Chapter 09

Dressed in vibrant crimson robes, Cheng Ruyi pulled the reins of her tall, sleek brown steed. She led her fair-skinned younger brother, Cheng Yu, and a troop of guards through the streets with flamboyant confidence, drawing frequent stares from passersby.

Cheng Ruyi was a natural beauty with striking, flamboyant features. The annoying, willful arrogance of her past had been replaced by a bold, spirited pride. Though she still carried an overbearing aura, the red robes accentuated her breathtaking beauty, making her look like a blooming peony—vivid and overwhelming.

As a local celebrity, everyone knew the notorious Eldest Miss of the Marquis Mansion loved wearing red. Yet, every time they saw her exquisite face, they couldn’t help but be stunned. Her appearance on the street drew a massive crowd. Patrons in roadside teahouses and restaurants were shocked: Hasn’t she just broken off her engagement?

She seemed entirely unaffected by the rumors. If anything, she looked more powerful than before, as if her true nature had been liberated. Like a brilliant flame, she was so dazzling that people found it hard to look away.

“Is that the Eldest Miss of Changle Marquis Mansion? She’s stunning!” someone remarked with genuine admiration.

“It’s just skin deep. Her reputation is in the gutter—uneducated, willful, and vicious. That’s her in a nutshell.”

“But you can’t deny she’s beautiful. I’ve never seen a woman more attractive.” This person was clearly a typical judge-by-appearances type.

“To those calling her ‘vicious,’ I have to laugh,” a more discerning voice countered. “You’re all ignorant. It’s just petty jealousy between noble ladies—framing and scheming against each other. Miss Cheng hasn’t taken any lives or oppressed the common folk. She’s much better than those whose hands are stained with blood.”

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“Ebyv y qklau clywvu!”

“Fs obyv kq pbl’p ralvvu? Fbl’p dsvsakswp yde ycydesdle. G osxyd’p xspv kxrsavydv vaykvp yal nbypvkvu yde hkavwl… obyv y cwdnb sq pwrlaqknkyz xld!” G qlo osxld, flyzswp sq bla zssjp, nsxqsavle vblxplzhlp cu qlktdkdt ekpeykd qsa bla nbyaynvla.

Rd y vlybswpl, yd lzelazu xyd pkrrkdt vly pvasjle bkp pdso-obkvl clyae. Tlyakdt vbl tsppkr yaswde bkx, bl zssjle yv bkp taydepsd pkvvkdt clpkel bkx yde pktble. “Mbl osaze kp qwzz sq qsszp obs zshl vs lnbs svblap. Tso nswze psxlsdl okvb pwnb nzlya, bsdlpv lulp cl ‘hknkswp’?”

Swxsap olal kdelle wdalzkyczl. Tl qlzv kv oyp y rkvu; Ubldt Swuk nzlyazu bye y pkxrzl, pvayktbvqsaoyae blyav. Tkp taydepsd, Hkbys, eked’v byhl vbl qsavwdl vs jllr bla.

Mbkp lzelazu xyd oyp vbl Xze Yyaiwkp sq Twykuydt, Zyd Hkbys’p taydeqyvbla. Fkdnl ryppkdt bkp vkvzl vs bkp lzelpv psd, bl ralqlaale vayhlzkdt yde ldfsule y nyalqall zkql yoyu qasx vbl nyrkvyz. Mbkp oyp bkp qkapv vkxl pllkdt vbl “okzzqwz yde nawlz” tkaz sq vbl awxsap.

Nkpvldkdt vs bkp taydeqyvbla, Zyd Hkbys oyvnble bkp prkakvle, rllazlpp lm-qkydnél qasx ycshl. Tl pweeldzu qlzv y pvaydtl bszzsodlpp kd bkp nblpv, yp kq bl bye zspv psxlvbkdt hkvyz.

Mbl obkprlakdt eked’v eyxrld Ubldt Swuk’p xsse. Fbl zssjle yv bla casvbla, obs oyp akekdt y vyzz bsapl okvb pblla lmnkvlxldv, yde qlzv prllnbzlpp. Rv’p fwpv y bwdvkdt vakr; kp vblal y dlle qsa vbkp xwnb burl?

Mblu zlqv vbl nkvu tyvlp wdela vbl tygl sq vbl nasoe. Xd vbl asye, vblu ldnswdvlale plhlayz nyaakytlp sq dsczlosxld blyele vs vlxrzlp. Mblu yzz pyo Ubldt Swuk tyzzsrkdt rypv, bla eyggzkdt pxkzl yde qklau ale asclp pvkdtkdt vblka lulp. Ubldt Swuk’p alrwvyvksd oyp rssa, cwv pbl oyp yd wdekprwvle clywvu. Jlvolld bla qyxkzu cynjtaswde yde bla zssjp, pbl rspplpple lhlauvbkdt svbla dsczl zyeklp ldhkle cwv nswze dlhla scvykd.

One of the carriages belonged to the Jian’an Marquis Mansion. A veiled Cheng Qingyao stared icily at the receding red figure. Touching her injured forehead, she nearly ground her teeth to dust. Whether in her past life or this one, Cheng Ruyi lived so freely—even after being dumped.

The heavens are so unfair!

At the memory of how she had been framed and belittled by her “noble” sister in her previous life, Cheng Qingyao’s eyes filled with hatred. An uneducated, willful woman easily held everything she craved.

Cheng Ruyi felt the cold, hateful gaze, but she couldn’t be bothered. There were plenty of such looks; they didn’t hinder her.

The mountain range on the outskirts was quite far, taking an hour by horse. By the time they arrived, it was midday. Once in the mountains, Cheng Ruyi felt like a fish in water. She spread her wood-element power, sensing the trees and flowers to locate prey and herbs.

She absorbed the vitality of the plants to level up her power, though she made sure to return some energy to them. This cycle made her power even purer.

She led the eager Cheng Yu and the guards into the woods. The guards followed from a distance, staying out of the hunt itself. Using her senses, she guided her brother to a safe area teeming with pheasants and hares.

Cheng Yu raised his bow, took aim at a pheasant, and fired. The bird was alert and dodged instantly. The arrow hit nothing. He pouted, looking dejected.

“It’s your first time shooting a living target; it’s normal to miss,” Cheng Ruyi encouraged, patting his head. “Just practice more.”

Suddenly, a gray rabbit darted past. Cheng Ruyi flicked a stone with lightning speed. With a small thud, the rabbit collapsed, unconscious.

“Wow! Sister, you’re amazing!” Cheng Yu scrambled to pick up the fat rabbit. It weighed at least five or six pounds. He excitedly handed it to a guard.

With that successful start, Cheng Ruyi went on a “shopping spree.” She knocked out pheasants, hares, wild goats, and even a roe deer using only stones. She wanted to bring them back alive to stock her pens—especially the two pregnant rabbits.

Cheng Yu eventually got lucky and bagged a rabbit of his own, making him overjoyed.

They crossed paths with a few groups of noble young men. Seeing Cheng Ruyi, their eyes sparkled, and they tried to join her hunt, but she flatly refused. Little Cheng Yu was thrilled at the rejection.

After eating some dry rations, Cheng Ruyi left her brother with the guards. After showing them a few “self-defense” moves to prove she could take care of herself, she went off alone. Once out of sight, she plunged deep into the wilderness.

The outskirts were safe and cleared of danger by noble playboys, but she was after big game. Deep in the lush forest, she repeatedly pushed her wood-element power until it finally broke through to Level 1.

At Level 1, her power was significantly stronger. Seeing a wild boar in the distance, she hid behind a tree and focused. A small patch of thorns near the boar’s feet instantly grew, its sharp needles piercing the animal’s hide. The boar shrieked and collapsed.

She realized her Level 1 power here was different than in the apocalypse—it was less about raw destruction and more about acceleration, healing, and purification.

This is perfect, she thought. She was studying medicine anyway; her powers would provide a perfect “medical” excuse for her miraculous cures, especially for Cousin Rong Mo’s legs.

On her way back, she found two thirty-year-old ginseng plants. Using her power to accelerate them, she obtained two century-old ginsengs. She also took down another large boar and a black bear.

As evening approached, Cheng Yu and the guards were waiting anxiously at the edge of the forest.

“I’m worried sick! Why isn’t Sister out yet? Did something happen?” Cheng Yu paced in circles.

Finally, a red figure emerged. Her slender, white hand was effortlessly pulling a massive makeshift sled made of vines. On it lay two tusked boars and a giant black bear. Nearly two thousand pounds of meat were being dragged by a seemingly delicate woman as if they weighed nothing.

“Sis… Sister!” Cheng Yu swallowed hard, looking horrified.

Sister is so brutal! Can she even get married now? He almost regretted letting his parents break the engagement.

Cheng Ruyi waved at him with a brilliant smile, completely ignoring the “ghost-seeing” expressions of everyone around her.

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