Cultivator Aneira crossed her arms at Cultivator Byron’s declaration and gave him a hard look. From the way she clenched her jaw, I could tell that her patience reached its limit.

“What do you love about me?” She asked.

Cultivator Byron perked up that.

“You are as beautiful and mysterious as the moon.” He said, speaking with a dramatic flourish. “In my eyes, you are a celestial goddess that has descended from the heavens. Your silver hair is like a river of stars. No, even the beauty of the heavens can’t compare to you.”

I stared at Cultivator Byron, feeling embarrassed on his behalf. If this was his idea of wooing a woman, then no wonder his family arranged a marriage for him. He needed the help.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the minions stepping out of their respective living spaces. When they caught sight of Cultivator Byron, their expressions twisted with anger. The last time I saw them look like that was back during the entrance exam, when I insulted Cultivator Diana.

Wait a moment. Didn’t they say that they were sent here after getting into an argument with a young master who insulted Cultivator Diana? Was that young master Cultivator Byron?

“What else?” Cultivator Aneira asked.

“Excuse me?” Cultivator Byron said.

“You said you loved me for my beauty.” Cultivator Aneira said. “What else do you love about me?”

Cultivator Byron stared at her for several seconds, unwilling or unable to answer her question.

“What else is there?” He asked, befuddled.

I resisted the urge to cover my face with my hands.

“If I ever say anything that insulting to a woman,” I said, turning towards Ellen, “Please slap me.”

Ellen smirked.

“As you command, Young Master.”

When I turned back, I saw that Cultivator Aneira’s expression had turned so cold that I felt a chill in my heart, and I wasn’t the target of her ire. A layer of frost coated the ground beneath her feet and the walls of her living space. Cultivator Byron took several steps back. The Foundation Establishment cultivators accompanying him moved forward, to shield him from Cultivator Aneira’s wrath.

“Get. Out.” Cultivator Aneira said through clenched teeth. “I never want to see you ever again, Brother Byron.”

Cultivator Byron recovered his composure and straightened himself out.

“Fine,” he said, his tone harsh, “If that’s how you want to play, then so be it. I tried to be nice, but you decided to throw my generosity in my face. It seems I must resort to threats. You have only yourself to blame for this.” He leaned forward. “If you don’t come with me today, I will tell everyone about your little secret, Sister Aneira.”

Cultivator Aneira’s eyes widened and she trembled with rage.

“You…!”

“Oh yes, I know all about how…special you are,” Cultivator Byron said in a smug voice. “If you become my woman, I will do everything in my power to protect you. If you don’t…”

He trailed off and let his threat hang in the air. I clenched my fists. Earlier I hadn’t been willing to intervene since it looked like Cultivator Aneira didn’t need my help. However, Cultivator Byron crossed the line. I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. The minions looked like they wanted to strangle Cultivator Byron. Ellen let out killing intent so strong, it sent a chill down my spine.

“Do you need help throwing out some trash, Cultivator Aneira?” I called out. “Since we’re neighbors, it’s only right that we aid each other in times of need.”

Cultivator Byron whirled in my direction and I got my first good look at him. He seemed familiar, though I knew that we had never met before. He had sun-kissed skin, dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. Contrary to my expectations, he looked plain. For some reason, I thought he would be handsome.

That’s when it hit me. Cultivator Byron looked similar to Uncle Jericho. While there were obvious differences between the two, it was clear that they were related. Was Cultivator Byron a descendant of Uncle Jericho?

“Unless you wish to get expelled from Celestial Warrior Hall, you should mind your own business!” Cultivator Byron snapped, before doing a double take. “Wait a minute. You’re not a part of Celestial Warrior Hall. Those colors…What is a disciple of Flame Fiend Hall doing here?” Before I could even answer, his eyes lit up with understanding. “Ah, I know who you are. You’re Darian Wind Dance, aren’t you? Hall Master Nova’s son? I heard that you joined Celestial Warrior Hall as an honorary disciple.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“I hadn’t realized I was so well known,” I said.

Cultivator Byron let out a derisive snort.

“You’re one the first divine demons to appear in centuries,” he said, “Of course everyone knows your name.” He narrowed his eyes at me, before glancing at Cultivator Aneira. “Ah, so that’s how it is.”

I frowned at him, confused by his statement.

“I can’t believe you, Sister Aneira!” Cultivator Byron said, growing angry. “I never expected you to be this shameless. How could you choose him over me?”

I blinked at him in disbelief. Cultivator Aneira had the same reaction.

“What?” she asked.

“That’s the only explanation for why you refuse to become my woman,” Cultivator Byron said, pointing a finger at me. “You already have a man!”

Cultivator Aneira and I glanced at each other. We both wore incredulous expressions on our faces.

“And you,” Cultivator Byron said, turning towards me again, “How could you steal Sister Aneira from me? She was supposed to be mine!” He sneered. “Your family is famous for their licentious behavior, but I didn’t realize you were thieves as well.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Cultivator Byron,” I said, “You seem to be laboring under a misunderstanding. Cultivator Aneira and I are neighbors. Nothing more.”

“Even if Cultivator Darian and I were together, that would be none of your concern, Brother Byron,” Cultivator Aneira said. “Who I chose to be with is just that, my choice. I am not a possession to be owned or stolen away.”

“Lies!”

My left eye twitched. Cultivator Byron’s behavior from earlier irritated me. Now that he had turned his anger towards me as well, I wanted nothing more to do with him.

“Get out, Cultivator Byron,” I said, “You’re not welcome here. Isn’t that right, Cultivator Trevor? Cultivator Oliver?”

“Yes, Cultivator Darian.” Cultivator Trevor said.

“We are familiar with Brother Byron’s troublesome behavior,” Cultivator Oliver said, “And we don’t like it one bit.”

Cultivator Byron looked towards the minions and let out a scoff.

“So this is where Cultivator Diana’s lap dogs were hiding.” He said with a sneer. “After the thrashing I gave you two, I expected you to flee the Dawn and Dusk Sect altogether. Good. This gives me an opportunity to teach another lesson.”

I headed towards Cultivator Byron, stepping beyond the protective arrays of my living space. Ellen accompanied me, walking by my side. The Foundation Establishment cultivators who accompanied Cultivator Byron moved to block my passage, though they made no other aggressive moves.

“You seem confident for someone who is outnumbered.” I said, stopping a few feet away.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Ha!” Cultivator Byron said. “Do you think I’m scared of some measly Qi Condensation cultivators? As you can see, my bodyguards are both in Foundation Establishment and I have two of them. Meanwhile, you only have one. Do you think you’re a match for me?”

Ellen let out a scornful laugh.

“What a brave little lord,” she said, “Running your mouth while hiding behind others. I wonder what noises you’ll make after I cut out your tongue.”

At this, Cultivator Byron’s bodyguards drew their weapons. One wielded a spear while the other wielded a sword. In response, a pair of curved daggers appeared in Ellen’s hands. This was my first time seeing them. They looked somewhat like snake fangs and each one gleamed with a poisonous green light. The two minions drew their weapons as well, ready to jump in at any moment.

The tension in the air heated up, and it felt like things would explode out into violence at any moment. Cultivator Byron glared at me, his bodyguards glared at Ellen, and everything else glared at Cultivator Byron.

If a fight broke out, I wasn’t sure who would win. While Cultivator Byron’s side had more Foundation Establishment cultivators, Ellen was in late Foundation Establishment. This made her much more powerful than those in early Foundation Establishment. If the twins and I helped out, I was sure we could handle the bodyguards. As for Cultivator Byron, Cultivator Aneira was more than a match for him.

“Enough of this, Brother Byron,” Cultivator Aneira said. “Just leave. I don’t care if you reveal my secret to everyone. Once I break through the Foundation Establishment realm, I will become Elder Celine’s personal disciple. When that happens, it won’t matter who knows my secret. I’ll be under Elder Celine’s protection.”

Cultivator Byron’s face twisted with dismay and frustration. Maybe that was why he was so desperate to make Cultivator Aneira his woman now, before she became Elder Celine’s disciple. Even one of Uncle Jericho’s descendants couldn’t harass the personal disciple of an elder with impunity.

“No!” he ground out. “You are mine. I won’t give up on you now, not when I’m so close.” He pointed a finger at me. “I challenge you to a duel, Cultivator Darian! If I win, you will give up Sister Aneira.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“I refuse.” I said.

Cultivator Byron blinked at me, as if he couldn’t believe that I would refuse his challenge.

“What?” he asked, staring at me in disbelief.

“Why should I risk giving up Cultivator Aneira?” I asked. Her eyes snapped to me and I winked at her, letting her know that I was up to something. She pursed her lips, but nodded. “How does dueling you benefit me in any way?”

Cultivator Byron snapped his jaw shut and glared at me.

“If you don’t, I will stay here until you agree to duel me.” He threatened.

I rolled my eyes at that.

“If you do that, we’ll all just hole up in our living spaces and wait for either my second master or for Elder Celine to show up.” I said.

Cultivator Byron’s eyes widened at that, and he looked a little fearful. However, he recovered his composure and gave me a condescending look.

“A disciple of Flame Fiend Hall refusing a challenge?” He said. “Not only that, but you’re Hall Master Nova’s son as well. How shameful. I thought the disciples of Flame Fiend Hall were supposed to be ferocious warriors. It seems that I was wrong, or maybe you’re just a coward.”

I snorted at Cultivator Byron’s attempt to goad me. That said, it almost worked. Unlike the facade I put up, I wanted to duel Cultivator Byron. I was a martial idiot, after all. The thought of testing myself against someone at peak Qi Condensation filled me with excitement. Yes, I traded pointers with Cultivator Aneira, but there was a difference between trading pointers and a duel.

However, I was more of a cultivation idiot than a martial idiot. If I was going to duel Cultivator Byron, I wanted to gain some benefit from it.

“If you want to duel me for Cultivator Aneira,” I said, baring my teeth in a smile. “You have to offer me something of equal value.” I widened my smile. “As you mentioned earlier, Cultivator Aneira is a great beauty, so I won’t accept whatever cheap trash you have lying around. If you take her… secret into consideration, well, you’ll have to pay a dear price if you want me to accept your duel.”

Cultivator Byron clenched his jaw at this.

“Ha!” he said. “You pretend to be noble and righteous, but you’re no better than I am. At least my feelings for Cultivator Aneira are genuine. Can you say the same, Cultivator Darian?”

I shrugged.

“Do you accept my terms or not?” I asked.

“Cultivator Darian,” Cultivator Aneira said, “There is no need for you to get yourself involved. This is my fight. Stay out of it.”

I looked at her in surprise. She looked at me with disappointment in her eyes. What? Why? Did…Did she think that my act was genuine? Damn it! I was just doing this to get stuff from Cultivator Byron. Even if I lost the duel, it didn’t matter. Cultivator Aneira and I weren’t together, and she was her own person. It was a low-risk, high-reward gamble. However, I couldn’t tell her that without revealing the truth. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators and above could speak via telepathy.

“Cultivator Aneira,” I said, trying to convey my sincerity to her, “Trust me.”

Cultivator Aneira studied me for several seconds and didn’t reply.

“Fine!” Cultivator Byron said, interjecting himself into the conversation again. “I accept. What do you want?”

I turned to him and held up three fingers.

“Three things.” I said. “First, regardless of who wins the duel, you will keep Cultivator Aneira’s secret to yourself.”

Cultivator Byron thought it over, before nodding. Good. That was what worried me the most, but I guessed that he would accept. After all, if everyone found out about Cultivator Aneira’s Pure Yin Physique, he would have more competition.

“Second, if I win the duel, you will give those Icefang Serpent scales to Cultivator Aneira.”

Cultivator Byron hesitated for a moment, before he gritted his teeth.

“What’s your third term?”

I smirked.

“Third, if I win, I want you to give me a Foundation Breakthrough Pill.”

Cultivator Byron’s jaw dropped.

“Are you crazy?” He asked. “A Foundation Breakthrough Pill? Do you know how valuable those are?”

I nodded. I first heard about Foundation Breakthrough Pills back during the entrance exam. Clarissa offered one to Senior Hellfire Bear in order to pass the last portion of the exam, but the others convinced her not to. Afterwards, during my research into alchemy, I learned more about this kind of pill.

From what I understood, a Foundation Breakthrough Pill did as its name suggested: it helped a cultivator break through to the Foundation Establishment realm. While taking one didn’t guarantee success, it increased the odds by quite a bit. Given my family’s attitude, I figured that I would have to rely on myself to procure a Foundation Breakthrough Pill.

Not that I needed one. According to Astra, back when she taught me about spirit roots more than a year ago, those with mutated pure spirit roots like myself were almost guaranteed to reach Foundation Establishment. However, I figured I might as well increase my odds as much as possible. Even if I ended up not needing the pill, I could sell it or trade it away later on.

“What’s the problem?” I asked. “I’m sure a young master from a prestigious family such as yourself would have no problem getting his hands on a Foundation Breakthrough Pill.”

Cultivator Byron glared at me with such hatred in his eyes.

“No,” He said. “I refuse. Your terms are too unreasonable. I can accept the first two, but not the third.”

I shrugged, as if his refusal didn’t matter to me, though this was an act on my part. Despite my nonchalant facade, anxiety filled me. I wanted to fight Cultivator Byron. More than that, I wanted that Foundation Breakthrough Pill. However, I couldn’t let Cultivator Byron know that. If I showed any weakness, he would refuse to give me the pill.

“Very well.” I said, before turning around and heading back to my living space.

“Wait!” Cultivator Byron called out. “Where are you going?”

“You won’t accept my terms,” I said without looking back, “So I have no reason to accept your challenge. I’m going back to cultivating.”

I almost made it back to my living space before Cultivator Byron called out to me.

“All right, you win! I accept your terms.”

I resisted the urge to sigh with relief and turned around.

“Excellent.” I said, grinning at him.

----------------------------------------

Several minutes later, the seven of us stood outside of the courtyard. Cultivator Byron and I faced each other within the impromptu training space the others and I created for trading pointers. Meanwhile, everyone else stood off to the side to observe the duel.

“I’ll give you one chance to surrender, Cultivator Darian.” Cultivator Byron said, pulling a sword out of his storage ring. “There is no shame in conceding to a stronger opponent.”

I almost snorted at that. He was the one who wanted this duel in the first place, and now he wanted me to concede before we even fought? Ha! How shameless.

“It’s because you’re stronger than me that I even agreed to duel you in the first place.” I said. “There’s no challenge in fighting a weak opponent.”

Cultivator Byron studied me for a moment, before nodding. I noticed a gleam of respect in his eyes. Despite everything, he was still a disciple of Celestial Warrior Hall. More than that, cultivators in general respected strength. Backing down now would just earn me scorn.

“Why are you allowing this?” I heard Cultivator Aneira mutter to Ellen. “Aren’t you worried about Cultivator Darian?”

“This is what Young Master wishes,” Ellen replied, “Who am I to stop him? I’m here to ensure that nothing goes wrong, and to keep anyone from interfering with the duel. If they try, I will kill them.”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that the expressions of Cultivator Byron’s bodyguards turned unsightly. It was clear that Ellen was talking about them just now. However, that mattered little to me as long as no one interfered with the duel.

Cultivator Byron and I took our stances. I studied his form. While I wasn’t familiar with the specific martial art he practiced, it was clear to me that he was skilled. While his personality was terrible, he didn’t just rely on his family’s status.

However, he wasn’t as skilled as Cultivator Aneira. Not only that, but I traded pointers with Ellen and Elliot on several occasions. Despite his higher cultivation base, I knew I had a chance at winning.

I also studied Cultivator Byron’s sword with my spirit sense. From what I saw, it was a high-grade Qi Condensation magic treasure like my gauntlets and Cultivator Aneira’s fans. Considering Cultivator Byron’s status, this didn’t surprise me at all.

As tension filled the air, my nerves grew taut and my heart started pounding in my chest. Not out of fear or anxiety, but out of excitement. I hadn’t had a proper fight in so long. Trading pointers just wasn’t the same. I planned on going all out. From the look in his eyes, Cultivator Byron felt the same.

“We shall keep the rules of this duel simple,” Ellen called out. “The two of you will fight until either one of your forfeits or until one of you is unable to continue fighting. Understood?”

Cultivator Byron and I both nodded.

“Good.” Ellen said. “On my mark…Begin!”