Volume 1, Chapter 33: First Meeting with Mo Yuqing

Could it be that the person caught in this dispute is Mo Yuqing?

Upon hearing that the other party was a disciple of the Xuantian Sword Sect, the girl accompanying the lady in blue tugged at her sleeve. "Yuqing, please, say less!"

It was indeed Mo Yuqing. Then, the person with her must be Luo Yun, another supporting character from the novel, who had always been on good terms with Mo Yuqing.

The lady in blue—Mo Yuqing—frowned slightly at her companion's words. This subtle movement was minuscule, but because Gu Mingxi had been watching her closely, she caught the expression perfectly.

Gu Mingxi raised an eyebrow. In the novel, the heroine was portrayed as exceptionally kind, yet principled—a characterization that had captivated not only the male lead, Lin Yuan, but also a legion of readers. However, judging by Mo Yuqing's behavior now, she didn't seem quite that benevolent. She might possess a measure of kindness, but she was certainly not as harmless as she appeared on the surface.

Gu Mingxi silently defined the heroine: calculating, opinionated, and potentially unprincipled. She was definitely not the innocent soul she pretended to be. If one were to cross paths with her, one would need to be on high alert to avoid being manipulated.

As Mo Yuqing turned back to her companion, her expression had already shifted to one of feigned helplessness. "Luo Yun, don't be afraid. You saw it yourself; this fellow cultivator tried to snatch the artifact I had already chosen the moment she arrived, and she even spoke disparagingly of our Tianyan Sect. How could I just stand by and endure that?"

As expected of a heroine, her words were masterful. Not only did Luo Yun’s attitude shift, but the surrounding Tianyan Sect disciples began to look at the girl in pink with hostility.

Faced with the onlookers' gazes, the girl in pink felt her confidence waver, but she quickly retorted with bravado: "I am Mu Yao, daughter of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader! It is your fortune that I even desire the same artifact as you. You have wasted too much of my time, hindering my affairs. Shopkeeper, add another thousand low-grade spirit stones; I am taking this artifact."

The daughter of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader, Mu Yao!

Once her identity was revealed, the surrounding disciples stopped looking at her with such open hostility. There were too many of them, and if they showed too much animosity, it could create diplomatic friction between the two sects—a consequence they could not afford to bear. One was the daughter of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader, and the other was the direct disciple of the Sword Peak Master of the Tianyan Sect. They could argue as they pleased, but anyone else who intervened would merely become cannon fodder.

As Mu Yao revealed her identity, Mo Yuqing’s expression darkened for a fleeting moment. As far as she knew, their sect was currently in the midst of negotiating a partnership with the Xuantian Sword Sect. It would be highly inappropriate to cause a scene with the daughter of the sect leader at such a critical juncture. She had spent a long time cultivating an image of gentleness, empathy, and integrity; such a petty dispute should not be happening to her. If she insisted on clashing with Mu Yao, her carefully crafted reputation might be ruined by this trivial matter.

She had no choice but to relinquish the artifact.

Seeing Mo Yuqing concede, the shopkeeper sold the item to Mu Yao without hesitation. Mu Yao took the artifact and cast a triumphant glance at Mo Yuqing before leaving the Treasure Pavilion.

Mo Yuqing watched Mu Yao’s departing figure, her eyes dark and inscrutable. *Mu Yao, daughter of the Xuantian Sword Sect leader, is it?* She noted the name. In all these years, no one had ever made her suffer such a direct loss. *Heh.* A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, and she would not forget this. If there were a future, she would surely pay this debt back.

Gu Mingxi, observing Mo Yuqing’s fixed gaze, guessed that she was the type to hold a grudge. This explained why, in the novel, Mo Yuqing held such deep animosity toward the second female lead, Mu Yao, constantly digging pits for her and eventually causing her to be abandoned by everyone and suffer a tragic fate.

In the story, because the male lead, Lin Yuan, had fallen for Mo Yuqing, Mu Yao had grown to despise her. In Mu Yao’s world, she and Lin Yuan were childhood sweethearts; it was only natural that she loved him, and only natural that he should love her in return. She had always assumed they would eventually become Dao companions. When Mo Yuqing intervened and "stole" Lin Yuan, Mu Yao’s fury was inevitable.

Mu Yao believed Mo Yuqing had seduced him, so she resorted to various schemes to suppress and frame her, even sending assassins—none of which succeeded. Instead, Mo Yuqing retaliated through various means, causing Mu Yao to suffer in return. Furthermore, Mo Yuqing would drop suggestive, ambiguous remarks in front of Lin Yuan to sow discord, leading him to grow increasingly weary of Mu Yao. When Mu Yao realized Lin Yuan detested her, she became even more unhinged, fueling her hatred and desire to see Mo Yuqing dead.

Yet, all of Mu Yao’s attempts failed, and she was eventually ensnared by Mo Yuqing’s trap, kidnapped by evil cultivators, and tortured to death as a vessel.

Looking back, Mo Yuqing’s methods were terrifying. Though Mu Yao was not entirely innocent, Mo Yuqing’s cruelty and meticulous calculation were chilling. She had orchestrated Mu Yao’s downfall, yet no one ever suspected her. She knew of Mu Yao’s obsession with Lin Yuan, so she used him as a tool to break Mu Yao further, making her appear increasingly erratic until those around her lost all patience. By the time Mu Yao truly vanished, Mo Yuqing had scrubbed away every trace of her involvement. Even if they found Mu Yao, she would have been too broken by the evil cultivators to survive. And if she died, it was simply the fault of the villains—who could possibly link it to Mo Yuqing?