After they had finished the tour, Wang LingJiao finally arrived at the main hall. Without anyone’s invitation, she presumed her seat at the head table. She sat for a while. Seeing that nobody was going to serve her, she slammed the table with a frown, demanding, “Where’s the tea?”
Although she was enveloped in lustre, her mannerisms showed no courtesy at all. She acted like a complete buffoon. Having spent the journey with her, everyone was used to seeing this. Madam Yu sat down one seat lower. The wide hems of her robe and sleeves spread out, making her figure appear to be even more slender, her posture even more graceful. JinZhu and YinZhu stood behind her, both wearing light smirks on their faces.
YinZhu replied, “There is no tea. Get it yourself if you want any.”
Wang LingJiao widened her eyes, shocked, “Don’t the Jiang Sect’s servants ever do anything?”
JinZhu, “The Jiang Sect’s servants have more important things to do. Nobody ever needs others to do things like pouring tea. They’re not crippled.”
Wang LingJiao examined them, “Who are you?”
Madam Yu, “My personal maids.”
Wang LingJiao spoke with disdain, “Madam Yu, your Jiang Sect really is outrageous. This can’t be the case. Even maids dare interrupt a conversation in the main hall. Servants like this have their faces slapped in the Wen Sect.”
Wei WuXian, As the person saying this, you’re a servant as well, aren’t you?
Madam Yu replied without any hesitation, “JinZhu and YinZhu aren’t the usual servants. They’ve been staying with me ever since I was young. They’ve never served for anyone aside from me, and there hasn’t been anyone who can slap them. They can’t, and they don’t dare to.”
Wang LingJiao, “Madam Yu, what are you talking about? In a prominent sect, there has to be a clear distinction between the superior and the inferior for it to be not in chaos. Servants should be what servants ought to be.”
Madam Yu, however, seemed to deeply understand the phrase ‘servants should be what servants ought to be’. Glancing at Wei WuXian, she happened to concur, responding loftily, “That’s right.”
Immediately after, she questioned, “Just why did you take the disciple from my YunmengJiang Sect?”
Wang LingJiao, “Madam Yu, it’s best if you draw a clear line between yourself and that brat. He has hidden intentions, but he’s already been caught red-handed by me and transferred to wherever he’ll be taken care of.”
Madam Yu raised a brow, “Hidden intentions?”
Jiang Cheng blurted, “What hidden intentions could our youngest shidi have?”
Wang LingJiao, “I have proof. Bring me it!”
One of the Wen Sect’s disciples handed over a kite. Wang LingJiao shook the kite, “This is the proof.”
Wei WuXian laughed, “The kite is just the everyday one-eyed monster. What proof could this be?”
Wang LingJiao sneered, “Do you think I’m blind? Look carefully.”
The nail of her index finger, painted red with the mace of nutmeg, pointed here and there on the kite, analyzing presumptuously, “What color is this kite? Golden. What shape is the one-eyed monster? Round.”
Madam Yu, “And so?”
Wang LingJiao, “So? Madam Yu, haven’t you realized yet? Golden and round—what does it look like? … A sun!”
Under everyone’s gaping mouths, she continued triumphantly, “Out of so many designs, why did he make it a one-eyed monster? Why did he paint it golden? Couldn’t he have made it any other shape? Why isn’t it any other color? Are you going to say that this is a coincidence? Of course it isn’t. He must’ve done it on purpose. Shooting down such a kite is actually implying ‘shooting down the sun’! He wants to shoot down the sun! This is great disrespect towards the Wen Sect. Isn’t this a hidden intent?”
Watching how she performed such a far-stretched theory, so full of herself, Jiang Cheng finally couldn’t take it any longer, “Even though the kite is golden and round, it’s as different from a sun as it can be. Just how are they similar? They aren’t similar at all!”
Wei WuXian, “Then, according to you, you can’t eat tangerines either. Aren’t tangerines also golden and round? But I’ve seen you eat them many times before, haven’t I?”
Wang LingJiao glared at him. Madam Yu spoke coldly, “So, such a kite is what you came here for today?”
Wang LingJiao, “Of course not. Today, I’m representing the Wen Sect and Young Master Wen, here to punish someone.”
Wei WuXian felt his heart skip a beat.
As he had thought, the next moment, Wang LingJiao pointed at him, “On Dusk-Creek Mountain, this brat made rude remarks when Young Master Wen was fighting with the Xuanwu of Slaughter, causing many disturbances. He made Young Master Wen tired, almost losing to the beast—he even lost his sword!”
Hearing how she talked black into white and made up stories, Jiang Cheng was so furious that he laughed. Wei WuXian remembered Jiang FengMian, who went out earlier, and thought, They purposely chose to come at such a time. Or, rather, they purposely led Uncle Jiang out of here!
Wang LingJiao, “How lucky! The Heavens blessed Young Master Wen. Even though he lost his sword, he was able to safely take down the Xuanwu of Slaughter. But this brat, we really can’t tolerate him any longer! Today, I’m here under the orders of Young Master Wen. Madam Yu, please punish him harshly and make him an example to the rest of the YunmengJiang Sect!”
Jiang Cheng, “Mom…”
Madam Yu, “Shut your mouth!”
Watching Madam Yu’s reaction, Wang LingJiao was quite pleased, “Wei Ying, if I remember correctly, is a servant of the YunmengJiang Sect, isn’t he? At the moment, without the presence of Sect Leader Jiang, I’m sure that, Madam Yu, you know what’d be the best to do. Or else, if the YunmengJiang Sect insists on defending him, it’d really make people suspect… if certain rumors… are really true… Hee hee.”
Sitting at the frontmost seat where Jiang FengMian had always sat, she giggled, covering her mouth. Madam Yu moved her gaze over, face dark. Jiang Cheng heard that her words hinted at something. He fumed, “What rumors?!”
Wang LingJiao continued to giggle, “You ask, what rumors? It has to be those old romantic ties of Sect Leader Jiang…”
Seeing that such a woman dared to make up stories of Jiang FengMian right in front of them, flames bursted from within Wei WuXian, “You…”
However, pain suddenly shot out from his back. His knees couldn’t help but buckle. Madam Yu had suddenly stricken him with her whip.
Jiang Cheng broke out, “Mom!”
Madam Yu had already stood up. Zidian had turned into its whip form, sizzling between her hands of cold jade. She shouted, “Jiang Cheng, move out of the way, or you’ll be kneeling too!”
Wei WuXian tried to get up, pushing against the ground, “Jiang Cheng, move over! Don’t worry about me!”
Madam Yu lashed out her whip again, forcing him back onto the ground. She ground her teeth together, “… I’ve said long ago, that you… you unruly thing! Would bring trouble to the Jiang Sect, sooner or later!”