A Battle of Wits

"You again?" Xiao Lian raised an eyebrow as Qin Ziyan blocked her path, his usual smirk firmly in place.

"I couldn't help myself," he said, folding his arms. "Yesterday was fun. I want a rematch."

Xiao Lian sighed, rubbing her temple. "I just beat you. I don't see the point."

"Oh, but this time," Qin Ziyan's grin widened, "we play by my rules."

She paused. His rules?

Ji Ren, standing nearby, scoffed. "What's the point of fighting when you've already lost?"

Qin Ziyan ignored him, eyes locked on Xiao Lian. "This isn't about brute force. It's about something far more entertaining."

Xiao Lian crossed her arms. "And what might that be?"

"A battle of wits."

The way he said it made her curious. Qin Ziyan was different from most of the other disciples. He wasn't looking for power or dominance. He wanted to see what she was capable of.

Xiao Lian tilted her head. "Alright. But what exactly are we doing?"

He gestured to the training field. "Step inside, and you'll see."

Ji Ren's frown deepened. "Be careful, Xiao Lian."

She glanced at him, amused. "Why? Worried I might lose?"

Ji Ren's expression darkened slightly, but he said nothing. With a small smirk, Xiao Lian stepped into the training ground, facing Qin Ziyan.

As soon as she set foot inside, everything shifted. The world around her blurred, the solid ground beneath her feet rippling like water. The sky twisted, the colors bleeding together, until she was no longer standing in the training field.

Instead, she was in a vast, endless forest.

Qin Ziyan leaned against a tree, looking as casual as ever. "Welcome to my illusion."

Xiao Lian took a slow breath, her mind adjusting to the change. She wasn't truly in a forest, her body was still in the training field. But her senses told her otherwise.

The air smelled like wet soil. She could hear birds calling in the distance. When she reached out, she could feel the rough bark of a nearby tree.

It was flawless.

Her SIS whirred to life, attempting to analyze the illusion. But just like before, Qin Ziyan's illusions were too unpredictable to fully break down.

Xiao Lian smirked. This should be fun.

She took a step forward. The forest remained still. Another step.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the trees, and dozens of arrows rained down from the sky.

Xiao Lian dodged, flipping backward as the arrows embedded into the ground where she had stood.

She glanced up, only to see masked assassins emerging from the trees, their weapons gleaming.

Qin Ziyan's voice echoed through the forest. "Oh no, it seems you've been ambushed. How unfortunate."

Xiao Lian clicked her tongue. "How dramatic."

One assassin lunged at her. She ducked under his blade, spinning to strike him in the chest...Only for her hand to pass straight through him.

An illusion.

The real attack came from behind.

Xiao Lian twisted just in time, narrowly dodging a dagger aimed at her ribs. So not all of them are fake.

"Clever," she muttered.

Qin Ziyan's chuckle came from nowhere and everywhere. "Why, thank you."

Xiao Lian took a breath. If she couldn't trust her sight, then she had to rely on something else.

Instead of dodging the next attack, she closed her eyes. She let her other senses take over, the sound of footsteps, the shift in the air, the faintest disturbance in the energy around her.

She stepped aside at the last second, feeling a blade whistle past her cheek. Her palm shot forward and this time, she connected.

Qin Ziyan staggered back, his illusion flickering for a moment.

Xiao Lian opened her eyes, grinning. "So that's where you are."

His eyes widened slightly. "You—"

Xiao Lian didn't wait. She moved forward, pressing her advantage.

She ignored the fake assassins, ignored the false dangers. Her mind worked against the illusion, recognizing the inconsistencies, the patterns.

With a smirk, she spoke.

"You're standing exactly three steps behind that oak tree."

Qin Ziyan's form flickered.

She turned her head slightly. "And your real body is leaning against a boulder to my left."

The illusion cracked. Qin Ziyan stumbled out of the mist, his illusion shattering like broken glass. The forest melted away, revealing the training ground once more.

The audience gasped.

Qin Ziyan stared at her.

Then, to everyone's surprise, he laughed.

An "Interesting Little Fox"

He clapped his hands, shaking his head. "Incredible. You didn't just break the illusion, you used it against me."

Xiao Lian smirked. "What can I say? I adapt quickly."

Qin Ziyan crossed his arms, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You really are an interesting little fox."

Xiao Lian raised an eyebrow. "Fox?"

"A cunning, tricky creature that outsmarts its enemies." He smirked. "It suits you."

Before she could reply, Ji Ren stepped forward, his expression cold.

"That was reckless."

Xiao Lian tilted her head. "How so?"

Ji Ren narrowed his eyes. "You let yourself be trapped in an illusion. If it had been real combat, you could have died."

Xiao Lian shrugged. "But it wasn't real combat."

Ji Ren's jaw tightened. "That's not the point."

Qin Ziyan chuckled. "Are you upset that I challenged her? Or upset that she won?"

Ji Ren shot him a glare. "Don't test me, Qin Ziyan."

The noble disciple held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, I was just having fun."

Ji Ren exhaled sharply, then turned back to Xiao Lian. "You should be careful. He plays too many games."

Xiao Lian smirked. "And yet, I won."

Ji Ren muttered something under his breath before turning away.

Qin Ziyan watched him go, then turned back to Xiao Lian. "You really get under his skin."

She smiled. "That's half the fun."

Qin Ziyan laughed. "You're a dangerous one, Xiao Lian."

She glanced at him. "And what about you?"

His smile didn't waver, but his eyes darkened slightly. Something unreadable lingered behind them.

"Who knows?" he said.

As the crowd dispersed, Xiao Lian couldn't shake the feeling that this battle had meant more than just proving her intelligence. Qin Ziyan had tested her for a reason.

And she wasn't sure if she had just earned a rival… or an ally.