Chapter 97
Everyone believed that if the royal engagement between Beiyang and the Tai’an Imperial Family were to fall apart, it would definitely be Princess Zhao Yunji who would initiate the annulment.
After all, the world knew of her dedication to the Dao, her relentless pursuit of strength, and her utter lack of interest in romantic affairs. Furthermore, she was the number one goddess of the Canglan Dao Domain, a peerless beauty with a naturally alluring charm. Who could possibly refuse such a woman?
Especially someone like the lustful prince, Lin Qi’an, who constantly gathered concubines.
However, the outcome left even Zhao Yunji feeling as if it wasn’t real and she looked at Lin Qi’an, her gaze filled with resentment and grievance.
She had never been treated with such disrespect in her entire life. Even her fists clenched involuntarily.
After taking a deep breath, she barely managed to maintain her proud persona, “Fine… After all, it’s just a verbal engagement between the Duke of Zhenbei and my father. I will inform my father when I return.” With that, she turned to leave, her slender figure casting a lonely shadow.
“Elder Sister, wait!” Zhao Qingmeng quickly chased after her, trying to comfort her. “Sister, don’t be sad…”
“I’m not sad!”
‘Ah, yes, of course, you’re not sad. When you were younger, you would always clench your dress tightly and bite your lips whenever you were upset, thinking no one would notice.’
“Actually, if you had just softened your stance a bit earlier, Lin Qi’an might have changed his mind. But alas, my proud sister would never lower her head first.”
“What did you just say…?” Zhao Yunji froze as if struck by lightning, her face turning even paler. It felt as if her heart had been dealt a crushing blow.
Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world. From now on, she would no longer be his fiancée, and she would forever lose the opportunity to cultivate her Dao Physique close to him.
“Elder Sister, take care. I still need to accompany Brother Lin for the Grand Hunt~” Zhao Qingmeng waved cheerfully as she watched her sister leave. Is this what it feels like to successfully surpass one’s elder sister? It’s exhilarating!
“Xueni, you should return with her. Wait for me to come back.”
“Understood, Your Highness, be careful~”
Lin Qi’an, of course, saw right through Zhao Qingmeng’s glee and even noticed that she was intentionally provoking her elder sister.
What’s the plan going forward? How to turn Zhao Yunji’s pursuit into a desperate “wife-chasing” drama? Simple! Give her a massive sense of disparity. If her younger sister, who couldn’t cultivate since childhood, suddenly surpassed her in realm overnight, wouldn’t that create enough of a shock?
By that moment, Zhao Yunji would undoubtedly experience the greatest setback of her life. And as for how to make Zhao Qingmeng’s cultivation skyrocket? That’s even easier! She was already the reincarnation of the Empress, possessing everything—except my Dao Physique.
Find an opportunity to let Zhao Qingmeng inherit this physique, and it will not only fulfill her wish but also deal a blow to Zhao Yunji, killing two birds with one stone!
Once Zhao Yunji finds out that her little sister is now involved with her ex-fiancé and has even achieved a massive leap in cultivation, she’ll surely be devastated…
After organizing the entire plan, Lin Qi’an couldn’t help but sigh: Damn, I’m really the villain here, scheming and manipulating people’s hearts like this!
“Brother Lin, let’s head back,” Zhao Qingmeng returned with a bright smile.
“Yes, tomorrow is the last day of the Grand Hunt, so it’s about time to head back.”
“We’ve been in that cave for two days, and I’m not sure if our points are enough for first place, but fortunately, capturing the Golden-Winged Profound Sky Cicada should give us an extra hundred points.”
Lin Qi’an nodded and led her back. By now, most of the teams had probably been eliminated. Without some kind of map hack, earning points would be quite difficult. As for the extremely evil creature mentioned by the Thunder Emperor, it could wait until they became stronger to deal with it.
…
The next day, at noon, the Grand Hunt officially ended, and all the teams returned one after another. Once all the teams gathered, the champion would be announced.
Xiao Chen and Ye Yun had already returned. At this moment, the 108th team was ranked first on the leaderboard with a staggering 412 points. What did that mean? It meant they had at least defeated over a hundred teams and hunted countless fierce beasts! Many were now looking at the two with newfound respect.
“Wow, their score is way too high! I remember the highest score in previous years was only in the 300s!”
“Competition is getting fiercer every year.”
“It’s a pity they’re not from Beiyang. I didn’t expect outsiders to take the championship this year.”
“The younger generation is truly formidable!”
In contrast, the second-ranked team, team 1001, had only 312 points, a full 100 points behind! As for the teams further down, they were just cannon fodder.
“Look, the prince is back!”
“They were the last ones!”
On the plains, a black horse galloped forward. It was Lin Qi’an, with the little princess in a snow-white dress in his arms, riding together and attracting countless gazes.
Especially Zhao Yunji. Seeing her younger sister sitting in her former fiancé’s arms, beaming with joy, Zhao Yunji felt a deep discomfort in her heart.
“Thinking back, the battle between the prince and the princess was truly earth-shattering, unforgettable!”
“Yes, that was definitely the most spectacular fight. It’s a pity. If the prince had won the Grand Hunt as well, that would’ve been the perfect ending. After all, it’s hosted by our Tianjian City.”
“I believe the prince is the true number one in strength. Does anyone disagree?”
“Of course, the prince could have easily won if he had faced those two,” someone remarked, trying to defend Lin Qi’an.
However, upon hearing this, Ye Yun couldn’t help but sneer, “Hardly the so-called ‘number one in strength,’ that’s just self-deception. A loss is a loss, no excuses.”
Xiao Chen nodded in agreement, adding, “Lin Qi’an was just lucky he didn’t run into us. Otherwise, it would have been a different story. The so-called prince of Beiyang is nothing more than a defeated foe.”
The crowd had no rebuttal to offer. They could only stare blankly, knowing that the facts were right in front of them. Beiyang had always valued strength, not mere words. If you’re weaker, then you just have to swallow your pride!
“Well, if the prince hadn’t disappeared for those two days, maybe they wouldn’t be boasting so much now.”
“Maybe he was injured and had gone off to heal.”
“A loss is a loss. The more we talk about it, the more embarrassing it gets. Let’s drop it…”
Ye Yun approached Zhao Yunji, cupping his hands in salute. “Your Highness, I have not disappointed you. Our team has won first place in the Grand Hunt, and I hope this restores some dignity.”
Despite his humble words, pride surged within him. Securing first place in the Grand Hunt was a way to wipe away the shame of the past few days.
However, Zhao Yunji merely responded with a simple “Hmm,” her gaze still fixed on Lin Qi’an and Zhao Qingmeng, who were riding back together on horseback.
“If Your Highness wishes to annul the engagement, I can speak on your behalf. I believe this time, Lin Qi’an won’t dare ignore me,” Ye Yun declared confidently.
“Shut up!” A flash of coldness flickered in Zhao Yunji’s eyes, and her dissatisfaction grew.
Everyone assumed she wanted to break off the engagement, but couldn’t she change her mind? How frustrating.
On the other side, Xiao Chen eagerly sought out Ran Yuwei. “Senior Sister Ran!” he called out openly, full of pride.
“I recall telling you that I’m no longer your senior sister,” Ran Yuwei replied, clearly not interested in engaging with him.
“Heh,” Xiao Chen chuckled. “I just wanted you to see for yourself. Here in Beiyang, on Lin Qi’an’s turf, I, Xiao Chen, can still rise to prominence. Talent like mine is like gold—it shines no matter where it is!”
“And as for you, Senior Sister…” Xiao Chen’s pupils unknowingly flickered with a strange, dark red glow, cold and sinister. “You will be mine too!” He licked his lips greedily after finishing.
Ran Yuwei was utterly disgusted by him. How could there be such a revolting man? Rolling her eyes, she said, “Xiao Chen, I hope you have a bit of self-awareness. Don’t come looking for me again. I fear the prince would not be pleased to see you.”
Only then did Xiao Chen leave, though there wasn’t a trace of disappointment. In fact, his evil desire had only intensified.
Finally, Lin Qi’an arrived. As soon as he dismounted, he was greeted by a chorus of cheers.
In the sky, the white-haired elder who presided over the Grand Hunt called out in a loud voice, “Good! All teams have returned! I will now officially announce the final results of the Grand Hunt.”
Although everyone could already see the results from the leaderboard, they were waiting for the official announcement. Some even felt a sense of rejection.
“Wait!” Lin Qi’an interrupted suddenly.
“Does the prince have something to say?” the elder asked.
“Before the results are officially announced, shouldn’t we recount the points? We have a little something here.” As Lin Qi’an spoke, he opened his palm.
In the glow of light, a golden-winged cicada flapped its wings frantically, trying to escape.
“The Golden-Winged Profound Sky Cicada!”
“No way, is it really?”
“The prince actually caught it? Unbelievable!”
“A record that no one has broken for a hundred years has been shattered!”
Exclamations of shock echoed across the entire plain. Even the old Saint presiding over the hunt was filled with astonishment, his once-cloudy eyes now wide with disbelief.
“So, that’s why the prince disappeared for two days?”
“Hurry, recount the points!”
“If you add the points from the Golden-Winged Profound Sky Cicada, the two teams will be tied!”
“Tied?!”
A tie meant there would be a tiebreaker match. All the previous arguments about Lin Qi’an and Team 108 not having faced each other directly were just talk, but now, the chance had come. A tiebreaker—whoever won would take the championship!