Joining Forces

Ji Rong looked at the pale face of Dou Weiyi and nearly burst out laughing.

At this moment, her spiritual energy was depleted, and being able to use the third form, "Nirvana," was already her limit.

Although the phoenix flames were impressive to look at, they were merely an illusion, capable only of breaking through the "Cinnabar Eagle" attack. They couldn't cause any substantial harm to Dou Weiyi.

But just as the flames were about to dissipate, a sword appeared at the edge of the arena, its blade etched with a lotus flower design.

With a flutter of sleeves, silver light flashed.

Gong Yu stood before Dou Weiyi and struck out at the phoenix.

It was a delicate strike, like a lotus blooming in full glory, and the world seemed to fall into an ethereal, serene silence.

The phoenix raised its head and stared at Gong Yu, then dissolved into thousands of lotus petals.

Ji Rong, her spiritual energy completely drained, saw Gong Yu sheathe her sword and then immediately move to stand in front of her.

The fiery robe only made her pale face appear even more ghostly.

Gong Yu held her sword, her lips moving as if to speak something.

Her expression was inscrutable, but she slowly released the tightly gripped hilt of the sword and declared, "Inner Sect competition, round thirteen. Ji Rong wins."

The audience erupted in thunderous applause, as if chanting Ji Rong's name in unison.

"Senior Sister Ji Rong is amazing! Truly worthy of being the daughter of the City Lord!"

"Yes, yes! That sword, I was sweating just watching. Even Senior Sister Jiang couldn't do the Sword Saint's 'Silent Mountain and Rivers' so perfectly!"

"Senior Sister Ji Rong is truly a shining example for all of us..."

Amid the discussions from the outer sect disciples, Ji Rong remained composed, sheathed her sword, and extended a hand to the fallen Dou Weiyi, saying, "Junior Sister Dou, thank you for the match."

Dou Weiyi, still shaken, was filled with resentment and hatred toward Ji Rong. But when she saw the outstretched hand, she hesitated for a moment before reluctantly reaching out and clasping it.

Her fingers were delicate, smooth, and flawless, like magnolia petals.

Dou Weiyi stood up, but a faint blush crept up her ears.

Ji Rong observed her awkward expression, finding it rather amusing.

Then Dou Weiyi abruptly pulled her hand away and stepped back, unwillingly saying, "This time, I lost. You're lucky. Next time, I won't hold back."

Ji Rong: "..."

What nonsense is she talking about? It doesn't seem like she was holding back in the first place.

The electronic sound rang out again.

[Beep! Congratulations, player! Dou Weiyi's favorability +15, Gong Yu's favorability +10, Ye Chuyang's favorability +10, Prestige +20, People's Hearts +10.]

Ji Rong had the odd feeling that the assistant was adding points in a haphazard way. She couldn't help but sigh: It's so easy to gain favor with NPCs, unlike the unpredictable favor of certain people...

Meanwhile, the person Ji Rong was silently cursing, Gu Baiyi, sat in the audience.

She watched Ji Rong extend her hand to Dou Weiyi, her face calm, but her gaze involuntarily turning cold.

Dou Weiyi looked unnatural, while Ji Rong's expression remained as indifferent as ever, as if she cared for nothing.

For some reason, when Gu Baiyi saw the hands of the two—one pale and one red—clasping each other, she found the scene unsettling.

It was like witnessing shattered snow on the jade steps of the Wanjian Sect, with blood scattered across the ground.

A sense of irritability and bitterness surged within her, as if countless hands from the mire were dragging her, screaming, pushing her toward an endless abyss.

Gu Baiyi shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

After a while, she slowly opened her eyes again, flashing a gentle smile as if nothing had happened.

After all, she was destined to walk into the darkness, just a matter of time.

[Beep! Gu Baiyi's favorability -10.]

Ji Rong: "?"

What did I do this time?

In the midst of the noise, Ji Rong looked up to the audience and saw a figure clad in apricot-colored robes, sitting high above. The person wore a gentle smile, a picture of grace and serenity.

The smile was elegant, like a clear, moonlit night.

Ji Rong met the heroine's gaze, and one thought crossed her mind:

What a pure, beautiful white lotus, pretending to be innocent in front of me.

But Ji Rong liked how the heroine clearly wanted to kill her yet still pretended to be gentle and innocent. It greatly satisfied her vanity as the villain.

Thus, Ji Rong's usually cold eyes softened a little.

She smiled at Gu Baiyi, intending to show her "Bring it on, I'm not afraid of you" with a sly grin.

But to Gu Baiyi, it appeared as something entirely different.

The woman's gaze was distant, indifferent, but in the blink of an eye, a faint smile appeared on her face.

It was subtle, but Gu Baiyi could clearly tell that Ji Rong wasn't smiling at anyone in the arena. Her eyes cut through the crowd and landed carelessly on her.

It was hard to describe the feeling. It was like a soft breeze brushing against her, feathers grazing her heart, making Gu Baiyi's breath catch for a moment.

She found herself defeated, stiffly turning her head, awkwardly shifting her gaze.

Ji Rong looked at Gu Baiyi's mechanical movements and frowned.

Looks like the villain's smile really has some power.

[Beep! Gu Baiyi's favorability +15.]

Ji Rong: "..."

The heroine's crazy, I want to run.

Of course, the thought of running lasted only a moment before Ji Rong got lost in the thrill of dominating the competition.

"Round 36, Ji Rong wins the Inner Sect competition!"

Ji Rong watched as wave after wave of disciples climbed onto the stage, only to leave in defeat moments later. It gave her a sense of invincibility, as if no one could challenge her.

Her score stood out prominently, ranked just behind Gu Baiyi, with an astonishing 460 points.

It truly felt like she had seen everything the world had to offer.

Though she was crushing everyone, Ji Rong had fought 23 rounds and was starting to feel a bit tired.

And continuing on would likely make her enemies out of all her fellow disciples.

So, when Wei Zongqiu appeared on the stage with dozens of high-level talisman papers, Ji Rong decided to call it a day and said, "I concede."

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Ji Rong felt that Gong Yu seemed to show a hint of regret in her expression.

Gong Yu then announced, "Round 37, Wei Zongqiu wins the Inner Sect competition."

Wei Zongqiu scratched his nose, seemingly surprised that he had won without lifting a finger.

...

Ji Rong happily stepped down from the stage, gazing at the clear sky above, feeling at ease and content.

After stepping out of the heroine's shadow, the path of the villain seemed to open up clearly before her.

Just as Ji Rong was marveling at the beauty of the world, the road ahead was blocked by two people deep in conversation.

These two were no strangers to her—one was stiff and awkward, the other cunning. They were, of course, the male lead and the heroine, whose connection had nothing to do with her.

Ji Rong felt relieved. Finally, the male lead and the heroine were beginning to follow the storyline of building a brotherly bond. It seemed the main plot hadn't completely fallen apart after all.

But when the two suddenly turned around and looked at her in unison, Ji Rong felt a chill run down her back and instinctively sensed something ominous.

Gu Baiyi wore a gentle smile and softly asked Ye Chuyang, "Junior Brother Ye, are you here to find this senior sister?"

Ye Chuyang looked at Ji Rong, slowly and seriously nodding.

Ji Rong: "?"

No way, we don't even know each other.

But Ye Chuyang's solemn expression seemed to say, Yes, we're well acquainted.

Ji Rong glanced at Ye Chuyang. Although she recognized him as the infamous tool-character male lead, she still furrowed her brows and said, "I don't know you."

To her surprise, Ye Chuyang nodded and replied, "I know, I don't know you either."

The situation grew extremely awkward.

Ji Rong had never encountered anything so absurd before. She stared at Ye Chuyang, waiting for him to say more.

Sure enough, Ye Chuyang spoke up.

"You…"

His expression was very serious, as though he was about to say something shocking.

Ji Rong studied his eyes, sensing that despite his awkward exterior, there seemed to be an ability to perceive people's hearts behind them.

She felt a little nervous. Could the male lead have seen through something?

Ye Chuyang continued, "Your swordsmanship is impressive. I'd like to ask, senior sister, how do you integrate the first, second, and third forms of 'Silent Mountain and River'?"

Ji Rong: "…"

She glanced at Ye Chuyang and spoke cryptically, "When you reach a certain level, you'll naturally understand without needing others to teach you."

The "certain level" she referred to was, of course, when the male lead encountered some great opportunity, faced countless hardships, and unblocked his meridians. By then, he'd become an unstoppable force.

Unfortunately, the male lead had no idea how the plot would unfold, so Ji Rong's response was just a perfunctory one.

Ye Chuyang furrowed his brows, thinking for a long time.

Though he wasn't particularly sharp, he still felt that this senior sister was brushing him off.

The male lead, though somewhat dull, was known as a "sword fanatic" in the game, obsessed with the pursuit of the sword way.

Ye Chuyang hesitated for a moment, but before he could speak again, Gu Baiyi suddenly spoke up.

"Junior Brother Ye, let me teach you."

Ye Chuyang's hesitation disappeared, replaced by confusion.

He had come to seek guidance from Ji Rong, so he was puzzled why this senior sister was offering to teach him.

Gu Baiyi showed a kind smile, though inwardly, she mocked, I see what you're up to, kid. Looking for a fight, are you?

…

The setting sun cast a golden hue, and the evening mist hung low in the air.

Ji Rong and Gu Baiyi walked together on the path back to their residence.

They walked several paces apart, both silent.

It was hard to tell whether it was the exhilaration from their previous match or something else, but Gu Baiyi seemed unusually cheerful as she looked at the shaded evening.

Ji Rong, on the other hand, felt a bit uneasy and fearful.

What is the heroine up to now?

Just moments ago, she had quietly observed as Gu Baiyi, with kindness, unsheathed her sword and made Ye Chuyang doubt his already unfortunate life.

From "Kunlun's Secret" to "Tian Mountain's Snow," and from "Jade Sword" to "The Heartless Moon." Gu Baiyi's casual swipes were a series of bloodless killing combos, leaving Ye Chuyang dizzy and unable to react, almost pushing him into the lake.

Ji Rong could be certain that had Gu Baiyi used more than three-tenths of her strength, Ye Chuyang would've been shattered beyond repair.

Just a tool character, what's the big deal?

She thought about it and realized, if the heroine treated a harmless tool character so callously, what would happen to her? She might end up in pieces, with no body left.

Just as Ji Rong was lost in these grim thoughts, her step faltered, and she felt her sleeve being tugged.

She snapped out of her reverie and realized she had nearly brushed against a wild plant.

Turning, she saw the hand that had caught her sleeve, and her gaze shifted to Gu Baiyi's wrist. There were faint scars—sword wounds, knife wounds, perhaps even more—etched into her skin, a tangle of marks that had long since lost their original form.

Once, those hands might have been as smooth and white as frost.

A strange feeling tugged at her heart as her gaze met the deep, amused look in Gu Baiyi's eyes.

The light of dusk reflected in Gu Baiyi's eyes, golden leaves fluttering in the air.

Her lips parted, her tone gentle, as though she were speaking in a dream.

Gu Baiyi's voice was distant and ethereal. After a long pause, Ji Rong finally understood what she had said.

Ji Rong frowned and asked, "Do you mean we'll be paired together for tomorrow's arena match?"

Gu Baiyi nodded.

"Why?"

Gu Baiyi smiled warmly, though her words carried an edge.

"Because, with this arrangement, only you and I will win.