Ken, Xiu, Qia, and Tan Su quickly stood up to argue with Sya, however just as fast as they stood up, from behind them Sya’s Shade Hunters appeared and with one hand, forced them to sit back down.
“Now.” Sya began to say as Ai forced Naoko to kneel. “Now that we all understand that I am the Lady of Wei and brother-in-law is nothing but an opportunist and an imposter. Let us all have a nice conversation as to why the four of you planned and poised my Grandfather-in-law?”
“You spout nonsense!” Xiu cried out as she felt the hand on her shoulder squeeze harder, almost breaking her shoulder bone.
“Nonsense?” Sya asked as she raised her eyebrow. “Bring them out!”
From the door came four crying servants and four crying maids. Behind them were Yuki, Thorvald and Tamotsu. The servants and maids all knelt and bowed their heads in shame.
“You get one chance to confess.” Sya said as she looked at the crying servants.
The more courageous of the four maids bowed and began confessing.
“It was Mistress Xiu’s idea.” She began. “Mistress Xiu’s maternal family are herb gatherers. They know alot about plants and poisons.”
“You bitch! Shut your mouth or I’ll kill you!” Xiu shouted. She wanted to hit the maid’s mouth and kill her, but with the hand holding her down in her seat, she could only yell and shout.
The maid flinched, but continued to speak. “She had her maternal Uncle come and deliver the poison. What poison it is this servant doesn’t know. But Mistress Xiu forced us all to poison Master Wei’s food. We were ordered to give it to Master Wei every day.”
From behind the ground, Yuki pulled out a jade box.
“This--” Xiu began to say. “How dare you take my jewelry!”
“So this jade box is yours?” Sya asked as she nodded at Yuki. “Show them.”
Yuki opens the jade box and dumps all the jewelry out and on to the floor. The precious jewelry all hit the floor with a loud noise as some of them broke.
Xiu could only scream in anger and horror as Yuki then slides the false bottom out of the jade box to show small pouch inside. The pouch everyone recognized at it was the wedding pouch Ken gave to Xiu on their wedding day. Xiu always wore the pouch where ever she went and never took it off.
“Lady Wei!” Xiu began to say as tears begins to fall. “I have thought that once you married into the Wei Clan and become the official Lady of Wei, you would be magnanimous to overlook how I treated Ju Long. But to slander me and frame me! What has this Concubine ever done wrong, but fall in love with Master Ken?”
Sya snickered at Xiu as she pushed the blame to Sya.
“And what would I achieve by poisoning Master Wei?” Sya asked. “My husband is already the chosen heir to the Wei clan, no matter how much Father-in-law insisted. Brother-in-law Naoko will never be the next Head of Wei. No matter what achievements he may accomplish in the future. My husband has already done ten times better in one year than Naoko can in ten years.”
“The moment I am away, my own father, brother and second wife along with two elders try to kill my Grandfather and harm the Wei Clan?” Ju Long said as he walks in with Hideo.
Everyone gasps in surprise as Guo Yin and Jia stand up then bow to Hideo. While the rest were made to kneel by the Shade Hunters.
“You’re healed!” Ken shouted as he could see the color in Hideo’s skin and the vigior in his steps. “This son’s prayers were answered!”
Sya wanted to laugh at Ken’s attempt to win favor with Hideo. But instead, Hideo grabbed Ken by the collar and threw him across the room. His body hits the wall and before Ken could even get his bearings back, Hideo punched him on his conceptual vessel dantian and crippled his martial arts. He would no longer be able to practice martial arts nor be able to cultivate qi.
Hideo was not done venting his anger as he flew towards Naoko and did the same thing to him and Xiu. Both father, mother and son’s martial abilities were now crippled.
“You poison this old man and now pretend to be worried for this old man?” Hideo said as he sat down in his chair as Ju Long sits in his chair. “You also try to steal this position from me and give it to your worthless son! Do you ever think of anyone else except yourself! We have more than 300 Wei Clan members and you think you could take care of everyone of them with your dumb head of yours and your dumb excuse of a son?”
The three of them were gathered once again as they were forced to kneel. Their faces were pale with blood seeping down their mouths as their internal organs were injured.
Hideo turned towards Qia and Tan Su and they flinched.
“You know the consequences of plotting against the Head of Wei.” Hideo said.
There were rules within the Wei Clan. Those who plot against each other, sow discord, and cause a strife within the Wei Clan can either choose death by their hands, to save their innocent family. Or choose death by Wei Clan laws and their whole family would be kicked out and disinherited.
Qia and Tan Su clenches their jaw and without another word, they immediately used their hand that was infused with their qi and hit their heart. Causing it to stop completely. The dead bodies flopped forward as they died before their bodies could land on the floor.
Ruby shrieked as she saw the brutality of the Wei Clan. She didn’t think they could be so strict. Her Father had talked her into marrying into the Wei Clan. Their plan was to help Naoko win the seat of the next Master of Wei and they would be able to control the Wei Clan through her. As long as she won Naoko’s heart, she would have all the Wei Clan powers and advantages that she wanted.
With word going around town that Ju Long gave back his Tiger Seal to the King and left Vulean City along with Sya, she had no hopes that they would return. So she and her Father thought that they could slow take over the Wei Clan as long as the Head of Wei died.
From the shadows, her Father helped Xiu’s maternal Uncle get pass Wei security and pass on the poison to Xiu. It was also her Father who help kill the closest guards to Hideo. They were so close to taking everything from Wei Clan, but Sya and Ju Long had to show back up and a once dying old man became healthy again.
Ruby’s face paled even more as her father was dragged in. His clothes were bloodied and his face battered.
“You owe me four favors, do you not remember.” Sya said as she moved away from Ju Long. The whole time, she was standing by his side as his arm was wrapped around her waist.
“Lady Wei.” Peter said as his whole body shivered in fear.
“Instead of cherishing the gift of life I gave you and your daughter, you instead turn around and try to steal from me?” Sya said as she stepped forward. “You know what I do to those who try to steal from me.”
A white qi light shined brightly as both of Ruby’s hands were cut off. Without anyone know how it happened they too were surprised when they saw Ruby stand up without hands. All they saw was blood spurting as Ruby could only scream in disbelief that her hands were gone.
“You bitch!” Naoko shouted. “I’ll kill you!”
“You.” Sya said as she looked at Naoko. “You and your family tried to steal from me and mine.”
Six white qi lights lit up where Ken, Xiu, and Naoko knelt. And just like Ruby both of their hands were cut off. Guo Yin and Jia stared at their new Lady of Wei in awe and horror. Awe, because she was their Lady of Wei and she could protect the Wei Clan. Horror, because she cut their arms off without even flinching.
“The four favors that I want from you are simple.” Sya told Peter. “You will resign from your position and bring your daughter, your new son-in-law and your new in-laws as well as your Note Clan away from Vulean City. And never come back. None of your Note Clan will obtain a government position nor a military position. Nor will they ever become concubine to the royal palace. Do I make myself clear?”
Peter nodded his head yes very quickly.
“Cherish this last life I gift to you and your daughter.” Sya said. “Never say that I was never magnanimous.”