Ye Qingyao’s opponent was a male disciple at the fifth level of Qi Refining. He stood a full head taller than her and wielded a long saber with heavy, powerful strikes.
Ye Qingyao, after all, was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. Being a small realm behind in cultivation meant she was completely suppressed by her opponent throughout the battle.
Ye Qingyao stumbled, and the blade instantly tore a gash in her left sleeve. Beads of blood began to trickle down her forearm.
The fight had dragged on for a long time. Strands of hair were plastered to her sweat-dampened forehead, and her short sword was marred with several notches, yet Ye Qingyao refused to let go of her weapon.
A few spectators still lingered below the stage, whispering in small groups.
“A fourth level fighting a fifth level... she’s done well to hold out this long.”
“She should just admit defeat. If she keeps going, she’s going to be seriously injured.”
Bai Qingxue stood on the stone path at the edge of the area. She didn't approach, but she didn't leave either.
She simply stood there, watching that pale green figure that refused to fall.
Another round of engagement began.
The long saber swept horizontally. Ye Qingyao ducked to avoid it, the wind from the blade grazing the top of her head.
Seizing the gap as her opponent retracted his blade, Ye Qingyao lunged forward. Her short sword thrust toward the man’s waist, slicing through his robes, but it failed to cause any substantial damage.
The male disciple twisted his body and unleashed a wave of sword qi, sending Ye Qingyao staggering back several steps.
Ye Qingyao steadied herself, gasping for air. A dull, throbbing pain radiated from her right shoulder, and her entire arm was trembling.
She knew she was reaching her limit.
Her opponent’s spiritual power was denser than hers, and his stamina was more abundant. If this continued, her defeat was only a matter of time.
But she didn't want to lose.
Ye Qingyao wasn't fighting for a high rank; she simply wanted to make it through one more round.
One more round meant she could stay on this field a little longer. A little longer might give Sister Bai a chance to spare her another glance.
She didn't want Sister Bai’s pity, nor did she want her praise.
She just wanted Sister Bai to know that she was working hard too.
She was no longer that person who could only stand at the crossroads, saying “be careful” and watching her walk away.
She could stand on the stage as well. Even if she was covered in wounds, she would not fall.
Watching the male disciple approach with his saber raised once more, Ye Qingyao’s mind suddenly became very quiet. Then, she made a decision.
The moment the blade came hacking down, Ye Qingyao did not dodge.
She took a step forward and charged straight into the blade. She braced her shoulder to take the hit, the pain making her vision go dark, but she gritted her teeth. Her right hand didn't falter for a second as her short sword pierced accurately toward her opponent’s wrist.
The back of the saber slammed into her shoulder with a muffled thud.
Ye Qingyao swayed, nearly falling to her knees, but she forced herself to stay upright and shoved the sword forward. The tip tapped against the man’s wrist. The male disciple cried out in pain, and his long saber slipped from his hand, hitting the ground with a clang.
He froze in shock.
Ye Qingyao looked up, her voice raspy, but she enunciated every word clearly: “You lost.”
The male disciple remained silent for a moment before bending over to pick up his saber and nodding toward the deacon.
Immediately after, the deacon announced Ye Qingyao as the winner.
The few people below the stage were silent for a breath before a few scattered claps rang out.
Ye Qingyao stood in place, gasping for breath. The wound on her left shoulder continued to seep blood, which trickled down her arm. She was so stiff with pain that she felt paralyzed, but she did not fall.
Ye Qingyao lowered her head and looked at her bloodstained hands. Blood and sweat were mixed together, feeling sticky and grimy.
She stared at her trembling fingertips in a daze. When that saber had come down, she thought she would collapse. But she hadn't; she had endured.
Ye Qingyao slowly raised her head, her gaze wandering aimlessly across the edge of the stage, past the dispersing crowd, and along the grey stone path.
Then, she froze.
In the distance, a frost-white figure stood on the stone path.
Bai Qingxue.
Ye Qingyao didn't know when she had arrived or how long she had been standing there.
But at this moment, the twilight glow shone from behind Bai Qingxue, gilding her silhouette with a pale golden halo and making her expression hard to discern.
Bai Qingxue just stood there.
She hadn't approached, but she hadn't left either.
Ye Qingyao couldn't believe her eyes, staring blankly at that frost-white figure.
She stared at Bai Qingxue for several breaths, her gaze filled with surprise and a touch of cautious confirmation.
Bai Qingxue seemed to sense that gaze.
She turned her head, her eyes meeting Ye Qingyao’s.
Then, she gave a slight, subtle nod.
Ye Qingyao’s throat tightened suddenly. She opened her mouth, wanting to call out “Sister Bai,” but found she couldn't make a sound.
She could only stand there, watching as Bai Qingxue turned and walked slowly away along the stone path. The white robes gradually blurred in the dusk before being swallowed by the grey light.
The crowd below the stage had dispersed.
Ye Qingyao remained where she was. Her shoulder was still bleeding, her right arm was too heavy to lift, and her entire body throbbed with pain.
And yet, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
She won.
She had actually won.
A fourth level against a fifth level—everyone thought she should have surrendered, but she won.
Ye Qingyao had never felt so capable in her life.
What made her even happier was that Sister Bai had seen it.
Ye Qingyao looked down at her trembling fingertips and suddenly felt that this pain was nothing. She had won, and she had won while being watched by that person.
“Senior sister,” Ye Qingyao spoke. Her voice was still a bit raspy, but it carried a soft lilt at the end, as if she couldn't help but want to brag.
“Hmm?”
“I won.” After she finished, she blinked. Her face was dirty and smeared with blood, but her eyes were bright, hiding a small, irrepressible sense of pride.
The senior sister was taken aback for a moment. Seeing her looking like she wanted to laugh but was desperately trying to hold it back—and failing—she couldn't help but smile as well. “Yes, you won. Come on, let’s go back and get those wounds treated.”
Ye Qingyao nodded and followed obediently. Her steps were still slow and painful, but the corners of her mouth remained curved. After a few steps, she whispered to herself, “A level five, no less...” It was as if she were savoring the moment, or perhaps confirming it to herself.
The senior sister didn't hear her clearly and looked back.
Ye Qingyao quickly pursed her lips, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.
...
After the matches ended, Bai Qingxue turned and walked toward the exit of Qingyun Terrace along the stone path.
When she reached the exit, Lu Xueqing was already waiting there.
“What took you so long?” Lu Xueqing asked.
“I watched a match.”
Lu Xueqing didn't press for details, and the two of them walked down the stone stairs together.
Twilight had already settled in. The spirit light lanterns on both sides of the stairs lit up, swaying gently in the night breeze.
“Junior Sister,” Lu Xueqing suddenly spoke.
“Yes?”
“What did Su Zhaoyan say to you today?”
Bai Qingxue thought for a moment. “‘So you’re Bai Qingxue,’ and ‘Lu Xueqing’s junior sister? Interesting.’”
Lu Xueqing was silent for a moment.
“She doesn't mean any harm when she talks; she just... likes to tease people. You don't need to pay her any mind.”
Bai Qingxue nodded.
They continued down the stone stairs, their shadows stretched long by the twilight.
Lu Xueqing walked half a step ahead without looking back. The stone stairs were long, and the mountain wind gusted down, making their robes flutter.
However, Lu Xueqing wasn't paying attention to her fluttering robes. Her mind was still fixed on the way Su Zhaoyan had looked at Bai Qingxue.
That gaze hadn't been offensive, nor was it particularly warm; it was just a faint, amused curiosity. If one had to describe it, it was as if she were appraising something that had caught her eye.
Lu Xueqing had seen Su Zhaoyan look at people like that before. Every person who caught her eye in that way eventually ended up having dealings with her.
It wasn't that Su Zhaoyan would do anything malicious, but rather that she would remember the person and then naturally entwine herself around them.
To be pursued by someone like Su Zhaoyan wasn't necessarily a bad thing for anyone.
But Lu Xueqing just felt uncomfortable.
It wasn't that she was afraid of her junior sister being snatched away.
Junior Sister Bai didn't belong to anyone; no one could take her.
The reason Lu Xueqing felt uncomfortable was because Su Zhaoyan looked as if she were appraising a fine object, calculating in her mind, “When I have time, I might take this out to play with.”
Junior Sister Bai shouldn't be weighed and measured like that by anyone.
As soon as that thought surfaced, Lu Xueqing paused.
She suddenly realized something. Was her discomfort truly just because of a “lack of respect”?
No.
If it were someone else, looking at Bai Qingxue with a serious, cherishing gaze, would she feel comfortable then? It seemed she wouldn't.
Lu Xueqing couldn't quite put a name to the feeling.
It was like a treasure she had carefully kept for herself was suddenly spotted by someone else. Even if they didn't reach for it, that single glance was enough to make her uneasy.
To be sure, Lu Xueqing didn't consider herself a petty person.
But when it came to matters regarding her junior sister, she seemed to become very petty indeed.
She didn't want others to discover how good Junior Sister Bai was, nor did she want them to notice how special she was.
If possible, it would be best if no one else could see her at all—if she were the only one who could.
When this thought emerged, Lu Xueqing didn't try to deny it.
She just didn't want it, and that was that.
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