Rong Lü frowned, wanting to say something. However, it was exactly then that his turn to take the stage arrived, and he could only head toward the arena first.
Qi Miaohan was already waiting on the stage, looking as though she couldn't wait to give this group of stinking men a beating. She sized up Rong Lü, feeling that he looked distracted no matter how she viewed him. She did not feel lucky because of this; on the contrary, she was quite furious, feeling as though her opponent did not take her seriously at all.
She glanced below the stage, only to see Duan Mingyu being pulled aside by Zhai Bairong, who was still saying something to him. Neither was paying any attention to the arena. Qi Miaohan looked at Rong Lü again, her disdain growing as she thought to herself, *What a pathetic bunch of men.*
Rong Lü did not move. Qi Miaohan did not hesitate and took the initiative to strike. A sword cultivator sought the state of being one with their sword, comprehending the intent of the blade. Often, sword cultivators placed less importance on spiritual root techniques, and their only magic treasure would be their accustomed sword. Aside from the comprehension of the Dao of the sword, this type of cultivation prioritized mental strength and concentration above all else. Yet, Rong Lü’s mind was still occupied with Duan Mingyu’s situation. He was momentarily distracted and was caught off guard by Qi Miaohan’s sudden assault.
"Your little lover isn't even looking at you! Don't worry!" Qi Miaohan laughed mockingly.
Her wind spiritual root was a mutated root, rare in this world. Wind mutated from wood, and wood directly countered earth. Seizing the rhythm for a moment, Qi Miaohan actually held the upper hand.
Though it was not said openly, the cultivation world still held a certain degree of contempt for female cultivators. While there were female Soul Transformation cultivators like Jiang Baixiang, they were, after all, exceptions. In truth, very few people favored the disciples of the Pinyin Pavilion in this tournament. Seeing Qi Miaohan now, swinging her Lotus Leaf Whip with such vigor and showing not a hint of fragility or daintiness as she forced Rong Lü back to the edge of the arena, many were inwardly surprised.
Qi Xuan’er was below the stage. She knew Qi Miaohan could no longer hear outside voices, but she still couldn't help shouting, "Go for it!"
By now, besides her, Nie Xing’an and all the other disciples of the Pinyin Pavilion had gathered, silently cheering for Qi Miaohan.
On the stage, Qi Miaohan suddenly felt a surge of warmth from her wrist, as if there were a telepathic connection. Before she could discern the reason, Rong Lü had already counterattacked with his sword. Qi Miaohan dared not be careless; she immediately set the matter aside and summoned her Lotus Platform to defend.
The center of the Lotus Platform swallowed several sword lights. Because it could not withstand the pressure for a moment, one of the lotus petals shattered. Qi Miaohan retracted the platform and stepped onto it, while simultaneously swallowing two Spirit Recovery Pills. Immediately after, dozens of sharp sword qi streaks flew straight toward her. She hastily used the Wind Riding Technique unique to wind-root cultivators, her posture agile and light as she dodged and neutralized the subsequent sword qi.
"Why are your strikes getting more and more frantic?" Qi Miaohan laughed. "Could it be you're in a hurry to go back and have some fun with your little lover? No need to rush; it might not be your turn today!"
"..."
Rong Lü said nothing, but sweat was faintly visible on his forehead. He had been feeling restless lately, which was a major taboo. This woman, Qi Miaohan, completely disregarded etiquette and morality, spewing ridiculous provocations that only made it harder for Rong Lü to calm down.
The audience below only felt that Qi Miaohan’s light green dress had turned into the wind itself. The fighting before their eyes was so fast it was dazzling. The senior sisters of the Pinyin Pavilion felt a sense of pride, yet they also secretly stomped their feet in anxiety—what on earth was such a fine young lady saying in front of everyone!
Duan Mingyu looked tense, shaking Zhai Bairong’s arm anxiously. "What should we do? Brother Rong Lü looks like he’s going to lose."
Zhai Bairong thought to himself, *It’s a competition; there are winners and losers. What else can be done?*
"He has been a bit unsettled lately. It’s likely because he’s worried about you," Zhai Bairong said with a bitter smile.
Duan Mingyu’s brow furrowed even deeper. "I already said I’m fine... And that Qi Miaohan, for a girl, she fights so fiercely. Brother Rong Lü has no grievance with her..."
Hearing him say this, Zhai Bairong’s heart stifled again. He could not bear to hear anything that reminded him of the previous match; the memory alone filled him with lingering fear.
Zhai Bairong glanced at the stage. Qi Miaohan held the advantage, looking quite formidable for the moment. Rong Lü had things on his mind and had lost his footing early on. Although he had finally regained his form as the fight progressed, both were in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. Rong Lü’s consumption in the first half was much higher than Qi Miaohan’s, and because he had underestimated his opponent, he hadn't brought many recovery pills. In Zhai Bairong’s eyes, the outcome was already decided.
"Eh? Senior Brother, are you leaving too?" Duan Mingyu saw Zhai Bairong turn around and hastily pulled him back.
"I’m going back to rest first," Zhai Bairong glanced at the person on the stage. "It seems he is about to lose. You’ll need to comfort him then. If I stay here, it will only cause him unnecessary unhappiness."
Duan Mingyu thought about it and realized it was true. He, Xu Yehua, and his Senior Brother had all advanced to the semi-finals. If only Brother Rong Lü lost, how hurt would he feel?
"Later..."
"Later you still have to go find Xu Yehua, right? I understand." Zhai Bairong told him not to worry about him.
"Then, alright..." Seeing Zhai Bairong’s gentle smile, Duan Mingyu was deeply moved. "Thank you, Senior Brother, for being so considerate of Brother Rong Lü."
Zhai Bairong gave a short laugh. "Do you really think I’m doing it for him?"
Duan Mingyu understood his meaning. Feeling a bit shy, he lowered his head and said, "I know Senior Brother’s heart. Then, rest well. We’ll see each other tomorrow morning."
Zhai Bairong left the competition grounds. Naturally, he did not return to his own quarters but rushed anxiously to the only place he truly wanted to go.
Nie Shiyun had not been idle inside the jade pendant. After resting for a while, he couldn't sit still and took out the two feathers he had collected from Meiqiu to examine them. He was already in the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm and had even slightly suppressed his cultivation. Nie Shiyun thought that once he obtained the spiritual herbs rewarded by the Pinyin Pavilion and made a trip through the secret realm, forming his Nascent Soul shouldn't be far off. He might as well use these two feathers to refine a cauldron first; the matter of obtaining phoenix blood to refine the tripod could be discussed later.
However, he wouldn't tell Meiqiu that he felt bad for him; otherwise, the bird would get cocky and his tail would practically touch the sky.
"They really won't grow back..." Meiqiu asked repeatedly, finally accepting the truth that the feathers knocked off wouldn't grow back on his rear. Hearing that Nie Shiyun wanted to use these two feathers to refine a cauldron and didn't need his blood, he didn't think much of it. He only insisted that Nie Shiyun must make good use of them so as not to waste his two precious, beautiful tail feathers.
It is said that a parent sees their own child as perfect, but Nie Shiyun looked at the two pure black feathers over and over and couldn't see what was so stunning about them.
"Hm? Bairong is here." Nie Shiyun suddenly stood up.
Though he was inside the jade pendant, he could already feel someone entering the residence's restrictions. It could be no one else. However, Nie Shiyun thought he would have to wait until evening at the earliest. The matches over there weren't even finished yet; what excuse had Zhai Bairong used to get away?
Meiqiu was very sensible. Knowing the two of them definitely had things to say and perhaps things to do, he proactively crawled into the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover to sleep. Before going in, he didn't forget to remind Nie Shiyun: "I won't disturb you, but you have to ask for the sugar beans for me!"
"Fine, fine, sugar beans," Nie Shiyun repeated, hastily exiting the space.
Just as he walked out of the inner room, Zhai Bairong rushed in with hurried steps, his face full of anxiety.
"I heard from the people in the Pavilion that you won the third match, congrat—"
"Are you alright? Where are you hurt? Are there any lingering effects?" Zhai Bairong interrupted Nie Shiyun mid-sentence, perhaps not even hearing what he said. He walked straight up to Nie Shiyun with hurried strides, his eyes scanning him up and down. Then he pressed close, reaching out to touch Nie Shiyun’s face, checking left and right.
Nie Shiyun thought to himself that Zhai Bairong was truly passionate today. But he also knew the man had been worried sick. After all, he hadn't revealed the matter of the jade pendant yet. In Zhai Bairong’s eyes, he had just been at a dead end.
"I'm fine now. I took an Essence Nourishing Pill, and my internal and external injuries are mostly healed. Although the feeling of numbness has faded, I took a top-grade Hundred Herb Pill just in case. They were all the highest quality pills you gave me."
As Nie Shiyun explained in detail, Zhai Bairong saw that his expression was not forced and finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, his palms were still trembling slightly. "I knew he was targeting you, but I didn't expect him to do that... If I had known, I would have urged you to lose the previous round on purpose rather than take this risk. Just now, I really thought... I thought you were going to die. My mind went blank; I almost stepped in."
"I'm sorry for making you worry. I have to thank Meiqiu this time." Nie Shiyun took Zhai Bairong’s hand. He had never seen the other man so shaken. Although it wasn't exactly his fault, he still felt guilty.
"Where is Meiqiu?"
"He's resting. Don't worry, he's fine too. Just some superficial wounds and a few lost feathers," Nie Shiyun recalled Meiqiu’s instructions and said with a smile, "Before he went to sleep, he was clamoring for me to ask you for those sweet pills. Can you give him some? He has a sweet tooth."
"Alright. How many does he want? They're just trifles..." Zhai Bairong agreed immediately. That Nie Shiyun had escaped disaster was thanks to Meiqiu; Zhai Bairong now felt that no matter what delicacies he gave Meiqiu, it wouldn't be too much.
The two of them stood by the door for a long time before Nie Shiyun finally remembered to close it. They moved to the inner room to sit and continue talking.
Earlier, Zhai Bairong had remained calm and composed in front of Duan Mingyu and Rong Lü. Now that he was before Nie Shiyun with the door closed, he finally felt a certain taut string snap. The two did not sit in armchairs across a small tea table but sat close together on the edge of the bed.
Nie Shiyun’s hand never left Zhai Bairong’s, holding him the entire time. Zhai Bairong listened to him speak a few words, and suddenly, a delayed sense of bitterness welled up in his heart, as if he had regained something he had lost.
Nie Shiyun said a few more words about his condition being fine to put Zhai Bairong at ease. Then he started talking about wanting to use Meiqiu’s feathers to refine a cauldron. But he had only said a couple of words when Zhai Bairong suddenly pulled him into a silent, tight embrace. Nie Shiyun’s sentence cut off halfway. He didn't continue but silently returned the embrace.
"...If we try to avoid them in the future, would that work?" Zhai Bairong’s forehead rested on Nie Shiyun’s shoulder. After a long while, he asked in a soft voice.
Nie Shiyun sighed and said, "A few years ago in Flower City, I wanted to cultivate in seclusion alone. But... the things I need to seize must be obtained, and eventually, I will cross paths with them. Rather than finding ways to run, it is wiser to improve myself and take control before the worst-case scenario happens."
Zhai Bairong did not react, seemingly considering something. After a long time, he raised his head and said to Nie Shiyun, "You're right. Avoiding it will only be counterproductive. It was I... who was momentarily weak. On the path of cultivation, if one shrinks back, they will only regress."
Nie Shiyun gave Zhai Bairong a light kiss, grateful that he had come around so quickly. "I made you worry this time; it was my lack of foresight. I'll be more careful in the future."
Zhai Bairong shook his head with a smile. "I always tend to worry too much. In the past, the elders in the sect said I was good in every way, except that my personality was a bit indecisive, always wanting to avoid things when I encounter them... You aren't like that. Instead, you lead me forward."
"Why are we talking about me again?" Nie Shiyun laughed, using a kiss to block Zhai Bairong’s self-deprecating words. He was only doing it for survival and for the goal all cultivators shared; it wasn't particularly noble, and he felt he didn't quite deserve such praise.
"..."
Zhai Bairong kept his eyes half-open, unwilling to close them. It was rare for the two to gaze at each other like this, quietly feeling the touch of each other's lips—light, fleeting touches like a dragonfly skimming the water, pulling away only to press together again.
Nie Shiyun had been gripping Zhai Bairong’s hand. After kissing for a while, Zhai Bairong seemed to finally relax his body and mind. He opened his palm, interlacing his fingers with Nie Shiyun’s, their hands tightly locked.
"No matter what you want to do, what you want to seize... I will definitely help you."
Between the fragmented kisses, Zhai Bairong spoke a vow of absolute determination.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 51 | A Heartfelt Reunion | Novela.app | Novela.app
