08. Tournament
The two humans and the demon discussed until midnight, and finally Tangxi made the final decision, "You'll start going out with me tomorrow."
"Huh? I can go out!" Pipi exclaimed excitedly. "Then I don't have to wash the dishes!"
Tangxi glared at it: "You have food and drink, but you don't even wash the dishes!"
Pipi jumped up in protest, "I don't have hands! It's so hard to wash dishes with my paws!"
"My brother eats takeout every day, why are you washing the dishes? Just empty bowls?"
"Washing cups counts as washing! I don't know any cleaning techniques!"
"Tch." Tang Xichun rolled her eyes and turned back to her room. "I'm going to sleep. Brother, don't wait for me tomorrow morning. I'll go to work by myself after I've had enough sleep."
Tangxi and You were still worried, but then they remembered something and nodded, saying, "Okay, contact me by phone if you have any questions."
Tang Xichun was surprised to hear this: "Don't you have a Wind-Listening Ruler? Why are you using something from the human world?"
"I don't like listening to the wind."
Pipi's ears perked up.
The human world?
What a strange way of expressing it. Does it mean there's a world divided into heaven and earth?
After Tang Xichun's bedroom door closed, Pipi asked in a low voice, "Aren't you going to school with her tomorrow?"
Tang Xi shook her head. "The news that I have zero points has already spread. I might get into trouble wherever I go. It's better if we go our separate ways."
"Is she really your sister? She's so mean," Pipi complained, looking aggrieved. "You're much better to me."
"She is actually very soft-hearted."
Tang Xi stroked Pipi's fur and said, "Think back carefully now, was that boy in uniform really one of the people who chased you in the abandoned building?"
"I'm not entirely sure either..."
Pipi's two long ears drooped down, and he tilted his head to think carefully. "But I'm sure I can't mistake that compass. It's different from an ordinary compass! Oh right, he also had another magical artifact at the time, like a piece of cloth, which could deflect attacks."
"Counterattack?"
Tangxi and Nannan said, "That's definitely not an ordinary defensive shield; it's at least a high-level magic artifact."
"There was another person holding a small triangular flag. He could create a terrifying gale by shaking the flag! It shattered all the windows in the building! They crashed down the corridor, and I was almost sucked away by that strange wind... There was also a woman holding a short dagger with a green blade. She could cleave the gale in half with a casual swing!"
"Just these three? There's no one else, right?"
Pipi looked up and said, "And there you are, passing by."
"..."
Tang Xi flicked Pipi's head in an annoyed tone, "I must have been out of my mind to wander around there! Go to sleep!"
·
The next morning, Tang Xichun arrived at the school gate empty-handed.
New students need to prepare in advance for the comprehensive assessment. Under the magnificent school gate, many people wearing armbands are already guarding the entrance, and they warmly greet any new students they encounter.
One of them caught Tang Xichun's attention: "Hello! Are you a freshman?"
Tang Xichun frowned and stared at the person. "What?"
The man was startled by Tang Xichun's menacing expression, "..."
Why is this the reaction?
Tang Xichun countered, "Where is the registration area for the freshman comprehensive assessment?"
The other person quickly pointed in a direction, "Go that way, see the red school flag? There are other guides there. First, you need to pass the spiritual root purity test, and then draw lots to choose your arena."
"Oh, thanks."
Tang Xichun strode into the depths of the campus, leaving the guide completely bewildered.
Other student union volunteers gathered around, also watching the departing figure, exchanging bewildered glances with those around them.
"This girl...doesn't she look a bit like Tang Xihe?"
...
Tang Xichun followed the instructions and arrived at the school flag. The arena area was still sealed off by a barrier. The spiritual root testing area was simply set up with a chair and a table. A spirit testing stone was placed on the table. A long line had already formed. Some freshmen touched the spirit testing stone for a long time, but it did not react at all. So the freshmen hugged the spirit testing stone and cried loudly. They were dragged away by the people around them.
Tang Xichun curled her lip in disdain, "So stingy."
As I walked towards the end of the line, I saw a handsome young man leaning against a tree beside the line. He was elegant and gentle, with a perpetually smiling upturned mouth. He was looking down at his schoolbag and talking to it.
There was an ugly rabbit squeaking in the schoolbag, but as soon as it saw Tang Xichun, the ugly rabbit shrank back into the schoolbag.
"Brother!" Tang Xichun ran forward with a smile, "I'm here to report for duty!"
"Keep it up," Tang Xihe patted her head. "I have something to do and can't come to cheer you on. Are you confident in your abilities?"
"Yes! Don't worry!" Tang Xichun smiled, her eyes crinkling. "I won't let my family down!"
"I asked Zhang Benyi to watch over you during the competition. Be polite to others. School is not home; you can't be willful there."
Tang Xihe advised, "Don't act impulsively, put aside your emotions, stay calm, and observe more."
"Know."
Tang Xichun walked towards the end of the line without looking back, saying, "There are so many people queuing, I'll go first, you go ahead with your work."
Pipi popped out of her schoolbag, looked at Tang Xichun, then at Tang Xihe, and asked, "Really not going?"
“No,” Tangxi said, looking towards the barrier. The bronze arena was indistinct within the barrier.
"Let's confirm something."
·
Student Affairs Office.
Gui Fang Wu Di was buried in a thick, enormous book. A pale purple halo made his patched-up face look even more sinister. After a few seconds, the pale purple halo faded, and he looked up to report, "There are no secret realms within the past year."
As he spoke, Gui Fang glanced at Pipi, who was devouring food on the coffee table, and asked, "Could he be a descendant of the Taotie?"
Pipi didn't catch the sarcasm in Guifang's words and continued to eat heartily.
Qin Xiuluo: "No? Then check the publicly available information of the Rare and Exotic Beast Research Institute, starting from the year it was founded."
Gui Fang obediently went to the bookshelf and took out another thick book.
Qin Xiuluo explained to Tang Xi in front of him, "It really is a misunderstanding. The reason I asked Zhang Benyi to investigate the strange aura was because that aura felt very familiar to me and was closely related to a case I was investigating... How could it be on you?"
Tangxi looked down at the coffee table between the two of them, where a strange compass was placed next to Pipi, its serpentine pointer pointing straight in her direction.
Where can I usually buy a Qi Compass?
Gui Fang, who was diligently researching information, looked up and said, "Isn't the Strange Qi Compass a gift pack for every new student?"
Tang Xihe: "..."
Qin Xiuluo understood: "You're pretty cocky, aren't you? You didn't go to the freshman orientation?"
Tang Xihe: "..."
Qin Xiuluo: "...I'll have Zhang Benyi take an extra one later."
Tang Xi blushed and stammered, "Thank you."
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Things are much clearer now. The case I'm investigating is related to Pipi's original form; if I want Pipi to provide clues, I can only wait for Pipi to retrieve its primordial spirit and regain its memories. But—"
Qin Xiuluo frowned in confusion, scrutinizing Tang Xihe. "How could a demon's primordial spirit directly enter a cultivator's body? Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
"It's true! I can feel it!"
Pipi finally freed its mouth and laboriously wiped its mouth with its short front paws. "I must get my soul back as soon as possible. I feel like something is wrong with my body lately. This body doesn't seem to last much longer."
Qin Xiuluo picked up Pipi and played with it, kneading it. "Then do you still remember what your true form is?"
After racking his brains for a few seconds, Pipi finally managed to utter three words: "I can fly."
"Teacher, no."
Gui Fang, who was standing to the side, looked up from his thick book and said, "It's very likely that it escaped from some secret realm."
Qin Xiuluo responded and asked Tang Xihe, "Do you feel anything unusual? Dizzy or uncomfortable?"
"No." Tang Xihe raised her hand and touched her forehead. "When I passed by the abandoned building, I did see a golden object hurtling towards me, but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I thought I was seeing things."
"Relax, we can definitely handle this. How about we watch a good show first?"
Qin Xiuluo led him to the office window, raised his hand and waved it lightly, and the window opened automatically, the heavy curtains lifting gently to both sides.
"You can see your sister's competition here."
Tangxi and her companion stepped forward, and a short man strode confidently onto the stage.
He took out his camera from his storage ring. "This is a good spot."
Pipi asked curiously, "Why didn't you use the photo stone?"
"Too trendy, I don't like it."
...
Tang Xichun brought nothing but a storage ring, which hung around her neck like an inconspicuous ornament. Only when she stepped onto the arena to warm up did she see Zhang Benyi below the arena.
"Are you the referee?"
“Yes,” Zhang Benyi replied.
It's really uncomfortable to have someone you know watching the game.
Tang Xichun wanted to send him away, but didn't know what excuse to use. After thinking for a while, her opponent flipped onto the stage.
"Huh? What great luck! How come I got a short, stout guy?"
The boy opposite him grinned smugly, two daggers dangling from his sides. "And she's a girl, huh? Don't cry if you get beaten up."
nerve.
Tang Xichun held back for a moment, forgetting about Zhang Benyi, and shouted at the opposite side, "Don't cry when you get knocked off the stage later."
"Wow? That's unique, I like it."
He reached for his waist; two short blades, like thin leaves, danced nimbly between his fingers, tracing chilling silver arcs. He tilted his head. "You want to fight me empty-handed?"
Zhang Benyi frowned and looked at the timer. "Players, warm up and get ready!"
Tang Xichun remained silent, raising her hand to touch the storage ring around her neck.
"Are you angry? Why aren't you saying anything?" Seeing that Tang Xichun didn't refute him, the man became even more arrogant, pointing at Tang Xichun and laughing, "Ladies first, I can give you a chance."
Tang Xi looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, clicked her tongue impatiently, her disdain overflowing. A flash of silver light appeared in her storage ring, and an ancient longsword stood beside her, snapping onto the arena with a "clang".
No wonder my brother gave me special advice before I left; it turns out the rule that outside your door you're surrounded by idiots is true.
"A longsword? What an outdated weapon. Is this a Miao sword?"
The other person scoffed, "As tall as you, can you even draw your sword? Don't slit your own throat."
"Contestants, enter the ring!" Zhang Benyi raised his arm high.
"Number 137, Shen Yuanqing, is skilled with throwing knives. Number 59, Tang Xichun, is skilled with longswords."
"Are you mute? Why aren't you speaking?" Shen Yuanqing shouted.
Tang Xichun turned her head away impatiently, frowning as she picked at her earwax.
"What do you mean? Who do you think you are! Do you even know who I am?!" Shen Yuanqing suddenly roared in anger.
Not to mention Tang Xichun's impatience, the spectators outside the venue began to whisper among themselves.
Who is this person?
"have no idea."
"Then what's he so arrogant about?"
"Good question."
"Is this person Tang Xihe's sister? Their features look a bit alike."
"No, this girl has a sour face, like she's unhappy with the whole world."
"Of course not, she used a knife, Tang Xi didn't."
"Wait, what does Tang Xihe use? I've done several missions with him, and I've never seen Tang Xihe use a knife?"
"I've also worked with Tangxi and done missions with him, but I've never seen him use a weapon."
"..."
Off the court, Zhang Benyi glanced at the timer. "Both players, get ready—"
The surroundings immediately fell silent, everyone staring intently at the ring.
"Freshman Ranking Tournament, begin!"
A clear, resonant bell rang.
Shen Yuanqing rushed out the moment he gave the order.
Shen Yuanqing moved with incredible speed, his figure flashing left and right, leaving two afterimages. His twin blades moved like venomous snakes, dazzlingly fast, weaving a net of light towards Tang Xichun.
"Get out of the way, shorty! Are you scared out of your wits?" A sneer mingled with the sound of wind breaking through the air.
The net of blades came crashing down, and just before it was about to hit her body, Tang Xichun flicked her wrist slightly, and the long sword hummed as it was instantly drawn, drawing a short and precise vertical line.
"Clang!"
A crisp, resounding crack.
Shen Yuanqing felt his right-hand short sword strike an incredibly solid force, which made his wrist go numb and tore open all the dazzling changes.
Upon closer inspection, Tang Xichun had only used the top three inches of his knife to block the back of the blade of his right-hand knife, where it was least stressed.
Perfectly timed, without the slightest error.
"Fancy and gaudy."
Tang Xi gave a simple evaluation, her aura surged, and her violent spiritual power sent Shen Yuanqing flying.
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