Chapter 002

Chapter 2: Taking the Initiative

Wei Yun Xi gazed up at Wei Ling Yue with eyes full of longing and affection. In the end, her father stiffly reached out to take her, awkwardly comforting her: “Be good, Yun Xi. Your mother has simply gone up to the heavens, and she’ll watch over you from there.”

Wei Yun Xi buried her small face in Wei Ling Yue’s neck, shutting her eyes tightly to hide the mocking gleam within. Yet, a crystal-clear tear slipped from her eyes, landing gently onto her father’s neck. The hand patting his daughter paused briefly.

In a soft, childish voice, Wei Yun Xi asked: “Daddy, will you make Concubine Du my new mother?”

Hearing this, Wei Ling Yue’s sharp gaze swept coldly toward Chun Yu and Xia Mo, involuntarily exerting some of his cultivation’s oppressive pressure. The two servant girls instantly dropped to their knees in fear.

Wei Ling Yue spoke indifferently: “Yun Xi, you’re still young. These matters aren’t for you to worry about.”

With that, he gently pressed twice upon his second daughter’s neck, causing Wei Yun Xi to immediately lose consciousness.

Looking down at the maidservants kneeling before him, Wei Ling Yue ordered: “Take your young miss back to her room to rest.”

“Yes, Eldest Master!” the two maids answered tremblingly. They quickly rose, carefully lifted their unconscious young miss, and hurriedly returned to Yun Xi’s courtyard.

As Wei Yun Xi fell unconscious, she silently cursed the scum father in her heart. [I underestimated the methods of the cultivation world. Pretending to be innocent and spoiled clearly won’t achieve my goals.]

Wei Ling Yue stepped into his late wife’s quarters. Three rooms stood neatly arranged before him. The middle room served for receiving guests; the left was a bedroom and her usual cultivation chamber; the right was where she had crafted talismans. Everything remained untouched and exactly as she left it.

Spreading out his divine sense, Wei Ling Yue carefully scanned all three rooms, finally locating an exquisite storage pouch hidden within a secret compartment in the white jade bed. Now masterless, the storage pouch revealed its contents to him readily. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he quickly left Radiant Brilliance Courtyard.

Wei Yun Xi, naturally, remained unaware of these events. She slept soundly until late the next morning. After waking, she cursed Wei Ling Yue repeatedly until she finally calmed herself enough to summon Chun Yu and Xia Mo, who promptly helped her dress and eat. She had no choice; she couldn’t cultivate yet, after all.

Fully fed and comfortable, Wei Yun Xi began to seriously consider her next steps. She still remembered the novel’s plot clearly. The very first—and most crucial—treasure she’d gifted to the heroine Wei Yun Qing had been a small red wooden token. Originally left to her by her mother, the wooden token had been deceitfully taken away by Wei Yun Qing.

The original owner’s mother had died too suddenly, with no time to leave instructions or clues. Coupled with the token’s natural concealment, even Wei Ling Yue, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, had failed to recognize its significance.

Thus, Wei Yun Qing had effortlessly obtained the treasure. Perhaps it was due to her protagonist’s halo, enabling her to spot its uniqueness. Therefore, Wei Yun Xi’s first move had to be securing the token herself.

At that moment, Qiu Tao and Dong Mei returned. Wei Yun Xi’s eyes flickered thoughtfully, and she quickly instructed Xia Mo: “Xia Mo, let them come in. I have questions for them.”

Xia Mo paused briefly, then quickly went to summon them.

“Qiu Tao (Dong Mei) greets Young Miss. May Young Miss be blessed with fortune!”

Wei Yun Xi tried to make her small face appear serious and commanded loftily: “Stand up and answer my questions.”

“Yes, Young Miss!”

Once both stood respectfully, Wei Yun Xi asked: “Has my maternal uncle arrived yet?”

“Young Miss, Master Feng Jia Qing from the Feng household has arrived. He’s currently meeting with Eldest Master in the reception hall,” they replied.

Wei Yun Xi mentally sorted out the relationships from the novel. Feng Jia Qing was her mother’s older brother, her maternal uncle. A peak Foundation Establishment expert and current head of the Feng family, Feng Jia Qing had been close with her mother. He immediately came upon hearing news of her death, clearly demonstrating how much he valued his sister.

She recalled clearly that in the novel, Uncle Feng had wanted to take Wei Yun Xi to the Feng residence temporarily, specifically to avoid witnessing the ceremony in which Wei Ling Yue elevated his concubine.

However, the original owner hadn’t appreciated her uncle’s good intentions, yearning instead for her father’s affection. Subtly guided by her father’s hints, she refused her uncle’s offer and even attended the ceremony where Wei Yun Qing’s mother officially became Madam Wei. This deeply disappointed her uncle. Though he continued to visit occasionally, he ceased investing any significant effort.

Wei Yun Xi sighed inwardly. [I can think clearly as an adult and prioritize my interests. But the original Yun Xi was truly just a five-year-old child who’d lost her mother and instinctively sought closeness with her father.]

In the world of cultivation, blood bonds were ties, but strength was paramount. Unfortunately, the little Yun Xi had been raised too innocently by her mother to grasp these truths.

After sorting out her thoughts, Wei Yun Xi turned to Chun Yu: “You and Xia Mo accompany me to my mother’s courtyard. Qiu Tao and Dong Mei, pack my regular clothes and jewelry. We’ll need them shortly.”

Chun Yu was delighted to see her young miss showing initiative and immediately agreed, nodding to the others to begin preparations.

When Wei Yun Xi arrived at the main entrance of Radiant Brilliance Courtyard with Chun Yu and Xia Mo, she noticed a maidservant attempting to enter but being blocked by the courtyard guards.

Wei Yun Xi glanced briefly and didn’t recognize her, but Chun Yu furrowed her brow. Xia Mo quickly blurted out: “Young Miss, that’s Liu Xu, Concubine Du’s senior maid. She’s probably here to inspect the courtyard. Madam’s body is barely cold, yet they’re already so eager—”

“Xia Mo! Mind your words before the young miss,” Chun Yu scolded gently.

Wei Yun Xi coldly replied with a stern face: “Chun Yu, send Liu Xu away. Even if they’re desperate to move in, they’ll have to wait until Concubine Du officially becomes Madam Wei. My maternal uncle is still seated in the front hall!”

“Yes, Young Miss!” Chun Yu bowed slightly, efficiently sending Liu Xu away with a few concise words.

Knowing Liu Xu had likely been sent by Concubine Du to test the waters, Wei Yun Xi confidently entered her mother’s bedchamber accompanied by the two maids.

“Chun Yu, Xia Mo, wait outside. I wish to be alone for a while.”

“Yes, Young Miss.” Both quietly withdrew, closing the door softly behind them, understanding their young miss was grieving.

Without delay, Wei Yun Xi rushed directly to her mother’s dressing table, quickly pulling open a small drawer hidden beneath the makeup case. Inside lay a thumb-length, two-finger-wide wooden token, deep crimson and carved simply with clouds and the surname “Feng.”

After briefly scanning the dressing table, she grabbed a hairpin her mother frequently wore, steeled her resolve, and pricked her thumb. Blood instantly welled up, and she pressed the droplet to the token. In the blink of an eye, the token transformed into a scarlet stream of light, sinking swiftly between her brows.

At the same moment, in Haitang Courtyard, Wei Yun Qing suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, as though she’d lost something precious. Unable to articulate the loss, her tears fell uncontrollably like scattered pearls. Her maidservant panicked, hastily drying her eyes and consoling her: “Young Miss, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

“I need to leave,” Wei Yun Qing replied clearly.

“Young Miss, where do you wish to go?”