THE REAL PROTEGE-Chapter 490: REN AND LILY GOT BULLIED

"I’ll go with you," Shun said to Ren, his tone steady, already imagining the Valley’s streets as another training ground.

"Let me join you, too," Fatty chimed in, his grin wide and his enthusiasm unshaken, walking toward Lily as he held her hand.

Soon, more voices joined. Goldie, Ailun, and Nicu stepped forward, each eager to explore and test themselves in the Valley’s atmosphere.

The group grew as more disciples enthusiastically joined Ren and Lily. Laughter echoed as their numbers swelled, everyone eager to explore. What began as a stroll became a lively excursion, driven by curiosity and the impending Family Competition.

Ling Li watched them go, her heart both proud and cautious. The Hidden Valley was beautiful, but it was also dangerous. Rival clans lurked in every corner, their eyes sharp, their ambitions ruthless. As the group turned a corner, Ling Li caught a glimpse of an all-too-familiar emblem perched atop a rooftop — a hawk poised for flight. It was the symbol of the rival Hyun Clan, subtle yet menacing against the sunset, a silent reminder of the ever-present tensions awaiting beneath the surface.

’Let them enjoy these two days,’ Ling Li thought. ’Soon, the Valley will no longer be a place of laughter, but of trials. It will become a crucible, ready to test their mettle and determination. And every one of them must be ready.’

Ling Li, with a subtle, almost unseen move, gave the Seven Shah an order to follow the group.

The cheers of the crowd still echoed in the streets, but beneath the celebration lay tension — the quiet hum of rivalries waiting to ignite.

The Boutique Encounter

Ren and Lily stepped through the ornate threshold of an exclusive women’s boutique. Their senses were immediately enveloped by the heady perfume of aged sandalwood incense, which curled lazily from bronze censers. The interior gleamed with opulence — mahogany shelves displayed delicate ornaments carved from luminous moonstone, silken scarves dyed in gradients of sunset hues, and jade accessories that hummed with faint spiritual energy. Crystalline lanterns cast a warm golden glow across the polished marble floor. Intricate patterns of phoenixes and peonies were inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

The men who had accompanied them — Reginald with his stern military bearing, the boisterous Leeroy, contemplative Shun, rotund Fatty, golden-haired Goldie, quiet Ailun, and sharp-eyed Nicu — remained clustered outside like sentinels. They exchanged awkward glances and shuffled their feet. Each was acutely aware that entering a women’s boutique could mark them as hopelessly uncultured or suspiciously forward. None dared risk either reputation.

Ren’s eyes sparkled with the delight of a connoisseur. Her slender fingers lifted a jade pendant from its velvet cushion. The stone was the color of spring leaves after rain; its surface was polished to mirror-smoothness. It emanated a gentle warmth that pulsed in rhythm with her own spiritual energy. Faint runic inscriptions, nearly invisible to the untrained eye, spiraled across its surface — protective wards woven by a master craftsman.

Lily, meanwhile, gravitated toward a display of hair accessories. Her keen eye caught on a hairpin that seemed deceptively simple at first glance. Carved from black jade and etched with patterns of blooming night orchids, the piece held a deadly secret. Concealed within its elegant design was a razor-sharp edge — the metal forged from meteoric iron and capable of slicing through spiritual barriers. She tested its weight discreetly. It was perfectly balanced for both adornment and assassination.

When they approached the lacquered counter inlaid with mother-of-pearl lotus blossoms, the attendant—a middle-aged woman with her hair swept into an elaborate bun secured by silver pins — smiled politely. Her expression carried the practiced patience of one accustomed to dealing with ignorant newcomers. She shook her head with gentle regret, her jade bangles chiming softly.

"I’m terribly sorry, young ladies. You must be new to the Hidden Valley," she said, her voice carrying the melodic accent of the Valley’s native inhabitants. "Mortal coinage holds no value within these sacred walls. Here, we trade only in the currency of cultivation — spirit stones pulsing with qi, crystallized Bloodstones drawn from ancient battlefields, Immortal Jade — the ancients called it Essene Jade — or Beast cores still warm with primal energy. Even our most modest transactions require gold or silver. The Valley’s spiritual density will not accommodate lesser currencies."

Ren and Lily exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting in a moment of shared surprise. A faint flush crept across Ren’s porcelain cheeks — not from shame, but from the sudden realization of how vast the chasm between their old world and this new one truly was. Lily’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. Her pride bristled at being caught unprepared, though her expression remained carefully neutral.

"We understand," Ren politely replied.

The Jealous Remarks

The boutique was crowded with women from different sects. Their robes bore the emblems of prestigious cultivation families — the Silver Crane Sect’s flowing white silk, the Crimson Phoenix Pavilion’s flame-embroidered crimson, and the Jade Serpent Clan’s emerald brocade. Many eyed Ren and Lily, since their entrance, their gazes sharp with the venom that beautiful women reserve for rivals. Thinly veiled envy flickered across painted faces and narrowed eyes. Whispers rose like poisoned daggers, each word calculated to wound.

"Hah, look at them — newcomers who don’t even know how to pay properly."

"So ignorant. Did they crawl out of some backwater village?"

"Pretty faces, but no brains. They think jade pendants and hairpins can be bought with dollars?"

Ren straightened her back, her spine becoming a rod of steel wrapped in silk. She had weathered far worse storms than petty jealousy — betrayals that would have shattered lesser souls. These barbed words were mosquito bites compared to wounds she’d endured. Refusing to let the insults pierce her composure, she lifted her chin with regal bearing. Her voice, when she spoke, was calm as a mountain lake, carrying clearly through the boutique’s suddenly hushed atmosphere:

"Reginald, come inside."

The Escalation

As Reginald entered, his broad shoulders filled the doorway. Leeroy and the others filed in with varying degrees of discomfort. The jealous women’s sneers grew louder and more vicious. Their voices took on the shrill quality of those who sense their advantage slipping, desperation sharpening their cruelty.

"Oh, so they need men to pay for them? How pathetic."

"Can’t even stand on their own feet. Always hiding behind men."

"What kind of cultivators are they if they can’t even afford a trinket?"

Lily’s hand tightened around her newly chosen hair accessory, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the hidden weapon. Her eyes flashed with barely contained fury. The amber flecks in her irises seemed to ignite with dangerous light. Violent scenarios played out in her imagination — each insult catalogued, each sneering face memorized for future retribution. Ren’s hand settled on her arm like a calming talisman, warm and steady, urging restraint. Not here. Not now. The unspoken message passed between them through that single touch.