Chapter 34: Collapse

A light 'Clang!' sound.

The bracelet caught the attention of the female cultivators.

"Lady Saint Maiden, you seem to have dropped something," a young lady from an aristocratic family kindly reminded.

Liu Liyan feigned contemplation, then slightly surprised, she parted her delicate pink lips, lowered her head to glance at the bracelet at her feet, and immediately picked it up as if she had found a treasure: "It really fell! I clearly remembered putting it on my wrist when I left the house; this is my most precious thing, I cannot lose it."

"If it were lost, bumped, or collided, what could be done?"

The green-clad miss's mouth twitched: "It's just a bracelet; Lady Saint Maiden, why take it to heart?"

"This is the engagement token between me and A Chen!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The entire venue fell silent.

The green-clad miss's eyes nearly bulged out, and she stood there dumbfounded.

The approaching princess halted in her steps, her heart slightly surprised.

Just then, as she bent over to pick up the bracelet, the veil on her face fluttered up in the wind.

Having glanced at Liu Liyan's peerless beauty, this appearance of hers, eager for the whole world to know she was engaged to Su Chen, truly…

Just then, Liu Liyan adjusted her collar, noticing a speck of dust on the shoulder strap, and she couldn't help but complain: "Oh no, how did my wide-sleeved fairy dress get dirty? This was specially bought for me by A Chen at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion."

"Lady Saint Maiden, you……"

Female cultivators: "……"

Princess: "……"

They finally understood why Liu Liyan, who hadn't left her home for years, agreed to participate in the pill assembly today.

However, this was not the end of it.

In the subsequent pill-competition process, the Constant Appearance Pill refined by Liu Liyan—whether it was the fire used to refine the pill, the materials of the Constant Appearance Pill, or the pill cauldron used for refining—

In short, don't ask; if you ask, it's a gift from the Young Sect Master Su, and you must cherish and protect it dearly.

During the hour-long pill assembly, the young ladies from aristocratic families and sects felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness.

In the end, the pill-refining competition was won by Liu Liyan's seventh-grade Constant Appearance Pill.

After making the rounds, everyone at the Princess's mansion knew where her robe, pill fire, pill cauldron, and even her magic boots were purchased.

After Liu Liyan finished showing off with satisfaction, her beautiful eyes scanned the surroundings; it seemed she didn't see any familiar figure, and she lightly asked the Princess: "Miss Lin, didn't you come?"

Just as her words fell.

"Thud thud thud……"

Not far away, above the Princess's mansion, Lin Jianran, dressed to the nines with three layers of powder on her pretty face and a pink silk scarf draped over her body, appeared.

Upon learning that the immensely noble Princess of the Central State Imperial Dynasty had invited her to the pill assembly, Lin Jianran could only suppress her recent resentment and dissatisfaction toward Liu Liyan, carefully dressing herself in hopes of outshining all others with her beauty.

But as soon as she appeared, she ran into Liu Liyan's utterly detestable face.

The most infuriating thing of all is——

Upon seeing her appear, Liu Liyan immediately dropped the bracelet from her wrist, and the nearby maid, evidently understanding, exclaimed: "Oh no! Saint Maiden, your engagement token with the Young Sect Master Su has fallen!"

"The Young Sect Master really, just giving the thought would have been enough, but he also gave a yin-yang fish patterned bracelet; the yin-yang fish is a rare treasure, and the refined bracelet not only aids cultivation, but also calms the mind and nourishes the spirit."

"Who knows how much thought went into this fish-patterned bracelet; having this fish-patterned bracelet, they still insisted on having you buy a glazed crown, which, being made of magical implements, is heavy, and Saint Maiden, with your frail physique, wearing it would be overly burdensome."

"……"

Ahhh!

Lin Jianran's lungs nearly exploded with anger!

Her eyes reddened, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on Liu Liyan's bracelet, her robe, and that splendid battle dress.

These should have all been hers!

Why?

Why, if I were a little more self-loving, a little purer, would Su Chen have been snatched away by that slut Liu Liyan?

Lin Jianran snorted rough breaths nonstop from her nostrils, her bosom rising and falling.

How unwilling she was to face what was happening before her eyes, how much she wanted to rush over and tear apart Liu Liyan's fox-like face.

"Hmph! Picking up my discarded trash, what's there to show off about?"

Lin Jianran forced a calm smile and sneered: "I'm not the type who can be swayed by a few paltry spirit stones, casually taking a man's hand, even kissing someone at random, not knowing what chastity means."

Liu Liyan's delicate brows slightly furrowed as she glanced at the white-clad maid beside her.

The white-clad maid instantly understood, stepped forward, and jeered: "Yes yes yes, our Saint Maiden knows no chastity at all, while certain people are the epitome of chastity!"

"Knowing chastity, yet still at the Flower Rain Pavilion, kissing other men in front of the Young Sect Master Su, while claiming not to be moved by a few spirit stones, and then asking the Young Sect Master for a nine-turn golden pill worth hundreds of millions."

"Who could have someone who knows chastity?"

"You……" Lin Jianran nearly burst a blood vessel from anger, her face alternating between white and green, her thin lips trembling.

She wanted to retort, but somehow, there was no reason for rebuttal on the tip of her tongue.

The princess, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, stepped forward to mediate, saying: "Alright, you all came to the pill assembly to exchange pill-refining insights; I happen to have a few words I'd like to privately say to Saint Maiden Liu—would it be convenient for you?"

After seeing Liu Liyan nod in agreement.

The princess then ordered the young ladies from aristocratic families and sects to first exchange their pill-refining insights, while she herself took Liu Liyan to the rear hall.

Firmly staring at the two walking away side by side, feeling the mocking gazes of the surrounding female cultivators, Lin Jianran's tears fell like she couldn't control her tear glands.

It was just these gazes.

Looking down on her cultivation talent, looking down on her family background, unwilling to associate with her.

In the past, whenever she encountered such a situation, she had Su Chen to rely on.

When faced with sect saintesses she dared not offend, or family young ladies whose cultivation surpassed hers, she would go to Su Chen to vent; after hearing her, Su Chen would fly into a rage, directly bringing his Dharma protectors to storm the other's home to vent her anger.

But…… now Su Chen has been lost by her.

She is no longer the treasure in her heart.

He will no longer be her hero…… Even Ye Xuan gege, her childhood friend……

"Ye Xuan older brother, Su Chen, I hate you, why didn't any of you come find me? Wah wah wah……" Lin Jianran held back her tears, her heart in extreme turmoil, wanting to burst into loud sobs.

To protect her ridiculous dignity, she decisively turned and left.

These are all the sect's holy maidens, the young ladies of first-rate clans, or female cultivators who have succeeded through their own training; they look down on her from the bottom of their hearts. Since that's the case, why should she wrong herself, lower her stance to blend into the crowd? She is herself, one of a kind.

She wants Ye Xuan gege, she wants Su Chen to let her vent her anger!

Exactly!

Even if Ye Xuan gege has the imperial princess, she still has Su Chen; as long as she turns back, Su Chen will always be there.

She wants to go find Liu Liyan, have Liu Liyan use the charm techniques on Su Chen, and return Su Chen to her exactly as he was.

Right!

Find Liu Liyan!

However;

Just as Lin Jianran appeared angrily near the rear hall, preparing to firmly use voice transmission to make Liu Liyan get out of Su Chen's sight.

Her foot suddenly stumbled.

As her divine sense stirred, as if she had sensed some shocking secret that could not be spoken of, Lin Jianran first covered her mouth in disbelief, then stood there completely stunned……