That slap of Zisu's was not a light one. It left the cheek of Yudie's aunt red and swollen and sat her down hard on the floor.

She held her face and stared blankly at Zisu, knocked stupid.

Zisu's face was hard. "I have never seen anybody so shameless as you... If it were not for Zhirou, you would not be fit to look up at the marquis's residence."

"You say over and over that you were ruined along with Uncle Liu. All of that is only to make Zhirou feel guilty, so you can squeeze more out of her... You have had plenty of silver out of her these last weeks, haven't you?"

"You say you were ruined along with Uncle Liu. When he was alive, why did you never say how much you squeezed out of his standing?"

"If you were ruined along with somebody, go find that somebody. Zhirou is a victim too... Not even my lord has ever held Zhirou's past against her. What are you, to stand here and shame her?"

"You had better pray my lord never hears the vicious things you say, or with his temper he will certainly kill you."

Zisu had not finished speaking when Fang Qian and the rest went suddenly white.

Zisu thought they had finally learned to be afraid.

Yudie's aunt scrambled up in a hurry and knelt on the floor, terrified. "My — my lord..."

Zisu looked back and saw Ning Chen standing in the doorway. She had not seen him come. His face was ice... So Ning Chen had heard everything they said.

Yudie's uncle, and Fang Qian and Fang Kun, went weak at the knees with fright and knelt on the floor.

They had traded on being family to bully Yudie... because they understood perfectly well that with blood between them, however far they went, there was nothing Yudie could do about it.

But this man was the most powerful marquis in the Great Xuan, and killing them would be easier than pinching an ant to death... How could they not be afraid?

Ning Chen…