Chapter 13 The Wager

Twenty seconds earlier, in the stone pavilion.

As Ji Fenglong unleashed her attack, Feng Bujue responded in kind.

"So fast..." Even Ji Fenglong couldn't help but be inwardly astonished.

The speed of Feng Bujue's backward leap had already reached the limit of what her eyes could capture… In other words, if Brother Jue had moved just a fraction faster, Ji Fenglong wouldn't have been able to see it clearly.

At that same instant, Xu Huishang also moved… Almost instinctively, she drew her twin blades and charged toward Ji Fenglong.

"Oh? Even Miss Xu..." Ji Fenglong really hadn't expected that this beauty by Feng Liaozhu's side was also a top expert. She'd even intentionally avoided Xu Huishang's location when she attacked, but it seemed that was unnecessary…

"Don't move." In a flash, Xu Huishang's voice rang in Ji Fenglong's ear, and the twin blades were already positioned at the city lord's neck.

Of course, Ji Fenglong was no pushover. After all, she was one of the highest combat powers in the Holy Yuan world. The possibility of her being caught off guard and restrained was extremely low… Just as the blades were about to touch Ji Fenglong's skin, she abruptly raised her Holy Yuan, covering her body with energy and forming an invisible layer of armor.

"Heh…" Ji Fenglong had already taken defensive measures, so she was fearless. She smiled calmly and said without a trace of panic, "Miss Xu, it seems these twin blades of yours… are not just for self-defense, are they?" She paused and slowly said, "Intent preceding the blade, spirit complete and energy sufficient, strength and form united, perfectly timed… You are a master…"

"City Lord, you flatter me. Just a small trick," Xu Huishang replied with a stern expression, clearly in a serious state.

Goddess Xu was also a very rational person. To her, Ji Fenglong, no matter how beautiful, was just an NPC in the game. She wouldn't be infatuated with a virtual character, so… when it was time to strike, she would strike without hesitation…

"I'm fine, don't get excited… City Lord Ji is just playing around with me," Feng Bujue, floating above the lotus pond, spoke at this moment.

"Haa…" Xu Huishang sighed and separated her hands, moving the twin blades away from Ji Fenglong's neck.

"Hahahaha…" Ji Fenglong laughed, "Interesting, both of you… are very interesting."

As she spoke, she turned to face the lotus pond again and said to Feng Bujue, "Feng Liaozhu is indeed extraordinary. In that unavoidable situation, you were still able to turn danger into safety, using ‘technique’… rather than ‘physical body’ to resist my Holy Yuan power."

"City Lord Ji… has sharp eyes…" Brother Jue also looked at her and replied in a deep voice.

When he said this, Feng Bujue's expression was very calm, but his heart had already become tense…

That's right, Brother Jue's power system was different from this world's, and that gave him a certain advantage, but… power was power. As long as one saw through the underlying rules, there was no advantage to speak of.

Ji Fenglong was indeed a "Yuan Sage," and completely different in level compared to the opponents he had encountered before. In just one exchange, she had analyzed Feng Bujue's weakness—he almost completely lacked the ability to directly resist Holy Yuan attacks with his body.

This woman… was truly terrifying.

"Then… should I target that in my next move?" Ji Fenglong asked again.

"Of course," Feng Bujue replied, "In a martial arts competition, attacking the opponent's weaknesses is common sense…"

"Hmph… what kind of dirty trick are you going to pull this time?" At this moment, Xu Huishang, standing in the stone pavilion, suddenly interjected in a lukewarm tone.

"Hey!" Feng Bujue was clearly exposed and immediately shouted, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Anyway, you're just sparring, not trying to kill each other…" Xu Huishang said, sheathing her twin blades, returning to the table, and taking a sip of tea. "Under these circumstances, I support City Lord Ji."

"Hahahaha… Miss Xu is so lovely…" Ji Fenglong glanced back at Xu Huishang with affectionate eyes, then looked at Brother Jue again. "Feng Liaozhu, are you really just friends?"

"No, we've already broken up just now," Feng Bujue replied with his arms crossed, in a bad mood.

"Ha!" Xu Huishang was not to be outdone. "Couldn't be better!"

"Hmm…" Ji Fenglong looked at the two of them separately again, as if she had thought of an idea. "Good… very good…"

She muttered, and her feet gently moved, stepping into the air. Her graceful figure was like a falling leaf, gently floating into the air… above the lotus pond, standing opposite Brother Jue, facing each other from afar.

"Feng Liaozhu, I have an idea," Ji Fenglong said to Brother Jue with a smile, "Just like what you did at the South Gate. How about we make a wager?"

"Hmph…" Feng Bujue snorted coldly. The moment Ji Fenglong said the word "idea," he had already guessed that her target was Xu Huishang. "What kind of wager?"

"It's very simple. You and I will spar in this lotus pond. If Feng Liaozhu can touch my body within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, then you win. If you can't, then I win…" Ji Fenglong replied.

"If I win, what do I get? If you win… what happens then?" Feng Bujue tilted his head and asked with a rogue-like smile.

"If Feng Liaozhu wins, I will immediately present a high-grade magic weapon and respectfully send the two of you away," Ji Fenglong replied. "Hmm… if I win… I will also give Feng Liaozhu a middle-grade magic weapon and personally send Liaozhu out of the palace, but…" At this point, she looked back at Xu Huishang. "...Miss Xu has to stay."

"Huh?" Xu Huishang was stunned when she heard this. "That's not right… You two are betting, what does it have to do with me?"

"Can I ask, what do you want her to stay for?" Feng Bujue's tone was slightly cold, and his eyes became sharp.

"Hehe… you're not even friends, does it really matter to you what I want to do with her?" Ji Fenglong replied.

"Hmm… that makes sense," Feng Bujue nodded.

"Hey!" Xu Huishang in the pavilion was already angry and shouted at them, "Are you two even listening to me? Don't decide other people's fate without permission!"

"Can I ask again, if she doesn't want to stay, do you have any way to keep her here?" Feng Bujue asked again.

"Of course…" Ji Fenglong replied with a smile, "From the moment you entered the Lianxian Palace, whether you stay or leave is no longer up to you."

As soon as these words came out, a thought flashed through Feng Bujue's mind. So, he blurted out, "Woman's fragrance?"

"Feng Liaozhu is truly perceptive," Ji Fenglong replied.

"Hmph… I never believed in the 'body fragrance' theory anyway," Feng Bujue said.

"Believing or not doesn't change anything," Ji Fenglong raised her right hand and began to play with her long hair on her shoulder. "That's right, 'woman's fragrance' is not a body fragrance, but a colorless poisonous mist… As long as you stay in this mist for a while, you will no longer be able to breathe the outside air. Only after taking the exclusive antidote I personally concocted can you leave the Lianxian Palace."

"No wonder you have so many wives, and you're not afraid of them running away…" Feng Bujue laughed.

"My women, originally wouldn't run," Ji Fenglong released the hair in her hand and replied coldly, "Besides… that's none of your business." She flicked her sleeves and put her hands behind her back. "Alright, stop talking nonsense… Feng Liaozhu, what do you think of this wager?"

"Hehe…" Feng Bujue shrugged and smiled. "Can I… not bet?"

Ji Fenglong smiled charmingly, "Guess."

Brother Jue looked at Xu Huishang, "Miss Xu, what do you think?"

"How about we attack together and kill her?" Xu Huishang made this suggestion very seriously.

"Hmm… the idea is not bad," Feng Bujue replied, "Compared to me fighting alone, if we join forces… the chances of killing her are higher."

"Feng Liaozhu, do you know the saying, 'an ant trying to topple a tree'?" Ji Fenglong interjected with a sneer.

But Brother Jue ignored her and continued his previous words, saying to Xu Huishang, "But there's a problem… even if we kill her, we might not be able to get the antidote… Furthermore, she has many subordinates. Unless we can kill her instantly… please note that this possibility is very small… Otherwise, she can call in several to dozens of Holy Yuan Limitless level experts at any time to help, and then, the two of us will be done for."

"Alright…" After hearing Brother Jue's analysis, Xu Huishang gave up and simply sat down peacefully, preparing to watch the show. "Let's bet."

"It's okay to lose?" Brother Jue asked maliciously when he saw this.

"Actually… it's really okay," Xu Huishang replied, "Not to mention that there is system protection, so nothing will happen…" She pointed to Ji Fenglong, "Even if we take ten thousand steps back… what can a woman like her do to me?"

Due to the system's shielding, Ji Fenglong didn't hear the part in the middle of the sentence, but she heard the beginning and the end. She immediately replied, "Miss Xu, don't misunderstand… I'm asking you to stay just to talk about love and enjoy the scenery, there's absolutely nothing improper…"

"Alright, alright… you don't have to explain to me," Xu Huishang interrupted impatiently, "Hurry up and fight…"

"Uh… okay," Ji Fenglong didn't know whether Miss Xu's reaction was good or bad, but so far, things were still developing according to her script. Next, with just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn and a middle-grade magic weapon that she didn't care about, she could send that Feng Bujue away…

"City Lord Ji," Feng Bujue's floating time was almost up, and he stood on the water, saying in a relaxed tone, "I'm ready to start at any time."

"Good!" Ji Fenglong waved her sleeves, and an hourglass appeared out of thin air in her hand. "This sand is the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." As she spoke, she threw the hourglass behind her.

The hourglass spun a few times in the air, then suddenly stopped, remaining vertical and motionless.

At this moment, the sand began to flow…

"Feng Liaozhu, please…" Ji Fenglong had only said half of the word "please" when she discovered… Feng Bujue had already disappeared from her sight.