Chapter 894: Who Says She Isn’t Worthy?!
The dull colliding sound of bones and flesh hitting the ground, along with the crisp bone-cracking sound, made people grow numb.
Shangguan Wan’s face—which was flushed with anger—instantly grew pale as every bit of color drained from her face due to her inability to withstand the terrifying force. As she fell to her knees, her body lurched forward, and she coughed up blood several times.
Because she was already in an injured state, this blow worsened her condition. She collapsed on the ground, her hands sc.r.a.ped, b.l.o.o.d.y, and stinging with pain. The clean, white marble ground became stained with patches of blood, which she knew belonged to her.
Shangguan Wan tried to get back on her feet, but she found this supposedly simple action immensely hard to do. It felt like something was weighing on every inch of her flesh, making it hard for her to even breathe.
In the silence, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Shangguan Wan instinctively looked over and saw a pair of black boots and a red hem.
“If you can’t get up, then just remain on your knees.” Chu Liuyue’s voice rang from overhead.
In Shangguan Wan’s ears, Chu Liuyue’s light and breezy tone was filled with mockery and contempt. Anger surged within her as she gnashed her teeth. “Dream o—”
While attempting to get up again, Shangguan Wan suddenly felt a chill on her neck, making her collapse once more. It turned out that Chu Liuyue was holding the Long Yuan Sword to her neck.
The blade’s bone-chilling coldness spread throughout her body, while its sharp edge exuded a thick murderous intent. It was like it would immediately take her life if she dared to even make the slightest movement.
Chu Liuyue tilted her head and bent down to take a closer look at Shangguan Wan. Her lips arched into a sincere smile as she said, “Speaking of which, there’s something I have to thank you for. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve gotten married to Jiang Yucheng. That would be disastrous.”
“You!” Shangguan Wan screeched, momentarily feeling at a loss on what to say.
On the other hand, Jiang Yucheng’s expression dimmed when he heard what Chu Liuyue said. His pale lips trembled slightly, but he didn’t say a single word. However, his heart hurt as if it had been stabbed with a knife as he looked at the woman standing a short distance away.
From the smile and relaxed expression on her face, it was clear that she meant those words. She truly felt that it was fortunate that she didn’t end up with him.
Gone was the gentleness she used to have in her eyes. He had thought that they would be filled with hatred instead, but there was none. The way she looked at him now was as if he were a stranger. Other than the anger and resentment from being betrayed, she had no lingering attachment and yearning for him.
Jiang Yucheng lowered his eyelids as he let out a self-mocking laugh. Well, it’s only to be expected. She has never liked me to begin with. It’s nothing but my wishful thinking.
…
It suddenly came to Shangguan Wan’s mind that Yang Qin’er had previously told her that Chu Liuyue had taken the Long Yuan Sword out of the Tianling G.o.d Realm. However, she didn’t believe it at the time because Elder Duanmu—who had gone to the Tianling G.o.d Realm at her request to check the sword—had told her that it was still in there.
Although she couldn’t figure out how Chu Liuyue managed to draw the sword out and cover this matter up, she no longer had the time and opportunity to wonder about these questions. The cold and sharp blade against her neck made her scream in fear. “Chu Liuyue! I’m the Third Princess of the Tianling Dynasty, and I carry the blood of the Shangguan family within me! I dare you to kill me!”
Chu Liuyue condescendingly looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. “This sword is stained with the blood of countless Tianling royalty members anyway. One more won’t make any difference. Do you really think you’re that important?”
The Long Yuan Sword killed members of the royal family before? How is that possible? This sword is left behind by our ancestor! Shangguan Wan was shocked to hear that. She had never stepped into the Tianling G.o.d Realm before, so she naturally didn’t know what it was like in there. “Nonsense!”
She even wanted to curse at Chu Liuyue loudly, but she dared not act arrogantly with the Long Yuan Sword dangling above her neck. Thus, her voice came out a lot weaker.
That said, she still couldn’t help but feel indignant. She looked up at Chu Liuyue with glowing scarlet eyes that were filled with jealousy and hatred. “So what if you’re Shangguan Yue? Your original body has been destroyed, and your current body… doesn’t belong to you. Even if your soul remains, you’re in a completely different body now! The blood flowing in you belongs to a down-and-out family of a small empire that’s outside Heaven’s Canopy! It’s not related to the Shangguan family!”
At the thought of something, she burst out cackling. “The Shangguan Yue back then had a Tianjing Yuan meridian and was an advanced stage-eight warrior! But other than your consciousness, nothing about you is deserving of the ‘Crown Princess’ t.i.tle! Even if you want to take back everything that originally belonged to you, shouldn’t you take a good look at yourself and see if you have the right to do so?”
Shangguan Wan then turned to look at Shangguan You, who was standing atop the nine flights of stairs. “Father, even if I did wrong, I’m still a descendant of the Shangguan family! This woman here, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the Tianling royalty! Father, aren’t you afraid that her current bloodline will dirty our legacy?!”
She was practically in hysterics, and she no longer cared about the sword on her neck. Since things have come to this stage, there’s no way they will spare my life. In that case, I have nothing to worry about anymore! I’m willing to pay any price to take Chu Liuyue down with me!
Her hysterical scream was heard throughout the square, and everyone had different reactions to it since what she said wasn’t exactly wrong. The person standing there was Shangguan Yue, but she was also Chu Liuyue. While they didn’t really have any issue with her, the problem about her bloodline was indeed tricky.
Many people quietly snuck glances at Shangguan You, wanting to know what his reaction and opinion on this matter were.
Shangguan You—who had calmed down a lot by now—frowned slightly, and his eyes dimmed when he heard what Shangguan Wan said. “There’s only one Yue’er in the world.”
Shangguan Wan’s heart sank as her smug and maniacal expression stiffened. She couldn’t help but sneer, “Father, you’ll be showing great disrespect to our ancestors if you insist on acknowledging her! Even if you’re willing to acknowledge her, our ancestors might not be willing to do so! The current her isn’t worthy of being a member of the Shangguan family!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a low and mellow voice that seemed to have traveled through time and s.p.a.ce boomed across the square. “Who says she isn’t worthy?!”