Chapter 140: The Mischievous Little Beast Asserts Its Territory

Tan Qiuyi, however, did not display the "country bumpkin visiting the city" demeanor that Xiao Bei showed. Calm and composed, she took her daughter’s hand with a slight, amused smile and whispered, "Xiao Bei, come along. Let's not distract your brother from his pre-match preparations. Do you see Auntie Su? She saved a seat next to her; let's head over there."

"Okay," the little girl chirped obediently, tilting her head back as she asked, "Xiao Nan, can you win? Can you beat that Li... whatever his name is, as badly as the Savage Priest?"

Facing Xiao Bei’s sparkling, expectant eyes, Xiao Nan felt he had no other choice. He laughed and nodded firmly, "I'll make him ten times worse off than the Savage Priest."

He recalled the story he had told her a few days ago. He hadn't expected her to take it to heart, or perhaps even believe it to be real. In that story, the Savage Priest had met a miserable end, killed and hacked apart by him over and over again, far more tragically than in reality.

Satisfied with the answer, the little girl happily followed Tan Qiuyi to the spectator stands. By now, many had already taken their seats. Even though it was just a martial arts match, it was as festive and joyous as a holiday. Not only were the parents present, but people from all walks of society had come to show their support. School was suspended for students of all grades today so they could witness this peak confrontation.

Standing a distance away, Li Shaohua heard the siblings' exchange, his face darkening until it seemed ready to drip ink. Having arrived slightly earlier, he had naturally been enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention. For two years, he had been accustomed to the envious and admiring gazes of countless others, never thinking it was anything extraordinary. But now, seeing someone else able to rival his own momentum, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth—especially since this was someone he had never once looked upon as a threat.

"Soon, I will show you what true despair feels like," Li Shaohua thought, a sinister glimmer, laced with faint red bloodshot veins, flashing in his eyes.

"Shaohua, I’ll ask you one more time: are you certain you can win this match?" Li Yuanchen asked in a low voice while greeting an acquaintance nearby.

"Don't worry, I’m ten-tenths certain." Li Shaohua took a deep look at Xiao Nan, his expression relaxing slightly. "His speed is lacking, and his sword strength is weak. Not only can he not break through my defense, he won't even be able to lay a finger on me. How could he possibly win?"

"As long as you have confidence, that's fine."

For some reason, Li Yuanchen felt a sudden, inexplicable palpitations today. The feeling struck him out of nowhere, leaving him unable to relax, and he couldn't pinpoint what might be wrong. He took a long breath and carefully examined his surroundings, eventually dismissing it as an illusion, which put his mind at ease.

Li Yuanchen knew that given his second son’s methods, he would never make such a boast without cause; he must have already probed his opponent’s strength. After all, as members of the Li family, they were raised from childhood never to harbor the foolishness of arrogance. Knowing oneself and the enemy to ensure victory was ingrained in the bones and blood of every family member. Even though his branch had been expelled from the Imperial Capital by the main line, they had not forgotten this teaching.

The noisy atmosphere of the arena suddenly fell silent. Li Yuanchen turned toward the school gate to see a young woman in a white suit, her skin as clear as glazed ice, walking in slowly. Her radiance was breathtaking; wherever she passed, both boys and girls fell into a sudden, stunned silence. Even some of the parents looked over in astonishment.

"Qin Shuang."

"Wasn't it said that she went to the Imperial Capital to train under the mentors of Qingning Academy? Why is she back?"

"Perhaps she is attached to her alma mater and wanted to visit," someone nearby suggested uncertainly. "For her, Yuanjiang No. 1 High School producing two top-tier talents is something to be happy about."

"You’re all wrong. She definitely came back for one of the two people fighting today," a well-informed insider interjected mysteriously. He stopped halfway through his sentence, leaving those around him rolling their eyes in frustration.

Compared to the two contestants today, Qin Shuang was the peerless academic prodigy whose reputation had dominated Yuanjiang No. 1 High School for nearly two years. Li Shaohua’s fame, while significant, was merely a case of the monkey acting as king in the absence of a tiger; in terms of true acclaim, he was far behind. Even now, he lacked that kind of stature.

Upon seeing Qin Shuang appear, his gaze became fervent, locked intently upon her. It was an obsession. Hearing the whispers around him, he gritted his teeth, forced a sunny smile, and strode to meet her.

"Qin Shuang, did you come all the way back from the Imperial Capital today to watch my match?" Li Shaohua said in a loud, warm voice, his tone deliberately intimate. He wanted to tell everyone—and specifically one person—that this woman was only worthy of him.

Qin Shuang did not even raise her eyebrows. She showed no reaction to Li Shaohua’s expectant smile, simply walking past him as if his words were nothing more than odorless air. They were worth less than a fart to her.

Li Shaohua’s facial muscles twitched violently. He barely managed to keep his smile from crumbling. With great composure, he took two steps to follow her and added, "Not long ago, my Li family proposed marriage to the Qin family, and your uncles have already agreed... With our two families united, developing together in Yuanjiang City will elevate our status even further."

This claim was highly credible, and in fact, it was true—Li Yuanchen had indeed proposed. Furthermore, some of the Qin family elders had already agreed and were even discussing how to persuade Su Yuqing and her daughter. The Li family of Yuanjiang City was a match for the Qin family in both wealth and strength, but the Li family of the Imperial Capital was a true behemoth. A marriage alliance was a shortcut to a higher level of prestige, an irresistible temptation for those stubborn old men who cared only for the family's glory.

Su Yuqing was often helpless when faced with the nagging of these elders. Though she managed the family, she could not act unilaterally; some were impossible to strike or scold, and they loved to lean on their seniority, constantly using family rules to pressure her. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

Qin Shuang had rushed to the Imperial Capital early to train, even harboring thoughts of finding her father beyond the passage. While she certainly harbored hatred toward the Savages and sought revenge, she was also driven by the hope of bringing her father home. If he were still here, no one would dare to pressure her and her mother so boldly.

Looking at Qin Shuang’s icy face, now slightly changed by his words, Li Shaohua felt a surge of triumph. He was doing this on purpose. With the match imminent, he wasn't so shallow as to bring up a family marriage in public without a reason. "I will not only break my opponent physically but also crush him mentally. The greatest victory is to subdue the enemy without a fight."

Watching Xiao Nan, who stood not far away looking stunned, Li Shaohua sneered inwardly. But the next moment, his face turned a deep, liver-red, looking incredibly unsightly. He watched, wide-eyed, as the "Ice Goddess" Qin Shuang—who was said to never crack a smile at any boy—clutched his opponent’s arm like a bird returning to its nest, her face beaming with a radiant, bright smile.

It was as if the spring sun had melted the snow; she was soft, beautiful, and moving. Most outrageous of all, Qin Shuang pressed her soft body entirely against Xiao Nan’s arm, her chest squeezed into a peculiar shape, yet she did not care in the slightest. She looked exactly like a young girl in the throes of first love, or perhaps a mischievous little beast marking its territory.