After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 90 - "No Way, Right?"

The next morning, the grand festivities in the capital were far from over.

Yesterday had been the City Lord’s birthday banquet, a private celebration among the noble families.

Today, however, marked the main event of the Four Great Families’ gathering—a lavish feast accompanied by public sparring matches.

“Ah, isn’t this the An family’s young lady? Please, take your seat!”

Early in the morning, An Luo Yi arrived with He Ange, taking their designated seats.

The younger generation was seated on the first and second floors of the pavilion, close to the sparring platform, while the elders of the noble families occupied the higher floors for a better view.

The rules of the sparring matches were simple.

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Anyone could step onto the stage and wait for challengers from other families. Participation was voluntary; those who didn’t wish to reveal their skills could simply sit back and watch.

As per tradition, the first participants were usually the younger children of the families.

The first to step forward was a bright-eyed boy of thirteen or fourteen. Despite his young age, he had already reached the Qi Refinement stage, making him a promising junior cultivator.

The boy stood on the stage, occasionally glancing toward a young girl from the Liu family seated in the pavilion. It was clear he wanted to show off his skills to impress her.

His challenger was another boy from a different family.

The two sparred for a while, their abilities evenly matched.

Their techniques were simple, and their strength was limited. But as it was just a playful competition among children, the elders didn’t take it too seriously. It was all in good fun.

Watching the match, He Ange couldn’t help but reminisce about his own childhood.

And...

About An Luo Yi’s childhood.

“Back then, Senior Sister nearly froze the entire pavilion into an ice sculpture with a single sword strike,” He Ange said, breaking the silence.

Beside him, the silver-haired fairy blushed slightly, her gaze turning reproachful as she glared at him.

“That’s only because someone kept badmouthing you, and it made me angry.”

When they were younger, a boy on the sparring stage had made some snide remarks, prompting An Luo Yi to unleash an Ice Sword Qi that nearly destroyed the entire stage.

If not for the intervention of several Core Formation cultivators from the noble families, multiple pavilions might have been damaged.

Recalling the past, An Luo Yi turned to He Ange, her interest piqued.

“Do you want to give it a try?” she asked.

“I’ll pass,” He Ange replied, shaking his head.

But An Luo Yi, noticing the clarity in his eyes, smiled faintly.

“The He Ange I remember was always eager to spar, never missing a chance to fight two rounds on the stage.”

As his senior sister, An Luo Yi secretly hoped He Ange would step onto the stage.

Just as men enjoyed watching women dance and sing, An Luo Yi found herself drawn to He Ange’s displays of strength.

“That was when I was young and foolish, thinking winning fights made me look cool. I just wanted to show off...”

“And now?”

“Now, I don’t need to spar. Senior Sister already has her eyes on me,” He Ange said with a smug grin.

An Luo Yi was momentarily stunned, her cheeks once again betraying a faint blush. However, this time, she managed to hide her reaction.

She shot him a disdainful look, turning away with a cold huff.

“Narcissist. I’m not looking at you anymore...”

Just as An Luo Yi finished speaking, a green-robed fairy approached.

The green-robed fairy walked past An Luo Yi and stopped directly in front of He Ange.

“Miss Moqing? What are you doing here?”

“It’s been a while, Young Master He.”

“?!”

He Ange’s surprised exclamation caught An Luo Yi’s attention. She turned slightly, only to see the graceful figure of the green-robed fairy—none other than Liu Moqing, the immortal attendant who had narrowly escaped death at the Abyss Spirit Hall.

Though Liu Moqing appeared unchanged on the surface, her cultivation had been completely destroyed. She wore a simple green-and-white dress, her face still radiating a sunny smile.

An Luo Yi was momentarily taken aback.

She hadn’t expected Liu Moqing to remain so optimistic despite her misfortune.

“Ah, Miss Luo Yi, it’s been a while,” Liu Moqing greeted warmly upon noticing An Luo Yi’s gaze.

Meanwhile, He Ange, ever the gentleman, pulled out a chair for Liu Moqing.

She accepted without hesitation, sitting beside him.

“I’m here because I’m a member of the Liu family. My father asked me to come home, and I thought... I might run into you two here,” she explained casually, showing no signs of bitterness.

“Miss Moqing, about what happened before...” An Luo Yi began, her voice tinged with guilt.

But Liu Moqing simply shook her head with a smile. “It’s fine. You’ve already apologized to me so many times, Miss Luo Yi. I really don’t blame you.”

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, He Ange quickly changed the subject to something lighter.

“Miss Moqing, how’s the fabric shop doing lately?”

“Thanks to you, business has been great!” she replied cheerfully.

“That’s good to hear.”

“And, and, you won’t believe it, Young Master He! Ever since the dresses and stockings you designed became popular, so many fabric shop owners have approached me for collaborations. Should I agree to work with them? I’m new to this business and not sure what to do.”

“Uh, maybe start with a contract.”

As soon as Liu Moqing sat down, she and He Ange were engrossed in conversation, her gaze filled with warmth as she looked at him.

Listening from the side, An Luo Yi learned for the first time that after Liu Moqing’s cultivation was crippled, she had started running a fabric shop at He Ange’s suggestion.

It was a brilliant idea.

He Ange had always been skilled at designing clothes, and Liu Moqing, with her newfound free time, had nothing else to do.

Running a fabric shop suited her perfectly.

More importantly...

Liu Moqing was genuinely cheerful. Despite losing her path as a cultivator, she found joy and fulfillment in her new venture.

This was a kind of optimism An Luo Yi could never muster.

Still...

They seemed to get along exceptionally well, their conversation flowing effortlessly.

Normally, An Luo Yi might have felt a twinge of jealousy. But Liu Moqing was an exception. As a fellow victim of the Abyss Spirit Hall incident, An Luo Yi felt a sense of guilt toward her.

At this point, Liu Moqing was merely discussing business with He Ange. An Luo Yi couldn’t bring herself to feel petty about it.

With a resigned sigh, An Luo Yi quietly watched them chat.

Meanwhile, the children’s sparring matches came to an end.

Next up were the matches between the more advanced cultivators of the noble families.

The first to step onto the stage was Li Zijing from the City Lord’s residence.

Li Zijing ascended the platform with a confident leap, standing tall with his hands behind his back. His mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation radiated an air of dominance, and his posture exuded readiness.

Standing there, he naturally intimidated the crowd, leaving no one willing to challenge him.

Li Zijing scanned the audience, his lips curling into a smug smile.

Then, he turned his gaze toward the second-floor pavilion where the “Destined Heroine” sat.

“Fairy Luo Yi, on such a fine day, as fellow immortal attendants of the Dragon Dynasty, why not come down and spar with me?”

When An Luo Yi didn’t respond, he shrugged theatrically, spreading his hands with a wry smile.

“Ah, it seems Fairy Luo Yi isn’t present today. What a pity.”

It was a blatant act of feigned ignorance. Li Zijing had clearly seen An Luo Yi in the pavilion but pretended otherwise, misleading the crowd below.

As murmurs spread through the audience, the elaborately dressed young man on the stage finally spoke again.

“Speaking of which, during the chaos at the Abyss Spirit Hall, Fairy Luo Yi was also absent at the critical moment. Ah... what a coincidence. Could it be that our ‘Destined Heroine’ has a unique sixth sense for danger, allowing her to abandon her fellow immortal attendant, Liu Moqing, to face the Demon Sect alone that night?”