Chapter 98: Severing Ties, Ruyan Save Me
Damned Ji Ning.
She usually seemed taciturn, like a block of wood. Who would have known she was such a vulgar chatterbox.
Jiang Yu was quite angered. She endured it again and again, barely suppressing the impulse to teach Ji Ning a lesson.
However, Ji Ning was too idle. She had to be assigned a few tasks to prevent her from having impractical and wild thoughts all day.
"What on earth did Ji Ning think in her heart to make her this angry?" Gu Qing took in her expression completely and immediately felt worried for Ji Ning.
Although Jiang Yu didn't say it explicitly, calling out Ji Ning twice in a row meant she must have overheard Ji Ning's unpleasant inner voice.
"Hall Master, Ruyan is severing ties with her parents. What are your thoughts on this?"
Gu Qing thought for a moment. Since he couldn't openly plead for Ji Ning, he would first divert Jiang Yu's attention.
Given Jiang Yu's temperament, perhaps she would cool down after a while and console herself.
"This..."
Jiang Yu's hand holding the Message Jade paused. After a brief moment of contemplation, she took out the Star Compass to divine.
When in doubt about a matter, a divination would make everything clear.
"Great fortune."
"There is no father-daughter fate between them."
Jiang Yu put away the Star Compass, and her eyes, once gentle as water, once again showed a hint of anger.
"..."
An expert is an expert, truly terrifying.
Ji Ning, ah, you'll have to fend for yourself.
Facing Jiang Yu with her heaven-defying abilities, Gu Qing couldn't help at all.
However, Gu Qing still wanted to struggle a bit: "Hall Master, Ruyan's attire is simple. She doesn't have a single proper dress or piece of jewelry. I want to buy some for her, but I don't know what girls like."
"I see it's more than that, isn't it?" Hearing this, Jiang Yu's beautiful eyes twinkled as she broke into a smile.
"???"
"If you want to buy something for Qingyue, just say so directly. No need to be shy." Jiang Yu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she teased.
She had heard from Su Qingyue that Gu Qing had bought her a fairy dress, which was so beautiful she was reluctant to wear it.
"Ha~"
Gu Qing laughed awkwardly. For Jiang Yu to turn it around like this, it was truly a twist of fate, the world is unpredictable.
"I'll count it as you having some conscience, knowing to buy things for Qingyue. It wouldn't be a waste of her true feelings for you."
Jiang Yu had a very good impression of Su Qingyue, almost raising her as her own disciple. Who could blame Su Qingyue for being so clingy to her?
She immediately went with great interest with Gu Qing to the largest merchant building in the Imperial Capital.
Inside were all manner of spirit artifacts and magic treasures used by fairies.
"Gu Qing, what do you think of this one?"
Jiang Yu changed into a white, gold-threaded, wide-sleeved dress that outlined her tall figure. Her proportions were堪称完美, not an inch more or less, every part of her body perfectly sculpted.
Paired with her flawless and peerlessly beautiful face, she was simply too beautiful for words.
Of course, her appearance was just the surface. The most attractive thing about Jiang Yu was her temperament. It contained an inner spirituality, the divine charm of heaven and earth, like a noble and gentle goddess.
Her every move carried a natural elegance and grandeur that was soul-stirring.
But strangely, it was as if others could not see her beauty. The maidservants looked at her as if at an ordinary person.
This was due to her own profound realm, which could cause people to automatically overlook Jiang Yu's appearance.
"Very good."
"Then what about this one?"
"Very good."
"What's so good about it? You didn't even look carefully before saying it's good."
Jiang Yu's eyes sparkled as she picked up various dresses to compare carefully, with the air of someone determined to select the most beautiful dress.
She let out an unhappy hum at Gu Qing's perfunctory answer.
"Hall Master, I truly think you look good in anything. Really, I swear." Gu Qing couldn't take it anymore.
An hour had passed. They had looked at dozens of items, yet hadn't bought a single one. Could you believe it?
And this was just dresses. Would they have to look at jewelry next, and perhaps even rouge and powder?
Besides, the plan was to buy for Su Qingyue and Liu Ruyan, so how did Jiang Yu end up trying them on herself?
By the time Jiang Yu finished her selection, it would probably take a day or two to settle everything.
Gu Qing smelled the scent of clothes and jewelry permeating the air, and his head felt heavy and dizzy.
He felt like he had fallen into a huge pit.
He shouldn't have asked Jiang Yu to go shopping with him. Really.
"System, is she really a Supreme Dao Venerable expert? How come I feel she's no different from a normal woman."
[So you know normal women like to shop? She is a normal woman.]
"?"
[She is indeed the Purple Lotus Dao Venerable, but the Purple Lotus Dao Venerable is not her, understand?]
"You mean, she has the foundation of the Purple Lotus Dao Venerable but not its memories?"
[Correct!]
[Host, don't mind that she doesn't have the memories of the Purple Lotus Dao Venerable, but she possesses its Supreme Dao Fruit. Even if she borrows a sliver of that power, it's enough to destroy the entire cosmic plane. So, Host, do not harbor any ill intentions toward her.]
"?"
"I don't need you to remind me. I have no interest in a Chaos Supreme Treasure."
Gu Qing directly closed the system to avoid it being an eyesore.
...
"Ruyan, how did you and Gu Qing meet?"
On the other side, in the Imperial Palace, Jiang Qiuyue wore a smile, like a graceful and noble, kind mother.
"We met in the great mountains." Liu Ruyan's expression was cold, and she felt a wave of sorrow in her heart.
Liu Yuanzhong and Jiang Qiuyue had always seen her as a disgrace, scolding and cursing her at every turn.
She had once desperately longed for their affection, even just a smile.
But no matter how she cried and begged, the two never even gave her a glance. Their cold and disgusted expressions were still fresh in her memory.
And now, she had done nothing, only having become a disciple of the Star Temple, and the two's attitude toward her immediately changed completely.
During this time, they had been constantly sending people over to ask after her well-being and deliver various treasures.
It was as if they had become different people.
Liu Ruyan knew this was because she had joined the Star Temple and was valued by Gu Qing.
Otherwise, she would still be the demoness they detested.
"I see that he is very fond of you. Is he pursuing you?"
Jiang Qiuyue took her small hand and said earnestly, "Ruyan, men are the most unreliable. They grow tired of the old and crave the new. Aside from your beauty, you have no other skills. You must not agree lightly."
"???"
What did Jiang Qiuyue mean by those words?
"Ruyan, the Queen Mother knows you hold resentment in your heart and blames me for being partial. However, what you don't know is that the entire court of civil and military officials impeached you, wanting to have you executed. I had no choice but to neglect you; this was a way to protect you indirectly."
"...So?"
"Your sister has never done anything to wrong you. In all the years you were missing, she was more worried about you than anyone. The Queen Mother doesn't want you sisters to have a misunderstanding."
"After all, you are twin sisters. No one loves you more than your sister."
Seeing that Liu Ruyan was unmoved, still wearing that lifeless expression, Jiang Qiuyue felt annoyed in her heart.
But she still patiently said, "Your sister has unparalleled talent. If she joins the Star Temple with you, she can also protect you."
"After all that talk, it turns out you want me to recommend her." Liu Ruyan sneered and pulled her hand back.
First belittling her, then smearing Gu Qing, it was all to pave the way for Liu Ruyi.
Truly a Queen Mother, with such a deep and calculating mind.
For the sake of her own daughter, she could even say something so base.
"What? You're unwilling?"
Seeing this, Jiang Qiuyue's face immediately turned cold.
"Hahaha!"
"Ridiculous!"
Liu Ruyan looked at her with mocking eyes, as if looking at a clown.
The daughter Jiang Qiuyue and Liu Yuanzhong protected in the palm of their hands, whom they thought was a goddess reincarnated, who could lead the Liu family to glory.
Little did they know, Liu Ruyi was a demonic girl without a shred of humanity.
She hadn't even told them the news that she had already become Jiang Yu's disciple.
From this, one could see how heartless Liu Ruyi was.
She didn't care at all whether the two lived or died.
"Do you want to join the Star Temple?"
Liu Ruyan turned her head to look at Liu Ruyi.
"I do!"
Liu Ruyi's smile was pure, her beautiful eyes as bright and spirited as if they held starlight.
However, deep within her eyes lay a touch of indifference.
Although Liu Yuanzhong and Jiang Qiuyue had cherished her like a treasure.
In her eyes, they were no different from the ants among the teeming masses.
She had kept them around before to use them to threaten Liu Ruyan.
Now that they were useless, she was too lazy to bother with them.
Her sister was her life's love.
Even though her sister had grown up, which she didn't quite like.
However, she firmly believed that one day, her sister would return to her childhood.
Her sister belonged to her alone.
"But I don't want you to join the Star Temple. What do you think we should do about that?"
Since Liu Ruyi wasn't going to say anything, Liu Ruyan naturally wouldn't expose the matter.
After all, the Star Temple was a sect that stood above the world.
Its reputation alone could bring the Liu family endless benefits.
"I'll follow my sister's lead in everything. As long as my sister is happy, that's all that matters." Liu Ruyi batted her curled eyelashes, her eyes seeming to hold starlight, her smile pure and radiant.
"Unfilial daughter, how can you be so narrow-minded? Are you still my daughter?"
Jiang Qiuyou was furious, finally unable to maintain her facade. The cultivation of the Void Dao Realm erupted as she said coldly, "If you don't agree, I'll consider that I never had a daughter."
She knew how much Liu Ruyan cared for her and longed for her affection.
Jiang Qiuyue didn't believe that Liu Ruyan wouldn't agree when threatened with severing their relationship.
However, what she didn't know was that was the Liu Ruyan of childhood.
The current Liu Ruyan was Empress Ruyan, no longer driven by familial affection.
She would not eagerly fawn over Jiang Qiuyue, knowing full well that she detested her.
"Fine. Then I don't have parents like you either. From this day forward, you and I will sever all ties."
Liu Ruyan's voice echoed through the Imperial Palace, containing not a trace of emotion.
"You... what did you say?"
Jiang Qiuyue's mind buzzed as she stared blankly at Liu Ruyan.
"I, Liu Ruyan, will sever my relationship with you, Jiang Qiuyue, Liu Yuanzhong, and the Liu clan."
Liu Ruyan's tone was decisive.
"Unfilial daughter, you are simply committing an act of great treason."
Jiang Qiuyue's face was ashen. The finger pointing at Liu Ruyan trembled uncontrollably.
She felt a sudden, inexplicable suffocation in her heart.
Although she didn't love Liu Ruyan, and even detested her, she was still her own flesh and blood, her biological daughter.
"Abomination, you are born a member of the Liu family, and you will die a ghost of the Liu family."
Hearing Liu Ruyan's voice, Liu Yuanzhong rushed over, his face filled with rage.
The Liu Ruyan of the past could leave for all he cared. He didn't mind.
But the current Liu Ruyan was different.
She was a disciple of the Star Temple.
This was a supreme honor, one that could bring endless benefits to the Liu family.
Therefore, he would absolutely not allow Liu Ruyan to ruin things.
"Hmph!"
Ji Ning, who had been silently watching the drama unfold, let out a cold snort. Saint Dao Laws permeated the air, causing the two furious individuals to instantly turn pale and tremble.
Under the pressure of the Saint Dao Laws, everyone in the entire Imperial Palace felt as if they were facing heavenly might, prostrating on the ground, their lives and deaths not their own.
"A... a Saint..."
Liu Yuanzhong's eyes were filled with horror, as if struck by lightning.
The Saint Realm was a transcendent and detached existence, capable of patrolling heaven and earth with a single thought, beyond the mundane and entering the sacred.
Liu Ruyan was merely a disciple who had just joined the Star Temple. How could she have a Saint to protect her path?
No, this couldn't be Liu Ruyan's protector. It must be Gu Qing's.
But, Liu Yuanzhong couldn't understand. Why would a Saint become a protector?
The people of the palace were similarly incredulous.
A Saint was a pillar of stability, capable of suppressing fortune and allowing a dao lineage to prosper for ages. Why would one appear so easily?
Could it be that the Saints of the Star Temple were so numerous they had become a common sight?
"Ruyan wants to sever her relationship with you. Do you have any objections?"
Ji Ning's voice was indifferent, as if she were facing a group of ants.
"No."
"I have no objections."
Liu Yuanzhong and Jiang Qiuyue immediately forced smiles, bowing and scraping, not daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction.
After all, a Saint could not be insulted.
Even though their Liu clan also had a Saint, it was still not an existence they could afford to provoke.
"Then that's good. Write the letter to sever your relationship."
Ji Ning retracted her aura, instantly becoming like an invisible person, hiding her merit and fame.
Liu Yuanzhong wrote the letter with trembling hands and offered it up with both hands.
"Ruyan..."
Seeing Liu Ruyan take the letter and leave without hesitation.
Jiang Qiuyou felt as if a piece had been carved out of her heart, leaving it empty.
Liu Yuanzhong's face gradually darkened, but he didn't dare to vent his anger.
"Your Majesty, we..."
Jiang Qiuyue's voice trembled as she suddenly remembered the young Liu Ruyan.
So small, milky-white and well-behaved, with large, clear, and bright eyes. Pink, tender, and plump, like a little sprite.
Her voice was milky and childish, with a hint of endearing silliness.
So pure, was she really a born demoness?
If she were a demoness, how could the Star Temple possibly accept her?
After all, the Star Dao passed down by the Star Temple had nothing to do with the demonic path.
"Hmph, severing ties is for the best. This unfilial abomination doesn't know what's good for her and is destined not to go far."
Liu Yuanzhong cut off the words she was about to say.
He could not be wrong.
Liu Ruyan was the one who was wrong.
"But..."
"There are no buts. Ruyi will surely lead our Liu clan to glory."
Liu Yuanzhong's voice was firm and resounding.
Without Liu Ruyan.
He still had Liu Ruyi.
Jiang Qiuyue's face was deathly pale. She nodded. She understood.
But a sense of regret spread from the bottom of her heart, making it feel as if it were being cut by knives.
If...
If only she hadn't listened to slanderous rumors back then, if only she had shown Liu Ruyan a little more care.
Would the outcome have been different?
On the other side, Liu Ruyan walked out of the Imperial Palace and instantly felt her entire body relax.
It was as if the shackles that had been on her had suddenly disappeared.
She no longer had to feel resentment toward her parents, nor did she have any lingering obsessions.
From now on, the sky was vast for birds to fly, the sea wide for fish to leap.
"Senior Ji Ning, thank you."
Liu Ruyan expressed her sincere thanks to Ji Ning.
If it hadn't been for Ji Ning's help today, she wouldn't have been able to sever the relationship smoothly.
"No need!"
Ji Ning replied, her figure slowly fading, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Liu Ruyan pursed her lips. Her wandering, uneasy heart now had a sense of belonging.
Gu Qing treated her with sincerity.
Jiang Yu had accepted her as a disciple.
The Star Temple would be her strongest backing.
Liu Ruyan felt a sense of pride and was full of longing for the future.
"Ruyan, save me, I'm at..."
Gu Qing's voice transmission suddenly cut off. Just as Liu Ruyan was panicking, Jiang Yu's voice sounded in her ear again.
Telling her to enjoy herself in the Imperial Capital, or to go find some heaven's prides to compete with.
Liu Ruyan was completely bewildered.
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