Ma Yuxuan's utterly unconcerned expression left Xue Huan stunned.
She had never imagined anyone could speak so casually about betraying his teacher and destroying his own school.
"Brother Ma, you don't have to turn against your teacher for my sake—"
"Stop!"
Ma Yuxuan cut her off.
"Let me make this clear: I'm not attacking my teacher for you."
"Master and disciple fighting to the death really is a tradition in our school."
Such a firm answer left Xue Huan even more bewildered.
"Why?"
"Because it's a requirement before we finish our training."
"My teacher once said that if his disciple couldn't even defeat an enemy who was holding back against him,
"then he was bound to die in this cruel world."
"Rather than die at someone else's hands, he'd be better off settling down as an ordinary person."
At that answer, Xue Huan pursed her lips. "Brother Ma, your school has some unusual customs."
"There's plenty more that's unusual about it. You'll get used to it."
"Next, we need to brace ourselves and venture into Mountain Hollow Village, where the odds of survival are one in ten."
"If I lose, I'll burn plenty of paper money at your grave this time next year."
"You—"
"Shh!"
Xue Huan wanted to ask more, but Ma Yuxuan raised a finger to his lips.
"Hold on to your questions."
"If we make it back from Mountain Hollow Village alive, you'll have all the time you need to ask them."
Time passed, little by little.
To face the life-or-death crisis ahead, Xue Huan prepared as thoroughly as she could.
Meanwhile, the Anomaly Suppression Bureau's two helpers arrived at the Xue residence.
"Seniors, Lord Wei Xuanyi personally assigned this mission to Mountain Hollow Village."
"Under his orders, you'll both follow my commands throughout the mission.