Mo Lingya’s cold eyes fixed on Yin Yin, as if he weren’t looking at a person at all, but a speck of dust floating in the air. “With that pitiful level of martial arts you’ve got, you actually dared to show up at the Martial Arts Conference?”

Yin Yin: “………”

F*ck! If it weren’t because she couldn’t beat him, she would’ve already gouged his eyeballs out!

Yes, I am trash. So what? Which law said trash can’t attend the Martial Arts Conference? Huh? Which one?! Say it out loud if you dare!

Of course, all that raging only happened in Yin Yin’s heart. On the surface, she could only stretch her lips into a pained smile for Lord Mo.

“Move, move! Is this your seat? Hurry up and give it to Hero Wang!” A domineering voice from the right cut through the crowd. Naturally, Yin Yin and her group, who had taken the best seats, became the target.

“Oh? Where did such a pretty little thing come from~” A man with a rat-like face leaned toward Yin Yin, his hand indecently reaching out. But before he got any closer, Sang Ze stomped hard on his foot.

“Ow!” The man hopped around clutching his right foot. Behind him, a pudgy man with a common face frowned in irritation.

“What the hell are you screaming for? You can’t even handle one errand!”

“Ow, Hero Wang, that little brat stepped on me! It hurts like hell!” The rat-faced man pointed tearfully at Sang Ze.

“Tch, can’t even deal with a damn kid. What use are you?” The fat man called Hero Wang reached out to drag Sang Ze from his seat.

Yin Yin’s brows furrowed. The heck? With that face and attitude, he was clearly cannon fodder. How dare he act so cocky? Wasn’t he just asking for death?

“These are our seats.” Yin Yin’s voice drew Hero Wang’s attention. He turned, and upon seeing her, his eyes lit up. But he was smarter than his lackey, because he also noticed Mo Lingya standing beside her like a solid wall.

Hero Wang’s face immediately turned ghostly pale. He stammered, “H-hero Mo…… are these your seats?”

Mo Lingya didn’t reply, but his expression clearly said, ‘I don’t want to see you. Get lost. Now.’

People who looked like Hero Wang and still managed to survive in this world were usually good at reading the room. He quickly turned and barked, “Wang San’er, are you blind?! You dared to sit in Hero Mo’s seat?!”

Wang San’er looked innocent. Wasn’t it you who said the middle seat had the best view of Miss Liu Ruoxi?

“Hero Mo, please sit. I’ll leave immediately.” Hero Wang dragged Wang San’er away at lightning speed, disappearing from Yin Yin’s line of sight.

“Nice qinggong.” Yin Yin applauded. “What did you do to make him so scared of you?”

Mo Lingya curled his lip. “Just killed his younger brother.”

Oh. Just killed his brother, huh? Maybe their family chicken happened to be called ‘younger brother’?

Yin Yin’s mouth twitched.

Still, killing was part of Mo Lingya’s job. People had different professions, so there shouldn’t be any discrimination.

She consoled herself with that thought.

Mo Lingya looked at her and suddenly gave a cold laugh. “Do you know why Wang Qiang’s brother had to die?”

“Why?” Was there some deep secret behind it?

“Because he had eyes for Liu Ruoxi.” Mo Lingya spoke with interest as he watched her expression. “Prince Luo’s eldest son, Luo Bing, didn’t like it, so he asked me to kill Wang Yi and set an example.”

Tsk. Truly, beauty brought ruin.

“After that, the young nobles in the capital did behave a bit better. But that Liu Ruoxi, rumor has it she only has eyes for Ling Long.”

What the frick?!

Watching Yin Yin’s face grow uglier by the second, Mo Lingya’s lips curved into a teasing smirk. “Miss Yin, you don’t look so good.”

Yin Yin took a deep breath and wiped her face. “Just feeling…… your circle is so messy.”

Mo Lingya seemed about to say something more, but Ling Long’s voice suddenly rang out, “Yinyin.”

His voice wasn’t soft. In fact, there was a trace of anger in it. “Forgot your lesson already?”

Yin Yin hadn’t noticed it before, but now that he mentioned it, her neck really did ache a little.

Yin Yin’s best trait was knowing when to yield. She immediately took three steps back, creating space between herself and Mo Lingya.

Mo Lingya snorted coldly. “No need to be so worked up. I didn’t do anything.”

Ling Long’s expression also turned icy. “Hero Mo, are you asking for another stab?”

Mo Lingya’s face changed instantly. Yin Yin perked up. Last time she had missed this gossip, but she wasn’t going to let it slip away now!

“Ling Long, I’ll return that stab with interest, sooner or later.” The killing aura that erupted from Mo Lingya made the surrounding people shiver. Everyone started wondering— why was there such intense hostility when the conference hadn’t even begun yet?

Yin Yin, however, was anxious. Just get to the point! Don’t play riddles! Where the hell did he stab you? She scanned Mo Lingya up and down. There wasn’t a single visible wound. Could it be……?

Her gaze slowly drifted toward Mo Lingya’s lower half.

“What are you looking at?” Mo Lingya’s voice was cold enough to shame the snowmelt from a mountain. Even worse, Yin Yin realized that her enemies weren’t limited to Mo Lingya. Ling Long was also glaring at her now.

Yin Yin: “……”

When enemies were too many and too strong, the only wise choice was to surrender to their oppressive might.

I was wrong, heroes. m(_ _)m

“Young Master Lin.”

The sudden voice was like music from heaven to Yin Yin’s ears. She looked up, thrilled, and nearly flung herself into her savior’s arms. Until she saw that the savior was Du Qianqian.

It had only been ten days, but Du Qianqian looked like a completely different person. If there was a word to describe her now, it would be ‘transformed’.

The saying ‘a Buddha needs gold robes, and a person needs fine clothes’ had never been truer. Back at Yin Manor, Du Qianqian had dressed like an ordinary maid, easy to overlook in Yin Yin’s glow. But now, she was clad in elegant robes and adorned in gold and silver, and even her hairstyle was more elaborate than Yin Yin’s. Her face was caked with the finest powders, exquisitely refined and radiating wealth.

Du Qianqian was even accompanied by a man, tall and distinguished, exuding the same air of privilege. Recalling Mo Lingya’s earlier words, Yin Yin guessed this must be Prince Luo’s eldest son, Luo Bing.

Sure enough, Du Qianqian introduced them, “Young Master Lin, this is my older brother, Luo Bing.”

Ling Long nodded. Of course he knew Luo Bing. He had known him even before Du Qianqian did. But obviously, she hadn’t considered that possibility.

“I didn’t expect you to attend the Martial Arts Conference too, Young Master Lin.”

Yin Yin sneered inwardly. You clearly came here just to find him.

And this Luo Bing obviously wasn’t interested in martial arts or the scenery as well. He was there for Liu Ruoxi.

In fact, many people in the audience were probably there just to catch a glimpse of her.

Yin Yin rubbed her nose awkwardly. She realized…… she was there for the same reason.

Every Martial Arts Conference was hosted by the current alliance leader, so since Liu Ruoxi hadn’t arrived yet, the assembly hadn’t begun either. While Yin Yin was cursing the other party for the thirty-eighth time in her head, a cry rang out like thunder, “Alliance Leader Liu is here!”

The entire crowd suddenly burst into wild excitement, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Yin Yin saw a figure in white float down from the sky— flowing white gauze, long black hair like silk, and a flawless white jade flute in hand. Yin Yin nearly shouted, ‘Aunt!’

When Liu Ruoxi landed and smiled lightly, gasps rippled through the crowd.

How could one describe Liu Ruoxi? She was a woman who captivated all living beings, yet not the slightest trace of seductiveness clung to her. Instead, she had the ethereal air of a celestial being ready to ascend.

Yin Yin suddenly felt wretched. As if battling Du Qianqian— the Cinderella-turned-princess— weren’t enough, the system had given her such an overwhelmingly powerful rival too!

The heavens want me dead!

She glanced at Ling Long, who was also looking at Liu Ruox, and asked pointedly, “Who’s that?”

Ling Long’s lashes trembled slightly. “It’s Ruoxi.”

Ruoxi?! Ruoxi your sister!

He actually called Liu Ruoxi, Ruoxi!

The blow was massive. Ling Long had been with her so long, yet always addressed her as ‘Yin Yin’. But this woman, who had appeared out of nowhere, he called her Ruoxi. Ruoxi!!!

……

Except, it wasn’t what she thought. _(:з」∠)_

Though Yin Yin had no idea how long it would take her to realize that.

After delivering her opening speech on the platform, Liu Ruoxi drifted down gracefully and landed right in front of Ling Long.

“Ling Long, it’s been a while.”

Ling Long nodded gently. “Mm.”

Her gaze shifted to Yin Yin, standing beside him. “Is this the eldest miss of Yin Manor?”

Yin Yin wasn’t sure if she was imagining things, but from the moment Liu Ruoxi looked at her, she felt the woman’s entire aura shift. Yes, it was exactly that intense, hostile tension you got when love rivals met.

Not wanting to lose face, Yin Yin proudly lifted her chin. “That’s right, it’s me. I heard you’re the head of Tianxiang Society?”

Liu Ruoxi smiled. In that moment, Yin Yin had the uncanny sense that Mo Lingya had possessed Liu Ruoxi. Because the way Liu Ruoxi looked at her was exactly the same condescending gaze, like she was brushing dirt from her sleeve. “Could it be Miss Yin wants to join?”

Right now, Yin Yin desperately wanted to mimic one of those rich, evil TV drama villainesses and slap a handful of cash in the other party’s face and sneer while saying, ‘Here’s fifty cents^[1]refers to internet commentators who are allegedly paid by the government to post pro-government comments online. Get lost.’

But Yin Yin was a well-mannered, classy supporting female character. So she just smiled and asked curiously, “Join what? KFC deluxe meal^[2]from a KFC advertisement; internet slang used sarcastically to mock someone for treating an ordinary KFC combo meal as if it were a luxurious or high-end indulgence?”