Seeing the people around her pointing and whispering, Liu Ruyan was instantly consumed by rage.
Brother Langtian, her childhood sweetheart, had actually announced in public that he liked men!
Damn it!
Liu Ruyan refused to believe that Lin Langtian could have become like this.
The thought that she might truly be unable to be with Brother Langtian in the future made her body tremble as blazing fury erupted in her heart.
It must have been Ye Wushuang who had done something!
Just then, the ring on her finger sent a wave of coolness through her, trying to keep Liu Ruyan calm.
But Liu Ruyan was already on the verge of losing control. How could she possibly calm down?
“Ye Wushuang! It’s you! It has to be you!”
“What did you do to Brother Langtian?!”
“You must have used some kind of sinister technique!”
Liu Ruyan’s face flushed red as she screamed at Ye Wushuang.
This was the first time Liu Ruyan had ever lost her composure so completely.
Having spent more than a decade with Lin Langtian day and night, she knew him better than anyone.
Even after hearing those words with her own ears, Liu Ruyan still firmly believed that Brother Langtian had to be under someone’s control.
Looking at the frenzied Liu Ruyan, Ye Wushuang instead put on an innocent expression.
“Liu Ruyan, my engagement with Lin Langtian has been called off. If you really like him, then you can go and turn him straight yourself. What’s the point of yapping at me like a dog?”
“You insist on pinning the blame on me. Are you harboring some ulterior motive?”
“Or do you think you’re the master of the Lin family now? Should I take this as the Lin family’s attitude toward the Ye family?”
At Ye Wushuang’s words, a wave of hushed discussion swept through the hall.
“Liu Ruyan really looks like a clown. Miss Ye Wushuang has already withdrawn, yet she still refuses to let it go.”
“I thought Miss Ye was already arrogant and willful enough, but it turns out there’s always someone worse!”
“Have you people not noticed how vicious Liu Ruyan is? She’s clearly trying to drive a wedge between the Lin and Ye families!”
“She’s nothing more than a servant with a different surname, yet she really thinks she’s the master? She truly has no idea of her own place.”
“She’s completely disgraced the Lin family, and now she’s needlessly provoked Miss Ye as well!”
Hearing the surrounding remarks, Lin Aotian’s face darkened at once, and the fury in his eyes was impossible to conceal.
Yet before he could say anything, Liu Ruyan continued angrily, “Ye Wushuang! I formally challenge you to a life-and-death duel. Do you dare fight me?!”
A life-and-death duel was a customary rule on the Spirit Realm Continent.
Whenever cultivators developed an irreconcilable conflict and reached the point of refusing to coexist, they could resolve the matter by initiating a life-and-death duel.
Once such a duel was issued and both parties agreed, it could not be revoked. It would only end when one of them was dead.
After the duel, neither side’s affiliated forces could pursue responsibility from the other party’s family.
Of course, that was only how things were supposed to work in theory...
It was clear just how deep Liu Ruyan’s hatred for Ye Wushuang had become.
When everyone heard that Liu Ruyan had challenged Ye Wushuang to a life-and-death duel, the entire hall erupted once again.
“Liu Ruyan is way too arrogant!”
“No matter what, Miss Ye Wushuang is the legitimate daughter of Sword Mountain Manor. Even if she defeated Lin Langwu, it was only due to luck.”
“Miss Ye entered the early Qi Condensation stage long ago. At most, Liu Ruyan has only just reached the early Qi Condensation stage. How does she dare?”
“She really doesn’t know her own limits.”
“The wicked always meet their end. If you ask me, she should just die. Then she won’t be able to drag the Lin family down with her.”
At this, a faint smile appeared on Ye Wushuang’s face.
It seemed Liu Ruyan had already reached the end of her rope.
If Ye Wushuang had not awakened the system, she probably would have been provoked by this cheap trick and agreed on the spot.
What was more, Ye Wushuang was a full three minor realms weaker than Liu Ruyan.
Even though Ye Wushuang had already reached the True Essence Realm, she might not necessarily be Liu Ruyan’s match.
Liu Ruyan was the future empress. The stronger her opponent, the stronger she became. Her combat ability was unfathomable, her various battle techniques were impossible to guard against, and she even had a mysterious master.
If Ye Wushuang lost her temper and agreed to the life-and-death duel, the result would inevitably be exactly as the panel had displayed: she would die in the very first chapter.
Naturally, Ye Wushuang was not foolish enough to go head-to-head with Liu Ruyan.
“View the panel,” Ye Wushuang silently commanded.
[Name: Ye Wushuang]
[Realm: Early Qi Condensation Stage]
[Fate: It’s all over]
[Recent Plot: Coveting the beauty of the Young Master of the Lin family, Lin Langtian, Ye Wushuang attempted to use the Ye family’s influence to force him into marriage. The future empress, Liu Ruyan, opposed her. During the life-and-death duel, Ye Wushuang was ambushed by her opponent and, despite using a powerful talisman treasure, was slain in the Lin family’s council hall.]
Damn it. Although the process had deviated slightly, the ending was still exactly the same.
Ye Wushuang rubbed her forehead helplessly.
If she agreed now, the enraged Liu Ruyan might even bring out her talisman treasure and kill her on the spot.
However, Ye Wushuang had binge-watched no fewer than eight hundred wish-fulfillment dramas. A cheap provocation like this was nowhere near enough to trick her into taking the bait.
“Hahahaha, Liu Ruyan, who do you think you are? You think you’re worthy of a life-and-death duel with me?”
Ye Wushuang’s face was filled with disdain, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Patriarch Lin, I only want to ask you one question. Is this the Lin family’s decision, or is it Liu Ruyan’s personal decision?”
Ye Wushuang turned to Lin Aotian and asked calmly.
Lin Aotian’s heart tightened. He turned toward Liu Ruyan and roared, “Enough! Liu Ruyan, as of today, you are expelled from the Lin family! You are no longer a disciple of the Lin family!”
The Lin family had originally had a chance to form ties with the Ye family. Given enough time, they might even have developed into the fifth great family of Clear River City.
Who would have thought that Liu Ruyan’s disruption would ruin everything?
She had even destroyed the Lin family’s century-old reputation.
Tomorrow, the hottest topic in every teahouse, tavern, and brothel in Clear River City would undoubtedly be the words, “Lin Langtian likes men.”
People should not underestimate the influence of reputation.
Under the pressure of such a scandal, the Lin family’s various businesses would inevitably suffer to one degree or another.
Even partners who had worked with them for years might abandon the Lin family and turn to cooperate with other clans.
After all, no one wanted to risk provoking the Ye family.
And if Ye Wushuang became even more displeased, the Lin family might find it impossible to clean up the mess.
With that thought, Lin Aotian continued, “This farce ends here.”
“Considering that you have served the Lin family for so many years—if not contributed, then at least worked hard—I’ll allow you to return today, pack your things, and leave afterward.”
“Liu Ruyan, remember this. From now on, you are forbidden from claiming to be a disciple of the Lin family. If I find out that you use the name of a Lin family disciple to deceive or cause trouble outside, I will personally kill you!”
Lin Aotian’s voice was icy, and a chilling killing intent gleamed in his eyes.
Although the Lin family could not compare with the four great families, it was not a minor Liu Ruyan’s place to insult.
Seeing Lin Langtian’s cold expression, Ye Wushuang’s refusal to accept the life-and-death duel, and Lin Aotian’s decision to drive her out of the Lin family, Liu Ruyan’s face grew colder and colder.
The next moment—
“Hahahahaha!”
“Good. Very good.”
“Your Lin family is nothing but a pack of chickens and dogs!”
“The only one I cared about was Lin Langtian. But now it seems that none of you are worthy.”
“You want me to leave? Then I’ll leave! There’s no need to put on such a hypocritical act. It’s disgusting.”
“Remember this: today, you grovel before Ye Wushuang. But one day, when I stand at the pinnacle, every last one of you will be trampled beneath my feet!”
“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Never look down on a young man for being poor!”
