Loving You is My Greatest Sin

25- Love Rival

"Did you see Master Jing's wife? She doesn't deserve him."

"Yeah, what's with the scar on her face. How could she be master's soulmate."

"Such a pitiful woman, I heard that she is also an orphan."

"Ckckck, we have to do something about this."

The other women nods, they couldn't let their master to be paired with that nobody.

__
Jing woke up early that day, he still has to investigate about Blue Poison Clan for the emperor. He looks at his wife that sleeps deeply next to him. Should he wakes her up, or just leave silently?

She would be very concerned if I just left right? He thinks.

Jing kisses her cheeks lightly, waking her up.

"Good morning my wife." He smiles at her, a smile that could make a thousand girls melt.

"Good morning."

"Tao Ru, I am going to the court today."

"Oh, okay.." she pouts, doesn't look very happy with his schedule. This is her first day in the manor, everything is so foreign, let alone her awkwardness because it's the enemy base.

"My mother wants to invite you to her quarter for lunch, would you like to go?" Jing knows that Tao Ru might feel uncomfortable, that's why he asks.

"...sure."

____

Tao Ru walks awkwardly to the designated meeting place, she looks around and nobody is there. The manor is so big and she is not yet familiar with the alleys and paths.

"Wait, didn't I just past this pond?" She tries to examine the place. "Why is this manor so confusing?" She shakes her head.

The sun is shining happily, the sky is as blue as the sea up north. She takes a deep breath.

"Maybe I should walk that way."

"Wait! Stop there!" An unfamiliar voice stops her.

She turns her back to face a few women dressed in fighting attires.

"Are you Master Jing's new wife?" One of them ask.

"..yes." She says quietly, why does she feels like these people are trying to bully her?

"You are as ugly as the rumor.." one of them looks at Tao Ru from top to bottom like she is an animal.

At this point Tao Tu just wants to leave the scene as fast as she could. This is her first day and already someone is causing her trouble.

"Um.. I have to go, I have a lunch with Jing's mother.." she quickly says as she turns around and leaves.

"Not so easy, huh?" One of the lady pulls her hair, preventing her from leaving.

Tao Ru is shocked, in her whole life, nobody has ever disrespected her like that. Her body is tensed up, "What do you want?" She asks carefully, trying to calm herself down.

"You to leave Master Jing alone! A person like you don't deserve to be with him! Look at you!" The woman holds her neck, forcefully making Tao Ru look at her reflection on the pond.

"Let me go!" Tao Ru shakes her off easily, looking by their appearance, winning against them is as easy as flicking her finger.

"Wow, look at this bitch! She seduced our master and now she dare to disobey us? Who do you think you are?!"

They all walks closer to her, trying to intimidate and establish dominance. Little did they know, who Tao Ru really is.

Plat

A clean slap landed on Tao Ru's cheek. She is taken a back by the disrespect that she couldn't think of doing anything.

Another woman walks up to her and pushes her down to the ground. Her yellow hanfu gets dirty as it gets in contact with the wet dirt on the ground.

The same woman takes her by her chin, forcing Tao Ru to look at her angry eyes. She slaps Tao Ru once again, this time, harder than before, red mark now appear on Tao Ru's cheek.

"Stop!"

"Lady Wei.."

"What are you guys doing?!" Wei quickly helps Tao Ru who is still on the ground.

The three woman fled so fast when Wei raises her voice.

"Are you okay, sister in law?" Wei frowns, she is so angry to the girls. She then sees the red mark on Tao Ru's cheeks. "Tian A! That must hurt! Are you sure you are fine?"

Tao Ru just nods even though she doesn't feel so. It's not the pain on her cheek, she has been hurt more. Not also the dirty clothes, she is used to that. But the disrespect and humiliation, that, is her first time experiencing.

"Please tell mother in law that I will be late." She quickly walks away to change her clothes.

_

The lady of Huang Ma Clan is as elegant as a swan. They way she sits and carry herself is out of this world. Her smile is warm and kind, truly a refined woman.

Tao Ru is sitting in front of the woman, analyzing her.

So this is how a lady should behave, she thinks.

"Li Bai Fu, I hope you will enjoy living here." She gestures Tao Ru to serve herself some hot dumplings.

"Yes, of course."

"Please take care of my son." She smiles.

".. I think Jing is able to take care of himself." Tao Ru doesn't know how to do small talk, so she just blurted out her mind.

The madam laughs at her innocent, obviously Jing knows how to do it himself. "Of course, of course."

"Here, I have something for you." The lady hands her a box wrapped with silk cloth.

"What is this?" Tao Ru looks at the box on her hand, it feels heavy.

"Open it."

Tao Ru carefully opens the silk covering, the mahogany box is carved with beautiful dragon on top. Inside it is a dagger. A red colored steel that reflects the light perfectly. She takes it out, it is weirdly light, such a dense metal should weight three times of this dagger. When she examines the dagger, she sees a writing on the other side of it, 'Red Dragon Dagger'. Her eyes glared in disbelief.

"This.." It is one of the four most treasured weapons in the martial arts world, alongside with her own sword, Jing's and her shifu's sword.

"For you."

"I can't.. It looks like it's a very important treasure for Huang Ma Clan." Doesn't matter how much she would love to have it, it doesn't feel right to her heart, the treasure should stay in Huang Ma Clan, she thought.

"You are very important person, you are the lady of Huang Ma Clan."

"The lady of Huang Ma Clan, me?" She holds the dagger with her left hand, it surely lives up its name, a dagger so versatile, even a lady can master it. Tao Ru looks at the dagger on her hand, is she eligible to have it?