Chapter 304 - 301: Domineering
"Of course!"
"Aunt, you don’t need to worry at all."
"A fallen family of mud-legs who got lucky, with a history of only three to five hundred years. Do they really think they’re someone important?"
Zhou Lingyun snorted, his words sharp.
"My Zhou Family is an Immortal Cultivation Clan from the Central State! And no matter what, Aunt, you are a Legitimate Daughter of the Zhou Family. How can we let them degrade you like this?"
He had also vaguely heard the rumors circulating outside.
In his heart, he knew there was likely some truth to the gossip about his aunt, Zhou Yi—that she was an arrogant, domineering, and venomous shrew who had secretly harmed the younger generation of the Shen Family.
Such things...
...were perfectly normal for a noblewoman from a great clan.
But so what?
’We are an Immortal Cultivation Clan from the Central State!’
’We are a noble existence, like the very heavens, that the mud-legs from this remote corner of the Immortal Cultivation World can only gaze up at!’
’Crushing a few lowborn bastards and commoners...’
’...is nothing. For a noble existence such as us, it is an honor for those wretches to give their lives for us!’
’We are born noble. Whatever we do is, by right, correct!’
Besides,
the insignificant Tian Nan Shen Clan...
...wouldn’t even have been qualified to become a vassal of our Zhou Family if not for a few coincidences back then!
’My aunt’s status is so revered,’
’yet she married down into your family.’
’So what if she’s a little arrogant and domineering?’
’Failing to obey her every whim,’
’and even restricting her movements—that is already an act of gross insubordination!’
’It is simply an unforgivable crime!’
’It’s only because this backwater place is too far from the Central State, and because Grandmother lost her influence over that past affair. Otherwise, this crime alone would be enough to have the so-called Tian Nan Shen Clan reduced to ashes!’
"Xiaoyun, you truly are my dear nephew. You’re the only one who cares about your aunt!"
The Great Madam was so overjoyed to hear this that she was on the verge of tears.
A gratified smile appeared on her face.
But then, a thought struck her,
and she remembered something.
"But... that old fossil of the Shen Family is still around, and he’s at the Divine Travel Realm, after all... Xiaoyun, maybe you should just forget it. It would be terrible if you got hurt because of me."
Although the Great Madam, Zhou Yi, was eagerly hoping Zhou Lingyun would stand up for her,
and give the Shen Family a harsh lesson,
venting her resentment that had built up over these past days,
the problem was,
as far as she knew, Zhou Lingyun was of her nephew’s generation and not yet twenty years old.
Although she had heard he’d made a name for himself in the Central State, he had only just entered the Soul Emergence Realm not long ago.
Against the entire Shen Family, he alone was likely not enough.
After all, never mind the Shen Family’s Elders who had honed their skills in the Soul Emergence Realm for many years,
the most important one, that old fossil of the Shen Family, was a Divine Travel Realm existence!
With him overseeing the clan,
getting things done would not be so easy.
The Great Madam, Zhou Yi, was not a completely brainless person who relied solely on her family background to act tyrannically.
She understood the disparity in power,
and couldn’t help but feel a little worried.
"Aunt, there’s no need to worry."
"I’m not going to fight those old geezers. I just need to pick out the younger generation of their Shen Family, beat them all up, and grind their descendants under my heel. That’ll be enough to teach them a profound lesson!"
"Hmph! This is an ’exchange’ between the younger generation. Those old geezers wouldn’t dare interfere, or do they really think my Zhou Family is made of mud?!"
Zhou Lingyun sneered.
His face was a mask of pride and cold indifference.
"Or perhaps, I’d actually like to see what happens if I provoke them into letting that old thing from the Shen Family step in. Let’s see how they clean up that mess!"
"Aunt, rest assured. After today, I’ll make sure the Shen Family can never hold their heads high in front of you again!"
In a matter of moments,
Zhou Lingyun had already formulated a rough plan.
"Then, Xiaoyun, I’ll have to trouble you with everything!"
Instantly,
the Great Madam’s face broke into a wide, joyous smile.
Her mood improved immensely.
She was visibly elated.
Recalling the frustrations of the past few days, she wished they could start right now,
to let the Shen Family know just who they were messing with!
Especially that little bastard named Shen Chong. The image of him acting so pretentiously that day surfaced in the Great Madam Zhou Yi’s mind,
and she couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
’Shen Chong!’
’That’s the little bastard born from that slut who threw my face on the ground and stomped on it!’
’Too bad that little bastard isn’t here.’
’Otherwise, I’d definitely have Xiaoyun capture him, pull out his tendons, peel his skin, and torture him to death!’
’And there was another one, Shen Changchuan, I think.’
’They’re all raised by a bunch of lowly slave girls.’
’A bunch of lowborn wretches.’
’Each one more wretched than the last!’
The Great Madam’s heart was filled with venomous resentment.
...
「At the same time.」
Within a manor outside Tian Nan City,
Inside the estate,
vast Spirit Fields stretched out one after another.
Mortal Artists were at work within them. Golden waves of rice rippled under the gentle breeze, shimmering with a brilliant light.
This was the manor residence outside the city that the Shen Family Ancestor had personally gifted to Shen Changchuan’s mother, Han Yue’Er.
Thanks to Shen Changchuan,
Han Yue’Er’s status had risen with her son’s, and she had received many benefits.
This manor was one of them.
Her current status among the hundreds of wives and concubines of the Shen Family Patriarch, Shen Fuxing, was high enough to rank in the top three.
The standing of the "Third Madam,"
was enough to grant her real authority within the Shen Family Mansion.
However, her years of struggling at the bottom
left Han Yue’Er with no interest in power.
She had no desire to fight with others for power and profit.
While she was certainly delighted by Shen Changchuan’s achievements, she had never thought of using his prestige to gain anything for herself within the Shen Family Mansion.
Because of this,
after receiving this manor as a reward,
Han Yue’Er often left the oppressive Shen Family Mansion to reside temporarily at this estate.
It was a way of showing her desire to remain detached from it all.
Of course,
no matter how much Han Yue’Er appeared to be above worldly conflicts, the Great Madam likely still found her existence to be a thorn in her side.
"Mother, I haven’t come to see you in a long time. Please forgive me!"
Inside a spacious room in the manor,
Shen Changchuan bowed to the figure of a graceful and noble lady in her thirties, who was seated in the main chair.
"Silly Xiaochuan, there’s nothing to forgive. Mother is right here. You can come see me whenever you want. Your Cultivation is more important..."
"Coming back this time, it didn’t interrupt your Cultivation, did it?"
The woman stared intently at Shen Changchuan, her expression emotional. She walked over in a few quick steps and reached out with a trembling arm, instinctively wanting to pull him into her embrace.
But Shen Changchuan was now over eighteen years old, much taller than he was a few years ago. He was already taller than her.
So, when her hand touched Shen Changchuan’s shoulder,
she ultimately drew it back.
She realized something.
Her child,
had grown up.
For a moment,
Han Yue’Er’s heart was filled with both joy and a mix of complex emotions.