Chapter 7: Establis.h.i.+ng one’s dominance: Who commanded you to do this?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“What is going on?” Ye Jiuge asked when she emerged from the door and saw Zhen Zhu, the servant at the residence in charge of watering the plants, crying with an ashen face.
“Qing Mama was wrongly accused by Zhang Mama for stealing. She was tied up and almost beaten to death in the firewood storage room.”
Ye Jiuge narrowed her eyes and rushed off in the direction of the firewood storage room. From afar, she could hear bursts of blood-curdling screams.
She entered the firewood storage room and saw that Qing Mama was tied to a pillar. Her face was pale. She was badly mutilated from head to toe, and her torn clothes were completely soaked with blood.
A st.u.r.dy-looking maid stood holding a black leather whip, which had been submerged in salt water. She was las.h.i.+ng it harshly towards Qing Mama.
In a flash, Ye Jiuge grabbed the whip as it fell on Qing Mama and reversed the situation, whipping the servant fiercely. In her fury, she used eighty percent of her force.
There was a laceration on the maid’s body from the whip. “Ah!” the maid cried out. When she saw that it was Ye Jiuge, she roared angrily, “You dare hit me?”
“I wanted to hit you!” A cold, murderous intent flashed across Ye Jiuge’s face.
Whip by whip, Ye Jiuge caused the servant to writhe on the ground, begging for mercy. Zhen Zhu took the opportunity to release Qing Mama from the pillar.
“Eldest Miss, don’t beat her anymore. If you continue to beat her, she will lose her life.”
Qing Mama glanced at the Eldest Miss, who looked like a bloodthirsty Asura. She did not have the guts to move closer to her.
“For Qing Mama’s sake, I shall spare your worthless life. Scram!”
Ye Jiuge threw the blood-drenched whip in the maid’s face. The maid ran away with her last breath.
“Eldest Miss, what happened?” Why does it seem like you have changed into a new person?
Ye Jiuge’s gaze was grave as she retold the story of how Ye Shanshan had pushed her into the Wanzhang Depths, and how she’d obtained an elixir that her grandfather had left behind. At the end, she said, “Qing Mama, the previously acquiescent Ye Jiuge died in the Wanzhang Depths. I have climbed out of h.e.l.l to make them pay their debts in blood.”
“Wu, wu, wu! Just blame me for being useless!” Qing Mama cried bitterly then fainted.
Ye Jiuge hurriedly carried Qing Mama to the Feihong Residence to apply medicine to her wounds, but when she checked her pulse, she discovered that she had been poisoned.
This did not come as a surprise. Qing Mama had already cultivated to the ninth stage. Soon enough, she would enter the state of a spiritual pract.i.tioner. However, when her mother pa.s.sed away, she suddenly contracted a strange illness and completely lost her cultivation. In reality, she was poisoned.
This poison was not hard to neutralize, and it was very minor compared to Ye Jiuge’s Nine Stages of Fractured Bones. With her swift and precise needle techniques, Ye Jiuge quickly used her Lightning Fire Needle to unblock the obstructions in Qing Mama’s channels, which were situated at major acupuncture points.
Qing Mama woke up in extreme pain. She opened her mouth and vomited extremely nauseating black-colored blood. She was shocked to discover that the suppression in her chest had disappeared. Once more, long-dormant spiritual energy was flowing smoothly in her.
“Eldest Miss, I…” Qing Mama’s eyes were wide, and she was just about to ask questions when they heard a loud thud.
The residence’s main doors had been kicked open, and the windows smashed. Their fragments flew in all directions.
Ye Jiuge peeked outside through the broken gap in the window and noticed a sharp-faced maid with an unkind demeanor leading a group of brawny old women (who had spiritual cultivation). They walked in with an aggressive manner.
“It’s, it’s Zhang Mama. She must have come to find us for revenge,” Zhen Zhu said, trembling with shock and fear.
Zhang Mama was Madame Su Yufeng’s maid who had accompanied her when she married into the family. Her spiritual cultivation was at the eighth stage. She was an arrogant and vicious woman whom no one dared provoke.
“Before I could get even with them, they’ve shown up here all by themselves.” Ye Jiuge smiled coldly. She stood up and walked outside.
“Eldest Miss, Qing Mama has stolen from Madame. We were interrogating her when you whisked her away and injured Miss Liu. Don’t you have any respect for the household rules?” Zhang Mama pointed at Ye Jiuge and scolded, as if she were the master.
“Household rules? I represent the household rules!” Ye Jiuge lifted her fingers and sealed Zhang Mama’s spiritual channels. Then, she lifted up her hands and struck Zhang Mama’s face with her spiritual energy. “You use your position of power to bully others. This slap is to teach you some etiquette!” As she spoke, she gave her another slap. “This slap is to teach you to be more aware of your place and think twice before acting!” Pa! Another slap. “This slap is merely because you displease me!”
Zhang Mama was stupefied by the three slaps. She glared at Ye Jiuge in disbelief and howled, “You dare to hit me.”
Pa! Another slap.
“Are you satisfied with that response?” Ye Jiuge grinned.
Zhang Mama shook with anger. She channeled her spiritual energy but was unable to use it. She turned to the maid behind her and screamed angrily, “What are you standing there for? Deal with her.”
“Who dares to touch me?” Ye Jiuge roared, subduing everyone. “According to the laws of the Lei Kingdom, servants who defy those with authority over them will be exiled to places thousands of miles away. If you are not afraid to die, then do not hesitate to come forward.”
Ye Jiuge’s burning gaze swept over them. The group of maids could not help but shudder. Slowly, they moved backwards.
Zhang Mama gritted her teeth with such hatred that they almost broke. She pointed at Ye Jiuge and scolded, “Okay. You win. Eventually, there will be a time when you will suffer the consequences.”
After she finished speaking, she turned around to return to the residence and seek reinforcements.
“You wish to leave? It isn’t that easy!” Ye Jiuge kicked her kneecap and turned around to address Zhen Zhu. “Get me some ropes. Zhang Mama has stolen my belongings, so I want to personally tie her up and interrogate her in the torture chamber.”
“You are speaking nonsense. I did not steal anything!” Zhang Mama struggled with all her might. However, Ye Jiuge tied her up like a zongzi and hauled her off from the Feihong Residence to the torture chamber.
The servants pa.s.sing by were shocked. They thought that they were hallucinating in broad daylight to see the residence’s most respected servant, Zhang Mama, being dragged around like a dog by the incompetent Eldest Miss.
“I have been wrongly accused. Eldest Miss is misusing her power and abusing me for her private matters. She has even falsely accused me of stealing her belongings!” Zhang Mama howled along the way, so that everyone in the entire rear court heard her.
“If you did not steal anything, then what is this?” Ye Jiuge dragged Zhang Mama to the entrance of the torture chamber and retrieved the Purple Lightning Wood from the front part of her robe in front of everyone. She said gravely, “You are caught red-handed, so what else do you have to say for yourself?”
“I did not do this. You are framing me.” Zhang Mama glared at her. She had never seen this wood before.
“You still dare refuse to admit your mistake? Servant Gan, tie her up and beat her harshly. I want to find out who instructed her to steal from me.” Ye Jiuge looked at Servant Gan, who was in charge of the torture chamber.
“Eldest Miss, Zhang Mama is Madame’s servant. If you misuse your power, things won’t turn out well,” Servant Gan said, as she was being put in an awkward situation.
“Qing Mama is my servant. However, you did not hesitate a moment when you were torturing her. Don’t tell me that, in your eyes, the Madame is the mistress of this residence but I, rightful daughter of the clan, am a n.o.body.” Ye Jiuge raised her eyebrows. The glint in her eyes was sharp, as if it could bore a hole through a person.
Servant Gan did not dare reply. She had heard that, earlier, Eldest Miss had established such authority at the entrance that even the Old Master had submitted to her. Right now, no one could offend the Eldest Miss.
“Very well, it seems that you do not understand the human language.” Ye Jiuge slowly walked towards the rack that held the torture equipment and took up the thickest leather whip. She waved it at Servant Gan. “Do you still need me to repeat myself?”
“There is no need, no need. I understand, I understand.” Servant Gan felt her hair rise. Hurriedly, she brought out people to tie up Zhang Mama and prop her against the pillar. She said in a low voice, “No offense.”
After she finished speaking, she took up a leather whip that was moderately stiff and lashed it at Zhang Mama with a crisp sound.
She had been in charge of the torture chamber for a number of years, so she was very knowledgeable about whips. Although this las.h.i.+ng produced a clear sound, it was not at all painful for the person being hit.
“Servant Gan, have you not eaten yet?” Ye Jiuge raised her eyebrows slightly, then said coldly, “If you have not eaten now, then you will not need to eat in the future.”