Xing Yuan also saw the man Wu Yi couldn't stop thinking about. To be honest, Qi Ling was not bad-looking, but he wasn't exactly handsome either. Moreover, perhaps because he had been living too well recently, Qi Ling had even gained some weight.
Xing Yuan was a sucker for good looks; otherwise, she wouldn't have occupied Wu Yi's body. As she sized up Qi Ling's appearance, she found him utterly displeasing.
She walked directly towards Qi Ling and stopped in front of him.
Qi Ling looked up and saw Wu Yi. He smiled, still seated, and said in a low voice, "Xiao Yi, have you regretted it and want to get back together? Although I was very angry about what happened last time, you are the first girl I liked. I am willing to grant you this honor."
Xing Yuan couldn't control her restless hand and slapped him. A palm print instantly appeared on Qi Ling's face, making his already unattractive face look even more contorted.
Why are there always people in the world who are so ordinary yet so confident? Wu Yi was disgusted by Qi Ling. How blind was she to have fallen for such a man back then?
"I've come to challenge you. Tomorrow, at the arena, be there or be square!" Xing Yuan threw down a blue invitation.
Since the bizarre resurgence, conflicts had been constant across the land. Later, the authorities enacted this law: if two ghost hunters had grievances, they could resolve them in a specialized arena, where life and death were not guaranteed! Furthermore, the party at fault could not refuse!
"What?" Qi Ling's expression turned grim as he carefully examined the invitation in his hand. How could his little girlfriend possibly have the talent to become a ghost hunter?
His thoughts were not entirely wrong. Shortly after the bizarre resurgence, professionals conducted nationwide tests. If one possessed talent, they would be brought to specialized academies for training, just like Qi Ling.
Xing Yuan had no interest in explaining anything to a scumbag. She said coldly, "Just remember to show up. If you don't, you should know the consequences." With that, she turned and left briskly.
Qi Ling looked dazed. A beautiful woman beside him stepped forward to comfort him, "Brother Ling, she's just a little girl. How can she compare to you? She's only daring to challenge you because she just awakened her abilities. When Brother Ling defeats her in the arena, she'll know her place."
The admiring gaze of the beauty restored Qi Ling's confidence. He pulled her into his embrace and said exceptionally gently, "You always know how to sweet-talk me!" He was merely surprised that the person he had abandoned suddenly had a status close to his. But it didn't matter; after tomorrow, everything would return to normal.
On the other side, Wu Yi said with concern, "You are a ghost after all. What if someone discovers your true form tomorrow when you fight Qi Ling?" After spending these days together, Wu Yi had come to regard the person controlling her body as a friend.
"Don't worry!" Xing Yuan said confidently. "Your body and I have completed the integration period. Unless I choose to or am severely injured, they will never find out!" If it weren't for some ghosts being unusually sensitive to auras, no one would have been able to discover it.
Although Wu Yi didn't understand, she still felt that Xing Yuan was amazing.
The next day, Xing Yuan and Qi Ling stood on the arena stage. Below, there were many onlookers and ghosts. Thus, the spectators were not divided by nationality or race.
The crowd below was fiercely discussing who would win or lose, and even bets were being placed. The grievance arenas were the safest places in the city because they were where all sorts of ghost hunters resolved their personal disputes.
However, a battle between ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends was quite rare. Therefore, the arena was surrounded by the largest crowd.
Xing Yuan completely ignored the people below, while Wu Yi was unusually nervous. She had always been a model student in school and had never fought before. This was truly her first time.
Qi Ling's expression was calm. He smiled gracefully at the crowd below, looking at the girl who felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
"Xiao Yi, stop fooling around! If you step down now, I'll pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, the swords and sabers on stage have no eyes, and you might get hurt." Qi Ling's expression seemed incredibly sincere, portraying the image of a devoted man with great skill.
Xing Yuan let out a cold snort and handed over control of her body to Wu Yi. Her own knots had to be untangled by herself.
Wu Yi looked at herself in bewilderment, almost dropping the sword in her hand. "My lady, what are you doing? I don't know how to fight!"
"Don't worry! With me here, you won't lose!" Although Xing Yuan's voice was cold, Wu Yi felt a sense of security. Perhaps realizing she wasn't alone, she mustered the courage to look at Qi Ling and speak her true feelings.
"Ah Ling, we've come to this point. Why must you be so hypocritical? I admit that in my youth, I was blind to have fallen for a hypocrite like you. After today's battle, regardless of the outcome, there will be no more connection between us."
Qi Ling looked at Wu Yi's determined expression and realized there was no turning back. He felt a bit disappointed. If Wu Yi had begged for reconciliation here, he would have forgiven her. After all, if both husband and wife were ghost hunters, it would greatly benefit his reputation and future.
As the referee blew his whistle, all the dozen or so arenas erupted into battle. Qi Ling was the first to attack Wu Yi. Even a lion needs to exert its full strength to catch a rabbit; he wouldn't give her a chance to turn the tables.
Wu Yi's mind went blank, but her body instinctively dodged the attack.
"Go on!" Xing Yuan urged, anxious. "Don't you know I can't hold on for long? There's still time to be in a daze."
Wu Yi snapped back to reality and, mimicking what Xing Yuan had taught her, threw out a fire talisman. Qi Ling braked sharply in mid-air, dodging the deadly fire talisman.
Qi Ling looked at Wu Yi coldly. "I knew you'd have the confidence to beat me. So you bought talismans at a high price. But do you think I don't have any?"
Qi Ling, feeling a pang of regret, also threw talismans at Wu Yi. This was all money!
Xing Yuan instantly regained control of the body. She agilely dodged through several talismans and lunged with her sword at Qi Ling, who thought he had victory in his grasp. Qi Ling clutched his wound and fell.
Everything happened too quickly. The audience below hadn't even reacted before the battle was over.
Wu Yi advanced step by step towards the man who had occupied her entire youth. Qi Ling curled up and retreated.
Qi Ling saw the killing intent in Wu Yi's eyes and quickly shouted, "Referee, I surrender..." But before he could finish, Wu Yi's sword descended.
The referee also rushed to the scene and had Qi Ling carried away for treatment. He then glanced deeply at Wu Yi.
After striking the sword, Wu Yi, overwhelmed by emotion, once again yielded control of her body to Xing Yuan.
"Will he... will he die?" Wu Yi asked nervously. She had never killed anyone.
"No, his cultivation is just ruined!" Xing Yuan said with a pleased smile. Cut the weeds and remove the roots. She had directly destroyed the source of Qi Ling's power. With the corrosive nature of the black mist, he would only be able to live with a body weaker than an ordinary person for the rest of his life.
"That's good!" Wu Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then, due to weakness, fell into a deep sleep.
Good, huh? Xing Yuan's lips curved slightly. The girl's nature was indeed simple. She couldn't imagine how "colorful" Qi Ling's future life would be! After all, Qi Ling was arrogant and had offended many people over the years. If they knew Qi Ling had been reduced to an ordinary person, his future days would not be easy.
ps: Would you prefer more romance or more plot? („ಡwಡ„) Thank you.
Do you mind angst? A heads-up in advance!