Disappointed but Unyielding

She used to fall for tricks like this all the time in her past life.

For example, Grace Wan would deliberately have people mock her behind her back, making her furious—just in time for her father to witness her outburst.

She believed that she, Chloe Zhu, wasn’t the only one who’d lose her cool sometimes.

Cindy Zhu probably would too, right?

So, she deliberately provoked Cindy Zhu just to make her mess up too.

Only if Cindy Zhu made a mistake would Chloe Zhu get her chance.

That was a lesson she’d learned the hard way.

If one day she could escape her fate of being cannon fodder in the palace, she’d really have to thank Grace Wan for her "guidance"...

Cindy Zhu’s meridians were swollen and aching so badly she couldn’t walk. She curled up on the ground for half an hour, her clothes soaked through with sweat, before finally staggering to her feet and heading toward her mother.

She had to tell her mother what Chloe Zhu had just done to her!

She was determined to make her mother go see the Empress, so she could enter the palace instead!

Let's see how she can keep strutting around in front of me then!

We'll see who is the ruler and who is the servant!

But just as she reached the entrance of Snowdrop Garden, she saw her mother escorting Chloe Zhu out.

Chloe's eyes were a little red, while Grace Wan looked apologetic, gently coaxing her.

The moment Cindy Zhu arrived, Grace Wan stormed over and slapped her across the face.

Cindy Zhu was left dizzy from the slap, her head buzzing. After a long moment, she finally came to, clutching her face in disbelief. "Mother, why did you hit me?"

"You actually used Spirit Overload Torture on Chloe?" Grace Wan shouted angrily. "She's your own sister! How could you do that?"

"How was it me using Spirit Overload Torture on her? It was clearly her using it on me!" Cindy Zhu protested, feeling wronged.

"She used Spirit Overload Torture on you?" Grace Wan's face darkened.

Only a Spirit Practitioner can perform Spirit Overload Torture.

"Yeah, she took the Exploding Spirit Pill!" Cindy Zhu was so aggrieved she was about to cry. "Mother, you have no idea, I was in so much pain just now I thought I was going to die! And you still hit me?"

Chloe looked both heartbroken and scared. She turned to Grace Wan and pleaded, "Auntie, please grant my request! Go to the palace and talk to Her Majesty the Empress, let Cindy enter the palace! Otherwise, just look at what she's become!"

Grace Wan held her hand, her face full of concern. "Good child! Don't say such things! Auntie won't let anything like this happen again!"

Then, she looked at Cindy Zhu with utter disappointment and scolded, "Cindy, apologize to your sister right now!"

"Why should I apologize to her?" Cindy Zhu felt like she was going crazy. "She used Spirit Overload Torture on me! She should be the one apologizing!"

"Cindy, you really let me down!" Grace Wan was truly disappointed in her daughter. Her cleverness wasn't even one percent of Chloe's!

"Mother, why don't you believe me? Last time, she also took the Exploding Spirit Pill and slapped Qingyun right into the Thornbell Flower patch. Her face was swollen for days!"

Grace Wan took a deep breath and said, "Even if you take the Exploding Spirit Pill, you only gain brute strength. Spirit Overload Torture can only be performed by a Spirit Practitioner! No pill can do that!"

"Then... Chloe must have become a Spirit Practitioner! Mother, take her to the Elemental Crystal to check—she must have awakened!" Cindy Zhu cried out anxiously.

That comment inexplicably made Grace Wan furious.

In a fit of anger, she slapped Cindy Zhu again. "Have you had enough? Get back to your room! Without my permission, you are not allowed to take a single step out!"