Let's Make a Killing! / Swordplay Amid Flowers and Magic

The boy's gaze was piercing, as if a raging fire was burning in his eyes. He pointed at Shangguan Li and gave her a stern rebuke, leaving the latter stunned.

Shangguan Li straightened her collar and slowly raised her hands. "This classmate is joking. I am just a child from an ordinary family. I am not a young master from a noble family or a dark force, much less a cold and aloof god."

I'm actually a very easy person to get along with. The reason I've repeatedly sought out Ling to talk is because someone asked me to, and I couldn't refuse that person, so I had no choice but to do so."

As Shangguan Li slowly explained, the boy and many of the surrounding classmates were stunned.

An ordinary family's kid? Who would believe that? What if you accidentally offend him? Who can guarantee he won't just stab that person to death?

However, judging from Shangguan Li's current behavior, if he is truly this easy to get along with, that would be a good thing. He doesn't seem to have any airs of a young master from a prestigious family at all.

Even so, these people aren't fools. Which scion of a prominent family wouldn't have their own pride?

"Well, even if you say that, they've already refused. Young Master Shangguan can't just keep pushing his luck, can he?"

"Uh... actually, I also think it's a big problem. Don't worry, this is the last time."

Shangguan Li touched his nose, sighed inwardly, and resolved not to indulge his cousin any longer.

This kind of persistent pestering costs 160 points of energy each time. If it fails even once, it not only doesn't benefit the other person but also makes them disliked. It's also humiliating for him. If he wants to find someone, why doesn't he just block the school gate himself?

That's so damn annoying!

Shangguan Li did not have the arrogance of a noble family's eldest son; all his pride came from his own martial arts skills.

For a genius who has practiced martial arts since childhood, broken the limits of the human body at a young age, unlocked the Gene Lock, and could easily defeat several special forces soldiers, he naturally wouldn't care too much about the opinions of ordinary people.

If he can forcefully break through to the Third Order in the next few decades, he might also be able to control the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on a small scale, almost like "magic"?

However, the thought of the Destiny Engraver filled him with a strange sense of frustration...

After school, Ling Mengxue finished her chores, took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and went straight to bed to continue practicing her signature sword technique.

As long as she closes her eyes, she can enter a boundless dream world of stars simply by using her consciousness.

Here, she can freely unleash her magic and swordsmanship, with dazzling, dreamlike lights and shadows flying everywhere. Flames, water curtains, lightning, darkness... she can practice any dimensional and elemental skill she desires!

In this endless realm, she was all alone, and incredibly bored.

Until your mental energy is completely exhausted, you will naturally fall asleep from exhaustion.

For several days, it was the same. Occasionally Luo Xiyan would sneak back to tease her, but she just kept practicing. Now she has finally pushed her sword skills training progress to one percent.

Until Friday after school, Lan Yuxin found her...

(To be continued)

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Make a Good Scam!

"Mengxue... um, are you free tonight? My sister said she'd like to meet you, I wonder if that's possible..."

"Um?"

Ling Mengxue looked up at her, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

A few days ago, Shangguan Li's sister was looking for me, and now Lan Yuxin's sister is showing up too? One after another, could they have conspired together?

If Ling Mengxue remembered correctly, Lan Yuxin's younger sister... seemed to be the Magical Girls who fought with Qiu Yun'er in the back mountain a few days ago.

But the look they gave me back then was like they wanted to kill me. Now that they've come knocking, will it be anything good?

Lan Yuxin seemed to have thought of a certain factor as well, and quickly said, "Don't worry, although Ke Yue is Magical Girls, I've already warned her not to lay a hand on you. If you don't mind, I'll come with you. It's not far anyway. Is that alright?"

After speaking, Lan Yuxin suddenly felt a little strange. She remembered that her younger sister seemed to have become an idol, was usually rather aloof, and often disappeared from school. How did she know Ling Mengxue now?

However, she was unaware of what had happened on the hill behind the school during the period when Lan Keyue returned to take the exams at the start of the semester.

Those classmates who witnessed the battle, even without photos or videos, still recounted it vividly, sometimes even exaggerating it.

Even so, some people are gradually coming to believe it. After all, we can almost say that we live in a magical age, where there is nothing that cannot be believed. We can only rely on our own subjective judgment, and whether we believe or not is entirely up to us.

Ling Mengxue remained silent for a moment, then, thinking of Lan Keyue that afternoon, she nodded in agreement.

The girl had a cold and aloof demeanor, and seemed quite defiant. If that's the case, then if she really wants to fight, then beat her until she submits!

"It's okay, just give me the address, I'll go ask about it later, it's not a big deal."

Ling Mengxue shrugged nonchalantly, as if she didn't care about the matter at all. "By the way, why can't we just call her to school? Wouldn't that be much easier?"

"Well... Ke Yue has a rather arrogant personality... If possible, I'd also like Xiaoxue to help me teach her a lesson."

Ling Mengxue: "..."

After leaving the classroom after school, Ling Mengxue glanced at the address Lan Yuxin had just sent her, but didn't pay much attention to it. She was just dealing with that unconvinced Magical Girls anyway.

The most important thing is the parent-teacher conference. Before, when she was a boy, Ling Xiaoyu attended in her place, and now it's the same result again. I wonder what the homeroom teacher's expression will be when she sees it...

Confused? Or surprised?

In short, just thinking about it is exciting; I just hope she doesn't reveal that she "leaked" the exam questions this time...

Sitting in the taxi, Ling Mengxue looked at the location on Baidu Maps on her phone, feeling a little confused.

Lan Keyue was clearly located in the outskirts of Linzhou City. Why would a girl like her go there?

If it weren't for the fact that the map clearly marked "Ramie Court Club," she would have suspected that the girl was planning to kill her to cover her tracks and then dump the body in the wilderness.

The distance isn't too far; it takes about half an hour to reach the destination from the school by bus.

The clubhouse is located in a secluded private estate on the Qinghe Lake. Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, the environment is serene and tranquil. If a cultivator were to come here, he would surely exclaim, "This place is filled with ethereal immortal energy and abundant spiritual energy. It is truly an excellent place for cultivation!"

As soon as she got off the bus, Ling Mengxue felt refreshed and invigorated; the air was surprisingly fresh.

'Could there really be spiritual energy?' she couldn't help but wonder, but quickly shook her head. 'Hmm... it's probably just an illusion caused by the better air quality in the suburbs.'

The clubhouse was extremely luxurious, with vermilion paint and green tiles, and a vermilion gate. Two majestic stone lions stood solemnly at the entrance, exuding an air of ancient grandeur and authority.

Most notably, there stood a row of beautiful women from Jiangnan dressed in simple cheongsams, each with a lovely face and an elegant, Qingya air—a truly captivating sight.

Upon seeing Ling Mengxue approaching, they immediately stepped forward to greet her, each with a professional smile, as if they had planned it in advance.

Ling Mengxue was stunned, not knowing what had happened. It was just an appointment, wasn't it?

Those damn rich people!

"Sister Peach, my sister just messaged me saying she's agreed and will probably be here soon. Should we set up a trap and take her down in one fell swoop?" Lan Keyue asked earnestly.

Seeing her impatient look, Shangguan Tao smiled and nodded. It's always better to be prepared, right?

Moreover, their opponent was a Middle Tier Astral Mark Executor. With two of them being experienced and one being a Low Tier, their chances of winning were already slim. If they didn't take it seriously and make adequate preparations, they would be the ones suffering the consequences, and they wouldn't be able to blame anyone else.

While Shangguan Tao and Lan Keyue were working on their plan, Shu Momo rested her chin on her hands, blinking her bright, watery eyes as she listened to their conversation, appearing innocent and harmless.

Neither of them paid much attention; they figured they'd just stick to this lineup anyway, and one person could make the decision.

This is trust!

However, after Shangguan Tao and Lan Keyue finished discussing their plan, Shu Momo couldn't help but smile slightly, finding them amusing. 'I'll just play along with these two girls for a bit; it seems quite fun~'

Although Shu Momo is just an ordinary high school student at Blue Sky High School, no one knows her true background. Even the two people in front of her only know that her family is not ordinary and that she seems to come from a wealthy family. Other than that, there is nothing else.

Money was just a string of numbers to her. Selling some of the things from that era would naturally make her financially secure. It was just that life was a bit boring, which is why she accepted Shangguan Tao's invitation to form some kind of Miracle Idols girl group.

Little did they know, the crises lurking in the darkness were already beginning to stir.

At this moment, a pretty young woman in a blue and white patterned cheongsam walked over, whispered a few words in her ear, and after reporting her arrival, left.

Shu Momo inwardly groaned, but still managed a flustered expression. "Sister Peach, Sister Ke Yue, that beautiful girl is here! Should I hide quickly?"

Lan Keyue glared at Shu Momo with annoyance, then patted her head with a serious expression. "Mo Mo, you're wrong. Although she's pretty, you can't call her a great beauty. She's more like a 'seductive slut'!"

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to burn with a fierce flame.

Shangguan Tao smiled and lifted the two of them up from behind. "We can talk about anything else later. We're not short of time. Let's deal with this big fish first. Intermediate Astral Mark Girl! She definitely has a lot of points. We'll rip her off later!"

(To be continued)

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Flowers and Magical Sword Shadows

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Shu Momo winked playfully.

Lan Keyue nodded in agreement. Although she didn't like Ling Mengxue, she wasn't the kind of treacherous person who would only take half at most.

"Hehe, let's transform first. With our support magic stacked, my combat power will increase terrifyingly within the magic circle. It'll be more than enough to deal with a Middle Tier Star Engraving Marker."

Shangguan Tao nodded with great satisfaction, then looked at Shu Momo, "Mo Mo, your cultivation level is too low. Just act as support later, providing buffs and healing. Leave the fighting to me and Ke Yue ~"

"Mmm!" Shu Momo smiled slightly and nodded emphatically, which made the two of them feel happy.

The three men had a clear division of labor. After speaking, they quickly surrounded the courtyard, each lying on the red bricks and tiles of the wall, forming a triangular encirclement. Even a Gestapo officer would have no chance of escaping unscathed!

Under the enthusiastic invitation of more than a dozen beautiful maids, Ling Mengxue held her breath and walked through the lobby, finally entering the courtyard of the last floor of the Ramie Court Club.

Having escaped the clutches of those frivolous girls, she felt much more relaxed. Calming down, she could smell a faint floral fragrance in the air, seemingly 'Heavenly Fragrance Grass,' fresh and elegant.

In the vast courtyard, apart from a small and exquisite pavilion in the middle of the stream, there were only a few willow trees and peach blossoms.

The willow trees stand tall, their branches swaying in the evening breeze, like swings on a swing, quiet and peaceful, gently swaying in the cool evening wind.

Indeed, in such an environment, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind, the gentle murmur of the stream, and that... strange fragrance of flowers coming from nowhere, which was quite eerie.

However, Ling Mengxue remained relaxed, as everything in this courtyard was clearly visible to her through her Spatial Perception.

Especially since there's a person hiding on each of the roof beams on these sides, clearly intending to launch a sneak attack. It's best to catch them off guard!

'One of the auras is very familiar, it should be Lan Keyue, right?'

'Three Magical Girls, two at the Trial-Level and one at the Low Tier, looking down on me like that? I was originally planning to get along peacefully, but too bad~'

Just as she was feeling utterly helpless and shaking her head, a strange thing happened!

A crimson spear wreathed in raging flames suddenly streaked across the sky and shot toward her. The flaming spear moved like a rainbow, sweeping up vast swathes of flames, almost tearing through space, and unleashing a burst of sonic energy.

If an ordinary person stood here, they would have absolutely no chance to react and would be pierced through the head by the flaming spear, dying on the spot.

However, Shangguan Tao believed that as an Astral Mark Girl, she couldn't possibly lack even this basic level of awareness.

As expected, Ling Mengxue simply turned her body slightly to the side, feeling the scorching flames lick her skin and the air temperature rise slightly, thus perfectly avoiding the spear.

She remained completely calm when she saw two figures, one pink and one purple, suddenly leap down from the sky.

Ling Mengxue originally wanted to break the restriction and end the battle quickly, but upon closer reflection, she realized that this might be a good opportunity to hone her skills.

She is currently a dual- Low Tier Destiny Engraver, and is not yet clear about her own combat strength. Testing her skills by exchanging a few blows first would actually benefit her. If she can't win, she can always use cheat codes instead, which is perfectly fine.

Without much thought, Ling Mengxue saw lightning striking her and quickly reached into a silver spatial array, drawing out the light purple Flower Shadow Flower Shadow Ancient Sword.

This seemingly cool sword-drawing technique looks impressive, but it's more than just that; besides being flashy, it's also for the convenience of carrying it around.

Clang--!!

Ling Mengxue dodged the lightning bolt, drew her sword with lightning speed, ignoring the deafening sonic boom behind her. Her figure instantly transformed into a series of visible afterimages like a ghost, slashing towards the oncoming Shangguan Tao.

Upon witnessing this sword aura that seemed to pierce the sky, Shangguan Li and Lan Keyue's expressions changed slightly, but they did not back down. Within the domain of the triple auxiliary magic array, they were confident that they could fight against a Middle Tier Star Engraving!

With such fierce and magnificent swordsmanship, Shangguan Tao and Lan Keyue both thought they should be defeated, but the result was indeed unexpected.

Two staffs, one blazing with fire and the other frost-covered, clashed instantly. The sword energy was easily torn apart and struck the blade directly. The force felt slightly weak, yet the sword's momentum was easily broken!

Bang!

A crisp ringing sound broke out, transforming into a three-colored ripple. Ling Mengxue was then forced back more than ten steps, leaving Shangguan Tao and Lan Keyue completely bewildered. She barely managed to stop herself by bracing her sword against the ground.

Seeing the girl's bewildered expression, Shangguan Tao's lips twitched slightly. "Ke Yue, is this the Middle Tier Astral Mark Executor you mentioned? I feel like she's not even at the 'Origin Transformation' realm?"

Lan Keyue's expression was also a little strange. She clearly remembered that afternoon when Ling Mengxue easily blocked her full-force attack with a defensive sword technique, and couldn't advance an inch.