《The Unfilial Daughter Qia Yun》 5 Arrival Of Bad News Back in the main house, Qia Zi had finally stopped crying and was currently sobbing silently, clinging on to General Qia. Suddenly, loud footsteps were heard. " Ahem, the Young Lord Of The Ming House has arrived!" A dignified, strict looking man stepped into the Main House. His face covered with a mask. General Qia''s face immediately turned black as he stood up in respect, gesturing his wife and daughter to follow suit. " Good Morning," The man simply said before giving himself permission to sit down. Without a word, General Qia sat down, silently questioning what he had done to incur a visit from the Ming family''s Lord, Ming Yao. He had made sure that the death of Ming Jie looked like an accident, did Ming Yao find out? Ming Yao took his time to settle into his seat before asking a simple question that placed General Qia into a frenzy, " Where is my sister''s daughter?" General Qia nervously wiped off beads of perspiration and swallowed his saliva, thinking of a quick excuse. " Answer me!" Ming Yao cruelly questioned, " Where is she! Qia Qi, answer me. You couldn''t even protect my sister and when I want to see my niece, you can''t tell me where she is?" General Qia shivered at the sound of his name. With his head bowed, he carefully replied, " After her mother passed and I took the current Madam Qia as my legitimate wife, she was difficult and ran away." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Ming Yao laughed with a hint of sarcasm. Ran away? Qia Yun was too sensible to be difficult. But, this father, immediately after his wife dies, marries a new one so quickly! What a joke! " Is that so? Well then, I trust that you have sent men to look for her?" Ming Yao crafted his words perfectly. General Qia nodded his head furiously, he knew that the Ming Family could not be angered. He seriously regretted killing Qia Yun. If he knew the consequences of killing them, he would have thought twice before acting. All of a sudden, Qia Zi interrupted the conversation with her high pitched voice, " Oh, Qia Yun isn''t a part of this family anymore! She has been done away with! I am the only legitimate daughter of General Qia! So if you are her bastard mother''s brother, then you can get lost!" Madam Qia''s eyes widened, did Qia Zi not know who this powerful man is? She pulled Qia Zi away and apologised profusely towards Ming Yao. To ease the atmosphere, General Qia invited Ming Yao to stay overnight as it had turned dark and it was dangerous to travel at such a timing, Ming Yao although unhappy, accepted. As Ming Yao was escorted to the guest quarters, General Qia led his family into the study, anxious to discuss what to do next. 6 Staying Over At The Qias " Qia Qi! That man! Why is he here? Could it be that he knows?" Madam Qia questioned, clearly fearful about her future. General Qia shook his head as he contemplated. Qia Zi sulking in a corner because of Madam Qia''s interruption just as she was talking to the ugly man. " Oh gosh! Qia Zi, your behaviour just now was terrible indeed, everything we got is going to waste!" Madam Qia continued lamenting. Qia Zi pouted, expecting her parents to comfort her. However, she was disappointed as General Qia started lecturing about the proper behaviour of a noble and genteel lady, " You must sit in silence until an adult calls upon you to talk! The Ming family is too powerful to anger! In fact..." Interrupting General Qia, Madam Qia crafted a beautiful plan, " Starting from today, Qia Zi, you must indeed be on your best behaviour and be extra sweet, kind and refined before the young Lord Ming Yao, and perhaps if he favours you, our family might be blessed and forgiven about Qia Yun''s death! A child for a child, Qia Zi can replace Qia Yun if she cooperates well!" General Qia''s slow brain caught up to it after a few minutes. Stroking his beard, he smiled. Yes! Everything would go his way. Qia Zi smiled, she wouldn''t mind living with that ugly man if it meant that she could live in more luxury. Outside, in the shadows, Li You and Xiao Li looked on at the disgusting family that were so scheming. Li You felt that he could understand why Qia Yun would run away from her family. Xiao Li visibly holding back tears as she watching them, she had never known that Sir, Second Madam ( now Madam Qia, the first Madam) and Second Miss ( Qia Zi, now first Miss) would be so horrid. Li You pat her on the shoulder, comforting her and also signalling to leave. Xiao Li nodded her head. As the two jumped over the wall silently, Ming Yao smiled. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. " What''s up, Yao!" Li You casually greeted Ming Yao. Xiao Li was left at a loss. Li You pushed Xiao Li towards Ming Yao, quickly introducing her to him. Ming Yao nodded and introduced himself to Xiao Li. Xiao Li stared at him for a while before stepping to the side. Li You reported what he saw in the study to Ming Yao and grabbed two chairs, gesturing Xiao Li to have a seat. Xiao Li had heard from Li You that the scarred man before her was Miss Qia Yun''s uncle, but why hadn''t she heard of him before? Ming Yao stalled for a while to ponder on what Li You just reported before a loud " Smash!" was heard, Ming Yao examined the bloody fist he just smashed into the wooden table, ultimately destroying the table and hurting his hand. " How dare they plan to replace my niece with someone so inferior!" Ming Yao clenched his fist. Li You smiled, " That''s why you are avenging her and your sister, isn''t it? They really are too shameless." Xiao Li''s face twitched a little, showing a hint of anger. She wanted to end this family right away. Not understanding why this supposedly strong and powerful man couldn''t just kill them straight away. 7 Qia Yuns Stay Back in the Ming House, lost in her thoughts, a slender young woman sat on her bed picking at the hem of her long silk skirt. She had found out where she was and was currently, a little joyful that the Ming household stumbled upon her while she was unconscious at the bottom of the cliff. " Miss Yun? Would you like to go out for a walk? Sir Ming Yao told me that you need more sunlight." An elderly man interrupted her thoughts, " And dont pick at the hem of your skirt!" Qia Yun''s eyes immediately darted to her skirt while her hands left the hem to her side. " Well, I suppose the sun would be good!" She exclaimed, " The east garden sounds good, Mr Kun!" The elderly man nodded his head and held the door open, rolling his eyes at her, she had gone to the east garden also every day and it wasn''t even the most beautiful or majestic. Qia Yun stepped out into the sun, carrying a parasol that sheltered her from too much sun. Mr Kun ushered her to a stone bench that sat quietly under a tree. Sitting down, Qia Yun''s mind wandered off again. She had sent the sword that her mother left her for inspection and asked around the estate if anyone knew about her sword. Many of them didn''t know, however, her mother wouldn''t leave her a normal sword, her thought. She sighed. She had wanted to set off yesterday to the Qia Mansion to avenge her mother, but it seemed like she would need to consult Ming Yao first before any action. To her disappointment, Ming Yao wasn''t home. Mr Kun looked up into the trees and flowers in the garden before speaking, " You know I used to take care of your mother when she was only a small child, you look very much like her!" Immediately, Qia Yun''s interest was piqued. " How was she when she was young?" " Oh, she was very obedient, unlike her brother," He added, " She would go with the Old Lord, who is your grandfather, to practice with their troops! While Ming Yao would be playing in the grass!" Qia Yun nodded her head, " Did she use a specific sword?" Mr Kun thought for a while before speaking, " Yes, she had her very own sword which she used almost every day to practice until of course, she got married and set her sword-fighting days away, her husband never knew." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Qia Yun expectedly waited for Mr Kun to continue. " The sword is Blue Lightning, it is the sharpest blade there ever was and it will never be needing sharpening! If the sword chooses you, you might even be able to summon and manipulate lightning." Qia Yun jumped up, running to her room to take out her sword. Mr Kun brisk walking behind her. " Is it?" Qia Yun showed Mr Kun. Mr Kun''s face immediately brightened up and nodded. Qia Yun smiled and sheathed her sword before attaching it to the side of her dress. 8 Journey To The Mansion Xiao Li looked around, stealing occasional glances at Li You who was resting lazily by the side. As if he hadn''t noticed, Li You joyfully took out the food that he had prepared for the journey. " Why can''t we go on?" Xiao Li demanded. Still eating, Li You replied," Why?" Xiao Li rolled her eyes in disdain. Finally, noticing her expression, Li You stopped eating and laughed loudly. " Your little miss is safe and sound and we are due to reach by tomorrow so that''s plenty of time, at most, we''ll arrive at night!" Hearing his explanation, Xiao Li narrowed her eyes but relaxed a little. After a while, the inn owner walked towards them, handing them two keys. Xiao Li immediately sprung up, grabbing her keys and walked away to find her room, leaving Li You alone. Xiao Li sighed as she sat down on the corner of the bed. She still remembered that day when Miss Qia Yun took her in... " Please, General, my daughter is hardworking and can be a playmate or helper for your daughter, she can do anything!" Xiao Li''s mother had pleaded. The two-year-old Xiao Li stood there not lifting up her head, just as her mother had instructed her. Confused, she tilted her head a little to catch a glimpse at who her mother was talking to. It was General Qia, the saviour of their country, her brother had worshipped him. He would take her in, wouldn''t he? Although she knew that her going would be beneficial for her family, she secretly hoped that the General would give her mother some money to survive while Brother looked for a job. However, General Qia just shook his head at her, pushing them away. Xiao Li''s face immediately scrunched up, trying to hide the disappointment she felt. Wanting to pull her mother away to save the embarrassment, she tugged at her mother''s coat. " Please! My daughter can read and write and can learn fast! Please General!" She continued. " Daddy! Who is that?" A clear intelligent voice rang. General Qia looked behind him, his gaze softening at his daughter. "It''s not important, Qia Yun go and study now!" General Qia said. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. " Then...can that nice big sister join me? It''s boring to study alone!" Qia Yun asked. Qia Yun wasn''t stupid, she knew that Xiao Li''s family needed help and since studying was getting boring, she didn''t mind having a companion with her. General Qia sighed, nodding his head. Xiao Li''s face lit up as she was led towards Qia Yun, taking one last look at her mother and brother, she smiled gently. 9 Dreaming " Hey! Earth to you?" An irritating voice disturbed Xiao Li''s train of thought. " What?" Xiao Li answered, exasperated by Li You. Li You let out a hearty laugh and set out his sleeping bag, " Tomorrow there is going to be a play near the Ming Mansion, you should bring your little miss there." Xiao Li raised her eyebrow, questioning whether Li You was being serious or not. Anyway, this is not the time to think about his words, tomorrow was the day she could be reunited with Miss! Thinking about Miss made her want to continue on the journey, but... she glanced over at Li You, ''Someone'' refused to continue. She had a good mind to run off, after all, she could probably find her way to the Ming Mansion, she thought. Li You, realising that Xiao Li was still reluctant about sleeping here, took out a map and called Xiao Li to discuss travel plans after tonight. " Do you now understand why we are staying here? Night travel is always more dangerous than day travel, I wouldn''t want us to get into unnecessary trouble, hear me?" Li You concluded. Still reluctant but getting his point, Xiao Li took out her sleeping bag and nestled in. Back in the Ming Mansion... Mr Kun examined the sword Qia Yun brought over. Yes... Mr Kun clapped his hands in excitement. Ming Jie indeed had left her daughter a treasure. He returned the sword to Qia Yun assuring her that her sword was Blue Lightning. Qia Yun''s eyes widened, no wonder her mother had pleaded with her to keep the sword. " When you need it, this sword will be of use for you, take it as a memory of me" her mother had told her. She almost wanted to hug the sword, her eyes started to water. Mother... " Xiao Yun, come here, mother wants to gift you something," a mature voice sounded. Full of energy and child-like innocence, Qia Yun ran to Ming Jie. Her mother, her beautiful mother carried her onto her lap. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Producing a sharp looking sword and a luminous pearl that had hues of pink and blue perfectly blended together, Ming Jie showed them to Qia Yun. " Keep these, I''m afraid I can''t keep them for long," Ming Jie said, sounding downcast, " but, Xiao Yun, please help me take care of them, when you need it, this sword will be of use for you, take it as a memory of me, this pearl is special, I can''t explain it to you, but you will understand when you are of age." Qia Yun happily nodded, not knowing this would be the last time she would ever see her mother so healthy. Ah... the innocence of a child. Qia Yun''s tears fell down as she remembered. 10 Replacing Qia Yun? Meanwhile, Xiao Li and Li You had continued on with their journey. At this point, they had reached the town where the Ming Mansion was located. Xiao Li took in her surroundings, excited to be closer to seeing Qia Yun again. Li You yawned as he walked to a store, examining the candies in the shop. " Hey, do you want some?" Li You asked while buying his candies. Xiao Li rolled her eyes, obviously not! She continued looking around, taking careful steps to make sure they were not followed. Li You lifted an eyebrow, she knows that I already checked for spies, right? Suddenly, Xiao Li''s eyes darted to a man who was walking beside her. Li You followed her eyes. That man seemed familiar. Who was he? Xiao Li looked back at Li You, mouthing his name, motioning him to come over. He nodded, practically flying over. " Who is he?" " Yi Shen" " No way, what''s he doing here?" " Finding Ms. Qia?" Li You pressed his index finger to his lips and caught up with the man, " Shh" Xiao Li followed his example, curious about what the man, Yi Shen, was doing here. Li You telepathically communicated the newest information to Ming Yao, excited to know if Ming Yao had anything on Yi Shen. Ming Yao pondered over the information back in the Qia Mansion. " Uncle!" an annoyingly shrill voice announced the arrival of Qia Zi rang out. Ming Yao''s train of thought was disrupted. Although a little irritated, he replied politely to Qia Zi. " Yes?" Qia Zi was carrying a tray of little snacks and tea. Ming Yao supported his head with his hand. Seriously, did she have to interrupt him while he was trying to think! He motioned her to leave the tray and leave. Feeling a bit slighted by his reaction, she hesitated. Her mother even made her dress up all like Qia Yun and he did not realize? She had worn Qia Yun''s old dress. It was a silk dress that had many sequins on top of green and yellow fabric. However, it was a dress Qia Yun never wore as the style was very unlike her, although it was gifted by her father. Qia Zi swayed her dress a little to make the sequins sparkle, hoping to catch Ming Yao''s attention. Ming Yao who was ignoring her and continuously scribbling something, suddenly realised she was still here. He looked up, motioning her to say what was on her mind. " Umm, I... My dress is... nice, yes?" Qia Zi fumbled. Ming Yao clearly irritated at this point, ignored her question, instead opting to wave her off. He had better and more important things to take care of. Qia Zi crossed her arms. She had been such a good child, not even throwing a tantrum when the ugly man ignored her, yet he didn''t even care. How rude of him, she thought. She stalked off angrily to her mother, hoping to get comfort. " So, what happened?" Madam Qia excitedly questioned. Qia Zi crossed her arms, still angry at Ming Yao for ignoring her. Madam Qia immediately caught on and frowned. Her plan was perfect, what exactly went wrong? Ah Hah! Madam Qia motioned Qia Zi to come with her. She made her sit down on a cushion and went off in search of something. Qia Zi fiddled around with her jewelry, impatient for what her mother wanted to show her, after all, it was close to bedtime. Madam Qia reappeared carrying a chest that seemed heavy. She set it gently down on the table in front of Qia Zi and opened it. There lay a string of luminous pearls. It looked a little like the pure pearl that Qia Yun had but on the middle pearl, the words Ã÷½ç was carved in gold on it. Qia Xi''s eyes lit up, her hands greedily moving towards the bracelet. Madam Qia snapped the chest shut, shooting a murderous look towards her daughter. Qia Zi sulked, her eyes still clouded over with a layer of greed. Madam Qia opened the chest again, this time, picking the string of pearls up from the sea of satin it rested upon. " You want one, right?" she sneakily asked. " Yes!" the answer was, Madam Qia grinned, showing her teeth that looked like razor blades as they gleamed in the light. " Then, ask your father to make you a bracelet that looks exactly like this, but, " she paused, " ask the jeweler to put your name instead, you can''t show this to your father though, it might trigger something." Madam Qia thought back to the time when the servants found this and she had brought it to show off when General Qia saw it, he almost destroyed her entire pavilion. She never wanted that to happen again. Qia Zi thought for a moment before nodding her head vigorously. Clearly excited to obtain a new piece of jewelry. Madam Qia leaned in towards her daughter, " Don''t disappoint me." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The next morning, Qia Zi''s order was sent out to the jewelers. 11 Old Glory A beautiful pavilion, a beautiful woman sat in it, her head buried in a book. Her hair neatly bundled up into a knot, accessorised with a jade hairpin. Her baby-blue dress flowing seamlessly into the sparkling marble flooring. " Miss Qia!" Xiao Li called out, her voice filled with ecstasy. The woman looked up, surprise clearly showing on her face. Quickly, she smiled. Xiao Li rushed forward, embracing her. Qia Yun gripped onto Xiao Li''s shoulders, anchoring her down on earth. Suddenly all of her doubts of Qia Yun being alive was gone. Li You shook his head in mock exasperation. Girls! Xiao Li turned back to him, sticking her tongue out to playfully jeer at him. He scrunched up his face to mimic her when she was upset with him, causing Qia Yun and Xiao Li to giggle. " Miss, miss! This servant is just so happy that you''re alive!" Xiao Li continued. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Qia Yun smiled gently, ruffling Xiao Li''s slightly dishevelled hair. This silly girl didn''t do her hair properly! Li You huffed and turned away, deciding to go rest a while before Ming Yao came back. Qia Yun curtsied politely to Li You, silently thanking him for bringing Xiao Li to her safely. His normally comical face turned serious as he walked off. This little miss, she was far too weak to fight back. Why did Ming Yao want him to help her exact her revenge? Since when was he that cheap? He was Li You, the great protector of the Li Clan, one of the strongest and wealthiest clans, and yet here he was, delivering a mere servant to a little girl. Helping his friend Ming Yao really didn''t do him any good. Sighing to himself, Li You made his way back to his guest room. As he entered, a loud "ahem" sounded from behind the desk. " Mr Kun! You''re here!" He exclaimed, his easy smile returning to his lips. Mr Kun stood up, his aged face spread into a grin. " How have you been, my boy?" Li You quickly bowed, showing respect to his old sword fighting teacher, " Great! I should have asked you that first!" Mr Kun smirked, knowing how much of a bootlicker this rascal was. Waving his hand carelessly, Mr Kun approached Li You. Immediately, Li You''s body tensed up. As quick as lightning, Mr Kun recoiled his fists and attacked Li You. A twinkle appeared in Li You''s mischievous eyes as he countered the attack. As Li You spun around forcing Mr Kun to let go, he quickly drop-kicked the old man. Mr Kun caught himself on his feet, a wide grin spreading across his face. " It seems like your skills are weaker than ever, " Mr Kun let out a "hmph" Li You shook his head. His teacher was already so old, how could he still fight as vigorously as before. Even during the friendly sparring that just happened, Li You could feel that Mr Kun was the weakest he had ever been. His punches weren''t as full of power as they had been in his younger, glory days. Mr Kun walked back to his seat, gesturing for Li You to take a seat. " No! I refuse this mission. Tell Ming Yao, I am not going to do it!" " I would do it if I could, after all, I was the one who took care of her mother. Unfortunately, I am not of the best form these few years. I am begging you. Li You, take on this mission as a way of helping your old teacher. You will do it, won''t you, rascal?" Mr Kun''s voice had become creaky, reminding Li You of his age. Hesitant, Li You sighed as he nodded his head, accepting the duty to protect and help Qia Yun. 12 Lightning Stone Qia Yun daintily kept her belongings into a bag. She stared into the mirror reflecting her shoulder-length hair. Shaking her head to feel the length, she smiled. After her hair getting burnt and tangled so badly previously, she was forced to chop it off. Coincidentally, the place she was travelling could not guarantee clean water to wash her flowing locks. Finally accustomed to the short length, she grabbed a piece of dark blue rope, tying up her hair efficiently. Applying a bit of cream that made her look darker, Qia Yun giggled at her new appearance. A tan, commoner girl laughed back at her in. the mirror. Despite the changes, she still looked pretty good. Her ashy brows, high nose and full lips still stood out. At most a pretty commoner, she decided on her character. " Ms Qia! Wow!" Xiao Li stumbled into Qia Yun''s room. Her eyes brightened as she curiously scanned her young miss'' face. Qia Yun played along, making different faces to show Xiao Li. Tears filled Xiao Li''s face as she doubled over with laughter. Miss Qia''s appearance was really funny! Qia Yun looked back into the mirror, using a small marker that made her look as if she had scars. She brushed her loose hair aside as she examined herself. Noticing her miss'' hair, Xiao Li subconsciously touched her own hair. Currently, it was shiny and untangled. Something Xiao Li was grateful for since the unplanned trip here caused her hair to become dry and tangled. " We should set out soon! Is Li You coming?" Qia Yun exclaimed. Xiao Li frowned, that guy was supposed to follow them? Quietly she gloated over that fact. " Yes, missy. I''m here!" A loud voice announced. Cringing from Li You''s voice, Xiao Li refused to turn around to see him. Li You flashed his brightest smile and ruffled Xiao Li''s freshly washed hair. Snickering under his breath, Li You narrowly dodged Xiao Li''s attack on his chest. Xiao Li cursed silently, fixing her hair as she stared daggers at him. Smiling like nothing had happened, Li You blew a kiss to her. Xiao Li bit her lip, ignoring him. Qia Yun raised an eyebrow. Flirting right in front of her? Wow! Qia Yun carried her bag and made her way to the entrance of the Ming Mansion, avoiding Li You and Xiao Li. Noticing her mistress had gone, Xiao Li blamed Li You as she ran to catch up. " Goodbye, Mr Kun!" Qia Yun happily greeted Mr Kun. His eyes shone brightly, this girl reminded him too much of her mother. As his eyes wandered to the sheathed sword, he thought of an idea. " Miss Qia, there is this stone that increases the power of Blue Lightning, called Lightning Stone. Aren''t you going to Feng Continent? The stone''s there! Although this old man can''t remember where it is specifically, I think it''s with a Qiang family. Xiao Jie ( aka Ming Jie) gifted it to them as compensation when General Qia accidentally killed one of their family members while drunk. Yes! It must be with them, " Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Her ears perked up, eager to start this journey. 13 Qiang Li In the bustling city of the capital of the Feng Continent, loud merry shouts could be heard from a window of one of the well-known brothels. A few tourists looked up in surprise, while residents merely shook their head in disgust. After all, everyone knew who was making those sounds. It was none other than the city''s well-known player, Qiang Li. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The respectable people of the Feng Continent all looked down on him. Compared to his half- brother, Qiang He, Qiang Li was far inferior in terms of composure and education. Qiang He was known as a gentleman. Kindly face and good posture, Qiang He was well-liked by the people of the Feng Continent. He was a successful businessman. In fact, he had multiplied the Qiang family''s fortune by the tens. However, Qiang Li was exactly the opposite. In the eyes of commoners, he was roguish, brutal and horny. Almost every day he could be found at the different brothels all around town. He was loud and noisy, causing disturbance to the peace of the place as he was usually drunk by 3 pm in the afternoon. His party lifestyle led to unhappy townspeople who cursed him and wished him to be covered with all kinds of diseases. Currently, Qiang Li was enjoying himself at the newest brothel in town, Beauties World. " Who is that? It''s so early in the morning, " a smooth and light voice like honey flowed into the ears of a stall owner who was cooking noodles. As she turned around to see who had asked the question, she was greeted by a slightly tan girl. Her eyes were deep and dark as if they held the secrets of the world, her raven hair tied up into a small bun. The stall owner smirked, if she didn''t see the girl''s skin colour, she would have thought that this girl was some sort of young miss. " Ah, that noise is caused by a young master in this town. His family is very reputable but look at this young man. Wasting his life and family reputation away, messing with every woman in town! So disrespectful to his ancestors!" The stall owner''s gossip-auntie self appeared as she conversed with the young girl. The young girl nodded her head. Seems like she had found a person that might have the information she wanted. " You know what family he is from? The Qiang family!" The stall owner continued on her monologue as Qia Yun quickly thanked her and walked off. She smiled as she made her way towards the brothel, examining the silhouette of Qiang Li. 15 The Truth " Second Young Master, welcome home, " A simply dressed young lady curtsied as Qiang Li stepped into his wing of the Qiang Mansion. Qiang Li nodded his head, a sigh escaping his lips. Immediately, a small frown appeared on the young lady''s face. " Second Young Master, what''s wrong?" her melodious voice echoed through the hall. Qiang Li supported his head using his arm, looking more depressed by the second. " Nothing. Just the same old reason. Thank you for caring about me, Mu Qing, " Hearing her master call her by her name, Mu Qing''s pretty face lit up. She had been serving him for so long, he finally remembered her name! Yet after a while, she frowned again. This young master was burdened by the fact that his mother is being held hostage by his half-brother, this was no time for her, as his servant, to be happy. Her eyes lowered as she scolded herself. Turning towards the kitchen, Mu Qing left to fetch a cup of tea. She had been by Qiang Li''s side for most of her life, following in her mother''s footsteps of serving nobles from the Qiang household. When she turned 9, she was commanded to be Qiang Li''s maid. Although she was originally reluctant to do so, the more time she spent at Qiang Li''s side, the more she cared for him. She had taken care of him for more than 6 years. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. " Second Young Master, Senior Servant Yin is here to deliver a message from First Young Master." a servant announced as a stout man walked in. Qiang Li raised his eyebrows. What was his brother''s message? Senior Servant Yin sauntered in, turning his nose up at Qiang Li. His beady eyes held undisguised disgust as he unclasped a scroll. " By command of First Young Master Qiang He, " Senior Servant Yin cleared his throat, " Second Young Master Qiang Li is required to join the Qiang family in the Grand Hall when the sun sets to celebrate Grand Monarch Jing Fei''s birthday." Qiang Li reached his hands out to accept the scroll, sighing deeply as he thought of his grandmother. Of course, his brother only informed him of the celebration at such a late time. As Senior Servant Yin walked off, a slight smile appeared on Qiang Li''s lips. Qiang He... that bastard. But what Qiang He didn''t expect was that Qiang Li already preempted this situation and had prepared the present and appropriate robe for the event. Small victories like this gave Qiang Li a little hope for the future, that sometimes he could outdo Qiang He''s schemes. " Mu Qing, prepare my new robes. I will be going to the celebration." Mu Qing nodded her head, a grin showing itself on her delicate face. Since young she had been taught that she was to share her master''s sentiments when he was happy, she would be happy with him. If he was sad, she would cry for him. 16 Fake Brotherhood " Guests, thank you for the time you have taken to celebrate such a momentous occasion with us!" a young man announced as he toasted to all the guests in the Grand Hall. Raising his cup quietly, Qiang Li''s eyes fixed on the young man in front. A kindly smile was plastered on his face as he offered a cup to the grand old lady seated on the seat of honour. Certainly playing the part of a caring and filial grandson. Already tired of the show, Qiang Li yawned. Qiang He smiled at the crowd. As he scanned across the Grand Hall, his gracious smile slowly turned sinister. Qiang Li locked eyes with him, a mocking grin appearing to Qiang He. A low chuckle erupted from Qiang He''s throat. Descending the steps to Qiang Li''s seat, he greeted his half-brother. Immediately, all the guests looked at the brothers. One was a famous troublemaker, while the other is a filial and polite man. However, the brothers kept up a front, making everyone think that they were on good terms. " Li! I didn''t think you would show up!" Nodding his head, Qiang Li replied, " Well, I couldn''t disappoint Grandmother, could I?" Qiang He''s condescending gaze didn''t escape Qiang Li''s alert eyes. Playing it cool, Qiang He poured more wine for himself, raising the cup up to his brother. Qiang Li graciously held out his own cup, allowing a servant to fill it up. " To our brotherhood!" the two announced as they downed the wine. Although still smiling, Qiang He sneered in his heart. Having to call this trash his brother made him want to throw up. Yet, he had to treat him so well just to create a perfect facade of their good relationship to the public. No matter what, in elite society, reputation was the most important after all. For Qiang He to be known as a kind brother to a trouble maker made him look benevolent, which boosted his reputation in the eyes of everyone. Qiang Li quietly observed Qiang He''s phoney smile. Looking back down into his empty cup, he suddenly felt a pang of discomfort in his chest. As his eyebrows scrunched up, he clutched his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, Qiang Li noticed a subtle glint in his brother''s eyes. What a family, his own brother had tried to poison him. Mu Qing quickly slipped a pill to him. Nodding discreetly to her, Qiang Li forced a grin as he swallowed the pill down quietly. Noticing the slight movement between Qiang Li and his servant, Qiang He raised his eyebrows. Was the poison working? Pretending to look into the distance, Qiang He secretly examined Qiang Li from his peripheral vision. His long sleeves hid his crossed fingers. This trash better quickly go to hell! Observing Qiang Li for a while, he realised that nothing was happening. His thick brows twitched. Gritting. his teeth silently, Qiang He huffed. At least if he doesn''t die from one of the poisons in his wine, the other poison will slowly corrode his organs. Resuming his fake smiling and small talk with business partners, Qiang He praised himself for buying a very expensive poison that couldn''t be countered with any normal antidote. He had bought two different poisons earlier today. One of them was more expensive, but the shopkeeper had assured him that it was more potent and deadly compared to other poisons. This special poison slowly destroyed a person from the inside, causing organs to disintegrate over two months. While that might be a long time, Qiang He was willing just as long as Qiang Li was gotten rid of. Over at his seat, Qiang Li quietly observed his brother''s expressions. Seeing as Qiang He already noticed that he was still alive and yet was keeping his act up without breaking character, Qiang Li furrowed his eyebrows. " Grandmother! Qiang Yin is here to celebrate Grandmother''s birthday!" an overly sweet voice rang out. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Qiang Li''s eyes immediately shot up. Why was this girl here? A short little girl descended the steps of the Grand Hall. A wide grin on her heart-shaped face, she curtsied towards the Grand Monarch. Grandmother Qiang listlessly nodded her head, acknowledging the girl. The girl approached Qiang He, her eyes becoming crescent moons as her smile widened. " First Brother! How have you been? I''ve just came back from Shui continent, " Qiang He politely replied before ushering her to her seat, pouring her jasmine tea while making small conversation. All the while, the girl stole glances at Qiang Li, waiting for him to notice her. Qiang Li casually sat back, watching the girl''s actions. This girl still wanted to play her little games, she was already 15, yet she wanted to act childish. As he made eye contact with her, she smiled smugly, whispering a few words to him, " See! I don''t need you to pamper and care for me! I have an older brother here who treats me nicely!" Qiang Li almost snorted. Although she was seated away from him, he could read her lips. This idiot! Did three months away from the family screw up her brain? Qiang He never genuinely felt emotions like love, all he knew was profit and investments. The only person he ever felt anything for was himself. Qiang Yin pouted, seeing her second brother''s reaction. She had expected him to show a tinge of anger or jealousy, but all she saw was him snickering at her. 17 Poisoned " Yo! This is crazy! Which brother would want to poison their own sibling!" Li You whispered to Xiao Li, " That Qiang He must really hate his brother!" Focusing on the scene below them, Xiao Li ignored him. Qia Yun had sent her to observe the Qiang family, thus she had come here. Originally, she expected the family to be one big happy family, seeing as the heir to the family''s fortune was such a big-hearted and kind man in front of the crowd. Who would have expected she come across a scene that made her feel disgusted by Qiang He? She was following a servant who was acting very furtively. The servant had gone to the kitchen and poured two liquids into the wine that was supposed to be served during the celebration. Inhaling the scent of the liquids, Xiao Li detected a slightly sweet smell, the kind that made one feel nauseous. Observing the unique milky white colour of one of the poisons, she speculated that it was a special one that was harder to find on the market and also harder to treat. Wondering who would have wanted to poison someone at a banquet, she told Li You to follow the servant while she saw who would ingest the poisoned wine. A few minutes later, Li You came back, reporting that it was Qiang He who ordered his servant to poison the wine. Xiao Li narrowed her eyes to focus on Qiang Li. Soon, she noticed the discomfort in his eyes and body language. He was tensing up, his hands travelled down to his stomach to discreetly hug it. No doubt, he was feeling the effects of the poisons. " Li You, do you know what kind of poison would have a milky white colour and smell disgustingly sweet?" " Only ever heard of one. But, it can''t kill quickly, so what''s the point even. Why?" " Nothing, I''ll talk to Miss Qia about it, " Shrugging mindlessly, Li You continued to focus on the scene playing out below him. What a dysfunctional family, he thought. Yawning at how boring this banquet was, Li You indicted to Xiao Li that they should head back. Xiao Li nodded her head, her little face showing so much seriousness that Li You almost giggled out loud. As Xiao Li''s mind begun to wonder, Li You elbowed her. " Qiang Li is fidgeting a little, his chest is rising abnormally fast, what''s happening?" Eyes focused on Qiang Li, Xiao Li explained the whole thing to Li You. She leaned forward, curious about how the poisons would affect him. Soon, she observed the swift movement of the maid next to him. Furrowing her eyebrows, she paid close attention to the little pill Qiang Li promptly ingested. Finally intrigued, Li You looked towards Qiang Li, holding his breath, waiting to see if he would die. Qiang Li gently breathed. Clicking his tongue, Li You relaxed once again. As the celebration came to an end, Xiao Li yawned. It was time to go. The guards of the family would patrol the area soon. Li You smiled lazily, getting up slowly to stretch. Noticing Li You''s relaxed behaviour, Xiao Li huffed. Getting out of this place was going to be hard, every second was valuable. Ignoring Li You, she jumped to the nearest building. " Ahhh!" Almost slipping and falling off the roof, Xiao Li quickly regained her balance. She pressed onto her legs. They both were numb! Even worse, she had accidentally scratched her leg on one of the roof tiles. " You need to stretch first, or else this kind of thing will happen. After sitting for so long, your legs will go numb, " Li You smirked. Li You easily jumped onto the building Xiao Li was on. He made her sit down while he examined her wound. His usually gentle face scrunched up. " Can you walk?" Xiao Li bit her bottom lip as she tried to move her wounded leg. Pain shot up her leg. Shaking her head to Li You, she tried ignoring the tears that threatened to fall. Li You shook his head, " Aren''t you supposed to protect your little miss. You can''t even handle such pain, how are you going to defend her?" Raising her head to make herself seem confident, Xiao Li feebly replied, " I can get stronger." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Laughing at Xiao Li''s reaction to his words, Li You pat her on her head. Scowling at his laughter, Xiao Li tried to get up again. Finally over his laughing fit, Li You quickly carried her up. Without a pause, he jumped to the next building. Xiao Li''s jaw dropped. What was this man thinking! 18 Killed " Put me down, now! Hey, are you even listening?" Xiao Li hit Li You on his chest. Li You mumbled something about a stubborn girl before letting go of her. Closing her eyes and expecting impact with the floor, Xiao Li was surprised when she hit a soft surface. She opened one eye then the other. She glanced at the bed below her. They had arrived back at the inn. Qia Yun was staring at them, her lips threatening to smile. Xiao Li covered her face, blushing furiously as she got up to explain the situation to Qia Yun. " Miss! It isn''t what it looks like! Ouch!" Xiao Li winced as she stepped forward. Qia Yun ran over, supporting Xiao Li as she sat down. " Nevermind the explanation. You''re injured, that''s why he was carrying you, right?" Xiao Li nodded her head as she settled down onto the bed. Qia Yun''s face turned serious as she sat down to listen to Xiao Li''s report of Qiang Li''s family. " Wait! What colour did you say the poison was?" Her ears immediately perked up, thinking that the poison''s description seemed familiar. " Kind of milky, also it smells really sweet, overwhelming sweet, " Oh no Qia Yun froze, her eyes widened. After a while, she stood up and walked around the room, wringing her wrists. Xiao Li stared at her weird actions for a while, what had happened? Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Li You glanced at Qia Yun. As they made eye contact, they both shared a painful smile. " He''s going to die. It''s supposed to kill you from inside. Poor man, he only has two months to live, " Xiao Li immediately sat up. Her mouth agape. " Ow. But... I thought..." Qia Yun shook her head gently, helping Xiao Li to comfortably rest while sitting up. " I saw it being added it, I could have stopped him from drinking it! Oh my, I just caused someone''s death. How could I be so stupid?" Xiao Li cried out. At this moment, Li You who had been silent spoke up, " I mean, it''s not like it''s impossible to cure him..." Xiao Li glared at him, she had really thought that she killed an innocent man by her ignorance. Li You sighed, he had told her that merely to humour her. Even though there was indeed a cure, it was far too difficult and dangerous to obtain it. This man was as good as dead. " Well? Hurry, tell me the antidote?" Biting down on his cheek, Li You realised that he screwed himself over. He scratched his head, looking to Qia Yun to help. She stared at him curiously, her innocent eyes wanting him to explain. Li You opened his mouth, before closing it again. To be honest, he knew that these young women would probably go out of their way to save this man. After all, they felt like they had caused Qiang Li''s premature death. He slowly started, hoping to prolong the time before they marched off to their imminent death. " Basically, we need this very special herb called the Yin herb. It''ll cure him. But, it''s super difficult to find it, much more obtain it, " Li You continued, " you wouldn''t want to look for it. It''s impossible to get your hands on it." Silence " We can try." Li You turned towards Qia Yun, disbelief etched on his face. Xiao Li slowly nodded her head. Since she was unable to prevent Qiang Li from ingesting the poison, the least she could do was to cure him. Qia Yun smiled at Li You, gesturing for him to explain how find the antidote. 19 Yin Poison " Ah, it''s kind of impossible, though..." Li You scratched his head, " Xiao Li, Xiao Yun, I really think we shouldn''t get involved. After all, that sort of thing is between family. No matter what, Qiang He will continue to poison Qiang Li. He wants him dead." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Qia Yun narrowed her eyes, opening her mouth to speak. Yet, Xiao Li beat her to it. " Li You, you bastard! Making us think you actually had a feasible plan! You''re just trying to get our hopes up, you horrible man. There''s a poor man that''s going to die because of us, " Xiao Li wiped droplets of tears away from her face, " Li You, you really are ridiculous! Miss Qia, let''s go! I can''t stand this trash with no balls!" Hiccuping from all her sudden lashing out, Xiao Li stood up, ignoring the pain in her leg and hobbling out of the room. Li You stood frozen on the spot, he hadn''t expected her to react so strongly. Feeling guilty that he made Xiao Li so upset, Li You slumped down, his head downcast. Qia Yun pursed her lips, looking down at Li You''s sorry figure. Standing up quietly, she followed after Xiao Li. They were in a foreign place, if anything happened to Xiao Li, especially since she was injured, she would never forgive herself. No matter what, Xiao Li had been her oldest and closest friend. " I... it''s really difficult if not impossible. I didn''t want to continue feeding your false hope! I..." Li You called after the disappearing duo. His hands fidgeting nervously. He cradled his head, sighing heavily, " I''m sorry." As he was about to stand up to look for the two girls, Xiao Li appeared at the doorway. Her arms were crossed, a look of apparent contempt on her face. No matter what she did, it was for Miss Qia and now Qia Yun wanted her to listen to Li You. " Look, we all have to stick together. Even if we dislike each other. In the end, we are in a foreign land and we have to agree that Li You has the information that will help us survive here, " Qia Yun reasoned. Wiping her tears away, Xiao Li had followed her back. She quietly sat down, staring daggers at him, traces of tears staining her face. Li You winced, his shoulders tensing up as he psyched himself up for the shouting. Qia Yun strode in and sat down on the bed. Right now, they needed a plan to save Qiang Li. The two girls glared at Li You, waiting impatiently for him to explain himself." "Well, as I said, it is hard to even know the location of the antidote, we should just drop this " " That''s not an option. We''ll find it''s location, " Narrowing her eyes, Qia Yun argued back. " Ah, the owner of this antidote is really stingy and won''t want to give it away, " Li You continued to justify his stand. " We''ll convince or force him. Either one, at most we can guilt-trip him into giving it to us. He wouldn''t want an innocent man''s blood on his hands, would he?" Unable to reason with Qia Yun''s quick responses, Li You shut his mouth. Xiao Li nodded her head, agreeing with Qia Yun. Indeed, Miss Qia was a genius who spoke little but every word had meaning, without any nonsense. She glanced at Li You, rolling her eyes. " Miss? Are you in there?" A shy voice rang out, " I apologise for interrupting your rest but a messager is here, looking for you." Qia Yun''s ears perked up, her expressionless face turned curious with a hint of fear. Who would be looking for her? Tensing up, Li You clutched his blade, ready to use it whenever he deemed fit. Xiao Li tried to peek at who it was but her injury forced her to stay seated. " Hello Miss Ming, I bear news from the Qiang Mansion. You have been cordially invited to the Young Master''s Estate. " " Which young master?" Li You whispered to Qia Yun. 20 Set Off For The Antidote " The second young master." Qia Yun narrowed her eyes, wondering why this man would invite them over since he had never met them. Glancing over suspiciously to Li You, she wondered if some guards had followed Li You and Xiao Li here. Sensing someone staring daggers at him, Li You immediately defended himself, " I made sure that they wouldn''t follow us, " he mouthed. The messager continued, " Young master noticed this young miss looking at him when he was at the brothel." The messager''s face was cast down, but an apparent air of arrogance surrounded him. It was obvious that he thought that Qia Yun was some lowly scum who wanted to climb into the bed of the hot-blooded young master. Xiao Li bit down her cheek to prevent herself from throwing a punch towards the disrespectful asshole. He was a mere messager and he thought that he could look down on Miss Qia? Twirling a lock of her hair, Qia Yun nodded and waved off the messager. It was a good opportunity to tell Qiang Li his fate. " Greetings to the young master." Qia Yun curtsied as she arrived at Qiang Li''s wing of the Qiang Mansion. Qiang Li immediately got up and ushered her in, a playful smile on his face. As he observed this quiet and reserved looking young woman, for some reason he felt at peace. Perhaps it was her voice. It sounded full and refreshing. Unlike his relatives empty and phoney voices that all sounded the same after a while. However, he still had to keep up his facade. A friendly smile on her face, Qia Yun kept a polite distance from him and sat down. Qiang Li laughed heartily and sat down opposite her, his actions were languid but his eyes sharp as a hawk. His mouth pulled into a twisted smile. " Why have you invited me here, " "Ah, " Qiang Li poured two cups of tea, handing one over to Qia Yun, " Nothing important, just noticed you looking at me at the-" " Brothel, yes but do you invite every single woman to your home because they look at you?" Qia Yun interrupted sweetly, smelling the fragrant tea. Forcing a laugh, Qiang Li sat up straighter in his chair. His eyebrow raised, was this girl sent from his brother to ruin his reputation even more? He was told by Di Long to never let women close to him, after all, they all knew what had happened the last time he got close to a woman. Qia Yun wrinkled her nose. Although the tea smelled fragrant at first, the smell was getting overwhelmingly sweet. She placed the teacup down, deciding not to take a sip. " I merely observed you and a woman pretending to sleep together, " She smoothed down her dress, " Qiang Li, your acting is pretty bad." Taken aback by her straightforward words, Qiang Li broke character for a while. His crooked smile straightened and his eyes shone clearly, it had been quite a while since he met someone so direct, his "family" was just a bunch of idiots pretending to like and care for him, when in fact they were all trying to dig his grave deeper. 21 You Are Going To Die Qia Yun elegantly brushed stray strains of hair out of the way, trying to delay the inevitable. Xiao Li shifted her weight to her left leg, showing her clear discomfort. He was so young, perhaps a few years older than Qia Yun, he had a whole life ahead of him, how could they abruptly disrupt whatever plans he had and announce to him that his life was going to be cut short? Qiang Li raised his full eyebrows, why were his guests seemingly so uncomfortable? Clearing his throat, he leaned towards Qia Yun. " How did you know that I was pretending? I don''t think my acting is that bad, " Qiang Li asked, remembering the main reason he invited them here, " I fooled the entire town, even my brother, actually, were you sent by my brother?" Qia Yun gave a slight chuckle. " I was not sent by your brother. I merely noticed your miserable fail at acting. The townspeople were fooled because they did not have a good look. It was mostly hearsay that you are frivolous, and they didn''t dare to focus on the shadows where you obviously was directly at the window and not in fact on the bed." Qiang Li was stunned. Was his acting really that poor? Putting on a confident face, he continued, " Then why were you so intrigued by what I am doing that you would stare at the window of a brothel? Why are you here? I have never seen you before." Qia Yun sighed, she wondered if she could reveal to him the real reason she had come to the Feng Continent. Could she trust him? Looking back up to Qiang Li''s sharp eyes, she decided to go with the truth. " Your family has something I want, called the Lightning Stone. When I realised that you were from the Qiang family, I decided to take what belongs to me." Qiang Li nodded nobly. He had heard of the Lightning Stone, it was nothing but a valuable antiquity to the Qiang family. Apparently, some elder of a branch family was killed by the head of the Qia family, but that elder was unimportant to the family so his father let it go. The elder had also started the fight and it was a miracle that the Qia family would gift something to apologise. " You do realise why the Lightning Stone was taken away in the first place, right?" Qia Yun stiffened, as she was wondering how to reason, Li You who had been standing protectively beside her spoke up. " You''re going to die and we may be the only way you can survive." Furrowing his eyebrows, Qiang Li gestured for Li You to explain further. " You have been poisoned by your brother. It''s the Yin Poison. Didn''t you realise that the tea is a little too sweet? Doesn''t it remind you of the wine you were served at your Grandmother''s banquet? Do you even know about this poison?" Li You stared Qiang Li down. Breaking eye contact, Qiang Li cleared his throat. Although he had never heard of the particular poison, he was certain that his general antidote would be effective against it. He was not too worried. " You do not have the antidote to this poison. It is a very special poison that released a parasite that slowly destroys your internal organs. That parasite is immune to most types of antidotes. The only proven antidote is somewhere only we know. We are here to offer you a deal for the Lightning Stone." Standing at the back, Xiao Li was shocked at Li You''s straightforward and convincing manner. She was way too used to him being playful and flirty. She quickly looked back at Qiang Li, wondering what response he would have. It wasn''t every day that someone out of nowhere appeared and announced that you were going to die. Shell shocked, Qiang Li stayed motionless. Di Long stared suspiciously at these foreigners. Who knew if they were telling the truth or faking it? He lifted the teapot up and opened it, smelling it. Indeed, it smelled overwhelmingly sweet reminding him of the banquet where he had gotten a whiff of the wine''s scent. Gripping the teapot harder, he wondered why he had not realised this bizarrely distinctive scent in the wine and warned Qiang Li before he ingested if. Cracks formed on the teapot as it crumbled under the harsh pressure Di Long was inflicting on it. Hearing the sudden crash of porcelain, Qiang Li finally processed the fact that he might die soon.