Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Title

For cultivators, a month wasn’t a long time. Constantly focused on cultivation, it passed quickly.

Moreover, Ye Qingshang’s dietary imbalance was resolved during this period, letting her live comfortably.

Her familiarity with spiritual weapons surpassed most. At that point, she only needed to boost her spiritual power moderately to fully merge with Qianyu. Ning Jiwei’s earlier help sped up her fusion progress significantly, achieving mastery in under ten days.

She wouldn’t have stayed at Yunshan Sect if not for Mu Huaiyun’s poor fusion with Moon’s Shadow.

Having been there less than half a month, Qiu Huayi increased her letters from every three days to daily. Beyond household chatter, every line radiated longing.

Since joining Frostbite Sect, Ye Qingshang and Qiu Huayi had never been apart this long, explaining Qiu Huayi’s struggle. Sect rules barred leaving the mountain freely, or she’d have rushed to Yunshan Sect long ago.

Ye Qingshang neatly stored that day’s letter, rested it on the desk, and propped her chin on her hand, stealing a moment’s idleness.

Mu Huaiyun was unexpectedly summoned by the sect master that day and might not return. Meanwhile, Qiao Zhu was swamped assisting Medicine Hall affairs, too busy to accompany her.

Bored and alone, she glanced outside. Seeing it still early, she rose to explore elsewhere.

Soon she reached the training ground.

Yunshan Sect disciples gathered there. While top disciples under elders had private training spaces, the rest sparred together on the training ground. Unless summoned for urgent matters, most spent their days there.

"Senior brother’s incredible! Ten straight wins today!"

From afar, Ye Qingshang heard cheers. Nearing, she spotted a makeshift sparring platform.

Mu Huaiyun had mentioned Yunshan disciples’ fervor for sparring—they often set up impromptu platforms. Though no honors were at stake, they enjoyed these contests.

Her gaze sharpened. The ten-time victor looked familiar: Qiao Zhu’s brother, Qiao Ren.

Qiao Ren’s talent paled next to his sister’s. Without her influence and his smooth-talking knack for reading moods, elders wouldn’t value him.

Yet Ye Qingshang knew his spiritual power and cultivation were mediocre, and he lacked a spiritual weapon. Beating novices in two or three matches was possible, but ten straight wins seemed unattainable. She wondered how he managed it.

As she pondered, a disciple nearby shouted, "Senior Brother Yin! His spiritual power surged lately—Elder Feng praised him. If he fights, Qiao Brother will lose!"

"Not necessarily! Qiao Brother’s unstoppable today. I’ll bet he wins—dare to wager?"

"I’m in! Loser cleans the training ground for a month!"

"Bring it!"

Ye Qingshang narrowed her eyes and joined. "I wager ten taels of gold on Senior Brother Yin."

The two disciples froze, likely mistaking her for a sect member. Hesitating, they realized her hefty bet dwarfed their cleanup wager as childish.

Gritting their teeth, one declared, "I’ll bet one tael on Qiao Brother!"

"Two taels from me!"

"Three taels here!"

The sparring match devolved into a betting frenzy. Ye Qingshang, the instigator, showed no remorse, even directing someone to set up a simple betting table.

Qiao Ren’s ten wins drew overwhelming cheers. Most blindly backed him, leaving Senior Brother Yin’s betting area nearly empty—less than ten percent of the total.

Ye Qingshang scanned the scene, eyes gleaming. At this rate, she stood to make a fortune.

She’d bet on Senior Brother Yin because she’d deduced Qiao Ren’s secret: his winning streak stemmed not from improved cultivation, but potions boosting his spiritual power.

Having a Medicine Hall top disciple as a sister made such tactics effortless.

"Divide your spiritual power into three streams, strike Tian Shu," Ye Qingshang said.

Senior Brother Yin possessed formidable spiritual power, but likely due to his rapid cultivation progress, he hadn’t fully adapted to it. His attacks lacked coordination. Without Ye Qingshang’s reminder, he would’ve been knocked off the platform by Qiao Ren the very next moment.

If Senior Brother Yin lost, Ye Qingshang would forfeit her ten taels of gold. She had to guide him from the sidelines!

"Shift left half an inch, full offensive."

Senior Brother Yin obeyed, adjusting half an inch. His spiritual power struck Qiao Ren’s left shoulder squarely. The sudden sharp pain made Qiao Ren dizzy. Recognizing who had given the command fueled his anger, stripping him of his usual eloquence. "You!" he snapped. "This violates martial ethics! Who asked for your interference?!"

Ye Qingshang ignored him. Qiao Ren had taken performance-enhancing elixirs first – *that* was the true injustice. Yet here he was, accusing others. Besides, if Senior Brother Yin were truly weak, even her guidance couldn’t have secured victory.

"Right foot up, manifest barrier, ground split, break!"

As her words fell, the match concluded.

She blinked innocently, retrieving her winnings. Hmm… her luck held today. A simple outing had yielded a tidy profit.

Qiao Ren stormed off the platform. "Ye Qingshang! Don’t push it!"

"Ha." She snorted. "Do as I say, not as I do? How impressive. How exactly did you rack up those ten consecutive wins? Feeling insecure about it now?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Qiao Ren knew he’d met his match. His bluster faltered, but indignation burned. He rallied the crowd instead. "An outsider from the Frostbite Sect, what gives you the right to command our sect’s disciples? Who do you think you are? Organizing betting pools? Inciting disciples to break sect rules? What’s your game?!"

"She’s from the Frostbite Sect?"

"Why is Frostbite Sect meddling here?"

"Exactly! Give the money back!"

Murmurs rippled through the onlookers.

Ye Qingshang clenched her right fist behind her back, knuckles white. Unexpectedly, a hand enveloped hers. Warmth radiated from the touch, carrying a familiar presence. Her lips curved into an involuntary smile.

Smugness filled Qiao Ren. With public opinion turning, surely Ye Qingshang couldn’t escape censure. Suddenly, he spotted a figure emerging behind her. A bone-chilling cold washed over him from head to toe.

*Ice straight to the core.*

How had he forgotten? Ye Qingshang wasn’t alone in the Yunshan Sect. A powerful guardian stood by her.

"Gambling. Stirring trouble. Your audacity knows no bounds!" The voice, magnetic, vibrated with controlled fury.

Qiao Ren shivered.