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When the fortieth strike landed, Han Yan's fingernails dug deeply into her palm, and drops of blood dripped from between her fingers onto the bluestone slab.

She stared intently at Ruan Xiwen's straight back, the mother who had gently called her "Yan'er" in her dreams now not even sparing her a glance.

"Throw him out." Ruan Xiwen's voice was like ice, chilling Zhuang Hanyan to the bone. "The Zhuang family cannot tolerate such a scourge."

Although Su Ning had already hinted that Ruan Xiwen had her own unavoidable difficulties, Zhuang Hanyan still couldn't accept it.

Then the maids, one on each side, grabbed Han Yan and dragged her outside.

The wound on his back rubbed against the rough ground, each rub feeling like it was on fire.

Han Yan gritted her teeth, refusing to utter a single groan.

"What...what is this?!"

A drunken voice came from the doorway.

Han Yan struggled to look up and saw a middle-aged man in a brocade robe staggering in, his jade pendant jingling at his waist.

"Master..." The maids hurriedly released Han Yan and knelt down to pay their respects.

Old Master Zhuang squinted his drunken eyes at the blood-soaked girl on the ground, then suddenly shuddered: "Yan... Yan'er? Is it really you?"

He staggered over, the smell of alcohol mixed with ambergris hitting me.

Han Yan felt a pair of trembling hands gently caress her cheeks; the touch was both strange and familiar.

"My poor son..." Master Zhuang's voice choked with sobs, "How could it have come to this?"

"Master!" Ruan Xiwen shouted sternly, "This is the barefoot ghost who killed my grandfather! Ever since she returned, the Zhuang family has been in constant turmoil! Today she dared to trespass into Songhe Hall and disturb Mother..."

"Master, there was an assassin attack just now! It was Han Yan who saved Mother!" At this moment, Aunt Zhou's weak but meaningful voice broke in.

"What?" Zhuang Shiyang, the head of the Zhuang family, was so angry that his eyes widened. Then he looked at a maid beside him and said, "Xiao Cui, you tell me."

Everyone turned around and saw the young maid from Songhe Hall kneeling trembling, "Master, I saw it with my own eyes, it was the Third Miss who stood in front of the Old Madam..."

Master Zhuang's face was terribly grim: "Someone! Get a doctor! Carry the Third Miss to my study!"

"How dare you!" Ruan Xiwen screamed, her voice piercing everyone's eardrums. "Zhuang Shiyang! Have you forgotten who caused me to become like this? If I hadn't had a difficult childbirth, how could I have been left with this illness? How could my entire Ruan family have been wiped out?"

She suddenly lifted her sleeve, revealing a hideous scar on her wrist.

Han Yan's pupils contracted sharply; the wound, winding like a centipede, extended deep into her sleeve.

"Do you see that?" Tears of madness welled up in Ruan Xiwen's eyes. "This is what your good daughter has brought me! She brought death to my grandfather, ruined the Ruan family, and now she's coming to bring ruin to our Zhuang family!"

Master Zhuang staggered back two steps, seemingly sobering up considerably: "Xiwen, that was all an accident..."

"An accident?" Ruan Xiwen laughed hysterically. "Then why is Han Shuang alright? Why did it have to be this wretched child..."

The wild goose huddled on the ground, its ears ringing.

For twelve years, she believed that her mother abandoned her because of her grandfather's death, but she was unaware of such a bloody past.

The demonic runes on her wrist were faintly burning, seemingly mocking her naivety.

"Enough!" But at this moment, Master Zhuang suddenly roared, like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on, "Someone! Take the mistress back to her room! Third Miss, come with me!"

"Yes! Master."

……

As Han Yan was carefully placed on the soft couch in the study, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

“Lord Zhuang.” Fu Yunxi’s voice came through the door, calm to the point of cruelty, “This humble official has something to ask Miss San.”

Just as Master Zhuang was about to refuse, Han Yan said softly, "Father, it seems that Lord Fu will not give up until he achieves his goal, so let him in."

"it is good."

When Fu Yunxi stepped into the study, her official robes were still damp from the night dew.

He looked down at Han Yan on the bed, his gaze lingering on her bloodied back for a moment, a fleeting, unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Third Miss, you're quite the schemer." He cut to the chase. "Using family rules to test people's hearts, even the assassins were arranged by you, weren't they?"

Master Zhuang gasped, "Lord Fu! Yan'er is already so badly injured, there's no need for you to keep spouting nonsense here."

“Father-in-law,” Fu Yunxi nodded slightly, “There are 374 lives in Danzhou, and I have no choice but to investigate.”

"What does that have to do with Zhuang Hanyan?"

Han Yan propped herself up, cold sweat sliding down her forehead: "Lord Fu overestimates me! How could a twelve-year-old girl have such great abilities?"

"Twelve years old?" Fu Yunxi suddenly leaned down, her fingers lightly touching the rune on her wrist. "This mark is not something a twelve-year-old girl should have."

Han Yan's heart trembled violently. She subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Fu Yunxi firmly held her wrist.

Their eyes met, and she saw something flash across the unfathomable darkness in the other person's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about! This is just a very ordinary tattoo." Han Yan tried to remain calm. "Is this the so-called evidence you're talking about, Lord Fu?"

Fu Yunxi released her grip and straightened up: "Third Miss, the capital is not Danzhou. The rules of the game here..."

He gave Master Zhuang a meaningful look, "It's much more complicated than you think."

"..."

After saying this, Lord Fu took out a small celadon box from his sleeve and placed it beside the couch: "Medicine for wounds. I hope that next time we meet, Miss Third will be more... frank."

After Fu Yunxi left, Master Zhuang trembled as he opened the medicine box. A bitter, medicinal aroma immediately filled the air: "This is... the Imperial Physician's Snow Jade Ointment?" He looked at Han Yan in disbelief, "Why did Fu Yunxi..."

“Father,” Han Yan interrupted softly, “Could you tell me… about that uncle in Danzhou?”

Old Master Zhuang's hand trembled, and the medicine box almost fell to the ground.

Then Zhuang Shiyang sat down on the edge of the couch with a dejected look on his face, and suddenly burst into tears: "Your uncle is my classmate and close friend. When the Zhuang family suffered a disaster, he gave away all his wealth to help them..."

He choked back tears as he grasped Han Yan's hand, "I entrusted you to him thinking... at least that I could ensure your safe upbringing..."

Han Yan felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she recalled her uncle's drunken gaze and her aunt's sharp fingernails.

The runes on her wrist burned, as if reminding her of those bloody nights of revenge.

"Hanyan, stop thinking nonsense! Once you're better..." Master Zhuang wiped away his tears, "I'll take you back to Danzhou and give them a proper burial."

He lowered his voice, "Over the years... I've secretly accumulated some assets, all registered in your name. The dealer owes you..."

A slight noise suddenly came from outside the door.

Master Zhuang's expression changed, and he hurriedly got up: "You should rest well. I'll come to see you again tomorrow."

Goodnight, Father.

……

In the stillness of the night, Han Yan lay on the couch, the wound on her back burning with pain.

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

"Have you been playing dead enough?" Chai Jing's voice came from the beam.

The girl in red landed lightly, the jade pendant at her waist gleaming faintly in the moonlight. "Your father is quite the actor."

Han Yan struggled to sit up: "Have you found out?"

Chai Jing toyed with the dagger and said casually, "Ruan Xiwen did have a difficult childbirth when she gave birth to you, but there are other hidden reasons for the Ruan family's downfall."

She suddenly leaned closer, her breath brushing against Han Yan's ear, "Guess what? It's related to your good brother-in-law, Fu Yunxi."

Han Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

Immediately afterward, Jiang Si appeared silently in the shadows: "Master said that the fortune of this world is converging on Fu Yunxi."

"Interesting." Han Yan lightly touched the runes on her wrist. "So, Master has set her sights on this world because of Fu Yunxi?"

No! It's because of you.

"what?"

"Master is only interested in the female lead."

"This……"

Suddenly, Chai Jing used a dagger to pry open Han Yan's collar, revealing a crescent-shaped scar on her shoulder: "Do you remember this?"

Han Yan was stunned.

In my hazy memory, there seems to be a little girl being chased by pirates, and she bravely protects her...

"You... are that..."

“That’s right.” Chai Jing sheathed his sword. “Ah Jing, a fisherwoman from Danzhou Port, was saved by the Third Miss, which is why she is now the second-in-command of the Black Shark.”

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes. "Now, it's time for me to repay this kindness."

Han Yan grasped Chai Jing's hand: "I need to know everyone's secrets in the Zhuang family. Especially... my mother."

"What's the price?"

"The truth about Danzhou Port will be buried forever." Han Yan looked directly into Chai Jing's eyes, "including the fact that I personally killed that vicious couple."

Chai Jing raised an eyebrow, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! That's more like the kind of friend I, Chai Jing, should be!"

The two plotted until dawn.

As Chai Jing was leaving, Han Yan suddenly asked, "Did you steal that jade pendant from Zhuang Yuchi?"

Chai Jing paused, but didn't turn around: "That's right! I really didn't expect your mother to intervene."

"The methods are too crude! No one in the bookies is a fool."

"..."

……

The next morning, Han Yan was awakened by a gentle knock on the door.

Four maids filed in, carrying brand-new clothes and toiletries, their attitude almost obsequious. "Third Miss, we will assist you with your dressing."

Han Yan let them do as they pleased, and her pale yet beautiful face was reflected in the bronze mirror.

The injuries on his back had healed considerably overnight, and his body had been modified by its owner.

The unsuspecting maids carefully avoided the wound on her back, their touch incredibly gentle.

"Third Miss, Fourth Young Master was punished by the mistress this morning," a round-faced maid whispered to Zhuang Hanyan. "Because he said... said the mistress shouldn't have treated you that way."

Han Yan paused, her fingertips pausing.

Zhuang Yuchi? The boy who pushed her into the pond yesterday?

"Young Master Yushan has also been released from confinement," another maid added. "He said it was all thanks to the chaos last night..."

A cold smile crept across Han Yan's lips.

Sure enough, in this murky world of bookmakers, everyone is using each other's strengths against each other.

Bad people pretend to be good people, and good people pretend to be bad people; sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between truth and falsehood.

She picked up the medicine box left by Fu Yunxi and remembered his meaningful look and warning.

The game has just begun.

……

Inside the flower hall, the candles on the gilded candlesticks burned brightly, casting flickering light on the faces of the people sitting around the rosewood round table.

Master Zhuang picked up the celadon wine cup, and the amber-colored wine swayed slightly.

"I've invited you all here today to discuss Han Yan's fate." His voice was low as his gaze swept over everyone present. "She is, after all, of the Zhuang family bloodline, and has been wandering outside for twelve years..."

"Master!" Aunt Zhou suddenly interrupted, twisting her handkerchief tightly. "Of course I feel sorry for the Third Miss, but Yu Chi's marriage..."

She glanced at her son beside her, who was silently eating his vegetables. "The Liu family sent a letter yesterday, saying that if that 'barefoot devil' is still in the village..."

"Smash!" Master Zhuang slammed his wine cup down, splashing wine onto the gold-embroidered tablecloth. "What barefoot ghost! That's my daughter!"

From the head seat, Ruan Xiwen coldly observed this scene, her nails, painted with red nail polish, lightly tapping the table: "Master, you must have received a lot of favors from Vice Minister Liu during your years in the Ministry of Works, right?"

Her voice was soft, yet sharp as a knife, "Is it worth it for a jinx?"

"This……"

Han Yan sat quietly at the end of the table, as if they weren't talking about her.

She looked down at the demonic rune on her wrist, which glowed an eerie dark red in the candlelight.

Jiang stood behind her like a shadow, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"How about..." At this moment, Aunt Zhou's head maid suddenly suggested, "...arrange a marriage for the Third Miss? She's reached marriageable age, wouldn't it be perfect for her to get married?"

The table fell silent.

Master Zhuang's brows relaxed slightly, and Aunt Zhou also breathed a sigh of relief as she loosened the tightly clenched handkerchief.

However, the words of this head maid were what she had instructed.

"That's a great idea!" Master Zhuang exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table. "I'll invite them tomorrow..."

“Master,” the maidservant added timidly, “the matchmakers in the capital have long heard of the Third Miss’s reputation, so this matter may not be so easy.”

The unspoken words plunged the room into an awkward silence once again.

Han Yan gently stirred the soup in the bowl, the surface of the soup reflecting the sarcastic curve of her lips.

The Barefoot Ghost's reputation spread even further than the massacre at Danzhou Port.

"Take me to see Grandmother." Han Yan suddenly stood up, her skirt sweeping across the mess on the floor.

"Yes, Third Miss."

In the corridor, Jiang appeared beside her like a ghost: "Fu Yunxi has left the capital and gone to Danzhou."

Han Yan paused in her steps: "Investigate me?"

"Investigate the truth." Chai Jing fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist. "Interestingly, he specifically went to see your uncle's grave."

The runes on Han Yan's wrist were faintly burning.

After the pirates massacred the village that night, she personally buried her uncle and aunt on the highest cliff in Danzhou, facing the sea...

“There’s something even more interesting.” Chai Jing leaned close to her ear, “The Celestial Master Duan who called you ‘Barefoot Ghost’ back then has suddenly appeared in the capital.”

Han Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

Twelve years ago, the old Taoist priest with the flowing white beard pointed at her as soon as she was born and shouted, "This girl was born barefoot, which is a very bad omen."

"where?"

“What a coincidence.” Chai Jing chuckled. “Just before the old lady fell ill, someone saw him enter the back door of the Zhuang family’s house.”

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out in the direction of Songhetang.

When the two rushed over, they saw the old woman lying on the bed, her eyes wide open, her hands flailing wildly in the air, shouting, "Don't come any closer! Barefoot... barefoot ghost!"

This scene is exactly the same as the one the old man had on his deathbed years ago.

Han Yan stood at the door, feeling a chill run down her spine.

It wasn't fear, it was anger.

Twelve years of stigma, it turns out, was really an elaborate hoax?

"Get out!" Master Zhuang shouted sternly. "Anyone who dares to spread this matter will be punished according to family rules!"

Everyone hurriedly withdrew, but only Han Yan noticed that Ruan Xiwen had sprinkled something into the incense burner before leaving, and the smoke immediately turned into a strange bluish-purple color.

That night, Han Yan was combing her long hair in front of a bronze mirror in her room when the door was suddenly pushed open.

Zhuang Yushan stood at the door holding a thick cotton quilt, with a servant behind him carrying a red-hot charcoal brazier.

"Third sister, it's freezing cold, I've brought you some things to keep warm." She smiled gently, but her eyes held scrutiny and mockery. "Your back injury hasn't healed yet, you can't catch a cold again."

Han Yan looked at her through the bronze mirror: "Thank you."

Zhuang Yushan personally made up the bedding and gave the servant a few more instructions before leaving.

Han Yan waited quietly, and sure enough, less than half an hour later, the servant tiptoed back and took away all the charcoal brazier and cotton quilt.

"Do you need me to teach them a lesson?" Jiang Si's voice suddenly came from behind Han Yan.

Han Yan shook her head and pulled a candle from under her pillow: "Take a look at this."

She broke the candle in half, and inside was a note that read: "At three-quarters past midnight, at the West Corner Gate."

"Interesting." Jiang Si landed lightly. "Does someone from the Zhuang family want to see you?"

"Or perhaps you're trying to harm me." Han Yan brought the note close to the flame, which instantly engulfed it. "But that suits my purposes perfectly."

The north wind howled outside the window, making the window frames creak.

Han Yan wrapped her thin clothes tighter around herself and suddenly remembered the winter in Danzhou when she was twelve years old.

Her aunt locked her in the woodshed for three days and three nights, and it was the neighbor's old yellow dog that kept her warm by lying in the crack of the door...

"Third Miss," came the maid's timid voice from outside the door, "Master says... it's inconvenient to receive guests today."

Han Yan had anticipated this.

She calmly took out a small box: "Give this to my father and say... your daughter is unfilial and has put him in a difficult position."

Inside the box were the peace charms she had secretly embroidered these past few days, the stitches crooked and uneven, as no one in Danzhou had ever taught her needlework.

As soon as the maid left, Chai Jing climbed in through the window: "We've found out! Master Duan is not a Taoist master at all, but a complete fraudster."

"..."

“There’s more to it.” Chai Jing leaned closer. “The old lady was poisoned with ‘Soul-Separating Powder,’ and her symptoms were exactly the same as the old man’s back then.”

As midnight approached, Han Yan donned her thickest cloak, but deliberately went barefoot.

Jiang Si wanted to come along, but she stopped her: "Stay here and don't let anyone find out I'm not here."

The west gate is the most secluded entrance to the farm, and it is locked year-round.

When Han Yan arrived, the lock was already open. She gently pushed the door open, and a hunched figure stood outside.

"Third Miss." The person turned around and it turned out to be Chunxing, Ruan Xiwen's maid!

Her face was deathly pale. "To make a long story short, Master Duan will come tomorrow to exorcise the evil spirits from the old lady. They want to solidify your reputation as the 'Barefoot Ghost.' Here is all the information and data about Master Duan."

Then Chunxing secretly pulled open the door.

After Chunxing left, Hanyan realized that her palms had been pinched until they bled.

Chai Jing handed over a handkerchief: "Now you understand? In the entire Zhuang family, apart from your father who has no real power, no one wants you to stay."

Han Yan thought to herself, "Maybe not," then wiped the blood off her hands with a handkerchief, her eyes growing brighter and brighter: "Chai Jing, do me a favor."

"what?"

"Find Master Duan." Han Yan's lips curled into a cold smile. "I'm going to give the Zhuang family a big gift at tomorrow's family banquet."

"it is good."

Outside the window, the first rays of morning light pierced through the thick fog of clouds.

Han Yan stood barefoot by the window, feeling the chill emanating from her feet.

Twelve years have passed; it's time for those who framed her to taste the bitterness of being barefoot.

...(End of chapter)