The Vicious Beauty Faked His Death Three Times [Transmigration] - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Competition

 

The servants of the Hundred Demons Sect all lived together; Wen Leyou had mentioned this earlier when he was dragging Lin Qinghan around for introductions.

 

Ling Yanhe disliked crowded places, so he wandered outside for a while before returning to the living quarters. By then, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

 

Thus, he was somewhat surprised to find Xiao Wu waiting at his door, nearly asleep.

 

Xiao Wu was leaning against the doorframe, clutching a food box tightly in his arms. His head nodded as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

The cold voice fell upon him, and Xiao Wu jolted awake. He looked up blankly, trying to find the source of the voice, only to meet those pitch-black eyes.

 

Xiao Wu became instantly sober. The other man was expressionless, but the gaze landing on him always made him feel afraid. He hurriedly lowered his head and tremblingly brought out the food box from his arms, saying cautiously: “The Great Sect Leader ordered me to bring this. The Great Sect Leader said you didn’t eat much at dinner and feared you would be hungry, so he specifically instructed me to start the stove in the small kitchen.”

 

Upon hearing “Great Sect Leader,” Ling Yanhe’s originally stern expression paused. His oppressive gaze shifted from Xiao Wu to the food box being held out.

 

“How did he know?”

 

Hearing this, Xiao Wu explained hurriedly: “The Great Sect Leader was about to sleep, but after tossing and turning, he got up to ask me about your situation. Once he understood, he gave the order and even said it must be prepared according to the style of the Immortal Realm. When I left, the Great Sect Leader had not yet slept.”

 

“The Great Sect Leader is truly good to you. There is a curfew in the Hundred Demons Sect at night, and going out or snacking is forbidden. Yet, the Great Sect Leader was still thinking of you even after going to bed. No other servant has this kind of treatment.”

 

Xiao Wu was actually quite afraid of Ling Yanhe and only wanted to leave. When the other asked, he blurted everything out. At the end, he couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that by praising the Great Sect Leader, the man would let him leave.

 

But the person in front of him remained silent for a long time. Xiao Wu felt a chill in his heart; perhaps due to excessive fear, he developed a bit of temper and dared to steal a glance at the man before him.

 

Originally, this man was surrounded by a hostile aura, looking at him with scrutiny. Now, under the moonlight, his expression had actually softened, and a faint smile could even be discerned.

 

Xiao Wu didn’t dare think too deeply about it and hurriedly lowered his head.

 

I must be lightheaded from sleepiness. How could such a fierce person smile? Xiao Wu cursed himself silently in his heart.

 

“Put it down and leave.”

 

Having received the command, Xiao Wu didn’t even dare lift his head. He rose quickly and, disregarding the curfew, sprinted far away. He only stopped to catch his breath when the chill behind him had vanished without a trace.

 

“The Great Sect Leader is so kind, why does he have a servant who looks like a god of death…” Xiao Wu muttered softly as he walked toward Lin Qinghan’s sleeping palace.

 

The next day, Lin Qinghan woke up feeling completely refreshed.

 

Previously, forcibly breaking through his cultivation realm had damaged his foundation, making his sleep restless at night. Now, he had finally managed a rare good night’s sleep.

 

After recovering, Lin Qinghan felt light. He casually grabbed a robe to put on and called for Xiao Wu to bring him some food.

 

While waiting, he didn’t forget to carefully look through the items in the sleeping palace.

 

It had been late when he returned last night, and he hadn’t looked closely yet.

 

The palace Hua Xueqiong had arranged for him was the original host’s room. The furnishings were simple, but a locked cabinet at the head of the bed appeared somewhat mysterious.

 

After searching the room for a while and failing to find a key, Lin Qinghan looked down at the lock and simply released fire to melt it.

 

The original host’s things were his. Since the host had left him such a mess, what was wrong with melting a broken lock?

 

Without a shred of guilt, Lin Qinghan pulled open the cabinet. When he saw the contents, his eyebrows rose slightly.

 

There were quite a few good things—mystic iron, gold ingots, and dharma treasures were all neatly arranged in the cabinet like trophies.

 

He hadn’t expected the original host to have a hobby for collecting. Thinking this, Lin Qinghan closed the cabinet door.

 

He had no use for these things now; he would see if they served a purpose later.

 

By the time he finished surveying his surroundings, the meal had been brought in, and Wen Leyou had arrived with it.

 

“Big Brother, have you not had breakfast yet?” Wen Leyou entered with a grin, his right hand suspended in a fine gauze sling, making him look somewhat comical.

 

Looking at his beaming face, Lin Qinghan didn’t need to guess to know what he had been up to: “Did you go to see Miss Ye?”

 

“Of course! With such superb medical skills, there isn’t a second person in the world like Miss Ye!” Wen Leyou said as he pulled out a stool and sat opposite Lin Qinghan.

 

Lin Qinghan reminded him: “Don’t bother Miss Ye so much in the future.”

 

“Why?” Wen Leyou asked, puzzled.

 

“A lone man and a lone woman—even if you don’t care for your reputation, do others not care for theirs?” Lin Qinghan made up a casual excuse.

 

Hearing this, Wen Leyou pouted. He knew he was in the wrong and didn’t argue with Lin Qinghan on that point. Instead, his eyes darted around, and he leaned one hand on the table, saying mysteriously: “Big Brother, hurry up. I’m going to take you to see something fun in a bit. If we’re slow, we’ll miss it.”

 

At this, Lin Qinghan finally looked up at him: “What happened?”

 

Wen Leyou shook his head at Lin Qinghan, playing koi: “It’s a secret.”

 

His intention was to bait Lin Qinghan, but the other simply lowered his head to continue his meal, showing no intention of pressing further.

 

“Big Brother, are you not curious at all?” Wen Leyou couldn’t help but ask.

 

“What is there to be curious about for something I’ll know in a moment?” Lin Qinghan said as a matter of course.

 

Seeing his calm face, Wen Leyou was the one who couldn’t keep his composure. He gave him a defeated look and said in a low voice: “Big Brother, you are truly boring like this.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Big Brother, you are at leisure now, but that servant of yours is likely going to suffer.” Wen Leyou couldn’t help but reveal a little.

 

Hearing news of Ling Yanhe, Lin Qinghan finally turned his attention to the matter. He looked at Wen Leyou, waiting for him to continue.

 

Wen Leyou, seeing that he had finally piqued his interest, was greatly pleased and blurted everything out.

 

“Many disciples and servants of the Hundred Demons Sect are dissatisfied with him. They are challenging him to a competition right now. When I came, several matches had already been fought. Big Brother, if you eat slowly, you won’t be able to see it.” Wen Leyou said.

 

Lin Qinghan was not too shocked upon hearing this. Instead, he asked something else: “Is this a regulation of the Hundred Demons Sect for servants?”

 

Wen Leyou was stunned, not knowing why he was asking this, but he answered honestly: “No. The servants of the Hundred Demons Sect are usually chosen at the Sect Leader’s whim to serve. But that person is serving closely by your side, Big Brother. For such a good opportunity to fall to an Immortal, the other demons are naturally dissatisfied.”

 

“Does the Second Sect Leader know about this?” Lin Qinghan asked.

 

Wen Leyou nodded: “Big Sister only took one look this morning and said nothing.”

 

Silence was a form of tacit consent. Lin Qinghan’s eyebrows rose slightly.

 

It seemed Hua Xueqiong had a deep prejudice against Ling Yanhe, even resorting to such a series of challenges.

 

“If you ask me, it should be so. If that Immortal lacks strength, how can he serve by your side, Big Brother? I’m on Big Sister’s side for this—”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Wen Leyou was still prattling on when he was stunned by Lin Qinghan’s words.

 

“Didn’t you say we should go see?” Lin Qinghan said with a normal expression, looking at his dazed face.

 

“Yes, yes, we are going to see.” Wen Leyou rose to follow Lin Qinghan. As he stood, he glanced at the meal on the table. It had hardly been touched, as if he had only taken two hurried bites.

 

Wen Leyou remembered that Big Brother’s appetite was usually fine, and today’s dishes were all made according to his preferences; this shouldn’t be the case.

 

Could it be that Big Brother cares for that servant to the point of losing his appetite?

 

How is that possible? He is just an Immortal. How could he hold such weight in Big Brother’s heart?

 

Wen Leyou hurried to shake off the wild thoughts in his head, but certain ideas had already planted a seed in his heart.

 

“Knock him down! Knock him down!”

 

“Why should an Immortal get to be the Great Sect Leader’s servant? I won’t accept it!”

 

When Lin Qinghan arrived at the scene, he realized that the number of people wanting to challenge Ling Yanhe was truly large. There were at least a hundred demons waiting in line to compete, not to mention the onlookers.

 

Compared to the Four Seas Hall that day, it was quite similar.

 

The only difference was that the levels of the demons facing Ling Yanhe were uneven.

 

“That demon is a good prospect. Big Sister picked him up from outside two months ago. At the time, he was only in the Qi Refining stage, but now he is at the early stage of Golden Core. In my view, that stinking Immortal is bound to lose this round.” Wen Leyou leaned into Lin Qinghan’s ear and said.

 

Lin Qinghan did not respond. He chose an inconspicuous spot to stand, his gaze falling on the person at the center of the martial arena.

 

Ling Yanhe was dressed in black martial attire, his long hair tied high, revealing sharp brows, fierce eyes, and superior bone structure. Even standing in the sunlight, those eyes—as calm as water—added a bit of coldness and aloofness to him.

 

Even though the demon opposite him was big and burly with muscles, he did not overshadow Ling Yanhe. The unique, effortless aura of a superior person that he possessed meant he was destined not to remain beneath others.

 

“Big Brother, who do you favor more?” Wen Leyou observed Lin Qinghan’s expression and asked curiously.

 

As he spoke, the person on the stage moved his gaze, landing on Lin Qinghan’s position. Their eyes met across the crowd of demons.

 

But it was only for an instant before the competition began.

 

Lin Qinghan did not answer but focused his attention on the match. Wen Leyou followed his gaze to the center of the arena.

 

Once the competition began, that demon immediately launched an offensive. Every move carried a fierce ruthlessness, and the bone whip in his hand snapped loudly. The sharp wind it kicked up caused the surrounding demons to take several steps back, fearing accidental injury.

 

Yet this sharp offensive failed to even scratch a corner of Ling Yanhe’s robe. He even appeared somewhat uninterested. Seeing this, the demon’s rage flared. His moves became even more vicious than before, and the arm gripping the bone whip was covered in terrifying veins.

 

Seeing this, Lin Qinghan’s lips curled: “The outcome is decided.”

 

Ling Yanhe had broken through to the Golden Core stage without him knowing. As expected of the protagonist, Lin Qinghan thought.

 

Wen Leyou was somewhat confused by his words. He instinctively thought Lin Qinghan meant the demon would win, but seeing the smile on the other’s face, he was unsure.

 

However, looking at the situation on the stage, he felt Ling Yanhe’s chances of winning were extremely low, and the way he looked at Lin Qinghan changed.

 

Could it be that Big Brother has been given some kind of charm potion by that servant, to the point that even Big Brother’s reason has been hooked away?

 

“Bang—”

 

Before Wen Leyou could think further, a loud crash diverted his attention. He looked toward the source of the sound, and his eyes widened at the scene before him.

 

The demon, who had previously held the upper hand, found his bone whip strikes becoming increasingly disorganized. When he lashed out once more, the end of the whip was caught by his opponent. Then, the massive demon was actually jerked violently by the other, his loss of balance causing him to lunge toward Ling Yanhe.

 

Without giving the demon a chance to react, Ling Yanhe acted with precision and ruthlessness. He immediately pinned the demon’s hands behind his back. As the demon let out a scream, he used his knee to force the demon onto the ground, leaving him with no power to strike back.

 

In an instant, the clamoring demons around them fell silent.

 

Seeing such a scene, Wen Leyou turned back in a daze to look at Lin Qinghan beside him. He was even more startled to see that Lin Qinghan’s smile was not forced, but genuine.

 

A terrifying thought surfaced in his heart.

 

It was as if in the whole world, only that stinking Immortal in the arena could cause ripples in the calm pool of water that was his Big Brother.