Xiao Qinghe lifted the curtain. The sky was cloudless, and dashing figures swept past overhead from time to time.
They were disciples from various sects, flying on their swords.
The sight made Xiao Qinghe itch to join them.
"Junior sister, flying on swords seems much more convenient. Why don't we..."
"No need. We can take the carriage."
"Why?"
Xie Jun glanced at him. Flying on swords would draw far too much attention. Who knew how many people would stare at my senior brother?
The thought filled her with displeasure, but she merely said, "The sun is blazing overhead. We'd get too much sun flying on swords."
Xiao Qinghe: "..."
Even as they spoke, the cultivators happily flying overhead descended into the marketplace to buy veiled hats for shade. Among them were plenty of burly, strapping men.
Xiao Qinghe: "..."
Was the world of cultivation really this down-to-earth?
"Hyah!"
A woman's sharp cry suddenly rang out behind them, accompanied by the clatter of hooves.
A lovely figure in white rode through the heart of the marketplace, her whip raised, a striking sight as she swept past.
Her white robes fluttered, lending her the air of an immortal.
A breeze lifted the gauze of her veiled hat.
That fleeting glimpse revealed an aloof, ethereal profile whose beauty eclipsed all others.
Passersby stopped to stare, creating quite a spectacle.
As though sensing Xiao Qinghe's gaze, the woman glanced back and met his eyes from afar.
Xiao Qinghe drew a silent breath.
What a divine face!
Even with Ouyang Susu's Female Lead filter turned all the way up, this woman's stunning beauty wouldn't pale in comparison.
His distraction lasted only a moment. Xiao Qinghe smiled faintly and gave her a polite nod from afar.
Perhaps because Xiao Qinghe's reaction to her unveiled face was so different from everyone else's, the woman paused briefly and returned his nod. Then she cracked her whip and galloped away.
Just then, a notification sounded from the system.
[Heartless Valley disciple Bai Liuli has come online!]
Bai Liuli?
Wasn't she the original novel's second-greatest beauty, the acknowledged next Valley Master of Heartless Valley, and the Female Lead's biggest romantic rival?
Early in the original novel, Every Handsome Man Spoils Me, Bai Liuli had stunned everyone the moment she appeared.
Her beauty eclipsed all other women, and she was exceptionally gifted at cultivation. Barely into her twenties, she already surpassed a host of talented young cultivators.
Had she been born into another book, she would absolutely have been its powerful Female Lead.
Unfortunately, she had landed in the wrong novel. In this melodramatic Mary Sue romance, once she fell for Xie Jun and became an obstacle in the Female Lead's love life, she was doomed to lose to Ouyang Susu and her Female Lead buffs. Reduced to a wicked supporting woman whose only purpose was to make the Female Lead shine, she ultimately ended up heartbroken and nearly lost her life.
When Xiao Qinghe first read that part, he had felt deeply sorry for her.
"She's long gone. Haven't you looked enough? Senior brother, is she really that beautiful?" Xie Jun's expression darkened as she let the curtain fall with a heavy thump.
First he'd lavished attention on Ouyang Susu, and now he was staring at another beauty. Was she really that pretty?
Xiao Qinghe looked at her and blurted out, "She's nowhere near as beautiful as you."
He meant every word.
The person before him was the original novel's most beautiful man, after all: breathtakingly handsome, with a dangerous allure, poised between good and evil. Even a heavenly beauty would pale beside her.
Xie Jun had not expected that answer. Her thin lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. Only the tips of her ears reddened slightly.
Toward evening, the carriage stopped at a tavern for a rest.
The moment they stepped out, gazes shot toward them from every direction, all settling on Xie Jun.
Young women blushed and whispered among themselves.
"Who is she? She's so handsome!"
"Judging by her clothes, she seems to be a disciple of the Demon-Slaying Sect. When did the Demon-Slaying Sect take in such a striking young woman?"
"She's looking this way! I think she's looking at me!"
"You people from the Azure Cloud Sect are always flattering yourselves. She's clearly looking at us!"
"When it comes to flattering yourselves, Spirit Sword Mountain is second to none. Our Azure Cloud Sect could never compete!"
Secret rivalry among the major sects was nothing new. Had Heartless Valley's cultivation not emphasized purity of mind and freedom from desire, leaving its disciples aloof and reserved, they would probably have joined the argument too.
Wearing the veiled hat Xie Jun had bought for him on short notice, Xiao Qinghe silently shook his head.
Xie Jun was the one who ought to cover her face with a veiled hat. That face of hers could bring nations to ruin; its destructive power was truly astounding.
The Heroes' Conference had not even officially begun its matches, yet she had already stirred the girls from several major sects into a jealous frenzy. The air crackled with hostility, and the talented young men present tightened their grips on their swords, looking ready to fight.
More precisely, they looked ready to attack them. Xie Jun had single-handedly drawn the hatred of every man present, after all.
"Junior sister, let's hurry and go." Under the weight of hostile glares from every direction, Xiao Qinghe dragged the culprit upstairs and found an unnoticed corner behind a screen.
He took off his veiled hat and was about to sit when a trace of fragrance drifted past him. A lovely figure in white staggered by, nearly colliding with him.
Instinctively, Xiao Qinghe reached out to steady her. "Miss, are you all right?"
The woman swayed, and her veiled hat slipped off, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face framed by a cascade of dark hair.
"Miss Bai?"
It was none other than Bai Liuli, the woman he had glimpsed on the road.
Bai Liuli's breathing was uneven and her face flushed. She hastily pushed Xiao Qinghe away, then stumbled downstairs as though fleeing something.
She had barely gone any distance when several young men with pinched, monkeyish faces—obvious cannon-fodder supporting characters at a glance—swarmed forward and blocked Bai Liuli’s path.
"We've long heard that Heartless Valley is full of beauties, and that Bai Liuli, the Valley Master's final disciple, outshines them all. Now that we've seen you, the rumors certainly prove true!"
Bai Liuli's expression shifted. Unwilling to get entangled with them, she turned to leave.
The young man leading them stepped forward, staring greedily at her face.
"Your master, the White-Browed Valley Master, sent invitations far and wide to find a worthy son-in-law. He declared that anyone who defeated you could marry you and share in Heartless Valley's wealth and glory! Have you come to the Heroes' Conference to find yourself a man?"
The men burst into laughter.
Bai Liuli gritted her teeth in fury. "What exactly did you put in my tea?"
"Aren't you looking for a man? Naturally, it was something good to help you enjoy one properly."
"Despicable!" Furious, Bai Liuli grasped her sword hilt, only to discover that her whole body had gone weak. She could not even muster the strength to lift her sword.
Xiao Qinghe finally remembered this part of the original novel.
Bai Liuli had been ambushed and nearly molested by a pack of scoundrels. At the crucial moment, Xie Jun stepped in and saved her.
It had merely been a casual rescue upon witnessing an injustice. Who could have guessed that Bai Liuli's master, the White-Browed Valley Master, would use his earlier search for a son-in-law as a pretext to match Xie Jun with Bai Liuli? Grateful for having her life saved, Bai Liuli secretly fell for Xie Jun and quietly showed her affection during the Heroes' Conference.
Ouyang Susu grew terribly jealous over it and gave Xie Jun the cold shoulder for quite some time.
Naturally, Xiao Qinghe intended to block every incident that interfered with Xie Jun and the Female Lead's romance.
By then, murmurs were rising all around them.
Unfortunately, everyone was too far away, with screens obstructing their view. All they could see was Bai Liuli tangled up with some men in what looked like an intimate encounter. They shook their heads and sighed, and not a single person went to help.
The pinched-faced cannon-fodder man grew bolder. He reached his vile hand toward Bai Liuli, lust written across his face. "Little beauty, you can't escape. Don't make things harder for yourself. Submit to me nicely, or don't blame me for being rough!"
"Get away!"
"You'd rather do this the hard way!" The cannon-fodder man sneered and lunged forward, about to assault her.
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