The three entered the secret chamber, with Ethan Yun anxiously guarding outside. Inside, the three sat in a triangle, their palms facing each other in pairs. Fiona Yun and Susie Yun both wore pained expressions, while Lillian Shang's face was covered in sweat. After more than two hours, Lillian Shang finally withdrew her hands and opened her eyes, joy shining within them—she had succeeded!
She glanced at her two daughters. Fiona Yun was perfectly fine, but Susie Yun looked pale. Lillian Shang, feeling a pang of guilt, lovingly embraced Susie Yun, then turned to Fiona Yun and said, "Fiona, Susie's abilities have now been transferred to you. You must work twice as hard in your cultivation, so Susie's sacrifice won't be in vain, understand? Stay here and train for now!"
Fiona Yun nodded, a dazed heaviness weighing on her chest as she watched Lillian Shang carry Susie Yun away. She couldn't fathom her mother's reasoning, but a quiet ache began to bloom inside her, sorrow threading through her confusion. Only when a sharp, searing pain jolted her body did her mind snap back to the present.
Her body felt as if it were about to explode, burning with unbearable pain. Fiona Yun curled up in agony, yet it did nothing to lessen her suffering.
“Heavens above! Who's the numbskull that thought this was a good idea?” The secret chamber, which had only held Fiona Yun moments ago, was now occupied by a wild-looking old man—white hair, white beard, even his eyebrows were white, but he wore a pitch-black robe that looked like it had never seen daylight. He glared at Fiona, who was curled up in pain, and bellowed, “Absolute fools! Are you trying to blow this little lass to bits? Haven't you heard that mixing powers with different attributes is asking for trouble? Idiots, the lot of you—no, worse, you're all blockheads!”
He hauled Fiona up to sit, still muttering and grumbling without pause. "Listen up, kiddo, luck's on your side today! If this old man hadn't been out stretching his legs, you'd be a goner. Now, I'm going to yank that extra power out of you, but you'll have to grit your teeth and bear it, hear me? If you croak, don't come blaming me—I'm just the fixer, not the miracle worker!"
Gritting her teeth, Fiona Yun nodded. Though the old man was verbose, it seemed he could help her!
"Susie, come see—Mother picked out birthday gifts for you and Fiona. Which one catches your eye?" Lillian Shang sat on the sofa, holding up two elegant dresses, her manner gentle and expectant.
Susie had adored dresses since she was little, so Lillian Shang had chosen one as a special gift for her tenth birthday. The other dress, meant for Fiona, felt more like an afterthought—a gesture to maintain balance. For Fiona, the path of cultivation was paramount; only when her abilities were recognized could she stand as heir to the Shangguan family. Everything else, even birthdays, was secondary.
Susie Yun's lowered eyes were filled with disdain, even tinged with hatred. Yet when she looked up, her face wore a sweet smile as she walked over to sit beside Lillian Shang. "They're both beautiful!" she said.
Lillian Shang smiled and said, "Since you like them, you can have both!"
Susie Yun's smile grew even sweeter. "Thank you, Mother!"
Lillian Shang lovingly stroked her head and said, "I need to take care of some things first. Once your father brings Timothy home, we'll celebrate your birthday."
"Okay." Susie Yun nodded obediently, watching her mother leave.
Turning to see someone coming down the stairs, a flash of hatred crossed Susie Yun's eyes. Yet she called out sweetly, "Sister, come look! These are Mother's birthday gifts for me!"
Fiona Yun smiled faintly, carrying her coffee to the sofa opposite Susie Yun, appearing utterly uninterested in everything.
Susie Yun bit down hard on her lip. What stung the most was Fiona's indifference—no matter how Susie schemed, Fiona always wore that distant, untouched air. Susie's resentment simmered; after everything she'd endured, Fiona still basked in the promise of becoming family head, as if none of it mattered.
Susie Yun walked over with the dresses, saying, "Sister, take a look!" Hearing Lillian Shang's footsteps, Susie Yun suddenly snorted coldly and knocked the coffee cup from Fiona Yun's hand.
"Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you upset because Mother didn't give you a birthday present?" Susie Yun looked at Fiona Yun with teary eyes, appearing as if she had been wronged.
Lillian Shang's face darkened. "Fiona Yun, what are you doing?" Seeing Susie Yun's reddened hand, her eyes were full of concern.
Ethan Yun and Timothy Yun entered and saw the scene unfold. Timothy glared at Fiona Yun, then took Susie Yun's hand, saying, "Susie, come on, let me help you with some medicine."
Ethan Yun's expression darkened as well. "Fiona, Susie is just an ordinary person now. How could you treat her this way? You should be grateful to her. If not for her, you wouldn't have your current cultivation."
Lillian Shang said angrily, "Go to the secret chamber and train now. Even though you've left the training base, your current cultivation isn't enough to be the head of the Shangguan Family. And don't repay kindness with ingratitude, always bullying Susie. If not for her, you wouldn't be where you are today!"
Fiona Yun set her cup down, quietly pulled a tissue to wipe away the spilled coffee, and walked upstairs without a word. She'd grown used to such scenes—never once, from the very beginning, had anyone offered her a chance to explain herself. The silence was heavier than any accusation.
Truth be told, Fiona could have dodged Susie Yun's petty tricks with ease. But if Susie wanted to play the victim, Fiona let her. In the end, it was Susie who suffered—she could never measure up to someone who carried spiritual power in her veins.
The car stopped outside the villa.
"Master, we've arrived!"
The woman in the back seat, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them. Then she saw the car door open on its own. She got out calmly, as if such strange occurrences were perfectly normal, and walked into the villa.
If one looked closely, they'd notice there was no one in the driver's seat at all.
Seeing the woman walk in, Lillian Shang jumped to her feet, hysterically shouting, "What are you doing here? How dare you come back? Susie is your own sister, yet you hurt her! How could I have given birth to such a cold-blooded daughter? Why don't you just die? Give Susie back to me!" Though more than two months had passed, Lillian Shang still hated Fiona Yun deeply.
Ethan Yun and Timothy Yun quickly held her back. Ethan Yun's gaze toward Fiona Yun was cold and reproachful. All these years, Fiona had been busy with cultivation and Shangguan Family matters, rarely appearing before them. Timothy had his own training and later took charge of Yun Sect, so he was also busy. Susie, though she sometimes disappeared for a while, spent most of her time with them. Of the three children, Susie was actually the closest to them, but she had been killed by Fiona Yun—and in such a cruel manner, their beloved daughter had died without even a complete body.