Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Crushing the Li Mother and Daughter Beneath Our Feet

“How does the Cheng family come to possess Dragon Scale Jade?”

“It was passed down from our ancestors. How do you know this is Dragon Scale Jade?” Cheng Zhouxing looked at his daughter in surprise.

Cheng Xi reached out and took the jade, cradling it in her palm. She immediately felt a chilling coldness that seeped deep into her bones, causing great discomfort.

“Do you know the origin of Dragon Scale Jade?” Cheng Xi asked again.

Cheng Zhouxing shook his head. “My grandfather handed it to me on his deathbed. I only know it’s Dragon Scale Jade, a family heirloom of the Chengs.”

“A family heirloom?” Cheng Xi scoffed. “Dragon Scale Jade isn’t ordinary jade; it’s forged from the scales of a black dragon.”

Cheng Zhouxing’s expression shifted slightly. “Forged from black dragon scales? Are black dragons real?”

“Of course they exist,” Cheng Xi whispered.

Cheng Zhouxing’s face paled repeatedly. “If this was passed down from our ancestors, it doesn’t sound like a blessing, does it?”

“It’s a valuable item, but unfortunately, it’s been cursed. Counting back from your generation, there have been at least three generations with only one heir, right?”

Cheng Zhouxing’s expression darkened further. “You knew this all along?”

Every year at the ancestral rites, the tablets in the family shrine were so few.

“You mentioned a curse just now. Could it be that someone cursed the Cheng family?”

“Your family,” Cheng Xi corrected.

Cheng Zhouxing fell silent.

Suddenly, his face darkened as he turned toward Cheng Xi. “If this curse targets the Cheng bloodline, and after three generations there’s only you, a daughter, then wouldn’t that mean the Cheng family lineage is truly at risk of extinction?”

“Probably. It seems our ancestors must have offended someone to be cursed with such a sinister spell,” Cheng Xi said, recalling how the original body she inhabited had always been weak and frequently ill.

It wasn’t that she was born frail—it was the curse that steadily drained her vitality.

Such a cruel tactic.

Moreover, the curse was so subtle that even she hadn’t noticed anything amiss. A curse this hidden would be even harder to break.

---

Cheng Zhouxing stared grimly at Madam Du’s grave. It wasn’t that she couldn’t bear sons; the Cheng family had imposed restrictions, forbidding her from having more children.

Back then, Li, heavily pregnant, came to him claiming she carried his child. All he wanted was a son to inherit the family legacy; he never intended to harm her.

He was heartless. He had wronged her.

Suddenly, Cheng Zhouxing raised his hand and slapped himself fiercely.

Cheng Xi glanced over, then quickly looked away.

Cheng Zhouxing seemed to age many years in an instant. He looked at Cheng Xi and slowly said, “I will find a way to break this curse. I will make sure you live well.”

Cheng Xi met his gaze and said calmly, “I find Li quite suspicious. When she came to you pregnant, how was she so sure you’d keep her because of the child?”

Cheng Zhouxing hesitated. “You mean she was sent by someone?”

“Not necessarily by a person.”

“What... do you mean?”

“Have you forgotten that Cheng Yanjian has demonic blood? I’m just curious—why would Li’s child carry demonic lineage? Aren’t you curious?”

Cheng Zhouxing brought Cheng Xi back to the city. The magistrate’s mansion was lively. Madam Cheng pointed at Li and cursed, ordering her and her two wicked children to leave the Cheng household. Muttering, she insisted on bringing Cheng Xi back, despite not liking her granddaughter, as she was the only blood descendant of the Cheng family.

Madam Cheng had already decided to find a suitor for Cheng Xi at home. Once she gave birth, her child would still carry the Cheng name.

Upon Cheng Zhouxing’s return, Madam Cheng slammed her cane on the floor and shouted, “You’ve come back just in time. Get them all out of here!”

“Master, a hundred days of marriage is not easy to forget. We’ve been husband and wife for so many years. Don’t be so heartless. I haven’t lied to you—they really are your children, your children!” Li rushed forward, clutching Cheng Zhouxing’s legs and crying.

Cheng Fenglan and Cheng Yanjian stood nearby, both with grim expressions.

Cheng Yanjian stepped forward, trying to pull his mother up. “Mother, your son has grown up and will care for you. Please come with me.”

“No, I can’t leave. You’re the magistrate’s son; you can’t leave!” Li shook her head desperately. “Even you don’t believe me? You are truly your father’s child!”

Cheng Fenglan turned to Cheng Xi standing by the doorway. “Are you satisfied now? Why do you keep haunting us like a ghost?”

Cheng Xi ignored her, focusing instead on Li. “You claim they are Lord Cheng’s children, so why do they possess demonic blood?”

---

“What demonic blood? You’re slandering me!” Li glared fiercely at Cheng Xi. “I never betrayed Lord Cheng. The children are his!”

Cheng Xi crouched down to look at Li. “Why does the Ghost-faced Bird fixate on Cheng Yanjian? You must know the reason by now, right?”

“Yanjian has a talent for talismans. I spent a fortune buying him a precious item to protect him, but the Ghost-faced Bird targeted him. What’s wrong with me loving my children?” Li refused to believe Cheng Xi’s words.

Whether or not she had been unfaithful—didn’t she know herself?

“Cheng Xi, you little schemer, stirring up trouble to frame us—me and my children—so you can come back. Dream on!”

Cheng Xi shook her head. “I won’t be coming back.”

Madam Cheng grew anxious. “If you don’t come back, what will happen? You are your father’s only child now. When the time comes, we’ll find you a husband here, and your child will carry the Cheng name.”

Cheng Xi scoffed. No wonder Madam Cheng was so determined to drive Li and her children away—it was all to wait for her here.

Hearing her daughter’s cold laugh, Cheng Zhouxing knew trouble was brewing. He turned to his mother. “Mother, what do you mean by finding a husband here? Xi Xi is still young. Marriage can wait. You should rest now and leave this matter alone.”

“How can I leave it alone? You’re blind, deceived by a wretched woman for so many years, raising someone else’s children. If you keep them here, I’ll die right before you today!” Madam Cheng shouted angrily.

Li couldn’t hold back and suddenly jumped up, cursing, “If you hadn’t told Madam Du I was pregnant with twins, she wouldn’t have been so furious she coughed up blood. If you hadn’t ordered the servants to change her medicine, she wouldn’t have died so soon!”

After speaking, Li laughed bitterly and turned to Cheng Xi. “What use is your hatred for me? The real culprit is this old witch! She hated that your mother couldn’t bear a son. Knowing I was pregnant, she saw your mother as a nuisance and wanted to kill her.”

Madam Cheng’s face darkened. “So what if it was me? It’s Madam Du’s fault she couldn’t have a son!”

“Mother!” Cheng Zhouxing’s eyes reddened as he shouted.

Cheng Xi stared coldly at Madam Cheng. “My mother’s fault? You don’t even realize it—the Cheng family is doomed to end its bloodline!”

“Impossible! You little brat, how dare you speak nonsense! I’ll teach you a lesson!” Madam Cheng flew into a rage and raised her hand to strike Cheng Xi.