Chapter 2
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Chapter 2: Title
"Young… Young Master?" The leader’s expression mirrored Ye Qingshang’s shock, voice trembling.
Had he seen right? Their young master… shielding an outsider?
Protecting Frostbite Sect trash over his own sect-mates?
"Qiao Ren, causing trouble for no reason, what did the sect rule say about punishment for that? I didn’t need to explain it to you, did I? Take the junior disciples back to your residence now, and I won’t pursue this matter further."
"But young master, she—she said you, she said you…" Ye Qingshang’s original words were too outrageous, and Qiao Ren fumbled over "you" for a while, still unable to say it.
Mu Huaiyun shot him a sideways glance.
He wasn’t deaf; he had heard what Ye Qingshang said.
If it were his old self, he would have struck back against anyone who insulted him. But now, facing Ye Qingshang, whenever a disrespectful thought crossed his mind, the red warning letters in his head flashed wildly—Warning! Warning!
Dark lines creased Mu Huaiyun’s forehead.
He held it in and, after a moment, said, "Never mind, let it end here."
Qiao Ren started, "Young master…"
Mu Huaiyun’s look grew sharper, and Qiao Ren shrank back. Fine, since their young master was okay with it, they should just slip away early.
"Yes, young master."
Mu Huaiyun sighed in relief and turned around, only to see Ye Qingshang frozen in place, her eyes swirling with endless thoughts, all boiling down to one question: Are you crazy?
Mu Huaiyun: …
Yet he couldn’t explode, so he simply asked, "What’s that look for?"
Ye Qingshang: …
She didn’t know about Mu Huaiyun’s tangled story; she only knew that the Mu Huaiyun she hated most in her past life, branded as the "villain," had changed.
…It was beyond words.
Ye Qingshang remembered that in her past life, she first met Mu Huaiyun after a match in the Illusionary Battle Arena. Back then, they had tied in capturing monsters, but she finished the Tao Zhi task at the last moment, breaking the tie and taking the top spot.
She was exhausted and got sent out of the arena. Under a tree’s shade, she spotted a tall, elegant man walking toward her. He moved calmly, and looking up, she saw deep-set eyes, a straight nose, but pale lips pressed thin, adding a rare softness.
She had always been weak against handsome men, especially since this "beauty" came to her first.
But when the "beauty" spoke, he said, "Let’s fight?"
Ye Qingshang: …
Her shock then was just as deep as now.
The difference was, this time, the "beauty" didn’t want to fight her.
"Uh… nothing, I just meant… thanks."
A flicker of mockery lit Mu Huaiyun’s eyes. Did she think he was blind? Ye Qingshang hadn’t looked grateful before.
Right then, Ye Qingshang had one thought: Thank heavens, he’s back to normal.
That mocking look was too familiar—the old Mu Huaiyun often gave it to her. Good thing, in this new life, Mu Huaiyun was still Mu Huaiyun.
Honestly, if a villain turned good so easily these days, it would be unbelievable.
Ye Qingshang said, "If there’s nothing else, I’m off. Do as you like."
Her cool voice hung in the air, and by the time Mu Huaiyun caught it, she was gone.
He watched her back, eyebrows raised, chewing on a meaningful smile as he muttered, "Ye Qingshang…"
He’d heard that name way too much lately.
The first time he heard about it was at the sect’s training ground. During the disciples’ break, he happened to pass by and overheard their discussion.
"Have you heard? Master Ning from the Frostbite Sect has taken a female disciple."
"Master Ning? The one from Frostbite Sect?"
"Who else? Besides him, is there any master surnamed Ning in the entire cultivation world? If not for him being at Frostbite Sect, that faction wouldn’t even deserve second place among the top ten sects, let alone compare to our Yunshan Sect—the undisputed number one."
"But I heard Master Ning never accepts female disciples—something about conflicting cultivation methods? Are you certain?"
"Absolutely. They say this girl is fifteen now. She became his disciple five years ago but rarely appears in public. Just wait until the Illusionary Battle Arena opens—she’ll definitely register."
"In that case, she must be remarkable. How would she fare against our young master?"
"Hard to say. But Master Ning’s standards are notoriously high—his disciples must be exceptional. I’d guess our young master might be slightly inferior."
"Makes sense…"
Mu Huaiyun couldn’t bear to listen further. That "slightly inferior" remark had already sparked his fury.
As Yunshan Sect’s young master, he’d always been praised as a dragon among men, the phoenix among women—peerless among his generation. How could some unknown girl overshadow him based on mere rumors?
No. He refused to swallow this insult and vowed to challenge her.
Suddenly, bold crimson characters flashed in his mind—an untimely intrusion.
Knowing he’d ignore it, a voice eerily similar to his own recited:
"Ye Qingshang. Entered Frostbite Sect at age ten. Won the Illusionary Battle Arena at fifteen. That same year…"
Mu Huaiyun: …
After the lengthy profile, another warning appeared:
"You must safeguard her. Respect her. Never abandon her."
"Nonsense!" Mu Huaiyun sneered. "What if I refuse?"
The voice answered: "Regardless, you must protect Ye Qingshang. Face the consequences otherwise!"
"You—!"
Enraged by this unprecedented coercion, he resolved to defy it. Protect her? He refused!
But the moment this thought formed, heavenly thunder pierced his soul.
He paled, the agony nearly making him faint.
Mu Huaiyun: …
Convinced he’d been cursed, he sought his father in distress.
Sect Leader Mu Shezhi summoned all Yunshan elders. They examined Mu Huaiyun repeatedly before concluding: "Perfectly normal. Exceptionally healthy."
After dismissing the crowd, Mu Shezhi pondered. "Yun’er, is the upcoming Illusionary Battle Arena stressing you? Shall I teach you some techniques?"
Mu Huaiyun felt utterly helpless.
If no one detected anything wrong… perhaps nothing was wrong?
Later, he tested it cautiously. The warnings only surfaced regarding Ye Qingshang matters. Otherwise, it remained silent.
And once he defied the reminder, the pain that seeped into his soul came crashing down, truly terrifying…
So he compromised.
Was it just about protecting someone? Fine, he would protect her.
*
Ye Qingshang felt conflicted these days.
It wasn’t for any other reason; the shadow of her past death loomed large, making her attitude toward Qiu Huayi delicate. She avoided her whenever possible.
After all, Qiu Huayi had poisoned her. Ye Qingshang couldn’t pretend nothing happened.
But Qiu Huayi didn’t know Ye Qingshang’s thoughts. She assumed Ye Qingshang was busy preparing for the competition, so she stayed away.
Yet having once been inseparable and sharing the same roof, they were bound to meet.
Like now:
As the Illusionary Battle Arena opened, Qiu Huayi naturally linked arms with Ye Qingshang to enter together.
Held by the Frostbite Sect every five years, the Illusionary Battle Arena allowed only fifteen-year-olds to participate once in their lifetime, with a limit of two hundred disciples.
Inside, three hundred monsters appeared through illusions. Once disciples entered, their spiritual rings stopped transmitting unless they neared death.
After the competition, rankings were based on captured monsters.
As a simulated battle, the arena reflected disciples’ cultivation levels across sects, making rankings a measure of sect strength.
With sect honor at stake, though individual scores were recorded, disciples often teamed up. Qiu Huayi planned exactly that.
Her cultivation wasn’t top-tier, and her results were average. She didn’t aim to win, but staying near Ye Qingshang meant even defeat wouldn’t be humiliating.
Ye Qingshang glanced sideways and subtly pulled her arm free.
Qiu Huayi closed the gap again.
Ye Qingshang tried to withdraw; Qiu Huayi persisted.
Ye Qingshang: …Calm down. It’s a competition. Qiu Huayi wouldn’t sabotage her mid-battle.
Besides, in her past life at this arena, Qiu Huayi’s cooperation had eased her worries.
“Ahem.” A light cough came from the platform.
Ye Qingshang looked up, meeting Ning Jiwei’s gaze—a clear reminder: Focus, the competition is starting.
Ye Qingshang: …This disciple remembers.
Despite its fierce name, the Illusionary Battle Arena appeared as a shimmering barrier before entry, studded with crystal orbs projecting internal scenes.
Open for one day, Ye Qingshang didn’t rush to hunt monsters after entering. She wandered down a quiet path instead.
With no monsters or people around, Qiu Huayi asked, puzzled, “A’shang, aren’t we catching monsters?” Their stroll seemed more like a walk than a competition.
Ye Qingshang: “No rush. The monsters gather elsewhere.”
“Gather…” Qiu Huayi stared in horror. “A’shang, you mean we’re seeking Tao Zhi?!”
Besides three hundred monsters, the arena held a great demon named Tao Zhi. Though everyone knew Tao Zhi’s location drew more monsters, none dared approach.
Tao Zhi was the arena’s core—formed from elders’ combined spiritual power. For new disciples, the cultivation gap was immense.
In short, since the Illusionary Battle Arena was established hundreds of years ago, only a few disciples had dared to challenge Tao Zhi, and among them, just one escaped his grasp and completed the task of getting the luminous pearl.
For Qiu Huayi, this wasn’t just a challenge across levels—it was like leaping realms!
"Scared?" Ye Qingshang stopped.
Her pretty face showed no emotion, as if she was born heartless. Qiu Huayi gulped, "A little… A’shang, I know you want to win. If we grab the luminous pearl from Tao Zhi, victory is sure, but why take the risk?"
Ye Qingshang thought, ‘This isn’t risky—do you doubt my power?’ But she said, "Don’t fear, I’ll protect you."
Confident and flawless.
As she spoke, a whistling sound cut through the air, and she instinctively cast a spell to block.
Looking up, she saw a familiar face.
"Why are you here?" Ye Qingshang and Mu Huaiyun said together.
After a pause, both froze.
Ten meters away, Mu Huaiyun lost his cool, staring at Ye Qingshang with a baffled look.
As the one involved, Ye Qingshang stared blankly at her palm, unable to accept it.
What happened?
She’d clearly cast a spell to block, but no barrier formed. Instead, she was holding a carrot!
