Rivalry for Favor

“It’s not unusual for some deaths or injuries to occur during sparring matches. That’s a normal occurrence. But these people… I don’t know what cultivation art they practice, but every one of them is well-versed in some sinister demonic techniques and poison arts. Every single disciple who has sparred with them and lost has either fainted for no reason or been heavily poisoned. Every single injury is extremely troublesome and not easily cured. Fortunately, because they are within Yanling Fort, they seem to have some scruples. No disciple has died from their injuries yet. That’s some good fortune amidst the misfortune! Ahem. To have you see the Yan Clan in this state… I am truly ashamed.” Yan Yu said, his face filled with embarrassment.

“But when we left, I heard the Elders couldn’t sit still anymore. They’ve already sent men to summon the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall that my brother belongs to. Those are the elite disciples of our Yan Clan who have trained in secret arts. They’ll definitely teach these people a good lesson.” Yan Ling couldn’t help but chime in from the side, even giving a little shake of her fist.

“Nonsense. How can a girl like you be thinking about fighting and killing all the time? Since we’ve already brought these guests back, quickly have Uncle Li send out the next group of disciples to receive the guests. Don’t let the other guests wait too long.” Yan Yu put on a stern face, scolding his little sister a few times before sending the sullen little girl away.

Then, turning his head, he explained to Han Li and the others.

“Because there have been many guests recently, a mixed bag, our Yan Clan has activated part of the fortress’s protective restrictions. In a few specific places within the fort, long-range techniques like Voice Transmission Talismans can no longer be used. I had no choice but to trouble my little sister to run the errand. My sister and I aren’t originally in charge of receiving guests, but with a severe shortage of hands in the fort, and with people coming here with malicious intent, we had to temporarily help out.” After Yan Yu finished speaking, his face sank as he looked into the distance, where a Yan Clan disciple and the strange man had already started fighting with spells.

“Ah, so Brother Yu is an elite disciple of the Yan Clan. You must be highly valued by the Yan family!” Dong Xuan’er said, a playful smile blooming on her face as a flash of light moved in her eyes. Her already beautiful features instantly became even more enchanting, causing Yan Yu across from her to momentarily fall into a daze.

“This… I suppose so.” Yan Yu muttered absentmindedly, not even sure what he was saying. He only felt that this Miss Dong was incredibly beautiful, the spitting image of the woman of his dreams.

“Hehe! Then…”

“Brother Yan, would it be possible to take a closer look at the sparring? I’d like to see just who would dare to come and cause trouble at the Yan residence.”

Dong Xuan’er found his expression interesting. She was about to let out a crisp laugh and tease him a bit more when Han Li, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, cutting off her next words.

“Ah… watching? Of course! The one sparring with them now is one of my cousins. His Dao arts are profound enough to be ranked in the top ten of the Martial Arts Hall. I’m sure he’ll be able to give them a lesson they won’t forget.” Yan Yu, snapped back to reality by Han Li, was momentarily dazed before readily agreeing.

Hearing this, Han Li smiled inwardly. He knew that on the one hand, Yan Yu had no real reason to refuse, and on the other, he was quite confident in the outcome of this match, which was why he was so agreeable.

With that, the three of them flew down near the sparring ground and headed towards the watching crowd.

As he got a little closer, Han Li was somewhat surprised to find that there were over a hundred cultivators watching. Looking at their clothes and gear, most of them didn’t seem to be local cultivators from the State of Yue, but rather cultivators from other states. This was quite strange!

Wary suspicions grew in Han Li’s heart, but constrained by his status as a guest, he couldn’t very well ask too many questions. He had no choice but to keep his doubts to himself and pretend to be oblivious.

As for Dong Xuan’er, she was still chatting and laughing with Yan Yu. However, although the subtle look of surprise in her eyes was fleeting, Han Li still managed to catch it. It seemed this girl was more than just a pretty face.

Yet, this willful young lady, for some reason, had no intention of asking about the obvious discrepancies, just like Han Li himself. This left Han Li feeling somewhat frustrated.

“Xuan’er! You’re here too! This is wonderful. I was worried Uncle Hongfu wouldn’t let you come.” Just as the three of them approached, a handsome male cultivator ahead turned his head by chance and immediately spotted Dong Xuan’er. His face lit up with ecstasy, and he strode over, addressing her familiarly.

The moment this person appeared, Dong Xuan’er’s smile froze. Yan Yu’s expression, however, soured, his eyes beginning to flicker.

Han Li, as an outsider, remained completely nonchalant, showing no surprise. He had a good idea who this was—most likely one of Dong Xuan’er’s former paramours. But his surname was Feng… could this be the ‘Young Master Feng’ his master’s wife had mentioned before?

“Brother Feng! What a surprise. I didn’t expect Uncle Du to have you participate in this gathering.” A flicker of unusual emotion passed through Dong Xuan’er’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. Her eyes darted around before she greeted him generously, as if he were just an ordinary friend.

This visibly improved Yan Yu’s mood. However, this Brother Feng was taken aback. Only then did he notice Yan Yu and Han Li standing beside Dong Xuan’er.

Han Li was fine. When the man looked his way, he simply smiled faintly and took half a step away from Dong Xuan’er to show he was uninvolved. Yan Li, however, met his gaze without any courtesy. The rival for affection was now clear. Brother Feng, of course, understood immediately. His face darkened as he stared at Yan Yu.

Seeing this, Han Li found it a little amusing but also curious. Wasn’t it rumored that Dong Xuan’er and this Brother Feng had already intended to become dual cultivation partners? Yet, the willful girl didn’t seem to favor Brother Feng at all at this moment. Could the rumors be false?

After thinking briefly, Han Li shook his head and decided not to bother with it. He didn’t want to waste his brainpower on such trivial gossip.

He stepped forward a few paces, leaving the other three behind.

Han Li didn’t care about the brewing conflict between Brother Feng and Yan Yu. He was even less concerned with how Dong Xuan’er would play both sides. At this moment, he was completely absorbed by the battle within the light barrier.

Yan Yu hadn’t been exaggerating.

This cousin of his was indeed exceptional. His earth-element Dao arts were executed to perfection. Millstone-sized rocks shot out from his palms one after another, hurtling towards his opponent as if from an endless supply. In front of him stood a triangular yellow banner, which summoned a gust of yellow wind that wrapped around him, creating an impenetrable defense.

However, the man in the green robe across from him was not to be outdone. Several streams of pitch-black Qi burst from his body, howling and dancing like venomous snakes, weaving themselves into an impenetrable black net in front of him. The rocks were all deflected, sometimes flying back towards the Yan Clan elite, forcing him to scramble. As for magical tools, seven or eight white skulls floated around him, their purpose unknown.

Thus, one side attacked fiercely while the other defended tenaciously, creating a temporary stalemate.

It was obvious, however, that the two were merely testing each other and hadn’t truly gotten serious. Despite the lively scene with flying boulders and rolling black Qi, they were both calm and composed, not showing even a hint of strain.

Just as Han Li was watching intently, he suddenly heard Dong Xuan’er say, “Senior Brother Han, don’t you agree?” Caught off guard, he instinctively hummed an affirmative without even turning his head.

The moment the word left his mouth, Han Li knew something was wrong. He quickly turned to look.

The two men who were supposed to be gunning for each other were now glaring at him with clear hostility, seemingly united by a common enemy.

Clearly, he had been set up by this willful girl.

“You heard him! Senior Brother Han himself admitted it. I’ve been ordered to stay by his side at all times during this journey. It was a direct command from my master.” Dong Xuan’er said, putting on a pitiful expression. But as soon as the two men, completely hypnotized by her charm, looked away, she quickly shot Han Li a playful grimace.

This Miss Dong had taken advantage of a momentary lapse in his attention to drop a huge pile of trouble right in his lap. It was clearly payback for him constantly using Hong Fu’s name to keep her in check during the journey. She was getting revenge for it. If she saw these two give him a good beating, her mood would likely improve greatly.

Looking at the two men now glaring at him, Han Li sighed. Before he could say anything, however, both of their expressions changed. Yan Li, in particular, looked tense. Their gazes shifted from Han Li to the sparring ground.

Realizing something had changed in the arena, Han Li quickly turned to look as well.

It seemed the deadlock within the light barrier was finally broken.

The Yan Clan disciple had stopped using the Boulder Art. Instead, he was now holding a cyan-yellow paper fan with both hands, facing his opponent, and waving it with obvious effort. A paper fan should be light, but each wave seemed to consume a tremendous amount of the Yan Clan disciple’s energy, leaving him drenched in sweat.

(Another chapter soon!)

(The chapter ends.)