Feng Pingqiu was, after all, an old fox. He reacted quicker than Feng Qing and feigned surprise and concern as he asked, "A Qin, you said you know who's behind the assassins?"
This scumbag of a father was quick on the uptake. He was quietly trying to fish for information from her.
Feng Qing also wanted to ask if she knew something.
But when she looked at Feng Yuqin, the spiritual energy swirling around Feng Yuqin made her eyes widen in disbelief. Pointing at Feng Yuqin, she asked, "You can cultivate now?"
When the others heard Feng Qing's words, they all looked at Feng Yuqin in surprise.
The on - lookers never expected that Feng Yuqin could cultivate after returning from the political marriage.
However, Feng Yuqin had used the jade pendant given by the Gold - Eater to conceal her strength and adjusted it to the first rank. So for now, people could only see the first - rank strength she wanted to show, not her actual fourth - rank strength.
But such strength was still regarded as no different from a useless person in the eyes of the crowd.
"Yes, I had some good fortune on my way back. Now I can also cultivate spiritual energy." Feng Yuqin said calmly as she scanned the surprised expressions of the crowd.
Hearing her admission, Feng Pingqiu and his daughter were seething with hatred, but on the surface, they had to feign joy and say, "That's great, A Qin. You can finally cultivate."
If it weren't for the obvious gloom in his eyes when he looked at Feng Yuqin, Feng Yuqin would have thought this scumbag of a father was truly happy for her.
"Yes, father. Now that I can cultivate, I can find out who's behind the hired assassins." Feng Yuqin said casually.
Feng Pingqiu and his daughter thought they could divert the topic of the assassins, but Feng Yuqin brought it up again.
The two already disliked Feng Yuqin very much, and seeing her being so "oblivious", they grew even more disgusted with her.
"Sister, regarding the assassins, if you had gone straight home after entering the city, father might have already found out who's behind them." Feng Qing said with a hint of provocation in her tone. "But now you're staying in an inn, and father has to come and pick you up in person. If you need anything, you can tell us, and we'll try our best to satisfy you. Please don't take your grievances out on father."
Feng Yuqin sneered inwardly. Feng Qing was quick to label her as unfilial.
Did she really think Feng Yuqin would care about such a reputation of filial piety?
"Humph, what right does she have to be angry? Maybe she made up the story of the assassins herself." A man behind Feng Qing spoke up.
Feng Yuqin looked in the direction of the voice. The man who spoke was Ji Wenjie, the second son of Feng Qing's uncle.
"Right, Feng Yuqin used to be a useless person who couldn't cultivate. Even if she can cultivate now, she's only at the first rank of a Soul Master. If she really met assassins, she might have been dead by now. How could she have returned to the Western Song State safely?" Some on - lookers echoed.
"It seems that, as Young Master Ji said, she might have made up the story of the assassins."
"Feng Yuqin has never had a good reputation. Before the political marriage, it was said that she often beat and scolded the maids and clashed with the Second Miss in the mansion."
"Right, the Second Lady and her daughter never held it against her and still regarded her as their own daughter. They even found such a good marriage for her. But she's still not satisfied. Now she's even making up lies about assassins."
Hearing these people call her mother the Second Lady and her the Second Miss, Feng Qing was seething with hatred in her heart.
Feng Yuqin's mother was the first wife, so Feng Yuqin was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Her mother was just a concubine wife, only worthy of being called the Second Lady. Even her status was one step lower than Feng Yuqin's. So she was the one who most hoped that Feng Yuqin and her mother would die.
If that happened, her mother would become the proper Prime Minister's wife, and she would be the legitimate eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
But her mother disagreed with letting these two women die so easily.
Her mother wanted to use these two women as stepping - stones to maintain their reputation and squeeze out the last bit of value from them.
When they heard about the political marriage to the Eastern Yuan State, their first thought was to push Feng Yuqin out.
The First Lady doted on Feng Yuqin the most. As long as Feng Yuqin was sent away for the political marriage, she would cause even less trouble.
But she never expected that Feng Yuqin would come back alive and ask them to come and welcome her back to the mansion. Before coming, she was so angry that she smashed everything in the yard that could be smashed. Finally, she calmed down her anger and came with her father.
At the same time, she also told her second cousin about the situation.
She knew that her second cousin was in love with her. So once he knew the situation, he would surely make some arrangements.
It seemed that her second cousin didn't disappoint her.
A glint of a smile flashed in Feng Qing's eyes. Although she tried her best to hide the look of pride on her face, Feng Yuqin didn't miss it.
"The Second Lady and her daughter have been so kind to them. Now even the Prime Minister has come in person to pick up Feng Yuqin, but she's still so ungrateful."
Hearing this, Feng Yuqin couldn't help but laugh. "You're so sure. Did you see all these things in the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
"How could we have seen them in the Prime Minister's Mansion? These are all things that spread from your mansion."
"Since you did these things, it's easy for them to spread. Do you think things that happen in the Prime Minister's Mansion won't spread?"
"Don't say that about sister. She won't bully us." As Feng Qing said this, she subconsciously took a step back.
It seemed that Feng Qing was a bit afraid of Feng Yuqin.
"Second Miss, you're so scared of her but still speaking up for her. You're really kind - hearted."
"Right, cousin. If you have any grievances, just tell us." Ji Wenjie also said. "Uncle is here. She won't dare to do anything to you."
Feng Yuqin looked at these people, including her scumbag of a father who had been watching, with a mocking expression.
They weren't here to pick her up. They were clearly here to make things difficult for her.
"Master, these people are really going too far." The Gold - Eater was almost furious. "And your sister, she's so fake. Are these people blind?"
"Alas, both are my daughters. Qing'er, just be more tolerant of your sister." Feng Pingqiu's words made the on - lookers around even more dissatisfied with Feng Yuqin.
If looks could kill, Feng Yuqin felt that she would probably be dead and mutilated by now.
She looked at Feng Pingqiu mockingly and asked, "Father, before the political marriage, I was a useless person who couldn't cultivate, right? May I ask, how could a useless person like me who couldn't cultivate bully Feng Qing, who is at the fifth rank of a Soul Master?"
"Right, sister didn't bully us." Feng Qing immediately said, but in her heart, she thought that Feng Yuqin actually knew how to refute now.
She never used to refute before.
Seeing Feng Qing looking so aggrieved, how could Ji Wenjie, who was in love with her, bear it?
"Feng Yuqin, don't quibble. You used to bully my cousin in the mansion. Otherwise, how could a useless person like you escape from fifteen assassins?" Ji Wenjie said angrily, looking at Feng Yuqin with disdain and accusing her.
Feng Yuqin's eyes turned cold, and her voice was even colder. "If I remember correctly, I didn't say how many assassins there were just now. So may I ask, Young Master Ji, how did you know the number of assassins?"
As soon as these words were out, the faces of Feng Pingqiu, his daughter, and Ji Wenjie all changed.