Madam Butterfly could not wait until dawn at all. She simply went back to change her clothes, then headed to the secret chamber to find Feng Jiu’er in high spirits.

Of course, Feng Jiu’er had known she would not be willing to wait.

However, upon seeing that Madam Butterfly had returned not to rest but to change her clothes — and even to reapply her makeup — Feng Jiu’er was left utterly dumbfounded.

“Now, look here. You’re a middle-aged woman, there are no able-bodied men in this valley or anything of the sort, so what is the point of dressing yourself up like some ornate butterfly? For the girls to admire?”

Feng Jiu’er truly had no fear of death. The truth was, what use would it be to fear death once she had fallen into Madam Butterfly’s hands? Would she not end up dead either way?

So it was better to be bold and unrestrained — to say whatever came to mind, to mock as she pleased, at least for her own comfort.

“Besides, you’re a woman of several decades. You parade your appearance before the girls — do you ever spare a thought for how they feel? Don’t you know that watching you preen and flaunt yourself every day makes them want to retch?”

“You—” Even Madam Butterfly, who considered herself composed and dignified, had not expected to be flushed crimson with rage by just a few short words from Feng Jiu’er.

That wretched, wicked little wretch — what right did she have to criticize her appearance? “Who unblocked your pressure points?”

Her sharp gaze swept fiercely toward Hu Shuang, who stood to one side.

Hu Shuang lowered her head and responded: “It was this subordinate.”

With a sharp crack, a stinging slap fell squarely across Hu Shuang’s face.

Hu Shuang stood bolt upright. Even after being slapped, her expression did not change in the slightest — there was not even the faintest trace of resentment or grievance.

This Miss Hu Shuang was truly a good elder sister — it was only a pity that she had chosen the wrong master to follow.

A flash of complex emotion swept past Feng Jiu’er’s eyes, but she immediately broke into a grinning smile: “Oh, wonderful — you’re fighting amongst yourselves already. How amusing!”

“Feng Jiu’er, you stand at death’s very door and you still dare to speak out of turn. Are you truly not afraid to die?”

Madam Butterfly would, of course, not allow Feng Jiu’er the satisfaction. So even though she was still seething, she let Hu Shuang be — rather than giving outsiders something to laugh about.

Hu Shuang cast a glance at Feng Jiu’er, her feelings growing somewhat complicated. Had Feng Jiu’er said that on purpose to shield her?

Yet Feng Jiu’er herself could barely protect her own skin — why would she still think of others?

Jiu’er looked quietly at Madam Butterfly and said with an air of indifference, “If I told you I feared death, would you spare me?”

“What do you think?” Madam Butterfly gave a cold laugh. Did she truly expect to be spared? Was Feng Jiu’er simply too naive, or was it that her own face appeared too kindly?

“Don’t misunderstand — that resentful, bitter expression of yours is absolutely not kindly.” Jiu’er saw through her thoughts at a glance and grinned again: “But truly, Madam, you do carry so much resentment. Just look at the wrinkles at your corners of your eyes — deep enough to trap a fly!”

“Feng Jiu’er, what did you just say?” Madam Butterfly’s composure wavered entirely; she nearly raised her hand then and there to strike her dead!

That wretched little wretch! How dare she say she had wrinkles!

When had she ever had wrinkles? Her age was certainly considerably greater than Feng Jiu’er’s, yes, but she tended her face with floral powder and flower nectar every single day — her skincare regimen was meticulous and thorough. How could she possibly have wrinkles?

This face of hers — people would believe she was only seventeen or eighteen! Who would dare call her old?

And yet, right before her stood this fearless, death-defying person: “Surely not — you not only have a face full of wrinkles and the withered bearing of old age, but even your hearing has deteriorated? You cannot even make out what I am saying?”

Feng Jiu’er widened her pair of innocent eyes, feigning surprise: “Big Sister, how far apart are we? No more than ten or so paces!”

“Feng Jiu’er, you — you deserve to die!” She had called her ‘Big Sister’! Feng Jiu’er deserved to die! That wretched, wicked little wretch!

Madam Butterfly finally lost all restraint and thrust a palm forward.

Feng Jiu’er had been on guard and immediately shifted her footing to dodge. But there remained a significant gap between her cultivation and Madam Butterfly’s. Even though she had moved to evade at her utmost speed, at least half of the palm’s force still landed squarely upon her.

Jiu’er let out a cry of agony and was sent crashing into the wall before crumpling to the ground — blood instantly pouring from her lips, and it seemed she could not even pull herself back up.

“Feng Jiu’er, do you still dare to speak out of turn!” Madam Butterfly strode over and sent a kick driving toward her body.

Yet — no one had anticipated it — Feng Jiu’er, whose hands had been tightly bound, seized the moment of Madam Butterfly’s furious kick and grabbed hold of her lower leg, then vaulted upward in one fluid motion.

At a distance, Feng Jiu’er stood absolutely no chance against Madam Butterfly; that palm force of hers was simply too vicious.

Her whole strategy had been to provoke Madam Butterfly into such fury that she would close in to torment her — and sure enough, the moment she drew near, Feng Jiu’er had her opening!

This time, Madam Butterfly had truly grown careless. She had never dreamed for a moment that after being struck by a palm delivered at no less than seventy percent of her power, Feng Jiu’er would still be able to rise.

Even the rope bound at her wrists had been broken free at some point unknown — and in an instant Madam Butterfly was caught completely off guard. Feng Jiu’er moved like a soft, sinuous serpent, clinging to her leg and pulling herself upward.

A flash of silver light filled the air. Madam Butterfly, who had cultivated composure for so many years and always presented herself with elegant grace, was this time frightened into visible pallor.

She drove a palm downward into Feng Jiu’er — purely to force her back, to make her let go and fall away.

But no one had anticipated that Feng Jiu’er could be so utterly reckless. She took that palm head-on — she would rather absorb the blow than release her grip.

That silver light flashed before Madam Butterfly’s eyes, and immediately a searing agony radiated across her face. Madam Butterfly’s hands and feet went ice-cold as she watched Feng Jiu’er’s slender body finally be thrown to the ground by the force of the palm wind.

But — but her face…

“Madam!” Hu Shuang was so frightened her heart seized with a sudden constriction, and she rushed forward with quick strides — but the moment she caught sight of Madam Butterfly’s face, the flesh peeled back and raw, she stopped dead in her tracks and dared not draw even half a step closer.

Good heavens! How could this have happened? Madam’s face — Madam’s face had been destroyed by Feng Jiu’er! How could this have happened!

Hu Shuang could not bring herself to believe it. She could not bear to look at Madam’s face, and could only fix her eyes on Feng Jiu’er, who lay on the ground still coughing up blood.

This girl… this girl had truly risked everything. To ruin Madam’s face, she had been willing to throw away her very life!

Madam’s face… the face Madam had cherished and cared for above all else in this life… had truly been destroyed…

Hu Shuang felt as though even breathing had become difficult. It was not her own face that had been destroyed, and yet somehow she felt she would rather it had been hers.

Madam had loved beauty her entire life — now that her face was ruined, how was she to go on living?

Madam Butterfly’s hands trembled uncontrollably. Her face burned with a searing pain, and blood streamed continuously down her cheeks — yet she did not even dare to lift her hand to touch her own face.

The sight of it was impossible to describe — grotesque and horrifying, chilling to the very bone!

Her trembling hands began to rise at last — slowly, slowly — and came to rest upon her own face.

Warm. Reeking of blood. Thick and viscous. All of it was fresh blood flowing down from her face…