I add points to Indian martial arts.

"Sister Suleisa, isn't this pretty?"

Napri's voice, like a fine needle dipped in rose honey, pierced the languid air of the temple's inner sanctum and precisely struck Suleisa's eardrums.

She stopped in front of Suleisa, her fingertips lightly brushing against the Moma gemstone necklace around her neck. The cold, hard luster of the gemstones contrasted strangely with the burning provocation in her eyes. The surroundings fell silent instantly, and everyone's gaze was fixed on this invisible battlefield.

Suleisa's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

She slowly raised her eyelids, her emerald eyes reflecting Priscilla's arrogant image.

"It's quite beautiful. This gem reminds me of the Yarmouk River at night," Suleisa said, her voice so steady that it was completely calm. A faint, impeccable smile even graced her lips, a smile as beautiful and steadfast as the colors a craftsman had meticulously painted on a statue.

"However..." Suddenly, Suleisa changed the subject slightly, like a gentle breeze brushing the edge of a lotus leaf, "I feel it's a bit discordant. If the color were a bit more subdued, it might suit you better. After all, sometimes overly bright colors need a purer base color to complement them."

After speaking, Suleisa's gaze, with a calm and regretful air as if appreciating a work of art, gently swept over Napri.

It's like saying that if you had fairer skin, this necklace would be a perfect match for you.

Instead of saying "you are not worthy" directly, Suleisa said, "This gem needs a more flawless base." The girls in the hall who understood the implied meaning almost held their breath.

Napri's sweet smile froze instantly, as if the perfect terracotta mask had cracked open for the first time. Her chest began to heave violently, and the delicate folds of her peach-colored sari were slightly deformed by the strain.

What do you mean? You're saying she's dark-skinned?!

If it were before, Suleiman would have tolerated it. She had been the punching bag for so many times before. Every time Suleiman made sarcastic remarks to her, she didn't dare to refute her to her face. She would force a smile and then go home and cry all night in her quilt.

But now Naples is different!

She used to tolerate it because Suleisa was more beautiful and her family was wealthier and more powerful, but now she has married Piro and her father has acquired the Blackstone Mine.

The strategies for offense and defense are different!

She, Napuri, no longer has to be a doormat!

"Suleiza, what do you mean by that?" Napuli gritted her teeth in anger, her sari bobbing up and down with rage.

Suleimana pursed her lips, and even when she shook and swayed, her movements were nothing special, nothing compared to Suleiman's.

Naprii was even more furious when she saw Sulesa's pouting gesture. This was blatant ignoring her. She had gotten used to being fawned over these past few days, and she couldn't stand this kind of treatment. She angrily retorted, "Sulesa, I've long disliked your self-important attitude. You always think you're the most beautiful peacock, but now, you peacock have only married a Sara!"

The word "Sara" usually has a dual meaning. The first meaning is broad, referring to the young noble sons of the Brahmin Kshatriya elites. The second meaning specifically refers to those who rely on their caste and family background but are empty inside, have accomplished nothing, and only indulge in pleasure. Its harshness and contempt are far more biting and vicious than the word "纨绔" (wanku, meaning spoiled brat).

"What did you say?" Suleisa said coldly. This was tantamount to calling Levi a piece of trash to her face. How could she tolerate this? She took a step forward, looking like she was about to make a move.

"What are you going to do?!" Naprii's voice was fierce but her heart was weak. She was frightened by Suleisa's cold and menacing demeanor, but she quickly realized what she had to be afraid of. She was no longer the Naprii she used to be!

Does Suleisa really dare to make a move?

These past few days, she had overheard her husband Piro telling her dismissively that he could take on ten Livys by himself, and with just one hand!

"Suleiza, do you still dare to lay a hand on me? Think about the consequences of offending me!" Napri shouted, her voice trembling with fear.

Upon hearing this, Suleisa's icy expression froze, her long eyelashes trembled, and Napuli's words had awakened her.

The word "consequences" wasn't a sound, but a bucket of cold water mixed with shards of reality, poured over her burning anger and pride.

The consequences of offending her.

Yes, things are different now than before. On the one hand, Napuri married Piro.

On the other hand, she is no longer alone; she has married Li Wei. If she does something wrong, Li Wei will share the consequences with her.

Every bit of joy and vengeance she felt at that moment could turn into a cold arrow aimed at Li Wei.

For example, if she offends Napuri, Napuri will go home and cry and whisper sweet nothings in Piro's ear. What will happen to Piro's future relationship with Levi?

She knew perfectly well that Levi's strength was far inferior to Piro's. If she were to get involved with Levi because of a quarrel with another woman, then...

Thinking of this, Suleisa's icy expression rapidly cooled, solidified, and then shattered in her eyes. She felt an unprecedented sense of alienation, as if her soul had drifted away from her body, calmly looking down on everything from mid-air.

She saw on "her own" face that all the sharp lines began to loosen and melt, like a creamy statue under the blazing sun. An expression that was the complete opposite of her pride, almost docile, was clumsily painted onto her features by some more powerful force.

She saw "herself" take a deep breath, the air carrying the scents of temple incense and the sweet, cloying food before her, suffocating her chest. Then, she heard her own voice, unbelievably steady, even carrying a hint of deliberately adjusted, soft apology:

"Napuri, my dear sister..." The address made her tongue ache. "Just now... I misspoke. Seeing such a beautiful necklace, I was so jealous that I... said something inappropriate. Please don't take it to heart."

The moment the words left her mouth, she clearly felt something collapse within her body—not the walls, but the proud spine she had always relied on to stand on, as if a section of it had been ripped out. A slight dizziness swept over her, and she had to dig her fingertips deeper into her palms, relying on the sharp pain to maintain her consciousness and that damned, gentle smile on her face.

"Listen to this, listen to this!" Napriy was stunned for a moment, then burst into a shrill laugh that ripped through the silence. She laughed until tears streamed down her face. She pointed at the wealthy daughters around her, showing them what Suleisa was saying and how she was behaving. "Is this still our proudest peacock? How could she say such a thing?"

Several wealthy young women were somewhat embarrassed. Viya looked at Suleza with a complicated expression. How could Suleza, who was as proud as a peacock, bow down to this woman and say such things?

Suleisa stood quietly, enduring the piercing laughter and the piercing gazes from all directions. Navia turned her face away, unable to bear to look; the peacock she admired most was not like this.

Strangely, after the initial feeling of collapse subsided, Suleza suddenly felt very calm.

To be honest, Suleza also felt it was her fault for being sarcastic first. In fact, she still saw herself as she used to be, carefree and without any worries, able to criticize whomever she wanted.

But things are different now. With Li Wei by her side, she has to consider things before acting, whether her actions will affect Li Wei, and she has to be more flexible in her approach.

A proud peacock can display its plumage at will and fly away from the mud at any time, but when it chooses to be a sapling that coexists with a seedling, it must learn to bow its head and bend in the wind and rain.

"Suleiza, do you know what?" Napriy had laughed enough. She pointed at Suleiza with her head held high. She had never felt so triumphant and happy in her life. All the anger she had suffered at Suleiza's hands in the past few years was released today.

She wanted to make a few more sarcastic remarks to Suleimani, but she was interrupted by a cold voice as soon as she opened her mouth.

"What are you doing, Naprii? Making noise in the temple, what kind of behavior is this?!"

A cold female voice entered the temple. Upon hearing this voice, Napri immediately straightened up, and Suleisa and the other daughters of wealthy merchants also stood at attention.

The group bowed together and respectfully said, "Welcome, Teacher Niveti."

A woman walked into the temple with a cold expression. Her appearance made the temperature inside the temple drop several degrees. She was not wearing a sari, but a black robe like that of an old nun. The black robe covered her whole body tightly, revealing only her face and a pair of fair and slender hands.

She looked to be in her thirties or forties, possessing a mature beauty. Her features were aloof, her eyebrows were meticulously groomed, and her steps were powerful and elegant, exuding an indescribable charm.

Her skin was a pale, cool-toned white, untouched by sunlight, not the radiant glow of a young girl, but more like the smooth, jade-like complexion polished by time and quiet contemplation. It possessed a serene, understated luster.

If Suleimani had innocent features and alluring emerald eyes...

This middle-aged woman possesses an ultimate mature beauty, carrying a touch of nobility and elegance.

Her cold features and meticulous facial expression even evoke a sense of desire to conquer her.

This woman is Niveti, a goddess attendant at the Lakshmi Temple, and also Suleza and her classmates' teacher of etiquette and classical poetry.

The attendants held a very special position in the Lakshmi temples. It was stipulated that each temple of the goddess Lakshmi had one attendant, who had to be a woman and enjoyed the highest power within the temple.

Niveti is said to have been adopted by the previous temple's goddess attendant when she was a young girl twenty years ago. Her origins are somewhat mysterious, with some saying she is a noblewoman who fled from the capital.

Otherwise, where would she get her aristocratic elegance from, and how well-versed in court etiquette and classical poetry?

In short, Niveti enjoys high prestige in the area, and even Piro dares not offend him easily.

So when Niveti spoke coldly just now, Napri immediately dared not say anything more.