Chapter 0396: Reward

Li Luo was taken aback by Jiang Qing'e's words.

"Er, surely not? Lu Qing'er hasn't done much," he said, scratching his head.

She sniffed lightly to herself. Nothing much? Lu Qing'er had come to her and suggested that she call off the engagement to Li Luo. Of course, Lu Qing'er believed that there was no true love between her and Li Luo, and that the engagement was a burden to both parties. Still, anyone who dared to go that far with her had done a lot indeed.

Compared to that, Zhao Huiyin's little bit of skinship was nothing at all.

Of course, someone as proud as Jiang Qing'e would never let Li Luo know about it. She would deal with any real problems that came up.

"I know what Zhao Huiyin wants to do, so I'm happy to let her feel that she's accomplished it. Let her play her little games - I'll bait her back with them. Let's see who suffers at the ticket match in the end," Jiang Qing'e said indifferently as she set her teacup back down.

Li Luo was a little startled. Was he just a pawn in the game of chess between the two girls?

"Do you really need to play such games given how strong you are?" Li Luo grumbled.

Zhao Huiyin might be strong, but Li Luo had absolute confidence in Jiang Qing'e.

"Even a lion dedicates its full effort to catch rabbits. And saving every little bit of energy counts. Zhao Huiyin is a clever person - and wiser people make bigger mistakes. Any of those would be welcome indeed."

Jiang Qing'e laughed lightly. "Still, she's smart enough not to buy my act... maybe. It doesn't matter. Just a small hedging either way. The real result still depends on our abilities."

"I hope she doesn't let me down. Even Duze Honglian has been squashed so flat she doesn't even have a temper anymore. I'm totally bored in Three Star Hall. Except for the occasional happening, I don't find much meaning here."

Li Luo was in awe of her boredom. That was the result of her relentless pursuit of self-betterment. It was always lonely at the top of the mountain.

"How do you weigh our chances of winning the ticket match, do you think?" Li Luo asked her.

She dipped an elegant finger in her tea, then dripped it on the table and used light resonant energy to shift it into shimmering words.

"The Four Star Hall representatives are already decided. Gong Shenjun and First Princess. The two strongest among the Seven Astral Pillars... do you think they'll secure two victories there?" she asked him back.

Li Luo rubbed his chin. "I guess?"

He had never seen Gong Shenjun fight before, but he had a rough sense of First Princess' power. If Gong Shenjun was even stronger than her, then surely the two could take down Blue Abyss Sage College's representatives?

Jiang Qing'e shook her head. "You've underestimated that Zhong Nan."

"I've analyzed his battle scores before. Do you know that he's never lost a single battle ever since he entered Blue Abyss Sage College?"

Li Luo's jaw dropped. "Not a single one?!"

She smiled at his reaction. "Most of his battles have ended in a draw. No one at his cultivation level has ever broken his defenses. They have all had their resonant powers run dry at the end. Not even that Wang Chao from the Seven Astral Pillars can rival his defense."

Li Luo shook his head in disbelief. Senior Wang Chao was hailed as the strongest defender of Astral Sage College. And still he was weaker than Zhong Nan?

"If Gong Shenjun meets Zhong Nan, there's a 40% chance it ends in a draw. If First Princess, 60%. The best that Four Star Hall can hope for is one win, and one draw," she said.

"As for Three Star Hall, the chances of my win are over 90%. Duze Honglian is not very stable, but there's no one outstanding for Three Star Hall on the Blue Abyss side either. I'd rate her chances fifty-fifty."

"Two Star Hall is a wasteland this year. It's a matter of who's worse, really. Nothing much to rate there."

"One Star Hall... what do you think?" she suddenly turned to stare at him.

Li Luo pondered her question. "In terms of facial aesthetics, charismatic persuasion and sexiness, factor in charm and mainstream appeal, and recalibrate for wit... I think Astral Sage College's One Star Hall representative stands an overwhelming chance to win," he said with utter conviction.

Jiang Qing'e stared at him. Did he think the ticket match was a beauty contest? If that was the case, she'd be invincible in this world already.

Li Luo allowed himself a little giggle, then got serious. "I've never met Lu Cāng or Lu Cáng before, but they make me a little uneasy, somehow. I really can't speak from blind confidence, so I guess I'll just try my best."

She nodded in approval at his caution. "That makes me relieved. The world is big, and there are unknown miracles everywhere. Even with your dual resonances, there can be others who can rival you for sure. Lu Cāng and Lu Cáng give me sinister vibes as well. They might be the real aces of Blue Abyss Sage College."

"Putting their trump cards in the One Star Hall match?" Li Luo asked. "The element of surprise only works when no one is paying attention. You should know that Blue Abyss Sage College has bided their time for many years to make this bid for the Holy Grail Meet. They're slightly weaker than Astral Sage College on average. Without some trump card, it'd be hard for them to win."

Li Luo nodded. "I'll be careful."

The two continued to chat, and soon the sun had fully set before they knew it. Jiang Qing'e rose to leave.

Li Luo walked her to the door. The golden girl was bathed in the light of the full moon, her glowing complexion mellowed in the fair cast of lunar silver. She was like a night lotus, freshly bloomed.

Li Luo's breath caught for a moment.

Jiang Qing'e smiled at his staring. "Am I pretty? Better than Zhao Huiyin?" "I'd be lying if I said the difference was as big as clouds and mud, but with you around, her honey trap's more likely to give me diabetes before I take off my clothes," Li Luo said, summoning his wit back to the rescue.

She laughed. "Tongue as silver as ever."

She waved as she turned to leave.

Li Luo caught the wrist of her outstretched hand. Jiang Qing'e jumped a little, but did not pull away, instead staring at him curiously.

"Is there something else?"

Li Luo cleared his throat. "Ahem. So I became the One Star Hall representative."

"I know?"

"I beat Qin Zhulu two days ago."

"I have heard this." She nodded.

Li Luo glared at her. "So I've become the most valuable player in One Star Hall at Astral Sage College now! Jiang Qing'e, do you remember the promise you made previously?!"

"You said that if I became first in Astral Sage College One Star Hall, you'd give me a reward!"

"Now I've done it! Where's my reward?!" She stared at him, eyes wide.

Li Luo looked at her surprised face, then sighed with disappointment. "Forget it, I know you were only joking. It's nothing. Go on then."

Hearing his resignation, Jiang Qing'e was a little indignant as well. "I really hadn't thought about it yet. What reward do you want?"

Li Luo rubbed his chin, affecting casualness. He took a good look at Jiang Qing'e's beautiful face to weigh his chances.

She seemed to welcome his staring, completely unbothered. Their relationship ran too deep. She had not shown any resistance to Li Luo's advances or movements so far. Even if he did something pretty intimate, she'd probably go with it.

But her willingness instead disappointed Li Luo, who sighed again. He dropped the casual act.

"What is it now?" Jiang Qing'e asked impatiently.

"Qing'e, you make me feel very unaccomplished," Li Luo complained.

"What? Am I supposed to pull away or resist? I was more worried I'd hurt you!" she replied. Li Luo mimed being stabbed in the heart as he forced a laugh. "Qing'e, we've had a complicated relationship in the past, but you know what I really want, including the annulment of the engagement that I've worked so hard for."

Jiang Qing'e looked closely at him. She knew that this was not about the annulment, but rather, a change in the nature of their relationship.

Li Luo had grown at superhuman pace over the course of the last year. The blank palace youth from Tianshu province had now become one of the greatest in his generation throughout Xia Kingdom.

He had been working so hard to get closer to her level. No one doubted his potential anymore, nor did anyone call them unmatched partners. "Qing'e, I don't need any reward, really," Li Luo sighed. "I just want you to lay down the complicated emotional baggage from our past. Treat me as just another interested pursuer."

"Think about it. If it was just another interested pursuer just now, what would your reaction have been?"

Jiang Qing'e pondered briefly. "He'd be dead."

Li Luo blanched. "Er, surely not?"

Jiang Qing'e laughed. "Li Luo, I know what you want to say," she said softly. "Even I've been surprised by your rise in the last year. Like I told you before, you're the match of anybody, including me."

"But to call you just another admirer... that's something I can't do."

Before Li Luo could retort, she continued. "But whatever you do, whatever we have, you're definitely the admirer with the most chance, and the best able to do so."

And the only one worthy of consideration, she added to herself in her heart.

It was a bittersweet reply for Li Luo. At least he had a grasp of reality now.

Something swirled in her golden eyes. "Li Luo, you're right - there's been too much between us in the past. Too deep for me to put aside, but I can try..."

"And there is one very clear promise I can give you."

"What is that?" Li Luo's heart skipped a beat.

She smiled, and again his breath was taken away.

"On the day you become stronger than me, we'll annul the engagement."