Chapter 25: Two Fairies
“This Fairy Yin Mengwan is a true dark horse!”
“Not only is she undefeated, but she’s also won every match with overwhelming dominance. Her cultivation alone surpasses her opponents by a huge margin.”
“It’s a pity that Fairy Yin Mengwan always wears a veil and doesn’t reveal her true face. But judging by her figure alone, she’s just as eye-catching and alluring as Frost Moon Sword Immortal and Silk-Robe Fairy.”
“Who knows? Maybe she’s hiding her face because she’s ugly.”
“I think she’s just low-key and aloof, not interested in showing off. Otherwise, with such impressive cultivation, why haven’t we heard of her in the cultivation world?”
“Behind that veil, she’s probably a breathtaking beauty.”
…
As the competition progressed, the mysterious veiled fairy, Yin Mengwan, attracted more and more attention. She was even starting to rival Frost Moon Sword Immortal and Silk-Robe Fairy in popularity.
And by this point in the tournament, only these three remained undefeated, winning every match with ease.
Discussions about the three of them grew increasingly heated. Whenever they had a match, the stands would be packed with spectators.
Chen Yin had initially wanted to take advantage of the situation and make some money by betting, but seeing Yin Mengwan’s odds getting lower and lower, he figured there wasn’t much profit to be made and decided to stop.
The tournament was nearing its end. Soon, the quarter-finals were all over.
As expected, the four semi-finalists were Shen Shuanglian, Luo Qiaoqiao, and Yin Mengwan. The remaining spot was taken by a female disciple from the Heavenly Net Sect, but in terms of strength, she was clearly not on the same level as the other three.
When the semi-final matchups were announced, Chen Yin was happily munching on candied hawthorns with Xiang’er, which they had bought at the foot of the mountain.
“Senior Brother, who do you think will win the semi-finals?”
“I don’t know… But according to those who are betting, our Senior Sister, Silk-Robe Fairy, and that veiled fairy Yin Mengwan are all evenly matched. It seems anyone could win.”
“Then who does Senior Brother hope will win?”
Chen Yin smacked his lips and shook his head leisurely. “I don’t hope for anyone to win.”
“Anyway, our Xiang’er didn’t make it to the semi-finals, so no matter who wins, I don’t really recognize the value of this championship.”
Yu Xiang pouted, grabbed Chen Yin’s sleeve, and wiped her mouth with it, ignoring his protests.
“Hey! Silly girl, I just washed this robe!”
“Stinky Senior Brother. Who told you to poke fun at me?”
Amidst the noisy crowd, the two of them sat on the steps, enjoying their candied hawthorns.
They were like two people living in a mirror world, oblivious to the commotion around them.
After a while, Xiang’er looked at the last remaining candied hawthorn and sighed wistfully.
“I actually hope that Yin Mengwan, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wins.”
“Why?”
“Because don’t you think it would be cool, Senior Brother?”
Yu Xiang blinked. “An unknown, powerful, and mysterious woman suddenly appears, defeats the two renowned fairies who are always praised by the righteous sects, and takes the championship.”
“That story sounds so interesting.” She finished with an excited smile.
Chen Yin chuckled. “Why do I feel like this sounds like the typical villain in a story?”
The smile on Xiang’er’s face froze.
She lowered her head slightly, her voice unconsciously becoming quieter. “Senior Brother…”
“Can’t the villain… be in the spotlight for once?”
Chen Yin glanced at her discreetly.
Xiang’er kept her head lowered, fiddling with the candied hawthorn stick, her eyes downcast, as if covered in dust.
“Does Xiang’er want the villain to win?”
“I don’t know… But I feel sorry for villains.”
Xiang’er said sadly, “Many of them are forced into their roles. Just because they’re villains, does that mean they’re destined to be stepping stones for the protagonist?”
Chen Yin was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and ruffled her hair playfully.
“Silly girl. What’s a protagonist or a villain? It’s all just a matter of the storyteller’s words and brush.”
There was never absolute good or absolute evil. The so-called protagonists and villains were just gimmicks in the storyteller’s narrative.
If their roles were reversed, it would be the same.
…It’s just that people love stories where the protagonist triumphs over the villain.
Yu Xiang didn’t say anything.
She stared at her toes, lost in thought.
“I’m actually more curious about why everyone cares so much about the title of Number One Fairy.”
Chen Yin leaned back on the steps, a candied hawthorn stick still in his mouth.
“Is it really that important for girls to be the Number One Fairy?”
“What do you mean ‘for girls’? Don’t men fight just as hard for the title of Number One?” Xiang’er pouted with dissatisfaction.
Chen Yin thought about it and realized she was right.
“Number One… what’s so special about it?”
“I don’t know about others.” Yu Xiang lowered her eyes slightly. “But if a woman is willing to fight tooth and nail for the title of Number One Fairy…”
“Then she’s probably not doing it for herself.”
She’s doing it for someone who wants her to be the Number One Fairy.
Chen Yin glanced at Xiang’er and asked curiously, propping his head up with his hand:
“Then if Xiang’er became the Number One Fairy, who would it be for?”
Yu Xiang’s eyes darted around, then she smiled sweetly, revealing her dimples.
“It definitely wouldn’t be for you, stinky Senior Brother.”
Chen Yin slumped back dramatically, feigning heartbreak, making Xiang’er giggle.
At that moment, a wave of gasps and exclamations erupted from the crowd.
They looked up, and the semi-final matchups were announced.
Yin Mengwan vs. the female cultivator from the Heavenly Net Sect.
And Luo Qiaoqiao… vs. Shen Shuanglian.
The crowd went wild, everyone buzzing with excitement about the upcoming clash of titans.
“Oh my god, Frost Moon Sword Immortal is facing Silk-Robe Fairy in the semi-finals? I thought they would at least meet in the final.”
“This is going to be exciting! Who do you think will win?”
“Frost Moon Sword Immortal, for sure!”
“Nonsense! It’s definitely Silk-Robe Fairy!”
…
Chen Yin looked at the almost frenzied crowd and couldn’t help but smack his lips. “Wow, no matter where you go, passionate fans are quite scary.”
“Who does Senior Brother think will win?”
“Ahem, well…”
Chen Yin chuckled awkwardly.
On one hand, there was his Senior Sister from his own sect. On the other hand, there was Silk-Robe Fairy, with whom he had shared an ambiguous night.
It seemed like he couldn’t support either side without causing trouble.
“Uh… I don’t really care who wins.”
He suddenly said seriously, “I just hope that this ultimate battle between the two most renowned fairies of the younger generation won’t disappoint everyone’s expectations.”
“I hope they’ll fight with all their strength, showcasing their skills and grace, upholding the spirit of pushing their limits and never giving up until the very end.”
“It would be best if they end up like those two female cultivators I saw the other day, fighting until they exhaust their spiritual energy and resort to tearing each other’s clothes and hair, wrestling on the stage… Hehe, hehehe… I love watching women fight…”
Seeing Chen Yin’s increasingly lewd smile, Xiang’er rolled her eyes and glared at him playfully.
But then, she suddenly exclaimed, as if remembering something:
“Oh no! I forgot! I pre-ordered some new rouge from a shop down the mountain. It’s going on sale this afternoon! If I don’t hurry, it’ll be sold out.”
“Senior Brother, you watch the matches first. I’ll go get the rouge and be back soon.”
Without waiting for Chen Yin to respond, she ran off.
Chen Yin: “…”
…This girl, she can’t even be bothered to come up with a decent excuse to avoid me anymore?
Anyway, the female cultivator Xiang’er was facing was clearly much weaker than her, so Chen Yin wasn’t too worried.
As for the highly anticipated battle between the two fairies, he was quite interested, just like everyone else.
The Mist Spirit Sect and the Heavenly Net Sect were both prominent righteous sects, renowned throughout the cultivation world. Unlike the Mist Spirit Sect, the current leaders of the Heavenly Net Sect were a married couple, a famous and beloved pair in the cultivation world.
Luo Qiaoqiao was their daughter.
Unlike Shen Shuanglian, most of what Chen Yin knew about Luo Qiaoqiao came from rumors and hearsay. He knew that she was breathtakingly beautiful, exceptionally talented, and the cherished daughter of the Heavenly Net Sect’s leaders.
Shen Shuanglian, on the other hand, had risen to prominence through her own talent and hard work, becoming the most talented cultivator the Mist Spirit Sect had seen in a thousand years.
In terms of cultivation and achievements, the two women were evenly matched, neither inferior to the other.
Compared to them, all the other female cultivators in the entire conference seemed like mere supporting characters.
…If not for the unexpected appearance of “Yin Mengwan.”
The semi-finals soon began, and Chen Yin, wanting to join the excitement, found a spot in the crowded stands near the stage where the two fairies were about to clash.
As time passed, the two contestants were about to enter the stage. Chen Yin finally saw the two fairies, surrounded by their respective sect members.
Luo Qiaoqiao was still wearing her eye-catching bright red dress, but with light makeup, her already stunning beauty was even more captivating.
Shen Shuanglian, as usual, was dressed simply. But this time, she wasn’t wearing the Mist Spirit Sect’s robes.
…She was wearing the dress Chen Yin had chosen for her.
An elegant light blue palace dress.
In this dress, Shen Shuanglian’s aura was even colder and more ethereal, like a fairy from the moon palace.
Chen Yin watched the two fairies from the stands, his gaze constantly shifting between them, as if comparing their features in his mind.
Just as he was enjoying the view, the two women on the stage seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look in his direction at the same time.
Luo Qiaoqiao smiled brightly at Chen Yin from the stage and even waved at him enthusiastically.
Shen Shuanglian’s eyes widened slightly. She nodded subtly, then quickly averted her gaze, as if avoiding eye contact with him.
Chen Yin didn’t know who to respond to and could only grin awkwardly at both of them.
…This is bad.
Why does this match feel a little off?
Leave a Reply