Chapter Text
The constant beeping of the system in his ear when he wakes up has become normal for him; every morning since the counter was set to one month, it has been like this. Shen Qingqiu wishes he could throw his fan at it to make it shut up. However, that didn't work, because he tried it once and all it did was mess up his desk.
He knows he has to start the mission, and he also needs to unlock upgrades that he can't get unless he does that mission. Besides, he doesn't want to have his points reduced.
After getting ready with his robes and hairstyle, along with his matching fan, he set out to review the work his disciples had done, only to see the immense number of pages that were Luo Binghe's punishment in front of him. He's not going to review it; it would be a waste of time, especially knowing that, as the protagonist, everything would probably be fine.
At noon, when everything was finished, he set out to take a walk around the peak. As he walked, he could see that most people were going to the cafeteria. He managed to spot Luo Binghe in the distance, who apparently also saw him but hid himself next to Ning Yingying.
“Silly boy,” Shen Qingqiu muttered. Luo Binghe is still the protagonist after all, no matter what happens to him, he will be fine. Besides, they don't bother him anymore, there's no need to pay too much attention to that. And if they do bother him, let Ning Yingying be the one to speak up, he's not going to do anything else.
He would have to write a letter to Yue Qingyuan. He didn't want to do it; he would prefer not to even interact with him, but he was still the sect leader, and that meant he had to do it.
He sat down to write a simple letter when he arrived at his bamboo house. He didn't want to waste too much ink on something like this. The only thing he specified was that he wanted to see him at the hour of the ox.
Shen Qingqiu gave the letter to Ming Fang to deliver his main disciple instead of him. When he was done, he went to the meadow among the bamboo to meditate, only to find Luo Binghe lying there with three girls by his side. The twins were playing with flowers, and Ning Yingying was placing a flower crown on Luo Binghe's head.
“So he's already started collecting girls for his harem?” thought Shen Qingqiu as he regretted accepting the twins if they were going to end up with Luo Binghe. They deserve better. That also means he will have to pay attention to the twins so that they will excel. He may be dead by then, but everyone will know that it was he who taught his disciples. Or maybe not, and they would pretend it was their own talent.
“Shizun!” Ning Yingying shouted when she saw him, getting up to approach where her Shizun was standing. Shen Qingqiu unfolded his fan to cover half of his face, stepping completely out from between the bamboo. Luo Binghe also stood up suddenly when he noticed him, while the twins just turned to see where Shen Qingqiu was so they could go to him.
Ning Yingying had gotten close enough to him that he only had to raise his hand slightly to pat her on the head. “I see you've shown your friends the place, Yingying,” Shen Qingqiu said.
“Yes, Shizun. We were making flower crowns since we finished class early,” replied Xiao Li, who had one already assembled in her hands, which she shyly offered to Shen Qingqiu. He knew that accepting such a gift could result in a reduction in points, but both twins gave him sad puppy dog eyes that made it difficult not to accept.
“Don't think I'll let you do this again,” he warned as he bent down slightly to let them place the wreath on his head, although it ended up a little crooked because of the guan he was wearing.
“A-Luo, where are you going?” Xiao Yu suddenly asked. Luo Binghe was apparently trying to sneak away so that Shen Qingqiu wouldn't notice his presence, but it didn't work out well because everyone noticed his escape.
Luo Binghe stood firmly, smiled at the girls and Shen Qingqiu, and while the girls thought it was normal, Shen Qingqiu knew that it was just part of Luo Binghe's manipulative mask. Could the original goods also distinguish that? He wondered mentally.
“Ah, I think I'd better get ready for my next classes. Besides, I think... I left the oven on!” Luo Binghe used this cheap excuse and, without Shen Qingqiu's permission, ended up leaving the place.
Ning Yingying grabbed his sleeve before he could speak. “A-Luo has been acting strange since this morning, Shizun.”
“Hmn.”
“Shizun, you can't be so hard on A-Luo... I think—” Ning Yingying didn't finish speaking because one look from Shen Qingqiu was enough to know that it was better not to comment on the matter. “Ying-er is sorry, Shizun.”
Shen Qingqiu looked at her for a moment before tapping her twice with his fan on the sleeve of his robe, causing Ning Yingying to let go. “Do something more productive than just playing with flowers.” As quickly as he had arrived, Shen Qingqiu left the zone.
“Should we tell him that he still has flowers in his hair?” asked Xiao Yu.
“I don't think so...” replied her sister.
Shen Qingqiu was sitting at his desk with a teapot ready for the meeting when he heard a knock on the door. He slowly got up to open the door, where Yue Qingyuan was standing. “At least he didn't come in without permission,” he thought, as he hated it when Yue Qingyuan dared to visit him unannounced. “Zhangmen-shixiong,” he said in what he considered a normal tone, making room for Yue Qingyuan to enter.
“Qingqiu-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan greeted him, “To what do I owe the honor of this reunion?” he asked with a smile that made Shen Qingqiu narrow his eyes. Calming his inner thoughts a little, he simply motioned for him to follow him into the room in silence. Shen Qingqiu waited for him to sit down before pouring some tea into the cups to talk.
Yue Qingyuan looked at him expectantly, with that smile he couldn't stand to see. He unfolded his fan to cover a grimace on his face. “I want to seclude myself in the Lingxi Caves,” he said bluntly. Even so, if Yue Qingyuan didn't let him, he would go on his own. Either that or unwanted point elimination.
Yue Qingyuan remained silent for a while as his little finger tapped the table repeatedly. Shen Qingqiu had noticed this once a few months ago and knew it meant he was stressed.
“I don't think that's a good idea, Shen-shidi. Mu Qingfang said you should continue to rest—”
“I don't care what Mu Qingfang thinks, enough time has passed.” Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes above his fan. “I want to seclude myself in the Lingxi Caves,” Shen Qingqiu repeated harshly.
“Xiao-Jiu—” Shen Qingqiu's fan slammed shut, hitting the table hard, causing the cups to move and spilling some of their contents onto the table. Yue Qingyuan shut his mouth and looked away before looking back at Shen Qingqiu.
“That's not my name!” he protested.
Yue Qingyuan looked at the mess on the table and sighed, responding with a smile that Shen Qingqiu felt was forced.
“You have my permission to retire, Shen-shidi,” he said, getting up from the table to go to the door, glancing sideways at Shen Qingqiu, who was looking at him with a frown and narrowed eyes, before leaving without even burning a stick of incense. When the door closed, Shen Qingqiu let out a sigh he had been holding back and got up. His head always hurt after talking to Yue Qingyuan. How could Shen Jiu live like this?
He would have to call Ming Fang to clean the table. He brushed the hair away from his face only to feel something else on his head. Removing the object, he realized it was the flower crown Xiao Li had given him. “So that's why you were smiling, huh?” he muttered as he took it off.
Stupid Qi-ge.
He left the crown on the shelf, smoothed his robe, and headed for the door.
Luo Binghe was standing in front of the bamboo house, a flower pot in his hand. He had heard everything that had happened, as they had not kept their voices very low, nor had they placed any talismans of silence. He was unable to slip away before the door opened and the sect leader came out.
Zhangmen-shibo only glanced at him and what he was carrying in his hand, greeting him with a nod, which Luo Binghe responded to silently. Yue Qingyuan left on his sheathed sword. “It'll be better another time,” Luo Binghe thought, as he didn't like the idea of Shen Qingqiu's anger falling on him.
His Shizun still hadn't grown very fond of him over the months, and he didn't want to make things worse overnight. (Although there have already been several occasions when he has unintentionally made things worse and set everything back.) As he was about to turn around, he heard the door open again.
Shen Qingqiu came out of the house with a hand on his forehead. When he noticed Luo Binghe, his face immediately changed to the cold mask that Luo Binghe believes he can now recognize more often.
“What is a beast doing near my house?” Shen Qingqiu's voice was heard. “Do you have too much free time, or do you need me to put you to work as a mule again?” His Shizun slammed the door shut, walking slowly toward Luo Binghe.
“This disciple apologizes, I just wanted to give Shizun something,” Luo Binghe replied. He felt somewhat uncomfortable as he felt Shen Qingqiu's gaze on him as his Shizun approached.
The fan hit his head with a somewhat rough touch, and he raised his head to look at Shen Qingqiu. His Shizun was looking at him with a frown, waving the fan slightly twice before covering half his face. From the movement, Luo Binghe could deduce that he wasn't that angry.
“I think I've made it clear that I don't want you around me, bastard.”
Shizun always says that, saying he doesn't want him around, but he still eats what he cooks, looking for him with his eyes while pretending not to, hiding behind his fan. Luo Binghe recognizes that his Shizun uses scathing words as a shield. He just wonders why.
“Shizun, this disciple may be more useful to you than you expect.”
“Are you defying my words?”
“No, Shizun.” Shen Qingqiu looked at him with narrowed eyes before turning toward the door of the bamboo house.
"If you say you're so useful, then move and clean the table in my room. And throw away that flowerpot you're holding before I do it." When Shen Qingqiu was already inside the house, Luo Binghe entered behind him. His Shizun's room was the same as the few times he had entered it, except that he noticed how messy the table was from the spilled tea. He imagined that was the crash he had heard.
Shizun was somewhere else in his home or possibly out. He didn't think so; most likely, he was watching him to find some way to scold him. Luo Binghe placed the pot containing the bioluminescent bellflower on the shelf where he noticed the wreath of flowers the twins had given him. Shizun looked good with it on; he would like to braid flowers into his Shizun's hair.
He went to the back to look for a wooden bucket and a rag to come back and start cleaning the table, putting away the cups and teapot that he would wash later. After a while, when he was finished, he noticed him Shizun returning from wherever he had been. He looked at him with a frown before looking away, waving his fan, which Luo Binghe knew meant it was best to leave. Clasping his hands in front of his head, he said goodbye without speaking and went to his bedroom, which was nothing more than the shed.
When Luo Binghe brought him breakfast the next day, he noticed that the flowerpot was slightly moved but not knocked over as Shen Qingqiu had promised to do.
The Ling Xi caves were like a maze. After going round and round several times upon entering, he finally found a pleasant place to stay. Or rather, he ended up instinctively staying in that place, and as he looked around, he didn't quite like what he saw because, even though it was strangely beautiful and quiet, with rocks of different colors that looked like a place to have fun, and a pond a few steps away that reflected the dim light coming in, something else stood out.
It looked like a murder scene, the walls were covered with sword marks and dried blood. Accustomed to seeing blood, Shen Qingqiu stayed where he was, not particularly eager to look for another place. Sitting on a bed of rocks, he began to cultivate himself more than he had already done in his free time.
Time passed differently inside the Ling Xi caves. While it felt like only a few minutes to him, it was possible that months had passed outside. He informed Ming Fang of his departure, making it clear that he would suffer the consequences if anything went wrong in his absence. He liked to have fun watching his face.
After a while, he began to hear several blows that shook the cave. He already knew what was happening, but he found it quite annoying that it happened when he was already feeling better. He didn't even feel a big change in his cultivation. With his damaged meridians, it would have been easier for him to ignore it and continue with his business, but even so, he knew that even the original goods sought the cause of the annoying noise.
Getting up, Shen Qingqiu smoothed his robe before beginning his search.
The caves were huge, and it was obvious that Shen Qingqiu would not be the only one confined to the caves. Having been in his own world while cultivating and trying to forget what he remembered about the Qiu Mansion, he may have overlooked what he was supposed to be doing there.
Liu Qingge had already entered the qi deviation.
He followed the sound as he ventured into the cave, and as the sound grew louder with each step, he assumed he was close. When he finally reached another cave, he noticed the cause of his initial concern. Liu Qingge was a few steps away from him, stabbing a rock with his sword. The qi deviation caused his sword to attack any surface uncontrollably, who knows when this started.
Liu Qingge, sensing another person in his space, unconsciously made his sword attack Shen Qingqiu, who moved away when he noticed. He knew perfectly well that if he tried to regulate Liu Qingge's spiritual energy all at once, it would only cause him to die from the energy shock, and he might also be injured.
Liu Qingge had at some point recovered his sword, dedicating himself to attacking Shen Qingqiu, who continued to evade him. It would be his first time seeing Liu Qingge in person, and he should have expected him to look like this, like a damn Greek god. His sister was Liu Mingyang, the most acclaimed beauty in the novel, and their shared genetics were noticeable from afar. But he had a pretty face for nothing, since he was the brute who didn't control his foolish disciples who harassed his own, and besides, having him with a murderous aura against him was no fun either.
He still doesn't know the relationship between the Original Goods and Liu Qingge, and he didn't grow very fond of him in the original novel because he only appeared once. For Shen Yuan Qingqiu, he would be neutral towards him, to a certain extent. He doesn't like his disciples being bothered.
Shen Qingqiu moved to counterattack, using his fan to deflect the attack that came in his direction, although it ended up with his fan with a hole in the center. He was lucky that it wasn't one of his favorite collection.
Liu Qingge's sword was embedded in a rock, unable to pull it out. Shen Qingqiu took advantage of the moment to summon Xiu Ya. Relying on the fact that Liu Qingge was still fighting to pull the sword out of the rock, Shen Qingqiu was caught off guard and attacked by Liu Qingge, ending up with a cut on his chest.
“One more for the collection,” he thought bitterly, ignoring his own pain, raising his sword to block Liu Qingge's, clashing swords and causing a flash of light from the clash of metal. He began to transmit extra spiritual energy to his sword to weaken Liu Qingge. As Lord Bai Zhan was already injured and weakened by the deviation of qi, Shen Qingqiu managed to make him stagger and drop his sword, which fell several steps away from them with a metallic clang.
“Stop moving and help once and for all!” he shouted, even though he knew he couldn't hear him.
Liu Qingge ended up kneeling down suddenly in pain, clutching his head as if he had a sharp headache while coughing up blood.
Shen Qingqiu seized the moment to position himself behind Liu Qingge, bending down and placing his palm on his back to slowly transmit spiritual energy.
When he noticed that Liu Qingge's breathing was improving and his skin was regaining color as the minutes passed, he let go. Ignoring the system notification, he laid him down on a rock.
At least he managed to prevent him from ending up in his original tragedy where he killed him, apart from the fact that Liu Qingge's death was one of the many incidents that started the decline of his reputation and where rumors would begin to circulate more frequently.
Liu Qingge began coughing up blood as he regained consciousness. Noticing his condition, Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but frown.
Liu Qingge noticed Shen Qingqiu sitting in front of him, his eyes narrowed. He didn't look like someone who had just helped him. Liu Qingge tried to summon his sword to attack or prevent Shen Qingqiu from doing anything to him, which ended in another burst of coughing up blood.
“Ugh, stop being an idiot and don't move! Aren't you supposed to be the lord of Bai Zhan Peak? How can you let yourself look so miserable?” Shen Qingqiu yelled at him, throwing a rag he happened to find at Liu Qingge's face.
Liu Qingge looked at him with a frown as he began to remember things. “I'd rather have died than be saved by you,” he muttered, and Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the comment.
“Watch your words, Shidi.” Shen Qingqiu stood up and wiped his robe clean. “Seek medical attention. Don't be so cocky that Bai Zhan's brute might show up dead.”
Liu Qingge, despite the comment, said nothing about it, mostly because his gaze was fixed on Shen Qingqiu's exposed cut, which was bleeding profusely, staining his green robes.
“You're hurt.” He couldn't remember exactly what had happened, but had Shen Qingqiu really saved him?
“Mind your own business,” hissed Shen Qingqiu, adjusting his robe to cover the cut. Turning around, Shen Qingqiu headed back to the cave where he had been hours earlier to continue his seclusion. Sitting down on the rock again, he tried to direct his energy to the wound, but only managed to heal it a little. After what he thought was enough time, he left the cave.
First, he glanced at the cave where Liu Qingge had been, only to find it empty. Either he had left or simply changed caves.
Upon exiting, he noticed that everything was on fire. The Ling Xi caves were isolated from the outside world, which was why he had not heard the screams or seen the fire and smoke present in the area.
As he thought while looking around, another point in the novel had begun: the demonic invasion was happening.
When they saw him, several disciples from other peaks and from his own peak approached him as if they had just seen salvation. No, rather, they did so because he was the only lord of the summit available who was capable of helping in the situation. Ming Fang was apparently nearby, immediately running towards Shen Qingqiu. Having run and moments before tried to appease the chaos as the senior disciple, his voice was agitated as he spoke. “Shizun, it's good that you came out of seclusion! The demons have invaded our sect and hurt my martial brothers. Shizun, you have to show that we will not be defeated!”
Shen Qingqiu remained indifferent to Ming Fang's words, unfolding his fan to hide the slight grimace of pain from the cut that still hadn't completely healed.
“Calm down, I see no need for alarm. Where is Zhangmen-shixiong?” Some grimaced when they heard the lord of the summit call them exaggerated when several were injured, but they responded nonetheless.
“Zhangmen-shibo has left the mountain on important business,” replied one of the disciples of Wan Jian. “If not, how else would they have been able to attack and invade the sect?”
Shen Qingqiu wanted to roll his eyes at the comment. Yue Qingyuan had told him about this meeting between sect leaders quite some time ago, and now it turned out to be exactly that meeting.
“Liu Qingge?” He should have come out of seclusion before him, so why isn't he there?
“Liu-shishu came out of seclusion one day and went to Qian Cao Peak, but then went back into seclusion.” Shen Qingqiu hummed in acknowledgment.
“They have also broken the rainbow bridges connecting to the other twelve peaks, placing strange barriers that have prevented us from calling for outside help,” Ming Fang said, pushing his way through the crowd to stand close to his Shizun.
Shen Qingqiu certainly knew what was going on. From what he remembered, the demons where there because Sha Hualing just got the title of Saint Demon, he was glad he hadn't forgotten it, as his mind was pure fog at that point. His original memories sometimes become blurred.
“I believe you have been taught not to be cowards in this sect. When the demons come, what you must do is fight and rid the place of the pests. Move, or I will leave you to your fate.” Closing his fan, he shook it, causing the disciples, disheartened by his comments, to begin to follow him like ducklings without a mother.
Due to the plot, coincidentally, all the disciples from the peaks, or the vast majority of them, were in Qiong Ding. Noticing Shen Qingqiu leading a small group of disciples, they did not hesitate to follow him as well.
Shen Qingqiu glanced sideways at the group, finding Luo Binghe already joined the crowd, looking slightly taller than the last time he saw him, brighter than before, and with all his wounds completely healed, showing his youthful aura. Luo Binghe calmed the younger and more fearful disciples around him with words.
Knowing that the protagonist was with him, he headed for the main square where most of the demons were gathered.
In front of the main building of Qiong Ding Mountain, several demons were present for a single demon who differed from the rest.
Sha Hualing, compared to the rest of the demons, came from a race of pure-blooded demons. However, what set her apart the most was the skimpy clothing she wore, as if it were a hot day. She was surrounded by gold jewelry from head to toe. How could she stand to be dressed like that? He assumed it was a demon custom.
Since Sha Hualing was one of Luo Binghe's main partners in the harem, Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but glance sideways at Luo Binghe. At the same time, their eyes met, Shen Qingqiu narrowed his eyes and feigned little interest. Luo Binghe ignored the expression as he focused mainly on the slight, barely noticeable bloodstain that showed through his Shizun's robe.
Ming Fang stood in front of the crowd that was already beginning to gather, shouting at the demons before most even thought to do so. “Arrogant demons, trying to invade our sect when no one was around, now you are reluctant to act in the presence of an immortal. Cowards!”
Some demons, angered by the child's insult, rushed toward him to attack. As Ming Fang was standing next to Shen Qingqiu, his Shizun stepped in and intercepted the demons, using his spiritual energy to lift them up and throw them at Sha Hualing's feet.
Sha Hualing, realizing that her plans had backfired, had to take unexpected measures. "This Saint apologizes for the lack of education. Our people have not climbed this mountain to cause harm. We have simply heard of the prestigious Cang Qiong sect and wanted to come and compete against you and measure our abilities properly.
The proposal sounded reasonable if it weren't for the fact that it was a demon who said it. Apart from daring to enter the sect, which was already a violation of authority, her act of cutting off communication with the other peaks was not a sign of kindness.
“How ‘kind’ of you,” Shen Qingqiu waved his fan in Sha Hualing's direction. “If that were the case, I don't see the need to seek what you call training in the absence of the sect leader or any other summit lord, harming several of our disciples in our absence.”
Sha Hualing bit her lip, thinking of some way to cajole those who opposed her words. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke in a melodious voice. “This must be the renowned Sword Xiu Ya, Lord Shen.” Sha Hualing smiled mischievously, placing one hand on her hip and the other on her chest. "Ling-er is young and unable to manage her subordinates completely. We apologize if we have made a bad impression. We promise to leave once we have accomplished our goal."
If Shen Qingqiu immediately refused to listen to her, it could cause a commotion, and the demons were close enough to the disciples to attack them in revenge. Sha Hualing may maintain a false composure, but the same cannot be said for the rest. For years, humans and demons have maintained a balance that could be broken at any moment. If he didn't do something, the demons would take advantage of this. The best way to handle the problem was to let them continue their game and then attack them later.
“Set your terms.”
Sha Hualing curved her lips into a smile. "A duel between our three best. If we win, the Cang Qiong Sect plaque will be the trophy." The Cang Qiong Sect plaque is as old as the day the sect was founded and named. Apart from the name, the dignity, prestige, and authority of the mountain would be permanently tarnished. For Shen Qingqiu, losing the plaque would be like lowering themselves to mere dogs in the world of cultivation.
Although the system screen stuck to his face like a mite, repeating over and over that this part cannot be evaded, it's not as if it left him much choice but to accept the fight.
Many disciples were frustrated or mocked when they heard Shen Qingqiu accept the demons' suggestion, and the image of the lord of the summit was not the best, with the elders believing that he had been beguiled by the demon's behavior. Shen Qingqiu deliberately ignored the sounds and stepped forward.
The first duel was against the elder demon Dubi. This demon, as his name suggested, had only one arm. “How unoriginal,” Shen Yuan Qingqiu thought some day in the past. “You only have one arm,” he said mockingly, although his expression was unchanging. "Even defeating him in such a way would be seen as unfair and humiliating to the elder.
Sha Hualing laughed. "Ling-er has a solution. How about we amputate one of your arms? Then it wouldn't be unfair, and there would be no advantage!"
Protests were audible upon hearing the demon's suggestion. Shen Qingqiu smiled and closed his fan, placing his arms behind his back and saying, “Why not better—I won't use either hand?” To many, what Shen Qingqiu said was arrogant. Luo Binghe was also shocked when he heard it. How could anyone fight without arms?
Sha Hualing thought Shen Qingqiu had fallen into her trap, smiling gracefully. He was letting her win easily. Why not take advantage of it?
“Since Senior Shen is ready, let's begin!”
The Major Demon rushed toward Shen Qingqiu, trying to take advantage of the opportunity that had been forced upon him. He mocked Shen Qingqiu's stupidity in giving up the use of both hands and was confident in himself. The disciples who were witnessing everything noticed how Shen Qingqiu dodged the attack with a footwork maneuver. Luo Binghe was the only one who noticed how, even with his hands behind his back, his fingers made a symbol at the same time.
The leaves of the trees around them began to tremble, as if someone were shaking them. A slight qi was felt in the air, and at the same time, a moderate amount of leaves began to fall from each tree, surrounding the body of the lord of the peak as if it were a tornado. After one turn, each leaf became sharp as a razor despite its small size. For Shen Qingqiu, gathering the necessary qi for each leaf was not much of a problem; after all, it was something he had been doing since an early age. However, he still had to control himself because his spiritual energy had been drained by Liu Qingge, and he did not want to suddenly faint from lack of it.
Hundreds of leaves swirled in the air, moving alongside Shen Qingqiu. The demon Dubi ignored the leaves, thinking that since they were just simple leaves, he had nothing to fear when attacking. With a single movement, Shen Qingqiu sent the sharp leaves toward the demon, causing several cuts and lifting him into the air before he fell back down. He targeted the demon's weak points to delay its attack.
Luo Binghe couldn't help but rejoice silently as he watched his master's skills and knew that this was not his full potential. The others around him were left speechless with shock; no master at the top had such skills. Many thought that using stronger things was better, but those simple blades had been able to immobilize a demon in a matter of minutes.
With the blades at the demon's neck, coupled with the threat of clear decapitation, despite the public humiliation, the demon had to retreat and rejoin the rest of the demons. Sha Hualing's smile at seeing him lose was obviously fake.
“I see that Master Shen won this time, we can't let only one person participate in the three duels.” Sha Hualing walked forward. “I will be the representative for the second duel.”
Shen Qingqiu looked at the scene in front of him, it was obvious that Sha Hualing didn't think he would use his power to fight her. And although he didn't care much, it was better to follow her lead.
“You have heard what she said. Who will take on this heavy burden?” After speaking, a disciple from the Xian Shu summit stepped forward from the crowd. Liu Mingyang volunteered to fight Sha Hualing. Nodding his head in approval, Shen Qingqiu watched as the two began to fight, although it looked more like a dance than a fight.
After several sticks of incense, Liu Mingyang ended up losing. Looking dejected by the defeat, she approached Shen Qingqiu. “This disciple has lost. I ask that Shen-shibo punish this disciple for failing on behalf of the sect.”
"No one else came forward to accept the mission. You were the only one who accepted the responsibility of fighting a higher-level demon. Don't feel bad about your defeat and learn from it."
Liu Mingyang nodded. Sha Hualing, knowing she had won a round, laughed delicately. “This last round will decide the winner. I wonder who Senior Shen will send,” Sha Hualing smiled. “I hope he chooses carefully.”
Shen Qingqiu clearly knew who to choose.