Volume One, Chapter Four: Ruining a Person’s Reputation

"What are you doing here? Get out!"

Ye Feiyao felt a wave of nausea at the sound of his voice. As she pushed the man who had already climbed onto her bed, she could not help but recall the night he had ruined her purity.

On that day, she had gone to the temple to pray for Xue Zimu, only to be abducted by a band of bandits on her way back. The leader of the gang, driven by lust, had forced himself upon her and used it as leverage to blackmail her ever since.

"It’s only been a few days, and you’re already giving me the cold shoulder? Is your skin itching for a beating?"

Qingtian Hu seized her restless hands and flung her violently toward the inner side of the bed. Ye Feiyao’s back slammed hard against the bed frame, the pain making her grit her teeth. "Didn't I just give you money? What more do you want?!"

Qingtian Hu sneered, his eyes filled with greed and disdain. "That pittance? What do you think that’s enough for? Do you think you're tossing alms to a beggar?"

As he spoke, he began to undo his buttons.

A surge of despair and fury rose within Ye Feiyao. Enduring the pain in her back, she propped herself up and glared at him. "Don't you dare go too far! I’ve done so much for you already; you can't keep treating me like this!"

Qingtian Hu remained unmoved, pressing closer with every step. "I told you that you are mine, and you will be mine for the rest of your life! You will never escape my grasp."

Ye Feiyao’s body trembled slightly. She knew he spoke the truth, yet she was unwilling to be controlled by him so easily. "I will find a way to get you more money, but you are not allowed to touch me today."

She tried to negotiate with him. Qingtian Hu paused, pondered for a moment, and then revealed a cunning smirk. "So what if the child is gone and your body is damaged? Is that such a big deal?"

Ye Feiyao was startled. "How do you know about that?!"

Qingtian Hu laughed. "I can help you heal it!"

"You? Relying on someone like you?" Ye Feiyao scoffed.

"Naturally. Do you not know what I am capable of?" Qingtian Hu pulled her into his arms and took a deep, aggressive sniff of her neck.

"Fine. As long as you can cure me, I will give you more money," Ye Feiyao said, a flicker of hope rising in her heart.

"That’s a good girl!" Qingtian Hu held her close. "I know you’ve been wronged. Do you want me to help you settle the score?"

Ye Feiyao’s lips curled, a cold, thin smile finally appearing on her face as she gritted out, "I want her reputation destroyed!"

"As you wish."

***

That night, not long after Ye Yuntang had lain down, she heard a sound coming from the window. She opened her eyes, alert, and stared toward the window. Although the sound was faint, it was crystal clear in the silence of the night.

She sat up slowly without making a sound, reached under her pillow to retrieve a self-defense dagger, and gripped it tightly. As the sound drew closer, her heart pounded in her throat. Suddenly, the window was pushed open gently, and a dark shadow darted in with agility.

"Who is it!" Ye Yuntang demanded in a low voice.

The shadow did not answer, merely rubbing his hands together as he slowly closed in on her. "Didn't you call for me, young lady?"

Ye Yuntang gripped the dagger, leaped from the bed, and lunged at the shadow. The figure flickered, easily dodging the strike, then reached out and seized her wrist. With a slight flick of force, the dagger clattered to the floor.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Ye Yuntang kicked out toward his lower body. The shadow scoffed, dodged to the side, and simultaneously clamped his other hand over her mouth, pinning her back onto the bed. "Stop struggling and behave, or you’ll be the one to suffer."

Fury filled Ye Yuntang’s eyes, but her body was held firmly, unable to move. Seeing her resistance weaken, the shadow assumed he had the upper hand and lunged forward viciously. Ye Yuntang’s gaze sharpened, and she shifted to the side.

Unable to check his momentum, the shadow’s face landed on the half-embroidered fan cover nearby. The silver needles instantly pierced his mouth. Overcome by the sudden, excruciating pain, the man lost all strength. Ye Yuntang seized the opportunity, grabbed a vase from the side, and smashed it against his head.

With a dull thud, the shadow didn't even have time to moan before he was knocked unconscious, collapsing to the floor like a pile of mud.

"Miss, what happened!" Sangzhi rushed in upon hearing the noise. Ye Yuntang pointed at the man on the bed. Sangzhi looked in the direction indicated, her face draining of color in shock. It took her a long moment to recover before she hurried to Ye Yuntang’s side.

"Miss, this... what is going on? Who is this man? Why is he in your room?"

Ye Yuntang took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I don't know who he is. I had just fallen asleep when he broke in through the window. He clearly has ill intentions toward me."

Looking at the unconscious intruder, Sangzhi said with lingering fear, "Miss, thank goodness you were quick-witted, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. What should we do now? Should we wake the others in the manor and send him to the authorities?"

Ye Yuntang frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, "Do not alert anyone yet. We must first find out his identity and whether someone is pulling the strings from behind. Go get some rope, tie him up, and we will interrogate him once he wakes."

"Yes, Miss." Sangzhi nodded and turned to find rope.

After some interrogation, Ye Yuntang learned that this was Ye Feiyao’s handiwork. Her eyes turned dark as she whispered into Sangzhi’s ear, "Go and..."

"Yes!" Sangzhi was startled at first, then smiled. She stooped down and hoisted the thief onto her shoulders. She might not have other talents, but her strength was terrifyingly great!

"Zhegui, is it almost time?" Ye Feiyao paced anxiously in her room, unable to wait to catch them in the act.

"Miss, let’s wait a little longer. It won't be too late to go when they are at their most absorbed," Zhegui said, her face full of excitement.

Sangzhi, who was hiding beneath the window, felt her anger flare even higher. She burst into the room, used the thief's body to knock Zhegui unconscious, and then quickly scattered a handful of poisonous powder to knock the rest out.

She then untied the shadow. As soon as the man woke up, he felt a woman entanglement with him. Recalling the earlier scene, he was incensed. He grabbed Ye Feiyao by the throat, pressed her onto the bed, and began to tear at her clothes roughly.

Seeing that her plan had succeeded, Sangzhi, who was lurking in the shadows, immediately ran out of the courtyard and shouted, "Thief! Catch the thief!"

Those who had been waiting in the shadows for the signal heard the call and all moved at once, mobilizing the various factions of the Prime Minister’s household and converging on Ye Yuntang’s courtyard.

Seeing two shadows entangled on the window, the Prime Minister’s wife, Madam Wang, felt her heart nearly leap out of her throat with excitement. "Prime Minister, this, this..."

The Prime Minister naturally saw it too, so angry his beard bristled. "Go! Kick the door down for me!"

"Yes!"

The servants obeyed and broke down the door. Madam Wang was the first to rush inside, shouting, "Oh, heavens! Eldest Miss, what on earth are you doing!"