Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 511
This Saintess of the Parthenon Temple also possessed a power that was beyond her cultivation. As she thought, she was not the only special person in this world!
"You win!" Asha'ruiya suddenly conceded.
Mu Ningxue was stunned. She was wondering if she had heard it wrong.
Asha'ruiya did not repeat her words . She put her sword away and headed toward the exit.
Her steps were light, and the cold, black armor on her slowly disappeared as a puff of black smoke. She threw the silver mask onto the ground too, and it soon melted.
Asha'ruiya reached the edge of the battlefield and walked past Mo Fan. She finally lifted her gaze and glanced at Mo Fan, who was utterly confused too.
Mo Fan had no clue what was going on. It was obvious that the two were on an equal footing. If Asha'ruiya chose to fight further, the outcome was still unpredictable… unless Asha'ruiya could not use her power any longer, meaning that the slash was already her limit.
The truth was, it was unlikely that Mu Ningxue could fire the arrow a second time!
Mo Fan noticed Asha'ruiya staring at him coldly. Her eyes still had the imposing aura of the Dark Swordmaster. Any other person might be panicking by now, but Mo Fan, who had slain a Dark Swordmaster before, was not intimidated by the aura.
"You owe me one," Asha'ruiya icy expression was suddenly replaced by a naughty grin, as if the girl next door he had offended had suddenly come up with an evil plan to get her revenge, making him feel uneasy.
"What do you mean by that?" Mo Fan asked.
"If I don't lower my sword, she won't lower her bow, either; but if she doesn't lower her bow, she will lose her life. She's not willing to give up, so I was left with no choice, but you owe me one, understand?" Asha'ruiya smiled, reclaiming her vixen temperament.
"You're at your limit, too," Mo Fan said.
"Then I'll go back there and continue the fight, and see who's going to be the last person standing..." Asha'ruiya pretended she was going back. She had yet to leave the match officially, as she was only disqualified after crossing the line.
"You win, I owe you one," Mo Fan said helplessly.
"You seem to care a lot about her?" Asha'ruiya asked, intrigued.
"She's my first wife."
"..."
Asha'ruiya had never seen anyone so straightforward and shameless!
Chapter 1134 - Victory!
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"The Chinese team wins!"
After the announcement from the main judge, the Chinese among the spectators hugged one another to share their overflowing joy!
It had been years since the Chinese team had such an impressive result in the World College Tournament. Most importantly, they had advanced to the grand final. They only needed to defeat the Egyptian team to be crowned the champions. Many had been waiting for this day for too long!
The victory was finally theirs. It was likely that Mu Ningxue was going to enter the limelight after taking out Asha'ruiya in the match. She would no longer be pressured by her renowned clan.
After all, how could a person that was related to the Black Vatican go so far just to win glory for their country? Mu Ningxue was clearly innocent, but she desperately needed an opportunity to prove it to the people. She had also proved that she could become stronger without relying on her ridiculous clan.
---
"Mu Gong, I remember that you've recently clarified that she is no longer related to your clan...I really don't understand. Who is the person that made such an amusing decision?" Chairman Shao Zheng asked.
Mu Gong had a twisted look, yet he still had to force a smile.
Mu Gong had sworn to scold the crap out of the idiots that made that decision after he went back to the Mu Clan. The incident of the Black Vatican had quieted down a lot, yet the people insisted on picking on Mu Ningxue and expelling her from the clan. She was brilliant, she had won an important match for the country, and she would be receiving all the glory; the Mu Clan had nothing to do with it at all.
Every faction was willing to invest lots of resources in their representatives just to spread their name on an international stage. With enough reputation, more Mages would be interested in joining their factions, allowing them to grow continuously!
Most importantly, the glory that the Chinese team had earned was not ordinary. They had made it to the grand finals, meaning that they would still come second, even if they lost the final match. It meant a lot to China, and if Mu Ningxue was still a member of the Mu Clan, Mu Gong could easily take hold of the opportunity to make the Mu Clan the strongest powerhouse among the factions!
"Mu Tingying wasn't too bad either, she's just a little too dumb..." someone among the group said, which was stabbed Mu Gong's heart like a knife.
Mu Gong seemed calm on the surface, yet he had already made up his mind.
It was not Mu Gong that had decided to expel Mu Ningxue from the clan. Mu Gong was the leader, but it did not necessarily mean he was in charge of everything. He only knew that the clan had sent Disciplinary Mages out to cripple Mu Ningxue's cultivation after it happened...
---
Mo Fan walked onto the battlefield and helped Mu Ningxue toward the exit.
Mu Ningxue was wearing a smile despite her extremely pale face. It was very faint, but she did smile.
Mo Fan was left speechless after seeing the relieved smile on the woman's face.
She had put in a lot of hard work, endured the pain of the frost, experienced the coldness of people, and suffered greatly just for victory in this match, for a chance to display her brilliance to the people...
Mo Fan did not stop the intense battle between Mu Ningxue and Asha'ruiya, because he understood Mu Ningxue's feelings. However, when he saw how feeble she was, and the proud tears in her eyes, Mo Fan felt incredibly sorry for her.
"It's over, you shouldn't use it anymore. It's going to kill you eventually..." Mo Fan helped Mu Ningxue stand properly.
It was the only time that Mu Ningxue did not stop Mo Fan from being so close to her. She allowed him to hug her. First of all, she was really worn out from the match, and second, she was well aware that she had no chance of making it so far without Mo Fan's help. She feltl at ease when she was leaning on his shoulder, to the extent that she could forget everything and just fall asleep...
Zhao Manyan, Nanyu, Jiang Shaoxu, Mu Nujiao, and the others showed up. "How is she?" they asked worriedly, after seeing how feeble Mu Ningxue was.
"I don't know either," Mo Fan was not a Healer. He was clueless about the damage that Mu Ningxue had suffered.
However, judging from what Asha'ruiya said, if Mu Ningxue used the Ice Crystal Bow frequently, she would be killing herself slowly.
It was fine for now, since she was young, but as she got older, more problems would arise.
Han Ji inspected Mu Ningxue's condition and said with a sigh, "This… I'm afraid we can't really do anything about it. It's an injury inflicted on the soul, the source of life, and the things that can cure the damage dealt to a person's soul are very difficult to find."
Pang Lai and Feng Li could not provide any help either...
Mo Fan helped Mu Ningxue back to her room to rest up. If there was no cure, it was important to let her get some rest.
---
---
A pleasant melody was coming from outside the window. The melody, stacked up with the fireworks of celebration further away, had woken Mu Ningxue from her deep slumber.
She opened her eyes and realized she was lying on a familiar bed, it had the smell that she liked...
There were people talking downstairs outside the window. They seemed to be having loud discussions about the duel between the sword and bow, and had repeated her name many times. A few other girls were chatting too, sharing that their favorite participant in the tournament was her...
Mu Ningxue knew she had not been asleep for long. The fireworks were still going on, meaning that the Chinese team was still being congratulated for their victory. It was a grand ceremony that every Mage would want to be at. Mu Ningxue remembered her mother kept mentioning it to her when she was young. The woman was once just a step away from fulfilling her dream, so it was bothering her constantly.
"You're awake?" Mo Fan was sitting on a chair with a piece of pizza on his hand. She could see some grease stains around his mouth.
"Why aren't you at the ceremony?" Mu Ningxue looked at Mo Fan in astonishment. How could he miss out on it? It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"It's just a ceremony, it doesn't really matter to me. I would rather rest up and enjoy myself an Italian pie..." Mo Fan leaned against the chair and continued to feast on his 'Italian pie'.
"Why are you eating this every day?" Mu Ningxue rolled her eyes.
"It's delicious, you want some? I'll get a piece for you," Mo Fan said.
"How are your injuries?" Mu Ningxue glanced up and down at Mo Fan. She was confused. -Is Mo Fan really an ox? How can he still eat pizza like he is perfectly fine when he was so seriously injured in the match? Any other person would be lying on a bed and treated by a few Healers simultaneously!-
"I recover pretty quickly, I felt a lot better after Han Ji cast a few Healing Spells on me. You know, I can't stand the boredom of just lying down on my bed. So, I decided to keep you company instead. Here, try a piece; trust me, it's very good," Mo Fan offered.
"Can't you wear gloves?"
"We've been husband and wife for so long, why the fuss… alright, I'll take another piece for you."
Mu Ningxue was hungry too. She ate a piece, but she could not really taste anything. Her mind was not on the food, she had only eaten it to fill up her empty stomach.
"I don't think I can take part in the grand final," Mu Ningxue said gloomily.
The standoff between her and Asha'ruiya had taken all her strength. She could not fight, even if she was not using the Ice Crystal Bow. Her brain would hurt like it was pierced by needles if she needed to draw a Star Orbit.
"Leave it to me. I haven't told you my nickname: the Terminator of the Undead. The Egyptian team might be using some dirty tricks, but I will surely beat the crap out of them once I learn what it is!" Mo Fan said.
"Aren't you injured, too? Can you still fight with your full strength?" Mu Ningxue was worried.
Mo Fan had barely beaten Zorro in the mixed battle.
"I will be fine after resting for a few days, unlike you, since it's your soul that has been damaged. It might even affect your path of cultivation in the future," Mo Fan said.
"I didn't want to lose..."
"Sure, sure, just leave the rest to me. We've already come so far, I won't forgive myself if I didn't come first in the tournament!" Mo Fan said.
"Mmm!" It went without saying that Mu Ningxue was hoping that the team would win the tournament. The difference between the first and second places was actually quite huge. She believed her family would no longer have to suffer because of Mu He's ties with the Black Vatican if their team won in the grand final. Her father Mu Zhuoyun and the rest of her family had been struggling a lot for the past two years. Their lives were worse than ordinary people.
"What are your plans after this?" Mo Fan suddenly asked.
"After this?" Mu Ningxue was startled.
Yeah, she had been placing all her attention on the World College Tournament. Now that the tournament was about to come to an end, she suddenly felt lost.
She had sworn to fall out with the Mu Clan on the bridge in Venice on that particular day, but where should she start from? The enormous Mu Clan was not something that she could topple so easily!
"I...I want to establish my own clan," Mu Ningxue replied after some hesitation.
She had been thinking about that for quite some time. She had been in a clan for so long, so it would be difficult for her to start all over again, yet she was reluctant to let a clan be in charge of her life. As such, it was better if she established her own clan instead!
"That's not a bad idea, you have my support," Mo Fan nodded.
Mo Fan enjoyed his free and unconstrained life, but Mu Ningxue had come from a renowned clan with lots of ties. Mo Fan always believed she would pick that path, and there was nothing wrong about it. Even a kind person would often be taken advantage of by the people around them. Without a certain background, even the people close to a person would be dragged into the mess, especially when there were countless lowly people like Mu Tingying and Nanrong Ni around. Besides, Mu Ningxue was going against the entire Mu Clan; it would be tough for her to fight alone.
Mo Fan had to settle the dispute between him and the Lu Clan, too. Mo Fan did not like the concept of renowned families, but by helping Mu Ningxue, he would be helping himself to get rid of these annoying problems too!
"I'll introduce my little maid to you after we go back to Shanghai. She has a bunch of rich merchants under her lead, you might find them useful," Mo Fan told her.
"Your maid?" Mu Ningxue looked at Mo Fan in confusion.
Chapter 1135 - The Strength of the Parthenon Temple
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"She's from the Blood Tribe. The tribe has a certain influence in the gray areas. These merchants are legal, and reliable. I have no clue how the businesses, society, or gatherings of upper-class people work. Liu Ru told me many times that I might find these people useful, but I'm too lazy to manage them," Mo Fan informed her.
Liu Ru was currently an elder of the Blood Tribe. The Enforcement Union was hoping that Old Bao could keep an eye on the gray market in the Magic City. The gray market mainly consisted of eccentric people, the Blood Tribe, and some secret organizations. The Blood Tribe was mainly in charge of it, and ruled certain districts of the city by running businesses that would occasionally skirt the legal lines that the Enforcement Union had established...
Old Bao's approach was very simple. He had trained Liu Ru to control the gray market by manipulating the leaders of the factions involved, stopping them from undertaking any evil deeds while guaranteeing their safety, so they could survive in the city.
The Enforcement Union and the government was pleased to see that the gray market was under control. Even the Holy Judgment Court would struggle to manage an existence like the Blood Tribe, which was neither demon nor human. It was inappropriate to treat them all as bad guys, too. After all, there were lots of people that had suffered the same fate as Liu Ru!
Liu Ru currently maintained the balance of two great districts in the Magic City. She had a strong influence over the people involved in the gray market. These people would play a key role in establishing a new faction or clan. Mo Fan did not think they would be any use to him, but now that he thought about it, he might be able to do Mu Ningxue a favor instead...
Considering how aggressive he usually was, it was only a matter of time before he stepped on the tail of a powerful faction. As such, without a certain background, he was doomed to live a tough life!
---
Mu Ningxue went back to sleep. It did not make sense for Mo Fan to stay in the room any longer.
Mo Fan was only discussing the future with Mu Ningxue, hoping that he could get closer to her. He definitely had lots of chances to scheme against her, let it be a lonely night, or a drunk weekend… tsk tsk tsk, the little rabbit could no longer escape from him!
Mo Fan thought about the Egyptian team as he was walking down the streets.
It was not pure luck that the Egyptian team had defeated both the Greek team and the English team. Their Undead Element was incredibly powerful, allowing them to keep Summoning undead to fight for them.
Mo Fan was slightly confused. How did the Egyptian team become so strong all of a sudden? Weren't their undead fairly useless when they were up against stronger opponents? Why was their team suddenly unbeatable?
"Mo Fan!" a pleasant voice called out from the alleyway nearby while he was still preoccupied with his thoughts. He turned at the voice and saw a woman with a black veil standing there. The shadows were hiding her alluring physique. Most people would only see a blurred figure in the alleyway, and not be able to tell it was a woman.
Mo Fan looked at the woman and chuckled, "How much for a night, pretty girl?"
"How much are you willing to pay?" Asha'ruiya asked in return.
"You're so pretty, I'm willing to go bankrupt just to sleep with you," Mo Fan said.
"Pervert!" Asha'ruiya glared at Mo Fan.
"What is it this time? Why do I feel like you've been seeing me a lot lately? I do admit that I'm very charming, like an addictive poison that many women are struggling to control themselves from taking, but I believe as a Candidate, your self-control should be a lot better than ordinary women," Mo Fan shot back.
"I'm flying back to Greece tomorrow morning. A person happened to cross my mind, so I've come to ask you about her," Asha'ruiya pointed at a dimly-lit inn nearby, signaling Mo Fan to continue the conversation there.
"Leaving already? We should really cherish our time tonight, and have a few..."
"What were you saying!?"
"A few sincere conversations. I believe we should be more sincere to one another, and less setting one another up."
Asha'ruiya was too lazy to argue with his filthy mouth. She went straight to the inn.
She seemed to be familiar with the place. She ordered a fruit wine for herself while Mo Fan ordered a bottle of Sprite, before asking with a confused expression, "So you want to ask about Mu Ningxue? The bow that defeated you?"
"The bow that defeated me? Since when did I lose to it?" Asha'ruiya asked in return.
"You conceded; doesn't that mean you've lost?" Mo Fan said.
"It's hard to say who was going to win in the end, but I did feel that I shouldn't be using that power in a tournament, which is why I chose to forfeit in the end. Besides, why are you so confident that I'm asking about Mu Ningxue?" Asha'ruiya said.
"Isn't that the case?" Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan already knew the answer when he saw the look on Asha'ruiya's face. He asked curiously, "Then who do you want to ask me about?"
