The referee stood at the center of the arena, robes fluttering in the wind as his voice rang out across the vast grounds.
"This," he dered, sweeping his gaze over the roaring crowd, "is the most anticipated battle of the year at Thousand Herbs Peak!"
The noise swelled thousands of disciples pressing forward, eyes burning with anticipation.
"And now," the referee continued, his tone sharpening with excitement, "we arrive at the pinnacle of the tournament—the sh between the first and second-ranked contenders!"
A beat.
"Who will im the title of this year''s top outer disciples of Thousand Herbs Peak?"
He raised one hand, pointing to the right side of the arena.
"From the right-Hou Mei!"
The crowd erupted.
"She is acknowledged as the most beautiful fairy of Thousand Herbs Peak―ranked among the top ten beauties of the entire Wudang Sect!"
Cheers turned into a frenzy of admiration.
"She has defeated every challenger before her with overwhelming skill. Her cultivation stands at the peak of Qi Condensation—just one step away from Foundation Establishment!"
"Wee-the most beautiful woman of Thousand Herbs Peak!"
The apuse became deafening.
Hou Mei stepped forward.
Every movement was effortless. Grace flowed through her like water-each step precise, each gesture refined. Her robes shimmered softly as she ascended the arena, her presence alone enough to still the air.
Eyes followed her.
Breaths caught.
For a moment, even the noise seemed to bow before her.
And then-
The silence shattered.
The entire arena erupted into a frenzy.
Voices exploded in every direction, wild and uncontroble, like a storm breaking loose after being held back too long. Disciples leapt to their feet, shouting,ughing, roaring-some in shock, others in sheer excitement at the chaos unfolding before
them.
"Hou Mei! Hou Mei!"
"You''re my idol!"
The cries turned feverish, especially from the male disciples. Their voices rose above the rest—desperate, unhinged, filled with admiration that bordered on obsession.
Some pounded their chests. Others waved their arms like madmen, trying to catch her attention.
"Hou Mei, look at me!"
"You''re the most beautiful!"
"I''d die for you!"
The energy spiraled out of control no longer just a crowd, but a living, breathing force of hysteria.
And at the center of it all-
Everything was about to explode.
"And from the left..."
A pause.
"Contestant number 777-Jun Jiu!"
A ripple of curiosity spread through the crowd.
"The number one scorer in the Herb Knowledge Stone Stele-an achievement unseen in a thousand years!"
This time, the apuse came louder, sharper-charged with expectation.
All eyes turned.
They waited.
And waited.
The cheers began to fade.
No one stepped forward.
The referee frowned slightly, ncing toward the entrance.
"...Please wee Jun Jiu," he called again.
The crowd pped once more, though now there was hesitation—whispers
threading through the noise.
Still no one appeared.
A third time, the referee called out, louder than before.
"Jun Jiu!"
Silence answered him.
Confusion spread like a crack through ss.
Where was he?
Just as the tension tightened to its breaking point—
A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd.
High above, a figure cut across the sky like a streak of frost.
The Pure Snow Sword Maiden-Li Qingxue.
Her robes billowed like drifting snow, her presence cold and absolute.
And in her grip-
A man.
Dangling.
Dragged unceremoniously by the cor.
"Hey—HEY!” Alex shouted, his voice carried by the wind as he iled midair. "I
already lost! Why do I have to fight again?!"
Li Qingxue didn''t even look at him.
"You won your match,” she replied, her tone as calm and merciless as winter. "So you will fight."
"Can''t I just not show up? Then everyone can say I lost!" Alex protested desperately.
"No."
One word.
Final.
Before he could say another, she flicked her wrist-
And threw him.
Alex dropped from the sky like a sack of grain.
He hit the arena with a heavy thud,nding squarely on his backside.
The crowd blinked.
Then... exhaled.
Just like that, the tension shattered.
Alex groaned, rubbing his butt as he sat there, utterly undignified.
“That damn Li Qingxue.....” he muttered under his breath. “Dragging me out of my nap like that..."
"Good!" the referee eximed, his excitement surging back as if nothing strange had just happened. "Contestant Jun Jiu has arrived! Now let the final match begin! Who will emerge victorious?!"
The arena exploded into noise.
Disciples shouted over one another, voices shing like waves against stone. Some called out for Jun Jiu-but they were drowned out by the overwhelming chorus screaming Hou Mei''s name, desperate for even a nce from her.
"I surrender!"
Alex''s voice tore through the chaos like a de.
Everything stopped.
The noise copsed into absolute silence.
Thousands of people froze, eyes wide, breath caught in their throats.
Did he just-
Did Jun Jiu just surrender... before the fight even began?
The arena held its breath.
The referee blinked, then let out an awkwardugh. "Ah... what a joke."
"Sorry,” Alex said tly,pletely serious. "This isn''t a joke. I surrender."
The referee''s smile stiffened. “Of course... of course it''s a joke,” he said, forcing a
chuckle. “Because just moments ago, the Peak Leader introduced a new
regtion."
"No one is allowed to surrender in the final match."
A ripple of shock moved through the crowd.
Alex''s head snapped toward the high tform.
The Peak Leader sat there, calm,posed-watching him.
Smiling.
"I know you want to surrender," the Peak Leader said leisurely. "Did you really think I
wouldn''t stop you?"
His smile deepened.
"Dream on. You will fight."
Alex''s eyes darkened, but before he could respond—
"My respects."
Hou Mei stepped forward, bowing gracefully to the Peak Leaders. Her voice was
soft, almost fragile—but it carried clearly.
"I am only a woman," she said softly, lowering her gaze with practiced modesty. "If I were to face a male opponent in directbat... then by nature, by birth—” her
voice dipped, almost fragile, "—I would stand at a disadvantagepared to Jun Jiu."
The crowd quieted, drawn in by her gentleness.
"So," she continued, lifting her eyes slightly, "I would like to propose... a different
kind of match."
Alex barely reacted.
In his mind, this was already over.
Perfect, he thought.
Whatever she suggested-he would just agree, then lose on purpose.
If it was pills? He''d ruin one step.
If it was cooking? He''d make it taste awful.
If it was anything else—he''d find a way to fail.
How hard could it be to lose?
"Brother Jun Jiu," Hou Mei said, turning to him with a soft, hopeful gaze. "I hope you
will agree to this arrangement."
Alex nodded immediately. "Sure. Whatever kind of fight you want—I''ll agree."
Her face lit up, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Thank you, Brother Jun Jiu," she said gently. "You are truly kind... a real
gentleman. It is rare to find a man like you."
Alex shrugged,pletely indifferent.
"So," the referee said, raising an eyebrow, curiosity creeping into his voice, "what
kind ofpetition do you propose?"
Hou Mei hesitated for just a moment.
Then she took out a small piece of paper and handed it to him, her expression
turning shy-almost embarrassed.
The referee unfolded it.
His eyes scanned the words.
And then-
His expression changed.
He froze.
"...Are you certain," he asked slowly, lowering the paper just enough to look at her,
"that this is thepetition you want?"
Hou Mei lowered her head, her blush deepening.
She nodded.
The referee let out a long,plicated sigh.
"Well... I suppose this is one way to do it."
Then his gaze shifted toward Alex.
Another sigh. "...What a lucky bastard."
"Very well,” the referee said, drawing a slow breath as he steadied himself. “I will
now announce the nature of thispetition."
The arena leaned in.
"This test,” he continued, voice ringing clearly across the grounds, "belongs to one
of Wudang''s specialized branches of cultivation."
A pause.
"It is... a Yin-Yang dual cultivation match."
Silence.
It didn''t spread gradually—it mmed into the crowd all at once.
Even Alex froze.
The referee had expected this. He let the shock settle before exining further, his
tone measured, deliberate.
"In this match, both participants will exchange Yin and Yang energy...
through an intimate form of cultivation," the referee said, his tone steady despite the tension rippling through the arena. "The one who
loses control first tuggering aplete copse of their energy flow-"
He paused, letting the implication settle heavily over the crowd.
"...will be dered the loser."
The arena became so quiet it was suffocating.
You could have heard a needle hit stone.
Then-
"What?!"
The eruption came all at once.
"What kind of fight is that?!"
"That''s dual cultivation!"
"Isn''t that only done between Dao partners?! Husband and wife?!”
"Do they have to be Dao partners to even do this?!"
"And if Hou Mei gets pregnant-what then?! Does that mean Jun Jiu has to marry
her?!"
The questions spiraled into chaos, voices ovepping, rising, crashing into each other in disbelief.
Some of the outer disciples lookedpletely lost.
"Wait—does that mean..... win or lose... they be husband and wife?!"
That realization hit harder than anything else.
Shock rippled through the crowd again-deeper this time, heavier.
"I surrender!"
Alex''s voice came out sharp, almost desperate.
His face had gone pale.
Yes, Hou Mei was beautiful-unbelievably so. The kind of beauty that turned heads
without trying.
But that wasn''t the point.
He''d already had enough entanglements in his life-enoughplications, enough
ties that weren''t his choice.
He wanted freedom.
Not this.
"No."
Hou Mei''s voice cut through his protest.
"I will not ept a victory by
surrender," she said, her tone
gentle but unyielding. "You ml
fight me. Whether you win ordose...
that will be decided by us content
She hesitated, her cheeks flushing as her words stumbled slightly.
"I mean... it will be decided by... you know... our lower part."
“No.” Alex shook his head immediately, taking a step back. “I''m not doing this. I''m
not ying this kind of game."
"Sorry, Jun Jiu," Hou Mei said, smiling softly-but there was something in her eyes
now, something firm. "You can''t run from this."
Above them, on the high tform, the Peak Leader turned his gaze toward Elder
Hou.
"How shameless," he said. "You see his talent, and suddenly you''re eager to secure
him as a son-inw."
Elder Hou didn''t even flinch. He simply shook his head, calm and unapologetic.
"My daughter is the most beautiful woman of this peak,” he replied evenly. "If
anyone is lucky, it''s Jun Jiu-not the other way around."
Not far from them, Li Qingxue stood in silence.
Her expression was cold as ever-untouched, distant, like a queen carved from ice.
Her gaze drifted between Alex and Hou Mei.
None of this should have mattered to her.
It didn''t concern her.
It shouldn''t.
And yet-
Something twisted inside her chest.
A sharp, unfamiliar irritation.
The thought of Alex being bound to Hou Mei-of him belonging to someone else—
For reasons she refused to name
It angered her.
While the crowd was still buzzing-arguing, shouting, specting the staff moved
with quiet efficiency.
From the edges of the arena, several attendants carried in arge bed.
Not small. Not modest.
Large enough tomand attention the moment it touched the stone floor at the
very center.
Then came the wooden panels-broad, tall, and solid. One by one, they were set
upright, forming enclosed walls around the bed. Tight. Sealed. Private.
A tent was stretched over the top.
In seconds, the center of the arena had transformed into something..... else.
Something intimate.
Something no one expected to see in a ce meant for battle.
The disciples stared, stunned.
"...Are they seriously building a love nest in the middle of the arena?" someone
whispered.
The shock rippled outward.
Hou Mei lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed a soft pink. She nced at Alex
shyly.
"Brother Jun Jiu... why don''t you go in first?"
Alex didn''t move.
Before he could respond, she added quickly, her voice softer, almost embarrassed,
“If I go in first... you might run away. So... please. You first."
"Jun Jiu!" a disciple suddenly shouted from the crowd.
"If you''re a man, ept the challenge!"
"Yeah! Show her your strength!"
"Don''t embarrass yourself—get in there!"
The shouting grew louder, more aggressive—voices stacking on top of each other,
pushing, pressuring, cornering him.
Alex stood there, trapped in the noise.
"I surrender,” he said again, turning toward the referee.
The referee shook his head without hesitation. "You can''t. Just ept it.
Do you know how many people would kill to be your position?
Being chosen by Hou Mei-you should consider yourself lucky."
Lucky.
Alex almostughed.
Around him, the pressure only intensified. The crowd surged emotionally, their
voices bing a single force, pushing him forward.
And then-
A hand.
Hou Mei''s fingers wrapped around his.
Gentle.
But firm.
She began pulling him, step by step, toward the enclosed space.
Toward the bed.
Each step felt heavier than thest.
If he crossed that threshold-
Everything would change.
His future.
His freedom.
His life.
No.
His mind raced, panic tightening around his chest.
There has to be a way out-
"STOP!"
His voice exploded through the arena.
Everything froze.
"I... only love Li Qingxue!” Alex shouted, the words spilling out in desperation. "She
is my Dao partner! Even if I die-I will only be her husband!"
Silence.
Absolute.
The kind that pressed down on every ear, every breath.
Even Alex felt it-his own words echoing back at him, louder than he expected.
He swallowed hard.
That had been the only thing he could think of.
The only escape.
The crowd erupted-not in noise, but in whispers.
"So it''s true..."
"Jun Jiu and Miss Li Qingxue..."
"They really have that kind of rtionship..."
High above-
Li Qingxue stood still.
Her expression didn''t change.
But her eyes-
They grew colder.
Sharp enough to cut.
Her gaze locked onto Alex like a de resting against his throat.
"Do you really want to die?" she asked.
Alex''s face drained of color.
Because in that moment-
He realized something far worse than being forced into that bed.
He had just provoked her.
And now-
He had no idea which fate was worse.