"Father, she's a demon!"
"You unfilial wretch! Yunniang may be your stepmother, but she has painstakingly raised you for years. It's bad enough that you show no gratitude, but to slander her as a demon? I think you've truly gone mad!"
At the dining table, Ji Qing and his father were once again locked in a heated argument. This was not the first time. Yunniang said nothing and did not even try to defend herself; she merely sat to the side, weeping silently.
Yunniang's six-year-old daughter, Ji Yao, glared at Ji Qing and shouted, "Ji Qing, Mother is not a demon! I won't let you say she is!"
Ji Qing glanced at his father and sister before staring coldly at Yunniang. "You might fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. One day, I will expose you for what you are!"
"You unfilial wretch, you absolute disgrace! Get out! Get out of my sight!" his father roared, trembling all over with anger.
Ji Qing said nothing more and turned to leave.
"Master Ji, please don't be angry. Qing just has a prejudice against me, which you've known for years. They always say it's hard to be a stepmother. I've tried so hard to be a good mother all this time, but in the end... I can only blame myself for failing to bear you a son. If only I had a son..." Yunniang murmured, lowering her head as tears streamed down her face.
"Yunniang, it's not your fault. That wretch has simply gone too far. Instead of studying properly, he spends his days reading bizarre tales and monster folklore until his mind is completely muddled. Don't worry, as long as I am here, that boy will never call the shots in this household!
"Guards! Lock that wretch in his courtyard. No one is allowed to let him out!"
Master Ji thoroughly comforted Yunniang before strictly grounding Ji Qing. He had originally held high hopes for this son, expecting him to pass the imperial examinations and secure an official post. However, Ji Qing had failed multiple attempts, managing only to become a Scholar. For an ordinary household, having a Scholar was a decent achievement, but for the Ji Family, which boasted a long legacy of literature and education, a Scholar title was far from enough.
A few months ago, Ji Qing had inexplicably gone mad, claiming his stepmother Yunniang was a demon. His accusations had instantly turned the entire Ji Family upside down, leaving the household in constant turmoil.
Ji Qing returned to his room. He was grounded and could go nowhere. Soon after, the maid Fu Qin walked in.
"Young Master, you really shouldn't argue with the master anymore, and definitely stop spouting nonsense about the madam being a demon. Otherwise, not only will your monthly silver be deducted, but you'll also be grounded..." Fu Qin said, carrying a bowl of food into the room. This was her own meal. Because Ji Qing had been grounded today, he had been deprived of his rations.
Ji Qing ate half of the food and left the rest for Fu Qin.
Now alone in the room, a scene from a few months ago surfaced in his mind. He had just "transmigrated" into Ji Qing's body when, one night, he saw his stepmother Yunniang tear the flesh and skin off her face, replacing it with a brand new, exquisite visage.
Terrified, Ji Qing had accidentally made a noise, alerting Yunniang to his presence. It was obvious that the real Yunniang was long dead. The current Yunniang was... a demon! Sensing the lethal danger, he didn't dare pretend that nothing had happened. Otherwise, he would likely be quietly murdered by her.
Therefore, Ji Qing deliberately blew the matter out of proportion. He went around loudly proclaiming that Yunniang was a demon. He even hired esteemed monks and Daoist priests from miles around to come and exorcise her. He wasn't sure if those monks and priests were just frauds with empty reputations, or if Yunniang simply hid her true nature too well, but not a single one of them could tell she was a demon.
Although Ji Qing's constant disruptions deeply angered his father, the strategy worked. At the very least, Yunniang didn't dare make a reckless move against him. However, as time went on, Ji Qing knew this method could only delay the inevitable. He was running out of time. If he didn't deal with Yunniang soon, she might finally strike. For a demon, causing him to die a sudden, quiet death would be incredibly easy.
Thus, Ji Qing decided to strike first. He was a scholar who lacked the strength to even tie up a chicken. Even though he had been practicing martial arts for the past few months, the instructor he found at the local Martial Arts Hall was quite mediocre, and it was impossible to see any real progress in such a short time. After weighing his options, Ji Qing decided to use poison.
He knew of a lethal substance—a compound poison. Taken individually, its ingredients were completely harmless. But if mixed together, they formed a deadly toxin far more potent than lethal red arsenic. However, administering the poison required careful planning; he couldn't afford a single mistake in any step of the process.
Three days later, Master Ji leaned on his cane, staring coldly at Ji Qing.
"You unfilial wretch, hurry up and serve tea to your stepmother."
Ji Qing obediently picked up the teacup from the table and respectfully offered it to Yunniang with both hands. On the surface, it appeared his father had forcefully suppressed him, compelling him to swallow his pride and apologize. But in reality, this was his golden opportunity!
Yunniang smiled faintly, looking calmly at Ji Qing. She accepted the teacup, took a gentle sip, and set it down. "Master Ji, Qing was just being ignorant and spouting nonsense. Please lift his grounding. Recently, many of his classmates have been inviting him to go on spring outings. If he keeps refusing them, he'll lose face in front of his peers," Yunniang pleaded on his behalf.
"Since Yunniang has pleaded for you, your grounding is lifted. Remember this well: no more spouting nonsense from now on!" Master Ji warned severely.
However, Ji Qing did not reply. Instead, he stared fixedly at Yunniang, silently counting the seconds in his mind. He had already managed to slip the first two poisons into her food unnoticed. All that was missing was the final ingredient, which was in the teacup she had just drank from. Separated, the three substances were completely safe, but once combined, they would trigger a lethal reaction in mere moments.
"Wretch, why are you staring at Yunniang?" Master Ji frowned, just about to reprimand him again.
Suddenly, Yunniang clutched her stomach. Her brows knitted tightly together as her face twisted in agonizing pain.
"It hurts... Master Ji, my stomach hurts so much..." Yunniang groaned, rolling on the floor in agony. Moments later, she violently vomited a massive mouthful of blood.
"Poison... it's poisoned..." Yunniang immediately realized what had happened, her eyes locking onto Ji Qing with a deathly glare.
Master Ji also seemed to grasp the situation. His eyes widened in absolute disbelief. "You wretch, you..."
"That's right, I poisoned her. Father, once Yunniang dies today, she will definitely reveal her true form. Then you'll know she's a demon!" Ji Qing admitted publicly. After all, investigating the poisoning would be effortless; there was no point in flatly denying it.
"You wretch... you absolute monster! To think you would poison your own stepmother. This is matricide..." Master Ji's voice trembled with rage. He knew Ji Qing harbored prejudices against Yunniang, but he never imagined his son would be deranged enough to actually commit matricide. This was an unforgivable capital offense!
Ji Qing remained silent. At this point, words were useless. He had only one remaining concern: could this poison actually kill a demon?
The facts proved that it could! Yunniang finally succumbed, choking to death on her own blood.
The exact moment Yunniang breathed her last, a deafening roar echoed in Ji Qing's mind. Immediately after, a mysterious, glowing golden Ancient Book materialized in his consciousness. Three large words were inscribed on its cover: Demon Monster Record.
"Killed a Painted Skin Demon clone. Gained one Source Point."
Ji Qing was startled. Had his cheat ability finally arrived? Over the past few months, he had wondered why he hadn't received any golden cheat. It seemed the ability would only activate after he killed a Demon Monster.
However, he didn't have time to examine the Demon Monster Record right now. He crouched in front of Yunniang's corpse, groping around her face as he tried to "peel off" the painted skin. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift it. This meant he had no way to prove she was a demon.
"You wretch! You absolute monster! How dare you commit matricide? What a curse upon our family! Guards, tie this wretch up and send him to the Government!" Master Ji cried, his heart twisting in agony. Ji Qing had publicly poisoned his stepmother—a scandal he couldn't cover up even if he wanted to. After all, a life had been lost, and it was a shocking, unforgivable capital offense. How could he possibly hide it?
"Mother... what happened to you? Mother..." Ji Yao threw herself onto Yunniang's corpse, weeping hysterically.
He thought to himself, "What a cunning Painted Skin Demon... Is this your way of getting rid of me? The demon isn't dead yet; it was only a clone that died. You must still be hiding somewhere in the Ji Residence!" Ji Qing's sharp gaze swept over everyone present one by one.
Suddenly, the Demon Monster Record in his mind vibrated violently, radiating a brilliant light. Ji Qing fiercely locked eyes with a lowly maidservant. He could even see the mockery dancing in her eyes.
"You..." Ji Qing tried to lunge at the maid, but several courtyard guards immediately pinned him down.
"We're sorry, Young Master."
The guards tied Ji Qing up and, following Master Ji's orders, escorted him directly to the Government Office.