, Second Miss has gone too far, defying her elders like this. We must inform Master so he can discipline her properly. And we should spread the word, so she knows she has no shame and will never find a husband.”
“Shut up!” Madam Jiang snapped at her angrily, slapping her several times with righteous indignation.
After scolding her thoroughly, she stormed back to her bedroom, locked the door from inside, and began rummaging through her belongings.
Finally, she found a finely crafted box.
On it was inscribed Sheng Xiayan’s birth details, along with a small jade pendant — all belonging to Sheng Xiayan.
Her thoughts drifted, her eyes gleaming with inscrutable intent, her lips curling into a faint smile.
She shook the jade pendant, her gaze filled with sinister malice.
“You little wretch! How dare you shout at me? Given time, I will surely see you meet your doom...”
Back then, she had suffered a persistent heaviness in her chest, a chronic illness.
She had spent two years bedridden, sleepless at night, until one day she met a fortune teller.
The fortune teller said she was fated to face a calamity soon—that was why her chest felt so heavy.
Only by keeping a girl with a special birth chart nearby could she avert the disaster.
That was why Sheng Xiayan had been kept in the household all along — merely as a tool to extend her life.
The fortune teller had made it clear: if the girl died unexpectedly, it would mean the calamity had been transferred, and her own disaster would disappear.
For years, she had hoped Sheng Xiayan would die by accident, but the girl had always escaped danger unscathed.
Sheng Xiayan had always been obedient and well-behaved, to Madam Jiang’s satisfaction. Now that her nature suddenly changed...
Madam Jiang furrowed her brow slightly, placing the jade pendant back into the box.