256: Mother, you are the most shameless!

"You... you people are simply shameless!" Gu Yin trembled with rage. "If Father knew you were such people, he shouldn't have married you back then!"

Leng Yue looked at Luo Qingcheng. "Then what about your mother? Isn't she the same?"

"Leng Yue! You..." Luo Qingcheng was instantly mortified and enraged, but halfway through her sentence, she felt Cao Bu's gaze and choked her words back down.

Gu Yin spun around abruptly to face Luo Qingcheng, her eyes filled with disappointment and fury as she spat out through gritted teeth, "Mother! You... you are the most shameless!"

"I... I..." Luo Qingcheng was so angry she couldn't even form a full sentence, cursing Cao Bu a thousand times in her heart.

It was clearly this bastard who provoked them, so why did it all end up being her fault?

She glared resentfully at Cao Bu.

Cao Bu rubbed his nose, his gaze drifting toward Su Li.

Seeing that the scene was about to spiral completely out of control, Su Li slowly stood up.

Her gaze was steady as she slowly scanned the women with their various expressions, finally resting on the emotional Gu Yin.

"Yiner, Ling Shuang, Yingying, as well as Heart Snow and Yun Shang." Su Li's voice was clear and soft, carrying a soothing power. "Don't be in such a hurry to argue, and don't be so quick to convict us of being shameless."

"Some things have been hidden in the heart for too long."

"Today, it is time you all knew."

Her gaze became distant, as if she were falling into memory. "Do you know why the three of us..."

She pointed to herself, then to Leng Yue and Luo Qingcheng. "...married Gu Qingtian back then?"

Gu Yin frowned. "Was it not because of mutual love?"

"Mutual love?" Leng Yue gave a cold laugh, her voice full of irony. "That was nothing more than a show Gu Qingtian put on for outsiders!"

"Not one of the three of us wasn't forced through the Gu Family's gates by his exhaustive and coercive means!"

Luo Qingcheng cooperatively lowered her eyes to hide her complex expression, her voice choking up. "Cao Bu and I were childhood sweethearts; we had long ago pledged our lives to each other."

"But that Gu Qingtian happened to see me once, and out of lust for my beauty, he devised a poisonous scheme and slaughtered the entire Cao Family!"

"Cao Bu fought with his life to escape."

"He changed his name, endured humiliation to carry a heavy burden, and even acknowledged his enemy as a father—all for the sake of revenge, and to save me."

Su Li continued, her tone sorrowful, "I am Cao Bu's Senior Sister, and we have deep feelings for each other."

"In order to possess me, Gu Qingtian likewise did not hesitate to harm my sect and force me to submit."

"I married into the Gu Family only to deal with him superficially, drifting along in a wretched existence while waiting for the opportunity for revenge."

Leng Yue's voice was icy, carrying a hint of a tremor. "Cao Bu once saved my life; he is the person my heart has chosen."

"After Gu Qingtian found out, he used despicable means to poison me with Desire Toxin and took me by force."

"In all these years, there hasn't been a moment I didn't think of escaping, of thinking of him."

She looked at Cao Bu, the affection in her eyes incredibly genuine and moving.

This narrative, half-true and half-false, painted Cao Bu as a deep-feeling, unswerving avenger and savior who endured humiliation for a greater cause.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingtian became a complete tyrant who took what he wanted by force and destroyed homes.

Cao Bu timely displayed a sorrowful yet somewhat gentle expression, as if he truly carried the burden of a blood feud and heavy emotional debts.

Gu Yin, Gu Lingshuang, Gu Yingying, as well as Li Xinxue and Yun Shang, were all stunned by what they heard.

From a young age, what they had heard and seen was that Gu Qingtian was the pillar of the Gu Clan and a hero of the Family.

This subversive truth caused a massive shock to their established perceptions.

"That's not right." Gu Yin suddenly looked at Luo Qingcheng. "Mother, you are over a thousand years old, while Cao Bu is only a few hundred. How can you be childhood sweethearts?"

Luo Qingcheng's expression stiffened, a flash of panic appearing in her eyes.

She instinctively looked toward Cao Bu.

Cao Bu gave a light cough. "Yiner, your mother's wording wasn't precise. It was a one-sided childhood sweetheart situation."

Gu Yin heard this with half-belief and half-doubt.

Luo Qingcheng then breathed a small sigh of relief.

If this were screwed up, the consequences would be unimaginable and likely impossible to resolve.

Gu Lingshuang bit her lip and looked at Leng Yue. "Mother, is everything you said true? Was Father really that kind of person?"

Leng Yue turned her face away, her voice choking. "If it weren't true, why would Mother be in this position, and why would I bother competing with you for Cao Bu?"

The long saber in Gu Yingying's hand hit the ground with a 'clang', supporting her somewhat weakened body.

She had a fierce personality, but she was also heavy on sentiment and righteousness.

If Cao Bu truly endured until now for revenge and rescue, and if her mother and two aunts were truly forced...

Then weren't they obstructing him now? But... "Even if what you say is true!" Gu Yingying raised her head, her sharp gaze scanning Su Li, Leng Yue, and Luo Qingcheng before finally fixing on Cao Bu's face. "Then what is the deal with the current situation?"

"If you're seeking revenge, then seek revenge properly! Why make the relationships so messy!"

"What happens later? We have all become his women; there must be an explanation!"

"Who is the elder and who is the junior? Who comes first and who comes second? It can't stay this messy forever!"

As soon as this question was thrown out, the atmosphere that had slightly relaxed due to the 'truth' instantly became tense again.

Gu Lingshuang reacted immediately, following up, "Right! Since we'll all be one Family in the future, we must distinguish status and seniority! My mother entered the door earlier than Concubine Su, so she should naturally be the eldest!"

Gu Yin immediately retorted, "Nonsense! Your mother only entered that beastly father's door early; she didn't enter Cao Bu's door early. That doesn't count."

"And my mother's status is the most noble, so she should naturally be the Big Sister!"

"Besides, Cao Bu and I have had a marriage contract for a long time. Even if my mother isn't the Big Sister, I should be the Big Sister."

"Marriage contract?" Gu Yingying sneered, taking two steps forward with her saber in hand. "That marriage contract was just a verbal agreement; it doesn't count."

"If you ask me, my mother... no, it's my sister and Cao Bu who have the deepest feelings. By logic and emotion, my sister should be the eldest!"

"On what grounds!"

"My mother is the original wife!"

"My mother shared life and death trials with Cao Bu!"

The three parties immediately broke into a chaotic argument.

As for Gu Qingtian, in their hearts, he had already completely become a tyrant.

As for whether it was true or false, they no longer had the heart to debate it.

In any case, their hearts were set on Cao Bu; if it wasn't true, it was true now.

As the saying goes: some things shouldn't be fussed over.

Luo Qingcheng was already unwilling to be the third-in-line, so she immediately disregarded her face and joined the battle to argue for herself.

Seeing this, Leng Yue also joined in after some hesitation.

Su Li tried to mediate, but with very little effect.

Li Xinxue and Yun Shang shrunk to the side, completely unable to get a word in.

Jun Muqing had already retreated to the furthest corner, watching this bizarre drama of competing for status with wide-eyed shock.

She only felt her head buzzing, her worldview crushed to pieces.

These women could actually argue like this for the sake of one man and the title of 'Big Sister'?

Just what kind of bewitching potion did Cao Bu give them?

"Everyone shut up!"

A clear shout echoed through the room!

Gu Yingying leaped up, landing directly on the round table in the center of the room.

With a loud 'clang', she slammed the three-meter-long dragon fall splitting heaven saber heavily onto the tabletop, the blade vibrating and humming!

She looked down from above, pointing at the bickering crowd below, her pretty face covered in frost.

"Argue, argue, argue! All you know is how to argue! What is there to argue about! Isn't it just about the ranking? In my view, if we just use our mouths, no one will be convinced!"

She suddenly turned her head, her eyes burning as she fixed them on the silent Cao Bu, speaking startling words:

"Since we are all Cao Bu's women, then of course it should be decided by Cao Bu!"

"Or let's use a more direct method!"

She paused, a flush of red flashing across her face, but her gaze became even more fierce. "Whoever has the ability to 'persuade' him until he is thoroughly convinced will be the boss! How about it, do you dare to compete?"