Song iyu nodded thoughtfully. “Right. They’re not going to chase us into the Demon King’s palace. No one’s that brave. Or that stupid.” She lowered her voice and muttered, “Other than us.”
But Shen Zhenyu, forever the responsible one and clearly the only functioning adult in the group, shook his head. “Let’s just get this over with. If we run now, we’ll probably run into him again later. And it’ll be worse.”
He Yuying added with a grim nod, “And awkward. Imagine bumping into him at another restaurant. Hey, rember the soup incident? And how we ran? Not a good look.”
Linyue let out a long sigh. So much for a peaceful breakfast. She had promised Shu Mingye they wouldn’t cause trouble. But trouble, apparently, had taken that as a personal challenge. Maybe Shen Zhenyu was right. It was better to deal with the ss now before it grew into sothing ridiculous. Just as she began ntally composing her apology letter to the Demon King for yet another chaotic incident, the soup-drenched man reappeared.
He stepped out confidently, dressed in flowing black robes and a long cloak. Silver embroidery curled along the cuffs and collar in elegant floral patterns. His hair was neatly tied, and he slled suspiciously like plum blossom soap. The outfit looked clean, expensive, and extrely well-coordinated. Like he had stepped out of a fashion scroll titled “Elegant Yet Dangerous n: Deluxe Edition.”
He Yuying muttered, “Our chance is gone. Too late to run now. He brought the drama cloak.”
Linyue stared at the man’s dramatic outfit and said flatly, “If you want to fight, do it outside the wall. We’re not breaking another restaurant.”
Shen Zhenyu nodded in agreent.
The man gave a cocky smirk. “As you wish.” He turned slightly, and the embroidered cloak fluttered in a very suspicious way even though there was no wind. “And my na is Mu Tianyi. You can call Tianyi.”
Mu Tianyi aid his brightest, most charming smile directly at Linyue, like he thought he was the male lead in a romance novel and she was the heroine fated to fall for him.
Linyue stared at him and muttered, “We should’ve run when we had the chance.”
He Yuying, walking beside her, nodded. “Told you so.”
Song iyu tilted her head at the grinning man and added cheerfully, “Well, at least his smile isn’t creepy. That counts for sothing, right?”
He Yuying snorted. “It’s not creepy now. Give it three more seconds.”
To avoid attracting even more stares, they decided to rent horses. Walking side by side with a cloaked man who looked like a dramatic villain might raise more eyebrows than necessary. Linyue climbed onto one horse with Song iyu clinging tightly behind her. Shen Zhenyu rode another horse with He Yuying sitting behind him. He Yuying, who looked mildly annoyed about the whole thing, didn’t complain. Much. Only ten tis.
Mu Tianyi, naturally, had his own horse. He rode ahead with his embroidered cloak flaring with every gallop, probably praying soone was watching and writing a poem about him.
Shen Zhenyu kept pace beside him, his face calm and unreadable.
“Do you think Brother Zhenyu will be okay?” Song iyu whispered, her voice just a little worried. “That man has too much confidence. He must be strong.”
Linyue narrowed her eyes at the man’s back. “I don’t know. But I’ll make sure he is.”
Song iyu nodded seriously and bead. “That’s right. We still have you!”
They reached the gate not long after, looking calm and collected for a group walking straight into trouble. One gatekeeper almost dropped his stead bun. Another one squinted suspiciously, then quickly looked away. No one dared ask questions. This group had the unspoken aura of people who didn’t co to chat.
Past the gate, they stepped into the wasteland beyond the second wall. To their surprise, it was quiet. No demons. No screaming. No flying debris. Just empty plains, a few stubborn weeds, and wind. The most peaceful scene the outer wall had seen in weeks, which only made it feel even more wrong.
He Yuying scanned the area and muttered, “That masked man really did fry everything last ti.”
Song iyu shivered. “He didn’t even leave bones…”
Linyue nodded, rembering the storm of lightning.
Ahead of them, Mu Tianyi strode forward with his chin high, full of confidence like a man who thought wind was on his side, both literally and romantically.
“Let’s start,” he declared loudly.
Shen Zhenyu followed with quiet steps. If he was nervous, it didn’t show. His face was steady enough to make even a statue feel unprofessional. The rest of them—Linyue, Song iyu, and He Yuying—stayed back at a safe distance. Watching. Judging. Probably placing ntal bets on who would win and how many minutes it would take.
Before they could begin, Mu Tianyi raised a finger. “Wait. Let’s agree on the reward if I win.”
Shen Zhenyu raised one brow. “A person’s life can’t be put on stake.”
Mu Tianyi gave him a crooked smirk that probably got him smacked in several towns. “What a gentleman. Fine. I won’t ask for her life.”
Shen Zhenyu gave Linyue a brief, unreadable glance before looking back at the man. “Let’s begin.”
Mu Tianyi, however, didn’t draw a sword. He lifted his hand and flicked his fingers. A spiritual weapon appeared instantly.
It was… a fan. Not just any fan. A dramatic, elegant black fan with white delicate patterns across the surface. Cherry blossoms drifting down one side, curling willow leaves glowing faintly green on the other. The patterns shimred in faint green light.
Linyue’s expression didn’t change. She gave a slow nod and said flatly, “Wind cultivator. Fancy spiritual weapon.”
Song iyu’s mouth dropped open. “It’s my first ti seeing such a beautiful spiritual weapon. Look at it. It’s glowing.”
He Yuying stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves and said without emotion, “Must be nice to win fights with aesthetics.”
Shen Zhenyu had already summoned his own spiritual weapon. As usual, he didn’t bother with small talk.
Mu Tianyi chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Let’s begin.”
He didn’t wait for a signal. With a graceful movent, he swept his fan through the air. A sharp wind howled to life. Then a storm of glowing wind petals shot forward, racing across the field straight at Shen Zhenyu. The petals were fast. They sparkled beautifully. They also looked sharp enough to cut through steel.
Linyue’s eyes narrowed as she analyzed the attack. “Peak stage, third level,” she said calmly.
He Yuying raised one brow. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Linyue nodded. “Brother Zhenyu’s still in second level.”
Song iyu looked alard. “Then, won’t he…?”
“He’ll manage,” Linyue said. She paused, her voice a little less certain. “For now. I think.”
On the field, Shen Zhenyu didn’t panic. He planted his feet firmly and drew in a deep breath. His spiritual energy flared, heat rippling across the ground. A do of fire burst up around him, tall and bright.
The first wave of Mu Tianyi’s wind petals slamd into it. Sparks hissed as glowing petals hit the flas and crumbled into harmless ash. For a mont, it looked like the fire would hold. Linyue almost exhaled. But Mu Tianyi wasn’t done. He flicked his fan again with an irritatingly casual wrist movent. His cloak snapped in the wind as glowing leaves joined the petals, swirling together like a small hurricane.
The second wave hit. Shen Zhenyu’s fire do shuddered. Flas flared high, pushing back with a roar, but cracks of glowing wind began to snake through the edges.
Song iyu yelped and grabbed Linyue’s arm. “That looks very un-manageable!”
Linyue narrowed her eyes, her stomach twisted. “He can still handle it.” Probably.
On the field, Shen Zhenyu raised one hand higher. The flas thickened, burning a deep crimson, and licked at the swirling leaves. Wind howled. Fire roared back. The clash sent shockwaves rippling outward. The ground cracked under their feet.
And Mu Tianyi smiled.
“Is he… smirking?” Song iyu squeaked.
“Yes,” Linyue said flatly. “That’s not a good sign.”
As if on cue, Mu Tianyi raised his fan high and snapped it closed. The field fell silent for one sharp heartbeat. Then the air exploded. A third wave started to build, bigger, faster, louder than anything before. It wasn’t just petals and leaves anymore. Stones, dirt, and pieces of shredded earth lifted into the air, spinning wildly in the churning winds. The sky seed to darken as the storm gathered power.
Shen Zhenyu didn’t move. His fire shield flared, the flas rising in height, licking hungrily at the edges of the storm. But Linyue noticed it. Each ti the wind struck, the do’s light flickered for a fraction of a second.
“Definitely not a good sign,” Linyue muttered.
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