Bet and Blade

The homeroom teacher's booming voice rang through the classroom:

"Use the time you have left to review your subjects, especially talismans."

"When the announcement sounds at eight-thirty, the class monitor will lead you all down to the field to warm up and wait."

"I'm reminding every one of you—"

"Representatives from all the major universities are here to watch this time. You must be at your best and perform well."

"Got it?"

"Got it!" the students answered together.

The homeroom teacher turned and hurried away.

Today was the monthly exam, and university representatives needed to be received. They were short-handed everywhere, and the teachers were all busy.

"Got anything else to eat?"

Xu Yuan asked quietly.

"What are you, a starving ghost reincarnated? Seriously."

Zhao Afei took a pill from his desk drawer and handed it over.

Xu Yuan sniffed it, popped it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.

It was a fairly high-grade Grain-Repelling Pill.

Its only drawback was the taste. It had more than enough nutrition.

Xu Yuan often managed to get something out of Zhao Afei.

Zhao Afei's family was the provincial distributor for a branded line of pills. They were filthy rich.

By comparison, Xu Yuan's family had far less.

His mother was ill, and his father was away from home year-round.

Xu Yuan also had a bit of the reckless teenage troublemaker about him. He was quick to throw a punch.

The other students rarely associated with him.

Only Zhao Afei, his best friend, had always treated him like a brother.

"When it's time for the swordsmanship exam, use my sword. It's way better than the shared swords the school provides."

Zhao Afei pulled a sword from beneath his desk and waved it before Xu Yuan's eyes.

Before Xu Yuan could speak, he hurried on:

"In this team battle, you've got to look out for me, brother."

"What? Did something happen?" Xu Yuan asked, surprised.

"My relatives looked down on me, and I'm pissed. Brother Xu, let's do well this time, okay?" Afei looked like he had a mountain of grievances to settle.

"Of course. I'll take it a little more seriously." Xu Yuan patted his shoulder.

He took the sword and weighed it in his hand.

Tiny, glowing words appeared at once:

"Graceful Shadow."

"Sword, fine grade."

"Afterimage Level 3: Produces three afterimages in combat to confuse the enemy."

Fine grade!

When activated, that effect would look spectacular and pose a real threat.

Big spenders were enough to make anyone despair.

Even in a world of cultivation!

Xu Yuan sighed. Then he remembered something, returned the sword to Zhao Afei, and silently called up the "shop."

The illusory shop appeared before his eyes.

Seeing the other students continue studying without noticing a thing, Xu Yuan held the Night Walk dagger in his hand.

"Sell."

He said it in his mind.

Sure enough, a blank price tag appeared on the shop's display shelf, showing "1 gold coin."

It had sold it to him for two gold coins, but would only buy it back for one.

What a rip-off!

Still, the dagger really no longer suited him.

Xu Yuan sold it and checked his remaining coins.

He had nineteen left.

The shelves were empty.

"Refresh."

Xu Yuan gave the command.

One gold coin was deducted.

Three items appeared on the shelves.

A pair of common-grade leather boxing gloves, a pair of excellent-grade boots, and a bundle of talismans.

The talismans were actually fine grade.

"Fierce Step Talisman."

"Talisman-drawing speed +2; completed-talisman rate increased by ten percent."

Xu Yuan thought of Yang Xiaobing.

Yang Xiaobing had already reached the Qi Refining Third Layer. She excelled in both talismans and spirit plants, earning a place in the special admissions selection for Nine Luminaries and Luofu.

She could concentrate on two subjects and use the others to support her in combat.

For a low-level cultivator, that was actually the best choice.

After all, her time and energy were limited.

Once her cultivation and horizons had grown, she could consider mastering the other subjects. That was the sensible course.

"Refresh."

Xu Yuan repeated the command silently.

One gold coin was deducted.

He had seventeen gold coins left.

The three items on the shelves vanished.

New goods appeared.

There were two in all.

One was a Little Rabbit Pendant.

Excellent grade.

"Movement speed +1."

The other was a longsword.

Also excellent grade.

"Sharpness +2."

"Price: 3 gold coins."

That was the one.

Xu Yuan reached out and took the longsword, Swift Wind, into his hand. He weighed it and found it quite satisfactory.

Refreshing the shelves was too expensive.

He had only fourteen gold coins left.

He couldn't keep rolling forever.

Besides, his goal was clear.

As long as it was better than the school's shared swords and wouldn't hamper him in the team battle, it would do for now.

He looked up at the shop sign:

"Qi Refiners' Combat Prep Room."

Perhaps—

Once he broke through the Qi Refining Second Layer and became a higher-level Qi Refiner, the shop's level would rise too.

"It won't."

As if it knew what he was thinking, small words flashed across a blank tag on the shelf:

"Win a 'difficult-level' match for a chance to raise the shop's level or cause another change."

"Once the shop changes, the quality and level of its goods will change accordingly."

...All right, then.

It seemed he still had to fight matches.

Xu Yuan quietly rested the longsword on his lap, opened his book, and went back to reviewing his talisman lessons.

The team battle would be real combat!

The challenge was being kept secret.

He really was itching to get started.

Meanwhile.

The teaching building's rooftop.

"Xueyao, you wanted to see me?"

Yang Xiaobing asked.

Jiang Xueyao stood across from her.

She wore a black sweater and dark blue jeans, with a pitch-black longsword slung diagonally across her back. The outfit showed off her slender waist and long legs.

Her waterfall of hair fell over her shoulders. She looked fresh and otherworldly, poised and beautiful.

"Yes. There's something."

Jiang Xueyao spoke.

"You could've just sent me a message. Why bring me all the way up to the rooftop? What is it?" Yang Xiaobing asked curiously.

Jiang Xueyao gazed out at the city in its autumn colors, a smile in her voice:

"Would you like to see this?"

She flicked a letter toward Yang Xiaobing.

Yang Xiaobing caught it, opened it, and glanced over it.

It was a love letter.

It was signed Xu Yuan.

Only yesterday, Xu Yuan had said someone was going to impersonate him and write a love letter.

So it had really happened.

Who was that underhanded?

"Where did you get this love letter?"

Yang Xiaobing kept her expression calm.

"Song Huaijin," Jiang Xueyao said. "His friend Li Tao is in Xu Yuan's class."

"But Xu Yuan never told me he was going to send me a love letter," Yang Xiaobing said.

"Li Tao found it while going through his desk drawer," Jiang Xueyao said.

Yang Xiaobing looked at her without speaking.

Jiang Xueyao shook her head too and said:

"Of course, that wasn't honorable. Song Huaijin even wanted to spread the letter around and take it to the teachers. I stopped him."

"What do you think I should do?" Yang Xiaobing asked.

"Whatever you want. It's your business. As your friend, this is all I can do," Jiang Xueyao said.

Only then did Yang Xiaobing smile. She applied a little force with her hand.

The letter fell into tiny white pieces that blew away on the wind.

"Xu Yuan didn't write a love letter."

Yang Xiaobing spoke.

Jiang Xueyao froze for a moment. "You trust him that much?"

"Sure. What about you? Do you believe Song Huaijin?" Yang Xiaobing asked.

"Song Huaijin has no reason to lie to me about this," Jiang Xueyao said.

"I believe Xu Yuan," Yang Xiaobing said.

Silence fell between them.

You believe Song Huaijin, and I believe Xu Yuan.

One of those two men had to be lying.

Who was it?

Suddenly.

The school broadcast came on.

After a rousing musical phrase, an authoritative voice sounded:

"All final-year students."

"Please assemble on the field."

It was time to gather on the field and warm up before the monthly exam.

From the rooftop, they could see classroom doors opening on every floor below.

The final-year students streamed out, headed downstairs, and converged on the field.

A breeze blew past.

Beneath the clear blue sky,

Jiang Xueyao's long hair streamed in the wind. She looked like a fairy from a painting, as though she might ride the wind away at any moment.

She suddenly took out a patterned hair tie and began tying up her hair.

"How interesting."

She looked down at the activity below the teaching building, her voice gentle and soft.

A lie was easy to expose.

All it took was one sword strike.

One strike.

That was enough.

"Huh?" Yang Xiaobing lifted her rippling almond eyes toward her, at a loss.

"Xiaobing, you have so much going for you. You're just too quick to trust people."

Jiang Xueyao's tone was stern, but there was concern in it too.

"Xu Yuan would never lie to me," Yang Xiaobing shot back. "You're the one who trusts Song Huaijin too much."

The conversation ground to a halt again.

"I want to know who's lying too," Jiang Xueyao said softly.

She tied her hair into a ponytail.

There. That would do.

She walked a few steps forward and stood by the railing. Stroking her long sword, she surveyed the slowly moving crowd below.

Searching.

Searching.

Searching—

Her hand suddenly stilled, then closed gently around the hilt.

She said quietly:

"You said he's been training hard all this time, didn't you?"

Yang Xiaobing's heart plummeted.

No. No.

Did I say something I shouldn't have?

Or—

"Why don't you test Song Huaijin instead?"

Yang Xiaobing spoke urgently.

"One person is enough," Jiang Xueyao said. "If Song Huaijin lied to me, I'll beat him so badly he won't even dream of taking next year's college entrance exam."

"Don't—" Yang Xiaobing pulled out two talismans.

"Never mind that. I'm guessing you want the answer too," Jiang Xueyao interrupted. "How about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" Yang Xiaobing asked.

"I bet Song Huaijin wouldn't dare lie to me," Jiang Xueyao said.

"He absolutely lied to you," Yang Xiaobing said, refusing to back down.

"Then let's see who's telling the truth and who isn't—"

She—

What was she about to do?

Yang Xiaobing suddenly screamed.

Jiang Xueyao had jumped off the edge of the roof!

The proud daughter of heaven moved like lightning. Her feet tapped against the wall a few times, and she swooped toward her target like a mountain eagle.

Just one sword strike!

Clang—

Jiang Xueyao landed against the stairwell wall, drew her long sword, and thrust diagonally at the young man.

Judging by her relaxed expression, the strike was as effortless as reaching down to pick up a fallen flowering branch during a stroll.

The blade gleamed like water and reflected like a mirror, catching the faces of the students around them—some stunned, others terrified.

The timing, angle, and technique were all perfect.

There was no avoiding this strike.

Xu Yuan whipped around, and a sword appeared in his hand in an instant.

He still looked a little puzzled.

But his sword had already risen to meet hers.

The sword's ridge shone bright, reflecting the autumn light outside the building, the trees swathed in gold, and the white frost still lingering on the roof tiles.

The sword was fast. Steady.

In the blink of an eye,

the two swords collided.

Every glimmer of light and shadow shuddered and scattered from their blades.

He had blocked it!