CMWKSD -Chapter 53 Retribution in This Life

Jiu Yue let out a scornful laugh. “There are barely over two hundred people in total, and you rank just over a hundred—yet you already think you’re the reincarnation of the God of Literature?”

“And that’s only the ranking of one academy. It doesn’t even include students from other academies, or those who have private tutors at home, or those studying under highly respected scholars.”

The three of them were scolded until their faces burned red.

“With results like yours, forget about taking the xiucai exam—passing even the tongsheng exam would be difficult.”

Hu Chunhua stood to the side, her mouth opening and closing. Ji Zhouye had always been sweet-tongued—every time he came back to ask her for money, he’d talk about becoming a high official in the future and getting her an imperial title.

Yet now Jiu Yue was saying they might not even pass the tongsheng?

The corners of Jiu Yue’s mouth twitched. She believed eggs shouldn’t all be put in one basket—but they definitely shouldn’t be put in a broken basket either.

Back at the base, they didn’t take cultural classes, but anything that had rankings—kill counts, assassination methods, sniping, endurance under load… as long as there was a ranking, Jiu Yue was always the undisputed number one.

Don’t be fooled by her small size—she possessed tremendous strength, agile movement, elusive whereabouts, and ruthless methods.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risen in one leap to become the top-ranked member of the Dark Moon organization, a world-renowned assassin.

Looking at these three useless things, she couldn’t even muster the feeling of “hating iron for not becoming steel.”

Shen Mei and Li Xiaocao knew at a glance—Jiu Yue was ready to give up on these three.

Shen Mei rushed forward, shielding the two children. “Give them one more chance. Next xun break it definitely won’t be like this again. Top fifty—just give them one more chance, alright?”

Ji Zhouye and Ji Wanqiao cried out together, “Mother!”

Li Xiaocao also tugged at Ji Weizhou. “Jiu Yue, please… please give them one more chance.”

Ji Zhouye and Ji Wanqiao had already experienced how cruel Jiu Yue’s methods could be, but after all, they hadn’t seen her kill anyone with their own eyes. Hearing Shen Mei open her mouth and demand top fifty—

How could they possibly manage that?

Jiu Yue lifted her eyes. The corners of her lips slowly—very slowly—curved upward into a smile, making several people shiver unconsciously and swallow with difficulty.

“Easy to talk about, easy to talk about. Top fifty in one month might indeed be a bit difficult.”

Shen Mei and Li Xiaocao didn’t dare respond. Jiu Yue took a bottle out of her bag. “One pill each. Eat it.”

Ji Zhouye was only a little shorter than Ji Yiqing. Seeing the whole family cowed by Jiu Yue, his anger finally overcame his fear.

He slammed the table with a loud bang. “You’ve gone too far!”

The smile on Jiu Yue’s lips hadn’t faded. She merely looked calmly at Ji Zhouye. “Looks like Ji Dajiang’s fate still hasn’t been enough to wake you up, has it?”

Ji Weizhou suddenly raised his head. “My… my father…”

Jiu Yue stared fixedly at Ji Zhouye, but answered Ji Weizhou instead. “It was me. From now on, Ji Dajiang will never stand up again for the rest of his life. He won’t be able to speak, won’t be able to move—no different from a cripple.”

Ji Zhouye’s body trembled. Shen Mei hurriedly picked up the medicine bottle from the table. “What kind of medicine is this?”

Jiu Yue spread her hand, looking at her neatly manicured fingernails. “What else could it be? Poison.”

Shen Mei abruptly set the bottle back on the table. “Jiu Yue, this… this won’t do. How can poison be taken casually?”

But Ji Wanqiao directly grabbed the bottle and swallowed a pill. Jiu Yue lazily lifted her eyelids—this one had some backbone.

If he used even a fraction of that backbone on studying, how could he fail to keep up? How could he fail the exams?

Shen Mei screamed, “Wanqiao!”

Though Ji Wanqiao was a few years younger than Ji Zhouye, he understood the situation far better. Hadn’t he seen how even the domineering grandmother and grandfather were trembling as they stood to the side?

There were plenty of able-bodied adults in the family, yet not a single one dared refute this second sister-in-law.

Clearly, while they’d been away, the family had been “disciplined” more than once—what’s more, Ji Dajiang’s miserable state was right there for all to see.

How could he not eat it?

Just from the kick Jiu Yue had given Ji Weizhou earlier, it was obvious she was no gentle soul. And he’d also heard that this second sister-in-law went to the county city to treat people and such.

Combined with what Ji Dahu had told him earlier—his voice trembling—he wasn’t going to be like his older brother, blind to reality.

After swallowing it, he looked at Jiu Yue. “I’ll work hard at my studies.”

Jiu Yue raised an eyebrow. “Fine.”

Ji Zhouye and Ji Weizhou exchanged a glance—especially since all three of them had seen Ji Dajiang lying in bed like a living corpse the moment they returned.

They all felt that if they didn’t listen, they’d be next.

Shen Mei and Li Xiaocao still wanted to persuade them, but Jiu Yue’s domineering, final-say nature made it clear—there was no point.

“Antidote once every three months.”

“Alright.”

Jiu Yue chuckled cheerfully. “Actually, you could choose not to study. I’m quite easy to talk to—so long as someone is useful and obedient, I’m willing to employ them and I never shortchange people. Ji Zhouye, look at what your mother is wearing and using—much better than what ordinary people have, right?”

“And look at this whole extended family of yours. As long as you’re useful and obedient, what good things wouldn’t you get to enjoy?”

She said it lightly—but if anyone dared to say they wouldn’t study anymore, ruining her dream of riding on someone else’s power, then they might as well just die.

The three bowed together in the scholars’ salute. “We wouldn’t dare. Second sister-in-law, we will definitely study hard.”

How could they dare say anything else? Hadn’t even lame Ji Chaomian had his legs cured only on the condition that he study?

It was obvious—this second sister-in-law wouldn’t rest unless they passed.

“After you pass next year, I’ll give you at most another three years. I don’t raise freeloaders.”

“We’ll listen to you, second sister-in-law.”

With that settled, Ji Wanqiao and Ji Zhouye carried their writing tools back to their room. Ji Zhouye, being Ji Dahu and Shen Mei’s first child, had always been indulged more.

So he followed Ji Wanqiao straight inside and immediately threw a punch, glaring viciously at him. “Why did you eat that medicine?!”

Ji Wanqiao wiped the corner of his mouth and looked at Ji Zhouye like he was an idiot. “If I didn’t eat it, would I be able to live?”

“Then what’s the difference between how we’re living now and being dead?” Ji Zhouye panted, furious.

“Those who know the times are heroes. That second sister-in-law is no good person. Didn’t you see Ji Weizhou nearly get crippled?”

Ji Zhouye swallowed hard, recalling again how Jiu Yue had kicked Ji Weizhou to the ground and stomped on him so ruthlessly.

“I don’t know if Ji Yiqing has gone mad—bringing such a rakshasa into the family.”

Ji Wanqiao couldn’t even be bothered to talk to him anymore. Ji Zhouye was in the prime of his youth, yet every time he got money, he went straight to the pleasure houses.

When did he ever remember studying?

No wonder his brain no longer worked properly.

Earlier, Ji Dahu had clearly explained Jiu Yue’s background, yet Ji Zhouye acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“That was a bride Grandma married off to Ji Yiqing as a ‘luck-bringing’ wife.”

Ji Zhouye choked.

Was this… retribution in this very lifetime?