Seeing that the guards she had brought were actually being cowed by that simpleton Feng Jiu’er, Feng Qingyin was nearly beside herself with rage!

“I am telling you to act! Anyone who refuses — I will make sure they are finished when this is over!”

Never mind elegance or poise — the Feng Qingyin standing here now wanted nothing more than to be rid of Feng Jiu’er entirely.

She used sorcery! Without even needing to move, she had injured her guards and struck her face!

For reasons she could not quite explain, Feng Qingyin had a persistent feeling deep in her gut: if she did not eliminate Feng Jiu’er now, she would live to regret it.

“Everyone rush them! Finish them both!”

“Who dares speak of killing anyone in my Feng Manor?” A deep, aged voice cut through the air.

Everyone’s heart jolted at once. They looked toward the doorway — and the sight that greeted them left them all shaken to the core.

The Grand Master! The Grand Master himself had come!

The true head of the Feng Family, Feng Zhenhai, was now past sixty years of age, yet he still looked every bit as robust and vigorous as a man in his prime.

Save for a few threads of silver that had indeed appeared at his temples, his entire bearing remained strong and formidable.

“Grandfather!” Feng Jiu’er let the cold glint fade from her eyes and ran quickly toward him. “Grandfather, Elder Sister Qingyin wants to have me beaten to death! Grandfather, I’m so frightened!”

“Jiu’er, do not be impertinent!” Feng Junzhuo, who had been following behind Feng Zhenhai, immediately called out to rein her in.

The Grand Master had more than one son, and though Feng Junzhuo was the legitimate heir, his two younger brothers had in recent years won great merit on the battlefield in one campaign after another — while he alone had remained without distinction or accomplishment.

Feng Junzhuo lived in constant worry that his two brothers’ growing prestige would eventually cause the Grand Master to look upon him with less regard. If the command seal of the Feng Family were one day handed to one of his two brothers, his own branch of the family would have no standing whatsoever within Feng Manor.

The command seal had always been passed down to the legitimate heir by tradition — yet his achievements at court were far inferior to those of his two younger brothers.

Feng Zhenhai had spent so many years away on military campaigns that he was not particularly close to the younger generation of the Feng Family.

The word “Grandfather” that Jiu’er had just called out did take him somewhat by surprise.

After all, every young member of the Feng Family addressed him as “Grandfather” in the formal sense — or else “Venerable Grandfather.”

“Grandfather, I’m frightened.” Feng Jiu’er ran up to Feng Zhenhai and gave his sleeve a gentle, repeated tug.

“Jiu’er hasn’t done anything wrong. She only saw that Yanu was injured and gave him medicine to treat his wounds. Elder Sister Qingyin said things like ‘disgraceful pair’ and wanted to kill us both.”

“Grandfather, Yanu bled so much. I was so scared…”

“Don’t be afraid. With Grandfather here, who would dare touch you?”

At those words, Feng Zhenhai’s gaze swept toward Feng Qingyin, cold and cutting.

He had never been particularly fond of this so-called granddaughter by adoption. In name she was his adopted granddaughter — but everyone in Feng Manor knew full well that she was an illegitimate child.

The Grand Master of the Feng Family had in his younger days served as a great general who followed the late Emperor in opening up new territories and expanding the realm. He had conducted himself all his life with integrity and uprightness, and had always despised underhanded, furtive conduct of every kind.

He fixed Feng Qingyin with a fierce stare. “You actually had the audacity to order guards to kill my granddaughter? What a cruel heart you have!”

At those words, Feng Qingyin went blank with terror. Her legs gave way beneath her, and with a thud, she dropped to her knees.

“Venerable Grandfather, I did not! I… I only feared that Jiu’er might have engaged in conduct unbecoming, I…”

“Grandfather — what is conduct unbecoming?” Feng Jiu’er asked, her expression a picture of bafflement, so guileless and pure it was almost heartbreaking to behold.

Feng Zhenhai looked into those innocent eyes of hers, and something in his chest softened at once.

Feng Junzhuo heard her question and nearly dropped to his own knees as well. “Father, it is I who has failed in guidance and discipline. I will take Qingyin away this very moment and deal with her myself.”