100: Chapter 100 Rumors are like knives; isolated and helpless!

She walked to the window, moonlight reflecting on her beautiful face.

There was no hesitation, no fear in those eyes.

Only a madness that had been suppressed for too long, about to break free from its cage.

“Tomorrow, I will propose an emergency Family meeting, citing the need to verify my identity before the Imperial Daughter Grand Ceremony.”

“Chu Wanjun has already been persuaded by me.”

“As long as the xuantian mirror shows Chu Wanqing’s Bloodline is impure, plus Second Elder, Third Elder, and Seventh Elder attacking together...”

She turned around, looked at the person in black, and smiled.

“By then, Chu Wanqing will be finished! And the Chu Family will definitely fall into my hands!”

“You know what to do!”

The person in black transformed into a shadow and disappeared into the night.

Only Chu Ningshuang was left in the pavilion.

She stood in the moonlight, raised her hand, and looked at the lines on her palm.

“Chu Wanqing.”

“Your biggest mistake in this life was coming back.”

“Coming back with an Imperial Weapon, coming back with everyone’s admiring gazes.”

“You think this is your glory?”

“No.”

“This is your death warrant.”

She withdrew her hand and turned to walk into the darkness.

Her footsteps gradually faded.

In the pavilion, moonlight shone on the empty floor.

It was as quiet as a tomb.

...

Overnight, the Chu Family changed.

More precisely, the way they looked at Chu Wanqing changed.

The cause of the matter was a piece of news that no one could pinpoint where it came from.

“Did you hear? Last night at the celebration banquet, Third Elder personally said that the Imperial Daughter’s Bloodline was impure.”

“No way? Third Elder must have been drunk, right?”

“Drunk? What is Third Elder’s cultivation level?

A Quasi-Emperor level figure, can Spirit Wine get him drunk? Do you believe that?”

“Now that you mention it... it does seem a bit off.”

“And, do you know what Young Miss Chu Ningshuang said at the time?”

“What did she say?”

“She said, ‘How could my sister’s Bloodline be impure?’”

“Think about it... why would she emphasize that?

What normal person would say such a thing for no reason? Unless...”

“Shh! Do you want to die?”

“I was just saying.”

These words seemed to grow wings.

In one morning, they spread from the Main Peak to the six Sub-Peaks.

From the Elder Council Hall to the kitchens of the branch Family members.

As they spread, more versions emerged.

Some said the Imperial Daughter had a Forbidden Technique planted on her in the Secret Realm, and her Bloodline was polluted.

Some said the Imperial Daughter sacrificed part of her Imperial Phoenix Origin to obtain the Imperial Weapon.

Even more outrageous rumors claimed the Imperial Daughter was not the Family Head’s biological child at all.

But an illegitimate child picked up from outside!

Her pure Bloodline before was a disguise created by the Family Head using a secret method.

Each one more absurd than the last.

Each one more unpleasant to hear.

But the terrifying thing about spreading rumors is that.

No evidence is needed.

Just a single “I heard”.

Is enough.

Chu Wanqing noticed the anomaly while Cultivating.

She went to the Chu Family’s Imperial Phoenix Cultivation Pool early in the morning.

This place is a Cultivation Holy Land exclusively for the Chu Family’s Core Disciples.

The pool contains rich Imperial Family Bloodline Power, which greatly benefits the Cultivation of the Imperial Phoenix Holy Body.

Yesterday after the banquet, she was in a bad mood, so she came here to relax.

The managing Deacon Elder even greeted her respectfully.

With the Imperial Daughter arriving, who would dare to be negligent?

But today.

When she arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Phoenix Pool, the Deacon Elder was startled to see her, then quickly put on a smiling face.

“Imperial Daughter has arrived? Today... today the Imperial Phoenix Pool is undergoing routine maintenance, so you may have to wait a while.”

Chu Wanqing frowned.

“Maintenance? It was working perfectly fine yesterday, why does it need maintenance today?”

The Deacon Elder wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead.

“This... it’s an arrangement from above, this old man cannot make decisions.

Imperial Daughter, perhaps you could come back tomorrow?”

Chu Wanqing stared at him for two seconds.

The Deacon Elder’s eyes darted around.

He didn’t dare to meet her gaze.

Chu Wanqing turned and left.

She didn’t get angry.

She didn’t ask further.

But her heart felt heavy.

She wasn’t foolish.

When had the Imperial Phoenix Pool ever had a problem?

Since its construction tens of thousands of years ago, that place had only undergone maintenance a few times.

Today she came, and suddenly it needed maintenance.

A coincidence?

She didn’t believe it.

As she walked back along the mountain path, she encountered several collateral Disciples of the Chu Family.

Seeing her, those Disciples noticeably paused.

Then they sped up and walked around her.

After they passed, muffled whispers vaguely reached her.

“See? That’s her.”

“Shh, keep it down.”

“I told you, how could a junior control an Imperial Weapon? There must be a problem, right?”

“My cousin works under Third Elder, and he said Third Elder’s sensing that day couldn’t have been wrong.

Who can deceive a Quasi-Emperor’s perception?”

Chu Wanqing’s footsteps stopped.

Wind swept up from the valley, rustling her skirt.

She stood on the mountain path, her back to those Disciples.

She didn’t turn back.

But the fists clenched in her sleeves made her knuckles crack.

...

Over the next two days.

The situation grew worse.

Chu Wanqing noticed that the attitude of the Family members, who had once been respectful to her, was visibly changing.

Before, when they met on the road, they would proactively bow and greet her.

Now, they would walk around her when they saw her from afar.

Before, several neutral-faction Elders from the Elder Council Hall would come to the Imperial Daughter’s Sleeping Quarters every few days to pay their respects.

Now, none of them came.

The entrance was desolate, like an abandoned tomb.

Even her personal maids became cautious.

They stammered when they spoke, not daring to look her in the eye.

Chu Wanqing knew what they were afraid of.

Afraid that getting too close to an Imperial Daughter with a problematic Bloodline would implicate them as well.

That’s how human nature is.

When things are going well, everyone wants to join in.

When things go bad, they run faster than anyone.

On the third day.

Chu Wanqing went to the Elder Council Hall to find her father.

The Disciple guarding the door told her that the Family Head was discussing matters with Grand Elder Chu Wanjun and could not be disturbed.

“Imperial Daughter, please return. The Family Head has ordered that no one is allowed entry.”

Chu Wanqing’s expression changed.

No one?

She was the Imperial Daughter, the Family Head’s biological daughter, was she also considered “no one”?

She didn’t argue.

She turned and left.

But after walking a dozen steps, she stopped.

She looked back at the tightly shut doors of the Deliberation Hall.

The Chu Family’s Imperial Family emblem was inlaid on the doors.

A golden Imperial Phoenix soaring with outstretched wings, majestic and sacred.

A totem she had seen countless times since childhood.

Looking at it now, she suddenly felt that the Imperial Phoenix’s eyes were cold.

Returning to her sleeping quarters.

Chu Wanqing closed the door.

Then, leaning against the door, she slowly slid to the ground.

The imperial zither was held in her arms, its surface pressed against her chest.

The sleeping quarters were very quiet.

So quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat.

Grievance.

A huge grievance surged up from her chest, choking her throat, unable to go up or down.

She didn’t understand.

Why.

She clearly hadn’t done anything wrong.

She entered the Secret Realm honorably, gained the Imperial Weapon’s recognition by her own ability, and returned home gloriously.

Three days ago, everyone was cheering, congratulating, and saying she was the pride of the Chu Family.

Three days later.

Those cheers and congratulations seemed to have never existed.

Replaced by flickering eyes.

Deliberate alienation, and whispering behind her back.

Where was her Bloodline impure?

She was Chu Chengdao’s biological daughter!

An Innate Emperor Phoenix Holy Body!

Since childhood, every Bloodline test showed her to be the purest!

Why?

Why could a single drunken remark from Third Elder cast her into the abyss?