Chapter 1021: Plan to Catch Magical Beasts (2)
Shen Yanxiao nodded. She did not mind the price at all.
What this lord has is money!
Shen Yanxiao thought for a moment and asked, “Then how much is the magical beast box for intermediate-level magical beasts?”
“20,000 gold coins.”
“It’s that cheap?” Shen Yanxiao immediately felt that the price was inexpensive.
“The low-level ones are cheaper. It only costs 3,000 gold coins,” Qi Xia smiled and said.
Shen Yanxiao immediately decided.
“Buy me 100 high-level magical beast boxes, and 500 for mid-level and low-level magical beasts each.”
“...” Everyone was stunned. Shen Yanxiao was too rich! She just spent more than ten million gold coins in one go.
The reason why Shen Yanxiao bought so many mid-level magical beast boxes and low-level magical beast boxes was because other than the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group, she also intended to equip her citizens with magical beasts. They were previously slaves so they had never signed a contract with any magical beasts before. Since she already intended for them to learn battle aura and magic, then naturally, she would supply them with magical beasts.
If it were not for the fact that high-level magical beasts were too rare, she wished that every citizen of hers could be paired with their own high-level magical beast. Hmph, let’s see who would dare to bully her if that happens.
“Alright, I’ll arrange for someone to handle it when I get back.” Qi Xia guessed Shen Yanxiao’s thoughts and did not ask much.
If Lan Fengli wished to capture high-level magical beasts, he would certainly need to go deep into the areas where they lived. In those areas, there were not only high-level magical beasts, but also many intermediate-level and low-level magical beasts. With the strength of Lan Fengli and the two Phoenixes, it would be a piece of cake to capture them, so why not take some back to benefit the citizens of Sun Never Sets?
The top priority was to equip the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group with high-level magical beasts, obtaining intermediate-level and low-level magical beasts was secondary. However, with the current population of Sun Never Sets and Oriental City, it would take a long time for Shen Yanxiao to equip everyone with magical beasts. Those magical beast boxes would support her plan of capturing magical beasts.
Shen Yanxiao did not buy so many at one go just as a show of wealth. She had already planned the future development of Sun Never Sets.
Other than the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group, Shen Yanxiao also wanted to equip Uncle Nine and his group with high-level magical beasts. They were already very strong so low-level and intermediate-level magical beasts were of no use. If they were to equip them with high-level magical beasts, it would only be like adding wings to a tiger.
Shen Yanxiao touched her chin and thought about how to use the money in her hands to arm her men from head to toe.
The people of Sun Never Sets were fortunate because they had a city lord that was extremely protective of their own people. No matter how much money Shen Yanxiao had earned, the first thing she thought of was how to train up her subordinates. She had truly achieved the pinnacle of using the people.
After they discussed the plan, they immediately paid attention to the following rounds.
Since Sun Never Sets won this round, the finals would be held in the venue the day after tomorrow. However, from the looks of it, Du Lang and the rest were incapable of fighting.
Be it Twilight City or Blizzard City, they were not people Du Lang and his team could deal with. The team from Fantasy Devil City were the weakest amongst the three teams. Even so, they had forced Du Lang and his team to fight with their backs against the wall. The strength of Twilight City and Blizzard City’s team could not be compared to them. Even the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group at their peak was not their opponent.
“Will you still let them participate in the final?” Qi Xia looked at Shen Yanxiao and asked.
Chapter 1022: Plan to Catch Magical Beasts (3)
Shen Yanxiao said, “No, we will forfeit the final.”
The seven wolves were still in a coma, and it was still unknown if they could wake up before the final started. Even with her potions and Yan Yu’s healing skills, the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group would not be able to recover their strength in such a short time.
If they were to fight again, they would be sending themselves to their deaths.
Qi Xia did not object this time.
At night, Yan Yu finally finished healing up everyone. Although there were priests in Twilight City, their skills couldn’t be compared to his.
Yan Yu had been promoted to a Priest after his second class promotion, making his healing skills more effective than all the professions below second class promotion. It was also because of him that Shen Yanxiao did not worry about anyone dying.
“How’s the situation?” Just as Yan Yu walked into the hall, Shen Yanxiao pulled over a chair for him to sit down. Tang Nazhi carefully poured a cup of water for Yan Yu.
There was a gentle smile on Yan Yu’s fair face.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. The seven wolves’ injuries are the most severe but they have now stabilized. However, their battle aura and magic have been exhausted and their mental energy has also been greatly depleted. Coupled with excessive blood loss and physical exhaustion, they will be in a coma for a long time. There won’t be any problems if they recuperate well for a period of time.”
“Good.” Shen Yanxiao finally relaxed.
“Are you going to watch the fight between Twilight City and Blizzard City tomorrow?” Tang Nazhi asked.
Shen Yanxiao shook her head.
“Just go without me and tell me the results when you come back.” It did not matter if she watched or not. All she wanted to do was to stay at home and wait for Du Lang and the rest to wake up. In any case, she only needed to send someone to watch the fight and inform her when they returned.
Everyone was exhausted. Shen Yanxiao asked the doctors from Twilight City to stay while the rest of the people from Sun Never Sets took turns to keep watch and take care of the wounded.
The next morning, Nangong Mengmeng and Tang Nazhi went to the venue to spectate the subsequent round.
Twilight City was the previous winner, while Blizzard City was most known to be the most powerful of the four cities. It was only because of Long Fei’s absence that they had lost the previous tournament. Today’s battle was a real fight between dragons and tigers. Even though the battle between Sun Never Sets and Fantasy Devil City was intense, their strength was not the best. On the other hand, the eventual confrontation between Twilight City and Blizzard City was making the spectators’ blood boil as they squeezed into the venue early in the morning.
Shen Yanxiao sat in her room while Vermilion Bird played with Mini Dragon and Little Phoenix. She closed her eyes to train her battle aura and magic.
After the team battle, it was the battle between the four city lords. Shen Yanxiao did not want to waste any time and thus, trained harder.
Xiu continued guiding her in actual combat, making Shen Yanxiao feel more confident.
The Cave Wolves Mercenary Group had worked so hard, so how could she possibly lose to them?
If she were to lose, wouldn’t they have let down the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group’s expectations?
It was not until dusk that Nangong Mengmeng and Tang Nazhi rushed back from the tournament venue. The moment they returned to the building, the two of them greeted everyone.
“Exciting! It’s really exciting! I didn’t expect Team Twilight City to be so powerful.” Tang Nazhi stroked his chin as if he had not had enough and was still reminiscing about today’s match.
“Team Blizzard City is also very powerful. Their cooperation is impeccable.” Nangong Mengmeng was more biased towards Blizzard City, which had a close relationship with Shen Yanxiao.
The attention of everyone was attracted to the two of them. Each of them carried a small stool and waited for them to describe the fight. Even Shen Yanxiao was called down.
Chapter 1023: Plan to Catch Magical Beasts (4)
“Why are you two so excited? What happened today?” Shen Yanxiao propped her chin and looked at Nangong Mengmeng and Tang Nazhi.
“I’ll explain!!” Nangong Mengmeng slapped Tang Nazhi away and completely disregarded the so-called dignity of a ‘Senior Uncle’ as she squeezed her way towards Shen Yanxiao and recounted the afternoon battle between Twilight City and Blizzard City.
Their fight was the peak of what the team battle could produce. Twilight City was indeed worthy of being the champion of the previous tournament—their strength was absolutely savage. They had at least thirty high-level magical beasts among the hundred participants. In comparison, the ten high-level magical beasts from Fantasy Devil City looked like dregs.
But, Blizzard City had more high-level magical beasts than Twilight City.
From the start of the fight, the atmosphere in the venue was boiling. Be it the personal strength of Team Twilight City or the tacit cooperation between Team Blizzard City, everyone enjoyed it.
The fight went on from morning until afternoon; the number of participants in the arena continuously dwindled.
At the last moment, Blizzard City still took the lead and swept everyone from Team Twilight City off the stage.
Everyone from their alliance had won, but Team Blizzard City’s situation was much better than their team. Even though many of them were injured, there were no major problems. There were not many casualties.
Hearing Blizzard City’s victory, Shen Yanxiao smiled a little.
Team Twilight City could be considered as capable to have fought against Team Blizzard City to this extent. However...
Long Fei had probably delayed their win to preserve the reputation of Twilight City. Otherwise, Blizzard City would immediately have crushed Twilight City in terms of the number of high-level magical beasts and the teamwork. If Team Blizzard City really put on the pressure, it was impossible for the fight to drag on for such a long time.
The only explanation was that Long Fei had his men deliberately go easy on them to fight a seemingly exciting match. That way, people would assume that both sides were equally matched which would save the reputation of Twilight City. Even if they were to lose, it would not be an ugly loss.
Long Fei was indeed an experienced person. He knew his limits and was much more tactful than Shen Yanxiao. If it had been Shen Yanxiao, it would be strange if she didn’t have her people knock out Team Twilight City in front of Elder Wen.
Qi Xia and the rest had also guessed the inside story. Only simple-minded people like Tang Nazhi and Nangong Mengmeng would think that the two sides were equally matched.
“Since Blizzard City has won, it’s not a pity to forfeit the final.” Shen Yanxiao chuckled. It was much more comfortable for the champion of the team battle to fall into Blizzard City’s hands than to fall into Twilight City’s hands.
At the very least, they were considered to be on their side, right?
If Shen Yanxiao was despicable enough, she could use the fact that she had saved Long Fei’s life to force Long Fei to give the victory of the team battle to Sun Never Sets. In any case, as long as they were to go up the stage, Blizzard City would admit defeat regardless of whether they could win or not.
Unfortunately, Shen Yanxiao was not that shameless.
Plus, it was only a team battle. There were still two more battles to go.
Whether it was the individual battle or the group battle, Sun Never Sets had to win it all.
On the day of the final, Sun Never Sets had automatically conceded the fight. Blizzard City had won the first battle, and soon after, it would be the highly anticipated individual competition.
The four City Lords had set off!
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals.
The four City Lords would decide the winner tomorrow!
Chapter 1024: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (1)
The battle between the four City Lords would certainly be exciting. Everyone was looking forward to the battle.
On the night before the battle, Shen Yanxiao changed into her thieving clothes and left the pavilion soundlessly to the City Lord’s Mansion inTwilight City.
Fantasy Devil City had caused the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group members to suffer so much. No matter how good Shen Yanxiao’s personality was, she could not possibly let Geng Di off just like that. She was determined to teach Geng Di a lesson in the individual battle tomorrow.
With Geng Di’s strength, it was impossible for him to win no matter what opponent he met. Thus, if they did not meet in the preliminaries, Shen Yanxiao would not have the chance to face him.
Therefore, Shen Yanxiao was going to the City Lord’s Mansion tonight to tamper with the drawing of lots to ensure that she could rightfully teach Geng Di a good lesson tomorrow.
It was already late at night and the city was in complete silence. There were only four guards outside the mansion so Shen Yanxiao easily avoided their detection and snuck into the mansion.
The tools used for the lot drawing were crystal balls that possessed magical powers. There were four in total, two were red, and two were blue. As long as Shen Yanxiao tampered with it and followed Geng Di after he drew his ball, she could absolutely obtain a crystal ball of the same color as him.
The crystal balls used for drawing lots were now sealed in the City Lord’s Mansion.
The crystal balls had a certain degree of magical fluctuation, so Shen Yanxiao had Xiu lock onto their position and directly went over.
The crystal ball was placed in the storeroom of the City Lord’s Mansion. Just as Shen Yanxiao went over, she noticed that the storeroom was lit up. With a thought, she soundlessly snuck in and concealed herself in a dark corner.
In the storeroom, two figures were standing by the table where the crystal balls were kept.
“Tomorrow, I will have Geng Di fight you first. With your strength, it should be foolproof.” Elder Wen held two blue crystal balls in his hands and looked at the silent Duan Hen with arrogance.
Duan Hen frowned.
“Elder Wen, why do you have to do this?” Twilight City was the organizer of this tournament, but no one expected Elder Wen to use his position for personal gain, arbitrarily changing the sequence of the lots.
Elder Wen snorted disapprovingly. “What do you know? Blizzard City won the first battle yesterday and Long Fei is in a good state right now. He is already a Second-Class Expert so his strength cannot be belittled. If you were to beat him, I’m afraid you would suffer heavy injuries in the process. Moreover, the finals will be held in two days and if you are injured, wouldn’t you just automatically lose in the finals?”
Elder Wen did not think there was anything wrong with his actions. Since the tournament was hosted by Twilight City, he naturally had to make good use of this opportunity.
Blizzard City had benefited from lack of action in the first battle. If he had known that this would happen, he would have arranged for the first round to be between Fantasy Devil City and Twilight City.
The strength of Fantasy Devil City could not be compared to Twilight City. Ten high-level magical beasts were a joke in front of their team. Even though Sun Never Sets was full of fighting spirit, their overall strength was too weak. They relied on luck to beat Team Fantasy Devil City. If the same trick was used on Team Twilight City, they would never win.
Elder Wen was unwilling to lose to Blizzard City. Even if Long Fei deliberately went easy on him, he was still dissatisfied.
Chapter 1025: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (2)
“Moreover, Shen Yanxiao’s strength is rumored to be pretty good. According to the information from Geng Di, Shen Yanxiao herself possesses Vermilion Bird that can contend against your Red Flame Beast. Moreover, she seems to have broken through to the second class promotion. Right now, you have just broken through to the Advanced-level Profession so I’m afraid it would be somewhat strenuous for you to fight against her. Moreover, the outcome of the fight would be hard to predict. Geng Di is the weakest of the four and if he were to match against you in the first round, you will be able to conserve more than half of your strength and force Shen Yanxiao and Long Fei to compete against each other. No matter which side wins, the one who benefits in the end would be you. Duan Hen, I’m thinking for your sake.” Elder Wen had an earnest expression on his face, not minding that he had just betrayed his ally, Geng Di.
It was not wrong to harm others to benefit oneself.
Geng Di tried all means to rope in Elder Wen, but in the end, he was used as a chess piece by Elder Wen. It was honestly hard to laugh or cry at this situation.
Shen Yanxiao hid in the dark and sneered when she heard Elder Wen’s words.
Elder Wen was indeed a crafty old fox. If she had not decided to come at the last minute, she would have fallen into his trap tomorrow. Be it using her hands to pull Long Fei down or to use Long Fei’s hands to pull her down, either way it was beneficial for Twilight City.
Letting Duan Hen deal with Geng Di would be like getting a free win.
In the finals, either she or Long Fei would definitely be severely injured from their fight. Even for them, it would be extremely strenuous to fight against Duan Hen at his peak condition.
“What an old fox.” Shen Yanxiao snorted.
After Duan Hen heard Elder Wen’s words, he hesitantly nodded and said, “Thank you Elder Wen for your painstaking efforts. I, Duan Hen, would like to thank you.”
Elder Wen looked at Duan Hen’s obedient appearance with satisfaction and said with a smile, “It’s good that you know I’m doing this for your own good. You’re still young and there are many things you are lacking in. Your father was also raised by the Elders Council. Unfortunately, he suddenly passed away and left you alone without anyone to rely on. If we don’t help you, wouldn’t you be bullied to death by the other City Lords in the Forsaken Land? Rest assured that as long as the Elders Council is around, we will not let you suffer.”
Duan Hen was silent for a moment before he cupped his fists and said, “Duan Hen is grateful for the protection of the Elders Council. I will certainly repay this debt with the Gushing Spring. Duan Hen is incompetent, and that is why the Elders have to go through so much trouble.”
“Forget it. No matter what, you were nurtured by the Elders Council. Your father is also very respectful towards the Elders Council. We are only supporting you because of your father. It’s good that you know how to be grateful,” Elder Wen smiled and said with a kind expression.
However, Shen Yanxiao could no longer stand Elder Wen’s hypocritical appearance. That old bastard claimed that he was doing this for Duan Hen’s good, but what he said in front of others was completely different. Long Fei had told her that with Elder Wen here, Duan Hen would be a puppet without any freedom or dignity to speak of.
Duan Hen had to be respectful to Elder Wen in public and in private. He had to listen to Elder Wen’s orders even when it came to his citizens.
Elder Wen spoke nicely, but his words repeatedly reminded Duan Hen of his kindness. Furthermore, that high and mighty attitude of his was disgusting.
He was an extremely hypocritical old man.
Furthermore, according to Long Fei, Duan Hen’s father, Duan Wuya’s death seemed to be closely related to the Elders Council. Who was he trying to fool with his hypocrisy?
Chapter 1026: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (3)
Instead, it was Duan Hen who seemed to be convinced by Elder Wen.
Shen Yanxiao could not help but frown. Even Long Fei knew that there was something suspicious about Duan Wuya’s death. Could it be that Duan Hen, as Duan Wuya’s son, was completely unaware of it? He was a fifteen-year-old boy, not a young and ignorant child. How could he not feel hate when Elder Wen was controlling him so openly?
Shen Yanxiao did not believe it. A person that could sign a contract with a mythical beast was definitely not simple. Every mythical beast had their own standards when it came to choosing their master. A mythical beast would only submit to the person they acknowledged.
If Duan Hen was so ignorant, the Red Flame Beast would not have accompanied him.
While Shen Yanxiao was figuring out the situation, Elder Wen had already tampered with the crystal ball, making an imperceptible mark on it. As long as Geng Di touched the crystal ball tomorrow, Duan Hen only had to choose the same crystal ball.
“It’s getting late, so I'll go and rest first. Familiarize yourself with the differences between these few crystal balls.” After Elder Wen finished everything, he left the storeroom in satisfaction.
Only Duan Hen was left in the huge storeroom.
Under the light crystal’s illumination, Duan Hen’s slightly thin body appeared exceptionally bleak. There was no trace of expression on his somewhat inexperienced face. He carefully touched the crystal balls one by one and after familiarizing himself with them for a moment, he suddenly fiercely pinched a blue crystal ball. The calmness on his fair and clear face faded and was soon replaced with a strong hatred.
That trace of hatred quickly disappeared. Duan Hen acted as if nothing had happened. He put the four crystal balls back and left the storeroom expressionlessly.
The moment the doors of the storeroom closed, Shen Yanxiao nimbly leaped out from the darkness. Looking at the tightly shut doors, a crafty smile curled on her lips.
Duan Hen was definitely not an idiot.
That flash of hatred was the truest thought that was buried deep in his heart.
It seems like the eminity between Duan Hen and Elder Wen was not small.
However, looking at his previous deferential attitude towards Elder Wen, there were no signs of it at all. If it were not for that moment when he revealed his true feelings, Shen Yanxiao probably would not have found any flaws.
Patient and determined. This Duan Hen was absolutely not a simple character. Right now, he was probably concealing his strength and biding his time.
He was a smart person.
Shen Yanxiao smiled. Soon after, she looked at the four crystal balls placed on the table. Elder Wen’s tampering of the crystal balls was not complicated. He only made some slight changes on the blue crystal balls. She did not notice any difference when she looked at it. However, if she were to touch it with her fingertips, she would notice that there were some tiny bumps all over the blue crystal balls.
If she had known about this, she probably would not have noticed that.
A nasty smile curled on Shen Yanxiao’s lips. She quickly created some small bumps with magic power all over the red crystal ball and wiped the bumps away from the blue crystal balls.
In the blink of an eye, the changes in the blue and red crystal balls had been completely swapped. From now on, these crystal balls will be sealed until tomorrow. It was impossible for Elder Wen to check them again. Plus, he had no reason to check as he definitely did not expect someone to tamper with these crystal balls after he left.
“You want to play shameless with me? I’d like to see who is more shameless.” A crafty glint flashed past Shen Yanxiao’s eyes. She placed the four crystal balls back on the table and disappeared from the storeroom.
Chapter 1027: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (4)
Early in the morning the next day, the tournament venue was crowded with spectators. No one wanted to miss the most exciting battle. It was so full that seats allocated to the spectators were just not enough. In the crowd, there were a lot of people squeezing themselves into one seat. In the end, the number of spectators in the venue had reached an astonishing number. There were also a large number of spectators standing outside the venue, eagerly looking for any opportunities to enter.
This battle could be said to be the most important of the three battles.
The strength of the city lord represented the highest level of strength in a city. The strength of the city lord would determine the result of the tournament.
Blizzard City had won the first battle. If Long Fei were to win again, they would automatically win.
Before this match, everyone had already inquired about the strength of the four City Lords.
In terms of personal strength, Long Fei, who was a Second-Class Swordmaster, was ranked first. Shen Yanxiao, who had just broken through to a Summoner, was ranked second. Duan Hen, who was a talented Advanced-level Professional, was ranked third. Geng Di, who only had the strength of an Advanced-level Professional, was ranked last.
However, magical beasts could be used in this competition. About mythical beasts, Duan Hen’s Red Flame Beast and Shen Yanxiao’s Vermilion Bird were both mythical beasts of the same level so the difference in strength was probably not huge. Long Fei and Geng Di’s magical beasts were only high-level magical beasts, causing them to be at a disadvantage in this aspect.
However, they did not know where the news came from. It was said that Shen Yanxiao’s Vermilion Bird had been injured in its early years. Even though it was stronger than a high-level magical beast, it could not compare to the Red Flame Beast who was at his peak.
As such, the probability of Duan Hen winning was the highest.
Everyone knew that Shen Yanxiao’s profession was a Warlock, and a Warlock would become a Summoner after their second class promotion. However, Warlocks had disappeared from the Brilliance Continent for a long time, and many people were unaware of their skills, let alone a Summoner. Many people were curious if a Summoner could summon a Phantom Beast from another world, and if they could, what was the rank of the Phantom Beast?
It was said that a Summoner had to be extremely powerful if they wanted to summon a powerful magical beast. However, Shen Yanxiao had just become a Second-Class Expert so she probably could not summon any powerful magical beast.
Vermilion Bird’s strength could not be compared to the Red Flame Beast. Even though Duan Hen’s personal strength was lower than Shen Yanxiao, when taking mythical beasts into account, the strength of humans could be overlooked.
Furthermore, Duan Hen was a Great Archer so he must have the advantage in terms of their effective range. As long as Shen Yanxiao did not get close, there was basically no danger. Instead, he could use the Red Flame Beast to launch long-range attacks at Shen Yanxiao.
The spectators analyzed the situation logically. In the end, they were from Twilight City, so they were naturally inclined towards Duan Hen.
As for Long Fei, he was considered the most outstanding among the four of them. However, he loses in terms of magical beasts. The difference between a high-level magical beast and a mythical beast would erase any advantage he had.
Geng Di was even more pitiful as he was directly neglected by everyone. In any case, for others, Fantasy Devil City led by Geng Di had never obtained any good results in the battle. Therefore, people had subconsciously categorized him as a cannon fodder.
Overall, Duan Hen’s chances of winning were the highest, followed by Shen Yanxiao, then Long Fei before finally Geng Di.
In the fight between Shen Yanxiao and Duan Hen, the result would depend on whether Shen Yanxiao could summon any powerful phantom beasts.
Chapter 1028: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (5)
If people knew that Shen Yanxiao had summoned a tiny baby dragon that would only act cool all day long, they would probably immediately cross her off as a potential winner.
Shen Yanxiao felt helpless. It was not easy for her to summon a Phantom Beast, but what she summoned was a useless dragon. Not to mention fighting against mythical beasts, even an intermediate-level magical beast could slap it to the ground.
Other than acting cute, she honestly could not think of any other uses for Mini Dragon.
Shen Yanxiao had already sent someone to send a letter to Yun Qi, but unfortunately, he had yet to reply. Furthermore, even if he did, Shen Yanxiao did not dare to use Summoning again. If she were to summon another mascot-like Phantom Beast, Yun Qi would probably die of laughter.
This tragedy of hers could only be kept to herself.
While everyone was speculating about the ‘powerful’ Phantom Beast she was about to summon, Shen Yanxiao was secretly wiping her tears.
With the four City Lords present, Shen Yanxiao stepped onto the stage as Nangong Mengmeng cheered outloud from the stands, “Teacher, you can do it! Teacher, you will win! Teacher, you are mighty and domineering!”
Other than the notary who presided over the drawing of lots, there were only the four City Lords on stage.
Shen Yanxiao and Long Fei were old acquaintances. When they met, they would smile and nod to express their friendship.
On the other hand, Geng Di’s face was as black as a pot.
He could not figure it out. When did Blizzard City and Sun Never Sets get so chummy with each other? Long Fei was a diplomatic person and he rarely competed with others. He knew that. But even if it was to express goodwill, wasn’t Long Fei’s expression too intimate?
Other than Shen Yanxiao’s good looks, there was nothing else that was pleasing to the eye. What was wrong with Long Fei that he was so intimate with this little girl?
Could it be that Long Fei could not tell that Fantasy Devil City and Twilight City had decided to become enemies with Sun Never Sets?
But even if Long Fei did not stand with them, he should at least be a bystander. Why was he so friendly with Shen Yanxiao so openly?
Geng Di felt like vomiting blood. He thought that by roping in Elder Wen, he would successfully establish a faction that would ostracize Shen Yanxiao. He did not expect Long Fei to be so unpredictable.
Geng Di was under a lot of pressure in this tournament. Previously, his men had already lost to Shen Yanxiao; they had even suffered a crushing defeat when their chances of winning were so high. Geng Di wanted to scratch at the wall in frustration. How could a group of mercenaries with low-level magical beasts defeat his elite troops?
Geng Di had inquired about the origins of Du Lang and his group. They were merely a mid-scale mercenary group in a city in the Longxuan Empire. Although his men were not the cream of the crop the Blue Moon Dynasty had to offer, they were still considered elites. That was why when his elite troops were defeated by a group of average mercenaries, Geng Di didn’t know where to hide his face .
He wanted to take revenge, but he also knew that it was a pipe dream for him to defeat Shen Yanxiao with his strength. If possible, Geng Di did not wish to participate in this tournament at all. The forces of the Blue Moon Dynasty were not strong at all, and his Fantasy Devil City would always lose miserably in the past tournaments. If Shen Yanxiao were to win the tournament...
Geng Di could not help but shiver. He could almost imagine how miserable his death would be in that situation.
However...
Geng Di looked at Luo Fan with hesitation.
Chapter 1029: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (6)
“In that case, City Lord of Fantasy Devil City, please draw the ball first.” The notary had already placed the four crystal balls into a sealed box, revealing only a small hole on top of the box.
According to the rules, the sequence of the draw would be based on their placing in the previous round. Fantasy Devil City was the first to lose so naturally, Geng Di would be the first to draw.
Geng Di pursed his lips and reached in. He fumbled for a long time before he took out his hand.
Geng Di opened his palm and saw a red crystal ball quietly sitting there.
When Elder Wen saw the red crystal ball Geng Di drew, a smile surfaced on his face. As long as Duan Hen followed the previous agreement and picked the last unmarked red crystal ball, then he would definitely face Geng Di.
Elder Wen was not worried about any accidents happening as he already knew the sequence of the draw. He leaned against the chair with satisfaction and waited for Duan Hen to carry out their plan to the end.
After Geng Di finished drawing the ball, the next one would be Duan Hen.
Duan Hen looked at the box with some hesitation. He subconsciously looked towards Elder Wen and when he saw him nodding, then he slowly reached his hand in.
However, there was a trace of unwillingness and hatred hidden in the depth of Duan Hen’s eyes. He carefully used his fingertips to touch three crystal balls in the box and finally found one that was not marked. He took a deep breath and took it out.
However, the moment Duan Hen spread out his palms, he was stunned.
In his palm was not a red crystal ball, but a blue one!
Elder Wen’s complexion turned deathly white in an instant. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked at the two entirely different crystal balls in Geng Di and Duan Hen’s hands.
How was that possible? He clearly made a mark yesterday and with Duan Hen’s personality, it was impossible for him to go against him at such a time. However, why did the crystal ball that had been tampered with suddenly changed?
Elder Wen’s expression was unsightly to the extreme. Things did not progress according to his plan and regardless of who Duan Hen was selected to fight against, it was absolutely not something he was happy to see.
Shen Yanxiao and Long Fei were not easy to deal with. Even if Duan Hen won, he would have to pay a huge price. On the other hand, the other person who would be fighting Geng Di would breeze through the fight. That was completely against Elder Wen’s wishes.
However, the drawing of lots was happening in front of everyone. Even if Elder Wen wanted to do a redraw, he would never dare to do so.
If he were to force a redraw, it would mean exposing his manipulation of the lots. At that time, not to mention winning the tournament, even the reputation of Twilight City would be completely ruined.
That was something Elder Wen could never accept!
Right now, it was impossible to stop halfway. He could only look on helplessly as his plan got completely ruined.
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that his scheme had fallen into Shen Yanxiao’s trap. If not for his evil intentions, it would not have been so easy for Shen Yanxiao to attack him. After all, before Shen Yanxiao drew lots, Duan Hen would draw lots first and there was a certain chance that he could draw the same crystal ball as Duan Hen.
The surprise on Duan Hen’s face disappeared in an instant. He quietly stood at one side and lowered his head. However, there was a trace of a smile and delight hidden in his eyes.
Regardless of what was happening, he liked this ending.
Chapter 1030: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (7)
Duan Hen was ecstatic but on the other hand, Geng Di was crying tears of blood. When Geng Di saw that Duan Hen had drawn a blue crystal ball, he nearly spat out blood.
He had some friendly relations with Twilight City so if he were to match against Duan Hen, he would lose that terribly. But unluckily for him, Duan Hen was not his opponent.
When he looked at the remaining two candidates, the hatred between him and Shen Yanxiao would definitely explode if they were to fight on stage. Not to mention how much trouble he had caused Sun Never Sets, just the thought of his team harming Shen Yanxiao’s team a few days ago made Geng Di’s blood run cold. After all, it was known that she was an extremely protective person.
If he were to fall into her hands, he would definitely die a dog’s death.
As for Long Fei, he had been exchanging friendly glances with Shen Yanxiao from the very beginning. God knows if they had already formed an alliance; If he were to match against him, it was practically no different from facing Shen Yanxiao.
Geng Di wanted to cry. He wanted to forfeit. He was a schemer—one that was better than anyone else. However, if he had to rely on his fists, he would have to step aside.
Geng Di could only pray that he would not end up with Shen Yanxiao. Even if Long Fei was friendly with Shen Yanxiao, he would not be too ruthless.
Geng Di’s complexion was pale. Shen Yanxiao stood on one side and calmly appreciated Geng Di’s extremely unsightly expression as a nasty glint flickered in her eyes.
“Then, may the City Lord of Sun Never Sets please draw the crystal ball?” The notary dutifully invited Shen Yanxiao.
Shen Yanxiao deliberately slowed down her pace, walking over slowly. Her pair of eyes that harbored bad intentions had a trace of a smile as she looked at Geng Di who had an ugly expression.
Geng Di felt that he had been targeted by a poisonous snake, but he comforted himself internally. There were two more crystal balls, and Shen Yanxiao might not get the red one.
Shen Yanxiao slowly reached out and felt around the box for a while. The slower she was, the more worried Geng Di was. Every minute and second was torture to him.
Shen Yanxiao seemed to be satisfied with Geng Di’s expression. She was not in a hurry at all. Instead, she looked at Geng Di with a smile and asked. “City Lord Geng, which crystal ball do you want me to touch?”
Shen Yanxiao actually asked Geng Di such a question!!
Geng Di nearly fainted from anger. This little girl is doing this on purpose! She must be doing it on purpose!!
“City Lord Shen must be joking. That is not something I can choose. All of it relies on City Lord Shen’s luck,” Geng Di answered with a fake smile. However, deep down, he was praying that Shen Yanxiao would draw the last blue crystal ball. He wanted to pit her against Duan Hen and ignore him.
Shen Yanxiao enjoyed the feeling of stretching Geng Di’s nerves. She tilted her head and said, “That can’t be said for sure. Maybe I’ll be lucky today and draw what I wish for. Maybe if City Lord Geng is lucky, you can guess which one I’ll draw. Perhaps you might be right.”
Geng Di almost cursed out loud. Luck? It was obvious that Shen Yanxiao hated him to the bones. If she was lucky, wouldn’t that mean he was unlucky? She wanted him to guess? What the heck!
Geng Di was about to go crazy. Shen Yanxiao was just taunting him with her words while her hands still stayed in the sealed box. The fear in his heart almost drove him crazy.
To hell with it!
Chapter 1031: Let’s See Who’s More Shameless (8)
Geng Di did not respond to Shen Yanxiao. He decided to ignore her words from now on.
Shen Yanxiao furrowed her brows and felt that it was time. Soon after, she slowly took out her hand. However, the crystal ball was firmly held in her hand. Geng Di tried to peek several times but failed.
“City Lord Shen, can you show us the crystal ball?” The notary secretly wiped his cold sweat. Shen Yanxiao and Geng Di had a verbal fight the moment they started talking. This made things difficult for him. If Shen Yanxiao continued to stall, Long Fei could not continue.
Shen Yanxiao shrugged her shoulders and threw the crystal ball up.
Everyone’s gaze focused on that crystal ball.
However, when he saw the color of the crystal ball, Geng Di’s expression turned black.
The crystal ball fell back into Shen Yanxiao’s palm. The bright red color was similar to that of a ruby, identical to the red crystal ball in Geng Di’s hand.
When Elder Wen saw this result, he nearly choked to death.
How did this happen?
The one fighting against Geng Di was Shen Yanxiao!!
Elder Wen felt like vomiting blood.
It was finally Long Fei’s turn. Shen Yanxiao and Duan Hen could be said to be evenly matched and neither would give in to the other. Right now, the former would easily deal with Geng Di using five percent of her strength while the latter had to deal with Long Fei who was a tough nut to crack. It was obvious who would be at a disadvantage in the finals.
Why did it have to be Shen Yanxiao?
Elder Wen could not figure out what went wrong no matter how hard he thought.
On the stage, Shen Yanxiao smiled as she looked at Geng Di’s darkened expression and said with sincerity, “It seems like I am fated with City Lord Geng.”
“You’re too kind.” Geng Di gnashed his teeth as he looked at Shen Yanxiao. If he did not know that Elder Wen hated Shen Yanxiao to the core, he would have suspected that Elder Wen and Shen Yanxiao had colluded to mess with him.
Why was Lady Luck favoring the girl?
It had to be said that Geng Di’s suspicions were near the truth.
Elder Wen and Shen Yanxiao had indeed colluded with each other. The only difference was that the former knew nothing about the partnership while the latter knew about the former’s plans.
She went with the flow and borrowed someone else’s knife to kill. Shen Yanxiao was having a smooth time.
In the end, Long Fei drew the last blue crystal ball amid the depressing atmosphere.
The battle between the four City Lords had begun.
The City Lord of Fantasy Devil City, Geng Di, facing Shen Yanxiao, the City Lord of Sun Never Sets. Duan Hen, the City Lord of Twilight City, facing Long Fei, the City Lord of Blizzard City.
It could be said that the matchup for this individual battle was exactly the same as the previous battle. It was a real fight between soldiers and generals.
However...
The strength evaluation of the four representatives had undergone a tremendous change.
“The first match will be held shortly. City Lords, please make some preparations.” The notary kept the crystal ball and arranged for the next fight before he left the stage. Elder Wen, who was standing outside the stage, left his seat at the very first instance.
Backstage, Elder Wen found the notary. Without another word, he took the box containing the four crystal balls and checked the four crystal balls inside.
After a moment of examination, Elder Wen’s complexion turned pale. The markings on the red and blue crystal ball had been thoroughly changed—the color and marks had been completely reversed!
He finally understood why his plan had failed.
However...
Who did it?
Duan Hen was an Archer and even if he had the heart, he would not be able to change the magic marks on the crystal ball.
Who was it!
Chapter 1032: Unilateral Beating (1)
The first fight was between Shen Yanxiao and Geng Di.
Unsurprisingly, it was a one-sided beating.
Geng Di was basically pushed to the stage as he begrudgingly walked up the stage with a gloomy expression. When he looked at Shen Yanxiao on the opposite side of the stage, he felt extremely depressed.
“City Lord Geng, you have taken good care of Sun Never Sets. I will repay you today.” Shen Yanxiao stretched her limbs and looked at Geng Di with a smile. She was basically saying, “I am ready to kill you. You should be prepared.”
Geng Di’s heart trembled. He did cause Shen Yanxiao a lot of trouble, but... the progress of Sun Never Sets was not delayed at all!
Not only did it fail to achieve the desired effect, but he had incurred the ire of Shen Yanxiao.
If he could choose again, Geng Di wished that he did not have a screw loose then and stupidly went to find trouble with Sun Never Sets.
Who knew that this girl was so abnormal? Not only did she finish building Sun Never Sets in half a year, but she was also powerful beyond imagination. Was she even human?
Which fourteen-year-old could have gone through second class promotion at such a young age?
Geng Di wanted to cry. If not for his dignity, he would have begged Shen Yanxiao to let him go.
“What happened in the past, it was all a misunderstanding... a misunderstanding...” Geng Di wiped his sweat. He had no choice but to bow his head when he was at the mercy of others. He finally understood what it meant to bring disaster upon oneself.
Shen Yanxiao raised her eyebrows.
“Misunderstanding? City Lord Geng sure knows how to joke.”
No matter what you say, I have made up my mind.
Before the fight even started, Geng Di already wanted to forfeit. He had made up his mind that as soon as the match started, he would immediately admit defeat, not giving Shen Yanxiao the chance to beat him up. In any case, he had already stood on the stage—it could be considered as saving some face for himself and Fantasy Devil City. No matter what, he was not Shen Yanxiao’s opponent so he might as well end this torture earlier.
Geng Di was determined. On the other side, Shen Yanxiao smiled wickedly.
Finally, the bell for the first fight rang throughout the venue.
Geng Di took a deep breath and immediately prepared to admit defeat.
However, he did not expect Shen Yanxiao to be faster than him.
Before Geng Di could react, Shen Yanxiao’s voice had already sounded behind him like a ghost. The next second, he felt a sharp pain on his neck.
Shen Yanxiao’s hand directly struck Geng Di’s neck. The powerful impact coupled with the corrosive magic caused Geng Di to be unable to make any sound in an instant.
“Geng Di, we are going to have a lot of fun. Don’t be in such a hurry to leave.” Shen Yanxiao stood behind Geng Di and whispered words that made his hair stand on end.
Geng Di covered his neck. It was as if someone had poured flint into his throat, causing it to burn with pain.
Not to mention admitting defeat, he could not even snort even if he wanted to.
Geng Di widened his eyes in horror and stood rooted on the spot. It was not that he did not want to move, but his muscles were as stiff as a rock. Other than his blinking eyes, he had practically turned into a sculpture.
The power of curses could pull people into an abyss in an instant. Shen Yanxiao’s attack had sealed Geng Di’s only path of escape. Whether he wanted to admit defeat or escape from the stage, he could not do so.
Shen Yanxiao slowly walked to Geng Di. Looking at the motionless Geng Di, the evil glint in her eyes was burning. It was time for revenge.
Chapter 1033: Unilateral Beating (2)
The spectators did not know what had happened on the stage. They only saw Geng Di standing there motionless with a pale complexion.
Even though Geng Di’s strength was not great, he was still a City Lord. Why was he so frightened?
Although you are not as strong as Shen Yanxiao, what are you just standing there?
Where was the promised exciting fight?
Practically everyone secretly despised Geng Di’s cowardly appearance. They did not know that if Shen Yanxiao had not stopped him, Geng Di’s performance would be even more cowardly. At the very least, he was still standing on the stage.
Geng Di found it hard to speak. Even if he wanted to summon his magical beast to fight Shen Yanxiao, he couldn’t. He could only look on helplessly at Shen Yanxiao’s evil smile.
Shen Yanxiao looked at Geng Di with a smile. She raised her hand and touched Geng Di’s face.
Bang!
The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the silent venue.
Shen Yanxiao gave Geng Di a tight slap in front of nearly a thousand people.
A slap to the face!
Everyone was struck dumb. No one expected that the battle between City Lords they had been looking forward to for a long time would start with such a ‘fight’.
As the City Lord of Fantasy Devil City, Geng Di had been slapped in public without the ability to fight back.
Everyone’s mood became extremely complicated. If Shen Yanxiao were more cruel and had beaten Geng Di half dead, it would be better than this current situation.
She did nothing and just merely slapped him.
Shen Yanxiao was not abusing Geng Di’s body, but trampling on his dignity.
Geng Di’s eyes turned red from anger. Shen Yanxiao was simply humiliating him. He would rather she beat him up to her heart’s content.
Unfortunately, what Shen Yanxiao wanted was for Geng Di to be humiliated.
Shen Yanxiao raised her hand again and slapped Geng Di’s face.
The two slaps were not aimed at Geng Di, but his dignity.
What was more shameful than a City Lord getting slapped in public?
If Geng Di lost, it would be chucked up to him being weak. However, Shen Yanxiao was not fighting him seriously. In the eyes of others, he was just getting slapped without retaliating.
This was utter humiliation.
If Geng Di could speak, he would certainly curse Shen Yanxiao’s viciousness.
One should not hit others in the face, but this guy had specifically attacked his face.
There was a saying about beating people without hitting the face, but this person was intentionally hitting his face!
The entire venue was in complete silence as everyone stared at the unimaginable fight in shock.
They looked on helplessly as Geng Di’s handsome face was beaten into a pig’s head by Shen Yanxiao’s magic hands. What puzzled them was that Geng Di did not utter a single word nor move. He was just like a wooden statue that Shen Yanxiao continued to slap.
It was a rare sight to see someone sending their face to beg for a beating.
Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!
Other than the sound of Shen Yanxiao’s slap, it was totally silent in the venue. The faces of the people from Fantasy Devil City were as black as the bottom of a pot. Their City Lord was being slapped in public. It felt awful.
Chapter 1034: Unilateral Beating (3)
Even though it was just a slap, the strength behind each slap was not weak at all. With every slap, the bright red handprint could be seen getting brighter and brighter. Not long after, Geng Di was seen vomiting blood with his face swelling up like a pig’s head.
What made him even more depressed was that even if he was struck until he saw stars, he could not cry out nor escape. He could only obediently stand on the spot and get beaten up.
This unilateral beating was simply unbearable. Not only did his face hurt as if it was on fire, but his heart was also filled with grievance and shame.
As a royal of the Blue Moon Dynasty, when had Geng Di ever received such treatment? He wished he could just faint already.
However, even though Shen Yanxiao’s slap was heavy, it was not to the extent of causing him to faint. She made good use of her strength, as she kept Geng Di from fainting even if he suffered hundreds of slaps.
“Does Shen Yanxiao have a deep grudge against Geng Di? This is too cruel.” The onlookers could not bear to see a City Lord getting slapped in front of so many people. It was too embarrassing.
“I heard that when Sun Never Sets was about to be built, Geng Di seemed to have gone to find trouble with Shen Yanxiao and caused her subordinates to be injured.” A certain well-informed spectator immediately revealed his gossiping skills.
“Isn’t that more than half a year ago? Don’t tell me Shen Yanxiao still remembers?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Even I feel pain in my cheeks just looking at those slaps.”
“That’s true. Moreover, in the last battle, Team Fantasy Devil City severely injured Team Sun Never Sets. I reckon Shen Yanxiao is avenging her subordinates.”
Many people had guessed that Shen Yanxiao and Geng Di had a grudge between them. Otherwise, she would not have humiliated Geng Di like that. Killing someone was as simple as nodding one’s head, but Shen Yanxiao was doing something much crueler than killing Geng Di.
She wanted him to be humiliated while beating him up righteously. She wanted him to swallow any grievances he had.
Torture and heartache, so savage!
Everyone silently warned in their hearts not to provoke this city lord who bore grudges. Otherwise, they might be slapped one day.
However, there were also a group of people who felt that Shen Yanxiao was a good City Lord. She would stand up for her subordinates if her subordinates suffered a loss. In a sense, it was much safer to follow such a City Lord.
However, no matter what they thought, everyone had realized that Shen Yanxiao was an extremely protective person who remembered grudges.
Elder Wen sat on the outskirts and his lips twitched as he looked at Geng Di who was beaten by Shen Yanxiao without the ability to fight back.
Even though he also intended to plot against Geng Di and use him as cannon fodder, Twilight City and Fantasy Devil City could be considered as allies on the surface. Naturally, he would not feel happy when he saw his ally getting humiliated by someone he loathed.
“This Shen Yanxiao is simply too hateful. Why does she have to humiliate people in such a manner!” Elder Wen angrily said.
Duan Hen’s fight was on the second day and so he was currently seated by Elder Wen’s side as he listened to the grumblings of an old man. Duan Hen did not speak, but his eyes were fixed on Shen Yanxiao who was happily releasing her frustration, while a trace of envy and admiration secretly flashed past his eyes.
Even though Shen Yanxiao was young, she was smart. She knew that she could openly teach Geng Di a lesson at this point in time and no one could complain.
He... was honestly envious of such a free life.
Chapter 1035: Unilateral Beating (4)
“Teacher, you sure enjoyed the fight.” Nangong Mengmeng’s eyes glowed as she looked at Shen Yanxiao who was displaying the ‘Absolute God Palm’ without holding back. Her eyes were filled with admiration.
“A bastard like Geng Di should be dealt with like this. Did Xiaoxiao come up with this plan beforehand? It’s so refreshing.” Tang Nazhi found Geng Di in an eyesore, so he was happy to see Shen Yanxiao taking action.
“Take a guess,” Qi Xia shot a glance at Tang Nazhi and said.
“...” Tang Nazhi felt that he had asked an idiotic question.
“This time, Geng Di has lost all his dignity. Not only him, but even those from Fantasy Devil City no longer have the courage to stay in Twilight City.” Li Xiaowei laughed unkindly. Geng Di was bound to lose this match. With this, he had already lost two battles. He no longer had the chance to turn the tables. It was uncertain if he would let his subordinates participate in the last battle.
After all, he had lost so much face. No matter how thick-skinned Geng Di was, he would probably have to run back to his hometown to cover up his embarrassment.
Shen Yanxiao enjoyed the beating. She was satisfied with Geng Di’s swollen head.
After torturing him mentally, Shen Yanxiao planned to torture him physically.
She did not intend to end this with just a few slaps.
Shen Yanxiao took a few steps back and touched her chin as she looked at Geng Di whose eyes had started turning white.
Just when everyone thought that she was going to end this beating, Shen Yanxiao suddenly lifted her leg and fiercely kicked Geng Di’s fatal weakness. After that, she leaped and sent Geng Di flying with a roundhouse kick, sending him off the stage.
All the men present subconsciously covered a certain area of their bodies.
Brutal! Too brutal!
How could this little girl target the weakest parts of men?
They could almost imagine how... Geng Di’s balls hurt.
Geng Di’s fall meant that Shen Yanxiao had won the fight.
It was not an intense fight at all. They did not even summon their magical beasts before the fight ended.
Even so, the spectators would never forget what happened today.
It was a fight that was rarely seen in a thousand years!
Shen Yanxiao won by torturing Geng Di’s mind and body. She walked down the stage with satisfaction and threw everyone’s horrified gaze to the back of her mind.
People from Fantasy Devil City scrambled to the venue and carried Geng Di, who had been beaten beyond recognition, out at top speed.
It was not that they did not want to take revenge for their City Lord, but their strength was not comparable to Shen Yanxiao's perverts. Moreover... they had lost enough face. They could practically feel the mocking gaze from all directions.
There was no fierce fight, but savage abuse was aplenty.
Even after Shen Yanxiao had left the venue with the people from Sun Never Sets, the spectators had yet to recover from the strange battle.
Shen Yanxiao’s last two kicks were not light at all. Just looking at them was frightening enough. Everyone couldn’t help but light an incense stick for Geng Di, praying that he could still be considered a man after recovering his senses...
After the fights ended, news about Shen Yanxiao spread throughout Twilight City.
Shen Yanxiao’s image in the minds of the citizens of Twilight City went from being arrogant to being cruel. For a moment, she became the most popular person in Twilight City.
Chapter 1036: Is It A Blessing Or A Curse (1)
With Shen Yanxiao’s victory, the citizens of Sun Never Sets rejoiced. As for the statements spreading around that their City Lord was cruel, they could only raise both their hands and feet in agreement.
She was cruel to others, but loved her own people dearly. This was true love, ah!
After returning back to their residence, Shen Yanxiao immediately went to check on the seven wolves. Under her meticulous care, the seven wolves had woken up. About the finals, they all silently accepted their forfeiture of the fight.
The other members of the Cave Wolves Mercenary Group had also recovered from their injuries. Unfortunately, their past vigor and spirit could not be seen on their faces.
Shen Yanxiao knew that they must be grieving for their magical beast.
Shen Yanxiao was not in a hurry to tell them about the search for magical beasts. Even if she did, they would not easily forget about the magical beasts that fought alongside them.
Tomorrow's fight was between Long Fei and Duan Hen. Shen Yanxiao planned to watch the fight tomorrow, as one of them would be her opponent in the finals.
Long Fei and Long Xueyao also came to speak with Shen Yanxiao in the afternoon. They congratulated her on her victory and brought her some interesting news.
After the fight between Shen Yanxiao and Geng Di ended, Geng Di was brought back to his residence in Twilight City. Immediately after, he invited a few doctors for emergency treatment before he bid farewell to Elder Wen and left the city with his entourage.
They left without any reluctance, indirectly giving up on the group battle.
This result was within Shen Yanxiao’s expectations. The aristocrats of the Blue Moon Dynasty had always cared about their reputation. Geng Di had suffered such a huge loss and was also humiliated. It would be strange if he did not run away.
“Although Geng Di left, he asked Luo Fan to stay in Twilight City,” Long Fei said.
“Luo Fan.” Shen Yanxiao narrowed her eyes. He was her old rival. She had destroyed Luo Fan’s ability to become a Herbalist so his hatred for her was no less than Geng Di.
“Why did he stay behind?”
“I’m not sure. He has moved out of his original residence and is currently staying in the City Lord’s Mansion. He seems really close to Elder Wen.” Long Fei recalled Luo Fan’s accusation against Shen Yanxiao at the banquet. Even though he did not believe it, he knew that Luo Fan was Shen Yanxiao’s enemy and naturally, he had to inform her.
“Is he the only one Fantasy Devil City left behind?” Shen Yanxiao touched her chin. When Luo Fan left Saint Laurent Academy, Pu Lisi had also taken Shangguan Xiao with him. Reasonably speaking, the three of them should be colluding together, so Luo Fan appearing alone must be somewhat deliberate.
“Just him.” Long Fei nodded.
“Thank you, Brother Long, for your information. Luo Fan and I have some history.” Shen Yanxiao was curious as to why Long Fei would specifically come and inform her about Luo Fan. From the looks of it, Long Fei seemed to know that Luo Fan was not on good terms with her.
However, she did not remember mentioning this to anyone.
Long Fei smiled and said nothing. On the other hand, Long Xueyao had a complicated expression.
Even though she did not want to believe Luo Fan’s accusation, there must be a reason why he dared to say that. Seeing how Shen Yanxiao was familiar with Luo Fan, her heart started beating like a drum. She did not want to believe that Shen Yanxiao was the type of person who would commit such crimes. However, the matter kept bugging her which made her vexed.
On the other hand, the five beasts reacted quite wildly when they heard that Luo Fan had stayed behind.
Chapter 1037: Is It A Blessing Or A Curse (2)
“No way, why did that guy stay behind?” Tang Nazhi reacted the most from the news, as he immediately stood up. Back then, it was Luo Fan, Shangguan Xiao and Pu Lisi who joined hands to force him out of the Herbalist Division. He would never forget that even if he was beaten to death.
“Erm.” Long Xueyao looked at the excited Tang Nazhi in surprise, her face full of doubts.
“Nazhi, don’t scare her.” Qi Xia patted Tang Nazhi’s shoulders.
“Oh, sorry! I’m sorry! I was too excited.” Tang Nazhi was stunned for a moment before he scratched his head in embarrassment. Don’t blame him for not noticing the presence of women. The women in Sun Never Sets were all scary, even more so than men. He had subconsciously forgotten that women were more delicate.
“I’m fine.” Long Xueyao was also somewhat embarrassed. She had been too focused on her thoughts just now, which was why she was shocked by Tang Nazhi.
However, looking at Tang Nazhi’s reaction, he must also know aboutLuo Fan.
“Do you know Luo Fan?” Long Xueyao asked carefully.
Tang Nazhi immediately said, “Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I know him! If that bastard hadn’t teamed up with Shangguan Xiao and Pu Lisi to harm me, I reckon I would still be studying in the Herbalist Division.” Tang Nazhi was depressed. He was serious about learning Herbalism then. Who would know that his dream would get crushed instead?
“Harm you?” Long Xueyao was surprised. She had heard of Shangguan Xiao and Pu Lisi’s names from Luo Fan.
Tang Nazhi angrily nodded.
“The three of them were narrow-minded and petty, and they could not tolerate Xiaoxiao’s talents. So when Xiaoxiao was away, they tricked me and chased me out of the Herbalist Division. However, after Xiaoxiao returned, she helped me take revenge!”
Long Xueyao paused for a moment and exchanged glances with Long Fei.
The father and daughter pair were not fools. Even though Tang Nazhi’s words were vague, when combined with what Luo Fan had said previously, they had a general idea of the situation.
Evidently, what Luo Fan said about Shen Yanxiao crippling his cultivation was true. However, he deliberately concealed the reason behind Shen Yanxiao’s actions. If Tang Nazhi had not revealed the truth, they would probably have misunderstood Shen Yanxiao.
After knowing the truth, both Long Fei and Long Xueyao felt ashamed. Even though they did not trust Luo Fan’s words, they still had doubts about Shen Yanxiao when he accused her. Thinking about it now, they were too narrow-minded. They knew of Shen Yanxiao’s personality, but they still didn’t trust her. They felt ashamed of themselves.
“It seems like Luo Fan does not have a good relationship with Xiaoxiao. In that case, Xiaoxiao should be more careful during this period of time. Nothing good will happen if Geng Di allows Luo Fan to stay in Twilight City. Moreover, Elder Wen is very close to Luo Fan and Elder Wen... is not very friendly with you.” Long Fei hesitated for a moment and sighed as he looked at Shen Yanxiao. How could such a good little girl be described as so bad by Luo Fan and Geng Di?
Elder Wen would certainly listen to Luo Fan and Geng Di’s accusations and would be even more biased against Shen Yanxiao.
“I understand. Brother Long, don’t worry. I’m only here for the tournament. I don’t care about anything else.” Shen Yanxiao smiled. It was only Luo Fan. If she could have destroyed him then, she would be able to do it again. If Luo Fan had the confidence to deal with her, he would have already done so. He would not have waited until now.
Chapter 1038: Is It A Blessing Or A Curse (3)
Long Fei and Long Xueyao had another meal with Shen Yanxiao before they left. Long Fei still had a fight tomorrow so he could not go back too late.
Shen Yanxiao returned to her room and continued training as she had nothing better to do. Her diligence in her training was practically off the charts. As long as she had nothing else to do, she would go and train.
No matter who won the fight tomorrow, the winner would be battling against her on the day of the finals. She had to continue improving if she wanted to win. Even though Shen Yanxiao was confident, she would never be arrogant.
At midnight, Shen Yanxiao just finished her training session, and she stretched her limbs to loosen them up. After a while, she was prepared to wash up and sleep. However, just as she was about to close the window, a stone flew in.
Shen Yanxiao narrowed her eyes. She picked up the stone and noticed a note tied to it.
She opened the note and saw the words “Falling Moon Pond”.
The Falling Moon Pond was a small pond in Twilight City, and it was not far from the building she was living in.
But who sent this note to her?
When Shen Yanxiao looked outside the window, there was no one in vision. Even when she was cultivating earlier on, she did not notice anyone approaching. Moreover, her room was on the top floor; it was definitely not easy for ordinary people to throw a rock that high.
Evidently, the person who left this note was not ordinary.
“Xiu, do you think I should go and take a look?” Shen Yanxiao playfully looked at the note in her hands as she tried to deduce the other party’s identity.
“Go if you wish,” Xiu faintly answered.
Shen Yanxiao smiled. Her petite figure suddenly could be seen jumping out the window before blending into the night.
Twilight City in itself was not large, and the Falling Moon Pond was also very small. Although it was a beautiful pond, there were not many who appreciated nature in Twilight City. Therefore, very few people would appear here, not to mention at night.
When Shen Yanxiao arrived at the Falling Moon Pond, she saw a tall figure with his back facing her as he looked at the pool of clear water.
“Isn’t it a little inappropriate to send a love letter so late at night, City Lord Duan?” Shen Yanxiao smiled as she looked at the impressionable back.
The man’s back stiffened before he slowly turned around.
With a fair complexion and handsome facial features, it was indeed the City Lord of Twilight City, Duan Hen.
“City Lord Shen knew it was me?” There was a trace of doubt in Duan Hen’s eyes. He only threw a piece of rock in her room without any explanation. How did Shen Yanxiao figure out it was him?
Shen Yanxiao walked to the edge of the pool and sat down on a wooden stake. She propped her chin and looked at the expressionless Duan Hen.
“I guessed.”
“...” Duan Hen was speechless.
“Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night?” Shen Yanxiao looked at Duan Hen. Because Duan Hen had shown that he was not that ignorant kid that he portrayed himself to be, Shen Yanxiao unexpectedly had a high opinion of him. If he was only a puppet by Elder Wen’s side, she would not give up her precious sleep time to chat with him.
Duan Hen looked at Shen Yanxiao and said, “I want to make a deal with you.”
“With me?” Shen Yanxiao raised her eyebrows.
“That’s right.”
Shen Yanxiao laughed and shook her head. “Duan Hen, you’re really interesting. If my memory serves me right, we’ve never had any interactions before. Why would you want to make a deal with me? In fact, we are strangers. Besides, what can be traded between us?”
Duan Hen narrowed his eyes and looked at Shen Yanxiao’s smiling lips. He slowly said, “Luo Fan.”
Chapter 1039: Is It A Blessing Or A Curse (4)
“Luo Fan?” Shen Yanxiao raised her eyebrows.
Duan Hen sat down on a wooden pole beside her.
“The City Lord of Blizzard City must have told you about Luo Fan’s stay in Twilight City.”
“You were the one who released the news?” Shen Yanxiao was smart enough to know that it was impossible for everyone to know that Luo Fan had been left behind inTwilight City. The reason why Long Fei knew of it was probably because someone had deliberately revealed it to him. Furthermore, the person who revealed this information must have wanted to use Long Fei’s mouth to convey it to her.
However, she did not expect it to be Duan Hen.
“It’s me.” Duan Hen admitted decisively.
“What do you want to trade Luo Fan with me for? Luo Fan is merely a loser of my past. In my eyes, he is worthless so I believe he is not really an adequate bargaining chip for our deal.” Shen Yanxiao immediately lacked interest in the deal. No matter how highly Long Fei and Duan Hen valued Luo Fan, she had never viewed him as her opponent. If Luo Fan was smart, he would not have let her discover his existence in Twilight City. Now that he was exposed, wouldn’t it be easy for her to investigate anything?
Luo Fan couldn’t even hide himself. For such a worthless man, she even disdained to think of ways to deal with him.
Duan Hen shook his head and said, “I am not using Luo Fan to trade with you. Instead, I am using the information he revealed to Elder Wen to trade with you. You should know that Luo Fan’s cultivation was crippled by you. However, if I were to tell you that Luo Fan is a Great Magus, would you still think that he is worthless?”
“Luo Fan is a Great Magus?” Shen Yanxiao was surprised. Even at his peak, Luo Fan was only a Herbalist. How did he become a Magus?
Duan Hen was satisfied with Shen Yanxiao’s surprise. He knew that he had found enough chips for the deal.
“I can tell you that Luo Fan stayed behind in Twilight City because he wanted to negotiate a deal with Elder Wen. The content of the deal is related to how he became a Great Magus, and one of the rewards he wants is related to you.”
“Tell me about it.” Shen Yanxiao’s expression became more serious.
“He promised to help the Elders Council to increase their strength, but Elder Wen must eliminate everyone around you before you leave Twilight City.” Duan Hen said.
“Eliminate?” Shen Yanxiao narrowed her eyes. Elder Wen sure had a huge appetite.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t take revenge on you directly but asked Elder Wen to eliminate the people by your side instead. But what I can be sure of is that Elder Wen has agreed to his request. Day by day, the Elders Council is gathering more and more people for this task, which is Luo Fan’s goal,” Duan Hen said.
“Then how do you wish to make a deal with me?” Shen Yanxiao curled her lips and looked at Duan Hen. Duan Hen was a very smart guy so he would not come to her for no reason. Furthermore, she was also very clear that if she wanted to obtain more information, she had to make this deal with Duan Hen. However, she was curious as to what Duan Hen wanted her to help him with.
Duan Hen looked at Shen Yanxiao and slowly said, “I want you to kill some people for me.”
“You want me to kill for you? Duan Hen, you really think highly of me. If you want to kill someone, with your Red Flame Beast, you can do it yourself. Unless the person you want to get rid of is someone you shouldn’t kill, or someone you can’t let others find out that you kill him.” Shen Yanxiao’s words exposed Duan Hen’s unfinished words.
Chapter 1040: Is It A Blessing Or A Curse (5)
“You are right. I cannot kill them personally.” Duan Hen’s answer was very straightforward.
Shen Yanxiao smiled and said, “Are they from the Elders Council?”
Duan Hen nodded.
Shen Yanxiao said, “In that case, the deal between us is not far. Luo Fan and Elder Wen want to harm me, but that would depend on whether they have the ability to do so. You told me their plan so that it would be easier for me to prepare. However, what you want me to do is to kill the Elders of the Elders Council. Not to mention that you want me to kill a few of them, not just one, the Elders of the Seventh Kingdom are all experts with mythical beasts. Do you think I will agree to your deal?” The chips on both sides of the table are not equal. Shen Yanxiao would not agree to such a deal unless she was stupid.
“Luo Fan is not the only thing I want to trade with you. I can promise you that as long as you help me accomplish what I want, I can give you all the forces the Seventh Kingdom possesses in the Forsaken Land, including Twilight City,” Duan Hen took a deep breath and said.
“Give me?” Shen Yanxiao raised her eyebrows. She had heard something unusual from Duan Hen’s promise.
Targeting the Elders Council of the Seventh Kingdom, and also daring to promise to give her all the forces the Seventh Kingdom had in the Forsaken Land—only the king of a country could make such a promise.
Duan Hen had a huge appetite.
“Do you think I will believe that you can do that?” The idea was good, but ideas alone could not accomplish anything. She would not invest in such risky investments. At the very least, she did not intend to take the risk before she could determine the investor’s strength.
“I will prove that I can accomplish it. As long as you give me time, I will let you see that I have enough chips on my side to trade with you.” A confident and firm expression appeared on Duan Hen’s face. “I am not asking you to attack the Elders Council right now. Give me a year’s time, and I will prove that I can accomplish it. After that, it will not be too late for you to complete our deal. As for Luo Fan’s matter, treat it as a gift from me to express my sincerity.”
Shen Yanxiao smiled. She never expected Duan Hen to be so ambitious.
What he wanted was not Twilight City, but the entire Seventh Kingdom!
“A year? I’d like to see if you can do it. If you’re confident of stabilizing your position as the Emperor of the Seventh Kingdom after the accidental death of those people from the Elders Council, I’ll agree to your deal.” Shen Yanxiao’s eyes were burning with excitement. Only an ambitious person could accomplish great things. If Duan Hen was capable, she might as well go with the flow.
“But how did you know that I will want your territory in the Forsaken Land?” Shen Yanxiao looked at Duan Hen. She had not finished developing all the areas near Sun Never Sets. How could Duan Hen have thought of giving her the ownership of his piece of the Forsaken Land in exchange for her help?
Duan Hen looked at Shen Yanxiao and pointed to his eyes.
“You are not someone who is willing to be controlled by others. I know that your Sun Never Sets does not belong to the Longxuan Empire. Right now, you are developing another city. I can see the ambition in your eyes.” Just like him, he was unwilling to accept the current situation and be controlled by other people’s ambitions.
Shen Yanxiao had strength and courage. He needed an ally, an ally that could help him eliminate his most crucial enemy.
“Oh?” Shen Yanxiao chuckled. She slowly stood up and looked at Duan Hen. “Duan Hen, whether our deal succeeds depends on your own strength. If you succeed in your part of the deal in a year’s time, send someone to Sun Never Sets, and I will help you get rid of those eyesores.”