Chapter 7 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

Once everything returned to normal, the martial arts competition proceeded smoothly. In the previous martial arts talent selections, there were generally only forty to fifty participants at most. This time, with Du Yinyun's appearance and various factors at play, the number of participants doubled, with around eighty individuals taking part in the competition. As a result, the preliminary selection rounds increased from one to two rounds. It meant one-on-one matches, with the winners advancing and the losers leaving the competition. After the two rounds of selection, there were about twenty remaining participants. Following that, the real battles commenced to determine the final ten who would participate in the subsequent "fallen flowers" segment. This kind of competition was inherently unfair, and each martial arts match even limited the fighting time to a maximum of half an incense stick's duration, roughly seven to eight minutes. If there was no victor by then, it would be considered a draw. The participants' skill levels varied as well since their purpose was not genuinely to settle life and death, but rather to display martial prowess or financial power, all to win the favor and smile of the courtesan and become her first patron. For idle sons of nobility, being a courtesan's patron could bring prestige to their circle for six or seven years. If one became her first patron, it would certainly provide conversational capital for those years, no need to worry about boasting to their friends. The competition progressed swiftly because not everyone fought as fiercely as He or Liu Kaixiong. Most matches were decided in just a couple of moves, or they would concede at the start and then spend a hundred and ten taels to purchase eleven golden flowers, directly surpassing the opponent's ten, securing victory. The competition left He Yanyun feeling deeply impressed. The power of wealth was effective in both the past and the future. The first round ended quickly, and the remaining forty individuals moved on to the second round of eliminations. In the first match of the second round, once again, the focus was on Chu Fan's appearance, making He Yanyun's heart skip a beat. According to the original novel's description, he would have been defeated by Chu Fan in this match, losing ignominiously. Observing Chu Fan taking the stage with a sword from the second floor spectator area, He Yanyun secretly congratulated himself. Thankfully, he had quickly joined forces with Du Xiaoxiao, or else he would not have the current opportunity to get closer to Sister Jiang. Chu Fan's opponent soon stepped onto the stage, surprising even He Yanyun. It turned out to be Liu Kaixiong again. He Yanyun couldn't help but feel sorry for Liu Kaixiong: "Brother Xiong really has bad luck. Buying someone else's slot is as good as a waste. Not only wasted, but also getting a beating. Brother Xiong's martial arts skills are at least at the level of a sixth or seventh-grade warrior. Normally, he could make it to the top ten, but unexpected encounters with Chu Fan, this guy who's always hanging around. Brother Xiong, it's not that I don't want to help you, I can't defeat this guy either." Although he appeared to be sorry, there was a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. He Yanyun's enjoyment was short-lived, and he soon felt a piercing gaze on his back. A sharp stare landed on his face. Chu Xiaoxiao was watching him. He Yanyun suddenly looked to his right at Du Yinyun, and with a single careless moment, the hapless girl was once again looking at Chu Fan! This was bad! Ding ding! A sound, inaudible to ordinary people, rang out. The Soul Devouring Pill was instantly activated, and a thousand insects began gnawing at He Yanyun's flesh and bone. In an instant, He Yanyun gritted his teeth, dripping with cold sweat. Fortunately, thanks to Sister Jiang's enhanced "poison resistance," the pain caused by the Soul Devouring Pill was somewhat alleviated, barely within the range that He Yanyun could bear. He had been through a disaster, but it wasn't completely over. He Yanyun's unusual reaction also caught the attention of Jiang Wuyou next to him. "Master He, I've left a sachet in the room. Could you fetch it for me?" Jiang Wuyou asked. The bell only rang once, and He Yanyun recovered to his normal state. Knowing that Sister Jiang was giving him an out, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Sister, I'm fine," before stealthily stealing a kiss on her fair cheek as he withdrew. Jiang Wuyou was not a shy and reserved young woman. On the contrary, she could engage in banter with He Yanyun like an experienced driver. But a girl still had to maintain some dignity, and she chose to ignore He Yanyun's public displays of affection. Occasionally, if he crossed the line, she would sternly warn him. For example, this time, she gave He Yanyun a fierce glare. He Yanyun grinned mischievously. Sister, my mistake, I won't do it next time. However, the lingering pain made He Yanyun lose interest in his playful antics. He deliberately spoke loudly, "Sister wants to eat candied fruit? I'll go buy some right away!" With that, he got up from his seat and asked the girls watching the martial platform. Each one blushed and replied, "Thank you, Master." Finally, when he asked Du Yinyun, He Yanyun deliberately curved his lips into a smile. "Miss Du, I'm going to buy candied fruit. Do you want some? I'll get you a portion." He treated Sister Jiang without reservation and was polite to Sister Du, making a clear distinction. He was indeed a master of mood management. Miss Du Yinyun had known that Master He would come to inquire about her, but it wasn't until he approached her and spoke that she turned her face towards him. Although she had been somewhat expectant to converse with He Yanyun, Du Yinyun was a reserved individual; she would not show excessive eagerness. Her face remained expressionless as she nodded slightly. "Thank you, Master." He Yanyun nodded back and said straightforwardly, "Alright, if you want the candied fruit, you have to pay for it first." Hearing this, Jiang Wuyou couldn't help but stifle a laugh. She had been brought along to vie for attention with Du Yinyun, so naturally, she knew fully well that this mischievous brother was planning to pursue the courtesan. But she had not expected that his ploy to provoke the aloof beauty's emotions would be so direct. Looking at Du Yinyun, who appeared slightly stunned, He Yanyun gave a hearty laugh. He reached out and lightly touched the tip of Du Yinyun's delicate nose, speaking affectionately, "Just teasing you. I'm off now." 【Du Yinyun's affection rating decreased from 66 to 65】 It's indeed as expected! Seeing Du Yinyun's decreased affection rating, He Yanyun became even more certain of her personality. This girl had an aloof personality type; in brief, she maintained a distance from everyone. If one became too intimate while her affection rating was not high enough, it would instead provoke her disfavor. But once the affection rating exceeded a certain threshold, it would be impossible to shake her off. She'd be like a lovesick dog. This was not the time to fuss about a slight decrease in affection rating. He had to distract her and keep her from paying attention to Chu Fan, or things would go very wrong between Sister Du and Chu Xiaoxiao. He Yanyun analyzed the current situation as he walked downstairs. At present, Du Yinyun had a high 70 affection rating for Chu Fan. No matter how hard I strive to raise Du Yinyun's affection for me, her 70 affection for Chu Fan would not change. As long as this 70 affection remained, she would continue to focus on Chu Fan no matter what I did. If I wanted to sever her bond with the main character Chu Fan, I had to reduce her 70 affection for him. Although He Yanyun was anxious inside, he had to maintain a nonchalant demeanor. Not only nonchalant, but he also had to exchange pleasantries with many acquaintances. As he interacted with various associates, He Yanyun gradually made his way over to the vicinity of Chu Xiaoxiao. Only when he was close enough did he dare to use inner energy to convey a message into Chu Xiaoxiao's ear. Otherwise, if I was too far away, the transmission of inner energy could easily be detected by others. He said, "Meet at the usual place." Chu Xiaoxiao didn't react, but He Yanyun believed she had heard him. So, after boasting a bit more with his cronies, He Yanyun left the Spring Wind Tower and disappeared into the night. After a short while, Chu Xiaoxiao got up, straightened her dress, and hurriedly left as well. All this was carried out very discreetly, with no one having any inkling of the intrigues between Chu Xiaoxiao and He Yanyun. To all appearances, one was a newly arrived commoner woman without any reputation in the city of Yin Jing, while the other was a notorious noble, He Yanyun. They shouldn't have any interactions at all. Not to mention ordinary people, even with god-like insight or knowledge of the novel, He Yanyun couldn't have guessed that Chu Xiaoxiao was the hidden boss, and ordinary people wouldn't have been able to guess either. But the main character, Chu Fan, was no ordinary person. He was the only person in the world who cared about both Chu Xiaoxiao and He Yanyun. Even though He Yanyun's actions were clandestine, Chu Fan had been observing him from the start. With his ninth-grade peak cultivation, constantly striving for the sword, on the brink of reaching the level of a half-step grandmaster, He Yanyun, relying on the strength gained from the Soul Devouring Pill, was naturally no match for him. The transmission of inner energy was crystal clear to Chu Fan. Subsequently, his little sister Chu Xiaoxiao's departure sent a shiver down his spine. "Liu, give it your all! You must defeat Chu Fan this time!" "Absolutely! Liu Kaixiong, you mustn't lose, I've bet on your victory!" "Old Bear, if you win, you don't have to repay us the money you borrowed!" The crowd was frenzied, and Liu Kaixiong had no choice but to brandish his sword and challenge. However, this time, Chu Fan's aura suddenly became extremely sinister for his opponent. It was as if a cute kitten had turned into a man-eating tiger! "Noisy." Chu Fan, annoyed by the commotion, slashed his verdant-white longsword, and Liu Kaixiong's sword was split into two thin pieces along the blade. The aura of a ninth-grade swordsman was fully revealed. The two metal pieces "clanged" as they fell to the ground. In the hall of the Spring Wind Tower, silence descended, and one could hear a pin drop.