The line between heaven and hell is often just a single thought.
One mont, Luo Xiu felt this dormitory was hell. The next, it had beco his paradise.
"A professional is a professional! You teachers are truly in a league of your own!"
"Amateurs really can't compare!"
"Hiss... Teacher Feng, please slow down..."
"I can't take it anymore!"
At that mont, Luo Xiu was soaring freely through heaven. He was grateful he had listened to Ai Hongye and chosen to leave that island. Otherwise, how could he have ever made up for the biggest regret of his life?
It was the kind of regret that felt like a deliberate joke from God. Just a small prank, yet one that always left the most beautiful things in life shrouded in a great, blurry haze of imperfection. And today, he had finally made up for that regret and experienced the true aning of "uncensored."
「...」
Luo Xiu didn't leave that paradise until two in the afternoon, having been there since just after nine in the morning. Leaning on the railing, he staggered back to his room.
Su Shenyun was lying on the couch with a tablet, watching the live broadcast of the Martial Ceremony. Seeing Luo Xiu's state, she couldn't help but giggle.
"We'll see if you still dare to act so arrogantly in front of again. I have plenty of ways to deal with you!"
Luo Xiu plopped onto the bed and lay down stiffly, not wanting to move an inch.
Su Shenyun asked, "How do you feel?"
"Today was probably the happiest day of my life," Luo Xiu said sincerely. "Those teachers... they truly live up to their professional reputation. I learned so many new things."
Su Shenyun pursed her lips.
Luo Xiu suddenly sat up. "Speaking of which, how did you manage to recruit those teachers into the Audit Bureau?"
"That," Su Shenyun humd, "is confidential."
"Fine, don't tell ."
She shot him a flirtatious glance. "So, do you still feel like bullying now?" As she spoke, she deliberately shifted her crossed, gray silk-stockinged legs, as if to tempt him.
But Luo Xiu was completely uninterested. "With those teachers around, even your Innate Allure Bone is useless on ."
Hearing this, Su Shenyun patted her chest in an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Good, good. You really had scared. I'm still swollen, you know. It seems taking you to be educated by the teachers was the right decision."
Luo Xiu lay back down on the bed, ignoring her. He planned to take a short nap to recover his energy before seeking out the teachers for more guidance that evening.
After a long while, Su Shenyun suddenly called out, "Little Mule, want to co take a look? The exciting part is about to start."
"What's so exciting?"
"It's the match between the Provincial Capital Martial Association and the Sea City Martial Association."
Luo Xiu's interest was imdiately piqued. He rolled out of bed, walked over to the couch, and lay down, resting his head on Su Shenyun's stockinged thighs after she sat up. With one arm around his neck and the other holding the tablet, Su Shenyun spoke with great anticipation. "I wonder if your precious little wife will run into Yueyue in this BO3."
Luo Xiu chuckled. "If those two et on the stage, things will certainly get interesting."
The format of the Martial Ceremony was always a BO3, or "best of three." Each participating team started with 10 base points. In every BO3 matchup, a team had to field their main combatant and two substitutes for the three matches. A victory by the main combatant awarded 2 points, while a loss deducted 3. A victory by a substitute awarded 1 point, and a loss deducted 2. If a team's total score dropped below zero, they were eliminated.
Currently, the team from Henghai Provincial City had 22 points, while the Sea City Martial Association had 24.
「As ti passed.」
Under the watchful eyes of the expectant crowd, the martial artists from both teams took the stage. Each team sent out three mbers—one main combatant and two substitutes—for a total of six contestants.
The main combatant for Henghai Provincial City was, of course, Lin Xiyue. Luo Xiu didn't recognize the other two substitutes. For the Sea City Martial Association, the main combatant was Ren Xuan, and Su Shanyue was one of the two substitutes.
The match-up drawing was currently underway. The six martial artists had to randomly draw a small ball from a box. There were six balls in total, two of each color: yellow, red, and blue.
Following a coin toss, the Provincial Capital Martial Association's team drew first. The referee dropped one ball of each color—yellow, red, and blue—into the box. Lin Xiyue stepped forward and drew a blue ball.
After all three from her team had drawn, the referee placed the other three balls into the box for the Sea City Martial Association's contestants. Ren Xuan imdiately drew a red ball.
Beside Lin Xiyue, her substitute teammate glanced at the red ball in his own hand, then at the red ball in Ren Xuan's. His face instantly turned bitter as he began to question his existence. He couldn't tell if he was lucky or unlucky. To think he would face Sea City's main combatant in his very first appearance—wasn't this just gifting the Sea City Martial Association two points?
Next, Su Shanyue from the Sea City Martial Association reached into the box. She pulled her hand out slowly, too nervous to even look, praying she hadn't drawn a blue ball to be pitted against Lin Xiyue.
But sotis, fate enjoys a cruel joke.
As she uncurled her fingers, a blue ball lay in her palm.
A wave of murmurs swept through the audience.
Su Shanyue looked across at Lin Xiyue, who was also holding a blue ball, and a helpless, bitter smile ford on her lips. Lin Xiyue just shook her head slightly, her own expression one of resignation.
「In the luxurious and comfortable yacht room.」
Watching the screen, Luo Xiu couldn't help but laugh. "Now this is interesting."
"Who do you think will win?" Su Shenyun asked.
"Lin Xiyue, of course," Luo Xiu replied without a second thought. "I trained her, after all."
"That's not a given," Su Shenyun countered. "Yueyue's realm might not be as high as Lin Xiyue's, but strength isn't solely determined by one's realm. Besides, she has most likely learned the Solitary Cube Fist by now."
Luo Xiu raised an eyebrow. "How about a bet?"
"Bet what?"
"I bet Lin Xiyue wins," Luo Xiu mused. "If I'm right, you do one thing for . If I'm wrong, I'll do one thing for you."
"Alright, it's a deal!"
After that, they both fell silent, quietly watching the live broadcast on the tablet. The matches proceeded in the order of the colors drawn: yellow, then red, and finally blue.
The initial skirmish between the two substitutes was nothing special. Finding it rather dull, Luo Xiu's hand began to wander, teasing Su Shenyun to pass the ti. Nearly half an hour later, the substitute from the Provincial Capital Martial Association finally defeated the one from Sea City.
Next, Ren Xuan, who had drawn the red ball, entered the stage. He finished off the substitute from the Provincial Capital Martial Association in just two moves.
Finally, it was ti for Lin Xiyue and Su Shanyue, who had both drawn blue balls, to take the stage.
Luo Xiu perked up. He grabbed a tissue, wiped the moisture from his hand, and said to Su Shenyun, "I've already won."
Su Shenyun snorted disdainfully. "It hasn't even started. What's your rush?"
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