Xia Yuwei gripped the embroidered handkerchief tightly in her hand, her slender knuckles turning white from the excessive force.
She sat in the hall, her mind filled with the brightly lit mansion she had just passed by.
Her chest heaved violently.
"Bitch! That damned bitch!" she cursed through gritted teeth, her voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth. The embroidered handkerchief in her hand was already twisted beyond recognition, the delicate peony pattern twisted and deformed between her fingers.
She originally thought that even though Xia Qingdai had the title of princess, she was just an empty shell.
An orphan girl rejected by her father and without her mother's love, who in the capital would even give her a second glance?
But reality gave Xia Yuwei a resounding slap in the face.
The Third Prince not only personally bestowed a mansion upon her, but even the Imperial Concubine offered to act as matchmaker for her!
Xia Yuwei's nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. She watched as those noble ladies who used to fawn over her now rushed to Xia Qingdai's residence to send invitations; those scions of prominent families who used to avoid her like the plague were now lining up to marry that wretched woman!
What's most infuriating is that Xia Qingdai actually rejected them all!
Even Xia Qingdai's maid, Xiao Tao, that wretched woman, had countless people surrounding her after she left with Xia Qingdai.
She was just a maid!
What makes her so special?
Those bastards would rather surround a village woman and a maid than come to visit her.
Xia Yuwei suddenly swept the tea set off the table, the sound of shattering porcelain startling the maid outside the door.
"Those are all the legitimate sons of the Minister's family and the heirs of marquises' families! Even I wouldn't dare to dream of such a marriage, and Xia Qingdai actually dares to refuse?"
She turned to look at herself in the bronze mirror. The face in the mirror was distorted, and there was no longer any trace of her former gentle and charming appearance.
During this time, she watched helplessly as the admirers who once surrounded her left one by one. When those noble ladies saw her, they would cover their mouths and chuckle, saying things like, "A fake phoenix that has taken over the nest can never compare to a real princess."
"Miss..." The maidservant came in tremblingly to collect the broken pieces.
"Get out!" Xia Yuwei kicked away a shard of porcelain at her feet. The shard grazed the pearls on her embroidered shoes, leaving an unsightly scratch.
This enraged her even more, and she grabbed the rouge box from the dressing table and smashed it towards the door.
The sound of Duan Xiuyuan's footsteps came from outside the door. Xia Yuwei suppressed her anger and forced a smile.
But when she saw Duan Xiuyuan's plain and unremarkable face, a wave of nausea surged in her stomach.
Nowadays, besides this good-for-nothing Duan Xiuyuan, who else in the entire capital is willing to give her a second glance?
"Yuwei, you don't look well..." Duan Xiuyuan stepped forward with concern.
"I don't need your fake kindness!" Xia Yuwei shoved him away abruptly, her voice shrill and piercing. "If you weren't so useless, how could I have ended up like this?"
Duan Xiuyuan stumbled backward from her push, knocking over the screen. The loud noise attracted more servants to pry, and Xia Yuwei felt dizzy seeing them whispering.
She suddenly recalled those glorious days—the center of attention at banquets, her fame spreading far and wide at poetry gatherings, and countless princes and noblemen vying for her attention. And now… now she had become the laughingstock of the entire capital!
"Xia Qingdai..." she murmured the name, her eyes flashing with venomous light, "I will make you pay..."
—
However, at this moment, Xia Qingdai, also known as Bai Ying, kept the doors of the Princess's mansion tightly closed and was concentrating on regulating her breathing and healing her injuries in the quiet room.
She set up numerous restrictions on the vast mansion. Outsiders only knew that the newly promoted princess was aloof and arrogant, but they did not know that she had no interest in such mundane matters.
These past few days, she had been tirelessly practicing her cultivation technique, nurturing Wang Miaomiao's remaining soul while repairing her own battered body. The Soul-Nourishing Stone hung before her, emitting a faint blue light, while the Repairing Jade Pendant was pressed against her heart, continuously supplying her with gentle spiritual energy.
Bai Ying slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and looked inward at herself. The cracks in her meridians had mostly healed, and her spiritual root had regained its lustrous glow. Although she was still far from her peak, her cultivation had already recovered to the mid-Nascent Soul stage—much faster than expected.
This is all thanks to that sacred spring.
With a flick of her finger, a crystal-clear spring appeared in her palm, radiating pure spiritual energy. This spring water was indeed remarkable; she had only taken a small amount, and by using this spiritual treasure to nourish her dantian day and night, her recovery speed had increased exponentially.
"Not enough..." Bai Ying opened her eyes, a cold glint in them. That old scoundrel, Hua Yang, must pay for his crimes in blood, and she dared not forget Wang Miaomiao's grudge for a moment.
Just as she was about to continue her meditation, she suddenly felt a jolt in her mind—
"The White Monk."
A familiar voice transmission sounded directly in her mind; it was from Immortal Master Wei Ji.
Bai Ying slowly opened her eyes: "What's wrong?"
From the other end of the communication jade talisman came Wei Ji's slightly flustered voice: "Fellow Daoist Bai, I am truly ashamed... The Xuantian Sect will soon be holding its centennial grand competition, a matter concerning the honor and disgrace of the sect..."
As Wei Ji recounted the story, Bai Ying gradually understood the reason behind it.
Although the Xuantian Sect is something that ordinary people would find impossible to enter in their lifetime.
However, the Xuantian Sect is not considered a top sect in the Eastern Divine Continent.
The sect competition held every sixty years is a grand event where elites from all sects gather to exchange ideas and discuss the Dao.
However, during this competition, a traitor declared that he would challenge the organizers in public.
Wei Ji's voice was heavy, "This person is named Chu Wuchen. Thirty years ago, he stole the sect's secret manual and defected, and now he has actually cultivated to the mid-Nascent Soul stage..."
At this moment, there was no one in the entire Xuantian Sect who could defeat him.
The highest cultivation level in the Xuantian Sect was Wei Ji, but he was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
If they lose to Chu Wuchen in this sect competition, the entire Xuantian Sect will lose face.
Therefore, Wei Ji thought of Bai Ying.
The white cultivator's cultivation was so high at such a young age. Although he learned from his contact with Bai Ying that although Bai Ying's soul was at the Nascent Soul stage, she was seriously injured and her current cultivation was only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
However, even at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he was still higher than other cultivators in their sect.
"Master Bai..." Wei Ji's tone grew increasingly earnest, "If you are willing to lend a helping hand, the entire Xuantian Sect will forever remember your great kindness."
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