Translator: AnubisTL
Emerald Peak Estate.
A battle report on the Two Nations' Prodigy Battle reached the Third Prince's hands. He carefully read it several times before sighing in admiration. "Brother Gu truly is unfathomable!"
He neatly folded the report and handed it to his guard.
"Your Highness, this—" The guard frowned, hesitating to speak.
"Cough, cough... Good news! Great Chu won, slaying two hundred Great Wei Heaven's Chosen and finally washing away our past humiliation. We must celebrate!
Someone, prepare a feast!"
The Third Prince coughed as he laughed, his joy more genuine than ever before. His face glowed with vitality as he climbed to the highest point of the pavilion and gazed eastward. A fiery light flickered in his clear eyes.
The Great Chu Dynasty achieved a resounding victory in the Two Nations' Prodigy Battle, slaying two hundred Heaven's Chosen from Great Wei.
This astonishing news spread like wildfire, sparking nationwide celebrations.
Five years after their disappearance in the East Sea, Gu Feng, a Heaven's Chosen from the Grand Harmony Academy, and Hua Wenyue of the Flower Sect, had returned.
Their names became the talk of the streets and the subject of endless chatter over tea.
The Crown Prince's Residence received the news immediately. The Crown Prince of Great Chu's face darkened. He crumpled the battle report in his hand, stood silently for a long moment, and said nothing.
Sunset Glow Sect!
"Have they returned?" Five years later, Chu Youhuan still wore her signature red robe. Her exquisite face now bore a touch of mature elegance.
"Hehe, goodbye, Sunset Glow Sect! I'm going to find my man!"
Before Elder Liu and the others could react, the red-robed figure had already vanished.
After bidding farewell to Hua Wenyue, Gu Feng headed toward the Sunset Glow Sect.
He missed Chu Youhuan, but was intercepted by Lin Xinhua and others who had rushed to greet him.
A banquet was thrown in his honor.
This time, things were different. Gu Feng's strength now surpassed that of his former seniors.
Bao Tian and the others were filled with emotion as they hosted a welcome banquet for Gu Feng. They couldn't help but lament how time flies.
Only Yan Hanyun and Su Qiu seemed to have rejuvenated, their faces glowing as if they had aged backward by several years.
After the banquet, the two of them pulled Yan Yexue aside and chatted with her all night.
"Vice Sect Master Liu, I'll be returning to Grand Harmony Academy first. There are matters that have been delayed for five years that I must attend to as soon as possible."
Liu Wuxiang smiled warmly, patting Gu Feng's shoulder. He was deeply gratified by the young man's accomplishments.
He still remembered when this kid was just a Body Tempering Realm trash, barely catching his eye through sheer audacity and thus earning a place in the Sunset Glow Sect.
Eight years had passed in a blink, and the young man who once needed protection had grown into a towering tree, now capable of sheltering the Sunset Glow Sect itself.
"Sect Leader Gu, about what happened back then..."
Dou Xiaojian, an old acquaintance, nervously approached Gu Feng under the guidance of his grandfather.
Ever since Gu Feng had become Sect Master, Dou Xiaojian had lived in fear of retribution. He had used seclusion as an excuse to avoid even the Grand Harmony Academy's recruitment that year.
Only after Gu Feng disappeared in the East Sea did Dou Xiaojian dare to emerge from seclusion.
Fortunately, Dou Xiaojian possessed decent talent. With limited resources, he had managed to break through to the ninth level of the Essence Spirit Realm, standing just one step away from the Sea Condensation Realm.
"Brother Dou," Gu Feng said comfortingly, now in a position of authority, a wry smile playing on his lips as he recalled his past extortion of Qu Yanran.
Breaking off an engagement? It was perfectly normal. Both parties had agreed, so where was the shame?
"Your talent is promising, and your state of mind has matured considerably over the past few years. Come with me to the Grand Harmony Academy for a few years of advanced study. When you return, you can take over as the Sunset Glow Sect Master."
Dou Xiaojian possessed a good heart, free of major flaws. No longer a sycophantic follower, his state of mind and strength, with a little refinement, would make him more than capable of leading the Sunset Glow Sect in the future.
"Thank you, Sect Leader Gu!" Elder Dou grinned, pulling Dou Xiaojian forward to bow deeply.
"Let's go. I'll visit again when I have time!"
"Farewell, Sect Leader!"
Crown Prince's Residence!
A graceful white figure slowly entered.
"Come, come, let your sister have a look. Five years apart, have you changed at all?"
Seeing the visitor, the Crown Princess smiled warmly and hurried over to Hua Wenyue. She circled her several times, her eyes sparkling with delight.
Gently ruffling Hua Wenyue's long, silky hair, she couldn't stop laughing.
"I never thought you'd grow your hair out too! I always said long hair suits you better. See..."
The Crown Princess's cheerful chatter filled the air. Annoyed, Hua Wenyue shook her head and plopped down in a chair.
"Help me with something."
The Crown Princess smiled gently, unfazed. Ever since Hua Wenyue had entered the Crown Prince's Residence, she had never once come to see her sister on her own initiative.
Perhaps she looked down on her sister's romantic naiveté.
But this time, the Crown Princess sensed a significant change in Hua Wenyue. Both her appearance and inner self seemed softer, less guarded than before. The aloof aura that once kept others at bay had faded.
This change was something to celebrate.
"What is it? If it's within my power, I'll certainly help." The Crown Princess sat beside Hua Wenyue, picked up a cup of tea, and took a delicate sip.
"Help me steal my chastity token from Mother," Hua Wenyue said in a low voice, her eyes darting away.
Pfft!
The dignified Crown Princess choked on the tea she had yet to swallow, spraying it out in shock. "What do you intend to do?" she gasped.
The chastity token was a unique identity marker crafted by the Flower Sect using a secret technique. It primarily served to monitor the moral conduct of its disciples.
If a disciple of the Flower Sect lost her chastity, the token would shatter.
This didn't mean Flower Sect disciples couldn't marry. In fact, the sect encouraged its disciples to pursue happiness. In a sense, the chastity token was a safeguard against disciples being taken advantage of.
Any cultivator seeking to marry a Flower Sect disciple had to undergo a rigorous test. If they passed, the disciple would hand over her token to her future husband. Should he later betray her trust, the Flower Sect would seek justice.
Of course, any Flower Sect disciple who carelessly lost her chastity would face severe punishment. This was one of the reasons why the world clamored to marry Flower Sect disciples.
"I'm getting married!" Hua Wenyue said shyly, her face flushed.
"Cough, cough..."
The Crown Princess couldn't stop coughing, and it took her a long moment to recover.
Hua Wenyue stared at her sister in utter bewilderment, growing more confused the longer she looked.
In her memory, Hua Wenyue was a woman of extraordinary talent, with a proud and aloof demeanor. She firmly believed in the saying, "Women are no less than men," and held nothing but contempt for disciples who violated the Flower Sect's rules.
She had always assumed such a person would never marry.
Yet now, the sister before her not only declared her intention to marry but also planned to bypass the Flower Sect's regulations, secretly taking her chastity plaque to her husband's family. It was utterly absurd.
What in the world was happening?
The Crown Princess stomped to the window, gazed at the sky for a long moment, and sighed, "The sun hasn't risen in the west. I'm not dreaming."
"Sister, you're not joking, are you?"
"Do I look like someone who jokes?" Hua Wenyue retorted, her expression momentarily blank. Indeed, her sister never joked about anything.
"Come, tell me. Who has captured your heart?" The Crown Princess didn't immediately reject the idea. She peeked out the door, glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping, then pulled Hua Wenyue into the inner chamber and sat her down on the bed.
"A scoundrel!" Hua Wenyue spat out the words, her lip curling in disdain.
"What kind of scoundrel?" the Crown Princess asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"That scoundrel who cheats, swindles, and does anything he pleases," Hua Wenyue said, adding a string of adjectives before the word "scoundrel."
The Crown Princess tilted her head, confusion clouding her eyes.
"He has many women, so if he were to propose through proper channels, Mother would never allow it."
At these words, a flicker of understanding dawned in the Crown Princess's eyes.
No wonder he had to steal the chastity plaque. Hua Wenyue was considered the future heir of the Flower Sect. Even finding a suitable husband for her was difficult, let alone one who already had multiple women. It seemed an impossible situation.
"Who is he? How dare he still be unsatisfied after having my sister?" The Crown Princess's voice suddenly sharpened with anger.
"Gu Feng, the Sect Master of the Sunset Glow Sect—the one who helped me arrange the martial arts competition to find a husband," Hua Wenyue said softly. She added, "Don't go looking for trouble with him."
"Gu Feng?" The Crown Princess knew the name. After all, he had once humiliated the Crown Prince and had disappeared in the East Sea with her sister.
"Isn't he involved with Prefect Chu's daughter?"
"Yes, that's him!" Hua Wenyue confirmed quietly.
"You said he has many women. How many exactly?"
"Including me, there should be four for now."
Hearing Hua Wenyue's reply, the Crown Princess nearly choked on her own blood. "Currently" and "four"—meaning Gu Feng would have even more women in the future.
Wasn't that too many?
Gazing at Hua Wenyue's solemn expression, the Crown Princess felt a throbbing pain in her forehead. To be honest, she would rather die than agree to this marriage.
Yet she knew it was useless to say anything now.
"Everyone calls me a love-struck fool. Back then, I defied my own mother to marry the Crown Prince. Now, it seems the real love-struck fool is you."
"Wenyue, Gu Feng is not a good match... Don't mistake the familiarity of long-term friendship for love... Perhaps you've simply grown accustomed to his presence, not truly fallen for him..."
The Crown Princess pleaded earnestly.
Hua Wenyue's expression darkened, a flicker of irritation crossing her brow. With a sudden movement, she stood up. "Just tell me: will you help me steal him or not?"
"Don't be so hasty. Sit down and let's talk slowly," the Crown Princess said with a gentle smile, pulling Hua Wenyue back onto the bed. "Tell me, why are you so determined to marry him?"
"Because I like him!" Hua Wenyue declared firmly.
"Is that all?" The Crown Princess didn't believe there could be such a thing as liking someone for no reason.
"That scoundrel! He's utterly shameless! In the lake at the examination grounds, he pretended to be someone else and stole my points. Not only that, he stole my treasure and stripped me naked... Then, at the Grand Harmony Academy, he made a fool of me time and again... He played the wolf in sheep's clothing, shamelessly making me protect him... Everyone was completely fooled... And... and... and..."
Hua Wenyue recounted their shared experiences with a smile, her cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment, her feminine charm on full display.
The Crown Princess grew increasingly bewildered as she listened, until finally, her anger erupted.
"This is outrageous! That Gu Feng is utterly shameless! He stripped you naked repeatedly and groped you from head to toe, touching every inch of your body! He's worse than a flower thief!"
The Crown Princess's words were as shocking as they were blunt, leaving Hua Wenyue wishing she could crawl into a hole and disappear.
What kind of language is this?!
"Sister, where are you going?"
"To teach that scoundrel a lesson."
"Don't go. Even if you did, you wouldn't find him. He's probably still at the Sunset Glow Sect, all lovey-dovey with that Chu fellow," Hua Wenyue said sourly.
"What?! Then I must teach him a lesson!" The Crown Princess trembled, itching to rush to Gu Feng's side and beat him to a pulp.
"What good would that do? It's better to hurry and help me steal back my chastity plaque and prepare a lavish dowry. If I marry him soon, I might even become the eldest sister-in-law!!!" Hua Wenyue said loudly, pulling the Crown Princess along.
Pfft—
Before, she had been bleeding internally. Now, she was literally coughing up blood.
The Crown Princess rolled her eyes and collapsed to the ground.
Oh no!
My sister's been poisoned!
(End of the Chapter)
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