Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 771: Escape

"Shoo, shoo, shoo! What would you know? Our girl is merely... plump! She's got the perfect build for bearing children! Why talk about managing her weight? You're probably just envious!" Rong Wuhua chased the doctor from the grand hall like he was nothing more than an annoying insect.

Since Lei Bo was already whisked away by the Thunder Leopard Family, she had no intention of showing any kindness to just some ordinary healer.

The doctor felt irritation bubbling inside upon witnessing this.

In his mind, he grumbled, 'My well-meant advice got tossed aside like worthless scraps,' before storming off with a sharp turn of his robes.

Should this illegitimate child of the Flame Boar Family face issues down the line, he resolved not to handle her treatment.

Battle Soul City boasted plenty of healers; let anyone else deal with it if they wished.

...

"Mother, I'm still feeling so famished..."

A booming sound rumbled out from the massive pile of flesh.

Rong Wuhua's face twisted in sorrow as she swiftly commanded the attendants flanking her, "Why are you all frozen? Quick, prepare some meals! If the heir apparent of the Flame Boar Family goes hungry, will you handle the fallout?"

The servants shared uneasy looks before lowering their heads in submission to the directive.

Deep down, though, they mused, 'This miss devours portions fit for more than ten folks daily and yet claims hunger... it's downright scary...' True, members of the Flame Boar Family were known big eaters thanks to their Battle Souls, but surely this wasn't the right approach?

Yet Rong Wuhua had a point.

In case the Flame Boar Family lacked other heirs to carry on the Flame Boar Battle Soul later, Li Rong could very well rise as the next leader. And should bloodline descendants emerge afterward, Li Rong would hold elder status with considerable standing.

"Husband, see, see how they've let our Rong'er waste away from hunger."

Rong Wuhua approached Li Ji and vented her grievance.

With Yang Fei and Li Qingran now out of the running, she stood tall before Li Ji, feeling entirely in the right.

"The Flame Boar Family has fallen on hard times, but Rong'er represents our sole chance as the prospective main wife of the Lei Family. We must supply her with ample resources..."

Li Ji picked up on the underlying message in Rong Wuhua's speech and replied coolly, "Quit the indirect chatter. Speak plainly if you have a request. No more dancing around."

"Hehe, my husband gets me so well." The grin on Rong Wuhua's features dimmed, giving way to a grave look laced with a touch of spite in her gaze. "Young Master Lei Bo hasn't consented yet, but he lacks alternatives. Bound by ancestral rules and the unique bloodline match between families, he'll wed Rong'er no doubt! As her mother, I wish for Rong'er's joyful future, which rests entirely on power."

Beneath Li Ji's confused stare, she halted, unveiling her real aim: "Word is, Yang Fei purchased a Battle Soul Pill from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion yesterday."

Li Ji froze in shock. "A Battle Soul Pill? That thing costs a fortune—can Yang Fei even cover it? You positive about what you heard?"

"Absolutely sure." Rong Wuhua's tone grew a bit icy. "A servant of Elder Sister Yang spilled it to me. With so many staff in this estate, how could they miss the master's actions? Especially snatching up something rare like a Battle Soul Pill."

She let out a feigned sigh, her features adopting a phony sympathy. "I get that Elder Sister aims to snag a chance for her girl, but we've all witnessed it. What sort of attitude does that daughter possess? She even jabbed a finger at the Lei Family's young master and hurled insults. We can't let this pesky instigator spark bad blood between our houses later on."

"My thought is, Li Qingran's already a lost cause, unable to rouse Battle Power. Even swallowing that Battle Soul Pill would grant her just one tier of Battle Power—what good is that? Without awakening Battle Power, she's fated to miss out on the family bloodline's matching Battle Soul."

"Thus, why not pass this pill to Rong'er instead. Or if not, offer it as amends to the Lei Family's young master..."

"Resources are scarce in our Flame Boar Family these days. As the proverb says, sharp steel belongs on the edge."

Li Ji grasped it at last. Rong Wuhua coveted the Battle Soul Pill held by Yang Fei.

He mulled it over briefly and found no fault in the idea.

Yang Fei served as his chief spouse. Her funds were his, and his wealth served the Flame Boar Family.

Hence, the Battle Soul Pill acquired by Yang Fei counted as a clan asset, right?

Handing clan assets to Li Qingran, a powerless commoner, served no purpose. Better to allocate it to Li Rong or present it to the Thunder Leopard Family.

Regarding spousal bonds?

Heh, such notions didn't exist.

Back in their prime, both Yang Fei and Rong Wuhua turned heads as stunning women. But time had taken its toll, fading their allure.

These days, he sought pleasures elsewhere regularly. He tolerated these two 'weathered spouses' solely for the offspring they'd provided.

"Handle it however you like." Li Ji dismissed her with an irritated gesture. "I'm not getting involved. If Yang Fei truly possesses a Battle Soul Pill, force her to surrender it."

"Husband, you're so fair-minded!" Delight bloomed across Rong Wuhua's visage. This was the exact response she'd anticipated.

...

The dawn of the following day saw Li Qingran jolted from slumber by frantic door raps and sobbing wails.

"Young Lady! Young Lady! Disaster! Huge trouble's struck!" Her two young attendants' voices rang out, laced with alarm and chaos.

Li Qingran's chest clenched. She sprang up without delay and flung the door wide.

There stood the pair of girls, faces ashen, eyes puffy and tear-streaked, as though they'd endured a terrible scare.

"What's going on? Take it easy and explain." Li Qingran urged with composure.

"It's... it's the Madam!" One servant choked out through sniffles. "Concubine Rong arrived with her crew and cornered the Madam in her quarters! They accused her of secretly stashing a clan heirloom and insisted on its return! When the Madam wouldn't yield, they... they confined her! They resorted to violence too! The Madam's hurt!"

Chill settled in Li Qingran's eyes at once.

She swiftly deduced the Battle Soul Pill lay at the heart of this mess.

"Show me the path." Her words came steady, edged with frost.

The maids wasted no time, hurrying her along toward Yang Fei's garden residence.

At the entrance to Yang Fei's garden, as expected, a handful of Rong Wuhua's loyal guards loomed, all robust and grim-faced.

Spotting Li Qingran's advance, they moved to bar her instinctively. Yet her frosty glare made them shrink back unbidden.

Her cultivation might have vanished, but her Sword Intent lingered.

That stare resembled a drawn blade's edge, sending shivers through the air.

Within the garden, Rong Wuhua posed haughtily, her World Ring humming with activity, trailed by a few sturdy women.

Yang Fei slumped against the earth, her coiffure in ruins, blood trickling from her lip, a vivid handprint staining her face. Two hefty women pinned her arms behind her, leaving her in a wretched state. Still, she clenched her jaw defiantly, silent through the ordeal.

"Mother!" Li Qingran rushed ahead, steadying Yang Fei, her piercing stare fixed on Rong Wuhua. "What is this nonsense?!"

Li Qingran's arrival drew no dread from Rong Wuhua; instead, she scoffed. "What nonsense? I'm merely tidying up the household! Your dear mother stashed away the clan's prized Battle Soul Pill and won't relinquish it. Per family codes, minor penalty is whipping, major is maiming limbs! I'm merely issuing a light reprimand!"

She strode closer, peering down disdainfully at Li Qingran. "You little pest, perfect timing. That Battle Soul Pill—your mother got it for you, didn't she? If you're wise, surrender it without fuss! I'm the true head of this Flame Boar Family now. I decide how resources get shared! Hoarding valuables privately is an offense!"

Yang Fei strained to raise her head, her tone raspy. "Qingran, ignore her! We possess no Battle Soul Pill..."

"Stubborn to the bitter end!" Rong Wuhua's expression soured as she signaled sharply.

The women gripping Yang Fei tightened their hold, drawing a pained groan from her, sweat glistening on her brow. Yang Fei herself wasn't a formidable Soul Master. After Rong Wuhua and her group battered her until her Soul Power drained away, she resembled a marginally tough civilian, incapable of even engaging her World Ring.

Yang Fei's agonized yet shielding look melted away the emotional gap Li Qingran had sensed from her background, igniting real worry and fury in its place.

She drew in a steadying breath, tempering the fire in her eyes, and faced Rong Wuhua evenly. "You desire the Battle Soul Pill?"

"And if I do? It's clan property regardless!" Rong Wuhua tilted her chin upward.

"Very well, take it." Li Qingran retrieved the wooden case from within her robes.

"Qingran! Don't!" Yang Fei cried out in haste.

Li Qingran gave a subtle shake of her head to reassure her, then addressed Rong Wuhua. "I'll yield the pill, but on one term."

Avarice and victory gleamed in Rong Wuhua's eyes. "Name it."

"Free my mother," Li Qingran articulated clearly, "and starting now, she and I cut all bonds with the Flame Boar Family. We'll share no links with you henceforth. This Battle Soul Pill serves as payment for our departure, mother and daughter alike."

Rong Wuhua paused in surprise, then erupted in laughter like she'd caught the world's funniest quip. "Departure? You two deadweights? One faded late-bloomer hag, one powerless waste of a girl! Think you can make it without the Flame Boar Family? Utter foolishness!"

She'd gladly boot out this irksome duo to dodge future headaches, pocketing a valuable pill to boot. What a steal from the heavens.

"Agreed!" Rong Wuhua consented at once, fearing a reversal from Li Qingran. "Fork over the pill, grab your pathetic mother, and scram from the Flame Boar Family right away! Don't ever return!"

Li Qingran offered no further words, flinging the wooden box toward Rong Wuhua.

Rong Wuhua eagerly pried it open. The sight of the smooth, radiant, snowy-white pill within sparked unbridled ecstasy on her face.

Li Qingran assisted Yang Fei to her feet, smoothing her tousled locks and attire, and murmured gently, "Mother, we're leaving."

Yang Fei regarded her child's serene yet resolute side, then the uncaring estate and the smirking, overjoyed Rong Wuhua. Bitterness flooded her soul.

Yet she recognized that lingering promised only ceaseless shame. At last, with tears brimming, she nodded.

Beneath Rong Wuhua's jeering watch and the staff's mixed glances, Li Qingran steadied Yang Fei as they departed, eyes forward without a backward glance.

Her birth into the Flame Boar Family had supplied a fitting role and access to this realm's knowledge.

Prolonging her stay here would merely chain and obstruct her.

Seizing this chance for a clean split could prove advantageous.

Li Qingran reflected inwardly.

"Armed with the elixirs from my spouse, I could well forge a spot in this realm!"

...

At the same time, within the Cangyun Realm.

Chen Huaian had made his way back to the Moon Shadow Sect and located the Celestial Jade Lion dozing in the rear hills.

The assignment he'd set for the Celestial Jade Lion involved generating Premium Spirit Jades.

After some duration in the Cangyun Realm, not a hint of Premium Spirit Jades appeared near the Celestial Jade Lion.

Chen Huaian's lip quirked in irritation, his expression turning stormy.

Gazing at the Celestial Jade Lion's swine-like slumber, rage surged through him.

He soared upward and delivered a solid kick.

...