“Yes, in the past when I went to see him, he would always block my path with his Yuan Power. I had never broken through his barrier,” Zheng Tiao explained while dodging and counterattacking. “But that day, he didn’t set up a Yuan Power barrier. I thought he was willing to see me, so I entered the courtyard.”
She Tianlin paused, frowning at him.
Ming Xian was known for his extreme caution. It seemed unlikely that he wouldn’t set up a Yuan Power formation when staying outside. However, Zheng Tiao’s words made sense. If Ming Xian had set up a formation, Zheng Tiao’s Yuan Power wouldn’t have been enough to enter.
Could there be more to this story?
“I only stood in the courtyard and exchanged a few words with him. I merely said something about definitely defeating him this year. After that, I left without even seeing his face. How could I have harmed him?” Zheng Tiao seized the opportunity and unleashed a wave of Yuan Power.
She Tianlin lost in thought, failed to notice his opponent’s move.
“Watch out!” Ming Yi couldn’t help but shout.
She Tianlin startled, looking sharply in her direction. At that moment, Bo Yuankui broke through the Netherworld Battle Domain, struggling to block Zheng Tiao’s attack and pulling She Tianlin out of harm’s way.
Zheng Tiao’s Yuan Power was truly formidable. Even though Bo Yuankui was prepared, blocking this attack left him pale-faced. Nevertheless, he was pleased to have earned She Tianlin’s gratitude. As he stood up and walked over, intending to offer more words of concern, he saw She Tianlin suddenly sprint towards the end of the seating area as soon as he landed.
Ming Yi was startled and quickly ducked her head back, closing her eyes in frustration.
It seemed fate was against her. If she hadn’t warned him, Old She wouldn’t have withstood that attack. But by warning him, she had exposed herself.
Covering her head with both hands, Ming Yi buried herself under the table.
She didn’t want Old She to see her in this state.
“Master She,” a young man suddenly intercepted him halfway, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting. “May I ask if there’s any way to obtain that divine weapon you used earlier?”
His head buzzing, She Tianlin took a while to process the young man’s words, his rationality slowly returning.
He couldn’t go any further. If it wasn’t her, his actions would arouse suspicion among the various cities. If it was her, he might put her in danger.
Taking a deep breath, Tianlin composed himself. He looked at the young man before him and, as if to cover his true intentions, pulled out a kaleidoscope and handed it to him. “I noticed earlier that the young master’s eyes lit up with admiration for this divine weapon. I came specifically to gift it to you. I hope you’ll accept it.”
Situ Ling smiled and accepted the kaleidoscope without hesitation. “Master She is indeed generous. May all your wishes come true.”
Fu Yue, standing behind, was stunned.
Was it that easy?
A wave of admiration swept through the crowd. Bo Yuankui, seated at the head table, felt a twinge of envy. “Master She is truly generous.”
She Tianlin turned and cupped his hands towards Bo Yuankui. “Thank you for your help. My household has recently crafted a new weapon. It will be delivered to your residence in a few days.”
Hearing this, Bo Yuankui was delighted and helped smooth things over. “When I saw Master She’s intense reaction earlier, I thought he was here to vent his anger. I didn’t expect he would come to build goodwill. Excellent, excellent indeed.”
She Tianlin discreetly glanced at the seat where the person couldn’t be seen, pressed his lips together, and returned to his seat as if nothing had happened.
Zheng Tiao, injured, refused the medicine offered by the palace servants and returned to his seat at the end of the hall.
Ming Yi caught the strong scent of blood.
The smell was all too familiar, especially since it was Zheng Tiao’s blood. She used to smell it once a year in the past.
But now, for some reason, she didn’t dare to look back.
Xiu Yun, oblivious to the situation, was bolder. Seeing that Zheng Tiao was close by, she turned to speak to him. “Lord Zheng, don’t combatants need to bandage their wounds?”
“Usually, we don’t,” Zheng Tiao surprisingly replied. “In the past, only Ming Xian and Ji Bozai could wound me. They both strike quickly, fiercely, and accurately, leaving clean cuts that can be sealed with Yuan Power.”
The wound inflicted by She Tianlin couldn’t be sealed with Yuan Power.
Xiu Yun looked fascinated and quickly tugged at Ming Yi. “Did you hear that? Yuan Power can even be used to bandage wounds.”
Ming Yi remained silent, pretending she couldn’t hear anything.
“What’s wrong with this young lady?” Zheng Tiao suddenly asked. “She’s been lying face down the whole time. Did she drop something?”
If Ming Yi had any doubts about whether Zheng Tiao recognized her before, his question confirmed it.
Even though she had changed into women’s clothing and altered her posture, Zheng Tiao could still recognize her. If he could, then She Tianlin certainly would.
Her heart sank heavily. Ming Yi didn’t bother being polite to him. “I dropped ten taels of gold. I’m looking for them. Have you seen them, my lord?”
Zheng Tiao nodded. “If you’re willing to compete with me again, I’ll give you a hundred taels.”
Damn, this madman.
Ming Yi was furious.
Was there nothing in this man’s head but combat? They were in a precarious situation, with many people likely watching him, yet he wanted to compete with her.
Did he think she wasn’t participating in this year’s Six Cities Tournament because she didn’t want to?
She turned her head slowly, giving him a fierce glare, then turned back and continued to play dead on the cushion.
He hadn’t spoken loudly, so only Xiu Yun had heard him. She looked at him in confusion, then at the ill-mannered little dancer beside her, unable to understand.
Why did Lord Zheng want to compete with Ming Yi? Compete in what? Dancing?
She never imagined that such a powerful combatant would also know how to dance.
Looking back at Zheng Tiao, Xiu Yun’s eyes now held a hint of admiration.
Many men in the world could use Yuan Power, but men who could both use Yuan Power and dance were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
How remarkable, she thought.
Zheng Tiao observed Ming Yi closely. As his initial excitement subsided, he finally noticed something amiss.
When he first met Ming Yi, he had observed that the color of the meridians in her wrists was unclear, and her body showed no instinctive reactions. So he reported back to Ji Bozai that this woman couldn’t use Yuan Power.
But she was Ming Xian, the Ming family’s direct descendant and the champion of the Six Cities Tournament for seven consecutive years. How could her meridians be unclear and devoid of Yuan Power?
Recalling She Tianlin’s words earlier, Zheng Tiao’s expression grew serious.
Could she have been harmed by someone?
The welcoming banquet continued, but surprisingly, the Three Upper Cities didn’t plunder Mu Xing City as heavily as before. Chao Yang City only demanded half of what they had previously, while Zhu Yue City and Xin Cao City didn’t ask for more either. The total tribute amounted to less than two-thirds of last year’s.
The people of Mu Xing City felt a mix of sorrow and joy. The combatants’ morale improved, and many of them went down to challenge people from the Three Upper Cities, livening up the atmosphere.
As the mood at the banquet eased, the Iris Flower ladies began to move about. Xu Tianji finally seized the opportunity when Ji Bozai left his seat and had someone bring Xiu Yun back.
“What were you chatting about so happily?” she asked, eyeing Xiu Yun.
Xiu Yun’s cheeks flushed as she excitedly replied, “Lord Zheng Tiao said that after the banquet ends, he’ll personally escort Ming Yi and me back!”