Chapter 7

Confused, Ai Hui took a while before he suddenly realized what he was holding.

Ai Hui felt his palm gripping a ball of red-hot charcoal, neither able to hold it nor let it go.

Damn!

Ai Hui couldn't help but curse under his breath, not knowing who he was cursing. The target in his arms was stiff and motionless, having given up resistance. From a combat perspective, this was a good thing, but why did he feel so guilty?

Time seemed to drag on, and he was drenched in sweat.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The bell signaling the end of the battle rang out. Ai Hui, as if receiving a great pardon, swiftly pulled his hand out from the opponent's embrace and even helped retie the straps of the opponent's armor. He quietly slipped off the opponent's back and, crouching low, sneaked into the smoke.

Feeling guilty... it was better to stay away from the target.

Ai Hui, blending back into the crowd, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. This mix-up had left him at a loss. Fortunately, he had a mask on his face, and the night was dark and smoky. Ai Hui felt his face was about to catch fire, and he had a strong urge to turn and run away.

Fortunately, he still had one last firm belief in his heart—50,000 yuan in prize money!

As the smoke cleared, the awkwardness in Ai Hui's heart gradually dissipated. This was just an accident. On the battlefield, there are always various unexpected events, Ai Hui told himself.

Yeah, it made so much sense that he couldn't even argue with himself!

Convinced, Ai Hui became more at ease.

When the smoke cleared, the dojo's manager was shocked to see more than ten people still standing in the arena. In his expectations, two or three survivors would be good. He knew very well how powerful his young lady was, and she always put her heart and soul into such practical training, never holding back.

How could there be so many? Was it because the young lady wasn't used to blind combat?

Someone, seeing the dojo's lack of response, couldn't help but shout, "Where's the money? Are you going to pay or not?"

This immediately drew a few responses.

"Yeah, don't you dare welsh on the deal!"

"Give us the money quickly! We're busy!"

The middle-aged man glanced at his young lady, who showed no reaction, as if she hadn't seen his inquiring gaze. He was in charge, capable of making decisions on the spot, and 50,000 yuan in prize money was nothing to the dojo. Although he hadn't expected so many winners, it was still easy to come up with a few hundred thousand in cash.

With the money in hand, everyone burst into cheers.

50,000 yuan was a significant windfall for students, and they immediately started buying things they usually couldn't afford!

Everyone scattered in a hurry.

Ai Hui, blending into the crowd, was not at all conspicuous.

50,000 yuan! The good feeling of holding the money had long made him forget the awkwardness and the accident.

He had no time to loiter. Boldly and confidently, he rushed back into the noodle shop like a gust of wind, palm outstretched, and said the most domineering sentence of the day: "Boss, five more bowls of noodles!"

Finally, he could eat to his heart's content.

But...

Ai Hui's gaze suddenly fell on his open palm, the very hand that...

Slap, he suddenly clenched his fingers into a fist.

On the battlefield, there are always various unexpected events, Ai Hui told himself again, and then he ate his noodles with a clear conscience.

The dojo's manager, seeing the young lady standing alone in the arena, felt a sense of foreboding. The young lady had been standing there motionless for over ten minutes.

"Miss!" he couldn't help but call out.

The young lady seemed not to hear.

His unease grew stronger. Could the young lady have encountered some problem during her cultivation? He never thought she could be injured. What a joke! In the entire induction field, there were only a few who could match her. Even though she had suppressed her realm and was unfamiliar with blind combat, he still didn't believe anyone could trouble her. Her biggest challenge would be her unfamiliarity with blind combat.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Could the young lady have had an epiphany?

Yes, this situation must be like the legendary epiphany! It must be!

He immediately became excited. For the young lady to have an epiphany in the dojo he managed and in the blind combat he arranged was a great achievement. His mind was filled with fantasies of his future success, and he couldn't help but smile foolishly.

Shi Xueman's mind was a blank.

The incident that had just occurred had such a great impact on her that she was completely stunned.

From the moment the accident happened until just now, her mind had been a blank. She hadn't heard the middle-aged man calling her, nor had she realized the battle was over and all the participants had left.

She was in a daze, and it took her a while to slowly come to her senses.

Her whole body was trembling, but she tried to suppress it. It was just an accident, she told herself, but it was no use; her body still trembled. The intense sense of humiliation made her tremble uncontrollably, and she tried hard not to cry.

Even if it was an accident, she would never let that damn guy off!

She gritted her teeth and said to herself, word by word. This sentence seemed to have a strange power; her trembling body immediately stopped, and she didn't want to cry. Yes, she would never let that damn guy off!

She regained her usual confidence, and the goddess who was high above returned to the world.

Taking off the mask on her face, her vision returned to normal.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man's face changed. His eyes were fixed on the young lady's white neck, where there were five purple bruises.

He almost couldn't believe his eyes and almost cried out in shock. Realizing himself, he clamped his mouth shut.

The young lady had been defeated!

If this news got out, it would cause a huge earthquake in the induction field. The young lady's strength was among the top five in the entire induction field. Who could defeat her? His first thought was that one of the previous participants had disguised themselves and played a prank.

But he quickly dismissed this idea. The young lady's schedule was kept secret, and her visit to the dojo was a coincidence. Moreover, looking at the bruises on her neck, the opponent must have held back; otherwise, her neck would have shattered instantly.

Thinking of what would happen if the young lady had an accident in the dojo he managed, the middle-aged man's back was drenched in sweat.

Fortunately, the young lady was unharmed. The middle-aged man, feeling a sense of relief, felt his legs go weak.

Shi Xueman, with her mask off, looked no different from usual. She said coldly, "Find out the identities of all the participants, including the one lying on the ground."

The middle-aged man dared not hesitate and quickly replied, "Yes!"

He could hear the coldness in her voice and knew she was really angry. The young lady had never suffered such a great loss in her life. Glancing at the bruises on her neck, he felt a chill.

If he knew what had really happened, he might have fainted on the spot.

Although he answered quickly, he was secretly troubled. He had been negligent and hadn't recorded their information. Now, he could only investigate through other means, possibly with the help of the clan.

He never thought such a thing would happen. In his mind, all the participants were just sparring partners for the young lady. Since they were all going to be defeated by her, what was the point of knowing their identities?

"Spares no expense," Shi Xueman said coldly. "The clan will use all its resources to find out."

The middle-aged man felt a chill. "Yes!"

He sensed the young lady's determination.

This was not surprising. The sudden appearance of a student who could threaten the young lady would not be tolerated by either the young lady or the clan. He was confident that once the clan used its resources, no matter how deeply the opponent was hidden, he would find them.

Shi Xueman, her face cold, walked toward the dojo's entrance.

Leaving the dojo, she glanced at the bustling crowd on the street, then looked back at the dojo, clenched her fist tightly, and turned to leave.

Ai Hui left the noodle shop leaning against the wall and returned to the Bingfeng Dojo leaning against the wall.

Before, he was weak from hunger; now, he was too full to move. It took him ten minutes to drag himself from the alley to the dojo's entrance.

At the dojo's entrance, Loulan was sitting on the steps, looking bored.

Ai Hui felt a strange sensation. A bored sand puppet, this didn't seem to fit.

"I waited for you for an hour," Loulan said, standing up and dusting off his clothes.

Ai Hui had never seen such an intelligent sand puppet before. The act of dusting off his clothes was truly unique. Hey, you're a sand puppet; you don't have dust, so you should just scatter a cloud of sand.

Besides, we're not that close, are we?

As he opened the door, he casually asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing," Loulan tilted his head, thinking for a moment, as if searching for the right words. "We're neighbors, so I'm just visiting."

The night was dark, but Ai Hui could still see the black mask on Loulan's face. Seeing the mask, he thought of the accident tonight and felt a bit of a psychological shadow forming.

He absentmindedly asked, "Why do you wear a mask?"

Loulan said, "Because I don't have a face."

"No face?" Ai Hui was a bit surprised. "Why not make one?"

Making a face for a sand puppet was quite simple; some could even change their facial expressions at will.

Loulan said, "Shao Shi finds it troublesome."

Ai Hui thought about the reclusive earth cultivator next door and felt this was indeed Shao Shi's style. Among earth cultivators, many had peculiar personalities, and Ai Hui had met many more bizarre and dangerous ones. In comparison, although Shao Shi had a unique personality, he wasn't as dangerous.

"Actually, it's not that much trouble," Ai Hui said, feeling his words were meaningless and futile. He didn't think he needed to dwell on this accident, even though the sensation had been quite nice.

"There's no need. I'm just a sand puppet; I don't need a face," Loulan explained seriously. "Who would remember a sand puppet?"

Ai Hui, who was opening the door, stopped his hand.

He wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

"Yeah."

Ai Hui sighed, feeling a bit cruel but unable to say anything insincere. Sand puppets were the fastest to be eliminated and damaged in the wilderness, second only to laborers.

Who would remember a sand puppet, and who would remember a laborer?

We are both fallen beings, but I have 50,000 yuan.

Feeling invigorated, Ai Hui pushed the door open with a domineering air.

"Welcome to visit."

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