Xuan Yang’s gaze shifted back to Ao Fan. Feeling Xuan Yang’s mocking look and the weight of the surrounding stares, the hypersensitive Ao Fan felt utterly ridiculed. After his brief shock, he flew into a fit of rage, pointing a trembling finger at Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong. He sputtered for a long while, yet not a single coherent curse left his lips.
The surrounding demons had already begun to whisper among themselves. Those who were vassals of the Dragon Clan didn't dare join in; they could only lower their heads and focus on their own noses, pretending they weren't even there.
Ao Fan’s father, the Dragon Emperor, looked livid. He clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. Previously, Ao Fan had sworn up and down that he had killed his enemy to settle the score, a claim that had circulated widely within demon circles and managed to salvage some of his dignity. Now, even that small victory was being publicly exposed as a lie. The gathered demons were witnessing a massive embarrassment.
The Dragon Emperor regretted it immensely; he should never have brought Ao Fan along today.
Seeing his old rival, the Phoenix Emperor, smiling with such serene composure, the Dragon Emperor knew this was undoubtedly a trap orchestrated by the other man. After finding Ao Fan’s enemy, the Phoenix Emperor had first made a grand show of announcing he would bring his newly recognized "precious son" to the banquet, knowing full well the Dragon Emperor wouldn't be able to sit still and would bring the sequestered Ao Fan along to save face.
"To bring a child’s private matters into such a venue... you really don't find it troublesome?" the Dragon Emperor huffed coldly.
"Whatever are you talking about? What does this have to do with me?" the Phoenix Emperor replied, feigning ignorance with practiced ease.
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong exchanged a glance, unsure of how long they were expected to keep up this performance.
"Senior, this junior was merely ordered to report on some matters. I truly didn't expect to run into your esteemed son here. If the young master hadn't taken the initiative to recognize me, I might not have realized who he was for a moment!" Nie Shiyun said with a beaming smile, acting as if he and Ao Fan weren't acquainted at all.
His words made it sound as if Ao Fan was the one at fault for shouting his name in public first.
Ao Fan’s hands shook with rage. "You...!"
Zhai Bairong narrowed his eyes, his demeanor the complete opposite of Nie Shiyun’s lightheartedness. "Young Master Ao Fan, do not try to play the victim now. Back in the Middle Layer, you conspired with your family's influence to monopolize the title of the Middle Layer’s number one artifact refiner for decades. Last time, my cultivation partner clearly won against you in a fair and open match, yet you refused to acknowledge it. Instead, you sent a mob to hunt him down. We are the victims here."
"What... what nonsense are you spouting? Monopolize? I am a genuine artifact refiner!" Ao Fan shouted furiously.
"One who can forge Heaven-grade treasures is a refiner, and one who can only forge scrap metal is also a refiner. I never said you couldn't refine; I merely pointed out that your victory was unearned," Zhai Bairong said coldly.
He spoke with such conviction and righteous indignation—coupled with the fact that Ao Fan was notorious for his boasting—that most of the demons present were quickly convinced that Zhai Bairong was telling the truth.
Nie Shiyun played the good cop, smiling as he pulled on Zhai Bairong’s sleeve. "Forget it, forget it. It’s all in the past."
Ao Fan’s face turned green with bile at Nie Shiyun’s "I won't hold a grudge" act.
Zhai Bairong did not let the matter drop. Instead, he continued to press Ao Fan. "Back then, you bet a dragon scale while he bet his life. That did happen, didn't it? If you hadn't actually lost, why would you have surrendered that scale?"
The whispering around them paused for a heartbeat before erupting into a much higher volume than before.
"Oh? So Ao Fan’s dragon scale wasn't stolen during a human ambush?"
"He claimed before that it was a battle wound. So he actually bet it and lost?"
"I told you, Ao Fan’s refining skills might not be as great as he boasts. No one has seen him produce a decent treasure in the last fifty years."
As one scandalous revelation followed another, the story became far more explosive than a simple tale of "a human plotting against a dragon to steal a scale."
"...Ao Fan."
Hearing the Dragon Emperor’s low, suppressed voice of fury, Ao Fan realized he was in deep trouble.
He was starting to regret everything now. He should have stayed in confinement back at the Dragon Clan’s ancestral home. Now, forget about whether his confinement would be extended by centuries; he would likely have a layer of skin beaten off him by his father...
"You two humans have no evidence; it is merely your word against his. However, the Dragon Clan is not to be slandered at will." The Dragon Emperor cast a cold glance at Ao Fan, who was now paralyzed with despair, before shifting his icy gaze to Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong.
When dealing with humans, the Dragon Clan didn't need to be reasonable. Even if it truly was Ao Fan’s fault, it didn't matter. But now that the matter had been aired before so many demons, if he punished them right here, he would gain a reputation for being petty.
Despite having cultivation that ranked among the top in the Upper Realm, the Dragon Emperor shared the same flaw as the Phoenix Emperor: he was obsessed with saving face.
"You are right. This Nie Shiyun only has business dealings with me; I cannot guarantee that everything he says is true," the Phoenix Emperor suddenly spoke up. His words startled the crowd. Was there going to be a reversal?
The Phoenix Emperor continued leisurely, "Since so many of the demon race are watching, how about this? Let Ao Fan and Nie Shiyun have another public match. It has only been three years since that previous contest; surely their skill levels haven't changed much. Only then can we call it fair."
A stunned Ao Fan: "...Eh?"
Even Nie Shiyun, standing opposite him, nearly failed to hide a flash of surprise.
Where did this live competition come from? This wasn't part of the original plan!
The Dragon Emperor was the first to lose his patience. "Ridiculous. I have never heard of a precedent for humans performing artifact refining at a demon banquet."
The Phoenix Emperor feigned shock. "How can you call it a performance? This is a formal challenge. Firstly, it gives Ao Fan a chance to prove his 'renowned' refining skills. Secondly, it allows me to see clearly if this Nie Shiyun is a trustworthy person. If he has lied, then our business deal is off."
Zhai Bairong frowned, casting a quick glance at the Phoenix Emperor. The implication was that if Nie Shiyun lost here, the agreement for the White Tiger Clan to help repair the formation would be void?
"What? Is it possible you don't agree? Then it truly would be as the Dragon Emperor said—you were just talking nonsense." Seeing Zhai Bairong’s suppressed anger, the Phoenix Emperor curled his lips in amusement.
*His heart is as small as an ant. This guy is actually my biological father?* Xuan Yang felt like rolling his eyes.
"How could I not? This junior would be honored," Nie Shiyun said without hesitation.
He was surprised at first, but on second thought, the bridge with the Dragon Clan was already burned anyway. This didn't change much.
The Phoenix Emperor didn't know him well; Nie Shiyun was not only experienced in live refining, but he was also currently laying the foundation for his Yunqing Pavilion. Whether human or demon, people generally tried not to offend promising artifact refiners or alchemists.
If he could leave a good impression on the various demon clans, why not?
"Ao Fan. What do you say?" the Dragon Emperor turned to ask his son.
The eyes of every demon present converged on Ao Fan, waiting for his nod.
If it were three years ago, Ao Fan would have believed there was no way he could lose to Nie Shiyun. But after that single defeat, though he wouldn't admit it aloud, he finally had a shred of self-awareness.
Seeing Nie Shiyun standing opposite him with such calm composure, Ao Fan had a sinking feeling—he was going to lose!
But with things having developed to this point, even if Ao Fan were a hundred times unwilling, he could only bite the bullet.
"Uh, I... I would also be honored...!" Ao Fan felt the crushing pressure of his father's aura. Breaking into a cold sweat, he forced himself to agree.
The Brocade Painting Pavilion was designed for flower viewing and banquets; naturally, it lacked earth-fire and furnaces. Nie Shiyun’s storage ring was fully stocked with cauldrons and forging tools, and his exotic fire could be summoned at any time. He only needed a stone table of the right height to begin. Ao Fan, however, was in an awkward position. He always refined at a forge prepared by servants; he never carried such tools with him.
Ao Fan couldn't even pull a single tool out of his storage ring. Before the match had even begun, the crowd already felt the gap in their caliber was clear.
The Phoenix Emperor asked around, and "coincidentally," a junior of the Phoenix Clan happened to have refining equipment with them—multiple sets, in fact—to ensure fairness.
Nie Shiyun thought this was a bit too convenient; the acting was getting a bit theatrical. But looking around, the other demons all had expressions that suggested they knew exactly what was going on. No one questioned the Phoenix Emperor’s deliberate actions.
He understood after a moment’s thought. The Phoenix Emperor picking fights with the Dragon Clan wasn't a new occurrence. Whether this was a setup or not didn't matter to the demons. They just wanted to see the drama, and they also wanted to see the actual skill level of the man who claimed to be a big shot in the Middle Layer’s refining world.
The match came about suddenly, so the temporary workstations were quite crude. Nie Shiyun weighed the tools; the quality was acceptable. Though not as comfortable as his usual equipment, they wouldn't hold him back. Furthermore, this meant he didn't have to reveal his exotic fire. While his cultivation was still insufficient, the more trump cards he kept hidden, the better.
Things were not going well for Ao Fan.
Back in the Dragon Clan territories, the Dragon Emperor had hired refining masters to teach Ao Fan but never personally inspected his progress. Thus, Ao Fan had long ago learned how to bribe his teachers to speak well of him to his father. He frequently skipped classes, and the teachers didn't dare report him.
Now, the Dragon Emperor’s gaze weighed on him like a mountain, making him so nervous his hands shook.
Regardless of Ao Fan’s nerves, the match began quickly.
After asking what the original competition topic had been, this rematch was naturally set with the "sword" as the theme.
A sword is one of the most basic and fastest weapons to forge among magical treasures, but it is also the one that best reflects a refiner’s fundamental skills. This was fortunate; unlike a professional tournament, the spectating demons wouldn't have the patience to wait for several hours. Forging a sword was just right.
The materials were simple copper ore and Red Sun Rock—very basic. Typically, a refiner would choose to smelt the two minerals together, continuously infusing spiritual energy into the hammer as they forged. Simple materials could thus achieve an effect where one plus one was greater than two.
Since the materials were plain, the grade of the treasure would depend entirely on the refiner’s technique and cultivation.
Nie Shiyun thought for a moment and quickly began his movements.
"This isn't what we agreed on, is it...?" Xuan Yang whispered a protest. Like Zhai Bairong, he felt a bit uneasy seeing the Phoenix Emperor push Nie Shiyun into a match on the spot, even if the latter had accepted readily.
"Do you think he will lose?"
Xuan Yang glanced at Ao Fan’s clumsy movements and snorted. "How could that be possible?"
That was Nie Shiyun, after all!
"He is planning to establish his own sect and create a place for his kin, isn't he? If so, is there any harm in building some fame for himself in advance?"
Hearing the Phoenix Emperor say this, Xuan Yang finally turned to look at him, unable to hide his surprise.
The Phoenix Emperor smiled. "No need to be so startled. Did you think I wouldn't notice such minor schemes?"
Xuan Yang found it strange. According to the Phoenix Emperor, was he actually giving Nie Shiyun an opportunity out of goodwill?
...He didn't believe it for a second!
"Whatever. Nie Shiyun will win anyway. It doesn't matter."
Seeing Xuan Yang so certain, the Phoenix Emperor felt a bit of a sour pang in his heart. Although he had known Xuan Yang would answer that way, seeing the boy’s unhesitating trust in Nie Shiyun still stung.
Indeed, he just wanted to mess with those two a bit. And incidentally, he wanted to see if this human he had made a deal with actually had some real skill.
Compared to Nie Shiyun, whose movements were fluid from the very start, Ao Fan beside him looked extremely stiff.
"Don't you think Ao Fan’s movements look a bit rusty...?"
"Shh, keep your voice down...!"
Ao Fan could no longer clearly remember exactly how he had lost to Nie Shiyun. He only vaguely recalled that his impatience had caused his furnace to explode repeatedly, leaving him in a pathetic state.
Once bitten, twice shy; this time, Ao Fan didn't dare be reckless. On the contrary, he was far too cautious, making his movements appear timid and hesitant.
Of course, he truly was out of practice. Since returning to the Dragon Clan, he hadn't touched artifact refining at all. If he had known this would happen today, he would have practiced eight hundred times in advance...
In the end, how was Nie Shiyun not dead?!
Ao Fan glared with fury at Nie Shiyun beside him and at that "Zhai Bairong" standing not far away.
It was all the fault of these two cunning humans teaming up to deceive him! The Phoenix Clan was clearly an ancient demon clan that didn't associate with humans, yet now they were joining forces with humans to humiliate him. They were just as detestable!
Thinking this, Ao Fan’s strikes suddenly became much heavier. Hearing the dangerous "wail" of the copper block from the excessive force, Ao Fan instantly recalled the previous match. Stricken with lingering fear, he abruptly stopped his swinging hammer, his arm frozen in mid-air in a rather comical fashion.
In the distance, Zhai Bairong didn't spare him a single glance. He watched Nie Shiyun’s figure, entirely focused on the refining process.
Though he was used to seeing Nie Shiyun refine in private, it had been a long time since Zhai Bairong had seen him refine before a crowd.
His partner... had not changed a bit after a hundred years. And he would remain the same in the future.
The thought sent a wave of warmth through Zhai Bairong’s heart. Somewhat inappropriately, surrounded by the demon race and under the furious pressure of the Dragon Clan’s gaze, everything in Zhai Bairong’s eyes except for Nie Shiyun faded away. He felt that even if this gaze lasted for centuries or even a millennium, it would be but a fleeting moment.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 锦画庭 | Brocade Painting Pavilion | The location of the banquet. |
| 赤阳岩 | Red Sun Rock | A common mineral used in artifact refining. |
