Chapter 44: The Elegant Maiden’s Wrath

Xiaoke, with a face full of fawning smiles, seemed like a completely different person, leaving Zhang Xiaoyou utterly stunned.

“How could anyone not be moved? Sister Fang is so beautiful and virtuous; any man would be smitten. Clearly, Haotian was just saying one thing and meaning another.”

“Hmph, a hypocrite.” Evidently, the owner of the voice was quite pleased with Xiaoke’s reply.

At that moment, Hua Wuque emerged, cradling a crystal ball. The voice, it turned out, emanated directly from within the orb.

Inside the crystal, a beautiful maiden in a long gown sat gracefully on a mat, her skirt fanning out around her.

Devoid of ornate decorations, she exuded an ancient, tranquil elegance, her face so exquisite it could eclipse the moon and put flowers to shame.

Zhang Xiaoyou quickly offered a respectful greeting.

“Aunt Fang, it truly has been a long time! You are as radiant as ever. It’s Little You, you know. I’ve become an old man now; you probably don’t even recognize me.”

Fang Yue, the former Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley, was a Stone Spirit Body.

Yet, with her insight far surpassing that of ordinary people, she created a cultivation method based on the valley’s traditional techniques, allowing even Stone Spirit Bodies to cultivate.

This feat shocked the world. Had the Haotian Daoist Venerable not suddenly appeared, she would have been the strongest of her era.

Fang Yue chuckled, “Though I live in seclusion in Hundred Flowers Valley, I am still aware of major events in the outside world. The little boy who once followed Haotian has now become the foremost person under heaven. Even that unfaithful Haotian would be pleased to hear it.”

She continued, “I, too, should have become a withered old woman by now. However, Haotian tampered with my life flame, fixing my age at eighteen. I originally thought he did it because…” As she spoke, Fang Yue’s face darkened.

Hua Wuque listened, consumed by envy. Even breaking through to the Emperor Realm only allowed one to preserve their appearance at the moment of breakthrough, and that preservation only lasted 500 years.

After that, one would gradually age as their lifespan approached its end, and their body would slowly decay. Fang Yue’s situation was the envy of everyone in Hundred Flowers Valley.

Alas, such a life flame was permanently bound, and even its creator had vanished.

Zhang Xiaoyou could only try to smooth things over. “It’s all empty fame, empty fame! Come, come, Xiaoke. Aunt Fang likely has many questions for you. Go on.”

Xiaoke, looking as mournful as if they were walking to the gallows, was pushed forward by Zhang Xiaoyou. They couldn’t even control their tongue, blurting out their true feelings.

“So be it! If I don’t enter hell, who will?”

Fang Yue’s face darkened upon hearing this, but she remained impeccably elegant. Her gaze, however, sharpened as she chuckled softly.

“Little Haotian, what did you say? Am I really that terrifying?”

Xiaoke shuddered. “Haha, did I say something? I meant that Sister Fang is so beautiful, it’s a blessing across three lifetimes for me to chat with you! Haha, haha.”

Fang Yue elegantly half-covered her face with a fan. “Is Xiaoke your current name? Then I shall call you that. Your original name always brought about annoyance, you see.”

Xiaoke nodded like a pecking chick. “Whatever you say is right! I support it one hundred percent! I’ve long disliked my original name—what a terrible name! For the name Xiaoke to receive your approval truly brings glory to my humble abode.”

They continued, “My original master chose names poorly, and they were an even worse person.”

Zhang Xiaoyou stood beside them, utterly dumbfounded! He would argue with anyone who claimed Xiaoke couldn’t speak nicely.

Now, he desperately wanted to know what Fang Yue had done to Xiaoke and the Haotian Daoist Venerable to make them fear her like a tiger.

“Silence!” Fang Yue said coldly. *I can scold, but others cannot.* “Tell me what I want to know. Where did Haotian go?”

“He went home,” Xiaoke replied truthfully.

“‘Home’?”

“Yes.”

“How did he go? I want to go too.”

“I don’t know.”

“Hm!”

Xiaoke was on the verge of tears. “I truly don’t know! That scoundrel sealed me in a book for nearly a thousand years. If not for my new master, I’d still be trapped.”

Fang Yue stared intently at Xiaoke, confirming they weren’t lying. Then, she reverted to her melancholic maiden persona, stating with a look of desolation, “That unfaithful man.”

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xiaoyou offered comfort. “Aunt Fang, please accept my condolences.”

The long-gowned maiden raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m old?”

Zhang Xiaoyou immediately shook his head. “You’re not old, not old at all! You’re eternally eighteen. I’m the old one; I’m just a decrepit old man.”

“Condolences? Is Haotian dead?”

Zhang Xiaoyou’s head shook like a rattle drum. “No, no, how could that be? I could be on my deathbed, and the Haotian Daoist Venerable still wouldn’t die.”

Xiaoke, on the side, gloated. *Serves you right, idiot, for pushing me forward just now. What goes around comes around. The heavens spare no one.*

The elegant maiden, growing somewhat bored, became dispirited without news of Haotian. She said faintly, “You didn’t just seek me out for old times’ sake, did you? What is it? Speak quickly; I need to rest.”

Zhang Xiaoyou and Wang Yu exchanged glances, each signaling the other to speak first. Unfortunately, Fang Yue’s patience ran out first.

“If you don’t speak now, I’m hanging up.”

“Hanging up?” Xiaoke instinctively checked the life flame within their body. “Isn’t it perfectly fine?”

On the other end, Fang Yue was elegantly sipping tea. Upon hearing Xiaoke’s words, she nearly choked. Cracking sounds, like fists clenching, emanated from the crystal.

The elegant maiden felt her excessive elegance had caused certain beings to forget past lessons.

Upon hearing those sounds, Zhang Xiaoyou instinctively recoiled. He was not the ignorant Yue Feng; the fists of Hundred Flowers Valley were not merely for embroidery.

The elegant maiden gazed coldly at Xiaoke through the crystal. Such hatred! If only she weren’t a Stone Spirit Body, she could project her spiritual energy.

Although Fire Furnace City was somewhat distant, her cultivation was sufficient to project a form capable of beating the creature before her.

Xiaoke now only wanted to slap their own mouth. Being so blunt truly harmed themselves and others. They could only stammer, “I, I, I…”

Fang Yue snapped her fan shut and said coldly, “Xiaoke, you tell me what the matter is. Mind your words; once or twice is acceptable, but not thrice.”

Xiaoke, with a mournful face, said, “Well, my new master’s friend is a Stone Spirit Body.”

“So you want me to take them as a disciple?” The maiden waved her hand. “No, it’s too troublesome.”

Zhang Xiaoyou grew a little flustered, pulling out the jade pendant Yue Feng had given him. “They have this jade pendant.”

“Zhao Ritian’s jade pendant?” The elegant maiden ungracefully pursed her lips.

“That’s a favor owed by the sect. They should go to Hundred Flowers Valley. My taking a disciple is a personal matter. Zhao Ritian is also a scoundrel; no man who came from that side is any good.”

She added, “I originally wanted to find Haotian through him, but he suddenly disappeared, even though he hadn’t even become a Daoist Venerable.”

“Don’t say that!” Zhang Xiaoyou exclaimed, implying, *If you don’t take a disciple, how can I? I’ve finally met a disciple who came from that side, and I’m already quite old.* “Please reconsider.”

The elegant maiden was willful and unhappy without a boyfriend. “Take a disciple? Absolutely not, it’s utterly troublesome! Tell me, why am I so unlucky?”

She continued, “I joined Hundred Flowers Valley simply to learn some skills, beat up perverts, cultivate my temperament, and marry into a good family. But what happened? I was inexplicably pushed into the position of sect master, managing the food and drink for a world-spanning organization. I felt like I was getting wrinkles during those days!”

The elegant maiden grew increasingly agitated, exclaiming indignantly,

“All I wanted was to find a man stronger than myself, someone I could rely on, to be supported by him, and quietly raise children. But what happened? There wasn’t a single capable man!”

She lamented,

“There’s no profession on the entire continent higher than the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley. I instantly went from being a beautiful young maiden pursued by everyone to an unwanted, older single woman, while all my martial sisters from the same batch found good men and married!”

Recalling this, the elegant maiden violently crushed the precious fan in her hand, which was of no ordinary quality. None of the people outside the crystal dared to interrupt her. The maiden continued speaking.

“Just when, just when, Haotian finally appeared! He was so powerful, achieving the Daoist Venerable realm, truly unique and supreme in every sense.

So capable, he knew everything. Our feelings for each other were so strong; I even thought I could finally get married and was ready to resign from the Valley Master position.”

She seethed, “But what happened? He actually ran away! Ran away, can you believe it? Saying he was going home! That unfaithful man! What’s wrong with me? I’m proficient in all arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting. I can wash clothes and cook, raise children and support my husband. I, I, I… I’m simply furious!”

“They just love to hit people,” Xiaoke mumbled softly.

“What did you say!” Fang Yue glared at Xiaoke, indignantly stating,

“Before I met you and Haotian, who on this entire continent didn’t know that I, Fang Yue, was dignified, generous, gentle, and virtuous? It was only because you two angered me so much that I resorted to hitting you!”

She concluded, “As a result, my good reputation is completely ruined. Labels like ‘violent’ and ‘bad-tempered’ have been plastered onto me. You two must bear full responsibility!”

Xiaoke dared not utter a single word in response; the elegant maiden was speaking the truth.

“By the way, who is your new master?” The elegant maiden asked curiously. “I remember Haotian was very picky.”