C54 Stealing

"I wouldn't dare? Watch me! I'm heading to the authorities right now. We'll see who meets a worse fate, my mother or you!" The young man feigned turning away, only to be stabbed brutally in the chest, his expression twisting in agony. "You..."

Mrs. Zhao's son fell to the ground, eyes wide open in death, blood gushing from the knife wound.

"Yao... Yao, did you just kill someone?" Sunn Hexiang looked at her daughter in horror, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

Feng Xueyao pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the blood splatter from her hand with a cold gaze. "People like him aren't worth your breath."

In shock, Sunn Hexiang was led out of the alley by Feng Xueyao...

At the Imperial Academy.

Near the back mountain, outside the Martial Academy's training grounds, stood a secluded three-story building known as the Sword Holding Small Building.

When Rong Qi arrived, he clearly saw the 'Broken Shadow' sword just ten yards away. He reached for it, but as his fingers were about to touch it, a voice came from a nearby rocking chair.

"Stealing, are we?" Gongsun Pei, dressed in a raven-black robe, lifted his eyelids. As his sharp gaze fell on the 'Broken Shadow,' the sword suddenly flew into his hand.

Rong Qi felt a line of frustration forming on his forehead. "Have you no shame!"

"This sword is the one you lost to me yesterday," Rong Qi stated, simply wanting to reclaim what was rightfully his.

Gongsun Pei held the Broken Shadow sword in one hand, stroking his graying beard with the other. "Seems like that did happen."

"Glad you admit it."

Just as Rong Qi was about to step forward, Gongsun Pei changed his tune. "But now it's mine. Peng Shi said he got a great sword and insisted on giving it to me. Once I saw it, I knew it was a fine sword, so I accepted it."

"So you're not planning to return it?" Rong Qi was sure Peng Shi hadn't said anything of the sort.

Gongsun Pei didn't respond. With a flick of his wrist, the Broken Shadow unsheathed, and a cold flash, like lightning, zipped past Rong Qi's eyes, slicing half off the weathered stone outside before returning to its scabbard.

"If you're not giving it back, just say so! Why scare me like that?" Rong Qi fumed, pacing angrily.

In the entire royal city, there were only two people Rong Qi found difficult to deal with. One was Beiming Di from the Carefree King Mansion, and the other was Gongsun Pei from the Sword Holding Small Building. The former played tricks, while the latter played for keeps...

At the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion, the old lady, supported by Nanny Zhou, had been waiting outside the gate for half an hour, with Feng Yan standing beside her. By now, the exams at the Imperial Academy should have ended hours ago, and her granddaughter should have returned with good news. She had sent someone from the second house to inquire, but they hadn't returned yet.

"Mother, it's cold outside. Let me help you back inside," Feng Yan said softly, noticing the old lady shivering.

"Go back inside? Have you not heard the rumors spreading all over town? They're saying that ugly girl topped both the literary and martial academies. How is that possible? She's a good-for-nothing who spends all day doing nothing. Tell me, how could she possibly come in first?" The old lady was ranting when Nanny Zhou spotted a carriage approaching.

"It looks like it's from the second house..."

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and Feng Xueyao and Sunn Hexiang stepped out, greeted by the old lady's eager expression.

"Yao! Yao, why did you take so long to come back? You had me worried sick," the old lady said, rushing forward to take Feng Xueyao from Sunn Hexiang's hands. "Tell me, did you get into the literary academy?"

Feng Xueyao's face changed slightly; this was the last thing she wanted to talk about!

"Come on, with Yao's abilities, how could she not get into the literary academy?" Sunn Hexiang had calmed down from the shock of Feng Xueyao's earlier actions.

Just like her daughter said, who would care about someone as lowly as Mrs. Zhao's son? Whether he lived or died, it was just another stray dog in this city.

"Yes, yes, my granddaughter surely took the top spot in the literary academy!" The old lady beamed with joy, ready to slip the precious blue jade bracelet from her wrist onto Feng Xueyao's.

Just then, another carriage arrived. As it stopped, Tiange and Yueya stepped out.

"Who do we have here? Just some hopeless ugly duckling. I can't believe people are actually saying she's topped both the Literary and Martial Academies. Who would believe such nonsense? Ugh!" The old lady was always this harsh when Qing wasn't around.

Tiange couldn't be bothered with the old lady, but Yueya couldn't swallow the insult.

"Ma'am, what they're saying outside is true! The young lady did top both academies! And... she's not an ugly duckling!"

Yueya's tone was firm, which immediately made the old lady glare at her. "Oh, you little brat dare to talk back? Nanny Zhou, go and slap her!"

Nanny Zhou was about to move when Tiange let out a cold laugh. "Grandmother, you seem to forget. I said before, no one but me disciplines my maids."

At that moment, not only the old lady but also Xueyao, Sunn Hexiang, and even Yan were taken aback. The face they were looking at was breathtakingly beautiful!

Earlier, Sunn Hexiang hadn't seen clearly outside the hall, and her mind was entirely on Mrs. Zhao, so she hadn't noticed the change in Tiange's appearance.

"Where... where did that birthmark on your face go?" The old lady asked in disbelief, as if she'd been struck by something.

Upon hearing the old lady's questioning, Tiange walked over slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Who knows?" she replied.

Without the birthmark, Tiange seemed like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, radiant and dazzling. Even Xueyao, who always prided herself on her looks, felt a momentary pang of inadequacy.

"Hmph!" The old lady turned away, unwilling to look at Tiange's face. "Even without the birthmark, you're still useless! Unlike my Yao, who easily took first place at the academy, bringing honor to our family!"

Tiange heard this and feigned surprise as she looked at Xueyao. "Oh, did you take first place at the academy? Congratulations."

Her words made Xueyao's face flush with embarrassment.

"All you can do is offer congratulations. You'll never get into the Imperial Academy, let alone take first place."

The old lady was about to give the family heirloom, a precious jade bracelet, to Xueyao in front of Tiange when Xueyao suddenly knelt down. "I'm sorry, Grandmother, I've let you down."

"Yao, what are you doing..."

"Grandmother, although I got into the academy, I wasn't first. This time, it was my sister who brought glory to our family. She topped both the literary and martial academies. I don't have the good fortune that my sister has, with Prince Rong's help... boo hoo..." Xueyao's tears fell quickly, and her words subtly attributed Tiange's success in getting into the Imperial Academy to Rong Qi's assistance.

Feng Tiange remained silent and indifferent. Such words might deceive the old lady, but could the prestigious Imperial Academy really be dominated by a single envoy from Chu Country?

The old lady was so shocked that the bracelet she was trying to remove got stuck halfway on her wrist, as if she had been struck by lightning.

Behind her, Feng Yan approached with a calm expression. "At least the top spot didn't go to another family. With two candidates from our household accepted into the Imperial Academy, that's enough to make others envious."