Rebirth

What made Helian Weiwei experience a mix of emotions, both laughter and tears, was the realization that she had been reborn in the Battle Dragon Empire, a dynasty without any historical records. She discovered that the owner of her current body was none other than the eldest lady of the Helian family, one of the four major families in the empire. It was a position of power that could command respect throughout the capital.

However, after her grandfather's death, her father quickly married a second wife and forgot the promise he had made to her mother. He had vowed to never fail her mother, warning that the heavens would strike him down if he did not honor his word. The second wife cried and pleaded, claiming that her mother's womb could not accommodate both of them. But her mother, bedridden and ill, never recovered... and perished.

Consequently, the family business fell into the hands of outsiders. The original owner of the body, young and naive, couldn't distinguish between good and evil and was easily deceived within the mansion. She believed that the second wife had never scolded her, acting in her best interest. Little did she know that one of the cruelest methods under the sky was in play... elimination!

After taking control of the household, the second wife treated her as an ignorant lady, causing her numerous troubles. Eventually, others began to view her with disgust, despising her nature and resenting her darkened reputation. The most common remarks were that she was a toad trying to eat swan meat. Now, even her family matters were handed over to her half-sister, as everyone believed she was arrogant and bullied Helian Jiao'er.

It was a despicable display by her father and stepmother! If not for their wickedness, she wouldn't have lost her martial arts skills and become a despised and useless flower idiot. How absurd to call her an idiot or rubbish! Those words had never belonged to her!

"I'm fine," Helian Weiwei assured her grandmother, holding her back from leaving. There was an invisible pressure in her voice. Years of struggle had trained her to quickly calm down and analyze the situation, no matter the time or place.

Although the Helian family was now under the control of Zhu Nestle, her despicable father wouldn't kill her. He had to maintain appearances in front of others, as revealing his ingratitude and neglect toward the sole heir of the Helian family would tarnish his reputation as a court minister. His hypocritical nature prevented him from going too far in many matters.

Helian Weiwei knew that without martial arts, she would bring shame upon the entire Helian family. Those people would turn against each other and align themselves with Helian Jiao'er. She wasn't even qualified to attend the family clan meeting that was open to everyone. How ridiculous it was that, despite being the sole bloodline of the Helian family, she was deemed unworthy.

Without these circumstances, she would likely have lost count of how many times she would have perished by now. Helian Weiwei had no support or reliance whatsoever. Her situation seemed dire.

Helian Weiwei's lips curled into a slight smile, and her narrowed eyes carefully assessed the environment around her. A powerless individual with no backing, combined with a stepmother and stepsister who were set on ruining her—it was a terrible situation!

"Since the young lady is fine, let us quickly rise. There are distinguished guests in the mansion, and if they see the young lady like this, it may harm her reputation," Aunt Mei advised before footsteps sounded nearby, followed by Helian Jiao'er's distressed cry. She couldn't find the jade she had in her hand before.

"Sister, don't worry. That waste was here when we left, and now the jade is gone. She must have taken it!" Helian Mei exclaimed, urging them to confront her and not let her continue bullying Helian Jiao'er. With a quick turn, she led the family's young ladies toward the river pond, fixing their fierce gazes upon Helian Weiwei. If it weren't for the people around, they probably would've drowned her—such was the hatred they held for her.

The ladies of the family observed Helian Weiwei's soaked appearance and used their fans to cover their amused smiles. They hypocritically inquired, "Weiwei, what's wrong? How did you make yourself so miserable? Even if you were rejected by the son of a noble family, there was no need to throw yourself into the river!" Mocked and gossiped about by the crowd, Helian Weiwei showed no intention of getting up. Her left leg was slightly bent as she swept her wet hair away from her forehead, an ordinary gesture made with a touch of indescribable elegance and cold arrogance. She didn't even raise an eyebrow, simply fixing her intense and clear eyes on Helian Jiao'er: "Is this the outcome you desired?"

"Big sister, what are you saying? Jiao'er doesn't understand at all. Jiao'er only came to find the jade pendant," Helian Jiao'er pitifully bit her lip, her beautiful eyes filled with a sense of grievance, as if she was about to cry.

Helian Weiwei sneered inwardly. Helian Jiao'er was truly a master at acting, emphasizing the importance of chastity in ancient times. Helian Weiwei, now dismissed, had become the laughingstock of the entire capital. And now, she was soaking wet, providing everyone with such a spectacle. It would undoubtedly draw the attention of those young masters in the study.

Helian Jiao'er didn't merely want to snatch her marriage away; her true aim was to utterly destroy her!

For a moment, Helian Jiao'er was silent, her gaze wandering aimlessly. When she looked up again, her expression had transformed into one of pity and fragility. She bit her red lips, her voice teary as she pleaded, "Big sister, if you have any grievances, why take it out on... Why should you mistreat me?"

Upon hearing this, Helian Mei raised her voice indignantly, "This is simply outrageous! You bully us because of your status, Helian Weiwei. Aren't you afraid of divine retribution!"

As those young ladies directed their disdainful gazes at Helian Weiwei, treating her like filthy mud beneath their feet, their disgust was palpable.

Coldly, Helian Weiwei curved her lips, her eyes heavy as she watched the pair of sisters perform, arms crossed in front of her chest. With her experience, she knew this wouldn't end so easily.

As expected, before the surrounding voices had even faded, Helian Jiao'er exclaimed sharply, "Big sister, what's that shiny thing on you?"

"It must be the jade pendant!" Helian Mei immediately chimed in, feigning contempt. "I knew she took it! Helian Weiwei, you clearly knew it belonged to the second sister, yet you hid it for yourself. Such behavior is nothing short of theft! I won't spare you!"

Before Helian Mei could touch Helian Weiwei's sleeve, there was a crisp slap, clean and without any mud or water—a swift interruption to her actions!