Provocation

Zhu Ping'an walked forward slowly and picked up the martial technique that had fallen to the ground.

"Windfall Spear Art. So Brother Ye found a martial technique? What good luck."

Zhu Ping'an grinned, then casually tossed the martial technique into the charcoal fire roasting the chicken wings.

"No!!!"

Watching the pages burn fiercely in the flames, Ye Qingxian glared so furiously his eyes seemed about to split.

"Brother Ye, people always have to pay for what they've done. And this is the price you pay for not trusting me." Zhu Ping'an shrugged. He figured he must look just like a major villain right now.

"Zhu! Ping! An! I'll kill you!"

"Spear, come!"

Ye Qingxian roared, and the black Breaking Dragon Spear appeared in his grasp, letting out a low dragon's growl.

He had already been brimming with rage, and Zhu Ping'an burning the Windfall Spear Art had completely set his fury ablaze.

"Spiral Lotus Flower!"

Ye Qingxian leaped high into the air. The Breaking Dragon Spear in his hand unleashed terrifying power as he spun downward, its tip leading the way. Like a venomous dragon boring through the earth, he drilled toward Zhu Ping'an with even greater force than before.

Clearly, Ye Qingxian had also broken through to the First Order Mid Stage.

The eight martial artists Leng Yuanting had sent to protect them were about to intervene, but Zhu Ping'an stopped them.

He wanted to see for himself whether, after half a month apart, the gap between him and Ye Qingxian had widened.

"Nine Mountain Divine Sword, Fourth Form: Four Symbols Mountain Devouring Slash!"

Zhu Ping'an gave a low shout. Chuyi Sword blazed in his hand, and with his Qi and Blood Value as high as it was, unleashing the fourth form of the Nine Mountain Divine Sword came as easily as turning over his hand.

Supported by the Nine Revolutions Starry Sky Technique, the Nine Mountain Divine Sword unleashed its full power, as though it could cleave apart everything before him.

Neither man showed the slightest intention of retreating. The spear tip met the sword's radiance, and they clashed with a ringing clang of metal. Both staggered back several steps, neither gaining the upper hand.

Ye Qingxian shook his spear, then thrust again like a raging dragon, each move aimed straight at Zhu Ping'an's vital points.

Faced with such an onslaught, Zhu Ping'an dared not underestimate him. He countered each attack as it came, using the Nine Mountain Divine Sword to keep Ye Qingxian at bay. For a while, spear shadows and sword flashes wove together across the sky.

The Breaking Dragon Spear and Chuyi Sword struck one another in a chain of sparks. The longer Ye Qingxian fought, the more alarmed he became. The terrifying force constantly surging through his spear reminded him every moment of just how formidable Zhu Ping'an was.

After another clash, the two separated once more, and Zhu Ping'an's gaze turned sharp.

"Ye Qingxian, it's over."

"Nine Mountain Divine Sword, Fifth Form: Linked Peaks Suppressing Sword Art!"

After refining Rainbow Surprise Tai Sui, Zhu Ping'an's Qi and Blood Value had reached five hundred, finally allowing him to perform the fifth form. He brought his sword down from above, but in Ye Qingxian's eyes, it was no longer a sword—it was a towering mountain bearing down on him.

He held the Breaking Dragon Spear horizontally across his chest, trying to block the strike. The moment he raised it, Zhu Ping'an's sword was already there!

"Clang!"

Ye Qingxian stumbled backward again and again. The heels of both hands had split open from the impact, and blood stained the black shaft of his spear.

Leng Tianjiao watched from the sidelines, her expression complicated. The first time she'd met Zhu Ping'an, he hadn't even been as strong as she was. Yet in such a short time, he'd already surpassed her.

She could clearly sense that even if she fought Zhu Ping'an herself, she wasn't certain she could withstand that sword strike.

But it wasn't over. The moment one sword fell, Zhu Ping'an's next came down. Five strikes in succession, each heavier than the last; by the fifth, it weighed ten thousand jun! With lightning speed, it slammed into Ye Qingxian's spear.

The Breaking Dragon Spear bent into a bizarre arc. Ye Qingxian could no longer withstand the fifth strike. He was sent flying dozens of meters back, then collapsed onto the ground, utterly disheveled.

A trace of bewilderment crossed Ye Qingxian's eyes, as if he couldn't believe he'd already lost.

This time, Zhu Ping'an hadn't even used that strange golden-light sword art, yet Ye Qingxian had still been defeated. Had the gap between them widened again in just half a month?

"Pfft!"

The thought only made Ye Qingxian more furious. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

"Qingxian Ge!" Yan Shubing hurried over and helped Ye Qingxian up. After checking his injuries, she shouted, "Zhu Ping'an, you've gone too far!"

She glared at Zhu Ping'an furiously. This was the first time she hadn't called him Ping'an Ge.

"Get out some healing pills right now, and apologize to Qingxian Ge. Otherwise... I'll never forgive you!"

This time, Zhu Ping'an didn't back down. His dark eyes instantly filled with sorrow.

"Bingbing, are you scolding me for another man?"

Yan Shubing suddenly felt flustered. In the past, whenever she got angry, Zhu Ping'an would immediately apologize and grant her every request. But this time, he was acting completely out of character.

And she didn't know what had come over her, either. Given her nature of choosing the better perch, she should have switched to currying favor with Zhu Ping'an after seeing that he was stronger than Ye Qingxian.

But when she saw Ye Qingxian injured, a nameless fury suddenly surged in her heart, as if it were all predestined.

"Ping'an Ge, I'm not blaming you, but you burned Qingxian Ge's martial technique and injured him. Shouldn't you take responsibility? You know I hate men who refuse to take responsibility!" Yan Shubing slipped back into her usual fake-sweet manner.

"Heh..." Leng Tianjiao sneered and rolled her eyes. "Listening to you makes me want to throw up."

Women understood women best. Yan Shubing was plainly manipulating Zhu Ping'an.

Yan Shubing glared at her but said nothing. Instead, she turned to Zhu Ping'an with a wounded expression.

"Ping'an Ge, Bingbing believes you're definitely not the kind of man who shirks responsibility, right?"

"Of course!" Zhu Ping'an puffed out his chest as if he'd just received enormous encouragement. "Don't worry, Bingbing! I'll make sure Brother Ye is healed! I'm not one to hold grudges!"

He pulled a pile of bottles and jars from his robes and started tending to the unconscious Ye Qingxian. Yan Shubing obligingly stepped aside.

"Brother Ye, I'll patch you up right now." Zhu Ping'an wore a kind, harmless smile. These bottles and jars were all good stuff he'd gotten from Leng Tianyan.

Patch him up? I'll patch him up till he's dead!

Watching Zhu Ping'an gently and attentively feed Ye Qingxian his medicine, Yan Shubing breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed Zhu Ping'an, her lovesick puppy, was still under her control. When the corner of her eye caught Leng Tianjiao's icy face, her gaze turned cold.

Leng Tianjiao came from a better-connected family than she did, had greater talent in martial arts, and even her looks and figure seemed to have a slight edge over hers. Yan Shubing had long been sick of her.

"What's with the icy act? Get her into bed and I bet she'll turn out to be a slut."

Yan Shubing thought viciously. Her eyes rolled, and an idea instantly came to her.

Without drawing attention, she moved beside Leng Tianjiao, a smug smile on her face, and whispered:

"Leng Tianjiao, do you really think Ping'an Ge will like you? Don't be silly. You're nothing but a tool. Ping'an Ge has only ever loved me, from beginning to end. In his heart, you're not worth even one strand of my hair."

Leng Tianjiao looked at her calmly but didn't reply.

"Don't believe me? I'll prove it to you!"

A sinister smile tugged at Yan Shubing's lips. She grabbed Leng Tianjiao's hand and slapped herself with it.

With a smack, Yan Shubing promptly fell to the ground. She gazed up with tear-filled eyes, like a pitiful little puppy.

When she saw Zhu Ping'an turn around, she immediately spoke in a wounded voice.

"Tianjiao-jie, I know you've always been unable to let go of the fact that Ping'an Ge liked me. If hitting me will make you feel better, you can slap me a few more times. Just please, don't make things difficult for Ping'an Ge."