Heaven, Earth, Me Chapter 1697. End of the Gathering.

Yasenia didn’t really need to overexplain things. After the Star Soul Chrysanthemum appeared, the flower itself showed off enough and made everyone understand its value and specialness. 

“It is a beautiful flower, and one that helped me greatly in the past. I hope the ladies and madams like it.”

The princess, as the host, had to speak some words. She had initially wanted to be slightly biased, but after seeing a flower that could help train Spiritual Sense… If she said anything but praise, everyone present would look at her with disdain. 

“...It is indeed a gorgeous flower. Probably the best flower yet. I wonder where you got such a precious treasure?” 

Yasenia smiled faintly and spoke. “This might be news for everyone here, but I am not really a native. I come from another World and decided to settle here.”

Many people stiffened. The universe beyond the sky was not unknown to the women in this room. Everyone came from a prestigious background, so they were taught about Heavenly Layers and other worlds.

They were also taught that if they ever encountered someone with such a background, they should never provoke them, because terrifying powerhouses lurked outside the world. 

Suddenly, Yasenia’s presence seemed to deepen in their eyes. The harlot-like seductress they held in contempt appeared, and instead of confirming the rumors, she stomped them, crushed them, and then stood tall above everyone else. 

In just a single afternoon, Yasenia’s wit, presence, beauty, and methods flipped the script upside down. Everyone who had been siding with the First Princess was suddenly feeling as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

Yasenia didn’t want to be intimidating this time around. Since she had chosen the family clan route for this world, she needed not to become a terrifying existence, but one that brought profit for being an ally, and misfortune if you weren’t. 

Looking at the First Princess, Yasenia smiled. “There are people who easily misunderstand me because of my looks. It is hard not to appear as if I am trying to seduce everyone. Nevertheless, I am here to make allies and settle down for a while after adventuring for a while. I hope everyone can receive our Dravory Family with warm regards from now on, as we are planning on doing the same. Soon, some of our experts will appear in the competition plazas to showcase our arts.”

Looking around and storing the flower away, Yasenia returned to her seat without forgetting to thank the First Princess for her compliments on the flower. 

When Yasenia sat down, the beauties at the same table looked her way with immensely curious and sparkling eyes. Zhuo Shuyun, being a deeply learned scholarly woman, asked with deep interest. “Madam Dravory’s presence had always felt otherworldly, but I never imagined that such an adjective would be able to describe your origins in a literal way. May I ask if you come from our Heavenly Layer?” 

Yasenia smiled at her. “I prefer to leave that to your imagination. Knowing precisely where I come from will only make others judge me with excessive respect or none at all. Therefore, I will keep you hanging on that question, Lady Zhuo.” 

Zhuo Shuyun sighed with deep regret. “You say it easily, but I might lose nights of sleep because of it. Truly, an exceptional gem will shine even if others try to smear it with dust.” 

Yasenia laughed good-naturedly. 

Qinqin, who had observed the absolute masterclass of performance from Yasenia, doubted her life. ‘...Was Yasenia always this sharp!? Has she always been playing with me!?’

Qinqin felt her face burn up with embarrassment. Yasenia’s voice reached her. “I never had harmful intentions towards you. I will admit that, at first, I wanted to use you to build some local connections. Now, I truly believe that you are someone who is worth befriending with honest intent.”

Qinqin raised her head to look at Yasenia. “...really?” 

Yasenia spoke with conviction. “I might be someone who can scheme, but I am not someone who lies about these matters. I, before anything else, am a dragon.” 

Some Young Ladies couldn’t help but swoon. Some even whispered to their mothers that if their future husband… or even wife, was not of Dragon descent, they didn’t want them!

Tatyana stifled her laughter by taking a sip of tea. ‘Unless Yasenia says “I promise” in the sentence, she can screw you a thousand times over. Truly, my Little Treasure was raised right. What an utterly adorable cunning little dragon.’ 

The rest of the gathering continued for a little more, but no other flower could even come close to the one Yasenia showed. Some people asked Tatyana to show something, and Tatyana decided to do it. 

She went last of all. “Since everyone is curious, I did prepare something just in case.”

Yasenia’s lips twitched with worry. “Tatyana… Don’t scare them, please.” 

She even spoke aloud to make sure the women present prepared their hearts. Tatyana smirked. “If they get scared with just this little bit, they are not fit to be cultivators. Here, I present to you the [Spirit Scream Corpse Lotus].” 

SCREEEECHHH!!!

Everyone present held their hands to their ears and curled up as the flower Tatyana unleashed a monstrous and soul-piercing screech. Tatyana smacked the flower, causing it to become silent. 

Smack! 

“So noisy. Each time you go out, you scream like a wailing banshee. Sigh.” Tatyana rubbed her earlobe with a light frown and looked around. “Oh my… Some of you have fainted.” 

Yasenia decided that looking at the ceiling was much better, so she just looked up with an embarrassed look. Of course, she perfectly knew that Tatyana would not do something like this without having thought it out previously. 

Tatyana was sometimes mischievous, but when it mattered, she did what had to be done. Her following words proved that Yasenia was right. 

“This flower is precious and difficult to harvest. That screech you just listened to was the controlled one. The pot below blocks the screech's negative effects. Without the pot, the screech would’ve killed over 70% of those present.”

Everyone stared at the carnivorous, black flower with wriggling stems and moving mouths in horror. Tatyana smiled. “Its medical properties are the best part. If its sap is used in a formation, you can create trials that challenge the heart and spirit. Just one of these can provide enough sap for a sect of over 100,000.”

If training Spiritual Sense was almost impossible without very exotic tools, training willpower and facing one’s heart demons without completely falling to them was as complicated. 

A formation that controlled the trial from going too far and further helped you face your Heart Demons head-on? That kind of formation was so valuable that some sects would begin a bloody war just to get it. 

Tatyana stored away the ugly flower and bowed to the scared First Princess. “I hope the First Princess liked my flower.” 

The princess answered with a smile that looked uglier than crying. “It was… exotic.” 

In the end, the flower that got the win was Yasenia’s, even though Tatyana’s could be argued to be better. The reason was that no one present wanted to hear that unholy screech ever again in their lives. 

As they all prepared to leave, many madams and Young Ladies approached Tatyana with sparkly eyes, while also looking at Tatyana’s relaxed expression with a touch of fear. The contrast when talking to the two of them was really comical when looked at from afar. 

Qinqin looked at everything with wonder. She had expected Yasenia to be able to slightly patch the bad views others had of her… not whatever was happening in front of her. In just one afternoon, Yasenia had become an idol, and most likely, the love interest of many Young Ladies thanks to the calculated moves she pulled off one after another. 

After everyone left, only the First Princess, Madam Ye, and a few others remained to speak. Madam Ye sighed as she looked at the gloomy atmosphere around. “We miscalculated. Who knew that a family without a single Half-Step could create so many ripples? Not to mention that dragon is far more cunning and ruthless than what she lets out. The smell of blood coming from those two was suffocating.” 

Madam Ye was a powerful cultivator with tons of experience. So, she could tell at a simple glance that both Tatyana and Yasenia had created mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. The number of people they’d killed was massive enough that Madam Ye didn’t dare guess.

Someone a touch more ignorant frowned. “Is it that bad?” 

Madam Ye looked her way, her wise and ancient eyes dead serious. “The red-eyed woman has an aura worse than the Sect Leader of the Demonic Supreme Sects.” 

Those individuals, who had slaughtered billions, were truly not on a comparable level to Tatyana. 

The First Princess became a little scared. “They won’t… retaliate, right?” 

Madam Ye pondered deeply. “Not for now, at least. They don’t look resentful because of what Your Highness did. If I had to describe it, they looked annoyed and displeased. Now that they’ve reversed the situation perfectly, they won’t bother with Your Highness as long as you don’t keep poking them. From now on, it is better not to cross paths with them, Your Highness.” 

She could tell that there was a sense of danger much greater than mere strength behind those two. They were like two individuals who, at any point, could go mad and slaughter everyone without feeling a trace of remorse or guilt in their hearts. 

Yasenia was the perfect fit: a warm, alluring exterior hiding a deep, cold heart.  

Madam Ye thought to herself. ‘Either I crush them in one move, or they survive and retaliate with enough strength to crush everything. So, for now, it is better to not have a conflict with them. Unless necessary, that is.’

She was somewhat intimidated but not scared. If it came to it, Madam Ye would not hold back. 

***

Yasenia, Tatyana, and Qinqin returned to their house, and once there, they relaxed. Tatyana chuckled. “Were you expecting an ambush?” 

“Yes.” Yasenia sighed. “The First Princess looked intimidated, but Madam Ye looked guarded. They are two very different conditions.” 

Tatyana agreed. “As long as we don’t cross paths, she won’t attack. It seems that the undercurrents here are quite deep as well.” 

Yasenia muttered with a playful tone. “Why isn’t there a place with simple politics? Everywhere we go we find complex undercurrents and eventually get tangled up with them.” 

Looking toward a certain direction, Yasenia grumbled. “That colosseum area, especially.”

Tatyana burst into laughter. “You are still hung up on it?” 

Yasenia looked at Tatyana. “Are you not? It is seriously giving creepy vibes.”

Tatyana shrugged. “Even if it is, we can’t do anything now. You and I are somewhat weak. Remember that Half-Steps gather in the dozens within this city.” 

“That’s true.”