There were already many people at the city gate, and soon a crowd began discussing among themselves.
“Didn’t expect Liu Ruyan to hesitate. Looks like she’s really tempted by Meng Fannian’s offer.”
“Times have changed.”
“It’s only because the Royal Prince raised her value a bit. Otherwise, even the top courtesans wouldn’t be priced that high.”
“Once praised as the Royal Consort, now she’s a broken drum everyone beats!”
“Looks like the Liu family is truly short on money.”
“If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have left Fortune Inn so quickly. The Liu family was always a parasite of the Great Qin Empire. Without anything to feed on, their true nature is exposed.”
…
None of these people bothered to avoid Liu Ruyan or the Liu family.
Many members of the Liu family lowered their heads in shame, unable to argue back at all.
Some even looked at Liu Ruyan with resentment. If she hadn’t acted this way, they could have at least maintained some dignity.
“Fairy Liu, have you made your decision?” Meng Fannian asked again when he didn’t receive an answer.
However, Liu Ruyan’s thoughts were no longer on the ten million spirit stones.
When she thought about how Qin Hengyu used to appear whenever she needed him, her heart weakened.
“Qin Hengyu… Come out… you always used to come out!”
Tears suddenly streamed down Liu Ruyan’s face. Her entire body gave way as she knelt on the ground, looking pitiful.
“You’re testing me, aren’t you?” Liu Ruyan muttered in near collapse.
She regretted it.
She truly regretted it.
Nearby, Ye Xingchen was still being carried by a Liu family member. Hearing Liu Ruyan call out Qin Hengyu’s name, he too felt a sharp pain in his heart.
“Senior Sister!” he called weakly, trying to pull her back to her senses.
But Liu Ruyan could no longer hear anything else.
No one around stepped forward.
Their eyes were filled only with disdain.
The moment Liu Ruyan called out Qin Hengyu’s name, everyone understood.
She had already regretted it and was still thinking about his kindness.
Others might not dare say it, but Liu Ruyan was clearly someone who was pitiable yet hateful.
Serves her right.
Liu Ruyan waited for a long time, but Qin Hengyu never appeared again.
He must be testing me!
She hypnotized herself with this thought, looking around in confusion.
“Senior Sister, let’s leave the city first. We can stay in the mountains and take things slowly,” Ye Xingchen said after she regained some awareness, continuing to persuade her.
Deep down, he did not want Liu Ruyan to have anything to do with Meng Fannian.
What had happened with Qin Hengyu was already an accident.
He did not want that accident to happen again.
“Let’s go,” Liu Ruyan said.
After hearing Ye Xingchen’s words, she finally accepted that Qin Hengyu would not appear again and decided to continue with their original plan.
“Mm,” Ye Xingchen responded.
He felt that Liu Ruyan had first chosen Qin Hengyu again, only to be rejected, and then came back to choose him.
He was the honest fool.
For Liu Ruyan, he had already lost what made him a man.
Resentment surged briefly within him.
“Even 10 million spirit stones aren’t enough for you? Do you really think Qin Hengyu will come back? You’re just a used woman pretending to be pure.”
“Give it up.”
“If you change your mind, you can come find me secretly. I won’t let anyone know, not even the Royal Prince.”
Meng Fannian could not help but mock Liu Ruyan as he watched her leave.
However, he did not force or stop her.
After all, this was Jin city.
If it were merely a test, it had already been done. In front of the Great Qin Empire, one had to know what could and could not be done.
Once the Liu family passed through the city gate, things became much easier, and they encountered almost no obstruction.
To the west of Jin city lay many barren mountains.
These mountains were completely devoid of vegetation. After being surveyed and found to contain no mineral resources, no one had chosen to settle there.
Along the way, Liu Ruyan remained silent.
“Senior Sister, are you alright?” Ye Xingchen asked, forcing a smile despite his discomfort, trying to comfort her.
“I’m fine,” Liu Ruyan replied, shaking her head. She adjusted her steps to appear steady, suppressing the weakness in her heart.
She had not chosen Meng Fannian.
Deep down, she still held a faint hope that Qin Hengyu was testing her.
“Senior Sister, my talent surpasses Qin Hengyu. I will definitely reach the peak, together with you,” Ye Xingchen said.
At this moment, fear of being abandoned surfaced within him, and his tone carried a trace of ingratiation, hoping to gain more of her attention.
Like a rural stray dog seeking approval.
“Mm, I will help you, and I will wait for you,” Liu Ruyan said, looking deeply at Ye Xingchen before nodding and continuing forward. As for what she truly thought, no one could tell.
Was she using him?
Despising him?
Or simply left with no other choice?
After traveling for some time, the Liu family finally arrived at the barren mountains. Several hills stretched out, all completely bare.
Occasionally, a few field mice could be seen.
Only such small creatures could survive in such a desolate place.
Even rainwater could hardly be retained here. Shallow gullies could be seen cutting through the land.
After arriving, Ye Xingchen was already able to walk again.
This was one of the advantages of being a cultivator. Even after losing what made him a man, recovery was still rapid.
He was quite satisfied with the environment.
Before entering the Great Qin Empire, his village had been among mountain caves.
At this moment, he even felt a sense of home.
After stopping here, the Liu family began using spiritual energy to carve out cave dwellings in the rock faces. Find the original chapter at g.com.
At the same time, some techniques with fire and water attributes allowed them to light fires and gather water for daily use.
However, leaving Jin city and arriving at the barren mountains did not mean they could live in peace.
For many people, the Liu family had become the most recent spectacle.
They had followed all the way here.
Since the barren mountains did not belong to any faction, anyone could come and watch.
The Liu family was like monkeys in a street performance, surrounded and observed.
Even though they were unwilling, they had no choice.
They could only try to dig their caves deeper so that those watching would not see what they were doing.
…
Meanwhile, Qin Hengyu had people monitoring the Liu family and Liu Ruyan, and he had already learned that Liu Ruyan regretted her actions.
A good horse does not return to graze old grass.
Last night had already been the final “interest” he collected from Liu Ruyan.
Enjoyment was enough.
Qin Hengyu planned to enter the underground palace again to cultivate.
With a Great Emperor as his father, why not make use of it?
Before that, however, he wanted to add another layer of insurance.
Qin Hengyu summoned Jiang Zhan and instructed, “Uncle Jiang, secretly purchase that entire stretch of barren mountains. Keep it low-profile.”
He did not want to gamble. Where there were Chosen Ones, unexpected things could happen at any time.
“Hmm?”
“Those barren mountains have already been surveyed by spirit seekers. No mineral resources were found, so no one settled there,” Jiang Zhan said, puzzled as to why Qin Hengyu valued the area.
No matter how he looked at Liu Ruyan and Ye Xingchen, they did not seem capable of causing much trouble.
“Their fate is extraordinary. They cannot be easily killed, nor can they be allowed to grow freely. Otherwise, they will bring endless trouble to the Great Qin Empire.”
“I have a feeling that even in those barren mountains, they will encounter great opportunities. Therefore, they must not be allowed to leave our control. We must suppress them at every step, or we will never sleep in peace,” Qin Hengyu said, voicing his concerns.
The two of them were already deviating from the original plot.
His separation from Liu Ruyan had introduced the greatest variable into the story. Now, he could only observe whether familiar characters would appear.
For example, Meng Fannian of the Grand Firmament Holy Land.
The Grand Firmament Holy Land was an old-established power, but it had been declining with each generation.
It was said that even their Great Emperor Scripture had been lost.
Meng Fannian was not only effeminate in appearance, but his behavior was also extremely soft and perverse. He was nothing more than a lecher.
Unfortunately, in the original plot, he had fallen in love with Liu Ruyan at first sight and became the second simp. In the end, his fate was too weak, and he was used as a stepping stone by Ye Xingchen and Liu Ruyan, dying a miserable death.
“Understood!” Jiang Zhan nodded, suddenly enlightened.
Previously, when Qin Hengyu had been summoned by the Great Emperor, similar words had been spoken.
He had underestimated things again.
“After purchasing the barren mountains, continue monitoring them. Inform me of any unusual movement,” Qin Hengyu instructed once more.
Then, he contacted his Great Emperor father and entered the underground palace, beginning another round of cultivation.
After all, he now had four enlightenment opportunities.
He wondered what he should learn.
As for Liu Ruyan and Ye Xingchen, no matter how much they were Chosen Ones, they still needed time to grow. In the short term, they were unlikely to cause any major trouble.