"Oh? General Fei Xiao is actually sparring with an ordinary person?"
Jing Yuan was quite surprised when he heard the news. As the General of the Luofu, he understood Fei Xiao's personality well. For her to engage someone in a sparring match meant that the person was definitely not simple.
"Interesting. I happen to have nothing to do. I'll go take a look." Jing Yuan quickly became interested and, without further delay, got up and headed toward the training ground where Aether and Fei Xiao were sparring.
Jing Yuan had barely reached the outside of the training ground when he heard a series of loud impact sounds from within. The exchange sounded intense.
Just as Jing Yuan was about to step inside, a cool and detached female voice came from behind him.
"General, you seem quite idle, to have time to come and watch a martial arts match."
"It's a sparring match involving the Great Victory General herself. Aren't you curious, Minister Fu?" Jing Yuan replied with a slight smile as he turned around.
Fu Xuan snorted. "If the General truly wishes to be idle, why not select a new General as soon as possible? That would make it easier for you to retire early and enjoy your old age."
As the Grand Diviner of the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan had always wanted to take over Jing Yuan's position. She had hinted at it countless times, hoping he would pass the title on to her.
Jing Yuan did want to hand over the position so he could retire early, but the current state of the Xianzhou could hardly be described as peaceful. It was more like a turbulent transition period.
The previous Sword Master, Jing Yuan's own master Jingliu, had suffered a Mara-Struck outbreak. Jing Yuan was forced to confront her personally, and her whereabouts remained unknown.
His disciple Yanqing, though talented and unmatched among the younger generation of the Luofu, was still young. While he was the most promising candidate for the next Sword Master, his lack of experience meant that the gap between him and true powerhouses was still vast, let alone compared to Jingliu.
Then there was the Vidyadhara Clan. The previous Chiming Dragon Lord had colluded with Yingxing to steal the remains of the Emanator of Abundance, Shuhu, attempting to resurrect a close friend. This grave crime had severely weakened the Xianzhou, and the Chiming Dragon Lord's legacy was nearly severed.
The current Chiming Dragon Lord, Bailu, was still young and possessed only incomplete Dragon Lord power. Her position within the Vidyadhara Clan was extremely unstable.
And these were only a few of the many issues.
Among the older generation, only Jing Yuan remained, while the next generation had yet to fully mature. Under such circumstances, how could he feel at ease stepping down?
"Oh dear, it's still too early for that. Let's discuss it slowly in the future," Jing Yuan said with a relaxed smile. "But since we're both here, Minister Fu, you must also be curious about the person who can spar with General Fei Xiao. Why don't we go in and take a look?"
With that, Jing Yuan walked into the training ground.
Watching his retreating figure, Fu Xuan could easily see through his thoughts. Jing Yuan was, after all, only human. He had carried far too much responsibility for the Luofu. Even a Long-Lived Species could not endure centuries of such pressure.
She truly hoped to succeed him soon, to help ease his burden and resolve the Luofu's many internal problems.
Unfortunately, Jing Yuan still had not agreed.
"General… how much longer can you endure this?"
Fu Xuan sighed softly and followed him into the spectator stands.
---
At this moment, the battle between Fei Xiao and Aether was reaching an intense pitch.
Fei Xiao, a veteran of countless battles, fought with wide, sweeping movements. Her strikes appeared full of openings, yet in reality, they formed an airtight offense.
Aether attempted repeatedly to exploit those openings, trying to catch her during recovery moments, but each time he was blocked by Fei Xiao's lightning-fast punches and kicks. He could only remain on the defensive, constantly circling her while relying on Wing Chun's close-quarters combat style.
"Minister Fu, who do you think will win?" Jing Yuan suddenly asked.
Fu Xuan glanced at him, then shifted her gaze back to the sparring pair. After a moment of consideration, she said, "General Fei Xiao's attacks are fierce, yet she cannot break through that young man's defense. Meanwhile, that young man seems to have the advantage, but he is constantly on the defensive and unable to launch a decisive counterattack."
"If I had to choose, I think that young man has a greater chance of winning."
Jing Yuan looked surprised. "Oh? Why do you think General Fei Xiao is at a disadvantage?"
Fu Xuan snorted lightly, explaining with faint pride. "That young man is still young, yet he can hold his ground against General Fei Xiao with his bare hands alone. Moreover, both sides are clearly holding back. Their true strength is likely even greater."
"Whether in potential or endurance, that young man has the better odds, as long as he can last."
Hearing this, Jing Yuan rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression. "Oh dear. I was planning to choose him as well, but I didn't expect Minister Fu to choose first."
"It seems I'm forced to pick General Fei Xiao."
For some reason, Fu Xuan felt uneasy when she heard this, despite having no concrete reason to doubt her judgment.
---
Bang!
After clashing for an unknown amount of time, both combatants finally stopped holding back. They threw punches simultaneously, their fists colliding head-on.
"Hiss. Damn, that hurts."
Aether cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth to maintain his composure.
Fei Xiao felt little discomfort. She immediately seized the opening, reversing her grip on Aether's wrist and pulling from both sides. Their centers of gravity were exposed at once, and the distance between their faces shrank dramatically.
As their defenses opened, Fei Xiao's gaze naturally fell to Aether's neck. Looking at his pale skin, an inexplicable stirring rose in her heart once more.
Aether noticed nothing. He struggled to break free, but Fei Xiao's grip was like iron, locking his wrists firmly in place.
As they struggled, Aether's peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan in the spectator stands.
"What the hell? Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan? Why are they here? Have I been exposed? No… is it because of Fei Xiao?"
Aether's heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was panic, but he quickly dismissed it. He had hidden himself far too well over the years, and his subordinates were cautious. Exposure was unlikely.
Then he realized the truth. They were here because of Fei Xiao.
If he had truly been exposed, far more than just Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan would have appeared.
If no one were watching, Aether might have let loose slightly. But with those two present, he dared not reveal anything. All he wanted now was to end the match quickly and leave.
With that decision made, Aether deliberately went along with Fei Xiao's movements. Within a few exchanges, he was thrown to the ground, conceding the match.
"Oh? What a coincidence. I guessed correctly." Jing Yuan laughed, feigning surprise when he saw Fei Xiao win.
"Hmph. No matter. There were no stakes anyway," Fu Xuan said, pretending not to care. "Besides, it's only natural for an unknown person to lose to General Fei Xiao."