As she spoke, she reached out to grab it.
She channeled her inner strength.
The Antler Serpent was startled awake by her and turned its head, fixing her with a cold stare.
"Cutie, did you not hear what I just said? Grace isn’t a spirit user, so sticking with her won’t get you anywhere. Come with my cousin Queenie Zhu! If you follow Queenie Zhu, she’ll give you—ah!"
Aunt Leah suddenly screamed and fell backward.
The Antler Serpent whipped her across the face with its tail, knocking her down.
His Highness the Crown Prince sure isn’t a morning person...
"You wicked beast!" Aunt Leah scrambled to her feet, a red, swollen mark on her face, and immediately started cursing. "How dare you! Just wait—I’ll skin you alive!"
"Who are you planning to skin?" Grace hugged the Antler Serpent, her gaze icy as she looked at Aunt Leah.
In that moment, an intense, razor-sharp aura burst forth from her, stunning everyone.
Aunt Leah involuntarily took a step back and said, "Grace, you’ve gone too far! How can you just let it hurt people?"
Grace replied with a calm face, "Say whatever you want, Aunt Leah! If Cutie doesn’t want to help Queenie Zhu, there’s nothing I can do!"
With that, she turned and walked away.
"Grace! I gave you such a good opportunity, and you don’t even appreciate it. I hope you won’t regret it!" Aunt Leah said, furious and embarrassed.
Grace walked straight ahead without looking back.
Behind her, Aunt Leah could be heard muttering coldly, "Hmph! Think you’re so important, huh? I’ll be watching to see what happens to you when your short-lived mother dies! Grace Wan will marry you off to who knows what kind of man, and then don’t come crawling to me…"
She thought Grace couldn’t hear her.
In reality, Grace was already at the fifth stage of cultivation and could hear every word Aunt Leah muttered.
The Antler Serpent seemed to hear it too. It rubbed its head against her cheek, as if comforting her.
Grace patted its head. "Go back to sleep! I’ll take you out for a walk later."
The Antler Serpent closed its eyes and went back to sleep.
After wandering outside for half an hour, the Antler Serpent lazily woke up, and only then did Grace return.
The matches in the arena were in full swing.
Queenie Zhu was still standing beneath the martial stage, not yet called to compete.
Standing beside her was a little Golden Wolf. Compared to the spirit beasts of the other girls, it did seem rather weak.
Seeing this, everyone seemed to get anxious.
As soon as Grace sat down, before her seat was even warm, Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu spoke to her again: "Grace, compared to the others, Queenie Zhu’s spirit beast is far too weak. Could you lend her the Antler Serpent for a bit?"
"Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu, of course I’d love to lend it, but I’m worried it won’t listen to me," Grace replied.
"Just talk to it nicely. If it won’t listen, we won’t force it."
"Yes, Grace, why don’t you try talking to it in front of us?" Grace Wan added from the side.
Everyone around watched them closely.
Grace wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t want outsiders to laugh at them, so she said, "Alright, I’ll give it a try!"
She said to the Antler Serpent, "Cutie, could you help my cousin Queenie Zhu out?"
Cutie nodded lazily.
"It agreed!" Aunt Leah said excitedly. "Mother, the Antler Serpent agreed!"
Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu’s eyes lit up. "Quick, take it to Queenie Zhu! There aren’t many contestants left, and she can’t keep stalling forever."
Grace nodded and brought Cutie over to Queenie Zhu.
Naturally, Queenie Zhu was overjoyed. Her spirits lifted, and she leapt onto the martial stage with Cutie in tow.
On the stage was Yuan Yihan.