This left him feeling utterly empty.
The pity was that Ryuen's lackeys hadn't taken the opportunity to attack.
If they dared lay a hand on Bai Lan, Bai Lan could strike back without the slightest burden on his conscience and earn himself a disciplinary penalty.
That would greatly reduce the workload for his future withdrawal efforts.
Seeing Ryuen's sorry state, Ibuki shook her head and said with regret, "I haven't even made a move, and you've already gone down. Today doesn't count. Once you're healed, I'll challenge you to a duel again!"
"Wait!" Bai Lan panicked when he heard this.
What was this, stealing someone else's fight?
Bai Lan said to Ibuki, "His next fight belongs to me too. You can't steal it from me!"
Ibuki looked baffled. "Why? Why can't I compete with you? You've already fought him once. By rights, it should be my turn, shouldn't it?"
Bai Lan said, "You owe me a favor."
"I don't understand."
"I saw you surrounded by Ryuen and the others and thought you were in danger, so I stepped in to save you. Therefore, you owe me a favor."
"But I didn't need you to save me. I was the one who arranged the fight in the first place."
"Huh? Does helping someone in danger require asking the victim first and waiting for them to personally confirm that they 'need' help before taking action? Wouldn't that waste too much time? While you're wasting time, they might already have been victimized!"
After hearing Bai Lan's words, Ibuki put on a solemn expression and thought seriously for a moment. Then she nodded. "That makes sense."
Bai Lan continued, "So when action is called for, you have to act, even if it means taking risks!"
Ibuki's blood began to boil. "You're right! That's the