Get the Household Registration!
Huo was so enraged that he could barely contain himself.
Madam Zhao gasped. "Miss Linlang! Please be careful!"
Yu Linlang stared at them coldly, but scene after scene flashed through her mind.
She saw herself being dragged out of a pile of dead snakes by her senior brother, who wielded a dagger with unwavering determination, slashing at the smaller serpents surrounding them.
She could almost feel her eyes fluttering open again, her throat parched as she struggled to whisper, "Water... I need water..."
That day, when she thought her fate was sealed after just five minutes of traveling through time, Wanyu Jue, the old master, appeared beside them like a divine being.
With one swift motion, he grabbed her and her senior brother, carrying them out of the deadly nest of vipers.
That year, she had been bitten by countless poisonous snakes inside the Cave of Ten Thousand Serpents. Her body was ravaged, barely holding on to life.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of venoms coursed through her veins, each toxin clashing with the others in a brutal struggle.
To save her, her master did everything in his power, painstakingly forging an invincible body for her.
They traveled across vast distances, braving the snowy lands of the northern regions, seeking the aid of the abbot's uncle at Yunyin Temple.
From the age of three to six, Yu Linlang had to endure years of soaking in the freezing Ice and Snow Pool to neutralize the poisons inside her.
The old master once said she was lucky.
At just three years old, she began training in martial arts—not to impress others, but simply to strengthen her frail body and cling to life.
A fortune teller had once declared she wouldn't live past ten. But she fought, endured, and defied fate.
In a daze, Yu Linlang recalled the sight of her tiny body submerged in the icy pool, her teeth chattering violently.
She saw herself clambering out of the freezing water, hauling two buckets of ice in the bitter cold. She trembled with every step, swaying unsteadily as she trudged forward.
Day by day, her steps grew steadier. She carried more weight, six buckets of ice at once, climbing to the mountain's peak in a single breath.
Gradually, her health improved.
She could run wild across the mountains, playing freely with the little bald-headed monks.
She even dared to roast hares behind the Sutra Library—much to the horror of the chief elder.
One day, the abbot's uncle called her over, smiling kindly.
"Tianbao, what do you want to do when you grow up?"
Without hesitation, Yu Linlang straightened her tiny back and answered with a serious expression, "I want to travel with Senior Brother Tianren and the others, spreading the teachings of the Buddha to those destined to hear them! I will glorify Yunyin Temple and make it the greatest temple in the world!"
The abbot nearly choked on his tea.
Half a month later, her master took her down from Cangxue Peak.
The day she left the temple, rain poured relentlessly. Senior Brother Tiankui cried so loudly that it echoed across the three peaks, much to the abbot's exasperation…
Back in the present—
Yu Linlang withdrew from these scattered memories, her gaze turning icy as she looked at Huo Jinxiu.
Gone was any trace of emotion.
"If the gods and Buddhas of heaven are truly watching," she said coldly, "then an inhuman mother like you will surely meet a miserable end."
"Miss Linlang!" Madam Zhao gasped in horror. "How can you say such ruthless things? Madam Huo is your mother!"
"Be mindful—she suffered greatly to give birth to you!"
Huo's eyes widened in disbelief. It was as if she couldn't comprehend that such venomous words had come from her own daughter.
Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Yu Linlang. "You're mad… completely mad."
Only a lunatic, she thought, could speak to her mother this way.
But Yu Linlang merely regarded her with indifference, then turned and walked away.
Huo, shaking with fury, could barely steady herself against the tea table.
"You—you wicked child! Stop right there! Stop! Did I say you could leave?!"
"Sister Linlang!" Yu Pianpian cried anxiously. "You can't speak to Mother like that! It's unfilial! Do you even understand how our Great Qi Empire is governed by the principles of filial piety? The capital values it above all else, yet you—"
"You dare lecture me about filial piety?" Yu Linlang cut in sharply, her voice like a blade slicing through the air.
"Who are you calling 'sister'? You disgust me."
Yu Pianpian recoiled.
"Your father and mother died twelve years ago," Yu Linlang continued mercilessly. "Not once have you visited their graves. And yet you dare preach about filial duty to me? Don't you realize how laughable you sound?"
Silence fell over the room.
Yu Linlang scoffed. "Do you really think you belong to the Yu family just because you go by 'Yu Pianpian'?"
She sneered.
"Your real parents are buried in some nameless grave in Xia Village, Wuhu County. They never even got to enjoy a single incense offering from their so-called daughter. And yet, here you are—parading your fake identity, talking about filial piety. What a joke."
Yu Pianpian froze, her entire body going numb. The words "Xia Pianpian" hit her like a bolt of lightning.
Tears streamed down her face.
Madam Zhao, still holding onto the enraged Huo Jinxiu, glared at Yu Linlang. "Miss Linlang, you've gone too far!"
"Miss Pianpian was just a child back then! She didn't know any better—it wasn't her fault! The mistake wasn't hers!"
"As for you, Miss Linlang, you were only sent to the countryside for your health! Madam only wanted you to grow up in a better environment—"
"Apologize to your sister!" Huo shouted furiously. "If you don't, then get out! Never think about coming back!"
"Mother!!"
Yu Boyan rushed in, panicked. "Please, calm down! Sister Linlang—"
"You don't need to speak for her!" Huo snapped, hugging Yu Pianpian protectively.
"This ungrateful girl—how could she say such cruel things? Pianpian was raised by me with love! Even my own daughter was only given so much! And yet, she dares to treat her like this?!"
"Pianpian is kind—she's always tried to get along with her! But look at her attitude!"
Yu Boyan turned to Yu Linlang, hoping to defuse the situation.
But Yu Linlang merely lifted her gaze and extended a hand.
"Very well," she said lightly. "Take me to the government office. Let's complete the household separation procedures."
She smiled coldly.
"I'll leave willingly. No need for anyone to drive me out."
Huo nearly fainted from anger, clutching her chest with one hand while pointing at Yu Linlang with the other.
"You—you—" she stammered, overwhelmed with grief and rage.
Yu Linlang glanced at her sideways.
"You look so heartbroken, Madam," she said mockingly. "Are you truly reluctant to part with me? Once the household separation is done, I'll be out of your life for good."
"Quit the household registration?! Ridiculous!"
Governor Yu stormed into the room.
"You are a daughter of the Yu family—where do you think you'll go after this nonsense?!"
He looked at her sternly.
"Linlang, you must not be so disrespectful to your mother."
His tone was final.
"Bo Yan, take your sister back to Yulan Garden."
"Yes, Father." Yu Boyan bowed and left with his sister.