At this moment, Wang Yan, Jiang Hao, Yuan Qing, and even Huang Juan's eyes lit up. At such close range, Bai Ruochen's beauty appeared even more flawless, almost perfect. It was enough to intoxicate any man and make any woman feel inadequate.
"This humble one is Wang Yan. May I know your honored name, miss?" At this moment, Wang Yan's eyes were already gleaming, like a hungry wolf spotting a lamb. He even had to discreetly swallow his saliva, showing just how deeply smitten he was with Bai Ruochen.
But smitten as he was, he didn't act too overtly. Instead, he clasped his fists and bowed to Bai Ruochen, presenting himself as a refined and righteous gentleman.
"Stop pretending! Don't you already know Miss Bai's name is Bai Ruochen? Asking what you already know is a bit shameless, isn't it?" But Wang Yan never expected that just as he was trying to impress, Jiang Hao would suddenly step forward. To curry favor with Bai Ruochen and strike a blow against his romantic rival, Jiang Hao threw him under the bus without hesitation.
At this moment, Wang Yan was dumbfounded. Regardless of anything else, he and Jiang Hao had known each other for years and were, on the surface, good brothers with a decent relationship.
He could never have imagined that Jiang Hao would be so despicable. For a woman, he would do something so treacherous, forgetting all brotherhood. Not helping was one thing, but to actually expose and undermine him right in front of Bai Ruochen...
This truly caught Wang Yan completely off guard. A surge of fury lodged in his chest. It was only because Wang Yan's cultivation was profound that he didn't spray blood on the spot; anyone else might have died of sheer rage from Jiang Hao's actions.
As for Wang Yan, standing there in utter embarrassment and shock, frozen in place, Jiang Hao felt not a shred of sympathy. Totally disregarding their past brotherhood, he eagerly seized the initiative, clasped his fists toward Bai Ruochen, and said:
"Hello, Miss Bai. My name is Jiang Hao. This place is so vast, yet we're able to meet here. What a fateful coincidence!"
"What kind of fate? You obviously followed her the whole way and asked the Feathersage Sect disciples for directions before you caught up to Miss Bai!" This was the moment Wang Yan finally got his chance for payback. Adopting the spirit of "if you won't play fair, don't expect me to," he exposed Jiang Hao's misdeeds.
"Jiang Hao, you— how dare you criticize me? If you weren't following her, then how did you end up here?" Jiang Hao retorted furiously.
"Sure, I followed her, but I did it openly and aboveboard! Not like you, sneaking after Miss Bai like a creep and then putting on that innocent face, calling it fate. Pah! Have you no shame?" Wang Yan opened his big mouth and spat out a glob of phlegm. Jiang Hao had made a fool of him earlier, and now he intended to return the favor in full.
"Whoa— Wang Yan, you—" The glob of phlegm came flying at him. If Jiang Hao hadn't dodged in time, it would have landed right on his face. He was truly enraged now, reaching out a hand to grab Wang Yan, ready to settle things physically.
Wang Yan was not one to back down either. These two brothers, who had been on good terms for years, were actually about to come to blows over a woman.
"Ahem, forgive me, Junior Sister Bai. My two senior brothers here have a rather... comedic temperament. Please don't mind them. In truth, the few of us came here with no ulterior motive—we're all about to join Azure Wood Mountain, so we simply wanted to get acquainted with you in advance." While Jiang Hao and Wang Yan were busy bickering, Yuan Qing seized the opening and began showering Bai Ruochen with courteous attention.
At that moment, Bai Ruochen's gaze had been drawn to the squabbling Wang Yan and Jiang Hao. Only when Yuan Qing spoke did she shift her eyes toward him.
Seeing Bai Ruochen look his way, Yuan Qing felt a rush of exhilaration. He quickly bowed again, adopting a refined and gentlemanly demeanor, and said: "My name is Yuan Qing. A pleasure to meet you, Junior Sister Bai."
Beside him, Huang Juan wore a look of sheer astonishment. Even Wang Yan and Jiang Hao, who had been too busy arguing to notice, were now stunned—because they realized they had thoroughly underestimated Yuan Qing.
Judging from his recent string of actions, Yuan Qing clearly had a way with women. And his technique was leagues above anything Wang Yan or Jiang Hao could muster.
Actually, what tricks did Wang Yan and Jiang Hao really have? They relied on being geniuses, with countless women falling for them. Getting girls was usually as simple as one word — they never needed any real technique, so they had no idea how to actually win a girl's favor.
However, after witnessing Yuan Qing's moves, they suddenly understood. This guy was an absolute master at playing the field — a true gentleman on the surface and a beast underneath.
But just when everyone thought Yuan Qing would win Bai Ruochen's affection, something astonishing happened. A flash of icy coldness suddenly surfaced in Bai Ruochen's eyes. With a gaze brimming with disdain — bordering on outright disgust — she swept a glance over Yuan Qing, then turned and walked away without saying a single word.
Badass. Now that's what you call truly badass.
Some women put on an act of aloofness, playing the part of an untouchable goddess before ordinary men, treating them with disdain. But the moment a man of real strength shows up, their true colors come out.
Bai Ruochen was nothing like that. She was cold toward ordinary men, creating an untouchable distance. But toward men of actual ability, she didn't soften — she got even colder. That much was clear from how she was treating Yuan Qing, Wang Yan, and Jiang Hao right now.
Watching Bai Ruochen's retreating figure, Chu Feng felt a flicker of something like pride. Only now did he truly realize how fortunate he was to have been able to speak with Bai Ruochen up close.
Sure, Bai Ruochen and he weren't exactly close, but at least he could laugh and joke with her, even tease her without restraint. Meanwhile, Yuan Qing and the others didn't even have the right to exchange a word with her. Comparing it all, Chu Feng suddenly felt that he was incredibly fortunate.
Chu Feng felt fortunate, but Yuan Qing, Wang Yan, and Jiang Hao were utterly stunned. A crushing sense of failure washed over them, like plunging into an endless abyss.
What just happened? The three of them were renowned geniuses throughout the Azure Wood Domain, with countless women throwing themselves at them. They had nearly turned on each other just to win Bai Ruochen's favor — and this was her response? She didn't give them the slightest attention and just walked away like that? The blow was devastating.
Reluctant, extremely reluctant, and especially Yuan Qing. He had imagined a hundred different reactions from Bai Ruochen, but this was the one possibility he had never considered.
"Junior Sister Bai, could it be that Yuan Qing made some mistake and offended you?" Still unwilling to accept it, Yuan Qing voiced his question.
And as soon as Yuan Qing spoke, Bai Ruochen did indeed stop. She turned her head and, in a flat tone, spoke a single sentence. "Since you've asked, then I'll give you an answer."
"Remember this: do not speak to me again in the future, because I can't be bothered to pay attention to scum like you."