The entire crowd of onlookers from across the room was now watching the situation closely. Even if not everyone had been interested in the children's argument at first, it was now impossible to ignore.

  May took a deep breath. She knew she had to be careful in both her actions and words. Unlike her opponent, her status was too low to make mistakes. She had to handle this delicately, in a way that wouldn't make her too many enemies.

  Of course, resolving this through dialogue alone was no longer possible. However, in the current situation, as long as she didn't go too far, people would be on her side. He was the aggressor, and she was the guardian of justice. There were too many witnesses to deny it.

  “Why are you silent? Is there something wrong with your head?” He mocked her with a sneer. “I'm asking you who you are and why you stopped me?!”

  “May Shang, at your service,” she said with a mocking bow. Laughter rippled through the crowd.

  The boy smiled brightly, but May could tell she had gotten under his skin. He clearly hadn’t expected anyone to step in. Unfortunately for him, May couldn’t have cared less about public opinion.

  “Yes… I’ve heard of you,” he said coldly, his tone edged with hostility. “The third prodigy at the sixth stage. But in the end, it’s obvious you’re from the Outer Court, you lack sophistication.”

  May scoffed. He might have been able to intimidate Zu Chen, but she had no intention of being cowed by such feeble jabs. In the end, he was nothing more than an arrogant child.

  “I lack sophistication?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I wonder what kind of audacity it takes to verbally attack Zu Chen who is celebrating her birthday, and then try to strike her even though she’s done absolutely nothing to you despite your insults!” Her voice carried clearly, ensuring everyone around could hear her words. “If anyone here lacks refinement, I’m afraid it’s you.”

  “You might not realize it since you’re from the Outer Court, but you’re the one who’s broken the rules here!” he said, spreading his arms with a smug grin.

  “May… that’s enough,” Zu Chen said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  May shook her head. It was far too late to back down now. Whether this was the right decision or not didn’t matter, if she withdrew now, she’d be the one showing weakness. She couldn’t let herself be intimidated.

  “You’re talking about the right to a duel, aren’t you?” May asked the boy. “If so, then yes, you had the right to challenge her. But she also had the right to refuse.”

  The boy stepped closer, and the crowd parted for him. He stood right in front of May, towering over her slightly, just enough to give him that false sense of superiority.

  “She did. But you had no right to interfere between us."

  “And that’s where you’re wrong,” May replied, placing her fist against his chest and shoving him back with full force. He stumbled a step, clearly shocked that she was strong enough to push him away. “When she refused, you still tried to attack her. You overstepped your rights.”

  The boy’s expression darkened. “Do you even know who I am? My name is Yifan Wu! Are you sure you want to keep going, knowing that?”

  May let out a derisive snort, laughing under her breath. So when intimidation failed, he tried the next predictable tactic: hiding behind his family name.

  Still, she tried to recall what she knew about his clan, and about him in particular. Shui Gai had taught her nearly everything there was to know, which was both a blessing and a curse; there was simply too much to remember at once.

  Wu clan… aside from the patriarch, there’s no one particularly noteworthy. But Yifan… hmm, yes. I remember something. He was considered the most talented of his generation… Until the twins appeared… and then me.

  At last, May understood why he was angry. It was childish, but then again, what else could she expect from someone his age?

  “Oh, I see,” May said with a mocking smile. “You’re upset because you’re no longer the great prodigy you once were, aren’t you? You’re not even in the top three anymore. Ha! With that attitude, you won’t get very far.”

  Her words mirrored his earlier insults, though her tone was dripping with irony. The boy was practically seething with rage, but May went on unfazed: “Maybe if you focused more on cultivation instead of wallowing in jealousy, you wouldn’t be falling so far behind.”

  The boy stared at her in disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust his own ears. She found his outraged expression rather amusing. May knew that in just a moment, she would be challenged to a duel, and that was precisely her intention. Her victory, and his humiliating defeat, would draw the guests’ attention away from Zu’s embarrassment and earn May some renown of her own.

  Yet to her surprise, Yifan Wu turned not to her, but to Zu Chen. May frowned; she hadn’t expected that.

  “How pathetic,” he said, dragging out each word with venomous disdain. “That some reject from the Outer Court has to defend you. Tell me, aren’t you ashamed?”

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  Zu Chen remained silent. Once again, the disapproving gazes of the crowd fell upon her, condemning her cowardly quietness.

  May had had enough of this farce. “That’s enough,” she said, her voice sharp with authority. “Young Master Yifan Wu, I can no longer bear your arrogance. I challenge you to an official duel!”

  The crowd reacted with excitement. The old drunkards and young troublemakers alike had been waiting for the first fight of the evening. After all, what kind of gathering would it be without at least one quarrel ending in a brawl?

  A roar spread through the hall. Applause, whistles, and shouts filled the air.

  “So be it, then. There’s a decent arena outside,” Yifan said, accepting her challenge, just as May had expected.

  He then turned and walked away, feigning complete indifference to the situation. The curious onlookers followed, eager to witness the fight.

  May, however, lingered for a moment, scanning the room. Zu hadn’t moved; she sat still, eyes cast downward, her face shadowed by quiet despair. May sighed, she didn’t have time for this now. She turned away, trying to spot Peng, but he was nowhere to be found.

  Their father, on the other hand, had vanished…

  Earlier, he had been watching the entire scene from afar, yet now it seemed he had lost interest. May suspected he was likely contemplating how best to punish his daughter.

  ───── ??☆?? ─────

  May stretched her limbs in preparation for the duel. The start of the match was only a matter of minutes. The guests had already settled comfortably to watch the entire fight. Normally, a battle between two youngsters would not have been particularly exciting for anyone, but this time things were different.

  Reaching the sixth stage of Qi Refinement before even joining the academy was an extraordinary feat, something that happened only rarely and almost always marked a person destined for greatness. Moreover, this person was an unknown girl from the Outer Court, shrouded in mystery.

  Her opponent, on the other hand, was Yifan Wu, once regarded as the most talented of his generation and a member of an influential clan. Even though he was one stage below her, at this level of cultivation that difference meant little.

  In a real fight, victory was never decided solely by one’s cultivation rank. Reaction speed, mastery of technique, strategic thinking, self-control, and hundreds of other small factors could all determine the outcome of the battle.

  May was fully aware of this, and despite her theoretical advantage she refused to underestimate her opponent. After all, he had once been hailed as the best of his generation for a reason. She was not facing an ordinary opponent.

  "Hey, before we begin... could you explain something to me?" May started, addressing him directly. He looked at her with mild curiosity and shrugged, signaling that she could speak. May smiled faintly. “Could you please tell me if you have even a single logical reason for deciding to make enemies of the twins?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "They are rare geniuses, certain to accomplish great things in the future, yet you chose to verbally and then physically attack one of those prodigies of our generation."

  The boy’s expression darkened. His face twisted with anger, and he began to breathe heavily, utterly outraged by her words.

  "If you think they'll achieve great things, you're sorely mistaken," he said through clenched teeth, his voice thick with anger. "Their father pours all of the clan’s resources into them, the most expensive pills, rare herbs brought in from other regions, advanced techniques, everything money can buy. This way, the beginning would be easy for everyone, but over time they will run out of money and the twins era also will come to an end!"

  May was disappointed by his words. In the end, he was just a child who didn’t understand how things truly worked, most likely repeating what he had heard from other envious people.

  Money could indeed achieve a great deal, yet reaching the sixth stage of Qi Refinement required far more than wealth alone. It demanded both pure talent and relentless effort. And as for his claim that their father was investing precious resources into the twins, that was impossible. May already knew well enough how their father treated his own children. His statement was so pitiful that she could not help but find it almost pathetic.

  "Very well, but let’s suppose, for example, that there is even a one percent chance you are wrong," she said sincerely, hoping to make him think. "That maybe their success comes from something more than expensive resources, perhaps from talent or hard work. Is it really worth the risk, then? What if they become elders of the sect one day? What will you do then? Because I would say that chance isn’t as small as you think."

  The boy fell silent for a moment and stared straight at May. After a while he cleared his throat and answered, "You are wrong. They do not have that something needed to become elders of the sect."

  May sighed. The matter seemed hopeless.

  "Even if we assume you are right, you are still taking an unnecessary risk. If you had simply ignored them and said nothing, then whether they succeed or not, nothing about your life would change," she replied, trying to speak sense into him. "But you chose to make lifelong enemies of them. If you are right, you gain nothing, but if you are wrong and twins achieve great success in cultivation... Haha, then you are really screwed."

  The boy flushed at her words and a soft laughter began to ripple through the watching crowd. He felt mortally insulted. He erupted into a shout like the child he essentially was, which only made the scene more absurd.

  "What if? What would happen? Did you think about…? Who do you think you are, a clairvoyant? You do not even know what you are talking about and you just babble and babble and babble and your mouth will not shut for a moment!" he yelled at her angrily, gesturing nervously with his hands. "Stop talking already and let us finally start the fight because I cannot wait to smash that stupid face of yours!"

  "And now you are doing the same to me."

  Yifan Wu clenched his fists, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, barely able to contain his impatience for the fight to start. Hearing her words, he snapped: "Just shut up already."

  "There are only three people in the entire sect who reached the sixth stage before entering the academy," May continued calmly. "And somehow, you’ve managed to provoke all three of them."

  "So what?" he barked, his voice rising. Do you think that when you gain power, you’ll destroy me? You really believe I’ll let that happen? I’ll show you just how vast the difference between us truly is, you little village girl!"

  May couldn’t help but smile at his outburst. She shook her head in pity and let out a quiet sigh.

  "In that case, I’ll show you why you should never underestimate your opponent," she said, lowering herself into her fighting stance.

  A heavy silence fell over the arena. No one dared even to breathe.

  When the tension finally reached its peak, the signal to begin the duel echoed across the grounds. Yifan Wu charged toward her with all his strength.