He assumed he hadn′t fastened it properly, tried again, but it fell off once more. After several attempts, it was clear—his bride simply couldn′t wear the amulet.

  I hadn′t shed a tear in a long time, and I couldn′t expin why, when I saw this scene, the sorrow in my heart couldn′t be contained, turning into warm liquid that trembled in my eyes.

  Ao Chi, Ao Chi, how could you be even less reliable than this peace amulet? Even it knows who the true owner is, yet you let me be mocked like this.

  "She can′t wear the red-gold dragon-patterned peace amulet." I forced the tears back, as I made it a rule never to cry in front of the enemy. "Because she simply..."

  "Shut up! It must be you, crazy woman, who tampered with the peace amulet!" He interrupted me harshly and turned to his subordinates. "Throw her out!"

  The qipao-cd women and servants rushed forward, and two of them, with sharp fingernails, even reached for my face. Although this wasn′t my body, such an offense was unforgivable.

  With a series of sharp sounds, all the hands that tried to capture me hit the ground.

  Anger certainly raised my energy levels, and the dinner knife in my hand was the best proof. It cut through all the reaching cws coming at me with the force of a storm.

  Don′t accuse me of being impulsive or cruel, casually severing someone′s hand. I wasn′t cutting people. Those fallen limbs turned into bck sand within a blink, scattering chaotically across the white floor before seeping into the cracks like defeated soldiers fleeing for their lives. The four of them looked at their bare wrists before charging at me once again.

  A punch hit one servant in the chest, and I spun, kicking the qipao woman in the head.

  One of them had a rge hole open in their chest, and the other′s head flew several meters away, their bodies crumpling and turning into a pile of bck sand. The other two met the same fate, as they were torn into pieces by Jiu Jue, who had been watching the spectacle.

  Ao Chi seemed not to have realized I would strike. His bride let out a soft cry, her panic instant.

  A counterfeit is still a counterfeit. Even if you have my body and my cultivation, you will never learn my composure, my bravery born deep within my bones.

  In the first round, I won.

  The guests screamed in terror, with some shouting, "Yaokai! There′s a yaokai!"

  But their fingers weren′t pointing at the ones whose bodies had turned to sand—they were pointing at me and Jiu Jue.

  Tables and chairs knocked over as people scrambled to get away; food and drinks spilled everywhere. The wedding was completely ruined by my appearance.

  Ao Chi′s face twisted with rage as he yelled, “Catch these two!”

  A rge group of qipao women and servant men appeared like ghosts, and I could barely see where they had come from.

  Of course, Jiu Jue was quicker. He yanked me behind him, hands forming seals as he whispered incantations under his breath. With ease, he called out, "Scatter!"

  A powerful gust of wind, carrying a unique scent of fine wine, shot from his palms, roaring like a dragon and tiger, sweeping toward the enemies. None of Ao Chi's subordinates were spared. The entire hall was filled with bck sand, filthy and chaotic.

  Jiu Jue sighed, winking at me. "Bulk deleting tasks like this; I′m the only one who can handle them now."

  "Good!" I gave him a rare thumbs-up, but unexpectedly, I saw a faintly unusual look on his face. I lowered my voice and asked,"What′s wrong?"

  “Nothing,” he shook his head. “I might′ve gone a bit overboard earlier; now I′m feeling a bit dizzy. You know, I haven′t been in a group fight for a long time.”

  "That..." I suddenly asked, "Is he really Ao Chi?"

  I couldn′t just rely on my instincts; I needed confirmation of the facts.

  “The ‘royal aura’ he′s emitting is indeed unique to the East Sea Dragon Cn,” Jiu Jue frowned slightly. “But this ‘royal aura’ seems... ‘dead’.”

  “Impudent!”

  The terrifying roar shook the air as Ao Chi leaped into the air, delivering a fierce punch aimed at Jiu Jue's crown.

  I never expected to see a day where Ao Chi and Jiu Jue would come to blows. The two men cshed in the air, their spiritual powers colliding with violent force, creating rifts and holes in the floor and walls from the impact of their battle.

  But I could tell—Jiu Jue′s attacks were fewer, more focused on defense, while Ao Chi′s every strike was meant to take Jiu Jue′s life.

  "Hey, hey, I say, Lady Mu, why are you adding more trouble?” Pang Zi and Shou Zi, seeing the situation spiral out of control, rushed over to pull me aside, panic written all over their faces. "Look at this! A perfectly fine wedding turned into this mess! At least show some respect—she′s our boss′s wife! Can we let the wedding finish before dealing with things?"

  I couldn't stand these two idiots any longer! I punched the chattering Shou Zi square in the face and yelled, "What the hell do you know? She′s not getting married!"

  "Is it always like this with pretty people? Do they all have such bad tempers?" Pang Zi, startled by my outburst, shrank behind Shou Zi.

  Jiu Jue was gradually losing ground. His movements were slowing down, every strike more difficult to execute, and when he failed to dodge in time, Ao Chi′s fist nded squarely on his left rib. The impact sent him crashing into a carved marble pilr behind him, breaking a rge chunk off the thick stone, sending debris flying. The pilr was left teetering, about to colpse.

  Jiu Jue′s face turned pale, and he coughed violently, unable to even gather enough strength to get back up. This was the most pitiful I had ever seen him.

  But something wasn′t right. Jiu Jue′s cultivation was above mine, and even if his opponent was from the East Sea Dragon Cn, he shouldn′t have lost so quickly. There had to be something else going on here.

  Jiu Jue fell to the ground, and Ao Chi′s killing intent fred up in his eyes. In an instant, he was right in front of Jiu Jue, and a gleaming dagger appeared in his hand. He thrust it straight into Jiu Jue′s throat.

  At the critical moment, Jiu Jue managed to shift his body to the side, and the dagger plunged into the ground, nearly burying itself halfway.

  “Stop!”

  Before Ao Chi could pull the dagger out, I charged at him like a ferocious beast, using my slender body to knock him off bance, sending him sprawling to the ground.

  “Are you insane? He′s Jiu Jue!” I climbed on top of him before he could recover, pressing my elbow into his neck and gritting my teeth. “Open your eyes and look carefully! Ao Chi, what the hell is wrong with you?”

  I paused, my elbow still pressing against Ao Chi′s neck as I gred at him, but his icy cold threat hung in the air.

  “I′ll count to three. You′d better move away. I don′t strike women,” he warned with chilling finality. “But if you keep interfering, I′ll reduce you to nothing.”

  Before I could respond, a voice from the stage cut through the tension—a voice I had been dreading to hear. It was the bride, who until now had remained silent.

  “Enough!” Her words were soft but ced with a sense of victimhood, as if the situation had somehow wronged her.