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Who should the Xuan-Yuan Sword go to? This was obviously a major problem. Everyone, whether they were human, demon, or yao, attached great importance to it. All of them wanted nothing more than to present the blade to their leaders.

 

The blade was currently inYee Zichen’s hands. No matter which group he gave it to, the others would object.

 

Yin Hu and Chen Jiannan exchanged a glance and saw obvious enmity reflected in each other’s eyes.

 

The three groups had worked together to surround Ye Zichen, but as soon as he asked that question, they went on guard against each other. 

 

Ye Zichen noted the change in the atmosphere and let out a helpless sigh. “Forget it. I’m a human too, so how about I give the sword to the humans’ top expert?” 

 

“You can’t do that!” Yin Hu and the yao immediately shouted, stopping him in his tracks. However got their hands on the sword first would have an absolute advantage. It would be awful if it wound up in Chen Jiannan’s hands!

 

“I…. I can’t?” Ye Zichen shrunk back in terror and cautiously looked around. He clutched the Xuan-Yuan Sword, but seemed uncertain of his next move.

 

“Why can’t you? Kid…. so long as you give the sword to me, I can guarantee your safety,” said a burly human expert. He was the biggest and tallest of the lot, noticeably larger than those around him. As he spoke, he pounded his chest with a loud thwack.

 

“Little Brother, how about you give it to me?” said an enchanting human woman. “Big Sister can also guarantee you a safe escape. How about it? I won’t just protect you, either; I can even agree to a single request. So long as it isn’t too excessive, I’ll do anything you ask.”

 

She shook her hips and hooked her finger enticingly, beckoning Ye Zichen over so he could offer her the blade.

 

“What a joke. A safe departure? You people can really talk,” someone sneered, then laughed wantonly. “‘I’ll just say this. Kid, if you give the Xuan-Yuan Sword to anyone else, I guarantee that you won’t live to see tomorrow. However….if you give it to me, that’s another story.

 

Afterwards, several others chimed in as well.

 

Some of them threatened him, while others tried to tempt him. Either way, all of them wanted the Xuan-Yuan Sword.

 

Ye Zichen stood in their center and looked over the crowd in obvious befuddlement. Whenever someone met his gaze, they flashed him a warm smile.

 

“Tell me, then: what should I do now?” Ye Zichen put his head in his hands and looked at the crowd in bewilderment. “You all want the Xuan-Yuan Sword so badly, but I only have one. Who should I give it to? If I give it to one of you, then another of you says he’ll kill me, but if I give it to him, then someone else will just kill me instead! I already said it: I’m afraid to die. I want to get out of this alive.” 

 

“Give it to me!”

 

“No, me!”

 

“No, me!” 

 

The crowd shouted like madmen, but Ye Zichen still looked troubled. “This is no good. No matter what you say, who knows what you’ll do after you get the sword? This is the only life I've got; I have to be careful with it. How about this? Duke it out amongst yourselves, and I’ll give the sword to the final victor. That will fully resolve the issue of my safety. How about it?”

 

“Just give the Xuan-Yuan Sword to me,” said Yin Hu. He took a few steps forward, and an illusory ancient tiger appeared behind him. “I can guarantee your safety for the next hundred years. If I, Yin Hu, make a promise, I’ll absolutely fulfill it.”

 

He continued, “Everyone present knows I’m the strongest one here, and every member of the yao race knows that my promise is worth its weight in gold. If I say I can protect you for a hundred years, then I’ll do just that.”

 

“Really?” Despite Yin Hu’s words, Ye Zichen seemed fearful. He looked towards Chen Jiannan and Jackdaw.

 

As for the various small fries, he didn’t so much as spare them a glance. He was more concerned about the three top experts: Jackdaw, Chen Jiannan, and Yin Hu. 

 

Yin Hu had already spoken, so now he wanted to hear what the other two had to say.

 

“You’ve made a good move,” said Chen Jiannan with a faint smile. At first, he’d believed every word of Ye Zichen’s performance. By now, however, Ye Zichen’s intentions were obvious. If he couldn’t see through them, he’d have lived all these years in vain. 

 

“Boss, what are you saying? I don’t understand,” said Ye Zichen, still feigning ignorance. “I just want to ensure my safety. I’m fond of living, so I have to think this through carefully.

 

Still playing dumb? Chen Jiannan grinned and said, “Forget it, I’m in no mood to waste words with you. How about this? There’s no need for you to worry about who to give the Xuan-Yuan Sword to. Just set it on the ground. As for who it winds up with, we’ll just fight among ourselves. It has nothing to do with you, so there’s no need to concern yourself with it.

 

“Then, my safety….”

 

“I, Chen Jiannan, guarantee that you can leave here safely and that no one with threaten you. The others absolutely won’t touch you either. Brother Jackdaw, Brother Yin Hu, what do you think?”

 

He looked at Yin Hu, who nodded. “Okay.”

 

He wanted a fair fight. So long as the sword didn’t wind up in Jackdaw or Chen Jiannan’s hands, he could accept anything. 

 

“I have no objections either, of course,” said Jackdaw. He’d seen through Ye Zichen’s little games right from the start, but had said nothing. After all, regardless of Ye Zichen’s tricks, they’d just wind up fighting in the end.

 

So long as they got to fight, nothing else mattered to him.

 

Now that he had both Jackdaw and Yin Hu’s approval, Chen Jiannan smiled at Ye Zichen. “That’s settled, then. There are no objections, so…. Please set the Xuan-Yuan Sword down and leave this place, Your Majesty.”

 

“You guys are awfully dull.” Even after hearing their decision, Ye Zichen didn’t relax his grip on the Xuan-Yuan Sword at all. He clutched it to his chest and laughed facetiously. He could tell that Chen Jiannan and Jackdaw had seen right through him. In their eyes, he must be nothing but a dancing clown.

 

What a waste of his acting skills! In the end, he’d gained nothing at all.

 

Yin Hu was the only one who truly fell for his ploy. It seemed he wasn’t too bright.

 

“What do you mean by this, Your Majesty?” Chen Jiannan laughed.

 

“What do mean, ‘what do I mean?’” With that, Ye Zichen’s expression darkened. His fingers drummed his sword as he roared, “Wind, arise!”

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