A’Jiao couldn’t outlast Ye Xiu, obediently closing her eyes, though she continued to grumble, "If you’re playing games with me, you’re going to have a very unpleasant end."

Ye Xiu paid her no mind. He slowly held the rose folded from a tissue paper in both hands and gently presented it to A’Jiao. "Alright, A’Jiao, you can open your eyes now."

A’Jiao couldn't resist such a gentle tone. She snapped her eyes open like a little rabbit emerging from its burrow, and immediately, a pure white, intricately layered rose bloomed into her vision.

"Heavens, a flower," A’Jiao murmured, taking the rose from Ye Xiu’s hands with curiosity. She reached out a finger to lightly touch a petal. She had never seen such a soft, peculiar flower. The key was that it wasn't real; it was made of some unknown material, yet it seemed more vibrant than any living bloom.

"For you, A’Jiao. Thank you for staying with me these past few days, for catching and grilling fish for me. Being with you has been truly joyful," Ye Xiu spoke his genuine thoughts, even if he still found A’Jiao occasionally irritating.

"Hmph, giving a girl a flower but not a real one. This homemade thing is hideous," A’Jiao’s cheeks flushed slightly; she was clearly a little embarrassed.

"If it's so hideous, I don't want it. Give it back, I'll throw it away," Ye Xiu tried to snatch the flower back, but A’Jiao gently pushed his hand away.

"But, but... I like it," A’Jiao stated softly, turning her head away. Just before she fully turned, she pressed a deep kiss onto Ye Xiu’s cheek.

Ye Xiu froze. He hadn't intended any romantic gesture. Had A’Jiao misunderstood him, just like those other women before her?

The sky was bright and vivid, the merciless sun recklessly splattering sweat onto people. It seemed to know that today, the City of Ten Thousand Swords was about to erupt in sparks.

"Hey, it’s the first day of the martial tournament! Why are you still asleep? According to the schedule, you have several bouts to fight today!" A’Jiao burst into Ye Xiu’s room in a frantic hurry, unable to stop nagging. "Lazy pig, don’t you want to win the money? Still sleeping?"

"Ugh, just let me sleep a little longer," Ye Xiu grumpily turned over and even pulled the covers higher.

"Get up, now! Look at the time; if you don’t show up, you’ll be declared forfeit!" It was the classic case of the emperor not worrying while the eunuch fretted. At this moment, no amount of pushing from A’Jiao had any effect on Ye Xiu.

"Are you getting up or not? Are you getting up or not?" A’Jiao stamped her foot, issuing what felt like a final ultimatum, but the **Ye Xiu remained unmoved.

Seeing the sunlight creep onto the bedside, A’Jiao’s anger boiled over. She lowered her head and sank her teeth heavily into Ye Xiu’s shoulder.

"Ow!" Ye Xiu cried out, but the sudden shock caused his arms to involuntarily tighten, pulling A’Jiao against his chest. "That hurts! It hurts!"

A’Jiao, feeling a surge of satisfaction that her teeth had connected, tried to pull away, but she found herself utterly unable to escape the grip of Ye Xiu’s hands. "Hey, let go! If you don't let go, I’ll bite again!"

Ye Xiu had acted purely on instinct. Waking from a sound sleep with a sharp bite, he couldn't tell if he was dreaming or awake. "What are you doing? Getting onto my **?"

"Let go of me! Look at the time—you’ll lose your spot in the tournament if you miss it!" A’Jiao pleaded and cajoled until Ye Xiu finally released his grip.

Ye Xiu, still groggy and confused, only felt a throbbing pain in his shoulder. He covered his head with his hand, and a sudden, cold thought struck him. He sprang up in one swift movement, threw on his clothes, and exclaimed, "Damn it, the tournament! Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

A’Jiao felt a surge of fury upon hearing that. She instantly planted her hands on her hips, ready to launch a verbal assault.

"I won’t have breakfast with you today; sort it out yourself," Ye Xiu didn’t spare a glance at A’Jiao’s expression. He merely grabbed his sword, scrambled to the window, and vanished with a Ghost Step before she could react.

"Hey! Hey, you brute!" A’Jiao stamped her foot in frustration, completely helpless against him.

The Square of Ten Thousand Swords lay directly beneath the Royal Palace, the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Swords. The plaza had already been sectioned off into sixteen smaller fighting arenas. In accordance with the initial registration order, all martial artists were dispersed to these locations for the preliminary rounds. The preliminaries had no set rules, operating as a large-scale free-for-all; only the last person standing in each zone would qualify for the individual duels the following day.

"The Great City Lord, the Second City Lord, the Third City Lord, and the County Princess arrive!" At that moment, a subordinate's resonant voice boomed across the entire square. Everyone looked up to see four figures, richly robed and radiating authority, seated firmly within the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Swords atop the great sword structure. These were the most powerful members of the ruling Myriad Sword Family of the City of Ten Thousand Swords: the steady and grand Wan Jian Cang Long; the domineering and stern Wan Jian Xuan Hu; the calm and gentle Wan Jian Qing Lin; and the exceptionally captivating Wan Jian Chen Ying.

Wan Jian Cang Long sat solidly at the center of the viewing area. He lightly raised his hand in greeting to the warriors below, then gave a firm nod to the attendant beside him.

"Let the martial tournament commence."

"Ah..." As the command rang out, the entire square was instantly released from its silence, plunging into a world of clamor and noise. While it wasn't the earth-shattering carnage of a battlefield, the clash of swords, blades, and weaponry could already be clearly heard. All the warriors unleashed their ultimate skills, soaring into the sky at one moment, slamming powerful moves to the ground the next. The entire City of Ten Thousand Swords seemed submerged in an intense atmosphere of clashing techniques and engaged combat.

Wan Jian Cang Long surveyed everything with imperial gravity. The masses below the pavilion were mere ants in his eyes. Only he truly understood the purpose behind this martial tournament.

The City of Ten Thousand Swords had ruled the Three Sword Realm for ages, but the friction between the Beast Clan and the Wing Clan was escalating, rendering the city’s control increasingly tenuous. Furthermore, the Southern Water Clan, though outwardly quiescent, harbored secret unrest.

He glanced sideways at Wan Jian Xuan Hu beside him. Although this man was always utterly obedient, he was also fiercely ambitious, constantly pressing against the City Lord’s position. The intent of this tournament was ostensibly to promote exchange among the various clans, but in reality, it was to consolidate the City of Ten Thousand Swords’ century-long foundation: firstly, to clearly ascertain the masters emerging from the other races; and secondly, to provide his loyalists an opportunity to enter the royal family and assist him in his duties.

"Ten Thousand Arrows!" Suddenly, in a corner of the square, a figure soared high into the air. After gaining altitude, he turned back and unleashed an archery technique, sending countless sword-shaped rains showering down upon that section. All the warriors present collapsed.

"The Wing Clan's Xuan Ying Fei is victorious!" the supervising Blade Guard shouted, immediately causing a stir of excitement throughout the field.

"A bunch of useless scum! To let a mere Wing Clan member win so easily," the stern-faced Wan Jian Xuan Hu complained, slapping his bench in irritation.

"It is merely a contest, Second Brother need not be so angry," Qing Lin smiled faintly, extending his hand to comment on a match in another arena. "Look how fiercely our Pavilion of Ten Thousand Swords’ Guard Captain, Ji Jingtian, is fighting. There should be no issue with him advancing in that group."

"Hmph, Third Brother need not say more. I can see clearly enough myself. You should focus on keeping our little sister Chen Ying company," Xuan Hu spoke to Qing Lin without any warmth. From beginning to end, he never gave his third brother a second glance, viewing this younger man as nothing more than someone who spent his days fishing and playing, utterly beneath his notice for serious discussion.

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