Chapter 8

Although she had always been confident, she would never dare claim she could surpass every woman under heaven.

Thus, while Huang Rong was overwhelmed by the unexpected honor, she couldn't help but curl her lips in smug satisfaction: "You do have good taste!"

Resting her small chin on her hand, Huang Rong's shimmering eyes darted intently over the diary copy, eager to see what Jiang Sishui would write about her next.

At the same time, countless peerless beauties let out dissatisfied snorts.

On her way to Mount Mount Wuliang, Yao Yue's expression darkened, causing the surrounding air pressure to drop until the tension became unnerving.

The maids of the Shifted Flower Palace behind her fell silent as winter cicadas, unable to understand why their Great Palace Mistress, who had been fine just moments ago, had suddenly become like this.

At this moment, Yao Yue's heart was filled with rage.

That she was not the last person listed was something Yao Yue had anticipated, since the diary owner's favorability toward her was simply too low!

Yet seeing Jiang Sishui award the title of "Number One Marvelous Woman of the Martial World" to someone else still filled her with indignation.

Although this title was merely Jiang Sishui's subjective assessment and did not represent objective fact, she simply could not accept it or feel pleased.

She, Yao Yue, whose beauty crowned Yunzhou, had once rejected a marriage proposal from the Emperor of Dali, and had reached the late stage of Grandmaster cultivation before even turning twenty!

Possessing both strength and beauty, who was she, Yao Yue, inferior to?

Now, with just a few words, someone had placed a superior figure above her head; how could she possibly accept that?

"Jiang Sishui, is it? In Suzhou? I will come find you and see on what grounds you dare look down on me, Yao Yue!"

Gnashing her silver teeth, Yao Yue silently vowed revenge in her heart.

South of Nanzhou lay the lands of Baiyue.

Yan Yan Lingji lay slanted across her bed, lazily stretching her exquisite body, propping up her delicate head with one hand while toying with a cluster of flames in the other.

Seeing the diary's praise for Wang Wang Wang Yuyan and Xiao Longnu, a hint of a smile crossed her bewitching eyes: "At best equal; not even I can be surpassed?"

Speaking thus, she lightly flipped her pale hand to reveal the title page, which read—

[Character: Yan Yan Lingji]

[Appearance: 10]

[Favorability: 10]

"Even with this I cannot rank first; it seems I am not the only one with perfect scores in both categories."

Pressing her flame-lit index finger against her vermilion lips, Yan Yan Lingji coquettishly murmured, "Obsessed with me? You fickle rogue, I wonder if you wish to experience my passion like fire or my tenderness like water?"

"But since I didn't rank first, I am quite unhappy about it."

"When the time comes, how will you coax me? Hehe..."

Just as she thought this, the content of the diary copy updated once more.

[There are hundreds upon thousands of beauties in the Comprehensive Martial World; possessing them all would naturally be best, though the difficulty is considerable, even if I were to become the number one under heaven.]

"Pah! Still dreaming of possessing them all! Even if a thousand women were given to you, could you possibly handle them?"

Seeing this, the women all lightly spat in disdain, thinking Jiang Sishui was indulging in wishful thinking.

Let alone a thousand; even a hundred women could exhaust the strongest man until he collapsed!

[But if I could only choose one, then I would without hesitation choose Rong'er.]

"Rong'er? Does he mean Huang Rong?" The women's hearts stirred.

On the flower boat, Huang Rong's gaze also sharpened.

[Eh? Right, there is also Yan Yan Lingji; I wonder if she exists in this world?]

[She is the number one goddess of Chinese animation, holding a status in her realm just as Rong'er does in the martial world.]

[Does 'The Nine Songs of Heaven' count as martial arts fiction? It probably does, right?]

[If she and Rong'er were placed on opposite sides for me to choose, wouldn't I worry my hair white?]

"The Nine Songs of Heaven? Am I a character within it?"

Yan Yan Lingji's heart stirred, and immediately she turned a mocking gaze toward the diary page, eager to see what choice Jiang Sishui would make between her and Huang Rong.

"Hmph! You fickle ghost! Just now you said you would choose me without hesitation, and now you change your tune; truly detestable!"

Huang Rong clenched her small fists, wishing she could reach across space to strike Jiang Sishui.

[Forget it; only children make choices; naturally, I want them all!]

Huang Rong: "..."

Yan Yan Lingji: "..."

[However, if I truly could only choose one, perhaps... maybe... probably... alright, fine, I would still choose Rong'er.]

A brilliant smile instantly bloomed on Huang Rong's face.

The flame at Yan Yan Lingji's fingertips suddenly extinguished.

One woman rejoiced while the other fumed, their reactions entirely different.

It was not that reading the diary made them fall in love with this fickle man they had never met; rather, Jiang Sishui's evaluation was undoubtedly a contest between them.

Most women are prone to jealousy and love to compare themselves to others; just as Yao Yue would not allow herself to lose to Lian Xing, Yan Yan Lingji did not wish to lose to Huang Rong.

Especially since the result of this comparison might be seen by who knows how many people.

"This stinking man; I must make him experience my ice and fire torment."

The flame reignited at Yan Yan Lingji's fingertips burned even brighter.

[Yan Yan Lingji is indeed a bewitching treasure of goddess caliber; regarding appearance alone, she even surpasses Rong'er, yet she lacks Rong'er's interesting nature.]

[Not only Yan Yan Lingji, but Wang Wang Wang Yuyan and Xiao Longnu are the same.]

[Wang Wang Wang Yuyan centers everything on her cousin South South Murong Fu; her entire life revolves around him.]

[If their love were mutual, that would be one thing, a romance indeed; alas, South South Murong Fu's eyes see only the restoration of his kingdom, and he merely treats Wang Wang Wang Yuyan as a tool for learning martial arts.]

[South South Murong Fu cares nothing for Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, yet she remains unable to see this clearly, spending all day talking about 'Cousin' this and 'Cousin' that.]

Setting aside her martial arts talent, this celestial maiden's soul lacks a self; she is more like a "vase."

"A vase? Is that how you evaluate me?"

Wang Wang Wang Yuyan stared blankly, lost in thought, as words appeared on the page:

[Character: Wang Wang Wang Yuyan]

[Appearance: 10]

[Affection: 8]

An affection score of eight meant merely liking.

Moreover, how much of this "liking" stemmed from her external beauty?

"Do I truly lack a self? Is my cousin really just using me?"

A sharp pain pierced Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's heart as memories flashed through her mind, vividly replaying every moment she had shared with South South Murong Fu.

Whenever South South Murong Fu visited her, it was always to inquire about martial arts; once finished, he would leave immediately, never sparing her a lingering glance.

Far less did he ever offer warm greetings or engage in playful banter.

Not once had he done so.

Thinking of this, Wang Wang Wang Yuyan's heart turned ice-cold.

Like Wang Wang Wang Yuyan, Xiao Longnu was a homebody who had never ventured elsewhere from childhood until now.

She was innocent and naive, ignorant of worldly affairs, not even knowing that one must spend money to buy things outside.

Furthermore, having cultivated the "Jade Maiden Art" taught by her master since childhood, she had nearly severed all emotions and desires; she rarely experienced emotional fluctuations and viewed life and death with extreme indifference.

In "The Return of the Condor Heroes," when Granny Sun, who had raised her from infancy, was killed by Hao Hao Datong, one of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, she felt only a brief pang of sorrow before returning to calm.

In her view, everyone must die eventually; whether sooner or later made no difference.

Thus, from beginning to end, despite the death of her closest kin, she did not shed a single tear.

At that time, she resembled not a human being, but rather a block of ice and stone.

Cold and indifferent.

Her innocence made her pitiable and lovable, making one feel that no amount of cherishing or loving her could ever be excessive, wishing even to pluck the moon from the sky for her.

Yet, if facing that cold and indifferent Xiao Longnu, she was no longer a celestial maiden descended to earth, but an immortal dwelling in the ninth heaven, completely untouched by any trace of mortal dust.

Regarding such a cold, lofty, and emotionless immortal maiden, there was likely no man who did not desire to possess her exclusively.

However, honestly courting her would strip away much of the fun.