"Qin Zhizhi, look at your pathetic state right now. Is there even a shred of the Qin Family eldest daughter left in you? If you know what's good for you, get out of the Qin Family right now and stop being an eyesore!" Dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, Qin Jiaojiao looked down her nose at the girl standing before her in a washed-out, faded old dress, her tone dripping with disdain and disgust.
Qin Zhizhi had once been the apple of the Qin Family's eye. But an accident three years ago robbed her of her memories, leaving her taciturn, listless, and drifting through her days like a salted fish. Meanwhile, Qin Jiaojiao—the "true daughter" found halfway through life—had seized the opportunity to usurp the nest, not only robbing Qin Zhizhi of everything that rightfully belonged to her, but also subjecting her to endless abuse and humiliation.
Faced with Qin Jiaojiao's taunts, Qin Zhizhi merely gave her a cold, indifferent glance and turned to leave. Yet Qin Jiaojiao had no intention of letting her off so easily, and deliberately stuck out a foot to trip her.
"Oops, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." Qin Jiaojiao covered her mouth, her eyes gleaming with malicious delight. Qin Zhizhi crashed heavily to the floor, scraping the palms of her hands against the rough ground until blood oozed from the raw skin. Yet, more painful than the physical injury was the chill in her heart at Qin Jiaojiao's cruelty and the cold, indifferent stares of the onlookers.
Right at that moment, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind: "Host emotional fluctuation detected. System binding successful. Downloading Immortal Cultivation Manual..."
Qin Zhizhi froze. Before she could even process what was happening, a massive flood of cultivation techniques and information surged into her mind. As it turned out, she was not from this world at all, but a cultivator chosen by the System to carry out a mission!
"System? Immortal cultivation?" Qin Zhizhi muttered to herself, as a glimmer of hope gradually ignited in her eyes. Guided by the System, Qin Zhizhi began to cultivate. She sat cross-legged on her bed, circulating the spiritual energy within her body according to the Cultivation Manual.
At first, she struggled a bit with the fundamentals, but as time passed, she gradually slipped into the zone, and the spiritual energy within her began to stir with vibrant life. Overnight, Qin Zhizhi's cultivation level advanced by leaps and bounds. She could feel a formidable power lying dormant inside her, one more than sufficient to lift her out of her present predicament.
The next morning, Qin Jiaojiao came looking for trouble again, only to be shocked to find that the once submissive Qin Zhizhi was now staring at her with an icy gaze. It was the look one might give an ant, and it sent an involuntary shudder of terror through Qin Jiaojiao's heart. A jolt of panic shot through her, instantly followed by a surge of angry humiliation. "What kind of look is that? Don't think you can scare me by putting on some tough act!" With that, she reached out to shove Qin Zhizhi.
However, before her hand could even touch Qin Zhizhi, an invisible force flung her backward, sending her crashing ungracefully to the floor.
"You..." Qin Jiaojiao stared at Qin Zhizhi in terror, completely unable to understand how she had suddenly become so formidable.
Qin Zhizhi looked down at her coldly, her tone laced with a warning. "Qin Jiaojiao, I advise you not to mess with me ever again. Otherwise, bear the consequences." With that, she stopped paying attention to Qin Jiaojiao altogether and turned to leave the room.
That evening, the Qin Family hosted a grand family gathering, and all their relatives and friends were in attendance. Dressed in gorgeous formal attire and decked out in finery, Qin Jiaojiao played the center of attention, basking in everyone's flattery. Meanwhile, Qin Zhizhi wore a simple, plain-colored dress, sitting quietly in a corner as though completely forgotten by the world.
"Zhizhi, why are you sitting all by yourself over here? Come, come over to Grandma's side." Seeing Qin Zhizhi, Old Madam Qin beckoned her over. Qin Zhizhi hesitated for a moment before walking over.
"Zhizhi, my dear, why have you become so quiet lately? Is someone bullying you?" Old Madam Qin asked with concern.
"No, Grandma, I'm fine." Qin Zhizhi shook her head, not wanting to worry the old lady.
"That's good, that's good." Old Madam Qin smiled kindly and patted her hand.
At that moment, Qin Jiaojiao walked over and said with feigned intimacy, "Sister, why are you sitting here all by yourself? Do you feel like it's too stuffy in here? Come on, I'll take you outside for some fresh air." As she spoke, she reached out to pull Qin Zhizhi along.
Without a trace of emotion, Qin Zhizhi sidestepped her hand and said coolly, "No need, I'm quite comfortable here."
"Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you still mad at me?" Qin Jiaojiao put on a wronged expression.
"Qin Jiaojiao, stop putting on a hypocritical act here." Qin Zhizhi looked at her coldly. "I know what you're thinking inside. Let me tell you, don't even dream of using me again!"
"Sister, what are you talking about? I don't understand." Qin Jiaojiao wore a look of pure innocence.
"If you don't understand, then forget it." Too lazy to tangle with her any further, Qin Zhizhi turned to leave.
Right at that moment, a sharp, acid tongue suddenly rang out: "Oh, if it isn't our Qin Family's eldest daughter? Why are you dressed like that? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were some bumpkin straight off the farm!"
The speaker was Qin Jiaojiao's mother, Lin Wan. Qin Zhizhi threw her a cold glare and said nothing.
"What? Did I hit a nerve, so now you don't dare speak?" Seeing that Qin Zhizhi remained silent, Lin Wan grew even more brazenly full of herself. "Let me tell you, no matter how pretty you dress up, it won't change the fact that you're a good-for-nothing!"
"Who did you call a good-for-nothing?" Qin Zhizhi snapped her head up, a flash of icy light cutting through her eyes.
"I said you—" Lin Wan was startled by Qin Zhizhi's gaze, but quickly forced herself to keep up a bold front. "What? Are you thinking of hitting me, then?"
"Hit you?" Qin Zhizhi sneered. "You're not even worthy!"
With that, she raised her right hand and flicked it gently.
*Bang!*
With a deafening crash, Lin Wan was blasted backward like a kite with a severed string by an invisible force, slamming heavily onto the ground amidst the crowd and instantly sparking a wave of gasps and shrieks.
"You... you..." Lin Wan lay on the floor, pointing a finger at Qin Zhizhi, completely unable to utter a single word for a long time.
Qin Zhizhi looked down at her with icy detachment, enunciating every single word: "I'm warning you, this is the last time. If you ever dare disrespect me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
With that, she ignored the stunned gazes of everyone present and turned to stride out of the hall.
Father Qin and Mother Qin watched Qin Zhizhi's retreating back, shock written all over their faces. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the daughter they had neglected all this time actually possessed such terrifying strength!
Recovering his wits, Father Qin hurried over to Old Madam Qin and asked urgently, "Mom, Zhizhi... when did she get so powerful?"
Old Madam Qin wore an expression of sheer disbelief, muttering to herself, "This child... this child..."
"Mom, say something!" Father Qin stamped his feet in anxiety.
Old Madam Qin took a deep breath and said slowly, "I don't know when Zhizhi became this powerful either, but one thing I can say for certain is that this child is definitely no ordinary person!"
"Not an ordinary person? Could it be..." Father Qin seemed to realize something, his expression turning ghastly pale in an instant.