A Blood Debt Claimed by Forbidden Arts

The burning sensation at my fingertips suddenly burst as I was organizing paints in my studio in N City. It was no ordinary pain; it carried a scorching familiarity, coursing along my veins straight to my heart. "Sister..." I whispered, as faint red lines appeared on my fingertips, strikingly like the Family forbidden art totems I had seen in the old mansion's sketchbooks as a child. At that moment, my phone vibrated wildly—a message from a childhood friend back home, just a short sentence: "Lucy Scott is in trouble. Return immediately." Lucy Scott, my only sister. Twelve hours later, I stood at the exit of S City Airport. The cold wind, mixed with fine rain, hit my face. I tightened my coat as my childhood friend Mike Collins waited for me. "What exactly happened?" I asked. "Lucy Scott has awakened the family's Painted Skin Art, but before she could fully master it, Whitney Lynn set her sights on her." Mike's voice was heavy. "Whitney Lynn is the lover of Caleb Fisher, the head of the Fisher Family. She has already moved into the Fisher Family and taken Lucy's place." I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white. "There's something worse," Mike Collins hesitated, "Lucy Scott's parents, your adoptive parents, didn't die in an accident last month. Whitney Lynn and Caleb Fisher were behind it." Blood surged to my head, and my vision blurred with waves of darkness. My adoptive parents treated me as their own, and their deaths were caused deliberately? "Where is Lucy now?" I forced myself to stay calm. "She's at the Fisher Family's Residence, pregnant with Caleb Fisher's child, and under Whitney Lynn's tight watch." Mike Collins handed me a wooden box. "Lucy secretly asked me to give this to you. She said it's the key to the Family forbidden art." I opened the wooden box. Inside was a Painted Skin as thin as a cicada's wing, along with a yellowed notebook. The notebook detailed how to use the Painted Skin Art: with a drop of blood to claim it as yours, you could transform into any form. I pricked my fingertip, letting fresh blood drip onto the Painted Skin, which was instantly absorbed. "I have to get into the Fisher Family." I looked up at Mike Collins. "Help me find out if any noblewomen have been trying to get close to the Fisher Family recently." Three days later, I appeared at the Fisher Family's Residence dinner as Mindy Shaw, widow of the Shaw Group's chairman in H City. The sensation of the Painted Skin melding with the flesh was extraordinary; even the voice softened, becoming gentle and refined. "So this is Mrs. Shaw? I've long heard your name." Old Mr. Fisher smiled warmly as he stepped forward to greet me. "Old Mr. Fisher, you are too kind." I nodded slightly, my gaze scanning past the crowd until it landed precisely on Lucy Scott. She wore a loose, flowing dress, her face pale, eyes sharp with vigilance, standing beside a strikingly made-up woman who must be Whitney Lynn. Beside Whitney Lynn stood a man in a sharp suit, his demeanor cold and aloof—Caleb Fisher. "Mrs. Shaw has come all this way; why didn't she give us advance notice?" Caleb Fisher walked over, his tone tinged with distant politeness. I ignored him and went straight to Lucy Scott, reaching out to steady her arm. "You must be Mr. Fisher's wife. You don't look well—is something wrong with your health?" Lucy Scott froze for a moment, then recovered and gently shook her head. Whitney's face darkened as she stepped forward to stand between me and Lucy Scott. "Mrs. Shaw has the wrong person; I'm the one closest to Caleb." "Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, glancing at Caleb Fisher. "Mr. Fisher, that is precisely your mistake." "Mrs. Shaw, why would you say such a thing?" Caleb Fisher frowned. "The rightful wife is right here, yet you let some unknown woman into the household. If this gets out, where will the Fisher Family's honor be?" My tone was calm but carried an undeniable authority. "What nonsense are you spouting!" Whitney Lynn snapped. "Caleb loves me. Lucy Scott is nothing but a useless woman. If her maternal family weren't useful, Caleb would have divorced her long ago!" "How dare you." I said coldly. Before Whitney could react, I turned to Caleb Fisher and raised my hand, delivering a sharp slap. The entire room immediately fell silent. "Caleb Fisher," I said, staring at his shocked face, speaking each word clearly, "Respecting your wife is respecting yourself and honoring the Fisher Family. Today, I am making this clear: Lucy Scott is the rightful young mistress of the Fisher Family, and no one is allowed to harm her in the slightest." "You dare hit me?" Caleb Fisher snapped back to reality, his eyes dark and fierce. "So what if I hit you?" I sneered, "Though the Shaw Group is not as powerful as the Fisher Family, they are not a soft target to be toyed with. If you can't even manage your own family affairs properly, then there's no need to discuss any cooperation between the Shaw Group and the Fisher Family going forward." Old Mr. Fisher, seeing this, quickly tried to defuse the tension: "Mrs. Shaw, please calm down. It's just that Caleb is being immature. Caleb, why don't you apologize to your wife?" Caleb Fisher's face turned pale, but he didn't dare to lose control. He could only glare fiercely at Lucy Scott, remaining silent. Whitney Lynn's whole body trembled with anger, but constrained by my status, she didn't dare to step forward. I supported Lucy Scott gently and said softly, "If you're feeling unwell, just go back to your room and rest. I'm here for you." A flicker of gratitude flashed in Lucy Scott's eyes. She nodded and, with the help of a servant, left the banquet hall. I watched her retreating figure and silently vowed in my heart that since I had come to the Fisher Family, I would not allow my sister to suffer even the slightest injustice.