Chapter Eleven: Jin Xiaodao’s Deadly Strike and Ruthless Retribution

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Long Ye’s excessive trust gradually bred Jin Xiaodao’s arrogance. Jin Xiaodao had grown up immersed in the constant battles among women—two-faced schemes, open and hidden struggles—while Meng Xiaoli’s life was simple. Apart from her master’s family, there was only Long Ye and his daughter Long Ze, each sincere and genuine toward her, leaving her utterly unfamiliar with cunning and deceit.

Whenever Long Ye was absent, Jin Xiaodao showed a different face to Meng Xiaoli. Yet, whenever Meng Xiaoli complained to Long Ye, Jin Xiaodao would once again put on a pitiful, humble act. Long Ye always believed Jin Xiaodao was the weaker one in Meng Xiaoli’s presence, so it was only Meng Xiaoli who troubled Jin Xiaodao; the latter dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

One day, Meng Xiaoli left her daughter Long Ze in Long Ye’s care and went alone to the market to shop. Jin Xiaodao volunteered to watch over Long Ze, urging Long Ye to focus on sword practice without worry. Long Ye trusted Jin Xiaodao completely, but soon received news that little Long Ze had accidentally fallen off a cliff.

Feeling unwell and unable to explain why, Meng Xiaoli hurried back from the market. Before reaching the courtyard, she heard Jin Xiaodao wailing and screaming. Confused yet sensing disaster, she rushed inside, grabbed the sobbing Jin Xiaodao who was kneeling on the ground, and demanded, “Why are you crying? What happened?” Jin Xiaodao pointed inside the house, too choked with sobs to speak.

Meng Xiaoli pushed Jin Xiaodao aside and entered the room, only to find Long Ye silently weeping by the bedside, gently wiping the bloodied body of his youngest daughter, Long Ze, who lay motionless on the bed.

Meng Xiaoli collapsed to the floor, crawling toward Long Ze’s small bed. Hearing the movement, Long Ye hurried to support her. As she struggled to stand, Meng Xiaoli demanded, “What happened to her?” Long Ye was speechless, barely managing, “Ze’er… fell off the cliff… passed away…”

Meng Xiaoli’s first thought was Jin Xiaodao. She cried out, “Was it Jin Xiaodao?” Long Ye sighed, “She was careless for a moment, letting Long Ze wander far. By the time she saw her near the cliff, she slipped and fell. Xiaodao couldn’t catch up in time.”

Hearing this, Meng Xiaoli knew the truth. She grabbed her sword from the wall and charged out, pointing it at Jin Xiaodao. “You fooled Long Ye, but you can’t fool me. I know your heart is wicked, but I never imagined you would harm a child.” At the mention of her daughter, she broke down into uncontrollable sobs. “She was only three years old! How could you do this?” As she raised her sword to strike Jin Xiaodao down, Jin Xiaodao panicked and shouted, “Brother Long Ye, save me!”

As expected, Long Ye intercepted the sword. He held Meng Xiaoli tightly and pleaded, “Ze’er is gone. Killing her won’t bring her back. Besides, she never meant for Ze’er to fall. It was an accident.”

Distraught and despairing, Meng Xiaoli pushed him away. “How can you be so foolish? Our daughter was killed by her, and yet you protect her. You’d rather believe her than me?”

Long Ye hurriedly explained, “It’s not that I believe her…I just…” He swallowed the words “I don’t believe you,” fearing Meng Xiaoli’s emotions would explode. Instead, he softened his tone, “Now that this has happened, let’s handle Ze’er’s affairs first, and then we’ll talk.”

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Men are generally insensitive to the underhanded tactics women employ against each other and can never see into a woman’s heart. Meng Xiaoli was no one to soften her stance, so Jin Xiaodao seized the opportunity to deepen the misunderstandings and conflicts between them.

Meng Xiaoli’s heart hardened like iron as she told Jin Xiaodao, “I’m not a fierce woman who ignores every fault, but I’m no pushover either. I will kill you.”

Seeing this, Jin Xiaodao knelt, pleading and weeping, “It’s my fault. I was careless. All the blame is mine. Even if you forgive me, I cannot forgive myself. Kill me, then, to atone for Ze’er. Let me go with her, so she won’t be alone on the road to the afterlife...”

After Long Ye and Meng Xiaoli buried their daughter Long Ze, Jin Xiaodao stubbornly refused to leave. She insisted on kneeling at the grave. Long Ye advised, “Though not related by blood, you are still an elder to Ze’er. Elders don’t kneel to juniors.”

Jin Xiaodao’s eyes were swollen from crying, tears dried out, her gaze vacant. “Though I didn’t harm Ze’er directly, it was my negligence that caused this. I am responsible. If I could, I’d trade my life for hers. Her lively, bouncing figure is still before my eyes. How could I not be heartbroken?”

Seeing this, Meng Xiaoli forced a bitter smile and pulled Long Ye to leave. Evening came, but Jin Xiaodao had yet to return. Worried she might be consumed by guilt, Long Ye wanted to search for her. Meng Xiaoli coldly replied, “Who wants to die? She doesn’t want to die. She still has to live well.” Then she tossed a sentence to Long Ye: “I’ll go fetch her.”

Meng Xiaoli found Jin Xiaodao still kneeling by the grave in the woods, almost dozing off. Approaching from behind, Meng Xiaoli sneered, “If you’re acting, you need to commit fully. How can you not hold out for even a moment?”

Startled by the voice, Jin Xiaodao shivered awake, turned to look at Meng Xiaoli, and noticing Long Ye was not there, stretched and yawned, calmly saying, “An act doesn’t have to be full; as long as someone believes it, that’s enough.”

Meng Xiaoli crouched beside her, sighing, “I see you’re capable, so why do you choose to play these petty games in my small household?”

Jin Xiaodao slumped to the ground, looking at Meng Xiaoli with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, “A small household can be reliable. Besides, I truly fell in love with Long Ye.”

She sighed again, “If everything in this world were reasonable, I wouldn’t have been defiled by a bunch of lowly scoundrels. I’m powerless; in martial skills, I’m no match for you. But in wit, you’re no match for me. Don’t forget who I am, where I come from, what environment I grew up in. Since childhood, I’ve been surrounded by scheming and rivalry. You fight, I fight, and though I lack other talents, I have women’s cunning. In a grand household, where hearts are as deep as the sea, dealing with you is no challenge.”

Meng Xiaoli was puzzled and asked, “Since I agreed to keep you and treat you as a sister, why are you still not content?”

Jin Xiaodao’s eyes darted around, then she sighed, “Sisters? To me, that’s the most hypocritical relationship. I grew up hearing my father’s concubines shouting ‘sister this’ and ‘sister that’. It disgusted me. My experiences outside are something you’ll never face. The outside world is terrifying. I have nightmares every night. I have no support. You say you keep me, but it’s temporary. How can I rest easy? I need a solid bond. Since you won’t let me be a concubine, I have to work for it myself. I never wanted to harm anyone. Wouldn’t it be better if the three of us lived together? But you forced me to kill.”

Meng Xiaoli sighed bitterly, “Do you admit you killed my daughter?”

Jin Xiaodao nodded brazenly, “I pushed her off the cliff. So what? Do you dare kill me? Can you kill me?”

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Meng Xiaoli’s eyes reddened with fury upon hearing this. Seeing Jin Xiaodao’s arrogance, she stood, drew her sword, and shouted, “Why shouldn’t I kill you?”

“If everything in life could be solved by killing, then what’s the use of brains? If you kill me, Long Ye will only hate you more. The rift between you will never heal,” Jin Xiaodao said calmly, sitting beneath Meng Xiaoli’s sword, locking eyes with her.

Meng Xiaoli swung her sword furiously, “I don’t care if he hates me or not—I will avenge Ze’er today.” The sword’s tip rushed toward Jin Xiaodao’s throat, but with a sharp “clang,” a pebble deflected the blade. Meng Xiaoli turned to see Long Ye blocking the strike.

Fearing Meng Xiaoli would lose control and kill Jin Xiaodao, Long Ye had come to intervene and happened upon the scene just as the sword was drawn. Meng Xiaoli, hysterical, screamed, “If anyone stops me from killing Jin Xiaodao today, I will kill them too!”

Before the words fell, Meng Xiaoli charged at Long Ye with her sword. Long Ye thought she had gone mad from grief and dodged swiftly, reaching to disarm her. Meng Xiaoli flourished her sword and unleashed the “Fire” technique of the Xuanmo Sect, striking fiercely with deadly precision, leaving no room for mercy.

Long Ye dodged left and right, unwilling to strike back. Seeing her sword attack intensify, he was forced to use the “Wind” technique, probing her openings. Though unarmed, he nearly broke her moves several times but held back from attacking. Meng Xiaoli’s eyes were blazing red; she had renounced all kinship, determined to avenge her daughter. Yet Long Ye repeatedly intervened, and his martial skills were indeed superior.

Meng Xiaoli then employed the “Water” technique, slowing her strikes but tightening her defense, making it harder for Long Ye to find an opening. He could only evade, but a slight misstep caused her sword to graze his arm. Long Ye jumped aside, clutching his wound, and asked, “Are you mad?”

Meng Xiaoli ignored him and continued her assault. Seeing no other way, Long Ye flipped behind her and struck her back with a palm. Though he held back his strength and Meng Xiaoli was unharmed, the blow shattered her heart into pieces. She looked at Long Ye with profound disappointment and, lowering her sword, left.

That night, Long Ye settled Jin Xiaodao and returned to find Meng Xiaoli sitting on the bed, clutching Long Ze’s small clothes, sobbing uncontrollably. She recalled Long Ze’s lively days—her energetic running and jumping, always clinging to him, her chubby little hands holding his finger as she rushed forward, mischievously climbing high and low, hopping happily, pouting when upset, gazing innocently at the world, seeing everything as beautiful.

Long Ye’s heart tore apart at the sight. He moved to embrace Meng Xiaoli, who wept bitterly, her cries so mournful that gods and spirits alike would weep, and the world bowed low. She did not sleep all night.