“Did Xuanyuan Yunfei really come to break off the engagement?”
“Of course! He’s a rare genius—already at the late Foundation Establishment stage before turning twenty. Advancing to Golden Core or Nascent Soul is only a matter of time. But our Miss Mu hasn’t even reached Foundation Establishment yet. Isn’t it natural he’d want to end things early?”
Mu Li’s mind was in a daze, unable to grasp what was happening. Just moments ago, she had been on a plane, full of excitement, heading off to enroll at university. How had things turned into this?
She vaguely remembered the plane plummeting, surrounded by panicked screams. Before she could react, a splitting headache knocked her unconscious. When she woke again, a maid in a pale green ancient dress was shaking her awake, urging her to hurry to the main hall, saying someone from the Xuanyuan family had arrived.
Still muddle-headed, Mu Li followed. Her senses felt strangely heightened: she could see tiny insects on the leaves by the roadside, hear conversations from half a courtyard away with perfect clarity, even gauge the exact distance and direction of the speakers.
Where on earth was she? Xuanyuan Yunfei? That name sounded so familiar. Wait. Wasn’t he the male lead of the novel she had been reading before boarding the plane?
Could it be—she had transmigrated into the book? And become the character with the same name as her, the fiancée who gets dumped by the male lead and constantly makes trouble for the heroine?
No way!
In the novel, this supporting role had plenty of scenes early on—but her ending was utterly tragic. After being rejected, she blamed everything on the heroine Su Xuening, convinced that if Su Xuening hadn’t appeared, Xuanyuan Yunfei wouldn’t have wanted to break off the engagement. So she schemed against Su Xuening at every turn, desperate to make her disappear.
Later, when Xuanyuan Yunfei advanced to Golden Core, both Mu Li and Su Xuening entered a Foundation Establishment secret realm. Mu Li seized the opportunity, severely injuring Su Xuening. But Xuanyuan Yunfei sensed Su Xuening’s pain, forcibly suppressed his cultivation to enter the realm, and killed Mu Li with a single sword strike—then fed her corpse to a beast.
Now she had become that pitiful supporting role!
But the plot hadn’t started yet. She was determined to avoid that miserable fate.
First step: cancel the engagement!
In the Mu family’s main hall, her father—Mu Yuhan, the patriarch—sat at the head, face dark and stern. To his left sat a young cultivator, handsome and cold, dressed in a black robe embroidered with golden threads. Even seated, his tall frame radiated power.
Mu Li thought: *That must be Xuanyuan Yunfei.* She couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times. But wait—wasn’t the novel clear that the male and female leads were inseparable? Why wasn’t the heroine here? Then again, bringing her along to break off an engagement would surely get them thrown out. Xuanyuan Yunfei was still only at Foundation Establishment; he wasn’t yet strong enough to act with impunity.
On the other side sat a middle-aged cultivator, weaker in presence compared to Xuanyuan Yunfei. He resembled Mu Yuhan—likely Mu Li’s second uncle, Mu Yucheng. Behind him stood a pair of young cultivators, probably her cousins.
Mu Li quickly mapped out the room’s players, then stepped forward calmly, bowed, and waited for the scene to unfold.
Xuanyuan Yunfei spoke first, unable to hold back, “I’ve already explained the situation clearly. This engagement must be dissolved.”
Mu Yuhan’s face grew darker.
Perhaps realizing his words were too blunt, Xuanyuan Yunfei added: “The elders of the Xuanyuan clan weren’t keen on this, worried it might harm relations between our families. But marriage is a serious matter. I believe it’s best to follow one’s true heart.” He turned to Mu Li: “I trust Miss Mu is someone who understands the bigger picture. Today, let us exchange the betrothal tokens and consider this engagement void. If you have any requests, speak freely. As long as I can manage it, I’ll do my best.”
Mu Li’s expression remained indifferent. “An engagement is nothing. Cancel it if you wish.”
She removed a dark-blue jade pendant from her neck. Seeing Xuanyuan Yunfei staring blankly, she asked: “Weren’t we supposed to exchange tokens? Where’s mine?”
Caught off guard, Xuanyuan Yunfei fumbled out a dark-green jade pendant, uncertain. “Is the one in your hand… real?”
Mu Li rolled her eyes, took his pendant, and handed over hers without hesitation. Her crisp movements stunned not only Xuanyuan Yunfei but the entire Mu family.
Holding the returned token, Xuanyuan Yunfei felt conflicted. He forced a smile: “Does Miss Mu require any compensation?”
Mu Li tilted her head. “What could you possibly compensate me with?”
“Any pills, artifacts, or treasures below Golden Core level—you may ask.”
Mu Li shook her head. “Our Mu family can provide all of that. Still, free gifts shouldn’t be refused. If you insist on compensating, discuss it with my father.”
Without waiting for his reply, she turned to Mu Yuhan: “Am I dismissed now? If so, I’ll take my leave.”
Her father’s expression softened. He nodded. “Mm. You may go.”
Mu Li bowed, then walked out without another glance at Xuanyuan Yunfei.
Outside, she felt a rush of relief. She had no desire to oppose the male and female leads—but she certainly didn’t want to die at Xuanyuan Yunfei’s hand. Since she had arrived in this world, survival was her priority. With her sharp memory of the plot and the treasures she could collect along the way, she was confident she could live well. As she retraced her steps, a voice called from behind: “Sister Li!”
She stopped and turned. Sure enough, someone was calling her.