“H-how many?!”
Upon hearing the number Hua Yan reported, Chu Mingxuan, who had been wearing a flattering smile, instantly widened his eyes, his tone full of disbelief.
“Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones? Why don’t you just go rob someone?”
Li Chengfeng, who was being restrained, immediately shouted.
‘Wow! Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones! Mother is so bold to ask for that!’
Meanwhile, Hua Xiangrong, who was holding the pedestal of the statue with tears in her eyes, cheered inwardly.
‘Is this really okay? I feel like Li Chengfeng is about to fight Hua Yan…’
099’s voice whispered quietly in her mind.
‘Oh, it’s fine. I’ve seen plenty of men like Li Chengfeng in my past life—clingy, narrow-minded, full of male chauvinism. Those greasy, self-righteous types are all the same.’
Hua Xiangrong quickly replied to 099 in her mind.
‘In the original novel, he pestered Mother for a long time, even though she rejected him. If you ask me, Mother should teach him a lesson and make him remember!’
‘Uh… alright then ( )’
099 expressed her agreement with a mental nod.
This world was originally a female protagonist cultivation novel.
In the original work, the author created Yun Xuechang’s image as “beautiful, strong, tragic” and did not give her a romance line, letting her stay alone and beautiful until the end.
However, to highlight the female lead’s charm, the author also set up many supporting characters who were deeply in love with Yun Xuechang—both male and female—and all of them were rejected without exception.
Li Chengfeng was the most persistent and shameless among them. In other words, he was the resident clown male supporting character in the original novel.
His later pursuit was stupid and annoying, making Hua Xiangrong furious. She did not want Yun Xuechang to be harassed by this guy after she transmigrated.
So after 099 told her that Li Chengfeng appeared, she deliberately set it up, letting her sculpture be broken by Li Chengfeng, then pretending to cry to incite Hua Yan to teach him a lesson, both to make him remember and also… to test that person.
After all, besides Li Chengfeng, Hua Xiangrong, who had seen the script, knew that among the three righteous sect disciples in front of her, there was an evil cultivator spy hidden.
The scene returns to the confrontation on the street.
“I spent a fortune specially ordering this sculpture from the Tinghai Pavilion in the South Sea!”
Hua Yan was always good at lying through her teeth, and her tone was righteous.
“The materials are all the finest from the bottom of the South Sea, and the carved sea dragon represents Tinghai Pavilion’s expectations for our Rongrong!”
She raised an eyebrow at Li Chengfeng and retorted.
“How is this not worth ten thousand top-grade spirit stones? Or are you looking down on Tinghai Pavilion’s sincerity?”
“You glib woman!”
Li Chengfeng was still suppressing his anger through Lu Wenyuan’s technique, but he sneered.
“How could Xuechang fall for an ill-mannered shrew like you? I knew it, you definitely schemed against her, gave birth to her child, and then shamelessly clung to her side!”
“Xuechang, Xuechang… calling her so intimately…” Hua Yan listened, and the sourness mixed with anger in her heart grew stronger.
“Do I need you to interfere in my family matters with Xuechang? I am the mother of her daughter. And you? What are you?”
“That’s right! I’ve never heard Mother mention your name! Why are you calling my mother by her name? You’re so rude! Lecher!”
Hua Xiangrong, who had been faking tears a moment ago, now wiped her eyes, hid behind the imposing Hua Yan, hugged her leg, and stuck out her tongue at Li Chengfeng, making faces.
“I… I…”
Li Chengfeng was immediately left speechless.
After all, he and Yun Xuechang had no real relationship—it was just that ten years ago, he was defeated by Yun Xuechang, confessed, and was simply rejected.
“Sorry, you’re not my type.” This was what Yun Xuechang said seriously when she rejected him.
At that time, Yun Xuechang was expressionless, but her cold and ethereal bearing was forever etched in his memory.
And Hua Xiangrong’s words, “I’ve never heard Mother mention you,” deeply stabbed his strong self-esteem.
“I’ve been writing love letters to Xuechang for ten years! How can there be no relationship?” He shouted frantically. “Xuechang must talk about me often! You can’t fool me!”
“Shh—”
As soon as he said that, the surrounding cultivators burst into a chorus of jeers.
“Is this Young Palace Lord of Shenxiao Palace an idiot? The daughter said she never mentioned him, and he’s still deceiving himself, desperately trying to get attention. This kind of man is so low-class.”
“Exactly, exactly. Harassing Fairy Yun’s family, so shameless.”
“I originally thought the Young Palace Lord of Shenxiao Palace was a dashing young master, but seeing this, he’s way too cheap.”
Listening to the whispers around him, Li Chengfeng’s face turned bright red.
Meanwhile, Chu Mingxuan and Lu Wenyuan felt so embarrassed for him that their toes curled.
‘Ah, I wish I could pretend not to know this guy…’ x2 But awkward as it was, the matter still had to be resolved.
Lu Wenyuan had no choice but to steel himself and step forward to mediate again.
“Sorry, Fairy Hua. I’m sure you were just angry when you inflated the price. Daoist Li does need to compensate for the trouble he caused, that’s appropriate. How about we both compromise and let him pay…”
“Lu Wenyuan, shut up!” Li Chengfeng waved his hand to stop him. “Who wants to compensate that scheming woman?!”
He glared at Hua Yan, who was gently patting Hua Xiangrong’s head, and gritted his teeth.
“Hua Yan’er! Do you dare to compete with me? If you lose, get out of Xuechang’s side! I’ll take care of your daughter with Xuechang! And you will never appear in front of Xuechang again! How about it?”
If I lose, leave Xuechang’s side…? This guy, what does he take Xuechang for? An object to be fought over?
Hua Yan moved her hand away from her daughter’s head, her eyes narrowing, a cold glint passing through them.
She finally understood—this man was no different from a rutting bull on the grassland, thinking he could use his strength to “win” the best “female” in his eyes.
She wrinkled her delicate nose, her gaze full of contempt, as if looking at something dirty. But then again…
“Fine, I’ll compete with you.” Her eyes locked onto the man opposite, burning brightly.
“But since it’s a duel, you have to pay a corresponding price as well. If you lose, you will never again call Xuechang’s name, and you will never appear in front of her again. How about it?”
Hua Yan’s eyes narrowed, her aura imposing.
But then again, she was Hua Yan.
How could she allow such trash to hang around her beloved? How could she let such a clown provoke her without any bottom line?
This kind of worthless person should get as far away as possible!