"Master!" Ye Danxia's eyes lit up as she looked pleadingly toward Zhao Wuji.
Yun Jin was a sword cultivator. There had never been a case of a sword cultivator mastering planting techniques.
This match—Yun Jin would definitely lose.
That meant her life would be spared!
Ye Danxia even began to suspect that Yun Jin was just all bark and no bite. Maybe this bold proposal was her way of giving herself an out, a way to let Ye Danxia off the hook.
Zhao Wuji was beginning to feel the same.
He couldn't help but wonder.
Was Yun Jin out of her mind?
She had only exchanged for a few planting manuals, and now she dared to challenge a specialist after just ten days of self-study?
If this wasn't a deliberate move to spare Danxia, then what was?
"Hmph. She's finally learned to act tactfully. But it's too late."
He had not forgotten her previous defiance. Not a single word or action. When the duel came in three months, he would make sure she died without a grave.
"Sect Master," Yun Jin said, looking him in the eye. "Do you dare accept this wager? You yourself said that without Elder Ma, any planting-talented disciple not entering your tutelage would be wasting their potential. I've never studied under Elder Ma. I'm a new disciple, still wet behind the ears. If even a personal student of his can't beat someone like me, doesn't that render all your arguments worthless?"
Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed coldly. "You are arrogant beyond measure."
Yun Jin answered evenly. "I don't think it's arrogance. I'm only asking for a sliver of fairness. Will you accept, or not?"
She cast a quick glance at Ye Danxia on the ground, as if to remind Zhao Wuji that her good disciple's life now hung on his decision.
Ye Danxia bit her lip and stared at him with pleading eyes.
Yun Jin couldn't possibly win!
Zhao Wuji looked at Ye Danxia's pale face and sighed. He could forcibly spare her life, but if he did that, the sect rules would become a joke. If Yun Jin voluntarily let it go, then it would be a different matter. But for some reason, he couldn't shake his unease.
There was something strange about Yun Jin. Every time people said she couldn't do something, she somehow pulled it off. If she managed it again this time...
The losses he would suffer would be no small matter. And more than just resources, this could directly lead to every peak slipping out of his control. The consequences of that were something Yun Jin herself couldn't possibly bear.
"If even this you don't dare to accept," Yun Jin said, lifting her brow, "then I have nothing more to say. I can only assume that you never intended to let Ye Danxia live in the first place."
She wanted to see whether the same Zhao Wuji described in the book, who cherished Ye Danxia like a pearl, would still choose her now. In this moment, she hoped that Ye Danxia's heroine glow would shine brighter—bright enough to push Zhao Wuji into taking a risk just to save her.
Yes.
She was using Ye Danxia's life to force this wager into existence.
Tianxing Sect needed to change.
In her past life, Ye Danxia had committed too many sins. Let her atone for them now.
Zhao Wuji looked at Ye Danxia's pale, stricken face. After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"You are so confident? Then I accept."
Oh?
Ye Danxia was actually useful?
Yun Jin's eyes brightened. She struck while the iron was hot. "Then let us make it a contract."
These days, she brought up contracts at every turn. Mainly because—they worked.
A contract...
Zhao Wuji instinctively hesitated. "To bind someone of my cultivation would require a seventh-grade golden contract scroll. Isn't that excessive?"
"We'll provide it," Lin Ya said, pulling out a golden contract scroll.
It had been purchased in the marketplace by Chen Changrong at Yue Zhao's request.
Thanks to Yun Jin's many maneuvers, Tianjian Peak no longer lacked funds.
Zhao Wuji's expression flickered.
"Any other issues, Sect Master?" Lin Ya asked.
Zhao Wuji said coldly, "Since you came prepared, I have no objections."
Yun Jin stepped forward.
With a flick of Lin Ya's sleeve, the golden contract scroll floated between them.
Yun Jin closed her eyes. After the contents were finalized on both sides, the light of the Heavenly Dao flashed.
[Contract formed.]
"One week from now, I look forward to your grand victory," Zhao Wuji said with a mocking tone.
"Thank you for your faith in me, Sect Master. I certainly will," Yun Jin replied with a sweet smile.
Zhao Wuji gave a cold snort and turned to take Ye Danxia away.
"Wait," Yun Jin called out.
"What now?" Zhao Wuji's voice turned sharp with irritation.
"I said I'd spare her life if I lost. But as of now, she is still guilty. According to sect rules, she should be held in the Law Enforcement Hall under proper watch."
Her tone was steady and unwavering.
Ye Danxia's face turned even paler.
Zhao Wuji shot Yun Jin a frigid look. "Very well. You're really something."
"Thank you for the compliment," Yun Jin answered without hesitation.
Zhao Wuji swept his sleeve and left, not daring to look at Ye Danxia again.
He didn't understand.
How could someone like him, the Sect Master, be forced into a corner again and again by Yun Jin?
Others feared him—but Yun Jin did not. If not for the fact she was already a dead woman walking, he would have long since killed her with a single strike.
Enough!
With her newfound backing, the best time to eliminate her would be on the dueling platform.
"Danxia," Yun Jin said, gazing at her with a pitying look. "See you in ten days."
Ye Danxia couldn't say a single word.
Then Yun Jin turned to Yue Lin. "Hall Master Yue, as you know, I'm close with Junior Sister Ye. Over the next ten days, I'll be visiting her every day. If there's any sign of special treatment, if she's treated differently from other prisoners, I won't stand for it."
Yue Lin's mouth twitched.
"Heh. You two are such good sisters."
With a blank expression, he said, "The Law Enforcement Hall will carry out its duties with fairness."
Yun Jin smiled pleasantly. "Good. That sets my mind at ease."
Yue Lin flicked his sleeve. "The hearing is over. Everyone, leave!"
He didn't care if others stayed. He certainly didn't want to remain another moment. Two disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall came forward and escorted Ye Danxia away. The rest of the crowd looked as if they still hadn't had enough. Yun Jin truly lived up to her name.
What a show.
One twist after another, and even more to come!
If any of them had lived in the modern era, they'd know what this was called—serialized drama.
Each episode left a hook, keeping you glued to the next.
As the crowd slowly dispersed...
Fang Mingyue glanced at Lin Ya. "Ten days from now—I look forward to it."
Lin Ya grinned. "So do I."
She nodded, then disappeared on the spot. Huo Lie and Long Yi also gave Lin Ya a complicated look. They said nothing and vanished in turn. If Yun Jin succeeded, both of them would benefit greatly. That left them unsure whether they should hope she won—or hope she lost.
Elder Ming looked at Yun Jin, stroking his beard with satisfaction. "Xiao Yun, that was well played. Whether you win or lose, the other peaks will remember that you stood up for them. Even Huo Lie and Long Yi—look how conflicted they were just now. Win the hearts of the people, and the rest will follow."
Clearly, Elder Ming didn't truly believe Yun Jin could win. He thought she was laying the groundwork to win favor.
Yun Jin only smiled. "That's right."
Only she knew the truth.
This time—
She was playing for total victory.
She would win.
She'd claim their loyalty completely.
And Ye Danxia?
She'd pay the price she deserved.