Chapter 34, Undermining the opponent

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The dragon flew up to the sky after readying its wings. 

Without giving any time for the cladded in iron individual to breath... The dragon fired off a series of firebolts. At the same time, the lady in the dragon's body released a horrible screech which restricted the man's movement by encasing his feet in foggy darkness. 

Though the moment the dragon was about to fire off its attack, the individual already drank a vial. It's a cure towards his previous seal caused by the dart’s poison. 

His eyes glowed in bright blue before glowing tattoos cover his face. 

As if time slowed down, he moved away from the firebolts direction with ease. The screech caused by the woman didn't affect him as right now he's immune to those sorts. 

Qi Huai cursed inwardly before looking towards Gin Fe and saying, "He threw away your damn poison from his system with ease! So, much for them being incurable!" 

Gin Fe replied with an annoyed tone, "Shut up and help me restrict his movement." 

Qi Huai redirected his mana into the mark on the back of his neck before he was engulfed in a strong moving gust of wind. As if it acted as some sort of elemental armor. 

With the help of the wind, he made his way with haste towards the cladded man with haste. He then nocked an arrow into his bow and aimed it at him. The ring on his hand which was grasping the arrow's back, glowed brightly. The arrow's tip was then glowing in green before it was launched towards the cladded man. 

With ease, the cladded man dodged the arrow but he couldn't predict that the second the arrow touched the ground... It would rebound back towards him in the form green piercing light. 

The light ignored his armor and gone through his guts with ease. 

It didn't stop there, as his back was engulfed in dark purple goop. He didn't know where it came from but what he knew was that it could melt away his armor and him alongside it! 

He was surprised on how these people where really strong to the point it made him look useless. 

The cladded man wanted to run away, but what met him was a bright red light which blew him away so far before hitting a tree. 

He coughed out blood as his conscious starts to fade away. 

Qi Huai and Gin Fe shook their hands before nodding to each other. 

One of them then said, "Qi Huai, I think ended this fight way to fast... That he couldn't even release one technique." 

"Well, what could he do against your stupid ridiculous pet!? He was too preoccupied on not turning into a burnt pile of flesh from your pet's constant harass!" Qi Huai spat out his words. 

The pet dragon then entered back into his necklace after giving its master a nod. 

"Yeah, I shouldn't have brought it out. We clearly overestimated his strength." Gin Fe said calmly before the ring on his pinky loses its bright purple colour. 

The purple goop on the cladded man slowly disappeared. 

Qi Huai looked at the dying man before saying, "We better at least bring him out the doors of death or else who knows how angry master would be." 

Gin Fe nodded in response. 

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Back in the Inn 

Lihua stood up from sitting on the chair before picking up the plates one by one on the table. 

She then eyed the little pink snake munching happily on the food inside a bowl. 

The princess then asked Tengfei, "So, what did you name her?" 

"Her?" Tengfei asked with a confused look. He also thought that she was too angry that he wouldn't talk with him. 

Lihua then pointed at the snake before saying, "Obviously I'm talking about the snake you nitwit!" 

Tengfei finished his bowl of soup before replying with a question, "How did you find out that it's a female?" 

Lihua paused for a while before saying, "I compared that snake with others! Since it's pink... It obviously a female!" As if desperate to create an answer. 

Tengfei almost spat out the water he drank. Instead he almost chocked as he coughed. 

He then looked at her before yelling, "Were you trying to kill with your idiocy!?" 

Hearing his words caused her to recall as to how ridiculous her explanation was. She then brought out a small cloth before handing it to Tengfei. 

He took it angrily before wiping his mouth and clothing. 

The young man then said, "At least this was not like the time you called your bags contained bags." Before looking at her with teary eyes from choking. 

She felt like buffoon before replying with a downcast look, "Sorry, for making you choke." 

Tengfei eyed her before saying, "Well I already decided the name for her." 

Lihua looked up and waited with anticipation. 

Though all the anticipation died out when Tengfei blurted out, "Fen She (Pink Snake)" 

Hearing the name caused Lihua to look at him with half closed eyes. She then said, "You just called be an idiot recently but now look at your sense of naming... That's something that even toddlers could do better." Her tone was filled with ridicule. 

Tengfei scratched the back of his head. He then replied, "Well it's either that or 'Xiao She'(Little Snake)." 

Lihua thumped his forehead before saying, "I never knew you were really this bad at a simple task." 

Tengfei rubbed the painful spot before angrily replying, "Then how about you name it and I'll see if it's any better?!" 

Lihua placed the plates on a tray before saying, "How about Minoan?" 

"Err... From what country does that name originate from?" 

Lihua knitted her eyebrows before replying, "It doesn't originate from any countries as I made it myself!" 

Tengfei tilted his head to the side slightly in confusion. "What does it mean then?" 

"Does it have to have meaning?" Lihua muttered. 

"It's okay but it doesn't sound like something a female snake would like."

Lihua was feeling confused as to why is Tengfei taking into consideration that the little snake if female. Though she eventually said, "How about Mini Minoan?" 

"That’s better but are we just going to call her Mini?" Asked Tengfei. 

"What's wrong with that. it's still better than calling her a small snake. At least this sounds cute." 

"Alright, alright it’s settled. We'll call it Mini Minoan." Tengfei said before he claps his hands. 

"I guess that's our best choice." Said Lihua 

 Tengfei then turned towards the snake before asking it, "Are you okay with being called Mini Minoan?" 

The pink snake adorably raised its head from the food before staring at Tengfei. It then tilted its head as if wondering what the human is saying. 

Lihua held Tengfei's shoulder and then asked, "Tengfei? Are you expecting a snake to respond?" She then felt his forehead with her hand before continuing, "Do you have some sort of fever?" 

Tengfei felt like he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it after realizing what he did. 

Though he kept aside that though as he really wanted to straighten up the questions in his mind. 

Tengfei called out the princess, "Lihua, can you take a sit?"

"What for? I have to clean the dishes you know." 

"Just sit for a moment. It’ll be quick." Tengfei said with a stern voice. 

She did as told. 

Tengfei then looked at her before asking, "This couple of days you've been meditating in the forest and every time you come back... Your appearance looked like someone who escaped with their life from running away." 

"It's a sort of training you know?" Lihua replied. 

"I've also seen that you got a quite expensive necklace with you sometimes. But you never spoke about it."

Lihua stayed silent for a moment before replying,"It's just an accessory."

If you could notice carefully, beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead. 

Tengfei raised his eyebrow slightly. "Not to mention the voice that led me to you when you were in need." 

Lihua thought hard before replying, "That must be something that was fabricated by your imagination."

"..." This made Tengfei speechles. 

LIhua looked at him and felt quite lost as to what to do. She then sighed before saying, "Maybe someday I will tell you if she allows it." 

'She?' Tengfei thought. 

Even with all that being said, Tengfei still feels weird that someone who he shared his secret of being an outsider... Can't in return give a secret. 

'I guess this is how it works. It only must mean that her secret outweights mine. ...And here I thought she trusts me.' 

Lihua felt hints of sadness in his eyes. 

She bit her lower lip before standing up and picking the tray. 

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A little while later 

Lihua was crossing her arms as she follows Tengfei to the back of the inn. 

Once they were there, the princess asked, "What are you doing with carrying my clothes in that bucket?" 

Tengfei turned to look at her before replying, "You're going to wash your clothes and I'm going to do for mine." 

Lihua rebuked immediately, "But I don't know how to. Why not you do it for me?" 

"You're sure to allow me to clean your undergarments?" Asked Tengfei with a perverted tone. 

"Never mind. Just teach me." 

Tengfei made a thinking pose before saying, "Strange, I recalled you said that the task of cleaning your clothes were left to you." 

"I kind of lied about that... Since I would ruin my clothes... So, I usually ask a close female servant of mine." 

Tengfei revealed a grin, "As expected from a pampered princess." 

Lihua bared her teeth before saying, "You don't want my teeth to leave marks on you." 

Tengfei looked at her before changing topics, "Anyways, let's just begin." 

And so, like that, Tengfei thought her on how to wash her clothes. 

They used the nearby well, wooden large bowl, Krehorian soap, and a rubbing tray. 

Lihua while in the middle of scrubbing, said out, "At this rate, I'll be the perfect wife..." 

Tengfei looked like he ignored it but was in reality feeling complicated. 

He then said, "I plan on testing whether Mini Minoan would fire off goop if I treat it to food." 

"To be in the safe side, I advise that you purchase a beast seal. This would fully make the beast follow your command." 

"I... Don't like that idea. As I don't treat the little snake as a pet but instead as a companion." 

“Oh ho, I never knew you were friendly towards beasts~” 

Tengfei stared at her as if she was an idiot. 

As if she figured out something, it caused her to become flustered as she says out, "I forgot, I forgot... You're also kind of a beast in some way." 

"I don't know why... But calling me a beast feels kind of wrong." Said the saddened Tengfei. 

"Sorry..." Lihua replied immediately. 

"No, don't worry about it." Tengfei said before falling into a pit of thoughts. 

Tengfei felt that she could easily say sorry as compared to before. 

~/`````````````````````````/~ 

Inside a certain dungeon 

There was a female inside a cage, filled to brim in bruises. Wearing ragged clothing that looked like it was rotting. 

Her hair didn't receive any care and so looked messy. 

She had eyes filled with nothing but despair.

Though the flame of living on could be seen if observed closely. 

A man walked into the room, holding an oil lamp which illuminated the area he approaches. 

He sat down before placing the lamp on the ground. 

The man sat silently as he watches the woman in front of him. He then said, after observing as to how beaten up she got, "I appologize that some of my men went in and did this to you. Their anger from knowing that you killed two of their comrades and still living... Blinded them." 

He then continued after a short pause, "I made sure to punish them accordingly. Luckily they didn't go as far as to soiling you." 

The woman looked upwards and stared into the man who killed her father. She didn't say anything but kept on looking. 

Farengoth didn't expect that she still has the kindle of life in her. 

He then brought out a pouch before tossing it inside the cell. 

It took a while, but the woman eventually opened it before immediately eating the contents inside. Like a starved beast. 

Farengoth waited till she was done before asking, "Do you want to get out of this cell?" 

She didn't reply. 

He the continued, "The only way out for you... Is to sign a blood contract with me." 

"..." The woman didn't reply. 

Farengoth sighed before saying, "Lou Jun? That's your name, right? I know very well that you will never cooperate with me but... Do you really want to rot in here?" 

Lou Jun showed hints of thinking about it. 

The knight then continued, "If you did the blood contract with me... Which would last a year at most... You're not only able to move freely but able to have a better life." 

A hoarse voice was then uttered by Lou Jun, "...What's ... the catch?" 

"You'll will not able to have any thoughts or actions that would lead to my death and you're not allowed to be 30 meters away from me. When I say an order, you have to comply. Quite simple isn't it?" 

"...You rather just kill me and resurrect myself as a lifeless doll to do your bidding. What use you have to go this far for me?" 

"Many uses in fact. One, you're a powerful mage. Two, I'm lacking someone who specializes in guarding and affecting terrains. Three, your father told me to spare you." 

"What happens after the contract ends? You'll kill me then?" 

"No, it's opposite, you'll kill me." 

"Huh?" It took a while before Lou Jun processed what he said. 

"My fourth condition, before the end of the contract, you will be allowed to kill me." 

Silence covered the room. 

Both individuals were just looking at each other, with one having a thoughtful look. 

Nothing could be heard in the dungeon except the crackling of the fire and noises from rats. 

After a while, Lou Jun finally stood up before walking towards the Knight. She then said, "...Give me the contract." 

The Knight also stood up before revealing the blood contract and handing it over. 

Lou Jun read through the contents before biting her finger and placing a drop of blood on the seal. She then said, "I accept." With a low quiet tone. 

Farengoth revealed a smile before saying, "You made the right choice." 

"...Remember, the time of your death approaches." She said with a strange warm smile. 

~/`````````````````````````/~ 

"The contest is approaching in a few days. Are you prepared?" Said Li Meixiu.

"I'm more worried..."