Chapter Twenty: The Enchantress of the Demon Sect and the Serene Buddhist Disciple (6)

The young novice nuns couldn’t help but speak up, but Master Ci had been a nun for decades—surely she understood this principle? Thinking of this, Fan Sijin smiled.

On the opposite side of the arena, the fight was in full swing when suddenly a series of “gurgling” sounds arose—someone was hungry.

Xiao Xiao was momentarily stunned, then paused his attack and threw his head back in laughter. His casual yet alluring demeanor was utterly captivating.

After laughing his fill, he covered his mouth and feigned surprise. “Master, are you hungry? How is it that at this martial arts assembly, there is nothing to eat?”

Master Ci’s perpetually expressionless face flushed deep red with anger. With a flick of her whisk, she snapped, “Impure soul, be silent!”

Master Ci was hungry and being mocked by this ambiguous creature. Though those present refrained from laughing out of respect for the Emei Sect, many from the martial world couldn’t help but chuckle.

If she didn’t kill this person today, how could she maintain her standing in the martial world? The reputation of the Emei Sect would be utterly ruined!

No matter what, she had to kill this ambiguous impure soul!

Seeing Master Ci’s fierce assault, Xiao Xiao dared not be careless. He had to give his all. In terms of martial skill, he was no match for Master Ci.

Moreover, having just mocked her, she surely intended to tear him limb from limb, leaving no room for mercy.

With this in mind, Xiao Xiao abandoned his usual nonchalant attitude and fought seriously.

He unleashed a ruthless force, combining hidden weapons with internal energy, aiming to deliver a full-strength palm strike from behind her. Unexpectedly, Master Ci’s reaction was lightning-fast. Their palms clashed, and he was forced to retreat several steps, unable to overpower her.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Xiao Xiao felt a pang of regret. He had thought his earlier mockery would shatter Master Ci’s spirit, but instead, she transformed her anger into palm power, showing no mercy, radiating lethal intent!

Today, he feared he would fall.

For a time, only the whizzing of colliding hidden weapons and the indistinct figures on the arena could be heard. After nearly a quarter of an hour, finally one person stumbled out of the circle and collapsed heavily at the edge of the platform.

It was Xiao Xiao.

He had the advantage in hidden weaponry but was still lacking in martial prowess.

---

Having won the exchange, Master Ci was ready to take his life. She shouted, “Impure soul, prepare to die!”

With a flick of her whisk and drawing the treasured sword from her waist, she thrust it straight at Xiao Xiao.

Danger! Xiao Xiao clenched his chest, struggling against the surging blood and qi. His reckless actions today had brought this upon himself!

He had hoped to gain some justice for Tan Tan, expecting an easy victory, but instead, he was about to lose his very life at the hands of this old nun.

Closing his eyes, he prepared to accept his fate, already feeling the sharp sword edge slicing through a lock of his black hair, aimed at his neck.

But... strangely, he did not die!

Startled, he opened his eyes to see a slender, delicate figure standing between him and the sword. Upon closer look, the maiden’s palm wind was blocking Master Ci’s long sword!

At that moment, the girl looked back at him and said, “You’re tired. Let me fight for you, okay?”

She winked playfully—truly enchanting. Even someone as cold-blooded as him couldn’t help but be dazzled by that smile.

He didn’t know who she was, but from her attire, he had a good guess.

Her clothes were typical of Miao territory, and judging by her age—around fifteen or sixteen—if he was right, she must be the daughter of the cult leader, destined to become the Left Protector, Fan Sijin, who would fight alongside him in the future.

But the leader had said their young lady wouldn’t arrive in the Central Plains for at least another half month. How was she here now?

With one hand she blocked Master Ci’s sword edge, then with her free hand she pulled a small black, hard object from her clothes and casually tossed it toward Xiao Xiao. “Swallow this.”

Xiao Xiao caught it without hesitation, swallowing the black object immediately. Instantly, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. The chaotic internal energy in his chest began to calm. This black thing was a rare and precious healing medicine!

If it weren’t Fan Sijin, no one would believe such a tactic.

“You?!” Master Ci thought she had victory assured, but unexpectedly, an unexpected challenger had appeared! Now, new grudges joined old hatreds.

“You demoness!” she spat, flicking her whisk to strike Fan Sijin.

---

This sudden turn stunned everyone. Who was this girl who could easily block Master Ci’s killing move? And her attire, so close to the cult’s style—how was she connected to them?

Though Master Ci called her a demoness, the girl’s delicate, picturesque features and charming, lively aura seemed anything but demonic.

What followed shocked everyone even more. Master Ci wielded both whisk and sword—tools she rarely used together. When she did, even immortals could not dodge her attacks.

Yet this girl blocked it single-handedly!

Not only that, under the force of her palm wind, the whisk’s strands stood upright. With a slight movement, the whisk wrapped around the sword, and with another breath of energy, Master Ci was forced back several steps, retreating to the edge of the arena.

Where had such a martial prodigy appeared from?

Master Ci, as if deeply humiliated, glared viciously at Fan Sijin and shouted, “Little demoness! Bring me the antidote!”

As she shouted, the Emei nuns drew their swords, surrounding the entire arena, all pointed at Fan Sijin.

“Want the antidote?” Fan Sijin tilted her head, teasing Master Ci, “Then beg me.”

Honestly, Master Ci was merely extreme, unreasonable, domineering, and sharp-tongued—not a likable person, but she had not committed truly heinous acts. Many lives on her hands were of villains, though some were mistakenly killed. Overall, she was hardly a villain.

Yet Fan Sijin despised her heartlessness. Though a nun, she bore no mercy. The Buddhist teachings speak of wrathful deities, sacrifice for compassion, but Master Ci was overcorrected—ready to kill with a single sword thrust over a careless joke. Such temperament was unfit for a nun.

“Don’t think you’ll escape this martial arts assembly today!”

“I’m not trying to escape,” Fan Sijin said innocently, then looked at Xiao Xiao. “Feeling better after taking it?”

Xiao Xiao tried to channel his internal energy and was overjoyed.

“Completely recovered!” Even the fatigue from his earlier battle with the Five Mountain Hero had vanished. He felt invigorated!

“What exactly did you give me just now?” he finally remembered to ask.