Why Am I the One Being Won Over?

Xue Yi turned around and gently tugged at the corner of his clothes. "I wasn't joking. I've always wanted to thank you. Whether it was being my partner on missions or the care you've shown my little sister in everyday life, you've helped me so much. Really, I'm very grateful..."

"It's fine. Aren't we friends?" Bai Jun smiled and reached out to rub her little head, ruffling her smooth black hair into a mess.

"Friends... Yes, we're friends..."

Xue Yi thought of the comic she had just read. After speaking, she copied the character in it, placing the flower stem between her lips as her delicate face slowly drew close to Bai Jun.

"Ah, thank you..."

Bai Jun knew Xue Yi well, and he knew this must have been taught to her by someone with ill intentions. Even so, as he watched her exquisite face draw closer and closer, his heartbeat still quickened. He swallowed and reached out to take the bouquet.

But before his hand got halfway there, Xue Yi forcibly pressed it down.

With the flower between her lips, Xue Yi shook her head and moved her face even closer. Her intention was obvious.

Bai Jun hesitated. Just as he was about to remind her that this was inappropriate, Xue Yi took the chance to wrap her arms around his waist.

"This is a gift between friends."

She stepped forward, cradled the side of Bai Jun's face with her right hand, then rose slightly onto her toes.

Her soft, cool lips pressed against Bai Jun's. His eyes widened in surprise. Fortunately, the awkward kiss lasted only a few seconds before Xue Yi slowly lowered her head, a trace of panic appearing on her face.

The beating in her chest quickened slightly, and her breathing grew hotter. More than instinct, what now spread from the depths of Xue Yi's heart was an unknown emotion—pure and fervent.

Xue Yi did not understand what these emotions inside her mechanical puppet body truly were. She only knew that she did not dare lift her head to look directly into Bai Jun's eyes.

"I-I need to report back to the Ten Lords Bureau early. Goodbye..."

With that, Xue Yi fled in a panic, leaving Bai Jun standing there in a daze.

He vigorously ruffled his own hair, then suddenly laughed.

"A short-lived ghost meeting a mechanical girl? Heh, that actually sounds pretty interesting..." Bai Jun lowered his head and picked up the comic Xue Yi had dropped in her panic. Looking at its beautifully packaged cover, his expression became somewhat gloomy.

"Sigh, but if that day really comes, what am I supposed to do..."

Inside Prison of Deep Seclusion, Ten Lords Bureau

"Ah, Lady Hanya, you're finally back!"

Huo Huo poked her head out from a mountain of piled-up things upon hearing Hanya's returning footsteps. She greeted her happily. "Lady Xue Yi just got back too... Y-your expression looks terrible. What happened?"

Because today was Lady Xue Yi's Return to Life day, Huo Huo naturally assumed that Hanya had gone shopping with Xue Yi. But just as she was about to ask how the two of them had enjoyed their evening, she noticed that Hanya's expression was unusually... despondent?

"It's nothing. You've worked hard, Huo Huo." Hanya forced a smile, walked over, and gently rubbed her hair. Then, instead of heading for her desk, she walked toward her room.

"I'm a little tired today. I'm going back to rest first."

Watching Hanya's lonely figure leave, Huo Huo recalled that Xue Yi had seemed somewhat nervous when she returned as well. "What happened to the two of them tonight... Did they have an argument?"

To Huo Huo, one of them was her savior, while the other was a senior who had always taken good care of her. Seeing that they could actually have a conflict, Huo Huo anxiously bit her finger, unsure what she should do.

"Hmph, there's definitely a subtle atmosphere here. They probably fell for the same man."

Tail's ill-timed mockery actually made even the usually soft-spoken Huo Huo angry. "D-don't talk nonsense! They're both seniors I respect. H-how could they possibly... fall for the same man?"

Unfortunately, her imposing manner lasted only halfway through her sentence before returning to normal.

"Oho, if you could've finished that with the same spirit you started with, I might've thought a little more highly of you, potato sprout."

"W-who are you calling a potato sprout?!"

"You, you, you, you!"

"Waaah~"

Bai Jun, You're So Strong

"Good morning! How did you rest last night?"

Early in the morning, the warmhearted Sushang used the door-sized Xuanyuan Sword to knock open Bai Jun's front door, greeting him with the most sincere wishes for the day.

"Why are you yelling so early in the morning...?"

Compared to Sushang, whose energy was practically overflowing, Bai Jun was in much worse shape. He leaned listlessly against the doorframe, exhaustion written all over his handsome face. His shoulder-length silver hair was messily draped over his shoulders, and a thin plaid blanket was casually wrapped around him.

Because of certain things last night, he had not gotten home until the early hours and had barely managed to fall asleep around four. And the current time...

"My dear Miss Sushang, what exactly do you want from me at five-thirty in the morning?"

Bai Jun glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. It was not even five-thirty yet, meaning he had not slept for two hours. He weakly muttered his complaint.

"The morning is the most important part of the day. My mother taught me to train in the morning from childhood, so I came to ask whether you wanted to practice swordsmanship with me?"

"Hello, thank you, soup dumpling, goodbye!"

Sushang had just explained why she came when the door slammed shut with a bang. Bai Jun casually brushed her off, intending to go back and catch up on sleep.

"Hey! Don't be like that! I just arrived in the Luofu, and I can't even tell the places apart. I'm scared I'll get lost if I'm alone!"

Sushang began knocking urgently outside again. Bai Jun rubbed his ears indifferently, returned to his floor bedding, pulled his small blanket over himself, and closed his eyes to sleep, letting Sushang make a fuss outside.

But he soon found himself completely unable to sleep.

Bang—!

A heavy thud came from the entryway, like some massive object had lost its support and crashed to the ground. Bai Jun seemed to realize something and shot out of bed, jogging to the entrance of his home. What he saw nearly made him faint from anger.

"Uh, Bai Jun, I-I really didn't use much force... Um, how much does it cost to replace a front door again?"

Sushang looked at the wooden door she had smashed down with one blow. She instinctively withdrew her little hand and wiped the cold sweat from her cheek. Especially after noticing Bai Jun's incredulous stare, she guiltily averted her eyes.

And so, the door that had accompanied Bai Jun for nearly three years met its end in this manner, taking his sleepiness with it.

At this point, Bai Jun was not one to fuss over every little thing. There was no need to deliberately blame Sushang. He merely confiscated her wallet, patted her shoulder earnestly, and said, "Sigh, this isn't your fault. Don't worry about it. Come on, I'll accompany you to practice swordsmanship."

His generosity moved Sushang so much that tears welled up in her eyes. She did not notice at all that her wallet contained her food budget for the entire month.

Before leaving, Bai Jun propped up the broken door Sushang had dismantled, barely enough to keep honest people out. Not that he had anything valuable at home anyway. Even if a thief did come by, they would probably only get some clothes, maybe an old radio at most—assuming the thief even wanted it.

Since it was still early, the streets of Exalting Sanctum were deserted. Only scattered figures could occasionally be seen. Cutting through the cold air, the two found an empty open space and slowly began warming up before their sword practice.

After just under ten minutes of careful stretching, Sushang's face had become rosy, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breaths carried the warmth of exertion. She had fully warmed up, shaken off the sluggishness caused by sleeping too long, and brought both her body and mind to their peak.

By contrast, Bai Jun showed no change at all after ten minutes. There was barely any sweat on his forehead, his breathing was not the slightest bit uneven, and he even yawned from boredom.

"Bai Jun, are you really warming up? If you don't loosen up properly, you might get hurt." Sushang reminded him kindly.

"Ah, it's fine, it's fine. I know what I'm doing."

Bai Jun stretched lazily, picked up his saber, and carried it over his shoulder like an old man going fishing. His casual attitude made it seem like he did not take Sushang seriously at all.

"All right, but you need to get serious too. Otherwise, I'm afraid I might hurt you."

Sushang gripped Xuanyuan, which was even heavier than a greatsword, and raised it into a high guard. Her gaze gradually sharpened, giving her more of a swordswoman's air than before.

After noticing her change, Bai Jun showed nothing on the surface, though inwardly he remarked that she truly was a successor of the Great Void Sword Art. Gradually, Bai Jun also adopted the atmosphere of a real battle.

Their lazy and sharp gazes met for a long time, yet Sushang could not bring herself to make a move.

Although she had fully warmed up, and Xuanyuan Sword's weight and length meant she should have the advantage by taking the initiative against a saber, her instincts kept warning her not to act rashly. If she approached carelessly, she would likely suffer an easy counterattack.

Since that was the case, Sushang could only settle herself and think about what to do.

After a few seconds, Bai Jun smiled.

"You're using a heavy weapon, yet you won't take the initiative? Then I'll be the proactive one."

With that, Bai Jun smoothly drew his saber. Its pale blade gleamed coldly in the frigid air. He lowered his stance slightly, deliberately making his intent to attack clear to Sushang.

Sushang tensed her entire body, ready to deflect any incoming slash. In her judgment, as long as Xuanyuan could block his fastest opening strike, she could suppress his slender saber afterward with Xuanyuan's superior performance.

But the next second, Bai Jun vanished completely from her sight. Before she could react, an astonishing impact struck Xuanyuan Sword.

The blow was so powerful that it made her suspect Xuanyuan Sword had been cut apart. The immense force transmitted through the blade numbed both of Sushang's hands so thoroughly that she could not move them at all.

This is bad. I can't block it at all. I have to use the Great Void Sword Art to redirect the force...

Sushang had only just recalled the Great Void Sword Art when a cold sensation touched her neck.

"So fast..."

Sushang stared blankly at the pale saber resting against her neck. Upon realizing that she had already lost, Xuanyuan Sword fell from her numb hands with a clang, while she herself collapsed to the ground in a duck-sitting posture.

"You still need more practice. Just because you saw me holding a saber, you focused entirely on speed and ignored strength? Learn to observe your opponent from head to toe. Pay attention to every movement they make, and don't always bring your preconceived notions into battle."

Bai Jun shook his head teasingly, sheathed his saber, and extended a hand to Sushang on the ground. "All right, get up. Aren't you cold sitting on the ground this early in the morning?"

"...Thank you." Sushang endured the numbness in her hands and slowly stood with Bai Jun's help.

"Want to continue?" Bai Jun picked up Xuanyuan from the ground and handed it back to Sushang, asking kindly.

Unlike Bai Jun, whose breathing remained as steady as ever, Sushang's breaths had been thrown into disarray by tension and pain. Even so, she answered loudly, "Of course! We're only just getting started!"

Being able to encounter such a powerful sparring partner—and having that person be the normally unreliable-looking Bai Jun—made Sushang both shocked and unwilling to admit defeat. If she could not even withstand this much, she would be letting down all the years of guidance her mother had given her!

She took Xuanyuan, nodded to Bai Jun, and raised her sword.

"Good. Then let's continue."

Her earlier defeat had come from failing to anticipate Bai Jun's terrifying speed and strength. This time, Sushang brought out one hundred and twenty percent of her focus, gripped Xuanyuan tightly, and chose to take the initiative in the way she excelled at most.

She pushed off the ground and rushed forward. The sword edge scraped against the ground behind her, tracing an extremely dangerous path as she launched a low rising slash at Bai Jun's legs.

A crisp metallic clang rang out as the raised greatsword violently collided with the descending saber. This was exactly what Sushang had planned. She poured all her strength into the blade, trying to throw Bai Jun off balance.

However—Bai Jun's body remained as immovable as a mountain. Even though he had blocked Xuanyuan in a position where it was difficult to exert strength, he still possessed enough power to suppress her full-force strike.

Just as their weapons entered a fierce clash, at the very instant Sushang thought this—Bai Jun's saber abruptly changed direction. It shot down along the side of Xuanyuan and delivered a tricky slash at her face.

"Guh!"

Sushang threw her entire body and head backward. The saber passed only beside her face, but the fierce wind it stirred still cut away several strands of her hair.

"Not bad. You've got some skill after all, don't you?"

Bai Jun did not rush to pursue. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips.

After quickly jumping backward to create distance, Sushang thought of a way to handle him. She changed Xuanyuan Sword's slash into a thrust, sending its massive blade charging into his range like a speeding train.

Bai Jun had been waiting for it. The moment Xuanyuan Sword thrust toward him, he turned his saber and blocked her attack at an incredibly precise angle.

As a successor of the Great Void Sword Art, you must have at least one move you can perform with complete confidence.

Her mother's teaching suddenly surfaced in Sushang's mind. So, after her move was neutralized, she did not hesitate in the slightest. She immediately lowered her center of gravity, stomped one foot fiercely against the ground, swung the door-sized Xuanyuan Sword over her head with all her strength, and brought it down!

"Take this, Great Void Form!"

As Sushang shouted and light flared across the sword blade, Bai Jun showed a hint of surprise—but only a hint.

"Not bad power, but it seems you have no accuracy."

A faint look of disappointment appeared on Bai Jun's face as he shifted slightly aside, easily dodging her Great Void Form. Then he seized the angle, drove power into his left leg, and lashed it fiercely at Sushang's soft rear.

"Wah—!"

With a burst of intense pain, Sushang was kicked flying onto a nearby patch of grass. She tumbled across the ground. Letting her land on the lawn was Bai Jun's final mercy, but the powerful impact still sent both her and Xuanyuan rolling several times before she ended face-first in the grass.

"Can you still go on?"

Having successfully avenged his front door, Bai Jun was in a good mood. He walked over and casually poked her head with a twig.

"Y-yes!"

Suppressing the embarrassment of having her rear kicked, Sushang climbed up from the grass and replied loudly, still full of energy.

Then came the beating, being thrown around, and occasionally being punched and kicked. After receiving a full round of it all, Sushang sprawled on the ground, panting so hard she could barely catch her breath. She had none of her earlier vigor left. Still, the cool ground drew away her warmth through her clothes, which felt incredibly comfortable.

"Still want to continue?"

"N-no, I can't. I really can't..."

She did not wipe away the sweat running down her face—or rather, she did not even have the strength to do so. Feeling pain from every part of her body, Sushang gently closed her eyes, only to open them again in helplessness moments later.

Looking at Bai Jun, whose condition was no different from before they had started warming up, Sushang seemed to understand why he had not warmed up earlier—he probably did not think sparring with her was enough to require it.

Sushang sighed again, but she had to admit defeat.

"You've worked hard. I made sure not to break or crack any of your bones. How do you feel?" Bai Jun sat down beside her and asked casually.

"..." Hearing that, Sushang lay on the grass, moved her arms, then touched the painful spots on her body. Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're right. There doesn't seem to be a problem. It hurts, but they're all just bruises."

The waves of pain were mild and would not affect her normal movements.