"Nine Jade Palace, Lu Mingshu wins."
Everyone lost track of how many times they had heard this.
As expected.
It was the third day of challenger's fight. Over the first two days, she was challenged quite a few times. There was quite a variety of people who challenged her; people from different sects and all different standards of ability.
Even now, it was still a mystery whether somebody was trying to make her life difficult or whether she had just angered the entire crowd.
"Senior Brother, are you okay?" Qi Sheng nudged Kou Wei, who was deep in thought.
"It's faster."
"Huh?"
"I meant the time she took to defeat the opponent." Kou Wei pointed at the stage. "The opponent this time was no weaker than Cai Zheng, but she took less than half the time she took to defeat Cai Zheng."
Qi Sheng raised his eyebrows. "So?"
Kou Wei sounded like he was deeply moved. "She… is getting stronger every day. I can see her improving every match."
As a disciple of the Heavenly Sea Pavilion, Kou Wei had seen many talents, but it was his first time seeing somebody like Lu Mingshu. She wasn't that good in terms of her skills, but her learning speed was surprising.
A mistake was never repeated twice. A barrier would not stop her twice. She was able to learn from her mistakes each fight and correct them as soon as possible. Her ability to judge and control the situation was something that one would hardly ever see in their lives.
Once, he foolishly thought that her biggest disadvantage was her age. She was only sixteen and she still had a long way to go. Looking at her fight now, Kou Wei felt like he had been underestimating her potential.
If one were to look at her after seven or eight… no, three or four years, and maybe she will be one of the best Harmonization Realm martial artists? By then, all the Harmonization Realm martial artist in China may have to keep their mouth shut.
Kou Wei heaved a sigh of relief. I probably will have broken through to the Spirit Realm by then, otherwise it would be a headache to meet such opponent.
On the other hand, Qi Sheng looked extremely happy to see Lu Mingshu being so powerful. Kou Wei couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to get her if she's too strong?"
Kou Wei had known for a while what Qi Sheng was thinking since the start. When Qi Sheng saw her for the first time, he was love-struck. Now, the more Lu Mingshu fought, the more he liked her.
"I like her because she's powerful! Getting her is not that important anyway. It's just admiration. It's not like I'm going to woo her or want her to be my partner," Qi Sheng answered without much consideration.
Kou Wei was taken aback by Qi Sheng's answer. He smiled in relief. "I'm glad you're aware."
The third day ended. The competition that seemed relatively peaceful had dirty secrets underneath.
After three days of the challenger's round, a group of disciples had managed to get at least twenty or thirty marks.
The lambs are almost fat enough to be slaughtered, eh?
Slowly, Lu Mingshu took a cloth and wiped her sword clean under the candlelight.
There was a book on the table. It listed down the points that every disciple had accumulated so far.
Obviously, Lu Mingshu had the highest amount at thirty-six points.
Somebody then knocked on her door. Lu Mingshu went to open the door and, as expected, the servant girl who always came by was standing at her door.
...
The same greenhouse, with the same people.
"Alioth Star Lord, what can I help you with?"
The wheelchair slowly turned around, and Xie Lianzhen's face could be seen.
"Miss Lu, are you sure you still want to fight?" he started slowly.
"Why does the Young Master ask? Why shouldn't I fight?"
Xie Lianzhen looked at her and started slowly, "After so many Qilin Festivals, you're the first to be challenged so many times in three days. By rule, you could've rejected most of those challenges."
"Do you think thirty-six points is enough for me to get into top ten?" Lu Mingshu retorted.
Xie Lianzhen then smiled thinly. "What if I said I could assure that you get into the top ten?"
Lu Mingshu stared at him in silence.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Xie Lianzhen tapped his walking stick on the ground as if he was a metronome for the wind in this cold night.
"It's not hard. As long as some important figures lose during a key round, thirty-six will be just enough."
Silence soon overtook the greenhouse, leaving only the sounds of crickets chirping. Lu Mingshu then broke the silence; "Alioth Star-Lord, do you behave like this when you're at the Seventh Truth Platform too?"
Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows at her.
"You've really opened my eyes," she said softly. "Everyone told me that you were crippled and that there's not much chance for you to break through to the Spirit Realm. If not for the queen, you wouldn't be where you are right now. Out of the seven Big Dipper Star Lords, you're the weakest and have the lowest status; I guess they've never seen what you're like right now."
"What I'm like right now?" Xie Lianzhen eyes widened in curiosity like a little child who heard the name of his favourite candy. "What am I like right now?"
"The situation is totally in your control."
Xie Lianzhen paused for a moment before laughing out loud.
"Miss Lu, I think you got the wrong person. That's something to describe the queen, not me."
"' The Queen'? You don't seem to ever call her 'mother.'" Lu Mingshu ignored his words. "Is it because of the distance? Or is it because of resentment?"
Being questioned by her, instead of getting annoyed, Xie Lianzhen just shook his head. "Why are you so curious about me?"
Lu Mingshu shrugged. "Aren't you the one that's curious about me? Can't I know more about someone who's always keeping his eyes on me?"
"So what do you want to know then?" Xie Lianzhen asked patiently. "I'll answer anything as long as I can."
"Then answer the thing I just asked."
"You mean why I don't call her mother?" Lu Mingshu nodded. "Erm, habit, I guess? I have never called her mother before, so I wouldn't start now."
Lu Mingshu nodded and looked at him. "Do you hate her?"
"Nope," Xie Lianzhen answered without hesitation.
"Is it because you love her then? Or can you just not be bothered?"
This question took Xie Lianzhen aback. "Because… I don't feel like it?" He then smiled and looked at Lu Mingshu. "Is Miss satisfied with this answer?"
"Does my satisfaction even matter?"
"Of course it matters." He smiled thinly. "I wouldn't give you a chance to even ask if it didn't."
Even though he didn't really say it directly, it was more than obvious that he was interested in her.
This was the first time in her life that someone had ever confessed to her.
But her answer was something that no one would ever expect. "So, what on earth do you even see in me? We only met a few times and yet you're trying to court me. Is it because we have similar family backgrounds, so you feel some kind of resonance with me? Or do you just pity me because of the situation I am in?"
"Which answer would you like to receive?" Xie Lianzhen smiled at her.
"Doesn't matter which answer I'd like." Lu Mingshu shook her head. "Or rather, the answer doesn't really matter to me regardless."
Xie Lianzhen's smile widened. "So, what's important to you then?"
"The important thing is…" She moved forward, forcing Xie Lianzhen into a dead-end. She then gave him an evil smile.
The close proximity caused Xie Lianzhen to lean backwards until he felt his wheelchair hit the wall and he had nowhere left to move.
The candlelight shone on her, making her eyes shine brightly. Lu Mingshu sneered and gave him a dead glare. "How many faces do you have exactly, huh?"
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