Seeking Defeat
Eighty spirit stones...
Although Li Miao had little concept of money, he had recently purchased a magical artifact at the Dragon Ridge Treasure Pavilion, so he knew a bit about the purchasing power of spirit stones. The mid-tier artifact he gave to Guo’er, “Flowing Heart,” had cost him only a hundred spirit stones. Yet this jade pendant, which wasn’t even considered a low-tier magical artifact, was being sold at such an outrageous price—the audacity was astonishing.
“Do I look like someone easily taken advantage of?” he asked coolly.
The shopkeeper, expecting him to haggle, responded at once, “Our shop prices everything honestly, young master, and dares not deceive you. If you feel the price of this jade beast-taming token is too high, you may choose another. For example, this brass collar is only ten taels of silver.”
He picked up a simply crafted collar, still attached to an iron chain, looking for all the world like something meant for a dog.
Li Miao frowned, a touch of displeasure showing.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind him. Three figures entered, and one of them spoke in a mocking tone, “Well, fancy meeting you here. What’s wrong, can’t afford anything? Need me to pay for you?”
Li Miao turned and saw that it was none other than Zhu Zifeng and Zhu Ke, whom he had chased off the day before. With them was a young man whose aura was unmistakably at the mid-stage of Condensed Truth, equal to Li Miao himself.
Truly, foes meet on narrow roads. In the vast city of Pangshan, with a population of over a million, they encountered one another again so soon.
Zhu Zifeng entered the shop, glanced at the items Li Miao was interested in, and sneered, “Isn’t that just a jade beast-taming token? Only ten low-tier spirit stones. You can’t even afford that, yet you pretend to be something you’re not.”
Ten low-tier spirit stones...
With that, the real price of the beast-taming token was laid bare. The shopkeeper’s face darkened at once, “Young master Zhu, you…”
All those who sold beast-taming tokens were swindlers, since most buyers were new arrivals unfamiliar with local prices. He’d been hoping to profit handsomely, but Zhu Zifeng’s careless remark exposed him completely, leaving no chance for further trickery.
Li Miao found himself amused, and suddenly Zhu Zifeng seemed much more agreeable.
Oblivious to the fact he’d ruined the shopkeeper’s scheme, Zhu Zifeng continued showing off, swaggering as he said, “But really, you don’t even have a beast with you, so what’s the token for? First time in the city, gawking at everything like a country bumpkin?”
“Ahem…”
Before Zhu Zifeng could finish, the mid-stage Condensed Truth youth with him coughed, interrupting him. “You ought to watch your words, lest you offend someone important.”
Zhu Zifeng waved him off, “Don’t tease me, senior brother. In Pangshan County, people of our age with higher status than yours can be counted on one hand. With you backing me, I can walk tall anywhere. That kid’s cultivation is decent, but nowhere near yours.”
“Enough, stop talking,” the young man shot him a helpless look.
Zhu Zifeng didn’t know Li Miao’s true depth, but the youth certainly did—he knew Li Miao wasn’t only highly cultivated himself, but his maid was actually a great demon of the Returning Origin realm; not someone to be trifled with.
He cupped his hands to Li Miao and said, “I am Xie Shuangren, senior disciple of the Illusory Sword Pavilion. May I ask which esteemed master you are apprenticed to?”
Li Miao, seeing the other’s courtesy, returned the gesture, “Li Miao, a wandering cultivator.”
“Oh?”
Xie Shuangren was quite surprised. “A wandering cultivator? Without guidance, to reach mid-stage Condensed Truth at such a young age is rare indeed. I’d thought, given the great demon as your attendant, you must be the direct disciple of some major sect.”
“A great demon? What great demon? He clearly doesn’t have any beasts with him!” Zhu Zifeng interrupted.
Xie Shuangren pointed to Xiao Yun, who stood quietly nearby, “That’s her. You mentioned before you fancied her; shall I ask the demon girl for her opinion?” He spoke with a hint of teasing.
“Wha…what? She’s…she’s a demon?!” Zhu Zifeng’s eyes went wide, stricken.
Xiao Yun, puzzled by their scrutiny, fiddled with her sleeve, inadvertently exposing the snowy white feathers beneath.
Zhu Zifeng: “…”
Xie Shuangren tapped him on the head, admonishing, “Stop causing trouble. Apologize to Li Miao at once. Someone like him—even my master would show respect. You, on the other hand, can only stir up trouble.”
“Ah…”
---
Zhu Zifeng looked utterly defeated, gazing at Xiao Yun with sorrow and regret, sighing, “Such a lovely, gentle girl, and to think she’s actually a demon… Demon lady, I was blind yesterday. And Li Miao, um… Shopkeeper, wrap up all the beast-taming tokens here. I’ll pay for them and gift them to Li Miao.”
He moved from lamenting to awkward smiling, then showing off and currying favor, changing expressions more quickly than flipping pages.
Li Miao was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by Zhu Zifeng’s dramatic display.
Xie Shuangren explained, “Forgive us, Li Miao. Zifeng is my master’s only son, spoiled since childhood. If he’s offended you, please be magnanimous. He’s not truly bad, just a bit lacking, and can’t resist a pretty face.”
Zhu Zifeng hung his head like a wilted eggplant, his arrogance vanished with the revelation of Xiao Yun’s identity. However unruly he was, he would never dare pursue a demoness. Humans and demons were mortal enemies.
Li Miao nodded.
Since they’d apologized sincerely, he put aside any resentment and replied, “Since it was a misunderstanding, let’s leave it at that. I only need one beast-taming token; the rest aren’t necessary.”
The jade token was handed to him. Zhu Zifeng tossed ten spirit stones to the shopkeeper, who looked as though he’d suffered a tremendous loss.
With their business concluded, they left the shop.
The street outside was broad enough for several people to walk abreast.
Xie Shuangren walked beside Li Miao and asked, “Li Miao, as you’re new to Pangshan, do you have any plans?”
Li Miao handed the jade pendant to Xiao Yun, letting her hang it at her waist. “No particular plans, just wandering and seeing the sights.”
He had come to Pangshan City to explore the markets and see if there were any suitable techniques or martial arts. But now, having learned General Mohe’s divine abilities and blade techniques, his needs had lessened.
Xie Shuangren said, “If it’s sightseeing, Zifeng is quite skilled at that. He can show you around. He knows all nine levels of Pangshan City, from surface to underground. I am a few years older, but spent most of my time cultivating in the Huangting Academy, so I actually know little of the city.”
“You’re also a disciple of Huangting Academy?” Li Miao was surprised.
Xie Shuangren looked no older than twenty-four or five, slightly younger than Li Miao, yet was already at the mid-stage of Condensed Truth. His talent was truly exceptional. If Huangting Academy could foster such disciples, it must be remarkable.
Zhu Zifeng eagerly interjected, “Of course. My senior brother isn’t just a disciple, he’s one of the top three core students in the inner academy, with a shot at becoming the chief. Even Jiang Zhuo of the Red Sky Sword Sect and Yin Ruoxue of Thousand Cloud Peak aren’t his match.” He spoke with pride, as if the glory were his own.
Li Miao raised an eyebrow, seeing Xie Shuangren in a new light.
Huangting Academy gathered over seventy percent of Pangshan County’s young talents. Xie Shuangren’s rank in the top three meant he was extraordinary. Even among all mid-stage Condensed Truth cultivators, he was outstanding.
Xie Shuangren remained humble, “You flatter me. My aptitude is good, but I am far inferior to our chief disciple, Chi Xiar. Before her, I lack even the courage to draw my sword.”
Chi Xiar?
“And who is this remarkable figure?” Li Miao asked.
Someone who could make Xie Shuangren lose all nerve must be formidable, perhaps even comparable to a Returning Origin realm expert.
Xie Shuangren explained, “We don’t know much about Senior Chi Xiar’s origins. She was brought in personally by the academy’s dean, appearing first as a four- or five-year-old girl. In the twenty years since, she’s become a powerful figure revered throughout Pangshan City.”
“Her cultivation is high; three years ago, she reached late-stage Condensed Truth and is poised to break through to Returning Origin. To reach that realm before thirty is rare even in the entire Longquan Prefecture, or throughout the Kingdom of Xinzhou.”
Twenty-four or twenty-five years old, late-stage Condensed Truth…
In pure talent, she surpassed even Li Miao.
At this, Li Miao’s interest was piqued.
The chief disciple of Huangting’s inner academy represented the strongest power among Pangshan’s younger generation. To duel her would surely bring great gains.
“Is there any way to arrange a sparring match?” Li Miao asked directly.
Xie Shuangren was taken aback.
“Li Miao, what did you say?” He thought he’d misheard and cleared his ears.
Li Miao repeated, “I’m asking if I might challenge her, to see who is stronger.”
---
The group fell silent.
After a while, Zhu Zifeng forced a smile, awkwardly, “Li Miao, don’t joke. Chi Xiar has been chief for eight years and has never been defeated. Most inner academy students graduate without ever qualifying to face her. Even many instructors avoid dueling her.”
Xie Shuangren added, “Indeed. My strength is enough to contend with most late-stage Condensed Truth cultivators, but when I challenged Senior Chi Xiar last year, I couldn’t withstand even a single move.”
They knew Chi Xiar’s prowess.
To them, Li Miao was talented, reaching mid-stage Condensed Truth at a young age. But such talent wasn’t rare in Huangting’s inner academy; Xie Shuangren himself was proof.
Even if Li Miao’s skills and abilities were outstanding, at best he would match Xie Shuangren, and could never rival Chi Xiar.
All three from the Illusory Sword Pavilion thought so.
But they didn’t realize that the more they spoke, the more Li Miao’s fighting spirit blazed.
Ignoring their discouragement, he smiled, “To lose is a good thing—I’m eager for defeat.”
Such prideful words made Xie Shuangren frown.
He knew Li Miao was formidable, but only on par with himself. If he couldn’t defeat Chi Xiar, how could Li Miao be so confident as to seek defeat?
With a hint of displeasure, Xie Shuangren said, “You seem confident, Li Miao. In that case, I’ll be straightforward.”
“Chi Xiar has been training in the academy’s eleventh level of the Purgatory trial. If you wish to challenge her, you must first enter Huangting’s inner academy, earn the right to train in the Purgatory, and reach the eleventh level to meet her.”
“Otherwise, you’d have to wait for her to emerge, which could take at least half a year.”
The so-called “Purgatory” was a trial ground within Huangting Academy.
Founded thousands of years ago, since Pangshan City was established, Huangting Academy occupied a vast area in the city’s northwest.
The Purgatory was a complex labyrinth beneath the academy, holding captured beasts and evil cultivators, imprisoned according to their strength in different levels for students to challenge.
There were eighteen levels; the first closest to the surface, the eighteenth deep underground, nearly isolated from the world. The deeper one went, the stronger the beasts and evil cultivators became. It was said the lowest level held demon kings subdued by the founding dean himself, and if not for the “Nine Tribulations Immortal Lock Array” he laid, they would have long destroyed Pangshan City.
“Is it hard to enter Huangting Academy?” Li Miao asked.
To challenge Chi Xiar, he’d have to join the academy first—a bit troublesome. But at least it was an academy, not a sect, so he wouldn’t be restricted. If it were a sect, he’d have declined.
Xie Shuangren replied, “Joining is simple. Just pay a hundred low-tier spirit stones as an entrance fee. However, advancing from the outer academy to the inner academy requires not only high cultivation but also certain contributions, which is a bit more involved.”
“Don’t outer academy students also enter the Purgatory for trials?” Li Miao asked.
Zhu Zifeng chimed in, “We outer academy students can enter, but are limited to the top five levels. Unless given special permission, entering the fourth level without authorization means expulsion.”
That was troublesome…
Li Miao felt a headache coming.
But he thought it over—he had no pressing matters, except retrieving Guo’er from Ji Lingyu in three months.
Since he had free time, he might as well spend it at the academy, perhaps learning something useful.
Having made up his mind, he said, “Very well, I’ll give Huangting Academy a try. With my cultivation, surely I can at least enter the inner academy?”
Xie Shuangren smiled.
“It’s just a matter of time. Still, the inner academy is filled with strong contenders. Though I’m ranked in the top three, there are nearly ten others as strong as I am. Don’t be too pleased yet; perhaps before facing Chi Xiar, others will grant you the ‘defeat’ you seek.”