Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Feeling dazed and confused, as if lost in a fog.

Yu Luoning covered her head, feeling a headache coming on.

The man didn't notice her reaction and continued, "The eldest son of the Feng family just toured the city last month, and I heard he's coming again. It's going to be quite a lively occasion."

"Alas, actually, this kind of thing doesn't need to be done by a direct descendant. It's just that he went to the south and I heard that he experienced something that damaged his Dao heart. Now, he's involved in family affairs. I'm afraid he'll have no chance to achieve the Great Dao in the future."

"Our pride of Beichuan has fallen just like that. Those people from the south are truly despicable! There's definitely something fishy going on here..."

Yu Luoning had been listening in silence, casually echoing a couple of times, until she heard the words "damaged Dao heart," at which point her eyes trembled slightly.

"You mean, his Dao heart has been damaged?"

"That's right! I heard they had a conflict with the young master of the Li family in Nanchuan, and the fight was extremely fierce."

The broker lowered his voice, his face full of gossip, and continued, "I also heard it was all because of a woman. That woman was originally Prince Feng's fiancée, but the shameless Li family interfered and stole her away. This matter caused a huge uproar. The Feng family patriarch personally went to the Li family, and the two patriarchs fought in the Qichun Mountains. Oh my, the fight was so fierce it was like the heavens and the earth were dark. In the end, it was only after the elders of the Dongbao Upper Sect intervened that it was brought down. If the fighting had continued, the entire Sichuan region would have been thrown into chaos."

She shook her head and clicked her tongue in amazement, "I wonder what kind of woman could cause such a commotion."

No, is this serious?

If her faked death is exposed, wouldn't she be hunted down and beaten by the Li and Feng families?

Yu Luoning pursed her lips, her first thought being concern for her own life.

Then came a sense of guilt.

However, the discomfort caused by his conscience disappeared in a short while.

She even felt a secret sense of satisfaction, realizing that she was so charming that she could even distract a cultivator from his Daoist aspirations.

However, this emotion quickly subsided.

The other person is so easily swayed by love; their resolve is far too weak.

It's his problem, so he has no one to blame but himself.

After seeing the broker off, the three began tidying up their lodgings.

During a break in the afternoon, Yu Luoning took her two children to the street to buy daily necessities.

The streets were filled with discussions about the great battle between Feng Qiguang and Li Yunyu.

Among vendors and passersby, almost everyone talks about this matter, which seems to have become the hottest topic of conversation right now.

Yu Luoning's expression was unreadable, and she pretended not to hear.

Now that the purple marks on her face have been removed, her face is clean and clear, making her even more striking. Back in the secret realm, Feng Qiguang had seen half of her face, and he recognized her at a glance.

Yu Luoning once copied the other party's Phoenix Perch Breath Concealing Technique, which later evolved into the Illusionary Breath Technique, which can simulate anyone's aura in a way that is indistinguishable from the real thing.

She stopped and silently made a hand seal.

In the blink of an eye, her aura and presence subtly changed. Originally beautiful and lively, she now had lowered eyes and a timid demeanor, transforming into that of an ordinary, submissive woman.

It is beautiful, but it feels empty inside.

The clerk was the first to notice the difference. She looked up at her, then back at her, and hesitantly asked, "Sister, why do I feel like you're a little different?"

"What's different?" Yu Luoning became interested and turned to look at her.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, it's just... it doesn't feel like you anymore."

"This is called the Illusionary Breath Technique. It can even alter one's aura and presence. Cultivators who knew me before are no longer 100% certain that it's me."

Song Chi, who was standing to the side, spoke up, his voice calm: "Do you have any old acquaintances in this city?"

Yu Luoning glanced at him sideways; this young man really had a keen sense of things.

"Yes, after all, my face is the center of attention wherever I go. People who know me may not know me, so it's better to keep a low profile."

"You don't want them to recognize you because you have a grudge?"

Yu Luoning took a deep breath and turned to look at him: "Little brother, have you ever heard the saying, 'See through things but don't say anything, and you'll make a fortune in silence'?"

Song Chi remained silent for a second, then did not ask any further questions.

The three continued walking forward.

There's a stall selling candied hawthorns on the street corner, with strings of bright red candied hawthorns hanging on the rack.

The clerk's gaze lingered on him, and his steps unconsciously slowed.

"Buy it if you want to eat it," Yu Luoning said.

The clerk snapped out of his reverie and shook his head: "I won't eat, I'll just look."

Yu Luoning smiled and said, "If you're worried about money, you don't need to."

She had over a hundred high-grade spirit stones, not to mention low-grade ones, each of which could be exchanged for ten taels of silver. This was more than enough to live comfortably in a mortal city.

Since she planned to be an angel investor for these two children, she naturally wouldn't be stingy with this amount of money.

Stepping forward, Yu Luoning stopped in front of the candied hawthorn stall, took out some loose change, and said, "Give me three skewers."

Just then, a surge of people suddenly appeared at the other end of the street, and they all moved to the sides.

"Look, it's Prince Feng's palanquin!"

"I heard that his Dao heart was destroyed, and his cultivation has made no further progress. Is that true?"

"That's right! Otherwise, why would Prince Feng start managing family affairs? Cultivators all devote all their time to cultivation. Those who are willing to divert their attention to family affairs are disciples who have no further achievements in cultivation."

Yu Luoning's hand, which was paying, froze in mid-air.

She didn't turn around, but her eyes involuntarily glanced towards the sedan chair before looking away and quickly lowering her head.

Illusory Breath Technique, stop, stop, stop!

After paying, she handed the three skewers of candied hawthorn to the two children, kept one for herself, and quietly retreated to the back of the crowd.

The sedan chair slowly passed by. This city was the territory of the Feng family, so when they traveled, they had a grand procession, and others could only make way and stand and watch.

Yu Luoning took a bite of a hawthorn, which was sweet and sour, and watched calmly as the sedan chair passed by.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, lifting a corner of the sedan curtain and causing the gauze curtains to flutter gently.

In that instant, Yu Luoning saw the person inside.

Feng Qiguang sat upright in the sedan chair, dressed in white robes and a jade crown, her features still as beautiful as ever.

But those eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool, seemingly without any ripples.

Something was weighing on his brow, and he seemed preoccupied.

If a piece of jade is broken, no matter how you try to piece it back together, it will be of no use; it can never be restored to its original state.

The wind stopped, and the gauze curtains fell.

Yu Luoning bit into the candied hawthorn but didn't swallow it.

The hawthorn swirls in my mouth, and suddenly the sweetness becomes a little hard to swallow.

So this is what it feels like when a beautiful piece of jade breaks.

Yu Luoning swallowed the hawthorn and sullenly looked away.