Another spring came. Bai Yao had been staying in Wushan for about three years. She was eighteen now, as beautiful as the mountain scenery. However, the most desirable thing for others was her witchcraft achievements. She had reached the Original Realm.
Every three years, the clan held a fighting game for all the disciples to attend. The winner would be the most powerful one in this clan. This was the top honor.
Though Bai Yao was a witchcraft girl granted by the Elder himself, she still needed to prove her inner strength through this event.
Today was the beginning of the fighting game. Hundreds of people were cramming onto the square, including some audiences that came from other clans that were interested in the game. They were gathering in small groups, talking about the game, which made the square lively.
The game had three rounds. Twenty of the attendees would pa.s.s the first round to enter the second. Then, ten of them would fight for the last round. They would draw lots to fight a match race.
Bai Yao pa.s.sed the first two rounds with half of her strength. Shui Linger was not her opponent for the last round. But Bai Yao went to see her previous fights, and learned she had made progress in recent practice.
Bai Yao was hot after the first two rounds. n.o.body guessed she had achieved such a performance in only three years.
For a period, most of the residences were talking about Bai Yao. Some of them regarded her as having the most powerful witchcraft, and the others supported Shui Linger, who had enjoyed a good reputation in this clan for a long time.
On the terrace of the final game, Bai Yao stood quietly with a cold face. However, all the audience had their eyes fixed on her.
Zi Qin was in the Arbitration Seats today. He was still wearing a purple robe, drinking some tea casually. He didn’t look at Bai Yao, and it seemed that he had no interest in her results at all.
According to the rule, the randomly drawn lots were divided into five red and five black, numbered from one to five. The disciple who got a red lot would fight a black one of the same number. Bai Yao had chosen the black lot with number one. Her opponent was Tang Gu, who was also one of the top pract.i.tioners in this clan.
They two started the final round of the game.
“The first game of the final round, Bai Yao versus Tang Gu, go!” the judge outside the terrace called out loudly.
Seeing Tang Gu was taking a blade, Bai Yao frowned.
Witchcraft could be used with or without weapons. Certainly, with a weapon would be more powerful. However, Bai Yao thought that weapons were troublesome, so she didn’t take a weapon. But she was more careful when facing this Tang Gu.
Right from the beginning, Tang Gu gave her a sharp hit toward her face. Bai Yao, who was standing like a pine tree, suddenly moved much quicker than Tang Gu. Her body rotated in the air, with her long hair and skirt flying in the sky, and she easily avoided this attack.
Then she made a cloud of strength in her hand. This cloud grew like a ball, and then Bai Yao threw it at Tang Gu in a second. Tang Gu used his knife to defend his chest and the ball hit the knife.
They continued to fight. This time, Bai Yao became the attacker. She forged her strength into becoming a sword, with her body flying above Tang Gu, and then sharply stabbed the sword downward on Tang Gu. He had no time to run away, so he turned his knife to defend again. However, Bai Yao’s strength was much more powerful than his sword and cut the knife into two pieces. The sword also hurt Tang Gu and he fell to the ground, ashamed.
Bai Yao easily won this game.
The audience was shocked. n.o.body said a word. Bai Yao took back her strength. Before the judge announced the result, she had already stepped down from the platform.
All the people were stunned by her domination.
The Elder in the Arbitration Seats was surprised, and then, exulted. He was thinking that this Bai Yao really had good potential.
Zi Qin, however, was the only one who was not touched by her winning. His mask was still on his face, so n.o.body saw his real expression. He was drinking the tea slowly, without any change.
Only he knew that this was the real Bai Yao, and she deserved the admiration.
Bai Yao gave the audience a wonderful start to the game, so all of them were cheering for her and waited for the fights to continue.
After the five compet.i.tions, Bai Yao, Shui Linger, Sister Yun Yanxia, and the other two brothers, Gao Heng and Gao Feng, won.
The Elder nodded to the five winners with satisfaction. He stood and said, “Everybody, let’s go rest for a while. Tomorrow we continue the final game.”
Bai Yao had thought to end the whole game as soon as possible. But the Elder had announced a different agenda, and so she gave up. She could feel the fierce glare of Shui Linger on her. The girl wouldn’t stay peaceful with her, and so Bai Yao had prepared. Bai Yao planned to let her lose without any excuses.
That night, Bai Yao didn’t sleep.
She had some thoughts. Her witchcraft was great, and now it was time to leave. . .
In the three years, she had focused on practicing only. But the time she spent here was not short. Therefore, she was a little uneasy.
She strolled in her garden alone. The wind was light, blowing down some petals. It was a cool night again.
Suddenly, she saw Zi Qin standing in front of her. His back was the same, with black hair, dressed in a purple robe. His hands were clasped gently as he watched the moon.
Zi Qin also heard her steps. He turned his head back a little and praised her earlier performance. “You did a great job today.”
On such a night, Bai Yao didn’t want to be cold to him, thus she kept a warm tone when answering him. “Thanks!”
Bai Yao didn’t say a word again. Neither did Zi Qin. They simply stood there with some distance, watching the moon.
The wind became heavier and blew gustily on their clothes. Their shadows stretched on the ground as a double image, like a couple.
After a long time, Zi Qin asked her, in a cold but clear voice that seemed a little false in the night air, “Bai Yao, do you have anything you want to achieve?”
Bai Yao was surprised by this question. Did she have anything to achieve? She had died once already. This life was a revenge life.
“Being strong, thus I can protect the person I want,” she said with a steady voice. The worms in the gra.s.ses were awaken by her and began to call out in low sounds.
“Bai Yao, it is the same with me,” he said, but he didn’t tell her everything in those few words. The one he wanted to protect was the kingdom.
His voice was light, like a feather flying into her ear.
Bai Yao understood; though she didn’t know who he was, they both desired power, and they both had cold hearts.
In the pelting rain and cold wind, she didn’t know if either of them needed real comfort in their hearts. Or if none of them were needed. Nevertheless, they could survive well by themselves.