Chapter 186: Not Worth Staining My Path to Ascension
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You Bing Yue turned her shocked gaze towards the doorway. “You… why are you here?”
Her expression betrayed the awkwardness of someone caught red-handed.
Glancing to her side, she saw Du Zi Heng staring at her with an expression full of disappointment. A lump formed in her chest, and her earlier embarrassment quickly dissipated. She threw her head back and declared with confidence, “What kind of expression is that supposed to be?”
“You’ve changed. Haven’t you?” he replied. “The You Bing Yue I knew once… no matter what happened, she always had my unconditional support. But now, now you’re showing me that face because of her!”
Initially, she’d intended to turn the tables on him. Yet, as she spoke, her words took on a tone of genuine grievance. The more she thought about her recent experiences, the angrier she became. Her molars were practically grinding themselves to dust.
In her past life, she was a modern queen, the formidable Dark Night Queen feared by all. How many high-ranking officials and elites had fallen prey to her machinations? Was she not the puppet master who had controlled countless lives?
After transmigrating into this novel, she naturally assumed she was the female protagonist, the child of destiny, destined for the best this world had to offer—including the male lead.
Conquering the male lead? That had been a foregone conclusion. It wasn’t even a challenge in her mind. After all, how could a mere ancient romantic interest withstand her manipulative prowess?
However, things hadn’t gone as she planned. Instead, she found herself thwarted time and again by his conservative, old-fashioned ex-wife.
What stung even more was his repeated failures to stand by her side against his ex-wife’s interference. For someone who’d never encountered setbacks—aside from her untimely death in her previous life—this was an unbearable humiliation.
Seeing the usually strong You Bing Yue show such a vulnerable expression, Du Zi Heng’s resolve softened. “Bing Yue, that’s not what I meant…”
“Yes, it is!” she seized the moment. “You knew how important this mission was to me. So why did you let her get involved? This is my territory. Why would you bring her here?”
Normally, she might have let it slide. But today, Vice-Minister Fan and his wife were present. And Madam Fan, seemingly on edge, had berated her without knowing the full story.
If Yu Zhi Yi were to spread even a couple of baseless rumors, Madam Fan would undoubtedly hold an even greater grudge against her.
She had planned to win over Vice-Minister Fan as part of her strategy to establish her own network of influence.
Changing her tone, You Bing Yue suddenly turned her attention towards Yu Zhi Yi. “And did I say anything wrong?” Her voice grew sharp. “I’ve always been strong and resilient. Even when injured, I recover quickly. Never have I passed out for so long. But you? You’re skilled in metaphysics. If you wanted to harm me without lifting a finger, all it would take is a thought.”
Her face radiated fury, though in truth, she wasn’t as enraged as she appeared.
What she truly felt was exhilaration.
This time, she was determined to trample Yu Zhi Yi underfoot. A backward relic of feudalism dared to compare herself to her? Ridiculous.
The others in the room—Vice-Minister Fan, Madam Fan, and Du Zi Heng—all turned their gazes towards Yu Zhi Yi, as though awaiting her explanation.
Even Du Zi Heng couldn’t deny that You Bing Yue’s sudden collapse seemed suspicious.
Vice-Minister Fan, well aware of Yu Zhi Yi’s exceptional metaphysical skills, recalled that the Emperor had personally granted her an honorary title for her expertise.
As for Madam Fan, while she detested You Bing Yue, she didn’t consider Yu Zhi Yi entirely innocent either. However, she didn’t think Yu Zhi Yi had done anything wrong.
“After all,” Madam Fan thought, “if someone seduced my husband, wouldn’t I deal with them the same way? As long as it’s discreet, who cares?”
“Hmm. You’re right,” Yu Zhi Yi said with a small nod.
The room fell silent.
Everyone had assumed Yu Zhi Yi would deny the accusation. No one expected her to admit it outright.
Yu Zhi Yi paid no heed to the stunned expressions of the crowd. She smiled warmly at You Bing Yue and said, “You claimed that I have the ability to eliminate you without spilling a single drop of blood. That’s absolutely true.”
As she finished speaking, she snapped her fingers.
In an instant, You Bing Yue raised her hands and began slapping herself violently.
The crowd: “!”
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The crisp sound of slaps echoed loudly in the silent room. You Bing Yue’s eyes widened in shock, and her heart filled with terror. She desperately tried to stop her hands, but they refused to obey her will.
Her hands seemed to have turned against her. Though still attached to her body, they acted in complete defiance of her mind.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Within moments, You Bing Yue had delivered over twenty slaps to her own face.
The slaps landed with full force, and her face quickly swelled like a balloon. Tears brimmed in Du Zi Heng’s eyes as he exclaimed, “Stop hitting her!”
His first instinct was to intervene and restrain You Bing Yue.
However, at that moment, You Bing Yue displayed an unnatural strength. When Du Zi Heng tried to hold her back, the conflicting forces caused an unfortunate accident.
With a sickening “crack,” You Bing Yue’s forearm broke.
Du Zi Heng: “…”
You Bing Yue: “…”
A blood-curdling scream escaped from her lips. Yet, despite the fractured arm, her slapping motions persisted. The reduced strength in her slaps didn’t alleviate her pain; instead, the agony shifted from her face to her broken arm.
Frozen in place, Du Zi Heng stared at his own hands, then at You Bing Yue—her face swollen, her expression a mix of desperation and torment. She cried bitterly but continued to raise her arm to strike her face. Fear rendered Du Zi Heng helpless, unwilling to touch her again.
Suddenly, he turned to Yu Zhi Yi and pleaded, “Zhi Yi, please make it stop!”
Yu Zhi Yi’s voice turned cold. “And who do you think you are to demand that of me?”
She smirked. “Since she accused me of using mystical arts against her, wouldn’t it be unkind of me not to live up to the crime she so thoughtfully fabricated?”
Du Zi Heng faltered, realizing his mistake. He had no grounds to argue, for it was You Bing Yue who had shown disrespect and slandered Yu Zhi Yi in the first place.
Forcing himself to remain calm, Du Zi Heng reasoned with himself. He knew Yu Zhi Yi couldn’t possibly have acted impulsively. If she had truly intended to kill You Bing Yue, she could have done so long ago—and in a way that left no trace. Why would she choose to act now, after You Bing Yue had just stolen credit for her achievements? It would only hand people evidence against her.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “I apologize, Zhi Yi. On her behalf, I ask for your forgiveness.”
“I want to hear it from her,” Yu Zhi Yi replied, her tone firm.
The moment Yu Zhi Yi’s words landed, the oppressive force controlling You Bing Yue vanished.
By then, You Bing Yue’s face had swollen to the point of resembling a pig’s. It was painful, hot, and numb all at once. The mingling sensations were unbearable. Even her ears and mind buzzed from the trauma.
Still, Yu Zhi Yi’s voice reached her clearly.
She heard the woman’s ethereal yet disdainful voice say, “Have I used mystical arts against you?”
That same voice, so familiar and loathsome, now sent chills down You Bing Yue’s spine. She shivered involuntarily. The woman’s methods were beyond comprehension, leaving her utterly defenseless. Before so many witnesses, she had been thoroughly humiliated.
Fury burned within You Bing Yue’s heart. How dare this wretched woman disgrace her like this? How dare she strip away her dignity, her status as a proud Daughter of Fate?
Suppressing the hatred in her eyes, she lowered her gaze and said, “No, you didn’t. I’m sorry. I misunderstood you.”
Yu Zhi Yi’s lips curled into an amused smile.
Did this woman think her seething hatred was invisible? As if she couldn’t see it?
Still, Yu Zhi Yi had no intention of personally eliminating You Bing Yue. Such contemptible people weren’t worth tarnishing her path to ascension.
After all, she didn’t need to dirty her hands. Others would take care of You Bing Yue in due time.
And that time was not far away.
For now, she would sit back and enjoy the show.