As soon as the cousin left, the cousin came knocking right after. Zhang Yiyi glanced at Yuan Ying, only to see that he too had a look of bewilderment.

She couldn't figure out why this pair of cousins kept showing up one after the other. Could they really not wait a moment longer?

However, their coordination was surprisingly poor. If they wanted to come, why not come together? After all, it's not like they didn't know what was going on with each other.

Still, Zhang Yiyi happily granted Mo Yan access to the courtyard's protective array and didn't stop him from entering.

As Yuan Ying would say, since the person came in person, no matter the reason, it's best to settle the matter once and for all, saving her the trouble of making another trip.

To put it bluntly, the engagement between the Mo and Yuan families back then was nothing more than a verbal agreement, without any proper tokens exchanged, let alone an official betrothal.

So, breaking the engagement wasn't that complicated, especially since the letter already bore the seal of the person who made the verbal agreement back then—her muddle-headed father.

If not for the respect shown to True Saint Tianjiu, she wouldn't even need to deliver the divorce letter in person.

Thus, her appearance wasn't meant to humiliate anyone or to forge a bitter enmity with the Mo family.

On the contrary, according to the family elder's wishes, allowing the younger generation to handle it themselves meant that the conflict would remain a personal matter between individuals, without dragging the entire family into it.

That was one of the reasons Yuan Ying couldn't be bothered to deal with Du Sanniang.

Otherwise, in the cultivation world where strength reigns supreme, even if she had no feelings for Mo Yan, she wouldn't have allowed a mere wandering female cultivator to play tricks and stir up trouble in front of her, especially when the verbal engagement hadn't yet been officially resolved. It was downright disgusting.

"Yuan Ying, what exactly do you want? What's the meaning of all this? What nonsense have you been telling Sanniang?"

Mo Yan barged in angrily, directly questioning Yuan Ying as if she had committed some unforgivable crime.

"Mo Yan, are you out of your mind? How dare you come here to question me without knowing anything?"

Yuan Ying wasn't the least bit angry, truly not. She just found it hard to believe how someone like Mo Yan, with such a messed-up mind, could exist.

Especially considering that this person almost became her future Dao companion—it was terrifying just to think about.

On the side, Zhang Yiyi was equally dumbfounded by the situation.

Du Sanniang, well done! How long has it been since she left her courtyard, and already Mo Yan's acting like a madman, rushing over to question and lecture his rightful fiancée.

Heh, Zhang Yiyi suddenly had some insight into why, despite being the disciple of a True Saint from the Great Ascension stage, Mo Yan had been in the sect for so many years, yet she had barely heard of him, and his reputation was virtually non-existent.

At first, she thought it was because he was low-key and didn't like the spotlight. But now it seemed like it was probably because he wasn't all that bright.

Also, if she had such a dense disciple, she'd probably want to hide him as much as possible to avoid embarrassment too.

Zhang Yiyi's free-spirited imagination didn't interfere with Yuan Ying's confrontation with Mo Yan. Just as Mo Yan was about to speak again to argue, Yuan Ying didn't even give him the chance to open his mouth.

"Your dear cousin shows up uninvited, and now you do the same. Do you think I, Yuan Ying, am easy to bully? I'm now a distinguished guest of your Yunxian Sect, and here you all are, coming at me out of nowhere. Have you forgotten the meaning of the word 'respect'? Does True Saint Tianjiu know how disgracefully the people of your Inner Five Peaks behave? You're not only embarrassing the Inner First Peak, but you're also disgracing yourselves in front of my Lishan Sect! And you still have the nerve to show your face!"

"Enough, enough! I don't care what tricks you're playing. Anyway, listen carefully: apart from a verbal engagement, there's nothing between us. Don't think you're so important that everyone is pining for you. Pah! If you hadn't come looking for me today, I would've sought you out myself!"

"I, Yuan Ying, have always acted with integrity, without hidden agendas. I'm not like you and your scheming ways. Since you're here, it saves me the trouble of making another trip. Here, take this letter. It bears my father's seal, and from this moment on, our engagement is completely dissolved and null!"

Yuan Ying rattled off her words without giving Mo Yan a chance to speak. Only when he heard the word "letter" did his expression completely change.

"What did you say? Breaking up the engagement?"

He couldn't believe it as he took the paper that Yuan Ying had practically thrown in his face. Only after reading the contents did he realize that things had spiraled completely out of his control.

"Yes, breaking up the engagement! It's written clearly on the letter, isn't it?"

Yuan Ying looked impatient. "Also, back at the Luoxian River mystic realm, I already told you I wanted to break off the engagement. Why do you always act like you don't understand human speech?"

"Yuan Ying!"

Mo Yan, furious, yelled in anger. This woman not only wanted to break off the engagement but also dared to insult and mock him so lightly.

"Stop yelling, I'm not deaf, I can hear you," Yuan Ying responded calmly, without the slightest intention of getting entangled with Mo Yan. "The letter has already been given to you, so stop dragging the two families into this. Marriage is meant to unite two surnames, not create enmity. I really don't fancy you, so for the good of both families, it's best to call off this engagement. Alright, from now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Stop overthinking things and please leave—I'm busy catching up with my friends."

Breaking off the engagement didn't need so many reasons. Whether Mo Yan had other women in the past, now, or in the future, she simply didn't care for a man like him.

A person's cultivation level wasn't the issue—his temperament and character were the real flaws. At the time, she didn't know Mo Yan very well, and accepting the engagement seemed fine. Even though she didn't like him, she didn't feel much resentment either, since in the world of cultivation, most Dao companions were formed this way.

If the family said to arrange it, then so be it. After all, her main goal in life was cultivation, and everything else was secondary, not really affecting her much.

But once she truly understood what kind of person her fiancé was, expecting her to stay silent, pretend she didn't know, and swallow this disgusting pill was truly too much.

Cultivators need to be true to their hearts, and since she clearly didn't want this engagement anymore, it was only natural to break it off. Otherwise, not only would it be like swallowing filth, but it would also affect her state of mind and hinder her cultivation, which would be utterly foolish.

If she were just an ordinary girl from the Yuan family with no special talent, her family would be the first to oppose breaking off the engagement. But Yuan Ying was fortunate to live in a world where strength was respected, and she was the strongest, most gifted, and most promising among her generation, male or female!

Ultimately, the family elder decisively allowed her to follow her heart and break off the engagement, even though it would inevitably cause some estrangement with the Mo family.

Originally, the marriage was arranged not only for mutual benefits but also because Mo Yan was a direct descendant and personal disciple of a True Saint from the Great Ascension stage. The hope was that she could benefit from this connection and go further on her cultivation path.

But now that things had turned out this way, the elder wouldn't be foolish enough to sacrifice the future of a genius from the family for a harmful engagement.

After finishing her words, Yuan Ying gestured for Mo Yan to leave, making it clear he should go. She had given him the letter and had spoken clearly. If Mo Yan had even a shred of dignity left, he should turn around and leave immediately.

Otherwise, not just Yuan Ying, but anyone would look down on someone like him.

"Fine, fine, fine! Yuan Ying, Yuan family, I'll remember this humiliation today!"

Sure enough, Mo Yan, pale with rage, couldn't stay any longer. Even though there weren't many people watching, he couldn't stand the humiliation of remaining there any longer.

But he had firmly etched this grudge into his heart—not just against Yuan Ying, but against the entire Yuan family that dared to belittle and insult him!

"Sister Yuan, you've truly won my admiration once again!"

After Mo Yan left, Zhang Yiyi couldn't help but gaze at Yuan Ying with starry, admiring eyes.

With just a few words, she had sent him packing, forcing Mo Yan to swallow his anger and take the divorce letter without any unnecessary drama. Her straightforward combativeness was truly a model for women everywhere!

Just one sentence, "I really don't fancy you," was enough to completely shatter Mo Yan's baseless arrogance and superiority. No matter how thick-skinned Mo Yan was, he couldn't possibly refuse the breakup.

As for whether this would cause Mo Yan to resent her and create future trouble, there was no need to worry at all. No matter how gently she handled the situation, she still had to break off the engagement, and once that happened, Mo Yan would inevitably hate her—and the Yuan family too.

No, even if they didn't break off the engagement, given Mo Yan's character, he would never truly like her anyway. Plus, with Du Sanniang—who seemed to love stirring up trouble—hanging around, it was only a matter of time before Mo Yan started resenting her.

"What's there to admire? He brought this upon himself by rushing over here to make a fool of himself. If I had gone to him personally, I could've left him with a little dignity," Yuan Ying said, feeling much more relaxed now that the divorce letter had been delivered.

She wasn't worried about Mo Yan going back on his word after receiving the letter. After all, Zhang Yiyi was a witness, and it would be impossible for him to deny it. Besides, she wasn't fighting this battle alone—her uncle had prepared a backup plan. Even if the Mo family was upset, they would have no choice but to swallow their pride in the end.

For the next three days, Yuan Ying stayed with Zhang Yiyi, enjoying good food, drink, and company, and happily touring the entire Yunxian Sect. Of course, they also spent much of their time sparring and exchanging cultivation experiences, living a carefree life.

Mo Yan, as expected, did not show up to cause trouble. However, word of Yuan Ying's broken engagement still began to spread, although not many people knew about it yet. Zhang Yiyi had anticipated this and was the first to find out.

"Tsk tsk, this Du Sanniang is something else. I bet she's the one who leaked the news about the broken engagement," Yuan Ying remarked as soon as she heard the rumors, having already figured it out.

There were only a few people who knew what happened that day, and neither she nor Yiyi would spread gossip like that. Mo Yan certainly wouldn't either, as being dumped by a woman was an unbearable humiliation for him. He would rather keep it hidden, not announce it himself.

So, the only one left who could do such a thing was Du Sanniang.

"Ugh, is that woman's brain broken?" Zhang Yiyi wondered aloud. "Doesn't she realize that once Mo Yan finds out, her ending will be terrible? Besides, the engagement is already over. What good could spreading the news do her?"

"She'll probably blame me for leaking it. Knowing how Mo Yan thinks, he's sure to believe that," Yuan Ying said, suddenly feeling indignant. Why should she take the blame for that woman's actions? Even if she didn't care much, it wasn't fair.

As for what Du Sanniang stood to gain by leaking the news, Yuan Ying wasn't sure. Only Du Sanniang herself likely knew.

"Hmm, you're right. Maybe I'll get dragged into this too," Zhang Yiyi added with a sigh.

Mo Yan's mindset was too unpredictable, but since she had already offended him in the secret realm of Luoxian River, she didn't mind another grudge.

However, both Yuan Ying and Zhang Yiyi agreed on one thing: they weren't going to take the blame for Du Sanniang's mess.

The two exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other's thoughts, and burst out laughing, a bit mischievously.

...

Three days later, Yuan Ying's uncle, the Grand Elder of the Lishan Sect, personally made his way to the Inner Five Peaks.

The people from Lishan had been secretly discussing important matters with Yunxian Sect's leaders during this time, and without a major reason, they couldn't be disturbed. It wasn't until after business was concluded that Yuan Ying's uncle found out she had already delivered the letter to Mo Yan days ago.

Upon hearing the details, he wasn't upset at all. In fact, he thought it was even better that it had happened that way—striking while the iron was hot.

He immediately took over the situation and, without letting Yuan Ying get involved anymore, went directly to the Inner Five Peaks under the pretense of apologizing to True Saint Tianjiu.

Normally, someone of the Great Ascension stage like True Saint Tianjiu wouldn't meet with just anyone, but Yuan Ying's uncle had come as a distinguished guest of the Lishan Sect and was offering an apology on behalf of a young and foolish family member. Although Tianjiu did not personally meet him, he did allow him to enter his cave residence and speak.

Yuan Ying's uncle was quite a clever man. He avoided mentioning any conflict between the Yuan and Mo families, focusing instead on how impetuous, reckless, and thoughtless Yuan Ying had been, how she couldn't let go of some outside rumors, and how she had acted on her own while he was away on important business. He emphasized that the situation was beyond repair by the time he found out and that it was entirely his fault for not raising her properly. He sincerely apologized for having such a headstrong family member who wasn't worthy of the disciple of a True Saint.

His apology was delivered with such heartfelt sincerity that it left no room for criticism, yet he never once brought up the possibility of reversing the engagement.

Thus, even True Saint Tianjiu couldn't escalate the matter between the two families over something so trivial, nor could he intervene in a decision that had already been made.