The girl in pink saw her stop, hurried forward a few steps, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed with a hint of red, which made her look rather cute. She was the young cultivator who had earlier stood behind her second uncle, though Mu Li didn’t remember this cousin’s name, so she didn’t greet her.
The girl’s face showed worry, though she couldn’t hide a trace of glee. “Sister Lí, you really broke off the engagement just like that?”
Mu Li glanced at her. “Didn’t you just see it yourself?”
“But, but…” The girl stammered twice, unable to finish her sentence.
Mu Li wasn’t in a hurry; she simply looked at her calmly.
“But Brother Xuanyuan is so outstanding—you’ll definitely regret this in the future.”
Brother Xuanyuan? Mu Li thought back carefully to the plot. Did the book ever mention that the supporting character’s cousin also liked the male lead? The female supporting role was already cannon fodder, and this cousin was even more insignificant—barely appearing in the story at all.
Seeing Mu Li remain silent, the girl assumed she had struck a nerve, believing that Mu Li’s actions in the main hall earlier were just for the sake of saving face. Her expression grew smug as she continued: “Sister Lí, you’re being too impulsive. As long as you don’t hand over the token, the engagement can’t be dissolved. Brother Xuanyuan will still marry you.”
Mu Li smiled faintly. “Oh? And then what?”
The girl blinked, confused. “What do you mean by ‘then what’? Then you’ll marry him and become the young mistress of the Xuanyuan clan!”
Mu Li shook her head, unwilling to argue further. “I’ve already broken off the engagement with Xuanyuan Yunfei. From now on, he has nothing to do with me. If you want to be the Xuanyuan clan’s young mistress, you can fight for it yourself.”
The girl hadn’t expected such a reply. First, she was shocked, then embarrassed and angry. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find words to refute, standing there speechless.
Mu Li ignored her and walked away. She had only just arrived in this world. Even though she had read the book and knew what kind of place it was, her thoughts were still in disarray—she needed time to sort things out.
Back in her room, Mu Li frowned deeply, staring at the belongings she had just rummaged through.
Poor. Far too poor.
As the eldest daughter of the Mu family, the original owner had only a little over two thousand spirit stones, plus a few miscellaneous items that looked worthless.
In the novel, even a single pill or talisman cost thousands or tens of thousands of spirit stones. High-grade ones could reach millions, and some couldn’t be bought with spirit stones at all.
Mu Li sighed. “Forget it. I shouldn’t compare myself to the male and female leads. First, I need to find a way to make money. Without money, I can’t take a single step.”
At this point in the story, even the leads weren’t especially wealthy. The heroine relied on her uncanny luck to stumble upon treasures.
“Let me think… what was it again?”
Mu Li pondered hard until she remembered something she could buy with her two thousand spirit stones.
Early on, the heroine had spent five hundred spirit stones to purchase a Sunheart Flame. The Sunheart Flame was a type of heavenly fire—whether for alchemy or forging, it was every cultivator’s dream.
The heroine’s flame was a growth-type. At first, it looked no different from ordinary sunfire, so the merchants had mistaken it and sold it cheaply. After obtaining it, the heroine carefully nurtured the flame, and it grew stronger and stronger, playing a crucial role in her later rise.
If Mu Li wanted to seize this bargain, she had to act before the heroine did. She immediately gathered all her belongings and set out.
The Mu family lived in Ling City, one of the larger cities on the continent. Their estate was in the southeast, far from the bustling center. Unfortunately, the trading house was located right in the city’s commercial district. It took Mu Li quite some time to find it, but as a cultivator, the long walk didn’t tire her.
The trading house was large, and the attendants were enthusiastic. After hearing her request, one led her straight to the section selling sunfire flames. Sunfire was common in cultivation, and it was artificially mined, so the shop had plenty in stock.
Mu Li stared at the flames, each bound by spiritual power and resting quietly in crystal boxes. She frowned. She wasn’t the heroine—she didn’t have that innate intuition. How was she supposed to pick the right one among so many?
She sighed. “I’ll just have to look carefully.”
But it wasn’t as difficult as she feared. Her eyesight was now extraordinary, able to detect even subtle differences. Soon, her gaze locked onto a flame burning vigorously, its edges faintly tinged with gold.
She reached out to take it when a sweet voice sounded behind her: “Oh, this flame looks really nice.”
Mu Li turned, box in hand.
Enemies truly meet on narrow roads. Standing beside the attendant was none other than Xuanyuan Yunfei—the man who had just broken off their engagement.
And at his side was, of course, Su Xuening.
To be fair, Su Xuening was beautiful, with fair skin, a gentle voice, and flowing white robes that gave her an ethereal air.
But really? The male lead had just left the Mu estate, and now he was already accompanying the heroine shopping? Wasn’t that a bit too fast? In the original book, hadn’t the heroine bought the flame on the very day of the broken engagement?
Something felt off. Was the plot itself pushing events forward, sensing Mu Li’s attempt to snatch the bargain, and rushing the heroine here to compete?
Mu Li tightened her grip on the box and ignored them, asking the attendant, “How much is this flame?”
The attendant quickly smiled and said, “Five hundred spirit stones.”
Mu Li nodded, ready to pay.
Su Xuening’s voice rang out again: “I really like this flame. Could you let me have it?”
Mu Li glanced at Xuanyuan Yunfei. His expression was awkward, and he remained silent—clearly, he hadn’t told Su Xuening that she was the fiancée he had just broken off with. Of course, perhaps he simply hadn’t had the chance yet.
“Sorry, I like this flame too. I can’t give it up. There are plenty of others here—you can pick one you like.”
Su Xuening bit her lip, unwilling. “But I truly love this flame. I’ll give you five hundred spirit stones—just choose another.”
In the cultivation world, strength was everything. Su Xuening had already stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage, and it had been a long time since any mere Qi Refining cultivator dared refuse her.
What’s more, Xuanyuan Yunfei, a late-stage Foundation cultivator, was standing right beside her. For just a small flame, if this female cultivator still refused to yield, wasn’t that far too insolent?
But Mu Li was precisely that insolent. She had come all this way for this flame, and with it she could secure her footing in this world. She shook her head coldly and asked the attendant, “Where do I pay?”
The attendant looked nervously at the three of them, too afraid to answer immediately. None of them were people he could afford to offend.
The situation grew tense, and more onlookers gathered. With her sharp hearing, Mu Li caught their whispers clearly:
“Hey, look—new love and old flame are about to clash.”
“It’s just an ordinary sunfire flame. What’s worth fighting over?”
“You don’t get it. This isn’t about the flame—look, Xuanyuan Yunfei is standing right there.”