"That's right, I suspect that Zhizhi... might have awakened some kind of special ability!" Old Madam Qin said in a deep voice. Upon hearing this, Father Qin's expression turned even uglier. Although he didn't know precisely what ability Qin Zhizhi had awakened, judging by what she had just pulled off, it was definitely not anything simple.
If Qin Zhizhi truly possessed such formidable power, then how they had treated her in the past... wouldn't they be in deep trouble? Thinking of this, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Father Qin's forehead.
On the other side, Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan scrambled up from the ground in disarray, both of their faces bearing expressions of terror and bitter hatred. "Mom, what should we do? How did that bitch suddenly become so powerful?" Qin Jiaojiao gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with a venomous glare.
Lin Wan's face was equally gloomy. She never expected that Qin Zhizhi had been concealing her strength, let alone that she would humiliate her in front of so many people. No matter what, she could not swallow this insult! "Don't rush. I refuse to believe that a mere yellow-haired girl can turn the tables!"
A ruthless glint flashed suddenly across Lin Wan's eyes, and she gritted her teeth, whispering, "I will definitely make her learn the consequences of provoking me!" In the days that followed, Qin Zhizhi clearly sensed a shift in the attitudes of Father Qin and Mother Qin; they no longer casually threw cold remarks at her, and even took the initiative to care for her daily life. However, Qin Zhizhi did not let down her guard in the slightest. She knew full well how insidious and crafty Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan were—they would never let her go easily and were bound to be plotting countermeasures in the shadows.
Sure enough, after just a few days, Qin Zhizhi received an urgent warning from the System: "Warning! Warning! The System has detected a danger signal in the host's vicinity. Please raise your guard immediately!" Qin Zhizhi's heart tightened, and she instantly became alert. She secretly asked the System, "System, can you locate the source of the danger?" "Conducting a comprehensive scan... Scan complete. The source of danger is confirmed to be Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan. The two of them are plotting to poison your food!" The emotionless mechanical voice of the System echoed in Qin Zhizhi's mind. "It really is them again!" Cold light flickered in Qin Zhizhi's eyes, and a chilling smile curled the corners of her lips. "Since they want to play with fire, I'll accompany them and let them burn to their heart's content!"
That night, Qin Zhizhi returned to her room as usual, but instead of rushing to cultivate, she sat quietly by the desk, waiting for developments. Before long, the door was pushed open gently, and a stealthy figure crept quietly inside. A cold smile curved the corners of Qin Zhizhi's eyes, hostility blazing in her gaze. She slammed her hand down on the table, stood up abruptly, and shouted sternly, "Who's there?!" The figure was startled by the sudden shout, and the object in her hand dropped to the floor, emitting a crisp sound. Utilizing the faint moonlight, Qin Zhizhi made out the intruder's face—it was none other than Qin Jiaojiao! "You... why haven't you gone to sleep yet?" Qin Jiaojiao looked at Qin Zhizhi, her expression flustered and her speech full of stutters.
"That question would seem to suit me asking you, wouldn't it?" Qin Zhizhi pressed forward step by step, her tone as cold as frost. "In the dead of night, why are you sneaking into my room?" Qin Jiaojiao's face turned ashen, her eyes darting about as she didn't dare meet Qin Zhizhi's gaze.
"I... I..." She stammered for a long while, still unable to utter a single truthful word. "Got nothing to say?" Qin Zhizhi sneered. "Then let me reveal the answer!" With that, she bent down and picked up the object from the floor—a small, exquisitely crafted porcelain bottle, its mouth tightly sealed with beeswax, looking particularly alluring. "What is this?" Qin Zhizhi stared coldly at Qin Jiaojiao, the chill in her eyes deepening.
"I... I don't know..." Terrified out of her wits, Qin Jiaojiao shook her head repeatedly in denial. "You don't know?" Qin Zhizhi's sneer grew sharper. "Then I'll let you see for yourself!" Without a moment's hesitation, she popped the cap off the porcelain bottle, and a subtle fragrance instantly diffused through the air. Qin Zhizhi's expression changed drastically as she immediately recognized what the scent implied— "Poison?!" She jerked her head up, her gaze locking onto Qin Jiaojiao like a torch, and demanded word by word, "You actually dared to poison me?!"
A mountain breeze swept through, carrying that bizarre fragrance into the noses of everyone present. The faces of Father Qin and Mother Qin changed dramatically. Having handled family affairs for years, they were well-versed in various poisons; what emanated from this porcelain bottle was clearly Spirit-Disrupting Powder, capable of disrupting spiritual power and causing someone to perform disastrously during trials!
Seeing her conspiracy exposed, Qin Jiaojiao turned pale with fright, waving her hands frantically in denial. "It wasn't me! I didn't do it! Sister, you have to believe me, I really didn't want to harm you!" A trace of panic flashed in Lin Wan's eyes, but she quickly steadied herself and advised gently, "Zhizhi, Jiaojiao is kind-hearted by nature, how could she do such a thing? Did you make a mistake?"
"Did I make a mistake?" Qin Zhizhi let out a cold laugh, smashing the porcelain bottle fiercely against the ground. "The fragrance of this Spirit-Disrupting Powder is so unique—do you still want to deny it?" Her gaze was piercing as she swept it across everyone present, finally fixing on Qin Jiaojiao. "You took advantage of my inattention to secretly sprinkle this Spirit-Disrupting Powder on me, wanting to make a fool of me during the trial, didn't you?"
Enraged, Father Qin sternly demanded, "Jiaojiao, is what Zhizhi said true?" Trembling all over, Qin Jiaojiao still gritted her teeth and said, "Dad, I didn't! Sister is framing me!" "You still dare to quibble!" Qin Zhizhi pointed at a patch of bushes behind a boulder not far away. "The rest of your Spirit-Disrupting Powder is hidden right over there. If you won't admit it, I'll go get it right now!" Qin Jiaojiao's face instantly turned ashen, and she looked at Lin Wan in panic, only to find that the other woman had also averted her gaze.
Seeing this, Father Qin had already made his judgment in his heart. He sighed in disappointment and said to Mother Qin, "Go take a look." With an iron expression, Mother Qin walked behind the bushes and sure enough, found a porcelain bottle identical to the broken shards on the ground, with a small amount of Spirit-Disrupting Powder still lingering inside.
With evidence conclusive, Qin Jiaojiao could no longer deny it. She dropped to her knees with a thud and cried out in supplication, "Dad, Mom, I was wrong! I was just momentarily muddle-headed, please forgive me!" Father Qin shook his head in disappointment, while Mother Qin wore a heartbroken expression. They never imagined that the daughter they had always doted on would do something so malicious. "Zhizhi, your strength..." Father Qin looked at Qin Zhizhi, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Qin Zhizhi gave a bitter, desolate smile. She knew that no matter what she said right now, her parents would not believe that she truly possessed strength. They would only think that all her previous outstanding performances were achieved through these underhanded methods. A silence spread among the crowd, so oppressive that Qin Zhizhi could barely breathe.
She opened her mouth weakly, but no sound came out, and despair engulfed her like a tidal wave. At that moment, a cold voice broke the silence: "What is going on here?" Following the sound, the crowd looked over to see a straight-backed man walking slowly forward, flanked by several attendants. His features were handsome, his brows carried an innate sharpness, and his entire body radiated an aloof, do-not-approach chill.
"Brother Sichen!" Seeing the newcomer, Qin Jiaojiao acted as though she had grabbed onto a life-saving straw, weeping as she threw herself into the man's arms. "Sister... she framed me! You have to stand up for me!" The newcomer was none other than the head of the Yin Family, Yin Sichen.