It was unclear how much time had passed before Yun Qingxue drowsily fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, the sky was already bright. Qiandai, who had transformed into her original form to guard her bedside last night, was nowhere to be seen. Sunlight streamed in through the open window, and outside, the flame trees swayed gently in the breeze.
Yun Qingxue sat up. Since arriving in this world yesterday, her movements had been confined to this bedchamber. Now, she was eager to step outside and explore this strange new world. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the sound of the outer chamber’s door opening reached her ears.
Qiandai entered carrying a basin of water for washing. At that very moment, Yun Qingxue’s stomach let out two loud growls.
Qiandai covered her lips and chuckled.
A faint blush spread across Yun Qingxue’s cheeks. She hadn’t eaten anything since arriving in this unfamiliar world, so it was only natural to feel hungry. Still, the loud growling of her stomach left her feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“Growl—growl—”
Her stomach protested again. She glanced awkwardly at Qiandai, her expression pitiful and aggrieved. “I’m hungry…”
Qiandai’s smile faded, replaced by a look of self-reproach. “This servant was careless. Young Mistress, please freshen up first. I’ll go fetch some food for you right away.”
“Okay,” Yun Qingxue replied cheerfully, prompting another smile from Qiandai, who then efficiently helped her wash and dress.
Once everything was ready, Qiandai took the washing supplies and left the chamber. Yun Qingxue obediently sat in the outer hall, waiting for Qiandai to return with food. She mentally planned to ask Qiandai to take her out for a stroll after breakfast, hoping to familiarize herself with her new surroundings.
Qiandai had barely left when light footsteps approached from outside the hall.
Moments later, the door to the outer chamber swung open, and a wave of overpowering perfume assaulted Yun Qingxue’s senses. She wrinkled her nose in discomfort and looked up to see Fenyao, Liangyue, and Yexiang standing at the entrance—the very trio who had bullied her the day before and even attempted to frame Qiandai.
The three stepped inside as Yun Qingxue watched, and Yexiang casually closed the door behind them.
Closing the door?
This didn’t bode well. Yun Qingxue’s eyes locked onto the three, her mind racing.
Fenyao and the others knew magic, while she was nothing but a useless figurehead crowned as the Flower King—someone who had only just learned how to shift between her original form and human form last night.
Was she about to suffer again? Qiandai should be back soon with the food… right?
“Idiot!”
With the door shut, Fenyao glared at Yun Qingxue with venomous eyes, her tone sharp.
Yesterday, a slip of the tongue in how she addressed Yun Qingxue had given that wretched Qiandai an opening. Not only had Elder Tongyun stripped her of a century’s worth of cultivation on the spot, but she had also endured a torrent of scolding afterward, being called a fool with no brains!
The more Fenyao dwelled on it through the night, the more her resentment festered.
Yun Qingxue tilted her head, looking at Fenyao and the others with an innocent, clueless expression, as if completely unaware of their malice.
Her demeanor only emboldened Fenyao further.
With a cold sneer, Fenyao stepped forward imperiously and barked, “Stupid fool, kneel before me now!”
Yun Qingxue continued to feign incomprehension, her head still tilted, but inwardly, she cursed Fenyao’s ancestors eighteen generations over with every insult she could muster.
“Hehe… Sister Fenyao, it seems this idiot truly can’t understand you,” Liangyue remarked from behind Fenyao, covering her lips with a laugh, her eyes glinting.
Fenyao’s expression twisted. “Then let’s switch to a method she *can* understand!”
Yun Qingxue’s heart sank, but she slowly rose to her feet.
The three women opposite her watched her every move intently. Yun Qingxue gradually bent her knees as if preparing to kneel, but the motion was deliberately drawn out, like a slow-motion act.
“Idiot, hurry up and kneel to apologize to Sister Fenyao! Maybe then you’ll suffer less. Keep dawdling, and you’ll regret it!”
Yexiang, impatient with Yun Qingxue’s sluggish movements, couldn’t help but snap. Meanwhile, Fenyao lifted her chin haughtily, waiting like a queen for Yun Qingxue’s submission.
Yun Qingxue’s knees bent further, but her legs widened slightly as she leaned forward—
“Wheee!”
She suddenly shrieked.
The abrupt noise startled the trio. Before they could react, Fenyao felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as she was sent sprawling onto the floor with a loud *thud*.
“Wheee!”
While Liangyue and Yexiang were still stunned by Fenyao being knocked over, Yun Qingxue spread her arms and spun 360 degrees. Her fists clenched tightly, and as she turned, they struck Liangyue and Yexiang square in the face.
The two reeled back, dazed. Yun Qingxue continued flapping her arms like wings, belting out a tuneless screech:
“I’m just a little, little bird~ Wanting to fly, fly, fly~”
As she warbled, one of her feet shot out without hesitation, delivering a powerful kick straight to Fenyao’s chest—putting all her strength into it, as if hoping to knock Fenyao unconscious on the spot.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Yun Qingxue’s ferocity wasn’t solely driven by revenge for their attempted humiliation. More importantly, she knew her current advantage lay entirely in the element of surprise.
If even one of them—Fenyao, Liangyue, or Yexiang—regained their bearings and used magic, the tables would turn instantly, and she’d be the one at their mercy.
So, she had to inflict as much damage as possible in the shortest time.
“Ah—!”
Fenyao let out a piercing scream as the kick sent her flat onto her back.
Yun Qingxue kept singing and hopping, her feet occasionally stomping on the fallen Fenyao.
“She’s gone mad!” Yexiang clutched her bruised face, gaping at Liangyue as if unable to believe what had just happened.
“Help—me!” Fenyao’s shriek overlapped with Yun Qingxue’s horribly off-key singing, which had veered into an unrecognizable melody.
“I’m just a little bird~ Fly, fly, fly~”
Liangyue finally snapped out of her daze and swiftly formed a hand seal to cast a spell. Sensing danger, Yun Qingxue abruptly froze mid-movement.
The moment Liangyue’s attack shot toward her, Yun Qingxue let out an ear-splitting screech. A flash of blue light erupted, and in place of the girl stood a breathtakingly beautiful blue peony—radiant and peerless.
Liangyue’s spell missed its target, striking empty air.
“Quick—help me up!” Fenyao groaned, extending a shaky hand toward Liangyue and Yexiang. The two hurried over, each taking an arm to haul the disheveled Fenyao to her feet. Then, all three turned their gazes to the blue peony that had once been Yun Qingxue.
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