(30) Revenge Complete

Wu Fen stilled and her eyes widened.

"If that still hasn't jogged your memory, then perhaps you will remember the story of a young girl who lusted after her older brother and forced him to marry her with lies and deception?" Wu LiJing's calm voice echoed as she stared at her aunt… and her father's past concubine.

Wu Fen lifted a finger and pointed towards this young lady in white. "Y-you… No! Impossible!" Stumbling, she stood up and shook her head. "You should be dead! I saw your body!"

Wu LiJing blinked and smiled. "Dead? You mean those two girls that were half eaten by wolves?" She chuckled. "Yes. Those two girls were already dead when I placed their bodies in the wild." She sighed and swung her sword, cutting off the feet of the bug she was stepping on.

"Ahh!!!"

"Dear!" Wu Fen took a step forward but then looked up at Wu LiJing in fear. She grit her teeth. "Let him go, you demoness! I haven't done anything wrong! It was YangYi and that bitch's fault! If it wasn't for her, YangYi would be mine!" Before Wu Fen could spout more nonsense, she felt an intense pressure that caused her hairs to stand up and her body to freeze in fear. She was only in the beginning of the low-stage in the Immortal Realm, and this was due to the resources provided by her husband. Her skills overall are pretty weak, thus anyone two stages higher than her could pressure her with their killing-intent alone. Earlier, Wu LiJing's sudden release of killing-intent caused her to throw up blood due to the mere physical pressure of the intense energy, but this time, its purpose was to embed fear into her body.

"You haven't done anything wrong? You poisoned my mother and you dare say that?" Wu LiJing laughed as her killing-intent rose, causing Wu Fen to fall on her knees and tremble, being on the verge of tears. "Not only did you force my father, your blood-brother, to marry you when he was just a young lad, you even tried to poison him with a toxic love potion when mother came into the picture." Wu LiJing kept her gaze on her 'aunt' as she addressed her sins.

"Father moved towns to marry you so there wouldn't be any rumors about your morals when he found you naked in his bed. He had loved and taken care of you like the older brother he is since your parents died during a wolf attack. Thus, he was vulnerable and naive to your lies."

Wu Fen bit her lips as she listened.

"He didn't punish you and merely let you go after you had tried to feed him that potion due to your sibling-ship and the years you have been together. But you even came back to visit when he already settled down with mother in hopes he would take you back after time had passed. But they already had me at that time, and he wasn't blind or stupid enough to accept you." Wu LiJing chuckled as she struck her sword into Xiao Guang's arm when he tried to move, which made him scream. She sighed and shook her head. "You should've killed all witnesses before you left because it has allowed me to be able to trace it back to you."

Wu Fen shook her head as her eyes stared at that silver sword. "No! It wasn't me! It wasn't me! Ahh!"

Wu LiJing suddenly appeared in front of Wu Fen and her hand gripped onto Wu Fen's neck as she lifted the woman up. Blood trickled down her wrist as she looked into Wu Fen's eyes. "Did you think you could get away with poisoning my mother and murdering my father for his lightning manual?"

She chuckled as she looked down towards Xiao Guang, who was now trying to crawl away with his bloody feet-less legs.

"Why do you think I was able to cut lightning so easily, Clan Leader Xiao?" Wu LiJing smirked as she threw her sword to keep him in place, stabbing his shoulder, and causing him to let out another scream. "Father has shown me multiple times and the color of his lightning was pure light… only a tiny tint of yellow could be made out, truly superior to your measly lightning that felt like a mere prick."

"I-it wasn't my idea! It was that witch's idea! Please spare me!" Xiao Guang cried with snot and tears as he breathed out heavily from the blood loss. If he was a normal human, he should have been dead by now. "I still have that manual! I can give it to you! As long as you spare me, I can give it to you!" He indeed had some feelings for Wu Fen, but at this moment when his life was at stake, he realized if he just gave up Wu Fen, he could survive - just like his previous wife whom he did love for a moment before he met Wu Fen. And after hearing that story about how she had forced her brother to marry her, he felt disgusted.

He wouldn't have done all of this if he knew it would end up like this. His Lightning Clan was able to use lightning in the past and was one of the top clans back then, but their lightning manual was ripped to shreds when an inner turmoil occurred amongst themselves. Their skills were lost and they were no longer worthy of the name Lightning Clan. He only wanted to bring prestige back to their clan so when he heard of another lightning manual, he agreed right away.

But now, that has led to this moment - he is about to die.

Wu LiJing threw the choking Wu Fen to the ground and pulled her sword out of his shoulder. "Shut up," she said in a calm voice as he cried and she retracted the pressure she had released.

Wu Fen finally stopped coughing and her body was covered in sweat as she caught her breath. She looked at her husband who had whispered words of love to her before with a pained expression, as if her world was falling apart. She really thought he loved her all these years because he had killed his previous wife for her. But now, she knew - no man could be trusted!

She looked up at Wu LiJing and glared now that her body was no longer in a state of fear. Two streams of tears fell down her delicate cheeks. "YangYi forsook me for that fake bitch! I've only ever loved him, yet he betrayed our feelings of affection for one another! He betrayed me first! So he deserved it! She deserved it! And why can't I get some payback for all that has happened to me?! He kicked me out with nowhere to go! Thankfully I was saved by Xiao Guang before I was raped by disgusting bandits! Why can't he give me the lightning manual to pay for what he has done to me?!"

Wu Fen hesitated at first, when she thought of killing Wu YangYi, because she had been in love with him since she could remember. She had schemed for so long to have him, even trapped him with feelings of guilt to make him stay with her - making him think they had slept together. She was even willing to risk her reputation to be with him because it was forbidden for siblings to marry and love each other. But in the end, she was kicked out and abandoned. He never saw the good things she did for him nor the feelings she held for him. After the hardships she faced, having to serve the bandits who kidnapped her and almost raped her, she was able to escape only after being saved by Xiao Guang.

All those years, she had been a virgin because Wu YangYi never once touched her even when she married him. How much did that hurt her back then? Even if he treated her well, he never showed her an ounce of love. So she gave him another chance, she went back and asked him to forgive her and take her back. He refused, so in the end, she chose Xiao Guang. Xiao Guang had even killed his wife for her, how does that not show his love for her? Even if he now abandoned her as well, at least he showed some kind of love for her, compared to that heartless brother who left her in loneliness all those years until he found another.

Wu Fen looked down and clenched her hands as tears streamed down her face. "I gave him a chance… but he chose wrong. That's why he is dead!"

The woman laughed. "I still can't forget the look on his face when he realized that I had poisoned his wife!" She looked at Wu LiJing with a pleasant smile. "You were the one who helped me, Wu LiJing. If you didn't run off stupidly, would your father leave your mother alone and go out to look for you? A mere carriage crash and a few immortal realm cultivators was all it took to kill him." She sneered. If she couldn't have him, no one could!

Wu LiJing stared at her with dark eyes and swung her sword to create a nasty gash on the wretch's cheek, making her scream. "I know," she whispered. With the help of the Lightning Clan, they gained up on her father and killed him, staging his death as done by bandits, who wanted to rob and kill him by pushing his carriage down a mountain hill during a raining night. Jin RuiYing found evidence that her father's carriage had been tempered and reported it to her, confirming her thoughts that her father hadn't died due to a mere accident.

She realized - none of this would have happened if she wasn't so willful in the first place and created an opening for others to attack.

How long they must have planned this, poisoning her mother for years and only waiting for an opening to attack and steal the lightning manual. Only the closest of people to her father knew he had such a manual that allowed him to become strong and formidable, able to use lightning, a skill that even those of higher tiers will have trouble dealing with. Since Wu Fen was once his sister and concubine, she obviously knew of its existence. And Wu Fen had convinced someone stronger than her, the clan leader, Xiao Guang, to kill her father for this manual.

She took out a pill and threw it towards Xiao Guang. "Eat it." Xiao Guang stared at it and noticed it was a pill to stop one from losing too much blood. Why was she suddenly helping him? He was convinced it was poison and did not pick it up, but after getting a stare by Wu LiJing, he quickly gulped it down.

"Since I helped you once like you said, I should also help you once more and bring you to peace with your husband." She smiled gently, like a goddess, with her pretty lips. "Do you see the dead bodies of your servants and people?"

Both of their eyes widened and she released a small sigh. "I poisoned you both just now when my sword touched you. Enjoy having a pretty death." Her sword disappeared when she turned around and took out a new veil to tie around her face as agonizing screams could be heard behind her. They were finally feeling the effects of the poison.

Wu Fen didn't want to die in this way. She never imagined dying in agony. Everything was perfect! Her life was already perfect! How did this happen?!

"Oh right," Wu LiJing casually said with a pause in her steps. "I forgot to mention. I was also the one who killed your son and also took care of your bases for you."

Wu Fen wanted to throw up blood. So she was the one who killed her son! Her eyes were red as she screamed. "You! I'll kill you!" She tried to stand and chase after Wu LiJing even with her body experiencing excruciating pain, but she tripped over a rock and felt a loss of strength once she fell to the ground. Then when she caught sight of her fingers, she noticed they were starting to turn black and were slowly deforming as black blood dripped from her fingernails. "No!"

The flash of a smiling young man appeared in Wu Fen's mind as tears fell like sorrowful dew drops. He had always shown her such a smile since they were young and only her eyes could see him back then. Loving someone was so beautiful at first. But time turned her love into pain and she could no longer stand it. She thought his death would bring peace to her, but now it has caught up to her, leading to her death. Even after he was gone from the world, the valiant figure who had always saved her in her mind refused to leave her soul.

Wu LiJing ignored the cries behind her and continued to walk away using their front door. She took out a fire lighter and threw it to the ground, lighting up the surroundings of the residence. She looked up at the sign that read 'Lightning Clan Residence' and cut it in half with an energy released from her palms. Wu LiJing looked up at the sky once she turned around as the sun peaked above the mountains, creating a beautiful red that matched her feelings.

Slowly taking steps away from the quiet residence, she felt her power slowly leave her, and her breathing slowed as a wave of dizziness hit her. She smiled, chuckled, and then let out a small laugh as a tear slid down her cheek.

How long had she waited for this moment? She took slow steps forward, leaving the slowly blazing past behind her.

…

Gasp!

Wu LiJing awoke and felt a throbbing pain in her head. She sat up and lightly rubbed her head while looking around vigilantly, observing the luxurious bed, tables, and hung paintings. Where was she? She stood up slowly, still feeling a bit weak and held onto the bed pillar for support. It seems she used too much power even as a peak-stage Fourth Tier cultivator. It was also the first time she dealt with so many lightning attacks, and it was much more draining than she thought.

"You're awake?" The door opened and Jin RuiYing walked in, wearing a beautiful banana colored robe, painted with bamboo leaves and birds. He put the freshly brewed bowl of medicine on the table and said, "Drink the medicine once it cools down. You fainted and since I wasn't sure if it was due to exhaustion or because of the artifact, I brought you to my manor."

"You were waiting for me?" Wu LiJing frowned.

Jin RuiYing cleared his throat and looked away. "You didn't want any help from me, but I was just passing by when I found you unconscious one mile away from the Lightning Clan residence."

"Many thanks, then."

Jin RuiYing gained back some courage and smiled. "Of course! If I wasn't there to help you, you would still be laying on the ground with your face eating dirt!"

Wu LiJing stared at him with deadpan eyes and he cleared his throat once more, looking away. "Well, you can recuperate here for a few days. I told my family that I had a guest and not to bother me, so you can rest in peace. The doctor said you overworked yourself and used too much power, so a few days of rest should do it."

Wu LiJing nodded and sat back down on the bed after she grabbed the bowl of medicine. She became lost in thought. Now that her revenge was over… she felt refreshed but also oddly empty inside for some reason. She smiled and shook her head. Either way, she had to recuperate and leave tomorrow to the Divine Emerald Sect.

A servant boy suddenly hurriedly entered the room and bowed. "Master! The Madam…"

Before the servant could say another word, he was interrupted.

"Ying'er! I heard you had a guest?" A mature and high-pitched female voice entered the room and a beautiful figure in a luxurious peach and orange dress with multiple layers appeared. Her features were mature, eyes round and attractive with barely any wrinkles, as she showed a lovely smile with lips painted a red hue. She looked to be around her late thirties and had extremely attractive features - it was obvious where Jin RuiYing got his beauty from. Her golden hair pins dangled when she entered the room and shone along with her striking blond hair as she looked at Jin RuiYing and then stared at Wu LiJing.

"So it was a girl like I thought…" Her smile widened.

Wu LiJing blinked. It seems Jin RuiYing also got his great fashion sense from his mother. If she had never met Sect Master Yao, then she would be slightly overwhelmed seeing so many sparkles around a person whose clothes were basically screaming money and splendor. The only difference between the two is that this madam emitted a bold aura while Yao YuHuan emitted more of a sophisticated atmosphere.

"Mother! Why did you just rudely come in when I asked for privacy with my guest?!" He swore he heard his mother was on a trip. Why was she here now!? If he knew, he wouldn't have brought Wu LiJing here. He groaned inside.

Jin RuiYing's mother chuckled and ignored Jin RuiYing, walking past him towards Wu LiJing. She reached for Wu LiJing's hand which Wu LiJing quickly avoided and stood up to greet her friend's mother. But the madam sneakily snatched Wu LiJing's wrist and pulled her over to sit next to her around the table.

"Tell me, what do you think about my son?" she asked eagerly with bright eyes as she poured herself and Wu LiJing some tea courteously.

"Mother!" Jin RuiYing could feel his face turn red. This is exactly why he didn't mention anyone or anything that could possibly be female in front of his mother. He tried to pull his mother up and kick her out but she shrugged him off as she paid close attention to Wu LiJing with unblinking eyes.

Wu LiJing calmly stared back. How should she answer this? "He is a helpful person," she said honestly. "Not as stupid as I had originally thought."

Jin RuiYing smirked and nodded. Of course, he was useful! He frowned when he heard the other half. "Hey!" But well… it was still a compliment, right?

Jin RuiYing's mother quickly nodded with a smile. "Yes! He may seem a bit stupid at first, but he's a fast learner! And he may look like a player at first glance because of his pretty face, but he works hard and has never brought a woman home! You are the first! He also wouldn't dare to cheat in the future, since I would make his father beat his ass! Now tell me, who are you, pretty lady? I think you would most suit my son! Not only is he extremely handsome with rare golden locks like me, he is also the youngest son of the Golden Dragon Merchant Clan, one of the top four most prestigious clans in the world! Quite an attractive offer, wouldn't you say?"

The girl who had just woken up didn't know how this had to do with her but she wasn't dumb and had a sense as to what the madam was hinting at. She stood up and saluted. "Wu LiJing, a direct disciple of the Moon Sect, greets the Madam of the Golden Dragon Merchant Clan. Indeed, your son is quite a catch to the women out there."

Jin RuiYing grumbled inside, feeling extremely embarrassed. "Mother! We're only friends! Don't embarrass me like this!" He managed to drag his mother out as she pondered on Wu LiJing's answer.

Once they were out, Madam Zhu turned to her son. "So, she's not interested but she still thinks you're handsome, right?" She sighed in relief. "So that means there's hope!"

"Mom!" Jin RuiYing sighed as he rubbed the middle of his eyebrows. "I said we are only friends!" he emphasized on the word "friends". "Can you please stop this? Haven't I already told you, I'm not interested in getting into a relationship right now?"

Madam Zhu pouted. "But you keep driving the girls I introduce to you away! You can't blame me for thinking that you like this girl because this is the first time you've brought a girl home!" She was convinced, this girl was special!

Jin RuiYing was flabbergasted. "Mother, she is only a friend! And I owe her because she saved my life once, but that's it. If you don't stop this, I'm telling father."

Madam Zhu pouted some more. "Fine." Jin RuiYing sighed in relief. Since his mother had been going a bit overboard lately, his father finally gave her a lecture so he thought she would cool down for a while longer, yet here he is now.

He walked away but then he heard, "You really don't like her?"

He groaned and turned around. "No! Why would I?! I don't like seeking death!" He grumbled as he walked away faster, annoyed.

Wu LiJing finished the rest of her bowl of medicine and sipped some water to replace that unpleasant bitter taste.

"Sorry about that," Jin RuiYing muttered as he sat across from her.

Wu LiJing stared at him, who looked at the table with a red face, quite embarrassed. Then she laughed, shocking him first before it started to irritate him.

"Stop laughing!" This was one of the few times he ever heard her laugh genuinely like this and he didn't like it. Why? She was obviously enjoying his sufferings!

She chuckled. "Your mother seems really desperate. What have you been doing for her to react like this?" She glanced outside.

Jin RuiYing sighed and poured himself some tea. "Nothing much. I just do a few things to scare some of the girls she set me with."

She shook her head. "Poor girls."

Jin RuiYing rolled his eyes. "Poor girls? I'm the poor one here! Do you know how many girls I've been forced to see this past year? Fifty! Can you believe that?! Just because my mother is bored, she's keeping herself entertained by trying to play matchmaker."

"Your mother is quite strong. I'm impressed." Wu LiJing couldn't make out the madam's cultivation level and she was able to easily grab her wrist with no problem. Well, it would only make sense for the heads of one of the top four clans to be strong. If she had to guess, one of the leaders here was probably at the end of the Immortal Realm or already in the Immortal Emperor Realm. All the top four clans had at least one Immortal Emperor Realm cultivator just like the top six sects, and it was usually the leader who was at the top of the chain.

"What are you planning to do after this?" Jin RuiYing asked. Just by looking at her, he could tell that the heavy feelings of revenge she had carried for years had finally been lifted off her shoulders.

Wu LiJing put down her cup and looked outside. "There are still many things," she said. "I must return to the Divine Emerald Sect to find a cure for QiaoHua." She turned to look at him and smiled sincerely. "Thank you, RuiYing, for your help all these years."

Jin RuiYing returned the smile and raised his cup. "Cheers to both of our successful revenge."

Wu LiJing clinked her cup with his and they drank the tea.

"Next time, we should celebrate with liquor instead," Jin RuiYing suggested.

Wu LiJing nodded. "Indeed."

"Alright!" Jin RuiYing pointed at her. "It's a promise then!"

Wu LiJing smiled and nodded.

…

Two graves laid together next to each other with a few weeds having grown on top of it. A clean hand swept all of the dirt away and pulled at the weeds to clean them. A woman kneeled with a strong and straight back after she kowtowed three times.

"Mother, father, everything is over now. Please rest in peace." Wu LiJing stared at the two graves with clear eyes. She traced the two stone heads and after a long while, she stood up and left.