"Qing'e, in her haste, accidentally bumped into her maid, and then she wouldn't let it go. Qing'e apologized, but she ignored it, even demanding that Qing'e kowtow to her maid. Master, look, Qing'e is still kneeling there, for over three hours!"
Although Mo Qingcheng was stating facts, she selectively presented the events, making it sound entirely different from the truth.
One had to admit, Mo Qingcheng's ability to twist the truth had reached an extremely high level.
Fu Liuyun's brows furrowed even tighter. He walked around Mo Qingcheng and came before the three of them. First, he smiled and nodded at Ye Lingyuan.
In his eyes, Ye Lingyuan was the biggest threat, while Ye Liuxing was completely ignored.
Ye Lingyuan had no intention of acknowledging Fu Liuyun and paid no heed to his overture.
However, his divine sense was constantly locked onto Fu Liuyun, lest Fu Liuyun suddenly make a move against Zi Linling.
Fu Liuyun awkwardly touched his nose and went directly to Zi Linling, frowning, "Miss, it's best to be forgiving. Why be so aggressive?"
Fu Liuyun's attitude was very gentle, possessing the demeanor of a sect leader.
Of course, this was also because he did not want to offend Ye Lingyuan standing beside her. From Ye Lingyuan's stance, it was clear he was protecting Zi Linling.
However, his words were sharp beneath a smooth surface, subtly showcasing his magnanimity while also implying that Zi Linling was bullying others with her power.
Zi Linling looked at the white-haired man before her, a fleeting trace of astonishment crossing her eyes.
Indeed, one's environment shaped one's people. Perhaps it was due to the cultivation of spiritual energy on the Tianyuan Continent that all the men were exceptionally handsome.
But as handsome as they were, compared to Ye Lingyuan's almost demonic beauty, they lacked a certain allure.
Zi Linling's brows furrowed slightly, and she thought to herself: "The older the ginger, the spicier it is!" This Fu Liuyun was truly worthy of being a sect leader.
She asked with a half-smile, "And who might you be?"
Zi Linling feigned ignorance, merely to dampen Fu Liuyun's arrogance.
In fact, from the moment Mo Qingcheng had called the man before her "Master," she had already guessed Fu Liuyun's identity.
Fu Liuyun was taken aback, clearly not expecting Zi Linling to respond with a question.
He pondered for a moment and then understood Zi Linling's intention, which made him look upon her with a new sense of respect.
Based on this composure and calm demeanor alone, she was already three points superior to his disciple, Mo Qingcheng.
"I am Fu Liuyun, the Sect Master of Liuyun Sect! May I know your honorable surname, Miss?"
"So, it's Sect Master Fu. I've heard of you! But why do you assume it's I, Zi Linling, who is being aggressive?"
Zi Linling's expression suddenly shifted from pleasant to stormy, her words taking a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, leaving Fu Liuyun momentarily flustered.
But Fu Liuyun was no simple character. As a sect leader, how could he be in this position without such adaptability?
Zi Linling? The good-for-nothing from the Zi family?
Fu Liuyun was shocked. When did a mere nobody possess such presence?
He asked with some uncertainty, "You are the granddaughter of Zi Jitian? The daughter of Zi Guochang?"
Zi Linling blinked and searched the memories of the original host.
Zi Jitian, her nominal grandfather. In the original host's memories, her grandfather had only appeared once, when she was six years old. During a fire at Luoyu Pavilion, her grandfather descended from the sky and rescued her from the blaze.
Therefore, the original host's only memory of her grandfather was his eyes, eyes as sharp as a falcon's.
As for her father, Zi Guochang, the original host had no memories of him. She had only heard Xueying mention once that her father was a rare cultivation genius.
Zi Linling's gaze flickered for a moment but quickly returned to its former sharpness. She said coldly, "Something like that."
Although Fu Liuyun had already guessed the answer, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. He inwardly sighed at the pity and then returned to the main topic.
"Miss Zi, Cheng'er's maid merely accidentally bumped into your maid. If you didn't accept the apology, fine, but you even demanded she kowtow? Is this not being aggressive?"
A sarcastic smile curled Zi Linling's lips. She glanced at Mo Qingcheng and said, "Accidentally? Apologize? Is that what Mo Qingcheng told you?"
A hint of panic flashed in Mo Qingcheng's eyes, but she quickly thought, Fu Liuyun was her master after all. As long as she held her ground, she didn't believe her master would take the outsider's side. Thus, she quickly regained her composure.
Fu Liuyun paused. Could there be something he didn't know about this?
He looked at Mo Qingcheng, wanting to confirm if she had concealed anything, but found no clues.
"What? Is what Cheng'er said not true?"
Zi Linling did not answer Fu Liuyun's question. Instead, she turned to Mo Qingcheng and said with a cold laugh, "Mo Qingcheng, whether your maid bumped into me intentionally or accidentally, you know the truth in your heart, don't you?"
"She..."
Mo Qingcheng wanted to speak, but Zi Linling gave her no chance.
"Forget it, I'm too lazy to quibble about it. But you injured Xueying, for which you owe me an explanation."
Fu Liuyun frowned and looked at Mo Qingcheng.
Mo Qingcheng smiled sweetly at Fu Liuyun, offering no explanation. Instead, she turned to Zi Linling and said disdainfully, "What kind of explanation do you want from this immortal fairy?"
Zi Linling let out a cold laugh. "Didn't you say I only rely on men? Then, three months from now, at Nine Peaks of Duanhun Cliff, we shall have a battle to the death. Do you dare?"
As these words fell, the surroundings erupted into an uproar.
"My heavens, she, a mere good-for-nothing, wants to fight Fairy Qingcheng?"
"Am I hallucinating? Is this still the purple family's waste?"
"Did I hear that right? How is this possible?"
"This is a colossal joke, the good-for-nothing Zi Linling wants a death match with Fairy Qingcheng?"
"Amazing news happens every day, but today's is the most astonishing!"
...
Zi Linling stood there with a calm expression, as if she hadn't said these words and the crowd's chatter had nothing to do with her.
Mo Qingcheng was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Zi Linling, did I hear correctly? You want to have a death match with me?"
Zi Linling's icy gaze fixed on Mo Qingcheng. "Three months from now, at Nine Peaks of Duanhun Cliff, we shall have a battle to the death. Do you dare?"
Her resonant words finally convinced everyone that she was not joking.
Ye Lingyuan's eyes sharpened. "Woman, are you seeking death?"
Ye Liuxing's face was filled with shock, and he anxiously said, "Sister Zi, you... you..."
He was so shocked that he didn't know what to say.
"Are you serious?"
This time, even Mo Qingcheng found it hard to believe. A good-for-nothing who couldn't cultivate and had not an ounce of spiritual energy dared to challenge her!
Zi Linling's gaze remained cold as she looked at her, repeating for the second time, "Three months from now, at Nine Peaks of Duanhun Cliff, we shall have a battle to the death. Do you dare?"