“I agree to break off the marriage.”
The girl’s voice was clear, reaching the ears of everyone present. She showed no signs of sorrow, on the contrary, she seemed to be relieved of a burden.
Wang Shao furrowed his brows. He had expected Zanxing to come forward and cry or plead, but he hadn’t anticipated her agreement to be so straightforward. It left all the prepared words stuck in his throat. Looking at her nonchalant expression, an indescribable sense of loss welled up in his heart.
“No, Miss,” Hong Su quickly composed herself, got up, and rushed to Zanxing’s side. She held her hand and said, “Her face still needs treatment, Young Master. Even considering our past relationship, you can’t abandon our Miss!”
“How can this not be considered abandonment?” Duan Xiangrao smiled and spoke, “Miss Yang has already agreed to annul the marriage herself. With the Taiyan Sect’s selection competition approaching, if Miss Yang truly cares for Young Master Wang, she shouldn’t come to disturb him.”
“You…” Hong Su was about to argue.
“Let it go, Hong Su,” Zanxing interrupted the young maid and looked at Wang Shao. “Today, let the cultivators present here bear witness. Young Master Wang, our engagement is hereby null and void. From now on, let bygones be bygones. We part ways amicably.”
Wang Shao suppressed his discomfort and said with disdain, “As long as you’re sensible.”
Zanxing smiled and, with a swift and decisive motion, pulled Hong Su along as she left.
As Zanxing’s figure vanished into the crowd, Wang Shao continued to furrow his brows tightly, feeling a lingering sense of unease in his heart. Duan Xiangrao, who was by his side, tugged at his arm to bring his wandering thoughts back. Duan Xiangrao teasingly said, “What’s this, Young Master Wang? Can’t bear to part?”
He glanced at the cultivators around them. While they were sympathizing with Yang Zanxing for being abandoned, if it were up to them, they wouldn’t marry such a burden either. Fortunately, he had annulled the marriage. Otherwise, once he entered the Taiyan Sect, he would have truly become the laughingstock of the entire sect.
The beauty by his side linked her arm with his and charmingly said, “Let’s focus on the selection competition, shall we?”
….
That night, along the banks of the Lixiu River, a gentle breeze blew in from a distance. If one looked in the direction of the river’s flow, the river’s color blended seamlessly with the darkness of the night, surging towards the desolate end of Changye.
All the fishing boats had already docked in the evening, leaving nothing on the river except for the stars, which fell into the river and were swiftly swallowed by its waters, leaving a faint glimmer of silver scales that illuminated the green grass on the riverbank.
Beside a carriage, a fire had been lit. Due to the strong river breeze, the flames flickered, swaying as if they might extinguish at any moment.
“Miss, how could you agree to annul the marriage?” Hongsu added firewood while incessantly discussing the events of the day.
“That’s right,” Old Niu chimed in. “You were too impulsive. This isn’t the time to act out of anger.” During the argument between Yang Zanxing and Wang Shao earlier in the day, Old Niu had gone to tend to the horses and wasn’t present. Upon hearing the whole story from Hongsu, he had nearly had a heart attack from anger.
At present, the three of them, an old man, a young girl, and one who was unwell, didn’t have a single spirit stone on them. For food, they could make do with the dried rations and wild bird eggs they had brought with them. As for sleeping, well, they had to camp out in the wilderness.
“Ah-choo!” Hongsu sneezed and said, “It’s all because of that woman. If it weren’t for her sowing discord, our Miss should have been staying in that inn right now.”
Zanxing draped her coat over Hongsu and casually remarked, “While we may not have a river-view room, having a great view by the river is quite nice. Be content.”
Her demeanor was remarkably composed. In fact, since her encounter with Wang Shao earlier that day, there was no trace of sadness on her face. It was as if nothing had happened, and she was more focused on gathering information about the Taiyan Sect’s selection competition.
At the moment, Zanxing sat by the campfire, half of her face bearing scars hidden in the shadows, while the other half of her unblemished face was illuminated by the firelight, making her even more beautiful and captivating. If it weren’t for this incident, she should still be the confident and beautiful young lady she used to be, albeit a bit wilful and arrogant. That would have been preferable to her current situation, where she felt wronged.
Old Niu couldn’t help but feel troubled as he watched her. At this moment, he remembered another, more important matter and voiced his concerns, “Miss, your facial injuries haven’t healed yet. What should we do next?”
Upon hearing this, Hong Su burst into tears, saying, “It’s all my fault. I couldn’t tear that vixen’s face apart back then. Now, Miss is disfigured. What will she do in the future? How can she get married?”
“Forget about it,” Zanxing said, “She’s already at the Foundation Establishment stage. You’re just an ordinary young maid. As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters.”
Hong Su cried even more bitterly, “Miss won’t be able to get married… and Young City Lord was taken by that vixen…”
The author of “At the Summit of the Nine Heavens” was a straight male, who struggled to write female characters convincingly. Hongsu might have been influenced a bit too much by the story, and her lifelong dream might have been to successfully marry “Miss Yang” into the Wang family, becoming Wang Shao’s legitimate wife.
Zanxing used a handkerchief to wipe away Hongsu’s tears while consoling her, saying, “Don’t dwell on him, Hong Su. I promise I’ll find a better you prospective husband in the future.”
“You’re just saying that,” Hongsu sobbed, her voice choked with tears. “You’re disfigured…”
“It can be treated.”
Hongsu stopped crying, looking at her with teary eyes, “How can it be treated?”
Zanxing picked up some firewood from the ground and added it to the dwindling flames, saying, “Didn’t they mention there are countless spiritual pills and elixirs within the sect? Taiyan Sect, a prestigious sect, should have at least some intermediate-grade spiritual medicines to offer.”
“But…,” Old Niu hesitated, “Aren’t you already divorced from Young City Lord?”
“Who said I’d depend on him?” Zanxing smiled, “In just one more day, it’s the selection competition. The competition doesn’t have any rules that say who can’t participate. As long as I pass the selection competition, I’ll become a Taiyan Sect disciple. Being a sect disciple means I’ll have access to the sect’s resources and medicines.”
“Are you saying…?”
Zanxing clapped her hands, brushing off the tree debris, and stated, “I’m entering the competition too.”