Shao Shi Hui looked me up and down before saying, "Although Fellow Daoist Linghu is strong, you're even stronger. You should have been the champion, so why did you give up in the final battle? Perhaps victory was within easy reach for you, yet for others, it was as distant as the ends of the earth... Don't you think you should explain why you did that?"
I knew she was referring to how she had wanted to win the championship, only to be intercepted by us, master and disciple. That had also turned her dream of reaching the summit of the Cold Immortal Sect into an illusion. Anyone would have harbored resentment in her place. She had defeated countless sword immortals to get here, including many venerable seniors.
"The outcome of this battle meant nothing to me. It was fine to let it go." I smiled. Shao Shi Hui glanced at Shao Zi before saying, "All right. It's like yielding between lovers—the man will usually give way to the woman, won't he?"
"Perhaps. I wonder what you and Chou discussed, and what you need my help with?" I smiled. Secretly, I thought that although Shao Shi Hui looked steadier than I had imagined, she was actually far too emotional about this matter. It seemed like the sort of thing every girl would think about.
My relationship with Shao Zi was even more complicated than she imagined, and that included my state of mind. Back then, Shao Zi had also thrown me into disarray. In a battle hanging by a thread, it could often determine victory or defeat. Moreover, the girl needed a victory to break free from her dependence on me. After all, sooner or later she would have to establish herself and begin a new life, because her swordsmanship