“I agree to break the engagement.”

The young lady’s voice was clear and crisp, falling into every person’s ears present. Her expression showed not the slightest trace of sorrow; instead, she seemed relieved.

Wang Shao frowned. He had originally thought Zanxing would rush over crying and making a fuss, or perhaps plead gently, but he hadn’t expected her to agree so readily. This left all his prepared words stuck in his throat. Seeing her calm and indifferent expression, he unexpectedly felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart.

“No, Miss,” Hong Su came to her senses, got up and ran to Zanxing’s side, grabbing her hand and saying: “Your face still needs treatment. Young City Master,” she looked at Wang Shao, tears flowing down as she pleaded: “Even for the sake of past affection, you can’t abandon our Miss!”

“How can this be called abandonment?” Duan Xiangrao laughed as she spoke: “Miss Yang has already agreed to break the engagement herself. With the Taiyan Sect’s selection competition imminent, if Miss Yang truly considers Young Master Wang’s interests, she shouldn’t come to disturb him.”

“You…” Hong Su wanted to argue further.

“Forget it, Hong Su.” Zanxing interrupted the little girl’s words, looking at Wang Shao: “Today, let all the cultivators present serve as witnesses. Young Master Wang, the marriage agreement between you and me is hereby void. From now on, we go our separate ways—a clean break with mutual happiness.”

Wang Shao suppressed the discomfort in his heart and said disdainfully: “Good that you know your place.”

Zanxing smiled, pulled Hong Su along, and turned to leave decisively.

As Zanxing’s figure disappeared into the crowd, Wang Shao frowned tightly, feeling somewhat uneasy in his heart. Duan Xiangrao, at his side, tugged at his arm, pulling back his wandering thoughts. She complained coquettishly: “What’s wrong? Can’t bear to let her go, Young Master Wang?”

Wang Shao withdrew his gaze and sneered: “Just an ugly monster—what’s there to be reluctant about?”

He glanced at the cultivators around who had been watching the excitement. Although they were saying today how pitiful Yang Zanxing was for having her engagement broken, if it were them, they would never marry such a burden. It was good that he broke off the engagement; otherwise, once he entered the Taiyan Sect, he would truly become the laughingstock of the entire sect.

The beauty at his side took his arm and laughed coquettishly: “Let’s focus on the selection competition instead.”

…

That night.

By the Lixiu River, the river wind rushed toward them from a distance. Looking along the direction of the river water, the river and night sky merged into one, rushing toward the wild currents at the end of the vast wilderness.

All the fishing boats had already moored by evening. There was nothing on the river except starlight falling into the water, quickly swallowed by the river, leaving only some silver-scaled ripples that illuminated the grass along the riverbank.

Beside the carriage, a fire was lit. Because the river wind was too strong, the flames swayed left and right as if they might be extinguished at any moment.

“Miss, how could you agree to break the engagement?” Hong Su added firewood while chattering about the day’s events.

“Yes,” Lao Niu also chimed in, “You were too impulsive. This isn’t the time for spite.” When Yang Zanxing and Wang Shao were arguing during the day, Lao Niu had gone to tend to the horses and wasn’t present. Later, learning the whole story from Hong Su’s mouth, he was so angry he nearly had a heart attack on the spot.

Right now, the three of them—one old, one young, one sick—didn’t have a single spirit stone among them. For food, they could make do with the dry rations and wild bird eggs they brought on the road. As for sleeping, they could only camp in the wilderness.

“Achoo—” Hong Su sneezed and said: “It’s all that woman’s fault. If she hadn’t sown discord, our Miss would be staying in that inn right now.”

Zanxing draped her coat over Hong Su and said casually: “No river-view room, but we have a river view—that’s not bad. Be content.”

Her attitude was quite calm. In fact, since returning from meeting Wang Shao today, there wasn’t a trace of sadness visible on her face. It was as if nothing had happened, and she even had the mood to inquire about the Taiyan Sect’s selection competition.

Now, Zanxing sat by the fire, half her scarred face hidden in darkness while the other intact half was illuminated by the firelight, making her even more charming and moving. If this hadn’t happened, she would still be the same as before—that flamboyant and beautiful eldest miss. Though she was somewhat domineering and willful, it was better than being wronged like this.

Lao Niu felt pained watching this, and then remembered another more important matter, so he spoke worriedly: “Miss’s facial injury hasn’t healed yet. What should we do next?”

If what Duan Xiangrao said was true, Zanxing’s facial injury must be treated with high-grade spirit medicine. High-grade spirit medicines were precious in Yue City, and the Yang family absolutely couldn’t afford them. Wang Shao, who might have been able to obtain high-grade spirit medicines, had now broken off his engagement with Zanxing. If this continued, would Zanxing have to live with a disfigured face for the rest of her life? It was already difficult for ordinary women to survive in this world, let alone disfigured women.

Hearing this, Hong Su burst into tears with a “wah”: “It’s all this servant’s fault for not being able to tear that fox spirit’s face apart. Miss is disfigured now—what if she can’t get married in the future?”

“Give it a rest,” Zanxing said. “She’s already at the Foundation Establishment stage. You’re just an ordinary little girl—be glad you didn’t get torn apart.”

Hong Su cried even more heartbrokenly: “Miss can’t get married anymore… the Young City Master was stolen by the fox spirit…”

The author of “Nine Heaven Summit” was a straight man, and straight men always wrote female characters poorly. Hong Su had probably been severely PUA’d—her life’s spiritual sustenance was likely successfully marrying “Miss Yang” into the Wang family, making her Wang Shao’s legitimate wife.

Zanxing used a handkerchief to wipe her tears while coaxing, “Su, don’t think about him anymore. I’ll find you a better son-in-law in the future.”

“Liar,” Hong Su sobbed: “You’re disfigured now…”

“It can be healed.”

Hong Su stopped crying and looked at her through tear-blurred eyes: “How?”

Zanxing picked up firewood from the ground and added a bunch to the nearly extinguished flames: “Didn’t they say there are countless miraculous pills and medicines in the sect? The Taiyan Sect is a prestigious major sect—surely they can produce even one mid-grade spirit medicine.”

“But…” Lao Niu hesitated: “Didn’t you already break off your engagement with the Young City Master?”

“Who said I need to rely on him?” Zanxing smiled: “The selection competition is in one more day, and the selection competition doesn’t stipulate who can participate. As long as one passes the selection competition, they become a disciple of the Taiyan Sect. Sect disciples should have the qualifications to use the resources and medicines inside.”

“You mean…”

Zanxing clapped her hands, brushing off the wood chips, and said, “I’m also going to participate in the competition.”