"Why bother if you're so timid?" Yan Jiaojiao said, drawing her sword with a swish and looking down at her with a delicate stance.
Yan Ruxue's face twisted with hatred. "Do you really think you're so great? You only got lucky and obtained a treasure sword. Without it, you'd never have been able to slay a demonic beast!"
"But you don't have that luck either. You've never been as lucky as me since childhood, have you?" Yan Jiaojiao sneered.
"You, what do you mean!"
"Since I was born, you haven't surpassed me for a single day. The position of the legitimate daughter should have been yours, but it wasn't. Your cultivation isn't as good as mine, nor is your scholarship. Even though your stepmother held my mother captive for years, suppressing me at every turn, making me unable to eat or sleep well, I'm still stronger than you after all these years of hardship!"
"Even after you schemed against me, destroying my inner core and causing me to fall into the Myriad Beasts Abyss, you still couldn't do anything to me. Even the man you fancied doesn't think highly of you as a concubine-born daughter!"
"Now that we're in the academy, I'm the informant, and you're the suspect. Yan Ruxue, aren't you a complete failure?"
Yan Jiaojiao recounted Yan Ruxue's years of suppressed grievances, each word piercing Yan Ruxue's heart.
The surrounding students, drawn by the argument, gradually gathered, clearly hearing Yan Jiaojiao's calm words.
The incident on the assessment grounds had spread, making the two of them gradually known within the academy, though Yan Jiaojiao gained a good reputation, while Yan Ruxue earned a bad one.
Upon hearing Yan Jiaojiao's account, the students' gazes towards Yan Ruxue became unfriendly.
"So Yan Jiaojiao had such a miserable life, yet she can still be so outstanding. Truly remarkable!"
"Look at Yan Ruxue's expression; it's highly likely Yan Jiaojiao is telling the truth."
"No wonder Yan Jiaojiao wanted to leave the Yan family. I doubt I could have survived either; that was the Myriad Beasts Abyss!"
"And her inner core was destroyed! It seems her current inner core was regrown. She truly is a prodigy..."
The students chattered, their opinions becoming increasingly polarized, with admiration and respect for Yan Jiaojiao, and disdain and disgust for Yan Ruxue.
Yan Ruxue, who had been doted on since childhood, had never endured such pointed criticism. Her meticulously applied makeup became an object of their scorn, and the words from Yan Jiaojiao, sharp as knives, kept replaying in her mind, tormenting her every second!
"Yan Jiaojiao, Yan Jiaojiao!"
Yan Ruxue, filled with grief, anger, and frustration, could only call out Yan Jiaojiao's name hatefully to vent her emotions.
Yan Jiaojiao, however, stared at her near-崩溃 expression and said slowly, "Didn't you all spread rumors that I was stealing things? I reminded Yan Zhengfeng before I left not to act rashly. Since he didn't listen, then don't blame me for being righteous again."
"You, what else did you do?" Yan Ruxue's heart filled with fear, her previous aggression instantly weakening as she asked hesitantly.
Yan Jiaojiao smiled and delivered the final blow. "Remember the Spirit Remembering Pearl that day? It recorded your mother's intent to murder the legitimate daughter and order people to harm subordinates indiscriminately. You still remember, right? Now, everyone can see it."
Yan Ruxue's face turned ashen. "You, you dare!"
"What is there that I don't dare to do?" Yan Jiaojiao tilted her head to look at her. "If you have the guts, let Yan Zhengfeng continue to send people to hunt me within Ge Nan Academy. I'll still be ready."
Yan Ruxue stumbled back, as if all her strength had been drained.
Yan Jiaojiao leaned forward slightly and smiled, offering Yan Ruxue a "kind" reminder. "Why don't you go back to your room and contact your mother? See how her days are going. Oh, and you can even ask her, with a mother like hers, whether you, a concubine-born daughter, can even get married in the future?"
"Ah!"
Yan Ruxue completely lost her composure, screamed, and turned to run.
Yan Jiaojiao straightened up again, the smile vanishing from her face. She quietly watched Yan Ruxue's collapsing retreat, her gaze deep.
She would still retrieve the original owner's revenge bit by bit. Yan Ruxue was merely an appetizer; the entire Yan family would have to wait to face her retribution!
Yan Jiaojiao gracefully sheathed her sword and strode away, leaving the onlookers to continue their discussions.
Many students had witnessed everything that day. Some busybodies even went to search for the Spirit Remembering Pearl Yan Jiaojiao mentioned. In the circulated recordings of the pearl, they indeed saw what Yan Jiaojiao had described, further proving that Yan Jiaojiao's childhood was miserable and that she had to constantly guard against her stepmother's schemes, making her truly unfortunate.
Those who had blamed Yan Jiaojiao for leaving the Yan family were silenced by this undeniable evidence. Instead, they began to accuse the Yan family of being monstrous, even their legitimate daughter lived such a difficult life. It was truly a model of favoring concubines over wives!
The Yan family's hypocritical facade was thus exposed. Even people from the General's Mansion began to exert pressure, demanding that Yan Zhengfeng provide a thorough explanation for the death of the principal wife, Song Zhi.
It was truly a turn of fortunes, thirty years east and thirty years west. Yan Jiaojiao was no longer the girl who was looked down upon, and the Yan family was no longer a model of righteous and honorable families.
Yan Jiaojiao, upon hearing this news, was naturally quite satisfied. She even felt the Yan family should have suffered more. It was a pity that Yan Zhengfeng had accumulated some reputation through his years of demon-slaying, preventing him from falling completely from grace, though he was far from his former glory.
However, Yan Jiaojiao felt much better after scolding Yan Ruxue, no longer harboring the feeling of being stifled from before the assembly hall.
In good spirits, Yan Jiaojiao went to the mess hall and ordered some food, having a hearty meal.
Ge Nan Academy's mess hall operated all day. Since most students were cultivators and often practiced abstinence from food, they could still eat whenever the craving struck. Thus, the mess hall had staff working around the clock. The food prepared was exquisite and delicious, though served in small portions.
Yan Jiaojiao tried a variety of dishes until her stomach was round and full. She then ordered some of the dishes she found particularly delicious to go, carrying them in her hand as she slowly walked back to her residence.
Undoubtedly, the Ge Nan Academy mess hall's cooking was superb. As Yan Jiaojiao walked, the aroma wafted with her.
Students had limited time to eat and rarely took food to go. Yan Jiaojiao's stroll attracted many curious glances.
Yan Jiaojiao walked openly back to her residence. Wang Jingshuang, an elder senior sister, had already heard the rumors spreading and was waiting at the courtyard entrance. Seeing Yan Jiaojiao, she stepped forward and blocked her path. "Yan Jiaojiao, why are you bringing food back to your room?"
Yan Jiaojiao silently rolled her eyes. This senior sister truly liked to find trouble. She asked, "Does the academy have a rule against bringing food into the room?"
"This..."
Of course not, but Wang Jingshuang simply disliked it.
However, Wang Jingshuang couldn't say that aloud and stubbornly blocked Yan Jiaojiao. "I say no, so no. I am your senior sister who entered before you. You must listen to me!"