Chapter 7: How to Strike Back

Xie Jiuniang emerged from her seclusion and encountered her maidservant, He Xiang.

He Xiang respectfully inquired, “Ninth Young Miss, would you like to have a meal?”

“No need, I’ve already taken a Fasting Pill.” These Fasting Pills^[1]Fasting Pill: A type of medicinal pill that allows cultivators to go without food or water for an extended period of time. were also part of Xie Ying’s contribution. Xie Jiuniang thought of something and asked, “He Xiang, did anything happen in the clan while I was in seclusion?”

He Xiang hesitated before asking, “Do you mean… anything related to you?”

Xie Jiuniang’s interest was piqued. “Related to me? What is it?”

“In the first few days of your seclusion, clan members frequently came to your door…” He Xiang thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. “This servant guesses that a rumor outside has caused trouble.”

“What rumor?” Xie Jiuniang was surprised.

“Someone said that you have a Foundation Establishment Pill that you can’t use…” He Xiang sympathized with the Ninth Young Miss.

This time, she was trapped by a rumor.

During the days of her seclusion, more than a dozen groups of clan members had come. There were always people waiting outside the courtyard. Now that the formation was closed, someone should know that she had emerged from seclusion.

Xie Jiuniang’s eyelids twitched.

Was trouble coming?

Xie Jiuniang didn’t believe that the Main Branch hadn’t played a role in this.

But…

How should she strike back?

Xie Jiuniang probed a few more times and found that the scandal of the eldest uncle’s concubine hadn’t been exposed.

That shouldn’t be the case!

In her previous life, it had already blown up by this time. Could there have been some changes?

“Xiao Jiu!”

Xie Siniang barged in like a whirlwind.

“Fourth Sister, why are you here?” Xie Jiuniang stood up and greeted her with a smile.

“I had someone keep an eye outside your room. As soon as I heard you had come out of seclusion, I hurried over. Oh?” Xie Siniang exclaimed in pleasant surprise, “Xiao Jiu, you’ve broken through! Wow, and you even advanced two levels at once! Congratulations, congratulations.”

“Haha, it was just luck, just luck.”

Xie Jiuniang smiled modestly.

She had He Xiang go and make tea.

Xie Jiuniang waved her hand again, and several large chests of magic robes and jewelry from her spatial ring were displayed.

A full five large chests!

Xie Jiuniang patted her small chest and said with a generous air, “Come! Fourth Sister, take your pick!”

Xie Siniang was stunned at first, then laughed happily. She patted Xie Jiuniang on the shoulder and said, “Xiao Jiu, well done, you’re loyal! But where did these come from? They look a bit familiar…”

“Second Uncle didn’t tell you?” Xie Jiuniang was surprised.

“No, you tell me, you tell me.” Xie Siniang’s eyes sparkled, waiting for her to explain.

Xie Jiuniang briefly recounted what had happened, naturally not revealing what shouldn’t be said.

Xie Siniang wanted to stand up for her, but since Grandfather had intervened, there was no room for change. She carefully asked, “Are you upset about losing the Spirit Cleansing Herb?”

“Not at all.”

On the contrary, Xie Jiuniang was in a very good mood at the moment.

Exchanging the Spirit Cleansing Herb for the Time Leaf while she simultaneously solved her parents’ problem.

Wasn’t that a good deal?

As for the issue of changing her aptitude, she happened to know of a few opportunities from her memory. She would go and snatch them… Ahem, go and obtain them when her cultivation reached the required level.

In her previous life, the opportunities belonged to others. In this life, they hadn’t been claimed yet.

Opportunities were something that belonged to whoever got them first!

At this time, Xie Siniang was attracted by the pile of good things and enthusiastically picked through them. “Wow, wow, good stuff! It’s all good stuff. Look at this newly released light purple Daoist robe. It’s priced at three to four hundred spirit stones at the Xianlian^[2]Celestial Silk Pavilion.”

“It’s alright.” Xie Jiuniang peeked over to take a look.

In her previous life, her taste had become more refined, so she only felt it was decent. 

She had married Lin Wangchen and lived a life of luxury without worrying about resources for a hundred years. Subconsciously, she didn’t want to wear other people’s old clothes. It was a little quirk of cleanliness developed from a life of wealth and nobility. She simply wanted to disgust Xie Ying by taking them.

“Alright, I’ve made my choice.” Xie Siniang only picked a Daoist dress and a hair accessory.

Xie Jiuniang’s little face showed disdain. She immediately picked up the best and newest Daoist robes and jewelry, selecting and sorting them into a large chest.

“Fourth Sister, take this chest and remember to wear it when you go to Eldest Aunt’s place. Help me infuriate her to death!”

Xie Siniang felt embarrassed to take them for free and hurriedly refused, “No, no, no. These can be sold outside for a large sum of spirit stones.”

Xie Jiuniang understood her meaning but still shook her head before saying, “A girl’s clothes and jewelry can’t be sold outside… It wouldn’t be good if they were used by someone with ill intentions or ended up being collected by a perverted man. I dislike Xie Ying, but I’m also disgusted by such things.”

“Xiao Jiu is absolutely right. They can’t be sold outside.” Xie Siniang shuddered at the thought of that situation.

Xie Ying’s status in the clan was much higher than theirs. If they really ruined her reputation, they might not be able to bear the consequences.

“If they can’t be sold to outsiders, then… selling them to our own family should be fine, right?” Xie Jiuniang had been pondering how to scam the Main Branch again.

She put away the remaining items and was about to walk out when Xie Siniang grabbed her.

Xie Siniang reminded, “Xiao Jiu, many people outside have designs on you…”

“It’s fine.” Xie Jiuniang interrupted her, “As long as I don’t agree, they wouldn’t dare to snatch it, would they?”

“Well, they wouldn’t.”

“Then that’s settled. Let’s go to the Youwu Hall.”^[3]Junior Martial Hall

The two sisters happily held hands and walked out the door together.

The Xie clan had a heritage spanning over ten thousand years, with countless collateral branches, but only one branch of the direct bloodline remained.

But regardless of whether they were from the direct line or a collateral branch, all descendants of the Xie family under the age of fifteen had to attend classes and study at the Youwu Hall.

At this time, there were people with restless thoughts in front of the Youwu Hall, losing interest even in the sparring on the competition stage.

A Foundation Establishment Pill, who dared say they didn’t lack one?

“Third Brother, aren’t you going to look for Xiao Jiu?” A few youths gathered below the stage and whispered.

Xie Haozhi glanced at his fifth brother and retorted, “The shot hits the bird that pokes its head out. Do you want to be that bird?”

“But if we’re slow, Xiao Jiu might not be able to hold onto it.” Xie Wu frowned.

Xie Haozhi said leisurely, “Don’t worry, Xiao Jiu is clever.”

A child suddenly having a Foundation Establishment Pill without anyone protecting them was like a little baby holding a gold bar through a bustling market.

Everyone was eyeing it and everyone desired to have it.

At the same time, under an osmanthus tree on the outskirts of the square, a proud young lady sat there, surrounded by admirers.

A girl in a pink dress said urgently, “Second Sister, why are you still sitting here? I heard Xiao Jiu has emerged from seclusion.”

“So what if she’s out? What’s the rush?” The proud young lady sat there with no intention of getting up.

The girl in the pink dress asked in confusion, “Don’t you want the Foundation Establishment Pill? What if someone else snatches it first?”

“Hmph! I’ve already put out the word. Anyone who dares to forcibly snatch it is going against this young lady.” The girl snorted coldly. There was obviously a story behind this. “Now we just wait for Xiao Jiu to be unable to withstand the pressure and want to sell it. Then we’ll make an offer. The Foundation Establishment Pill won’t escape.”

The other girls looked at each other.

Second Sister wasn’t saying this a few days ago. What… happened?

Similar conversations took place in several other locations.

In the main hall of the Main Branch, servants also hurriedly reported to their master. Recently, the Main Branch had been in high spirits. Xie Ying had been taken by the Old Patriarch to the clan’s secret place.

They were just waiting for her to emerge and shock the world!

Among them, a noble lady was originally quite happy, but as soon as she heard the news about Xie Jiuniang, she almost couldn’t maintain her gentle appearance.

This person was none other than Xie Ying’s mother, Chen Wan.

The Foundation Establishment Pill she had been yearning for had been snatched away. When she first heard about it, she almost fainted from anger. Later, she learned that her daughter would have a great opportunity and would soon soar to great heights, so she calmed down.

She suppressed the urge to go find Xie Jiuniang.

Compared to a Foundation Establishment Pill, her daughter’s matter was more important. The more critical the moment, the more she couldn’t make a mistake.

But to be outmaneuvered by a junior who used to be under her thumb, it was really hard to swallow this anger. So, she secretly had someone spread the news about the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Chen Wan had originally thought she could sit back and watch the show.

As a result, that damned girl directly went into seclusion!

After waiting for more than half a month, she emerged and had even advanced two levels at once?

That damned girl must have used Ying’er’s pills!

So infuriating!