Chapter 39: She Deserved a Slap

Su Xiyue had just returned from the water pool with two buckets of water when she saw someone from afar stealing the food she had prepared.

Taking a closer look, she realized it was Mu Qing.

Mu Qing was standing in front of the stove, her hands constantly reaching into several stone plates and shoveling food into her mouth. Her mouth was slick with oil, and her hands were covered in it. She looked as if she hadn't eaten in eight hundred years.

Su Xiyue’s eyes narrowed instantly, and her expression turned icy.

This old hag had frequently abused the original owner, yet now she had the audacity to sneak over and steal her food. And as if stealing wasn't bad enough, she was eating it with her bare hands. It was filthy and utterly disgusting.

With a grim face, she carried the buckets over and slammed them onto the ground with a heavy, dull thud.

Mu Qing, who had been enjoying her theft, hadn't noticed anyone approaching. Startled by the sudden noise, she choked. The food stuck in her throat, neither going up nor down, causing her immense discomfort. It took a great effort for her to swallow it down before she felt slightly better.

She turned around and saw Su Xiyue standing behind her, staring coldly.

Mu Qing felt a jolt of alarm and a sense of inexplicable guilt. But then, reminding herself that she was the girl's mother, that feeling of guilt vanished instantly.

"You came back without making a sound—are you trying to scare me to death?" Mu Qing glared at her angrily and began to scold her.

Watching the old hag shift from guilt to self-righteousness, Su Xiyue sneered internally. This old woman steals her food and acts like she’s the one in the right?

Su Xiyue didn't indulge her. "Who gave you permission to eat my food?" she asked coldly.

Mu Qing flew into a rage, pointing a finger at her nose. "I am your mother! What’s wrong with eating a little of your food? What kind of attitude is that?"

Su Xiyue was so angry she laughed, the coldness in her eyes deepening. Did this old hag have no shame? She didn't even consider how she had treated the original owner—hitting and scolding her, and preventing the father, Su Lie, and the brother, Su Mu, from giving her animal skins or meat. She was a biological mother who acted like an evil stepmother. Now, she had the nerve to question her? Where did she get the gall? Was it just because she had a thick face?

Su Xiyue gave a cold, mocking smile. "You know you're my mother, then let me ask you: how have you treated me all these years? Have you ever treated me like a daughter?"

Even if the original owner had been incompetent, that was no excuse for abuse.

Mu Qing’s face turned pale, then green, with anger. "How have I not treated you like a daughter? If I didn't, I would have tossed you into the forest to be fed to the wild beasts long ago!"

Su Xiyue curled her lips in a scornful smile. Was this old hag really so shameless? She said it with such self-righteousness that she almost believed it herself.

She let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with mockery. "Then I truly must thank you. Thank you for not tossing me into the forest to be fed to the beasts, and thank you for your 'care' over all these years."

She emphasized the word "care," the irony dripping from her tone.

Mu Qing couldn't miss the sarcasm. "Su Xiyue, what do you mean by that?"

Su Xiyue rolled her eyes, indifferent to Mu Qing’s fury. "Exactly what I said."

"You—"

Mu Qing was trembling with rage, itching to tear that mouth apart. But remembering her purpose for coming, she suppressed her temper. Still, her face remained dark, and she stared at her with a venomous glare. "I heard you used your ability to blast Mia away last night. Is that true?"

Su Xiyue immediately understood why the old hag was here. She was trying to settle the score for Mia.

Her expression grew colder. "She deserved it."

"You—"

Mu Qing shook with rage and raised her hand, swinging a slap toward Su Xiyue’s face.

Su Xiyue’s gaze turned icy; she caught Mu Qing’s wrist with lightning speed. "Mu Qing, you had better think carefully about the consequences of landing that slap."

The implication was clear: if that slap landed, she would pay it back tenfold, a hundredfold.

Caught by the wrist, Mu Qing felt as if she were being gripped by the claws of a wild beast. The pain turned her face pale. She looked up at Su Xiyue in fury, only to meet those cold, murderous eyes, and she felt a shock of fear.

*When did this wretched female become so terrifying?*

She used to be so afraid of her, hiding whenever she saw her, let alone looking at her with such eyes. It was truly turning the world upside down.

Thinking this, Mu Qing felt even more enraged, and the pain in her hand was sharp. She began to struggle. "Su Xiyue, let go of me!"

Instead of letting go, Su Xiyue gripped harder. "Mu Qing, I truly don't understand. I am your daughter, yet you protect Mia time and time again. Could it be that there is some special relationship between you and Mia?"

Mu Qing’s expression changed instantly, panic flashing in her eyes.

She forced a calm facade and barked, "What nonsense are you spouting? What relationship could I have with Mia? I just see that she is well-behaved and has been without a mother since she was young, so I feel pity and offer her some care. Stop slandering me!"

As she spoke, her gaze darted away, clearly guilty.

Su Xiyue sneered. This old hag was truly a master of pretense.

However, she didn't show it on her face. With a cryptic smile, she said, "Is that so? It better be. If I find out that your kindness toward Mia is built on harming me, don't blame me for being ruthless."

She had wanted to use this secret to threaten the old hag and make her back down. But considering that Mu Qing had many lovers, all of whom were powerful warriors, she feared that if she pushed her into a corner, there was no telling what she might do. She didn't believe there was much maternal affection here; if she felt threatened, Mu Qing might just try to kill her to silence her.

Thinking this, she abandoned the thought. Without absolute power, it was better to exercise restraint.

Mu Qing didn't know her thoughts, but she felt inexplicably nervous. Especially when facing those cryptic eyes, she felt as if her secrets had been seen through.

Panic rose in her, but she put on a show of bravado. "Stop trying to scare me! I am your mother, would I ever harm you? As for you, daring to treat me like this—I’m going to tell your father and have him teach you a lesson!"

Su Xiyue sneered even more. "Go ahead. Let's see if Father believes you or me."

After saying this, she shoved Mu Qing’s hand away. With a look of disgust, she used a stone bowl to scoop water from the bucket to wash her hands; they were greasy and oily, and she felt sick.

This action clearly made Mu Qing’s face even uglier.

Knowing she wouldn't gain any advantage today, Mu Qing left a parting shot: "Wait and see how your father deals with you."

She left in a rage, though she cast one last lingering, greedy glance at the half-eaten delicacies on the stove. Knowing this wretched girl wouldn't let her eat any more, she stormed off with a dark expression.

Su Xiyue watched Mu Qing’s retreating back with a cold smirk.

*Old hag, do you really think I'm still the original owner?*

The original owner might have been lazy, greedy, and weak, but she was a bully who feared the strong—and she had feared this mother most of all.

She looked at the food on the stove, now messy and contaminated after being touched by the old woman. A look of disdain crossed her face.

*This old hag actually used her bare hands. How disgusting.*

She certainly wouldn't eat this, and she doubted Mo Lin and the others would eat it if they knew Mu Qing had touched it.

Fortunately, there was bone broth and mushroom soup simmering in the pot; it would be ready by the time Mo Lin and the others returned. If it wasn't enough, she would just make more; there were plenty of ingredients in the tribe.