Nine thousand miles beyond the borders of Divine Land, at the Aurora Sands Pangu Clan encampment, nothing but yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see.
The howling wind seemed to sing a desolate dirge.
Sand swirled, handfuls scattered by the erratic wind, dust rising in plumes.
Jing Minyao, holding a horsewhip, forcefully pulled open the tent flap. Her face was clouded with malice as she looked at the young girl tied to the central pole in the tent.
The girl, about twelve years old, wore a fine satin dress, now so soiled its original color was unrecognizable.
Her dark, round eyes glared fiercely at Jing Minyao. She spoke coldly, "If you have the guts, kill me! I would still respect you as someone. To be so hesitant and indecisive, I truly look down on you!"
"Bitch!" Jing Minyao's whip lashed out towards the young girl's face.
"If I lose a single hair, my sister will surely take the lives of your entire family, old and young. Your whole clan is about to fall into eternal damnation, never to be reborn!!" the young girl screamed hysterically.
"Jing Minyao!" An iron chain shot through the tent flap, instantly wrapping around the horsewhip Jing Minyao had just flung.
With a slight pull, the horsewhip in Jing Minyao's hand was yanked away, flying off with a "whoosh" and hanging on a nearby screen.
Jing Linyao stormed in, and without a word, a heavy slap landed on Jing Minyao's face. "You beast, what have you done??"
She had learned two days ago that her third sister had captured a young girl from somewhere and was holding her in the tent.
At first, she hadn't given it much thought. Given her third sister's cruel nature, she would often capture and harm or kill young girls who were even slightly more beautiful than her if she saw them on the road.
Such incidents had happened too often before, and Jing Linyao was not a saint; it was impossible for her to interfere with everything.
Thus, she hadn't even bothered to inquire earlier.
Today, she accidentally overheard two servants talking and learned that the captured girl was actually from the lower star region, Skong Star.
Her heart immediately sank slightly, and she quickly sent people to investigate further.
When she learned the girl's identity, she felt as if struck by lightning, almost unable to believe her ears.
This idiot, Jing Minyao, had actually captured Qiao Mu's sister?
Although this sister had no blood relation to Qiao Mu, being the child of her foster parents, Jing Linyao had long known that Qiao Mu's relationship with the Mu family was strained, but she was very close to her foster parents' family.
This idiot had captured Qiao Mu's actual sister...
Was she trying to put the entire Pangu Clan on a roasting spit?
"Quickly release her!" Jing Linyao roared.
A flicker of hatred crossed Jing Minyao's eyes, and she slapped back at her sister. "Get lost! Do you need to meddle in my affairs?"
"Are you trying to make the entire Pangu Clan pay for your stupidity??"
"Heh. Although Qiao Mu is the Crown Princess of Divine Land, this child has no relation to the Divine Land royal family! Sister, are you perhaps thinking that His Majesty of Divine Land will raise an army to attack our Pangu Clan for this little village girl from the lower star region? Haha! Ha! Don't be ridiculous!"
"A mere Qiao Mu, can she destroy our Pangu Clan of two hundred thousand people? What kind of wild talk are you spouting!"
Jing Linyao raised her hand, intending to slap her again.
However, this time, Jing Minyao was prepared...