Chapter 20

Liuli went to find Xue Meiniang.

Xue Meiniang was handling official duties. Seeing her arrive, he asked with concern: “Are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine.” Liuli smiled as she walked to Xue Meiniang’s desk, pacing back and forth with her hands behind her back. “Dad, are you very busy?”

“Yes, and you come to disturb me when I’m so busy. Did you do this on purpose?”

“Not at all! I came to ask… do you have any more Thunderstorm Talismans?”

The three Profound-grade upper-grade Thunderstorm Talismans had all been used up by her. The upcoming opponents would definitely be even harder to deal with. Liuli tried to leech off her old man.

Xue Meiniang’s smile was kind and amiable: “Yes, I do.”

“Then… could you give me two?” Liuli shamelessly stretched out her hand.

“Pity, I used them a few days ago to compensate the disciples for their wet clothes. Now your old man doesn’t have any left, either.” Xue Meiniang unceremoniously slapped Liuli’s hand away, telling a bare-faced lie.

Liuli was flabbergasted: “You are way too vindictive.”

Xue Meiniang: “Heh heh.”

Her attempt to leech off her father having failed, Liuli dejectedly went back and rummaged through her remaining inventory. Her high-grade talismans were still plentiful. Though not as ferocious as the Thunderstorm Talisman, they should be enough if used sparingly.

Suddenly remembering something, she jumped off the bed and hurriedly walked outside.

Liang Tiantian happened to be coming to see her and had a figure brush past her shoulder. She quickly turned and called out: “Senior Sister, are you feeling better? Where are you going!”

“I’m going to the kitchen!”

When Liuli returned in another whirlwind, she grabbed Liang Tiantian’s arm, laughing: “Let me tell you some good news.”

“What?”

“Feng Xiwu has decided to take me as her disciple!”

Before she even finished speaking, Liuli burst out laughing, scooping up Liang Tiantian and spinning her around three times in excitement.

Liang Tiantian: “…So dizzy.”

Her lost confidence found again, Liuli once more restored her fiery passion. During the day, she brought a small stool to the front of the arena to observe the matches; at night, she sat cross-legged, working hard to not fall asleep.

Her diligence was so extreme that even Xue Meiniang couldn’t help but say: “Did you take some kind of drug?”

Liuli replied righteously: “Am I that kind of person?”

“Then you must be suffering from qi deviation.”

Liuli: “…Ha.”

After several rounds of elimination matches, it was finally Liuli’s turn to step onto the stage again. Looking at her opponent this time, one couldn’t say if Liuli was lucky or unlucky.

Because this time, she was fighting Long Jingxing.

Female lead halo vs. male lead halo. Anyone could guess that in a male-centric power fantasy, he would definitely win. Liuli scratched her ear in distress.

On the opposite side, Long Jingxing held a sharp sword, flourishing it in a sword flower. His pair of alluring, peach-blossom eyes gazed deeply at Liuli: “Junior Sister, long time no see.”

Since the hurried encounter when he had returned to the sect, it had been difficult to get a chance to speak with Liuli. Yet Long Jingxing had secretly watched every single match Liuli fought.

He couldn’t understand why Junior Sister had become the person she was now. But it didn’t matter; he was willing to continue giving Junior Sister opportunities. He believed that Junior Sister still loved him.

Meanwhile, Liuli was thinking: would it be incredibly shameless to negotiate with him to let me win this match?

“Long time no… see indeed.” Liuli rubbed her hands together, a little awkward.

Long Jingxing smiled: “Junior Sister, during this time, I have been pondering why you and I have grown apart.”

Liuli: …Because the person inside the shell has been swapped.

The audience below, however, had their eyes light up, all eagerly turning toward the arena in unison: Oh ho! There’s gossip!

Ye Zhenzhen, squeezed within the crowd: “…Why aren’t they fighting yet!”

She was here to see Long Jingxing’s heroic bearing, not to watch Xue Liuli and him exchange pleasantries!

On the stage, Liuli remained silent. Long Jingxing continued: “They all say Junior Sister’s heart has changed, but I refuse to believe it.”

Liuli: “…You’d better believe it.”

Pity, this was the moment for the male lead Long Jingxing’s grand speech. He wouldn’t stop just because the audience wasn’t cooperating!

Long Jingxing’s speech grew impassioned: “Junior Sister! After losing your memory, you’ve forgotten all past affairs. Your actions have been eccentric and frivolous; you must have been led astray without anyone to guide you!”

Liuli: “…Big brother, you’re the one speaking twisted logic.”

Long Jingxing’s expression hardened. He raised the sword in his hand, pointing the bitingly cold tip directly at the center of Liuli’s brow: “Junior Sister, if this continues, you will sooner or later suffer a great loss. Rather than let you be hurt before outsiders in the future, it’s better that I teach you a lesson today first!”

Liuli: “…Are you sick?”

Long Jingxing furrowed his brow. Lightning flashed along the sword’s blade. He was clearly about to get serious: “Junior Sister, even if you resent me, it’s fine. This is all for your own good… My apologies!”

Liuli: “…”

Damn! It was a good thing she hadn’t had time to ask him if he could let her win once based on past affections, and next time she’d return the favor, letting everyone be friendly and mutually supportive, so they could still be good friends in the future.

If she’d really asked and then been subjected to his moralistic bludgeoning, wouldn’t she have utterly humiliated herself!

Liuli was also angry now. Here you are, fighting, and your words still sound so noble. Why bother!

So she decided against any more crooked schemes and resolved to straightforwardly bombard Long Jingxing. Heh heh, anyway, even if she lost, Feng Xiwu would still belong only to her, nah-nah-nah!

Facing Long Jingxing’s charging figure, Liuli coolly took out a big Wooden Hammer. Water nourished wood; she could use this hammer just as well.

Despite its wild and unrestrained appearance, Long Jingxing had a thunder spirit root, and wood was an insulator—making it, on the contrary, a superior choice against him.

One sword, one hammer, meeting on the narrow path. An electric flash, their four eyes meeting, the air thick with fighting intent.

A loud “Clang!” resounded. Sword and hammer clashed. A massive force rebounded onto both individuals. Both of them simultaneously retreated a step.

Her chest roiling with surging blood and qi, Liuli panted, nervously gripping the hammer handle, ready to receive his next strike. No good, no good, his physical strength was greater than hers. Better not take him head-on; use spells to kite him instead!

Liuli quietly took a small step backward.

Long Jingxing lowered his head and didn’t react.

Liuli took another small step backward. Long Jingxing raised his hand to clutch his chest.

Why did he seem… more seriously injured? Was this a trick?!

No, the current Long Jingxing was still an upright character; he would disdain using such means. Could it be that this hammer was perfectly attuned to counter him, such that he accidentally got hurt by her?!

Liuli’s blood instantly boiled. Gripping the hammer handle tightly, she prepared to press her advantage!

Thus, when Liuli rushed before Long Jingxing, ready to hammer him again, Long Jingxing looked up and sprayed Liuli with a mouthful of blood: “Puh—”

Liuli: “…???”

What was going on! This was unscientific! The great male lead shouldn’t be this fragile!!!

Liuli stared blankly as Long Jingxing slowly knelt to the ground. Dark red blood gushed from his mouth in streams. He looked at Liuli in pain: “S-Save… save me…”

That blood, it was black.

Sensing that Long Jingxing’s True Qi was wildly dissipating, the people present finally realized something was wrong.

Liuli seemed to be struck by lightning, staying frozen in place for a moment, then suddenly screamed sharply: “You’ve been poisoned!”

The Elders from the spectator seats had already descended and surrounded the arena. Long Jingxing’s master grasped his wrist, his brow tightly furrowed as he treated him to expel the poison.

Enormous panic overwhelmed Liuli. She shook her head incredulously and threw herself beside Long Jingxing: “How could this be… Long Jingxing, don’t you have a Poison-Avoiding Pearl! Take it out, quickly!”

Long Jingxing furrowed his brow tightly. He tremblingly moved his hand toward his waist.

At that moment, as if struck by sudden enlightenment, Liuli understood his meaning. Among the accessories hanging at his waist, she found a black pearl the size of a thumb.

“Junior Sister… this is… cough cough…”

Upon seeing it, Liuli finally understood.

Damn! No wonder the Poison-Avoiding Pearl didn’t work well; it was because he had given the Mother Pearl, which could truly ward off a hundred poisons, to his “Good Junior Sister”!

Long Jingxing, oh Long Jingxing, how could you fail to be a saint when you should be, and foolishly send gifts when you shouldn’t!

“Wait for me!”

She couldn’t scold him anymore. Leaving those three words behind, she flew toward Peach Blossom Mountain in a panic at maximum speed.

After all, Long Jingxing had given the Mother Pearl to her. It made her want to curse but too embarrassed to do so!

Finding the Poison-Avoiding Mother Pearl—the size of half a fist—that she had tossed into a drawer, Liuli ignored the wind that buffeted her figure this way and that, as if she would fall off her flying sword in the next second. She rushed to Long Jingxing’s side and returned the Mother Pearl to him.

But it was already too late.

The Elder treating his injuries shook his head with a sigh: “This poison is too domineering. His spiritual root has been destroyed. His cultivation for this lifetime… is hopeless.”

Liuli couldn’t clearly explain the feeling in her heart. She just felt suddenly, deeply lost, mixed with an indescribable fear.

So this was… the power of fate?

Heaven had arranged everyone’s destiny. No matter how hard mortals tried, could they not change it?