Translator: Anubis Translations
A faint chuckle was heard from below. The crowd had anticipated Gu Feng's reaction—perhaps a vehement denouncement of the other party's broken promise, or perhaps a silent acceptance of fate, handing over the marriage contract and leaving in disgrace.
No one expected him to utter such words, which sounded rather absurd in this setting.
As an outer sect elder of the Sunset Glow Sect, Elder Liu had seen and experienced much, so he wasn't particularly surprised by Gu Feng's reaction. Instead, he watched with keen interest.
Qu Yanran, the person directly involved, showed a fleeting expression of astonishment but overall remained composed.
Only the young cultivator's gaze was sharp, filled with malice.
"Is this fun?" Qu Yanran asked softly, her voice calm.
"Not really," Gu Feng shrugged, his eyes shamelessly scanning the girl in front of him. Up close, her face was smooth and fair, with a delicate nose, large eyes, and long fluttering eyelashes. Her features were exquisite, a harmonious and perfect gift from heaven. The faint fragrance emanating from her was enough to stir the imagination.
"Isn't it just a matter of breaking off the engagement? Was it necessary to do this in public? Couldn't we have found a more private place? Or did you think I'd cling to you shamelessly?"
"This was my master's idea. I didn't want it this way either," Qu Yanran replied indifferently, then added, "After all, the Sunset Glow Sect is a major sect. I hope you can understand. Once this is settled, I'll enter the sect and focus solely on martial arts. Barring any unexpected events, we likely won't meet again in this lifetime."
"I see, you're worried I'll hinder your cultivation. Well, our thoughts align perfectly. Let's just end this engagement then."
To others, Gu Feng's calm demeanor seemed like a facade, a forced composure.
As he spoke, Gu Feng pulled out a thin red piece of paper, carefully reviewed it, folded it neatly, and handed it to Qu Yanran.
Just as everyone thought Gu Feng had resigned himself to his fate, and just as Qu Yanran reached out to take the marriage contract, Gu Feng suddenly pulled it back.
He flashed a bright smile, showing two rows of white teeth.
"How about we choose a more private place to discuss the annulment of the engagement?"
"Being forced by the Sunset Glow Sect isn't something to be ashamed of."
"I'm afraid it's you who'll be embarrassed!"
Gu Feng's nonchalant demeanor and his casual banter with Qu Yanran made the young cultivator's expression grow increasingly ugly.
"Kid, are you going to break off this engagement or not? If you know what's good for you, hurry up!"
In an instant, Gu Feng saw through the young cultivator's role—he was Qu Yanran's lackey, her sycophant.
Ignoring the young man's furious glare, Gu Feng turned to Qu Yanran with a questioning look. "Do you like this kind of guy? He's not even that good-looking!"
"Our relationship is purely that of senior and junior sect members. We're not close," Qu Yanran replied coldly.
Gu Feng nodded in understanding.
At these words, the young cultivator's face turned red, his fingers clenched until they cracked. The laughter that followed from below only fueled his rage. He wished he could devour Gu Feng on the spot.
Previously, he had indeed harbored special feelings for Qu Yanran. To have it pointed out so publicly, and to be so coldly rejected, was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, dousing his heart with icy bitterness. His gaze burned with murderous intent, fixed firmly on Gu Feng.
"Let's stop the small talk and get to the main event. I have no objections to you breaking off the engagement. But you'll have to pay me a breakup fee." Gu Feng waved the marriage contract in his hand, speaking with utmost seriousness.
Everyone, including Elder Liu, was momentarily stunned.
Once they confirmed what Gu Feng had said, a wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.
"The counterattack has arrived. This is Gu Feng's retaliation."
"This is shameless! He never even gave a betrothal gift, yet he's demanding a so-called breakup fee? Unheard of!"
"He's taking advantage of the situation to extort. I have to say, his courage is extraordinary, daring to openly extort an inner sect disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect."
"Is it worth it? Just for a moment of fame, it's not worth it."
"If we see Gu Feng's corpse tomorrow morning, no one should be surprised."
"The breakup fee—this term is quite thought-provoking, sparking endless imagination."
"..."
The head of the Gu family looked displeased, shouting at Gu Feng, "Gu Feng, stop this childish behavior. Aren't you ashamed enough?"
"Shut up, you old fool! Whether I'm embarrassed or not is none of your business."
"My parents fought and died for the family. How did you treat me, the descendant of such heroes? Skimping on spirit stones is one thing, but you didn't even provide basic living support."
"From now on, no need for anyone to sacrifice themselves for the Gu family. This family has no sense of humanity. What a joke!"
"The Sunset Glow Sect thinks it's so great, forcing someone to break off an engagement in public? What a major sect? It's all nonsense!"
"My future is the vast sea of stars. Who cares about this lousy engagement?"
"And you, don't speak. I'm afraid of your stinking breath. A lackey like you, with such a foul mouth, could never succeed!"
Gu Feng's outburst was like a sudden explosion, his words spilling out like a torrent.
The entire Cloud Dwelling City seemed to freeze, everyone stunned into silence.
He's gone mad, completely mad. Gu Feng must have taken the wrong medicine.
If his earlier demand for a breakup fee only offended the Sunset Glow Sect, which was still a respectable sect unlikely to retaliate, his current tirade had thoroughly trampled the face of the entire Gu family.
Small families and sects could be even more ruthless than the major ones.
Once Gu Feng left Cloud Dwelling City, he would likely face an assassination attempt from the Gu family. Moreover, he had just insulted an inner sect disciple of the Sunset Glow Sect.
Judging by the young man's dark expression, it was clear he harbored murderous intent. With his strength, killing Gu Feng would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Gu Feng was doomed!
After venting, Gu Feng took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
He smiled again, "I took the opportunity to vent a little. Hope you don't mind."
"You're going to die," Qu Yanran coldly stated. In her eyes, Gu Feng was already a dead man.
Nevertheless, she felt no concern. After today, Gu Feng would be nothing more than a stranger to her. His life or death was of no consequence.
"It's getting late. What do you think about Gu Feng's demand for a breakup fee, Yanran?" Elder Liu frowned, speaking impatiently.
Qu Yanran nodded in silent agreement.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Gu Feng took out a golden abacus, clicking and clacking as he moved the beads.
Like all transmigrators, Gu Feng had his golden finger.
Three years ago, on a stormy night, an object resembling an incense burner fell from the sky and entered his mind.
The incense burner had three openings. After much pondering, Gu Feng discovered that this artifact required spirit stones.
By placing spirit stones into the three openings, a milky white, golden, and purple liquid would condense at the bottom.
Due to a shortage of spirit stones, Gu Feng had only tried the milky white liquid. A drop the size of a little finger's tip had allowed him to break through to the first level of the Body Tempering Realm.
Moreover, the spiritual power within him was incredibly dense, making his combat strength far surpass that of his peers.
He had long wanted to raid the Gu family's spirit stone vault, but it was heavily guarded, making it impossible.
Today, finally encountering Qu Yanran, a perfect scapegoat, he couldn't pass up the chance to extort a hefty sum.
His clear voice echoed in the air:
"At three years and one month old, I secretly fed you a piece of jerky. The meat wasn't worth much, but the seasoning was expensive—100 low-grade spirit stones."
"At three years and two months, I gave you a wooden knife. It was crafted by a master artisan over ten years—1,000 low-grade spirit stones."
"..."
One after another, bizarre items were listed by Gu Feng, leaving everyone's mouths agape and their minds in disarray.
This kid was outright robbing them!
A piece of jerky, eaten at three years old, probably the size of a thumb, priced at 100 low-grade spirit stones.
This was worse than robbery. 100 low-grade spirit stones could sustain an ordinary family for a year.
The children of the three major families, considered the elite of Cloud Dwelling City, only received 50 low-grade spirit stones a month for their living expenses and cultivation.
Item after item, each more worthless than the last, was spewed out by Gu Feng at increasingly exorbitant prices.
Even Qu Yanran, who had remained composed and aloof throughout, began to show signs of discomfort, her eyelids twitching incessantly.
(End of the Chapter)
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