Yu Ziyuan watched her daughter get dragged away, her already red face turning absolutely purple from rage. She stormed out of her seat, getting grabbed by the two disciples guarding her as she hurled fire and venom at her husband.
“JIANG FENGMIAN, ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO LET THEM JUST TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER?! YOU MAY HATE ME, BUT YANLI IS YOUR CHILD TOO!! YOU SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO DEFEND HER!! OR IS IT BECAUSE SHE IS NOT CANGSE’S CHILD?! OR IS ANY CHILD THAT IS NOT OF THAT WOMAN BENEATH YOUR NOTICE-?!”
Madame Lan cast the Silencing Spell on Yu Ziyuan, ending her tirade. As she did, Jiang Fengmian turned to her with annoyance and exasperation.
“Are you done screaming about your insecurities? This situation has nothing to do with Cangse Sanren, so stop trying to pin everything on her. The reason I am not defending your daughter is that there is nothing to defend. She attacked Luo Qingyang in front of the entire cultivation world in a fit of jealous rage. There is no defense against that, and whatever Lanling Jin decides to do as punishment, I will accept.”
Yu Ziyuan looked ready to tear through the silencing spell to continue shouting, but Fengmian leveled her with a glare. “And before you go trying to argue with me any further, need I remind you of your own situation? You have your own trial awaiting you, and I look forward to seeing both you and your daughter finally facing justice for your actions.”
The disciples holding Madame Jiang forced her back into her seat with a hard shove as Jiang Fengmian turned back to the arena, internally fuming at Yanli for ruining his chance at regaining some positive alliances among his fellow sect leaders.
Up on the raised dais, the Guests of Honor all watched the situation with the Jiangs unfold, none of them impressed. Shi Wudu looked ready to murder someone, most likely Yanli, and He Xuan was rolling his eyes in disgust.
“Too little too late to be growing a backbone,” he growled.
“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Pei Ming agreed.
Hua Ying shared his family’s distaste for the Jiangs, shaking his head at Yu Ziyuan’s rant. He wasn’t surprised to hear his mother’s name on her lips, knowing that the woman’s jealousy would always make her seek fault in another for her own shortcomings.
…
“Next up is Jiang Fen from Yunmeng Jiang and Nie Huaisang from Qinghe Nie.”
Nie Huaisang grinned, nudging Hua Ying and smiling at him. “Cheer me on?”
“Of course,” Hua Ying replied without hesitation. “You better not hold back though. Jiang Fen has far surpassed all her shidies and shimeis during training, and is not to be underestimated.”
“Neither am I.” Huaisang gave his fan a pat. “She may be good with a sword, but I doubt she’s faced someone who uses another weapon.”
Radiating confidence, Nie Huaisang stepped onto the platform, bowing to Jiang Fen. The current Jiang Heir returned the bow in kind before drawing her sword. When Huaisang drew his fan, she was initially confused but recovered quickly.
“I’d heard rumors that the Second Master Nie was proficient in a weapon beyond his family’s sabers. This will be an interesting challenge indeed.”
“I look forward to seeing how you handle it,” Huaisang replied, both of them grinning with excitement. “The wind has always been the strongest element. It can bend the mightiest tree, crush the strongest mountain, and extinguish the brightest of flames. But most of all... It can shred a person into pieces!”
He slashed his fan in an arch, unleashing a blast of wind right at Jiang Fen. Despite her surprise, she managed to dodge it in time, letting the blow strike the ground instead. From the gouge it left in the stone, she was certain that even if she had deflected the attack, her sword wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
YOU ARE READING
Hua Xianle
FanfictionAt the age of seven, Wei Ying ran away from the Jiang Sect, broken and traumatized. He didn't expect to be rescued, especially by Taizi Dianxia and Crimson Rain themselves. Reduced to a shy, selective mute, Wei Ying still retained his sunny smile an...
