Chapter 19: How Could You Be So Cold-Blooded?

"Senior Sister Li!" Ye Zhaozhao cried, her face a mask of grievance. "We agreed to a duel of swordsmanship, so what’s the meaning of people from Heartless Peak suddenly ganging up on us? Brother Shen is injured this badly, and you don’t feel a shred of guilt? And what about me? I was just standing peacefully outside the ring, and Senior Sister Jiang used her superior strength to attack me. Was all of this your doing, Senior Sister Li?"

As Ye Zhaozhao spoke, tears streamed down her face. With red-rimmed eyes, she stared at Li Shuang. "Senior Sister Li! Do you really resent us this much? You’ve never liked me, so I don’t care how you treat me. But Brother Shen... He’s been waiting for you to return to Lingxu Peak this whole time! It’s one thing that you refuse to come back, but why... why have someone beat him to this state!"

The hand Ye Zhaozhao used to support Shen Yue was trembling, as if she were deeply indignant on his behalf.

Shen Yue remained silent.

He knew his junior sister was standing up for him. In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from joining her in questioning Li Shuang.

But this time,

it felt as if something was lodged in his chest, and he was unable to speak for a long moment.

Ye Zhaozhao was waiting for Shen Yue to fly into a rage. But when he didn’t react for a long time, she glanced at him and pressed on, "Brother Shen, if you feel wronged, speak up! With so many people here, someone is bound to stand up for you!"

Shen Yue said nothing, only continuing to stare dazedly at Li Shuang.

Liu Juncheng sneered and said, "Him, wronged? We agreed to a duel of swordsmanship, but he suddenly used his Spiritual Power. By the rules, he lost the moment he did that! If she hadn’t reacted in time, has he ever considered what would have happened to Li Shuang if that attack had landed? He dared to bully someone from my Heartless Peak. What’s wrong with me teaching him a lesson for Little Frost!"

Liu Juncheng looked directly at Jiang Rongyi. "Brother Jiang, you witnessed this fight. How about you judge who is right and who is wrong! If you find me at fault, I will gladly accept the punishment."

Just as Jiang Rongyi was about to speak,

Li Shuang stepped forward and said, "Brother Jiang, Brother Liu only intervened because he was indignant on my behalf. If there is any punishment, I will take full responsibility."

Watching this unfold, Shen Yue’s face grew even paler.

Liu Juncheng hadn’t held back at all when he attacked him. Even now, the qi and blood within his body were roiling violently.

In the past,

if she had seen him injured, Eldest Senior Sister would have been beside herself with worry.

He still remembered.

When he had just joined the sect, disciples from another peak bullied him and left a small scratch on his face.

It wasn’t serious, barely even an injury, but Eldest Senior Sister had been furious. She had marched him right over to their peak to confront them.

「That day.」

In the Martial Arts Arena, Eldest Senior Sister took on three of them at once, thrashing them so thoroughly that no one else from their peak dared to fight.

In the end,

she didn’t relent until she had forced those disciples to apologize to him.

’But what about now?’

’Eldest Senior Sister.’

’Please, just look at me.’

’I’m so badly hurt. There’s even blood on the ground where I coughed it up.’

’Why...’

’Why won’t you spare me a single glance?’

Shen Yue’s footing suddenly felt unsteady.

The Li Shuang who once protected him was now protecting someone else.

A tumultuous wave crashed through Shen Yue’s heart, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Ye Zhaozhao quickly cried out, "Do you see that? Look how badly Brother Shen is hurt! Brother Jiang, you must render a fair judgment!"

Jiang Rongyi, however, spoke with perfect fairness. "Shen Yue was the first to show intent to harm. If we look at this whole affair from the beginning, both sides are to blame. My suggestion is that you each take a step back and let the matter be."

"Just let it be?" Ye Zhaozhao grew anxious. "Li Shuang is completely unharmed, but Second Senior Brother is severely injured! How can this be the end of it? I absolutely refuse—"

"Zhaozhao!" Shen Yue grabbed her arm forcefully.

Ye Zhaozhao froze.

His face pale, Shen Yue said slowly, "We’ll do as Brother Jiang suggests."

He stared intently at Li Shuang.

He refused to believe that Eldest Senior Sister truly didn’t care about him at all anymore.

’Will she really not even spare me a single glance?’

As Shen Yue finished speaking, Li Shuang did indeed turn to look at him.

A flicker of hope sparked in his eyes.

But Li Shuang merely gave an indifferent nod. "I agree as well."

The light in Shen Yue’s eyes dimmed, bit by bit.

’Eldest Senior Sister... Does she have nothing else to say? Not even a single word of concern for me?’

Jiang Rongyi nodded. "The two incidents cancel each other out. The result of this duel... is that Li Shuang is the victor. As per the terms of your bet, Shen Yue’s storage bag now belongs to Li Shuang."

A flicker of anxiety crossed Ye Zhaozhao’s eyes.

’Li Shuang didn’t just win, she got a huge prize out of it,’ she thought. ’Doesn’t that mean things will just keep going her way?’

’And if things go her way, that means they’ll go badly for me, doesn’t it?’

Ye Zhaozhao spoke up again. "Senior Sister Li! That’s everything Brother Shen owns! If you take it all, what is he supposed to do? You were fellow disciples, after all! Can you really be this cold-blooded?"

Li Shuang calmly accepted the storage bag from Jiang Rongyi, then glanced dispassionately at Shen Yue. "A bet is a bet. Junior Shen, do you have any objections?"

Ye Zhaozhao looked at Shen Yue expectantly.

Shen Yue’s lips were white. After a long moment, he shook his head. "No objections."

Li Shuang nodded and put the storage bag away.

"Let’s go, Junior Sister." Luo Mingyue smiled. "We’re flush with Spirit Stones now. I’ll take you for a look around the workshop."

Li Shuang agreed.

The group from Heartless Peak promptly left the Martial Arts Arena.

Throughout the entire exchange, Li Shuang never gave Shen Yue a second glance.

Shen Yue watched Li Shuang’s retreating figure until it vanished completely. Only then did his body sway, and he nearly collapsed.

"Second Senior Brother!" Ye Zhaozhao exclaimed, holding him steady. "How could you just let them off like that? Senior Sister Li clearly can’t stand to see you thrive; she did this on purpose! She only won this time because she knows you too well! If..."

"Zhaozhao," Shen Yue interrupted her softly. "A bet is a bet."

His expression was dazed.

Ye Zhaozhao was an outsider; maybe she couldn’t see it clearly.

But he had been in the thick of the fight, and he was keenly aware of the world of difference between his Swordsmanship and Li Shuang’s.

In hindsight, all of Eldest Senior Sister’s past guidance had been perfectly on point, hitting the nail on the head every time.

Images flashed before his eyes: one moment, Li Shuang teaching him with patient earnestness; the next, her cold, indifferent gaze from moments before.

Suddenly,

a sharp pain shot through his heart. Shen Yue coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed, unconscious.

"Second Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother!" Ye Zhaozhao cried, her face a mask of panic, but inwardly, she was thrilled.

’Oh, this was perfect.’

’Shen Yue was so provoked by Li Shuang that he coughed up blood and passed out. When I get back and embellish the story a little, there’s no way Master and the other senior brothers won’t be furious!’

’Li Shuang!’

’I refuse to believe you can stay this heartless forever!’