A Bitter Tongue, A Fateful Encounter

Su Mo had always believed herself to be a gentle and refined person, both in her previous life and this one. Even when people hurled insults at her on public forums, calling her an orphan, she would merely smile. After all, those who grew up in an orphanage tended to have good temperaments. That was, until someone dared to insult her orphanage director and her siblings from the orphanage. Only then did she realize she possessed a sharp tongue and was far from a docile pushover. And as luck would have it, she was currently seething with pent-up frustration, making this woman’s sudden appearance an unfortunate collision.

Looking down at the shrew, Su Mo gazed with a faint, unreadable smile, remaining silent.

Feeling unnerved by the scrutiny, the woman barked like a mad dog, ready to snap at anyone. She spewed:

“With that pretty face, you’ve managed to latch onto the Xu family. Do you think that gives you the right to be arrogant and disregard your elders?”

Returning her smile, Su Mo glanced at Xu Qingzhu. Noticing his indifferent posture, eyes downcast, she knew it was time to unleash her verbal assault:

“That’s not quite right. While I admit my cultivation might be lacking, my ability to recognize people is not. Everyone knows that humans beget humans, and dogs beget dogs. There’s no logic in acknowledging a dog as an elder. Hearing some random barking from afar today, how was I to know it was you, this particular dog, without coming closer?”

“You!” The woman instantly flared up, her face flushing crimson with anger.

It was clear that people usually avoided her. Lacking experience in verbal sparring, her ability to handle pressure was evidently poor.

“Pfft~” A woman stifled a giggle behind her hand. Su Mo’s words had articulated everything they usually dared not say.

Uncle Zhang chuckled awkwardly as he stepped forward to mediate. After all, a public quarrel between ladies was hardly proper.

“Xiao Zhu, why aren’t you trying to calm her down?” Uncle Zhang asked, pulling Xu Qingzhu aside, a strange look on his face when he saw the young man smiling.

“It’s fine. Let her scold. I’ll take responsibility,” Xu Qingzhu said, restraining Uncle Zhang.

From his memories, this aunt was no good. In his previous life, Xu Qingzhu had learned that after Uncle Zhang’s death, she had leveraged her husband’s former connection to the Xu family to inherit all their assets. Once she had profited, she had no intention of managing the businesses. Instead, she sold them at a loss, pocketed the money, and fled. It was said that she had abandoned Uncle Zhang’s daughter, Zhang Jingmeng, who was then abducted mere days later. Likely, she had perished in some forgotten corner.

****

Sensing the guests’ amusement at her expense, could this unruly shrew, usually so lawless, possibly keep her composure now?

Slamming her bowl down, she shrieked her insults:

“You vixen! You’ll be the death of me! If I, your aunt, don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never learn proper etiquette!”

Fingering the creases in her sleeve, Su Mo asked curiously:

“What are you barking about? I don’t understand dog-speak.”

The assembled guests struggled to suppress their laughter, genuinely astonished by Su Mo’s unladylike demeanor. Though this era was fraught with demons and monsters, its societal views remained remarkably conservative and feudal. Women, it was understood, should not speak too much. If word got out that a young lady cursed, her reputation would be ruined, and she might even find herself unmarriageable. There were many rules, but what did any of that have to do with Su Mo? She was a cultivator!

While she remained unperturbed, others were growing anxious.

Uncle Zhang tried to mediate once more, then pulled Xu Qingzhu aside again, asking:

“To have such a spectacle unfold at your celebration… it shows your uncle’s lack of foresight…”

“Don’t say that. Everyone here has endured her temper for years. Hearing my wife dare to scold her, they’re delighted by it.”

“But she is still your aunt, after all.”

“Uncle Zhang, in all these years, has she ever acted like a decent human being?” Xu Qingzhu countered.

This question left Uncle Zhang speechless. Even if Xu Qingzhu hadn’t known about the years of mismanagement, he could have guessed some of it. Now, having asked, he found his suspicions confirmed.

“She has always coveted the Xu family’s remaining assets, Uncle Zhang. Did you know?” Xu Qingzhu whispered.

“But these were originally the Xu family’s, I…”

“What if she took over the family business, then turned around and sold Jingmeng and the apothecary?” Xu Qingzhu asked, his gaze grave.

Meeting his eyes, Uncle Zhang was rendered speechless. Even though it hadn’t happened, he believed it to be true. But…

“You knew?” Uncle Zhang asked, his shoulders slumping as he sighed.

“Uncle Zhang, rest and recover your health. I will find a way to save you,” Xu Qingzhu said, his eyes glinting.

“I know what ails me.”

Uncle Zhang held little hope.

Meanwhile, Su Mo was thoroughly enjoying her verbal barrage. The resentment from days of becoming a woman, facing threats, and being pursued—all of it was being fully unleashed. What? Were they asking about a young woman’s modesty, or a wife’s virtue? Please, what did any of that have to do with her? Leaving aside a young woman’s modesty, what about being a wife? ‘I’ve never agreed to that,’ Su Mo had always maintained.

“I’ll tear you apart!” The shrew shrieked, lunging forward to grab Su Mo’s hair.

Judging by her agile movements, she had evidently practiced some mortal martial arts. However, a martial artist facing a cultivator was like an egg striking a stone. Su Mo merely turned gracefully, a slight flick of her wrist unleashing a surge of qi. The shrew lost her footing and tumbled directly to the ground. When she lunged again, Su Mo was about to repeat her move, but a swift turn landed her instead in Xu Qingzhu’s embrace.

With his arm circling her slender waist, Su Mo asked impatiently:

“I thought you weren’t going to intervene.”

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit,” Xu Qingzhu replied, waving his hand. The household guards, who had been ready all along, stepped forward and escorted the shrew away.

Breaking free from his embrace, Su Mo rubbed her stomach and said:

“I’m starving! I’m not playing pretend with you anymore.”

“You could consider making our pretense real; then it wouldn’t be playing pretend,” Xu Qingzhu said with a faint smile.

‘…’ ‘I always feel like he’s been smiling a lot lately.’ ‘How strange.’

Seeing the spectacle conclude, the guests resumed their music and dancing, as if nothing had happened at all.

The shrew’s husband had witnessed the entire scene. With a sigh, he rose and departed. Just as he was about to follow his wife, Xu Qingzhu called out to him:

“Uncle Liu, why have you always stayed with her, all these years…”

“Xiao Zhu, may your uncle still call you that?” Uncle Liu asked, raising an eyebrow. Perhaps from a habit of bowing, Uncle Liu always walked with a stoop, his neck drawn in, and his eyes appearing long and narrow.

“Yes, Uncle Liu. Are you truly not disappointed? She…”

“Don’t speak of it, don’t speak of it. Back then, she was the only one who helped me. In my darkest hours, we relied on each other. Even if she has become like this now, she is still my wife,” Uncle Liu said, shaking his head.

“This…”

“You don’t understand. You haven’t experienced it, so you wouldn’t comprehend.” Uncle Liu left, his departure swift and resolute. Watching his retreating figure, there was a definite sense of desolation and loneliness about him.

“No one truly understands him, do they?” Su Mo murmured, her own understanding lacking.

“No. Uncle Liu used to be quite cheerful,” Xu Qingzhu replied, unwilling to discuss it further.

Little did they know, this would be the last time the uncle and nephew saw each other.

With a soft sigh, Xu Qingzhu’s gaze drifted among the guests, settling on a smiling young man. The young man’s attire was rather casual and elegant, yet he carried a gentleman’s sword, moving with an air of refined grace. He conversed easily with the guests, able to chat about anything and everything, even with strangers.

Su Mo didn’t recognize him, having only encountered his description in books. But Xu Qingzhu remembered him well: this was the very enemy he had sought to avenge his entire life. His fated rival, the one who had murdered his parents, stolen his childhood sweetheart, and killed everyone who had ever shown him kindness—Xiao Yao. Given his cunning, it was entirely plausible that he would find his way into this very banquet.

Composing himself, Xu Qingzhu, who had deliberately allowed him to remain unnoticed for so long, finally stepped forward to greet him:

“Long time no see, Senior Brother Xiao Yao.”

“Junior Brother, it’s only been a month since we parted, and you’ve already found yourself a wife?” Xiao Yao said with a faint smile, his eyes drifting towards Su Mo.

‘!’ ‘Her pupils dilated. Meeting Xiao Yao’s gaze, Su Mo was overcome by an inexplicable dread. Fear, like encountering a natural predator, surged from her heart without reason, prickling the hairs on her skin.’ ‘Xiao Yao?!’ she cried out in her mind.