After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

That sword was the most prized possession of the Yongxin Marquis's mansion. Lu Zhufeng's great-great-great-great-grandfather had rendered meritorious service in battle and was granted the title of Marquis.

He used this precious sword, named "Fengcun," to fight on the battlefield. It represented the glory of the Marquis's mansion.

It is because of this precious sword that the Marquis's family has inherited the title for generations, and the Lu family has been protected by their ancestors to this day.

If the Marquis's mansion is now just an empty shell, then that precious sword is its last remaining face, the last thing it can still show off.

How could Lu Ze do that! How dare he!

"You bastard!"

Lu Ze's face turned red at a visible speed, then turned bluish-purple, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot and bulging outwards due to lack of oxygen, filled with terror and suffocating pain.

"Brother...brother! I..."

Lu Zhufeng became ruthless, abandoning his usual brotherly love and compassion, and showing no mercy.

For a moment, he wanted to strangle Lu Ze!

Wei Zhaoning watched coldly from the side. Lu Ze was about to die and could no longer speak.

Just then, a servant outside shouted, "It's terrible! It's terrible! There's a fire!"

"The ancestral hall is on fire!!!"

Lu Zhufeng was startled, his hand suddenly loosened, and he hurriedly ran out, grabbing the person and asking questions.

"What happened?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, a servant said he saw a ghost in the ancestral hall, and then, inexplicably, the ancestral hall caught fire!"

"Hurry up and put out the fire!!!"

Lu Zhufeng had a headache.

Wei Zhaoning slightly curled her lips, "Could it be that the ancestors are angry?"

Lu Zhufeng's mind went blank for a moment, and he looked resentfully at Lu Ze, who was barely clinging to life on the ground.

Lu Ze was physically weak, and after being pinched hard by Lu Zhufeng, he fainted after only a few breaths.

"My lord, this matter is of great importance. Our ancestors are furious. It would be best to find a qualified physician to take a look. Otherwise, the Marquis's mansion may face a great disaster."

Wei Zhaoning feigned concern.

Lu Zhufeng did not believe in ghosts and gods, but he felt guilty about the Marquis's family having reached this generation. Lu Ze had done such a rebellious thing, and he found it even harder to face his ancestors.

Just as I was about to say something, a scream came from outside.

"Someone's dead...someone's dead!!!"

Lu Zhufeng's heart skipped a beat, and he almost immediately ordered, "Someone! Go find the master immediately!!!"

Wei Zhaoning followed Lu Zhufeng to the ancestral hall where the fire had been extinguished. The inside was charred black, and the inscriptions on the memorial tablets were too burnt to be read.

In the very center of the ancestral hall, a corpse with blood flowing from its seven orifices was hung on the door frame.

The manner of the death was gruesome and bizarre, leaving Lu Zhufeng no choice but to believe it.

He almost collapsed to the ground, his legs going weak.

He stared at the horrific corpse for a long time, unable to recover.

He kept muttering, "The Marquis's mansion will not perish, the Marquis's mansion will not perish..."

Wei Zhaoning knew Lu Zhufeng all too well; what he cared about most was his own honor and disgrace.

The only thing he could boast about was his marquisate; how could he tolerate not being a marquis?

"My lord, let's go back first. Master Wuxin has a good reputation in the martial arts world. Perhaps I should go and invite him."

Lu Zhufeng finally snapped out of his daze. "Please! Go quickly! Give me whatever money you want! Make sure this is done well!"

"That's natural."

*

When Wei Zhaoning returned to the side courtyard, Liu Xiang, dressed in the clothes of a low-ranking maid, had been waiting there for a long time.

"You did very well, but I'm afraid this play will have to be performed again today. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Wei Jiaruo's courtyard is very close to the ancestral hall, making it convenient for Liuxiang to make offerings.

There were many unidentified corpses on the back mountain of the Marquis's mansion, most of which were left there by fighting among martial arts sects. Wei Zhaoning made use of them.

"It's nothing, it's just a corpse," Liu Xiang said.

Wei Zhaoning took out a bag of gold and placed it in Liu Xiang's hand, "No matter what, you are still a girl. Doing something like this will make you scared."

"I've wronged you. The imperial examination is coming up soon. Take this and buy some good medicine for your younger brother, and don't forget your medicine."

Liu Xiang pursed her lips, refusing to accept the money. "Miss... I... I did this not for money. You have already given me more than enough. I just feel sorry for Dong Xu."

"Young Miss, how is Dongxu? Can I go see her?"

Liu Xiang asked.

Dongxu, that girl, is completely innocent and doesn't hold grudges. These days, she's been chattering away in her ear and is very kind to her.

Their relationship was no longer the same as before; there was now a tender connection between them, seemingly unseen.

Wei Zhaoning raised an eyebrow, surprised that the two had already developed feelings for each other.

Yeah.

Liu Xiang is also a pitiful girl, so it's a good thing that the two of them can look after each other.

At this moment, the winter catkins slowly awoke, hissing—

Feeling the pain at the severed finger, she showed a pained expression.

Wei Zhaoning's heart tightened, and she immediately ran over. How could this girl have suffered like this before?

"Don't move, take your medicine first!"

Liu Xiang immediately stepped forward and fed Dong Xu the medicine.

Dongxu's eyes were filled with mist. She looked at her hand and saw that her little finger was gone.

She suddenly burst into tears, "It's all my fault for being useless. I made Miss sign that divorce letter and I couldn't even protect myself."

Wei Zhaoning's expression was solemn. "A-Xu."

"Don't say those words again."

"Believe me, I will get justice for you. He will suffer a thousand times more than you do!"

Dongxu was at a loss for words. Seeing her mistress's furious outburst, she felt a pang of sadness.

She was a servant girl; what did it matter if she lost a finger?

The young lady has been good enough to her. It's nothing for her to sacrifice for the young lady. She can never repay those favors.

How could the young lady be so foolish as to sign that divorce agreement and even say things like she would help her get revenge?

What merit does she possess to deserve this...?

"I forged the divorce papers. But you don't need to belittle yourself. I've already said that you're family."

"so."

"From now on, whatever I tell you to do, you have to do it without hesitation. No resistance, no hesitation."

As Wei Zhaoning spoke, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Dongxu was overjoyed to hear that her mistress's letter of divorce was fake. She burst into laughter, as if losing a finger meant nothing to her, and disregarded the pain. "Really! Miss! I knew you wouldn't fall for the Second Young Master's trick!"

After saying that, she realized the second half of Wei Zhaoning's sentence, "Miss, even without this incident, I would not hesitate to do whatever you asked me to do."

She was confused, but Liu Xiang, who was standing to the side, knew what Wei Zhaoning was going to do.

"Stop talking. Look at you, so clumsy. Go eat something, and I'll tell you a story, okay?"

Liuxiang Road.

Dongxu suddenly froze, then her eyes filled with tears. "At least you still have some conscience."

Previously, when Liu Xiang made a mistake and was kicked out by Wei Jiaruo, she cried and couldn't stop. It was Dongxu who patiently told her stories and comforted her.

Seeing this, Wei Zhaoning didn't linger and let the two good sisters have a good chat.

"Are you ready?" she asked a masked guard.