As Su Yang neared the gardens, faint voices suddenly reached his ears.
He immediately stopped walking.
There were people ahead.
Out of curiosity, Su Yang quickly withdrew his aura as much as possible and quietly hid behind a nearby bush. Carefully parting the leaves, he observed the two figures standing within the garden.
There was a man and a woman.
Su Yang immediately recognized the woman.
"Luwei'er?"
She was Yi Luwei, Elder Yi's beloved granddaughter and one of Su Yang's closest childhood companions.
But who was the man standing with her?
Su Yang narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the figure.
The moment he recognized him, his expression darkened.
"Fu Yancheng…"
He muttered the name through gritted teeth.
Su Yang hated that man to the bone.
Fu Yancheng was several years older than them and had always been an arrogant bully. Because of his status and cultivation, very few members of the younger generation dared to provoke him.
His father was one of the Vice Sect Masters of the Heavenly Lightning Saber Sect, a powerful Rank One sect famous throughout the Southern Continent.
Ironically, the Heavenly Lightning Saber Sect was also Su Yang's dream sect.
Ever since he had begun cultivating, he had dreamed of joining the sect and becoming a powerful saber cultivator.
Fu Yancheng himself was already an Inner Sect disciple of the Heavenly Lightning Saber Sect and possessed a cultivation base at the Eighth Level of the Origin Realm.
Compared to him, Su Yang's cultivation at the Second Level of the Spirit Realm was pitifully weak.
The difference between them was simply too great.
Even if ten current Su Yangs attacked Fu Yancheng together, the result would probably remain unchanged.
So what could a mere Second-Level Spirit Realm cultivator possibly do against an Eighth-Level Origin Realm cultivator?
Nothing.
For now, Su Yang could only swallow his hatred and anger.
However, he was curious about why Fu Yancheng and Yi Luwei were meeting here.
He remained hidden and continued listening.
"Luwei'er, why won't you accept my proposal?" Fu Yancheng asked, stepping closer to her. "Can't you see that I truly love you?"
Yi Luwei's expression immediately became cold.
"Fu Yancheng, I am repeating this for the last time. I have no feelings for you, and I want absolutely nothing to do with you."
Her voice became increasingly irritated.
"You're getting on my nerves."
She turned around.
"Excuse me."
Fu Yancheng's expression darkened.
"Is it because of that trash Su Yang?"
Yi Luwei stopped.
Fu Yancheng's jealousy finally erupted.
"Are you rejecting me because you have feelings for that talentless human being?" he demanded angrily.
He suddenly reached forward and grabbed her arm before she could leave.
"Why him?"
Yi Luwei's eyes immediately turned icy.
"Get your hands off me this instant."
Fu Yancheng refused to release her.
"How dare you, Fu Yancheng!"
Bang!
Yi Luwei forcefully freed herself from his grasp and immediately sent a palm strike toward him.
Fu Yancheng raised his arm and blocked the attack.
A small shockwave spread through the garden.
Su Yang, who was still hiding behind the bush, was startled.
His first instinct was to rush out and help Yi Luwei.
However, he stopped himself.
His fists clenched tightly.
He was simply too weak.
If he interfered recklessly, not only would he fail to help Yi Luwei, but he might even become a burden to her.
Fortunately, they were inside the Yi Family residence. No matter how arrogant Fu Yancheng was, Su Yang believed he would not dare to do anything truly outrageous here.
Suddenly—
Rustle!
A sound came from the bushes nearby.
Both Yi Luwei and Fu Yancheng immediately turned toward it.
"Who's there?" Yi Luwei shouted.
A small knife instantly appeared in her hand.
Without hesitation, she threw it toward the source of the sound.
Whoosh!
The knife pierced through the leaves.
A loud shriek immediately came from the bush.
"Meow!"
A large, furry white cat suddenly leapt out.
Surprisingly, it was completely unharmed.
Yi Luwei's tense expression immediately relaxed.
"Princess!"
She heaved a sigh of relief upon recognizing her beloved cat.
"Come here, Princess."
However, instead of approaching Yi Luwei, Princess raised her head and sniffed the air.
Then she began walking toward another bush.
The exact bush where Su Yang was hiding.
Su Yang's expression changed.
Oh no.
He stared at the approaching white cat.
This cat is going to expose me.
His mind raced.
I have to act fast.
His eyes landed on a flower growing beside him.
An idea immediately appeared.
Su Yang decisively plucked the flower and stood up from behind the bush as naturally as possible.
"Su Yang?"
Yi Luwei stared at him in surprise.
Su Yang put on his most innocent expression.
"Oh, Luwei'er! What are you doing here?"
He acted completely surprised by her presence while completely ignoring Fu Yancheng as though the man did not even exist.
Yi Luwei suddenly became embarrassed.
"Ehm… Brother Su Yang, what are you also doing here?"
"I was just strolling around while waiting for your grandfather."
Su Yang raised the flower in his hand.
"Look, I even found a beautiful flower."
He glanced at the flower and then at Yi Luwei.
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Here. It's for you."
Before Yi Luwei could react, Su Yang stepped closer and gently placed the flower in her hair.
"There."
He stepped back and admired his work.
"It suits you."
Yi Luwei froze.
Her cheeks instantly became red.
"Thank you, Brother Su Yang," she murmured shyly.
Hidden behind her usual confidence, Yi Luwei suddenly looked like an embarrassed young maiden.
Su Yang smiled.
However, there was one person who did not find the scene amusing.
Fu Yancheng.
His expression had become terrifyingly dark.
Yi Luwei was regarded as one of the Ten Great Beauties of the Azure Water Dragon Abode. Countless talented young cultivators admired her, yet she rarely showed any of them special attention.
Just moments ago, she had treated Fu Yancheng with nothing but coldness and disgust.
Yet now she was blushing simply because Su Yang had placed a flower in her hair.
Worse still, the person receiving such treatment was the person Fu Yancheng hated most.
Jealousy and rage immediately consumed him.
"SU YANG!"
His furious shout echoed throughout the garden.
Su Yang finally turned toward him.
"Oh. Fu Yancheng. You were here too?"
Fu Yancheng nearly coughed blood from anger.
"You—!"
His fists clenched.
"How dare you touch Luwei'er like that? How can trash like you have such audacity?"
He stepped forward aggressively.
"I will punish you on her behalf!"
"FU YANCHENG!"
Yi Luwei's furious shout immediately stopped him.
The shy, blushing maiden from moments earlier disappeared.
In her place returned the fierce tigress Su Yang knew all too well.
Yi Luwei stepped protectively in front of Su Yang.
"Who gave you the guts to speak to my Brother Su Yang like that?"
Fu Yancheng stared at her.
"Luwei'er, I'm only—"
"Shut up!"
Yi Luwei pointed angrily at him.
"Just because your cultivation is higher than his doesn't mean you can bully him whenever you please."
Her expression became colder.
"Do you want to know why I rejected you?"
Fu Yancheng fell silent.
"I'll tell you."
Yi Luwei's words became sharper with each sentence.
"Because I hate the sight of you."
Fu Yancheng's face stiffened.
"You are arrogant, pompous, selfish, and spoiled. You believe your father's position means everyone should bow before you, and you act as though the entire world revolves around you."
"Luwei'er…"
"And another thing."
Yi Luwei grabbed Su Yang by the wrist.
"You can never compare to my Su Yang!"
Su Yang blinked.
My Su Yang?
Even he had not expected those words.
Yi Luwei, however, was too angry to notice what she had just said.
"Let's go, Brother Su Yang."
She dragged him away without giving Fu Yancheng another glance.
Princess happily followed behind them, her fluffy tail swaying from side to side.
Fu Yancheng remained alone in the garden.
His entire body trembled.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms.
He watched Yi Luwei disappear while holding Su Yang's hand.
Hatred filled his eyes.
Su Yang…
I will kill you!
He swore viciously in his heart.
You think you can compete with me simply because Luwei'er protects you? You're nothing but a talentless piece of trash.
His gaze became increasingly sinister.
Then his thoughts turned toward Yi Luwei.
The humiliation he had suffered moments earlier twisted his affection into resentment.
And you…
You think you're so high and mighty simply because you're Elder Yi's granddaughter?
A cruel smile slowly appeared on Fu Yancheng's face.
Once Su Yang is out of the way, I'll make you regret humiliating me today.
Fu Yancheng's anger gradually subsided as a wicked plan began forming in his mind.
His lips curled into a sinister smirk.
"Enjoy yourselves while you still can."
He turned and walked away.
Neither Su Yang nor Yi Luwei knew it yet, but the confrontation in the garden had planted the seed of a far greater conflict.