She suddenly pulled out a dagger and, with a look of fierce determination, aimed it at her own dantian. "The only way I can atone for my mother's sins is to dig out my sister's Spirit Root and return it to her! Only then will I have redeemed a tiny bit of my mother's guilt."
Grace raised an eyebrow.
Wendy Zhu, tears streaming down her face, picked up the dagger and dramatically raised it high, as if she were about to stab herself in the stomach.
But the gesture was a bit over the top.
And honestly, she was being way too dramatic.
Totally not the vibe you'd expect from someone with a fourth-tier cultivation level.
Grace just sat there, perfectly still, not moving an inch.
To her surprise, Minister Zhuo didn’t move either—he just watched coldly.
After living so long, he could easily tell what was real and what was fake.
Wendy Zhu thought for sure they’d try to stop her, then comfort her with, “It’s not your fault.”
But to her surprise, neither of them reacted.
For a moment, the atmosphere was downright awkward.
She’d already raised the knife—now what? She couldn’t actually stab herself, could she?
Thankfully, Kevin Zhuo was there. He dashed forward, grabbed her hand, and shouted, "Wendy! Don’t do anything stupid! Even if you dig out your Spirit Root, you still can’t give it back to Grace!"
"But what am I supposed to do?" Wendy Zhuo sobbed, tossing the knife aside, looking absolutely miserable.
"Pfft!" Grace couldn’t help but laugh.
Both Wendy Zhu and Kevin Zhuo turned to glare at her, their eyes full of anger.
How could she possibly be laughing right now?
"Empress Wendy, you really don’t need to torture yourself like this," Grace said.
"Thank you for being so generous, Grace," Wendy Zhu said, relief washing over her. "From now on, I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you—"
"Empress Wendy, let me finish what I have to say," Grace said. "You really don't need to torture yourself. If you say you want to dig out my Spirit Root and return it to me, then go ahead! If you do, we'll be even—no debts left between us!"
Let her dig it out?
That’s her Phoenix Heart!
It’s what she’s been proud of all these years—the Phoenix Heart that made her the darling of destiny!
How could she possibly give it up?
"What’s wrong?" Grace asked. "Go ahead!"
A flash of resentment crossed Wendy Zhu’s eyes. She bit her lip and glanced at Kevin Zhuo, but didn’t move.
"Grace—little sister." Kevin Zhuo called out, trying to sound fierce, but the "little sister" at the end totally ruined the vibe. "In the end, this isn’t really Wendy’s fault. Don’t push her too far!"
"She’s the one who said she’d give me back my Spirit Root, isn’t she?" Grace replied. "How am I the one pushing too far?"
Kevin Zhuo stopped arguing with her and turned to Minister Zhuo. "Father, if Wendy digs out her Spirit Root, she won’t be able to stay Empress. That wouldn’t be good for our family, right?"
Minister Zhuo sighed. "Wendy, Kevin, you’re both my children. I won’t treat you differently because of her, so don’t worry."
"Thank you, Father!" Wendy Zhu said, visibly relieved.
"Go on, all of you! And in the future... study hard. Don’t be like your mother, or I won’t be so forgiving!" Minister Zhuo warned.
Wendy Zhu lowered her eyes. "Yes, Father. I’ll remember your words."
...
After they left, Minister Zhuo looked at Grace. "Grace—"
"Father, I understand," Grace said. "No matter what Grace Wan did, they’re your flesh and blood. I won’t do anything to them."
She paused, then added, "But if they inherit Grace Wan’s wishes and try to destroy me and my mother, then please, don’t blame your daughter for defending herself."