As I fought with Xu Yunfei, I kept a close watch on her. We traded blows—hand to hand. She was exactly as I'd been told: a genius, gifted in cultivation, precise in execution. She was focused, locked in, determined to find the edges of her own strength—and her weakness. Confident, competitive, relentless. Not once did she let me lose focus. She gave me no room for distraction. This battle was everything.
I found an opening—but didn't take it. Not right away. On purpose.
She didn't hesitate. She aimed a kick at my face.
I dodged and struck the joint of her leg.
She pivoted and kicked with the other foot. It landed.
I kicked back.
She blocked it, but the force drove her back.
I clapped my hands—toward her.
"You're efficient," I said. "But be careful. Confidence is good—until someone uses it against you. That same confidence leaves openings you don't mean to show. You just want to win."
"Thank you for telling me that," she replied. "But why do I feel like you're holding back? That kick shouldn't have landed. I've hit you a few times—but so have you. It's like you let me strike, then respond."
"Does that bother you?" I asked.
"A little," she said. "It makes me think you don't see me as a real challenge. After all, I'm the saintess of my sect—I have to show face. And you're the number one disciple of yours. But then again… I'm not surprised. I've heard things about you. I know I'm not your equal. Not yet. But that doesn't mean I don't want to get stronger. I do. And I want to face you again—next time, for real."
"I admire your determination," I said. "You're competitive. That's clear as day." I tossed her a dagger. "Let's try close-quarters." I didn't wait. I went for her face. She caught my fist and redirected me to the ground. I planted my hand, twisted, and threw the dagger at her. She blocked it. I reclaimed the blade and struck again—aiming for her face. She shifted, ready to go on the offensive. But I dropped the dagger, caught it mid-fall, moved behind her, and pressed the blade near her throat. I could smell her perfume.
She was flexible—able to lift her leg high enough to kick near my face, even with the dagger at her throat. I moved out of the way. She spun, kicked again. I dodged. She did it a third time. I blocked it. Then she threw the dagger—copied my move exactly—and put me in the same position I'd put her in.
I slid my foot behind her ankle and kicked. We fell. I caught my dagger before it hit the ground. She did the same. I pressed the blade to her throat. She mirrored me—her dagger at mine.
I looked at her. She really would be a great asset to our sect—if she joined. Of course, I'd have to wait. Lingxue said we'd talk more about that later, once the plan was in motion. The idea was simple: convince them to betray their Xu family, make them the only surviving branch, and bring them into our fold. The Blackdragon Sect had ordered us to eliminate the nine families of the Broken Genesis Empire. Lingxue said exceptions could be made—if they swore loyalty to our sect.
She looked at me with a serious expression—then leaned in and kissed me near the cheek. A moment later, she tried to turn it against me, but I stopped it before it happened. She just smiled. "I thought that would work. I'm glad I asked you for a challenge."
We were interrupted by clapping. "Impressive, both of you," said a voice. "Shen, you challenged my sister—but she's right. You hold back too much. That only makes you more dangerous. My sister has a long way to go before she can match someone of your skill." I turned. He was tall, well-built, and good-looking. It had to be Xu Yansheng—the next heir of the Xu patriarch. My other target. The one we planned to convince to betray his family. He was honourable—but to whom? I saw the woman beside him. Attractive. That must be his second wife—his childhood friend. The one he clearly held dear. His first wife, Lingling, wasn't around. She was probably with Xu Xiao again. He knew about the affair. But Yansheng didn't seem to care. He must have his reasons.
He probably knew the child she was carrying wasn't his. I wouldn't need to ask if he wanted her alive or not. There had to be a reason he hadn't divorced her—and she hadn't left him, either. It didn't matter. If killing her secured his loyalty—alongside his younger half-sister Xu Yunfei—I'd do it.
Xu Yunfei started blushing. He'd clearly seen her kiss me on the cheek, but didn't mention it—at first. "Shen, the number one disciple of the Blackdragon Sect," he said. "My sister's become one of your fan girls. Ever since she heard how you won the title, she wouldn't shut up about wanting to meet you, challenge you, and—hopefully—become your equal." "Brother, shut up. Be quiet, please," she said. He laughed. "Apologies, little sister. I thought you made it clear enough when you kissed him on the cheek." He turned to me. "You're a lucky man, Shen. My little sister's very popular in our sect. She's the number one beauty—and the most talented female disciple we have."
"Really," I said. "I'm surprised. I'm a plain-looking man. Didn't expect to have a fan club of girls."
"From what I've heard," he replied, "your charm and bed skills say otherwise. You're talented, strong—women admire that. A few might ignore the plain looks. But my sister seems to like you for your looks."
"Big brother, be quiet. You've talked enough," she snapped.
He laughed. "I'm curious what she sees in you, Shen—but who am I to judge? She's known as a cold beauty, just like her mother was when she held the title of saintess in our sect. My father wasn't unattractive, but he wasn't the most handsome man in our sect. That was my uncle—the one who tried to marry her mother. My father killed him. She chose my father anyway. Because she genuinely liked him. Seems my sister inherited her taste in men from her mother."
"Brother, I swear—if you keep talking such nonsense, I'll kill you myself."
He laughed at her. "Honestly, little sister, such a temper. How could you threaten your own brother? We might be half-siblings, but we're close nonetheless. And Father wouldn't be pleased if you killed me—since I'm the heir of the Xu family, next in line to be patriarch."
His second wife finally spoke. "Yansheng, stop teasing your sister. It was lovely to meet you finally, Shen Wuyin. We'll be heading off now. Goodbye."
"Let's go, Yansheng."
He chuckled and left, hand in hand with her. They were clearly close. You could tell.
I looked at Xu Yunfei. She was blushing like a tomato. "I'm sorry about my big brother. He's so annoying—honestly, always saying nonsense."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," I said. "I have to go. I need to speak with Lingxue."
"I see. Thank you for today. I hope to practice with you again soon."
"You will," I said. "I promise."
I knocked on Lingxue's door. It was clear what she was doing. When it finally opened, six men stood there—tall, handsome, worn out. They wore the Xu family emblem. They looked at me. I looked down on them. Lingxue was naked. She didn't care that I saw. She was confident—in her body, in her looks. She stepped into the hot tub to bathe. I waited. When she emerged, she dressed in her cultivation robes, tied her hair, and sat on her ice throne, sipping tea.
"So, Shen," she said. "I heard you were practising with Xu Yunfei. How was that?"
"It was fine. Anyway, I'm here to talk about how we're going to convince Xu Yansheng and Xu Yunfei. I've thought of a few solutions."
"Really?" she said. "Then tell me some."
"Well, with Xu Yansheng—it's clear he knows about his first wife's affair with his older brother, and that she's carrying his child. If he knows about that, then he must suspect Xu Xiao might try to take his second wife too. We could use that fear against him. Even if he's confident she'd never betray him—I can tell she wouldn't—that doesn't mean he's close with his brother. He probably wouldn't care if I killed them both. Xu Xiao's unpredictable. Yansheng doesn't trust him, especially given his attempts to ally with the other Xu branches. He likely wants them out of the way—not just for revenge, but to stop them from blocking his path to becoming patriarch. I can tell he knows his brother's betrayal runs deeper—an attempt to steal his title as heir."
"It amazes me," she said, "how you can know so much from a single interaction. You're a strange and frightening man, Shen. Fine—tell me. What about Xu Yunfei? How do we convince her?"
"Well," I said, "she seems interested in me. Her brother said it himself—in front of both of us. I just need time to get to know her, see where it leads. Maybe even seduce her to our side. But there's another angle. If she finally sees Xu Xiao's true nature—his obsession, his brother complex—she'll be disgusted. Their relationship will deteriorate. And once that bond breaks, she'll be ours."
"Yes, he does have a brother complex," Lingxue said. "But he also desires his own mother. I've seen the way he looks at them—lustful, possessive. He wants to taste them both. I remember him boasting they'd bear him children. That he'd make them his wives." She sipped her tea, gaze steady. "I know his mother's aware of what he feels for her. She ignores his looks, even his interactions. She probably hopes he'll grow out of it. I believe she even tried to get him help. This obsession he has—with his mother and sister—it's not new."
"But his sister is completely clueless," Lingxue said. "She loves her brother deeply. It would break her—shatter her—to learn what he truly desires. That kind of betrayal doesn't just wound. It rots the bond from the inside."