"Qiu Momo, let's not beat around the bush. Did Madam Zhang send you to follow me?"
She raised her delicate eyebrows, her phoenix eyes flashing with a sharp chill.
Meeting her icy gaze, Qiu Momo shivered involuntarily. She braced herself and denied, "This old servant was merely passing by!"
"Oh?"
Feng Ninghe clearly didn't believe her. She waved her hand, and a wound instantly appeared on Qiu Momo's neck.
The wound was small, but bright red blood spurted from it.
Qiu Momo clutched her wound and took a step back, watching her warily. "Eldest Miss, I am the most trusted嬷嬷 by Madam. Do not act rashly."
The Feng Ninghe before her was vastly different from five years ago, making Qiu Momo instinctively fearful.
However, after a moment, Qiu Momo regained her composure.
Feng Ninghe was just a useless cripple who couldn't cultivate. She, on the other hand, had managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage with Madam Zhang's help. There was no way she should fear this little cripple.
"Five years ago, was it you who exposed my whereabouts?"
Feng Ninghe took a step forward, closing in on Qiu Momo. "The moment my mother died, you eagerly defected to Madam Zhang."
Qiu Momo drew a sharp curved saber, narrowed her eyes, and lunged at Feng Ninghe. "Eldest Miss, you can ask your mother these questions when you meet her in the afterlife!"
Before the curved saber could touch Feng Ninghe, it shattered into pieces with a mere point from Feng Ninghe's finger!
Qiu Momo froze, but in a moment, she reacted and charged at Feng Ninghe with her fists.
However, Qiu Momo couldn't even catch sight of Feng Ninghe.
Feng Ninghe had already circled behind her and yanked her arm with immense force!
"Ah!"
Qiu Momo's arm was directly dislocated.
She contorted in pain, her screams echoing through the forest.
Qiu Momo was terrified. Without a second thought, she turned and fled!
Her cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet she couldn't even withstand a single move from Feng Ninghe.
This little slut, wasn't she unable to cultivate?
How could she be so capable now?
Watching the fleeing figure, Feng Ninghe sneered. She quickened her pace, her form blurring as she appeared before Qiu Momo.
She gave Qiu Momo no chance to escape. Casually picking up a green leaf from the ground, she used it as a blade and severed the tendons in one of Qiu Momo's feet.
"Ah!"
"Eldest Miss, spare me!"
Qiu Momo gasped in pain, her body going limp as she collapsed to the ground, nearly losing consciousness.
With her tendons severed and blood gushing, Qiu Momo was utterly incapable of escape.
Feng Ninghe looked down at Qiu Momo from above. "What did Madam Zhang send you to do?"
Qiu Momo blurted out, "Madam ordered me to follow you, report your every move, and if given the chance, to kill you."
"Pfft."
"She sent a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to kill me? How laughable."
Feng Ninghe let out a low chuckle. She looked at Qiu Momo impassively. "What else do you know about my mother?"
Qiu Momo shook her head vigorously, but the guilt and unease in her eyes were clearly visible to Feng Ninghe.
She picked up another green leaf and with a gentle slice, easily severed the tendons in Qiu Momo's right hand. "If you say something useful, you can keep your left hand. If not..."
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
A sheen of sweat covered Qiu Momo's forehead. The pain made her gasp, and she feared the demon before her would deliver a fatal blow.
Feng Ninghe toyed with the green leaf in her palm, tilting her head slightly to look at Qiu Momo, clearly waiting for an answer.
Qiu Momo's eyes were filled with terror. Her lips trembled fearfully. "Your... your brother's death on the battlefield was no accident."
This statement instantly captured Feng Ninghe's attention.
Her eyelids twitched violently, and her gaze deepened. "What do you mean?"
Qiu Momo's face was a mask of despair, and she was on the verge of kowtowing for mercy. "Eldest Miss, your brother was young and exceptionally talented. With him around, he would have inherited the Feng family. This was not what the Master and Madam wanted..."
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Feng Ninghe's mind. She gritted her teeth.
The implication was that her brother's death on the battlefield was a result of a conspiracy.
Her "good" uncle and aunt had treated their family like fools.
The original owner of Feng Ninghe's body was not born a cripple but had her spiritual meridians blocked by external means.
Her arrival had cleared the blocked spiritual meridians.
Over the years, she had used countless spiritual elixirs and medicines to cleanse her body, but it still couldn't withstand her original spiritual power.
She could only gradually improve her cultivation. However, at critical moments, she could break through her body's limitations and use her own strength, but doing so came with consequences...
Feng Ninghe slowly stood up. She grabbed Qiu Momo's chin. "You should have died five years ago. Living another five years was more than enough."
Before Qiu Momo could utter another word, Feng Ninghe swiftly drew her long sword and slit Qiu Momo's throat.
In the forest, silence reigned.
Qiu Momo, now a cripple, died on the spot!
Feng Ninghe didn't spare her another glance and walked away.
Only after she had left did a figure hidden in the shadows stir.
Si Jianye stared at Feng Ninghe's retreating form, his gaze darkening slightly.
Last time, in the Storm Black Hole, he had sensed an unusual aura from Feng Ninghe.
The aura had vanished in an instant.
Today, after entrusting Si Xin Xin to A Xi, he had deliberately followed, wanting to confirm his suspicions. However, this time, he detected nothing.
Could it have been his imagination?
Considering Feng Ninghe had saved Si Xin Xin, he could overlook the matter of the pearl. But if there was a next time, he wouldn't hesitate to deal with her himself...
Feng Family, Poetry Garden.
Xiao Zhao eagerly awaited Feng Ninghe's return, its chubby paws clutching two golden hairpins.
Hearing movement, it quickly looked up.
Master!
Feng Ninghe's appearance filled it with ecstatic joy. It immediately pounced on her, its snowy white fur rubbing against her.
Whimpering, Xiao Zhao missed its master so much!
Feng Ninghe affectionately stroked its small head. "You're finally back. Don't switch identities so carelessly next time."
Then, her eyes fell on the items in Xiao Zhao's chubby paws. "What are you holding?"
Xiao Zhao then opened its hands. In its left paw was a golden hairpin, and in its right, a jade hairpin.
Master, which one do you like?
Xiao Zhao blinked its sapphire-like pupils, stars seeming to twinkle within them.
The two hairpins were each unique.
It was clear that the hairpin shafts were carved with lifelike flowers.
Feng Ninghe couldn't help but smile. "Did Xiao Zhao prepare these for me?"
Xiao Zhao nodded obediently.
Master, there's more than just these!
It bared its teeth and grinned excitedly, immediately retrieving a pile of items from its spatial bag, resembling a small mountain.
It dared not take out everything from the spatial bag at once, fearing it would startle Feng Ninghe.
Even so, this small mountain made Feng Ninghe gasp.
"Xiao... Xiao Zhao, did you go on a robbery spree?"