Missed by a Hair's Breadth

The little maid behind Feng Qianyue watched Yi Feng's movements with confusion, her large eyes sparkling as she gazed at his departing figure.

A moment later.

After confirming that he had truly left and his figure had vanished, Feng Qianyue, who had been sitting still with an air of serene indifference, could no longer remain composed.

She rose gracefully, like a celestial maiden, and lightly leaped to the spot where Yi Feng had been fishing earlier, lowering her head to inspect it carefully.

Scattered on the ground were fish scales.

The scales gleamed in a golden-red hue, shimmering brilliantly.

At the sight of these golden-red scales, Feng Qianyue's eyelids twitched.

However, the scales alone weren't enough to confirm what kind of fish Yi Feng had caught, so she continued searching for more clues nearby.

Just then.

She noticed a small pond beside her.

This pond had been dug by Yi Feng earlier to temporarily store the fish he couldn't fit into his basket.

Now, floating in the pond was a single fish, its belly upturned, pale with a hint of red—clearly long dead, devoid of any trace of spiritual energy.

Yet, upon seeing this belly, Feng Qianyue's delicate frame trembled violently.

Because the sight before her bore an uncanny resemblance to the legendary Dragon Fish...

Determined to uncover the truth, she—who had never dirtied her hands with menial tasks—ignored the filth and plunged her jade-like fingers into the water, lifting the dead fish out.

The fish was slightly longer than a palm, its body entirely golden-red. Even in death, its scales still emitted a faint glow, a testament to its extraordinary nature in life.

But this wasn't what truly shook Feng Qianyue.

The real shock came from the pair of tiny horns on its red forehead.

Horns resembling those of a dragon, just as the legends described.

And these dragon horns were the most defining feature of the Dragon Fish.

"Dragon Fish!"

Feng Qianyue's hand trembled as the words escaped her lips. Her entire body quivered uncontrollably as she muttered in disbelief, "He actually caught a Dragon Fish!"

At this moment, Feng Qianyue felt as though her mind had shattered.

She never could have imagined that the young man had been reeling in Dragon Fish all along.

What unsettled her even more was that the scattered scales on the ground matched those of the Dragon Fish in her hand perfectly—there wasn't a single scale from any other fish.

In other words.

All the fish Yi Feng had caught these days were Dragon Fish!!!

Heavens!

Feng Qianyue's breathing grew ragged, her thoughts short-circuiting as she nearly lost the ability to think.

What kind of person was this?!

Others toiled day and night, exhausting every effort just to catch a glimpse of a Dragon Fish, yet this man had effortlessly hooked so many.

Could he be a legendary Sage?!

Feng Qianyue's fair face flushed crimson with shame, her heart weighed down as if by a massive boulder.

Recalling her earlier dismissive thoughts about Yi Feng, she realized she had been nothing but a ridiculous fool.

And that old man in the straw raincoat—he must have known all along that Yi Feng was catching Dragon Fish. Only she, with her narrow perspective, had remained oblivious, trapped in ignorance.

Regaining her composure, she examined the Dragon Fish in her hand.

But she soon discovered that it had already lost all its potency, no different from an ordinary dead fish.

She placed the lifeless Dragon Fish back into the pond and slowly stood up, her spirit utterly broken.

Today's events.

Had dealt a devastating blow to her Dao heart.

For the first time, the proud and aloof Feng Qianyue truly understood what it meant for there to always be someone greater beyond the mountains.

"Young Mistress, what's wrong?"

Her maid, Little Ye, hurried over, having noticed Feng Qianyue's distress.

"Nothing."

Feng Qianyue sighed inwardly but didn't reveal her turmoil in front of Little Ye.

"Oh, Young Mistress, that guy who was fishing with earthworms paused in front of us before he left."

Little Ye giggled as she recounted the amusing incident in detail. "It was so funny—he looked like he wanted to offer you fish, just like he did with that old man."

At these words, Feng Qianyue, who had barely recovered, felt her mind go blank.

She turned to Little Ye in alarm. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course! I saw it with my own eyes."

The little maid continued cheerfully.

"Hmph, that guy really thought he could impress you with his little fish? As if you'd care about such trivial things, right?"

"But well, when he saw you ignoring him, he left on his own. At least he knew his place."

"What?!"

The moment Little Ye finished speaking, Feng Qianyue's face paled drastically.

It was as if a giant hammer had struck her chest. Overwhelmed by fury and regret, a surge of blood rushed up her throat.

Though she forced it down, the crushing realization left her utterly hollow, as if her soul had been drained.

That man... had actually tried to give her Dragon Fish.

And she, blinded by her own arrogance, had coldly rejected an unimaginable fortune.

How laughable.

How utterly laughable!

Feng Qianyue nearly let out a bitter laugh to the heavens, her legs wobbling as she struggled to stay upright.

"Let's return to the Heavenly Domain," she finally said, her voice weak and drained.

"Eh? Young Mistress, aren't we here for the Sage's Contest? Why go back now?"

Little Ye blinked in confusion.

Feng Qianyue let out a self-mocking chuckle.

"Even if I stay, I won't gain anything from the contest now."

"Why not, Young Mistress?"

The little maid was utterly baffled.

Feng Qianyue smiled bitterly.

She had pushed away the fortune of Dragon Fish with her own hands—effectively letting the blessings of this place slip through her fingers.

What right did she have to seek other opportunities now?

But she didn't explain further to Little Ye, merely gathering her belongings in haste before departing...