When cutting weeds, one must uproot them completely.

Yun Feiyue slowly lowered her hand, which had been poised to give an order, and said calmly, "You go to the side and back doors; I'll stay here."

With her command, those who had accompanied Yun Feiyue swiftly slipped away.

From inside the door came a hoarse, magnetic male voice: "Why should I trust you?"

Ah, that was the voice of Ghost Nether. Fate truly had a way of forcing enemies to cross paths.

So Gongsun Ziyan and Ghost Nether did know each other. That meant, years ago, they must have joined forces to bring her down.

Yun Feiyue knew she was no match for Ghost Nether’s Young Lord, so she wisely refrained from making a move. She hid in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. She had expected to witness a scene brimming with intrigue and forbidden affection, but instead, all she heard was Gongsun Ziyan wailing endlessly.

"Trust me. I really saw Mo Feiyuan’s true face that day. I swear... If you give me a chance, I’ll tell you everything I know. Ghost Nether Young Lord, you want Mo Feiyuan dead as well, don’t you?" Gongsun Ziyan raised her hand in oath.

Ghost Nether merely gave a cold laugh, extending a slender finger, its blood-red nail reminiscent of a mandrake petal, curling as it stabbed toward Gongsun Ziyan’s forehead.

Instantly, a crimson bloom spread between her brows, blossoming into a vivid red flower.

"From this moment, you are one of my Ghost Path followers. I grant you power, and you must serve me with loyalty. From now on, your life and body are no longer your own."

With those words, Ghost Nether’s Young Lord vanished like a black whirlwind.

Only Gongsun Ziyan remained in the courtyard.

She lifted the corners of her mouth in triumph. At last, she had obtained the power of the Ghost Path. Now, surely, she could compete in the Heavenly Martial Ranking? Kill Yun Feiyue, seize the supreme position.

While she was still lost in her fantasy, a sudden pain surged in her throat.

"Ah..." An icy sensation spread across her neck, and then came the hated voice of Yun Feiyue, "Miss Gongsun, allow me to see you off."

Gongsun Ziyan reacted quickly, stabbing backward with her dagger, desperately lunging at Yun Feiyue. When a person becomes reckless, an immense strength emerges—and so it was with this woman.

With the power of the Ghost Path, she was many times stronger than before, but even so, to take Yun Feiyue’s life at this level—far too weak!

"Boom!" Yun Feiyue stepped forward, hurling a fireball at Gongsun Ziyan in the same instant.

Gongsun Ziyan moved with astonishing speed, dodging the fireball and swinging her sword toward Yun Feiyue’s heart. This was the moment she had dreamed of over and over.

"I thought I’d have to wait for the right opportunity to kill you, but you walked right into my hands. Looks like it would be harder not to take your life now." The dagger in Gongsun Ziyan’s hand simmered with dark energy, Ghost Path power seeping into it.

Yun Feiyue sidestepped, her left hand summoning flame. In the burst of firelight, her five fingers pierced Gongsun Ziyan’s heart as she lunged.

"How… how can this be..." Gongsun Ziyan, unwilling to accept it, swung her sword once more.

Yun Feiyue narrowed her eyes. "If we compare speed and strength, your dagger is nowhere near as fast as my hand. To put it simply, your arms are too short, your moves too slow, and your mind too dull. Even with the Ghost Path’s power, what does it matter!"

As she spoke, Yun Feiyue increased the force in her hand.

Gongsun Ziyan looked at her in agony. "Sister, spare me… I just lost my way for a moment, I swear, I never meant to hurt you. Sister… please, I beg you…"

Yun Feiyue glanced at her coolly, then smiled. "As for me, sister, I just happened to want to kill you in this moment. When I come to regret it, I’ll be sure to burn incense at your grave. Stop howling, now, be good." With that, she tightened her grip, crushing her throat.

Gongsun Ziyan opened her mouth, blood spraying out. Yun Feiyue threw her to the ground in disgust, then pressed her foot onto Gongsun Ziyan’s chest. The sound of breaking bones, combined with that pleading face, truly bordered on cruelty. It was the first time Yun Feiyue had ever tormented someone so mercilessly.

She hadn’t intended to act, but if she didn’t, Gongsun Ziyan would have killed her. Faced with the choice, she preferred to survive.

"Moon Sister, I’ll tell you a secret… Little Mumu’s father…" Gongsun Ziyan coughed and pleaded, tears streaming from her pain-ridden eyes.

At those words, Yun Feiyue eased the pressure of her foot, her gaze suspicious as she looked at Gongsun Ziyan.

This piqued Yun Feiyue’s interest, but after weighing the options, she smiled coolly. "Even on her deathbed, Sister Gongsun still frets over my son’s father. How diligent of you. Better to die early and be reborn soon."

"Ah… Young Lord, Young Lord… Yun Feiyue, you’ll never die in peace!" Gongsun Ziyan cried out in despair, summoning for help.

Almost instantly, the withered old man at Ghost Nether’s side appeared, releasing a surge of poisonous black energy. Yun Feiyue dodged aside, and by the time she looked again, Gongsun Ziyan had been rescued by the old man.

Hmph, Ghost Path again. This feud was growing!

Yun Feiyue snorted coldly, indifferent. Sooner or later, they would all die; let her live a while longer.

She hadn’t planned to set a fire at first, but now...

She set fire to the Gongsun estate. She was hardly one to be bullied or to show mercy.

Yun Feiyue sat on a bench not far off, watching the silhouettes fleeing through the flames, her face impassive.

"Miss, just as you predicted, we caught many people escaping through the side and back doors. We took the liberty of killing them."

Yun Feiyue nodded. To eliminate weeds, one must pull up the roots. Since it was inevitable that they would become mortal enemies, it was better to do it now. Keeping them alive would only bring trouble.

"But the ordinary servants need not be concerned." She had only set fire to the main house; she wasn’t so bloodthirsty as to burn the servants’ quarters.

"Miss, several experts from the Gongsun clan have fought their way out, and it seems they’re taking their young master along." A guard, covered in blood, returned with his report.

Hearing this, Yun Feiyue’s brows furrowed. She immediately mounted her horse to give chase. Others could escape, but Gongsun Zifu could not.

Gongsun Zifu was fleeing, shielded by several sixth-rank martial artists, yet his expression was unusually calm.

"Are those Yun clan people?" Gongsun Zifu asked as he ran, turning to those beside him.

"Young master, we must hurry!" his companions urged him.

Gongsun Zifu snorted coldly. "I knew long ago that the Yun clan would come for us, yet Father trusted the words of the Mo clan, believing they would keep us safe. Now the Gongsun family is reduced to ashes—where is the Lord of Divine Concealment who promised us peace?"

"Right here!" From the shadows stepped a figure in snowy robes, smiling with the purity of a white lotus. "Mo Mei, here to ensure your safety."

—End of chapter—

White Plum Blossom makes her appearance~