âSo whatâs going on now?â
Not only was his inner core still there, but his aura was far more powerful than before. Clearly, he had advanced a rank!
"What nonsense are you spouting? Jun Yaoâs inner core is perfectly fine! Iâm warning you, stop spreading rumors!"
Jiang Yunnuan blurted out anxiously, glaring furiously at the white-haired young man. She was determined to deny it to her death.
The matter of an inner core being dug out and then restored was too heaven-defying. No one in the Empire was currently capable of such a feat. Once word got out, it would undoubtedly cause a huge sensation. Some organizations might even kidnap and interrogate her. Therefore, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Besides, apart from her, Si Xie, and Jun Yao, no one else had witnessed it. As long as she refused to admit it, they had no proof.
After speaking, she turned and shot Jun Yao, Si Xie, and Fu Yuan a look, warning them not to say a word out of line.
The three of them: "..."
âGreat. Now they could finally be sure. Her claim that she âonly did those things because she was under Ling Zeâs Controlâ was also a complete lie!â
âThis woman was a pathological liar, a complete and utter fraud. How ridiculous that they had almost believed her bullshit.â
"How is that possible? Ling Ze clearly said..."
The arrogant-looking young man frowned and started to argue, but he was cut off as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Why would you rather believe Ling Zeâs nonsense than your own eyes? Jun Yao is standing right in front of you. Canât you tell whatâs real and whatâs fake?"
"Thatâs right. Didnât you want to fight? Letâs go."
Jun Yao astutely played along, not exposing her. The moment he finished speaking, he balled his fist and smashed it toward the young man before him. Bai Luo immediately raised his hands to block.
Beastmen were too destructive. To avoid injuring residents and damaging infrastructure, the use of Beast Souls and Talent Skills was forbidden in residential areas. Violators would be punished according to the Empireâs laws.
Therefore, fights relied entirely on physical strength and hand-to-hand combat skills.
Jun Yaoâs Fighting Technique was far superior to Si Xieâs. After his genetic evolution, his bones and muscles were as if forged from steel. In just two rounds, the young man who had single-handedly crushed Si Xie was already struggling to cope, making Jiang Wanwan frown.
"Sister, having two of your Contractors fight Bai Luo one after the other is too unfair. Hurry and tell Jun Yao to stop."
"Sorry, Jun Yao doesnât listen to me. Why donât you have Bai Luo stop instead?"
Jiang Yunnuan let out a scornful laugh. âWhen two people are fighting, whoever stops first has to be prepared to take a hit. This female lead wants Jun Yao to stop first? Does she think Iâm an idiot?â
Jiang Wanwan: "..."
"If you insist on being this way, Sister, then Iâll have Yanchen make a move too."
Hearing this, Jiang Yunnuanâs brows knitted together. That Wen Yanchen was no pushover. Fu Yuan probably wouldnât stand a chance against him. Suddenly, the image of Ming Ye flashed through her mind.
Just as she thought of him, the tall, imposing, and coldly handsome man strolled out from inside. His chilly eyes swept over everyone before finally landing on her.
âNo wonder he didnât reply to my message. So he had company,â a flicker of understanding crossed Ming Yeâs eyes.
"Ming Ye, come here."
The womanâs voice reached his ears. He lifted his gaze and saw her waving him over, a mischievous look on her face.
He pressed his lips together, hesitating for a moment, then started down the steps toward her.
Jiang Yunnuan pointed at Wen Yanchen and said to him with a wide grin, "Keep an eye on him. If he tries to make a move on Jun Yao, you go have a âsparâ with him, got it? Thereâs a reward if you win!"
Ming Ye: "..."
"Sister, how could you do this? I came to give you a birthday invitation, not to bring them here to fight."
Jiang Wanwan looked deeply upset as she pulled a light purple, gold-stamped invitation from her handbag.
The invitation was inlaid with expensive gold thread and rhinestones, making it look incredibly lavish, exquisite, and high-end. It ostentatiously proclaimed the noble status of its owner.
"You might not remember, Sister, but my birthday is next month. Mother started preparing for the party two months in advance. Sheâs worked herself to exhaustion."
"You havenât seen Mother in a long time, have you, Sister? I was originally planning to bring you to see her on my birthday, but I never expected something so unpleasant would happen..."
She put on a look of self-blame and guilt, which made Jiang Yunnuan click her tongue in amazement.
âThe female lead of this world isnât just a âgreen tea,â sheâs also scheming, vicious, and a great actress. Isnât this totally out of character?â
âJust listen to the things sheâs saying!â
âShe claims she came to deliver an invitation, but in reality, sheâs just blatantly showing off.â
Not receiving their motherâs affection and being abandoned at a young age had always been the original ownerâs greatest pain. It was what she cared about most, and it was why she had been insanely jealous of Jiang Wanwan, convinced that Jiang Wanwan had stolen the love that should have been hers.
Jiang Wanwan knew this perfectly well, yet she still shamelessly flaunted how good their mother was to her, twisting the knife in the original ownerâs heart.
âNo wonder the original owner became so twisted and perverse after being deliberately provoked for so long.â
âIf the original owner had heard these words today instead of her, she probably would have been driven mad with rage long ago.â
"System, why do I feel like thereâs something off about this female lead?"
Jiang Yunnuan frowned, communicating with the System via her thoughts.
[Hostâs feeling is correct. After encountering this female lead, the System has unlocked a new plotline. It has been transmitted to Host. Please view it at your convenience.]
Jiang Yunnuan: "..."
âSo there really is a problem?â
She accepted the plotline and mentally clicked to view it. A large chunk of story flooded her mind, and Jiang Yunnuan froze, subconsciously looking toward Jiang Wanwan.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wanwan was still putting her âgreen teaâ skills on full display.
"Itâs all my fault. I shouldnât have brought people here to disturb you, Sister. You donât like me, so itâs only natural for you to be angry after seeing me..."
"Tsk. As expected of our Empireâs number one goddess. Her acting is top-notch. Iâve never seen anyone who can act better than her!"
Si Xie winced in pain, forcing a mocking grin as he spoke, then looked at Jiang Yunnuan.
"You damn woman, see that? Thatâs real skill. You should take some notes for the future."
Jiang Yunnuan: "..."
âIs my acting not good enough?â
At this, the expressions on both Jiang Wanwan and Wen Yanchenâs faces changed. Wen Yanchen narrowed his eyes, his face turning grim, looking as if he was about to strike someone.
Seeing this, Ming Ye took a step forward, positioning himself in front of Jiang Yunnuan and Si Xie.
Jiang Wanwanâs lips trembled. She looked at Si Xie, her expression aggrieved and humiliated.
"I genuinely wanted to invite Sister to my birthday party. How could you say that about me?"
âPutting on a fucking act, are we?â
Si Xie, unable to bear it any longer, cursed furiously in his mind. On the surface, however, he still wore a faint smile, but his voice was dripping with sarcasm and contempt.
"If you just wanted to invite Jiang Yunnuan to a birthday party, you could have just sent the invitation. Why did you have to repeatedly embellish how well the Empress treats you?"
"Admit it. You did it on purpose. You deliberately came here to flaunt what Jiang Yunnuan canât have, intending to provoke her."
"Miss Linâoh, my mistake. Now that youâve climbed to a higher branch, I should call you Miss Jiang. Please donât take all of us for fools!"