"No, I refuse to have my cultivation crippled! Father, please don't agree to her demands. She's the murderer, the one who slaughtered the entire Qiu clan..." Hearing that her cultivation was to be abolished, Ji Qianqian pleaded desperately with the Ji Clan Leader, falling to her knees. Having her cultivation crippled was worse than death; she refused to become a cripple.
The crowd erupted in an uproar upon hearing this. What? The entire Qiu clan was annihilated by this woman?
"Esteemed immortal, who are you? This is a matter within our clan. It is improper for you to interfere so rashly!" an elder, close to the clan leader's wife, questioned.
"This is my sister, Ji Jiu. She is the person directly involved and the most qualified to speak. As for the annihilation of the Qiu clan, do not smear our sister's name to escape punishment!" Ji Wuye pulled Ju Xun behind him, retorting.
"What? She is Ji Jiu? Wasn't she said to be mentally deficient?" another elder questioned. If what Ji Si said was true, and she was indeed responsible for the destruction of the Qiu family, then her cultivation was unfathomably deep. Now that she had come to the Ji family, would the clan be annihilated due to her presence? The Ji clan was in grave danger today!
"Immortal, would you be so kind as to remove your veil?" Ji Shui asked, his voice filled with excitement. He knew that Ye'er's parents doted on this child immensely. If they knew that the miracle they had longed for had occurred, they would be overjoyed!
"Sister, this is Elder Ji Shui. You usually call him Uncle Ji. He was Father's best brother in life!"
"Greetings, Uncle Ji!" Ju Xun removed her veil.
Upon seeing that Ju Xun had indeed removed her veil, Ji Shui realized it was Ji Jiu. This child had been simple-minded since birth, and no one had ever imagined she could regain her senses. The clan members had often privately criticized them, the couple, for doting on their simple-minded daughter and treating her like a treasure. Only they, the couple, had believed Ji Jiu would recover and had taken meticulous care of her.
The other elders, although they had not met Ji Jiu in the inner chambers, saw that the woman who had removed her veil bore a resemblance to Ji Wuye's mother and were mostly convinced this woman was Wuye's sister. They never expected Ji Jiu to be so strikingly beautiful, even surpassing Ji Si, who was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the Nine Prefectures.
Seeing Ju Xun's face, the Ji Clan Leader couldn't help but recall a past acquaintance, that gentle and tender woman. His hidden feelings resurfaced, causing him to become momentarily lost in thought.
Upon seeing Ju Xun, Qiu Shi knew it was Ji Jiu without a doubt. She looked exactly like her seductive mother. Seeing the man beside her lost in thought while gazing at Ji Jiu, she gnashed her teeth in anger. It seemed he still harbored feelings for someone who had been dead for so long.
"Hmph, you truly resemble your mother. Such a wicked heart, to want to cripple Qianqian's cultivation when she is your own cousin!" Madam Ji glared at Ji Xun with malice.
"Madam Ji, you truly are a hypocrite. Your daughter harmed my sister first, and now she is being punished, yet you call us wicked? This is utterly unjust! It's considered merciful that I didn't take her life!"
"Whoever dares to lay a hand on my daughter's life must step over me first..." Madam Ji became frenzied, like a trapped beast.
Ju Xun had been listening silently. She realized there were indeed such people in this world who couldn't understand pain until it befell them. Seeing the towering, thousand-meter-tall mountain-suppressing stone at the sect's gate, she suddenly bent a finger and flicked out a surge of energy. With a loud bang, the mountain-suppressing stone turned to dust amidst the deafening sound.
Everyone was startled. Madam Ji's voice abruptly cut off as if her throat had been constricted! Ji Qianqian, who had been crying, gasped and hiccuped due to the sudden silence.
The Ji Clan Leader was so frightened he clutched his chest, nearly passing out. This time, he believed it. The massacre of the Qiu family must have been her doing! No one in the Ji clan could possess such power. Controlling spiritual energy with such effortless mastery, shattering mountain stones could be achieved by many cultivators, but turning them directly into smoke and dust definitely indicated a cultivation realm above Void Integration.
"So, do you want a life or crippled cultivation? Choose quickly! I have little patience!" Ju Xun's cold voice echoed in the ears of everyone present in the Ji family. The clear sky seemed to send an inexplicable shiver down their spines!
Ji Chenmu had remained silent. This was a family affair of Wuye, and he did not interfere. He was an invisible figure within the clan; his lineage had long since perished, making him insignificant in the clan's affairs. The only thing he could do was to stand firmly behind Wuye and support him. Having been cared for by Ji Wuye's family since childhood, he also considered Ji Jiu a sister. Witnessing Ji Jiu's display, he felt his blood begin to boil. Such power! The cultivation world emphasized the survival of the fittest, and people admired strength. They could use a dozen sisters like this and firmly grasp a golden thigh.
Ji Wuye was also shocked. His sister was truly like a great weapon. He felt a pang of anxiety, worrying that his sister might no longer need him if he remained so weak, perhaps even deeming him a burden. No, he had to cultivate diligently and become someone who could shield his sister with his own body. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have that qualification now!
After a long while, the Ji Clan Leader regained his voice: "Ji Shui, cripple Ji Si's cultivation and confine her for half a year."
"Yes, Clan Leader."
Ji Shui had not expected the child, who was once considered foolish, to possess such terrifying power, especially at such a young age of sixteen. It was a pity. If the Clan Leader had not wronged these two children, and if the clan elders had acted with fairness and impartiality back then, these children would not have become estranged. They could have led the Ji family to soar. Since the Clan Leader married a woman from the Qiu family, his disposition had shifted. The Ji family had been suppressed by the Qiu family for years, becoming thoroughly corrupt. It was a shame that Ji Si had not been taught properly. A virtuous wife blesses three generations!
"No, please don't! Father, I beg you, I don't want my cultivation crippled! Brother~ Mother~ Save me..." Ji Qianqian watched as Ji Shui, the usually amiable clan uncle, approached her like a demon.
Ji Qianlong was also stunned by Ju Xun's display. He did not want to die, to be annihilated by a mere flick of a finger. He turned his head away with reluctance. Although he was usually dissolute and arrogant, he had never truly harmed his clan sisters. Moreover, his cousin from the Qiu family was of that sort. He delighted in bullying women and employed extremely brutal methods. Countless bodies were buried in his backyard.
The Ji Clan Leader firmly held back Madam Qiu, who was on the verge of collapsing from grief. Although this woman was hateful, she had given him a son and a daughter. There was a shred of familial connection.
She suddenly pushed off the ground with her toes and leaped up, attempting to escape.
However, before she could even take flight, Ju Xun flicked her fingers, immobilizing Ji Qianqian. She then fell before Ji Shui.
Only her scream was heard as she fainted from the agonizing pain. To cripple one's cultivation was to destroy their dantian and spiritual roots, leaving them with no chance to cultivate again.
Ji Wuye showed no emotion and felt no sympathy for Miss Ji Si. She was a ruthless individual who had killed countless clan members and maids.
"This matter of Ji Qianqian is settled. I also recall the wealth my parents left for my brother, which the clan is holding in safekeeping. I will reclaim it now. If the items are present, they will be returned. If they are missing, they will be exchanged for spirit stones. You have one day to gather them!"
From Ji Jiu's memories, Ju Xun was aware of her parents' wealth. Although she was simple-minded and unable to speak, everything was imprinted in her memory.
...