Chapter 643: Face reveal

Gumiho’s fingers twitched at her sides the moment she heard Felix’s request.

"Why do you wish to see my face?" she muttered, a hint of a crack appearing in her composure.

Felix raised an eyebrow at her unexpectedly strong reaction. She must be keeping her face hidden because a mere look at her enchanting face could induce a heart demon in a cultivator. Why did she seem so opposed to revealing it?

"That’s a rather strange question, Lady Gumiho," Felix replied, confusion clear in his voice. "Every man has the right to see the face of the woman he is meant to marry. You could even ask your beast subordinates."

Gumiho’s eyes shifted to Vyaghra. He merely nodded, agreeing with Felix’s claim.

Gumiho’s hands trembled at her sides again, but she clenched her fists in an attempt to maintain her composure.

Seeing that she was still reluctant, and driven by his strong desire to make Vincent regret his choice, Felix insisted further, "I’m giving up divine treasures and ownership of the Lingtian Mountains just to marry you, Lady Gumiho. Asking to see your face is the bare minimum."

He gave a sideways glance at Kharos, as if sending him a silent message. Kharos immediately understood what he wanted to say.

"Lady Gumiho, whether it’s a personal relationship or a political one, trust is the mutual factor," Kharos commented, speaking for the first time since the beasts had entered the hall. "The dragon lord proposed to marry you even though it might not be a profitable deal for him. The least you could do is entertain his little request."

’Well said, Kharos,’ Felix chuckled inwardly. He knew that Kharos, as the Leader of the Righteous Faction, had a way with words, which was why he had selected him to put pressure on Gumiho.

It worked like a charm.

’I always kept my face hidden because of the trauma. But... Master treated me so well over the years,’ Gumiho murmured inwardly. ’I’m not scared anymore. By keeping myself hidden behind the veil, I’m only disrespecting Master, who put so much effort into raising me. Still... I wish Master were here with me when I remove this veil.’

She took a deep breath and answered, "Alright. I will remove the veil."

She closed her eyes as she raised her hand, grabbing the hem of the veil.

All eyes fixed on her, Felix’s breath catching in his throat in anticipation. Vincent leaned forward in his chair, his fingers stopping midway through stroking his white chin beard.

Even the elders of the Floraisan and Neige Clans turned their gazes toward Gumiho, curious to see how the rumored most beautiful woman of Vyoman looked.

As the hem moved past her chin, slowly revealing her face, the eyes inside the room began widening.

The thin cloth tugged free from her fluffy ears. As it slowly fell to the ground, an utter silence stretched across the room.

Kharos and Jae Hyun stared at her with parted lips. Riksharaja seemed equally stunned, while Mriga moved a bead between his fingers, murmuring, ’Dear Heavens.’

Vyaghra had seen her face before during the Civil War of the Fox Clan, yet he still felt chills run across his arms upon seeing it again.

Her skin was white, tinged with a faint pink glow, as expected of a goddess. However... her face was anything but beautiful by the standards of the people inside the hall.

Scars covered her face like an old map. A long, ropy line split her left brow, the flesh having healed incorrectly after being cut more than once.

Across her cheeks ran a lattice of thin, white welts, too regular to have been accidental. Where her skin should have been smooth, it was puckered and shiny in patches, the tight, glossy sheen of old burns, while the pink glow of her divinity pooled strangely in those hollows, deepening every ridge and pit. Her lower lip was notched on one side, healed into a faint, permanent sneer. A pale, ragged seam ran from the corner of her mouth toward both ears, giving her the appearance of a devil.

The elders looked away from her face with furrowed brows. Some scars had faded into silver threads. Others had been layered over by newer ones, wound upon wound, year upon year.

’So this is what Her Majesty suffered at the hands of the Fox Clan Ancestor,’ Riksharaja muttered inwardly, fury raging within him. A single glance at her face told the story of the years of torture she had endured. He regretted not being part of the army when Aruma waged war upon the Fox Clan. If only he had supported him back then, Aruma might have survived.

He shook his head. Feeling pity for Gumiho would be a disrespect to her character, considering that she had endured all of this and made the entire Beast Faction kneel before her.

He tightened his grip on the armrest in determination. What he must do now was make sure that any weapon pointed at her would have to face him first.

While Riksharaja made this declaration, Gumiho was lost in her own thoughts.

’I did it,’ Gumiho murmured inwardly, her lips rising into a faint smile that only made her look even more horrible in the eyes of the people present in the hall. ’I have finally let go of my insecurities. Master will surely praise me once he learns that I have become brave—’

"Fucking disgusting!" The sharp words of Felix slapped her back to reality. She found him looking at her with his face twisted in absolute disgust.

The utter silence created by his remarks was shattered by the loud, unrestrained laughter of Vincent, echoing throughout the hall.

"Hahahaha, Lord Felix, you really won yourself a fortune with this deal," Vincent laughed, mockery laced into every syllable. "You really lowered yourself to your knees for this crap."

Even the elders from the Neige Clan began laughing, remembering the disrespect Felix had suffered just to win over such an ugly woman.

The hall was filled with their mocking laughter as they glared at Gumiho in disgust. Each laugh was a slap to Gumiho’s self-esteem and dignity.

Her fists tightened at her sides, her breathing turning ragged. The image of the ancestor coming at her with knives, striking her face with hammers, or pouring liquid metal over her replayed in her mind. Her legs shivered beneath her, her lips trembling.

Vyaghra and Riksharaja couldn’t bear the disrespect toward their Goddess anymore. They were about to rise from their seats when Felix shouted, "Silence!"

The elders stopped laughing, but Vincent’s voice echoed a little longer than necessary before he also stopped, eager to know what Felix would do next.

"Fuck," Felix muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Even if her face is ruined, she is still the Gumiho. Her Primordial Yin Essence is more valuable than even hundreds of Divine Artifacts," he convinced himself.

All he needed to make sure of was that she still possessed her Primordial Yin Essence. It was a stretch, given that she had suffered such torture. If she didn’t possess the essence, he could still try to negotiate for some shares of the Lingtian Mountains with Vincent.

His sharp eyes turned to Gumiho, lacking the respect and friendliness they had held before. "Oy, ugly bitch," he muttered, feeling revolted just looking at her. "Take off your clothes."