Fan Li stared at the arena below, his state of mind becoming restless along with the noisy clamor of the crowd.
In the center of the arena, light and shadow flickered, dust swirled, and the shouts of the disciples rose and fell in succession, as if even the air had been scorched hot by the fighting spirit.
If Lin Lumi could make a name for herself in today’s match, he would have sufficient grounds to make an exception and recruit her directly into the inner sect.
At this thought, Fan Li could not help but grow excited. The talent he had set his eyes on was indeed the real deal!
“Mu Heng,” he turned to look at the youth beside him, “tell me more about Lin Lumi.”
Mu Heng’s eyes lowered slightly: “What do you want to hear?”
“According to what you just said, the two of you are sworn enemies who have fought since childhood. Then, do you like Lin Lumi?”
“Of—yeah!? No!” Mu Heng caught himself, almost getting tripped up by the question. “Is there something wrong with your head? We are sworn enemies. I hate her too much for there to be any time for that, so how could I possibly like her?”
Fan Li couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows.
Hate her? Then why were you scrambling to help her fight for a spot in the Mystic Dharma Hall?
Has Mu Heng’s brain been kicked by a donkey?
“The world is full of wonders,” Fan Li said slowly. “Some people hate and hate, only to fall in love. Stories of love growing from hate are everywhere. If you hadn’t said so, I would have truly thought you were just a dead duck refusing to admit its mouth is stiff.”
Mu Heng paused slightly and looked at Fan Li, a trace of expectation actually surfacing in his eyes: “Do such people really exist?”
Fan Li was stunned.
This counter-question left him thoroughly bewildered as well.
He remained silent for a moment, then nodded: “There… should be some, I suppose.”
He desperately wanted to say, ‘You look exactly like that kind of person,’ but meeting Mu Heng’s half-smiling gaze, he ultimately did not dare to say more. He knew very well in his heart that provoking this little demon king was not worth it. Thus, he shifted his tone to a safer phrasing:
“Then again, you two are merely in a competitive relationship. Why must it go all the way to the point of ‘hate’?”
Mu Heng lowered his head, and after a moment, he let out a low chuckle: “When we were young, my father would constantly compare her to me. She was always able to snatch first place away from me. I felt annoyed, so I started competing with her. Later, as we kept competing… we just couldn’t stop.”
“So that’s how it is~” Fan Li nodded. “Let me ask you something else. What does she like to eat?”
Mu Heng did not hesitate: “A lot of things. She likes sweet things; she loves all kinds of tea pastries, like peach blossom crisps and sweet osmanthus cakes. She also likes spicy food, like spicy beef noodles, spicy diced chicken, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, spicy—”
“Pfft.” Beside them, Wei Lingfeng ultimately couldn’t hold it in. “Who would remember what their enemy likes to eat?”
Mu Heng frowned: “Is having a good memory my fault now?”
“No, no, no, a good memory isn’t your fault. But if the person were my enemy and someone asked me what she liked to eat, I would tell everyone she likes to eat feces.”
Mu Heng’s frown deepened: “You are far too unrefined.”
Just as he finished speaking, there were two soft knocks on the private box door.
“Come in,” Fan Li sat back in the primary seat, his voice hearty.
The door opened in response, and a figure in green walked inside.
Jiang Yunong stepped lightly, the green inner sect disciple uniform accentuating her tall and slender stature. The Mystic Dharma Hall token hung at her waist, its gold-thread patterns reflecting a soft glow under the light.
Her features were delicate and her temperament quiet, resembling a newly sprouted green bamboo.
“Disciple Jiang Yunong pays respects to Master and the two Senior Brothers,” she greeted with a bow, carrying an appropriate amount of respect.
“Mm, very good,” Fan Li acted deep and profound. “Originally, we should have held a master-disciple banquet for you today, but there happens to be an exciting duel right now. Therefore, the banquet will be postponed until tomorrow. You won’t mind, will you?”
Jiang Yunong shook her head: “I don’t mind.”
With that, she walked to the tea table, held the teapot with both hands, and slowly poured tea for Fan Li.
As the tea aroma curled upward, she lifted the teacup, knelt on both knees, and offered it respectfully: “Master, please have some tea.”
Seeing this, a warm feeling surged in Fan Li’s heart: “Look at that, what a well-behaved child. Compared to certain people, she is completely different. As expected, girls are still more thoughtful. This master must hold a welcoming banquet for you tonight.”
With that, he turned to Wei Lingfeng: “Go to the Zuichun Restaurant and book a Heaven-tier private room.”
Hearing this, a flash of panic crossed Jiang Yunong’s face, and she quickly waved her hands: “Please don’t! Zuichun Restaurant is far too expensive. How could this disciple dare to let Master spend so much?”
Fan Li laughed heartily and waved his hand: “Eh, what does that matter? Our Mystic Dharma Hall has nothing else, but we have plenty of money and resources. If I can’t even bear to welcome my own disciple properly, wouldn’t outsiders laugh at me for being stingy? Just accept this gesture.”
Jiang Yunong opened her mouth, but in the end, she only answered softly: “Yes.”
“Rise,” Fan Li smiled and patted the table. “The match is about to begin.”
“This disciple obeys.”
Jiang Yunong nodded, then stood up from the floor, walked to the window, and stared outside thoughtfully.
Noticing the brief abnormality in Jiang Yunong’s expression, Fan Li’s gaze focused slightly, and his tone softened a bit: “You seem exceptionally concerned about this match… Are you worried about something?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yunong’s fingertips tightened slightly. After a moment of silence, she said in a low voice: “Yes. This match actually… started because of me. If it weren’t for me, Junior Sister Lin wouldn’t have been targeted by Wen Jing’s group.”
Before she could finish her sentence, Mu Heng beat her to the question: “What do you mean by that?”
Jiang Yunong’s expression dimmed as she explained: “This Li Xiaolan is a person belonging to Wen Jing, the Princess Zhaoyang of the Ming Kingdom. Probably the night before the exam, I was cornered in an alley by Wen Jing’s group and beaten by them. When Lin Lumi saw this, she helped me drive them away and even publicly warned them that if they dared to tamper with the assessment, she would report the matter to the Law-Enforcing Elder. It is precisely because of this that Wen Jing hates her to the bone. That woman is narrow-minded and extremely vindictive… I’m afraid Junior Sister Lin will be targeted by her underhanded schemes during this duel on the arena.”
Jiang Yunong sighed: “I am the one who dragged her into this.”
“To think there was actually such an incident?” Fan Li was somewhat surprised, and at the same time, a few more traces of appreciation appeared in his eyes.
To have courage, a sense of justice, and to be unafraid of powerful authorities—such a disciple was truly a rare find.
This kind of talent was someone he, Fan Li, was absolutely determined to have!
Then, he turned to Jiang Yunong again, his expression carrying a slight probe: “But… with your cultivation, how did you end up being bullied to such an extent? There must be a reason behind this, right?”
Jiang Yunong lowered her eyes: “Wen Jing is a princess of the Ming Kingdom, born into pampering and privilege, capable of summoning the wind and rain in the Ming Kingdom. My parents are merely rural farmers with no power at all. She threatened me, saying that if I dared to resist, she would take my parents’ lives. Therefore, I could only swallow my anger and let her vent her frustrations.”
With that, she slowly rolled up her sleeves.
Everyone saw that on her fair arms, crisscrossing bruises of green and purple extended all the way to her wrist bones. New injuries were layered over old ones, some of which had not yet healed, with thin blood scabs that were nearly rubbed raw by the fabric of her clothes.
Wei Lingfeng frowned, his gaze turning cold and dark: “This person is actually so despicable?”
Fan Li’s face also darkened. It took him a long while to suppress his anger: “All of this was done by that disciple named Wen Jing!?”