Chapter 33: The Bet

What was Shang Si feeling at that moment? She couldn’t quite put it into words.

At such close range, with her strength, she had long sensed the stage the figure in the light pillar had reached upon breaking through this time. A subtle sense of relief and pride welled up unbidden within her.

Lu Shiyuan was hers, after all—their names bound together long ago, inseparable.

Qin Lan’s words thus pleased Shang Si greatly, leaving her without any reason to refuse.

It was truly this one crucial Fire Spirit Spike from the Fire Phoenix Clan that had forged the Lu Shiyuan standing there now. She had indeed received an immense favor from Qin Lan. With things said to this point, it would be unreasonable to insist on taking her by force.

“However, until you can give all parties a proper accounting, Qin Hongchou cannot leave your clan’s territory again. Otherwise, don’t blame me for forgetting our old ties.” Her words were for Qin Lan, but Shang Si’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on the figure gradually taking shape within the beam of light a hundred meters away. Her mind had already drifted from the confrontation at hand.

Moments later, the light beam faded, and the figure vanished.

A gust of wind swept past, stirring the hair at her ear. In the blink of an eye, a brilliantly smiling face appeared before Shang Si. It was broad daylight under a cloudless sky, yet Lu Shiyuan’s curved almond eyes seemed filled with twinkling stars.

“A Si, I’m… really strong now.” The low, laughing whisper reached her ear. Shang Si could no longer maintain the last trace of chill on her face and laughed along with Lu Shiyuan.

The first thing Lu Shiyuan did after emerging from seclusion was seek someone out. She wanted to see Shang Si, to share her joy and newfound power right away. It was an urge etched deep into her very being.

Fortunately, the one she sought wasn’t hard to find.

“How strong, exactly?” Shang Si naturally slipped her arms around the woman’s soft waist, her long lashes lowering as she murmured in response.

How strong? Lu Shiyuan didn’t really know.

She only felt as though her body brimmed with inexhaustible spiritual power—a sensation too elusive to capture in words.

“Hard to say, but really strong,” Lu Shiyuan replied, tilting her head with a gleam of eager excitement in her eyes. “Want to spar and find out?” A fight would settle it simply and directly.

Truth be told, Lu Shiyuan had wanted to do just that for ages, but opportunity had eluded her.

She had always known Shang Si was formidable—stronger than most in the world. Everyone addressed her with respect as Ye Lord.

Call it the boldness of a newborn calf unafraid of tigers or simple ignorance of one’s limits, Lu Shiyuan just itched for a real clash with Shang Si.

Only by gauging the gap between them could she push herself to close it.

Shang Si, however, took it as mere battle lust from someone freshly recovered.

With a smiling shake of her head, she politely refused the idea and gestured for Lu Shiyuan to survey their surroundings.

Rubble from buildings caught in the magical clash lay strewn about, mingled with the stark scars of raging flames. Only then did Lu Shiyuan register that something was amiss.

She stepped back from Shang Si, no longer clinging so openly, a hint of puzzlement in her voice. “What happened? Did you all fight?”

She glanced at Qingzhi, one of their own.

Qingzhi’s robes remained immaculate, untouched by dust, her demeanor as gentle and serene as ever. Only her strange, sour expression stood out.

It appeared Yedu’s side hadn’t come off the worse in the brawl.

“Yes, we fought,” Shang Si said. She hooked Lu Shiyuan’s dainty pinky finger and gave it a playful swing, while raising her other hand to point directly at Qin Xinying amid the shattered ruins below. “Since you’ve just emerged from seclusion, why not give it a go? Fight her. Lay her flat, and I’ll reward you with something nice.”

Shang Si’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to everyone present.

That offhand arrogance—casually pointing as if at some trifling thing—stirred nameless fury in their midst.

In an instant, a heavy silence descended.

Even Lu Shiyuan was baffled. She’d only been holed up in the chamber for half a month or so, and now she was supposed to cross blades with Qin Xinying, someone she’d gotten along decently with before?

Qin Xinying herself was equally at a loss.

After days of bottled-up frustration and restraint, finally seeing Qin Lan emerge had loosened her tongue.

“Ye Lord, what is the meaning of this?” she demanded, annoyance flaring.

To suggest some mere mortal cultivator could flatten her—wasn’t that a blatant insult to a demon?

Meanwhile, Lu Shiyuan still hesitated.

She wrinkled her nose, uncertain of Shang Si’s intent. “A Si, do we really have to fight?”

“Of course. Do you think I’m joking with you?” Shang Si restrained the amusement in her eyes, her tone suddenly laced with sternness. “A Phoenix Demon’s true form is incredibly tough and powerful—top-tier strength. Even looking across the entire Three Realms, Qin Xinying stands at the pinnacle of the younger generation.”

The “pinnacle of the younger generation” she referred to was nothing like those so-called elite disciples from the Human Realm’s cultivation sects.

Demons’ strongest state wasn’t their human form, but their true body—especially for the Phoenix Demon Clan, descendants of phoenixes.

Though someone like Qin Xinying was completely outmatched in front of her or Qingzhi, if she faced others alone, who would dare take her lightly? Forget direct combat; her innate true fire alone was enough to give anyone serious trouble.

“Don’t you want to know just how strong you really are? Only by taking her down can you barely call yourself ‘strong.’” Shang Si enunciated each word clearly, her gaze on Lu Shiyuan gradually carrying a trace of pressure.

She was showing Lu Shiyuan the path forward.

Raw cultivation and abundant spiritual power weren’t enough on their own.

One had to know how to wield it, fight with it, control it freely to subdue foes—that was true power one could call their own. And Qin Xinying was the perfect target for such a trial.

Lu Shiyuan grasped Shang Si’s meaning. The spark of battle intent that had faded from her eyes reignited, burning ever more fiercely. “Fine. Then I’ll fight.”

She wanted to clash with a true powerhouse too.

Her words had barely fallen when Lu Shiyuan stepped to the side, extending her right arm with fingers loosely curled. The Azure Frost Sword, shimmering with spiritual light, gradually took shape in her grasp.

She gripped the blade and advanced half a step toward Qin Xinying, her eyes blazing as they fixed on her opponent.

Qin Xinying’s aura grew restless in response.

Shang Si’s words hadn’t been meant just for Lu Shiyuan; she had heard them too. Though they praised her lavishly, they were also a clear provocation. Qin Xinying didn’t believe Lu Shiyuan was any match for her—not even after consuming that Nectar and Jade Liquid.

Of course she felt indignant.

Yet Qin Xinying was the sort who could shoulder her clan’s burdens in a crisis. She tamped down the rising battle intent in her heart and glanced toward Qin Lan. “Mother?”

Was this all right?

Qin Xinying awaited a word of approval.

“Go ahead. It’s a good opportunity for you too. Don’t take her lightly.” Just as expected, Qin Lan offered no objection.

If Shang Si wanted to use her own carefully nurtured daughter as a whetstone, Qin Lan didn’t mind using Lu Shiyuan to dull Yedu’s sharp edges.

Arrogant to the core, overbearing in their ways, and now they’d stirred up such an ugly mess today.

Qin Lan knew Shang Si must have confidence and certainty in letting Lu Shiyuan fight, but at her age, how strong could she possibly be?

Strong enough to beat Qin Xinying? Not a chance.

With her mother’s permission, Qin Xinying cast aside all hesitation. The moment the Azure Frost Sword sang from its sheath in Lu Shiyuan’s hand, she launched into the air. A ring of solid flame erupted around her as she charged straight at her foe, holding nothing back.

Lu Shiyuan couldn’t evade in time. Most of her dress caught fire from the blaze.

The Demon Race was infamous for the resilience of their physical bodies.

But this was only the beginning.

The clash overhead raged fiercely, in full swing. Lu Shiyuan appeared utterly suppressed, unable to seize even the slightest advantage. Several times, she nearly drew blood, with Qin Xinying on the verge of landing a direct hit.

Down below, Shang Si and Qin Lan settled into an unaffected courtyard. They brewed tea and watched the fight unfold with perfect composure, showing not the faintest sign of worry.

Qin Lan couldn’t begin to guess what the woman was thinking. Even scrutinizing her closely revealed nothing.

Shang Si, by contrast, saw straight through to the heart of the matter.

After Qin Lan’s gaze flicked toward her face for the umpteenth time, Shang Si chuckled lightly and spoke in a lazy drawl. “Qin Lan, I know exactly what’s on your mind. How about a little wager? If Shiyuan fails to take down your precious daughter this time, I’ll grant you one unconditional request. Anything Yedu can manage, I’ll make it happen.”

It was a bold bet.

“Shang Si, you really are full of yourself.” Qin Lan laughed in incredulity, provoked to anger in just a few words.

Arrogant, self-important, and utterly disdainful—intolerable!

Qin Lan swallowed her frustration and forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Yet Shang Si pressed on smoothly, arching her fine brows in a manner that seemed almost challenging. “Clan Head Qin flatters me. I’ve been full of myself for more than a day or two.”

—Was that meant as praise?

Qin Lan slammed her teacup down with enough force to slop tea over the rim.

Shang Si appeared oblivious to her displeasure, remaining seated calmly as she awaited a reply.

“Since Ye Lord is so generous, refusing this gesture of goodwill would only make me look ungrateful. But if word of this gets out, others might accuse the Fire Phoenix Clan of bullying people… Here’s a better idea: if Lu Shiyuan can gain the complete upper hand against Xinying when she’s going all out, then you win.”

Qin Lan didn’t hesitate for a moment. She saw this as a free win—why pass it up?

Shang Si had so boldly walked right into her trap, so Qin Lan had no intention of holding back.

She softened “beat her into the dirt” to “gain the upper hand.” It wasn’t much different, but at least it would sound better if it spread.

Shang Si smiled nonchalantly. “Then it’s settled.” As her lashes lowered, no one caught the cunning flicker in her eyes.

“If Shiyuan wins, I want you to hand over another Companion Fire Spirit Spike. How does that sound?” Only now did Shang Si slowly reveal her terms.

Qin Lan drew in a sharp breath.

She turned to face Shang Si, her gaze now heavy with implication. “Shang Si, aren’t you being a little too greedy?” She’d already gotten one Companion Grass, and now she wanted a second? The woman was never satisfied.

Yet Qin Lan didn’t outright refuse. Instead, she lifted her head again, watching the two women locked in fierce combat overhead. With a light chuckle and a shake of her head, she said, “Just you wait and see, your precious sword cultivator…”

How badly she’ll lose.