Liu Xinrong accepted everyone's congratulations repeatedly, her smile almost freezing on her face.
It wasn't because she laughed for too long, but because she could see the perfunctory attitude in those people's congratulations.
In the past, after the appraisal meeting ended, the winner would definitely be a popular figure, and even those who performed well at the appraisal meeting would have people fawning over and flattering them.
Participating in the product review conference is a platform to showcase one's abilities. At their age, to have such outstanding performance, their future development is limitless.
I thought she would steal the spotlight this time; I thought she would be the most outstanding person of the younger generation.
So she spent a lot of money to hire helpers, thoroughly researched the abilities of the participants in the appraisal meeting, and went through all sorts of hard work, but in the end, she failed at the last minute.
Yes, on the surface it seems like she won.
The prince's betrothed was the winner of the contest, but upon closer examination, which of these achievements was truly made because of her?
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the title of winner of the judging contest was not something Liu Lanyan would bestow upon her out of charity.
As for the future princess's identity... a little thought reveals that it was just an excuse Yu Jinshuo used to avoid marrying Liu Lanyan.
Listen to the people at the banquet; after greeting her, they all talked about only one name—Liu Lanyan.
"It was quite an unexpected turn of events that the Venerable One gave the Dustless Sword to Liu Lanyan."
"Haha...maybe Liu Lanyan has some outstanding qualities that caught the attention of the Lord."
"That's true. Last time Liu Lanyan asked the Venerable One for the inner core, the Venerable One wasn't angry, was he?"
"Yes, yes. It seems that Liu Lanyan holds a high position in the Lord's heart."
Liu Xinrong gripped the wine cup tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the excessive force, and her teeth grinding together loudly.
Why is no one paying attention to the banquet that was held because of her, but instead focusing on that damned, stupid woman, Liu Lanyan?
"Rong'er, don't think so much. You're the winner and the princess. Don't worry too much about other unimportant things." No one knows a daughter better than her father, and Liu Jinli naturally understood Liu Xinrong's dissatisfaction.
However, in his view, these were all minor issues.
As long as they cling to Yu Jinshuo, their status in the demon realm will be secure in the future.
As for the Lord's problem, there's no need to worry about it at all.
Although the Lord's power in the demon realm is considerable, he has never had any interest in the position of Demon Lord.
Therefore, Liu Jinli is very satisfied with today's result.
"I know, Father." Liu Xinrong suppressed her anger and smiled as she moved through the crowd.
She will definitely crush Liu Lanyan under her feet. It's just a temporary setback; she will never lose.
Inside the hall, everyone was discussing Liu Lanyan's affairs, while their eyes kept scanning the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person they were talking about.
However, they were disappointed.
Neither Liu Lanyan nor the Venerable One appeared until the end of the banquet.
The main character everyone was truly concerned about did not appear, and the banquet ended hastily.
Why didn't Liu Lanyan show up?
"Exactly, even if she is valued by the Lord, she is still too arrogant."
As they were talking, they suddenly saw a luxurious carriage leaving the palace.
The carriage was simple and undecorated. It was considered luxurious because the lamps used to illuminate the carriage were carved from jade. They did not contain any light; instead, they were lit by rare moonstones.
"That's not the Lord's..." someone exclaimed in a low voice, having already recognized who the carriage belonged to.
"I heard that Liu Lanyan was tired, so the Lord took her back directly," someone who knew some inside information said smugly in a low voice.
Everyone gasped in surprise. It seemed they would really need to get to know Liu Lanyan better in the future.
Her position in the Lord's heart is too special.
Inside the carriage, the Venerable One sat beside her, smiling gently as he watched Liu Lanyan sleeping soundly.
Peng Zhen felt a chill run down his spine at that gentle gaze. Was the Lord truly concerned about Liu Lanyan or was he scheming against her?
In any case, it seems that Liu Lanyan doesn't have enough assets, which is exactly what he finds most strange and intriguing.
All the answers were right in front of him, just veiled by a thin layer of gauze. Yet, the two people who could lift that veil were one fast asleep and the other chuckling softly beside him, neither of them willing to give him the answers.
Peng Zhen rubbed his forehead in frustration. How could things have gotten to this point?
The carriage was unusually quiet, or more accurately, eerily quiet. Only the crisp sound of hooves striking the stone slabs and the rolling of wheels made the silence even more somber.
Upon returning to the Demon God's realm, Liu Lanyan was naturally taken care of.
"Lord, can we go now?" Peng Zhen didn't care how special Liu Lanyan's position was in the Lord's heart; he was more concerned about the matter that had been delayed for so long.
"Yes, we'll set off tomorrow," the Demon God said casually, sinking into his soft chair.
Upon hearing the Demon God's decision, Peng Zhen finally breathed a sigh of relief. With the great matter on his mind put aside, his curiosity immediately surfaced, and he cautiously asked, "Lord, do you really want to take Liu Lanyan as your disciple?"
"You think there's a problem?" The demon god glanced at Peng Zhen with a half-smile, showing no sign of anger.
Peng Zhen had followed the Demon God for a long time and was also his confidant, so he was a little bolder and nodded in agreement: "She doesn't have demonic power, so it will be more troublesome for her to cultivate."
Peng Zhen's words were already very polite; he didn't directly say that Liu Lanyan was a complete waste.
Upon hearing Peng Zhen's words, the Demon God gently curled the corners of his lips and asked with a smile, "Do you really think she's a fool?"
"Isn't that right?" Peng Zhen was taken aback by the Demon God's question.
"The Dustless Sword is not something an ordinary person can wield easily." The Demon God's pointed words caused Peng Zhen's eyes to widen in astonishment, and he exclaimed, "Could it be Liu Lanyan's power at the event?"
!
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Mutual Appreciation
Peng Zhen stared at the demon god in astonishment, trying to discern something from his face, but no matter how long he looked, he couldn't find the slightest clue.
With a long sigh, Peng Zhen conceded defeat: "My lord, please don't keep me in suspense about what happened."
Peng Zhen's tone was so humble. He couldn't figure it out, so he decided not to.
"It's hard to say." The words from the Demon God nearly made Peng Zhen vomit blood and die. What did he mean by "it's hard to say"?
It's hard to say. You just said that a moment ago?
Peng Zhen rolled his eyes at the roof, unable to contain himself any longer. Was he playing a trick on him?
Seeing Peng Zhen's depressed look, the Demon God chuckled softly. There weren't many things that could make him happy, and only Peng Zhen, who didn't seem like a subordinate, could cheer him up.
"We can't see through her strength yet, but we can be sure that Liu Lanyan is definitely not the foolish girl that people say she is."
The demon god spoke thoughtfully. In truth, there were still too many mysteries surrounding Liu Lanyan, and he wanted to unravel them as soon as possible, eager to know if they held the answers he sought.
However, the many mysteries made him hesitate, fearing that the answers he found might not be what he was looking for.
"She really concealed her strength?" Peng Zhen had already thought of this answer, but receiving a positive answer from the Demon God still surprised him greatly.
The Demon God merely chuckled and remained silent in response to Peng Zhen's surprise.
Peng Zhen couldn't care less about what the Demon God was thinking. He was pondering Liu Lanyan's situation carefully. After thinking for a long time, he sighed, "If she really is hiding her strength, Liu Lanyan is too terrifying."
The demon god glanced at Peng Zhen with a half-smile, then ignored him, letting him mutter to himself.
"If it were the former Grand Elder concealing Liu Lanyan's strength, it would be understandable, after all, she is his own daughter. However, the former Grand Elder has passed away, so what reason does Liu Jinli have to conceal Liu Lanyan's strength?"
"Moreover, Liu Lanyan has always lived in the Liu family mansion, so it's absolutely impossible for her to be completely without any flaws." The more Peng Zhen thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed.
How could this happen?
"What do you think of Qin Xiu?" The Demon God's question was quite abrupt, catching Peng Zhen off guard. What did this have to do with Qin Xiu?
However, since the demon god asked this question, he must have his reasons.
Peng Zhen then continued thinking about the question of the demon god.
The image of Qin Xiu popped into her mind. To say she was loyal to Liu Lanyan was certainly true. However, Qin Xiu seemed rather dim-witted.
Having had little contact with Qin Xiu, one could roughly guess her personality from those few words spoken at the meeting—she seemed rather silly.
Wait a moment.
A sudden thought flashed through Peng Zhen's mind.
If Liu Lanyan truly is hiding her strength, then she is definitely not the foolish girl the rumors suggest. To conceal one's power so deeply is something no ordinary person could do.
Would someone as unfathomable as Liu Lanyan casually place someone who is loyal but lacks intelligence by her side?
In other words...
"Qin Xiu is pretending to be stupid!" Peng Zhen exclaimed excitedly, a smile of excitement spreading across his face.
So that's how it is. Even he had to admire Liu Lanyan. Not only was her acting superb, but she also managed to train the people around her so well.
After excitedly finishing speaking, he looked up and found the demon god, who was deeply slumped in the soft chair, with a mocking smile in his eyes and brows, a smile that sent chills down his spine.
Could it be that his guess was wrong?
"My Lord, am I wrong?" Peng Zhen said that the thing he feared most in the world was not life and death, but the smile of the person in front of him.
The demon god's smile always felt like something bad was about to happen.
"It seems that after Liu Jinli took over as the Grand Elder, Liu Lanyan has been living in the side courtyard." The Demon God said something completely unrelated, which made Peng Zhen nod in confusion, "Yes."
What does this have to do with his question just now?
"Qin Xiu is handling everything, right?" The Demon God didn't care how conflicted Peng Zhen was, and continued to speak.
“Yes, that’s right.” Peng Zhen nodded repeatedly. An Yi had already investigated all these issues, so why repeat them?
"So..." The demon god said two words and then fell silent, driving Peng Zhen almost crazy. Finally, he had no choice but to ask, "Lord, so what?"
Do you want to drive him crazy?
The demon god glanced at Peng Zhen, sighed softly, tapped his forehead with his index finger, and teased, "Peng Zhen, can't you move the thing on your neck yourself?"