Test-Chapter 20: Learning to Complain

Chapter 20: Learning to Complain

A young woman in a green dress strode in, followed by a group of soldiers. She looked proud, with a mocking smile on her lips. Her gaze swept over Shen Yan with contempt.

“Worthless thing, do you remember this Princess?”

Hong Ri and Yin Yue, who were guarding Shen Yan, paled slightly. They grew tense immediately and wanted to take their Second Young Miss away from there.

But when they saw their young lady’s calm and composed expression, they froze.

The young woman in the green dress frowned, displeased. “I’m talking to you!”

Shen Yan indifferently looked away and said to the Weapon Shop owner, “I’d like to see the sharpest dagger in your shop.”

At this, the young woman in the green dress became furious out of shame. “Shen Yan! You’ve grown bold! You dare to ignore this Princess? Have you forgotten the time this Princess rode you like a horse?”

As she spoke, she reached out to push Shen Yan, but Shen Yan, with lightning speed, grabbed her hand and twisted it.

Crack—

“Ahhh!”

“My hand!”

The young woman in the green dress screamed shrilly. Her face turned pale and slightly distorted. She quickly gathered her Spiritual Energy and blasted it toward Shen Yan.

“Young lady, careful!” In her panic, Hong Ri immediately gathered her Spiritual Energy and blocked the attack for Shen Yan.

Shen Yan had originally been prepared to expose her Fire Element Ability, but with Hong Ri blocking the attack, she subtly curled her fingers and silently extinguished the small flickers of flame in her palm.

Their Spiritual Energies collided, and surprisingly, they were evenly matched.

Hong Ri stumbled slightly, and Shen Yan reached out to steady her.

The young woman in the green dress winced in pain, her face deathly pale as she clutched her broken arm. She glared furiously at Shen Yan and shouted angrily, “Seize them all!”

“Yes, Princess!”

The soldiers behind the young woman in the green dress drew their longswords, pointing them toward Shen Yan, Hong Ri, and Yin Yue.

The Shen Family guards waiting outside were shocked. They rushed in immediately, intending to protect the Second Young Miss, but the opposing soldiers blocked their path with their swords.

“Second Young Miss!” the Shen Family guards cried out in alarm. They were guards trained by the Young Master and were naturally loyal to Shen Yan.

The young woman in the green dress was none other than Nangong Ying, the only princess of the Nangxiao Kingdom. She was deeply favored by the emperor and was close friends with Shen Xue.

Because of Shen Xue, Nangong Ying disliked Shen Yan intensely and often bullied her.

Riding the original Shen Yan like a horse was one of her methods of humiliation.

Meanwhile, the Weapon Shop owner looked grave and panicked, sighing inwardly that he was doomed.

Nangong Ying was sweating from the pain. She stared murderously at Shen Yan. “Worthless thing, you’ve really got guts! You dare to hit this Princess! Seize her at once!”

As soon as she finished speaking, just as the soldiers were about to move, Shen Yan spoke.

“Who dares?!”

Her icy voice cut through the air like a blade, stunning the soldiers.

Everyone looked at Shen Yan in astonishment.

How could this worthless person have such a terrifying presence?

Shen Yan sneered and asked, “Nangong Ying, you bullied and humiliated me first, and now you make a great show of dealing with me. With such behavior, where does that place the honor of my Shen Family?”

Nangong Ying was stunned.

She was used to bullying Shen Yan. Faced with Shen Yan’s question now, she was momentarily speechless. But she quickly remembered that Shen Yan was ostracized and despised within the Shen Family. Therefore, she didn’t need to worry about the Shen Family seeking revenge at all.

Nangong Ying said arrogantly, “Shen Yan, even if this Princess has you beaten to death with clubs, so what? The Shen Family might even thank this Princess for getting rid of a nuisance for them!”

“So you mean…” Shen Yan paused slightly, raising her cold eyes. “The Shen Family is a cold-hearted clan that disregards its own flesh and blood?”

Hearing this, Nangong Ying’s face stiffened. Realizing something, she stared hard at Shen Yan. Was this worthless thing setting a trap for her?!

She gritted her teeth and answered, “No!”

Shen Yan gave a faint smile. “Our Shen Family is a warm, united, big family. The Elders of the clan are full of affection and righteousness. They not only think highly of me, they even care for Shen Xue, an adopted daughter, as if she were their own. Tell me, how could such a family abandon its own flesh and blood?”

Nangong Ying’s face changed instantly.

Since when was this worthless thing so eloquent?!

She now seemed trapped in a verbal trap Shen Yan had set. No matter which way she went, it seemed she couldn’t come out unscathed.

Nangong Ying took a deep breath. “Shen Yan, you injured this Princess. This Princess will make you pay the same price!”

Then, she ordered the soldiers, “Break her arm!”

Hearing this, Hong Ri and Yin Yue immediately shielded Shen Yan. Their expressions were grave as they whispered to her, “Young lady, find a chance and run as soon as you can!”

Shen Yan raised her hand and gently pushed them aside.

Seeing Shen Yan take two steps forward, Hong Ri and Yin Yue widened their eyes in shock, calling out, “Young lady…”

Nangong Ying thought she had realized her situation and was going to submit, a scornful smile curling her lips. But the next moment, she heard Shen Yan speak calmly.

“My Father is back.”

These words successfully stopped the several soldiers who were about to attack her. The soldiers looked frightened, their eyes flashing with apprehension.

Nangong Ying shuddered all over. When she was little, she had once seen Shen Tianhao in a rage. An envoy from another country had kicked Shen Yan in disgust. Seeing this, Shen Tianhao had gone crazy. He broke and shattered that envoy’s leg, then had his Summoned Beast swallow him whole!

Shen Tianhao was a madman!

But he was also the most powerful Summoner in the Nangxiao Kingdom!

Seeing their ashen faces, Shen Yan deliberately lowered her voice. “That’s right. I went and told on you.”

The original owner had been severely foolish. Her memory was poor. She forgot things quickly and couldn’t put a complete sentence together. Much of the time, she would just space out, as if she had no independent consciousness.

There were only three people she consistently remembered: Shen Tianhao, Shen Huai, and… Shen Xue.

As for others, the original owner forgot them as soon as she saw them, let alone filing complaints.

Furthermore, Shen Xue and others were clever when bullying the original owner. They avoided leaving visible wounds on exposed skin because those would be too obvious.

Beneath her clothes were bruises, swelling, pinch marks… old injuries never healing before new ones were added.

The maid Lingyuan, who took care of the original owner’s bathing, and several other maids and matrons in the West Jade Court had all been bribed by Shen Xue.

Shen Tianhao was often away on business or took Shen Huai out for training. The former Shen Tianhao trusted Shen Xue completely. Whenever he went away, he would tell Shen Xue to take good care of Shen Yan.

What he didn’t know was that, to Shen Yan, Shen Xue herself was a vicious wolf or tiger, capable of ‘devouring people and sucking their blood.’

The reason Shen Tianhao didn’t personally attend to every detail of Shen Yan’s care was the difference in gender, which imposed certain restrictions.