First Elder and the others rushed to the gate and immediately saw Chu Liuyue in front of the main gate. A crowd had also gathered not far away.
It was afternoon. News of Chu Liuyue’s acceptance into Tian Lu Academy had spread throughout the whole Imperial City like wildfire. Many had rushed here to join in the fun.
Even though they didn’t dare to approach the Chu family’s gate, the formed crowd had blocked most of the streets in and out of the family estate. It was a mess.
First Elder had been seething with anger. However, it quickly turned into resentment when he saw the crowd. “Why are you still standing there? Get in here now!” He shouted at Chu Liuyue, obviously in a bad mood.
Chu Liuyue stood rooted on the spot. Did she want the whole city to witness their family’s embarrassment?
Chu Liuyue tucked the loose hair behind her ear and asked with a knowing smile, “First Elder, I was useless in the past. When you ordered me around, I had nothing to say. However, I’ve been admitted to Tian Lu Academy now. Why are you still being unkind to me? Am I that detestable to you?”
First Elder choked and whirled around. “It’s naturally a good thing that you’ve been accepted into Tian Lu Academy. However, if you’re going to use this to your advantage, then I won’t allow it!”
His expression remained unchanged, and his voice increased in volume as righteously said, “We, the Chu family, are one of the Imperial City’s four great families. We have always valued our family rules the most. As a junior, you dare to make me—a senior—come and invite you personally. Do you know that this is wrong?”
Chu Liuyue chuckled as if she had just heard a joke and looked at First Elder. “First Elder, you also know that you are a senior in the family? In all the years I was being bullied, did you ever show up even once as a senior to protect me?”
“You…” First Elder was tongue-tied. He averted his gaze. “There are so many things going on in the entire Chu family. It’s normal to have occasional oversights…”
“Those oversights lasted a decade.” Chu Liuyue cut him off. Her smile gradually faded, and her eyes turned cold. “At the age of five, a servant fed me poison. I was unconscious for three days and three nights, but I pulled through. At the age of seven, I wanted to practice cultivation like the other children, but I was told that I wasn’t even qualified to visit the martial arts training ground.
“At the age of ten, I could only leave the estate to go shopping for groceries. Even in the middle of the winter, I had to fetch water to wash the clothes for those lazy servants. My hands were frostbitten… How could First Elder not know about these things?” said Chu Liuyue calmly. However, one could feel the deep despair and desolation coming from the bottom of her heart.
What had a child done wrong to deserve such treatment?
First Elder and the others were dumbfounded. The crowd fell silent as well.
The whole Imperial City knew that the Chu family had a loser. Nevertheless, almost none of them remembered that this loser was also the Chu family’s first trueborn. No matter what, there was no reason to be so harsh on her!
First Elder flew into a rage out of humiliation and shouted, “Th-That’s all in the past. Besides, what happened didn’t cause you any real harm, right? You have been accepted into Tian Lu Academy. What are you trying to do by bringing up all this now? Do you want the entire Chu family to apologize to you?”
Chu Liuyue didn’t respond. Her indifferent eyes swept past everyone like icy, sharp blades.
Countless fragmented memories flickered in her mind. They all belonged to the body’s original owner. Although she might not be the real Chu Liuyue, it was hard to suppress the anger and hatred welling inside her now that she had recalled those incidents.
Perhaps, it was because she was using this body, or they might have even been in desperate situations. Since she was now Chu Liuyue, it was only natural for her to settle old and new grudges together!
Chu Yan finally lost his cool and scolded loudly, “Chu Liuyue, you’re so insensible! No matter what, the Chu family raised you without seeking merit or reward. Not only are you ungrateful now, but you’ve even turned against us and accused us of being unfair to you in front of all these people! What the h*ll do you have in mind?”
Chu Liuyue glanced at him. “Isn’t what I said the truth? Besides, the ones who raised me were my father and mother. When did the rest of the Chu family come into the picture? Chu Yan, I haven’t settled the score with you for secretly bullying my father all these years, yet you have the nerve to say these things to me?”
Back then, Chu Ning was injured, and his strength had decreased. However, he still excelled in other aspects. Chu Ning deserved half of the credit for running the shop under Chu Yan’s name so successfully. Nevertheless, Chu Ning was not valued for his hard work. He was repeatedly exploited by Chu Yan instead.
The days of this father-daughter duo got tougher, and they were unable to make ends meet. Chu Ning also became more and more depressed.
“You’re insolent!” Chu Yan never actually expected Chu Liuyue to berate him in public. For a moment, he was consumed by his anger, then he shuddered and pointed his shaking finger at Chu Liuyue. “You! You! Good for you, Chu Liuyue! Do you really think that you’re so awesome just because you got into Tian Lu Academy?”
“I didn’t just pass the entrance exam; I passed all three categories of the assessment. Besides, I took second place in the Xuan Master examination and first place in the warrior examination.” Chu Liuyue raised her eyebrows. “I’m not that awesome. I just happened to be slightly better than Chu Xianmin.”
“You!” Chu Yan’s anger hit the roof, but he couldn’t outsmart Chu Liuyue! Everything she said was the truth!
People with power were respected. There were no other words more powerful than these!
“Enough!” First Elder suddenly shouted in anger and glared at Chu Liuyue. “Go back right now! Think about your mistakes and repent in your room!”
“First Elder, you seem to be mistaken about one thing. I didn’t ask you here to invite me back in.” Chu Liuyue remained at the same spot and declared, “I came to cut all ties with the Chu family! From today onwards, I, Chu Liuyue, and my father—Chu Ning—are making a clean break from the Chu family clan once and for all! We will have nothing to do with each other in life and death!”