Still, I had to keep up appearances. “You—you’re a legendary powerhouse. How could I possibly defeat you?” I deliberately kept my voice small, making it sound genuinely nervous.
“I already said, you decide the terms of our match.” Qianliu Yingyue seemed to have no intention of backing down, which suited me perfectly.
“What—what do you mean by always lurking in the shadows?” Before anything else, I needed to confirm. What if he turned out to be a burly, ox-like man? That would be disastrous.
No sooner had I spoken than the shadows began to recede. He wore a black cloak, from which two strands of ash-blond hair escaped. Beneath the cloak, however, was a face so… breathtakingly beautiful?
?! A young lady? My lips twitched involuntarily. I simply couldn’t believe it—wasn’t this supposed to be my brother? My gaze instinctively darted to Qianyue.
She shook her head. “It’s brother.” Clearly, she understood my thoughts. “Ever since I mentioned it… he’s been like this.”
“Then, I definitely can’t beat you in divine power. How about we settle this like true men?” Pushing down my disbelief, I gradually steered the conversation according to plan, throwing out the ultimate challenge: a man’s fight.
He fell silent for a long moment, and then…
“But? Are you a boy?” He scrutinized me from head to toe, his voice ethereal and melodious.
“Cough! Cough, cough!” I was caught completely off guard, choking violently. The sudden impact left me utterly unprepared.
“What’s wrong?” He looked at me, puzzled by my reaction.
“N-nothing, nothing at all,” I managed, forcing down the anguish in my heart. I glanced at the God’s Agent beside me, who was practically doubled over with laughter, and tugged at my stiff lips. “So, then, just tell me directly: will you fight, or not?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Tell me, how do you propose we fight?” He looked into my eyes, speaking with earnest sincerity.
“Here’s the deal: like true men, we won’t use any divine power. We each give the other one punch, and whoever falls first loses.” I laid out the final part of my plan, awaiting his agreement.
He studied me carefully for a long time, then his gaze fell upon my exceedingly slender arm. “Are you sure?” His tone of disbelief perfectly mirrored my own earlier.
“Absolutely.” I replied with unwavering certainty.
“I say, are you really a sissy? The girl has already agreed, what’s with all the dilly-dallying?” The God’s Agent didn’t give Qianliu Yingyue time to reconsider. After all, he was a legendary powerhouse; too much time might allow him to realize something was amiss.
“Alright then!” Qianliu Yingyue gritted his teeth and accepted my terms.
“So, you first?” I asked, though I had no intention of taking the first hit. It was merely a polite formality; one punch would likely finish me. I hadn’t invested any skill points in armor, after all.
He shook his head. “No, you’re a girl; you go first.” Just as expected, he deferred.
I no longer protested. “Alright then, get ready. I’m starting.”
He nodded, stretching his body, then said to me, “Ready. Come on.”
Receiving confirmation, I nodded, rolled up my sleeves to reveal my forearm, as delicate as a lotus root, and flexed my arm.
Upon seeing my slender, rosy forearm, Qianliu Yingyue became even more convinced I was joking.
I lowered my body, dropping my center of gravity, then stepped forward. “*Smack!*”
That wasn’t the sound of him being knocked flying. Instead… my left foot seemed to temporarily lose connection with my body, only to kick my right foot.
Regardless, I quickly scrambled back up, shaking my head to clear it.
“Are you alright?” He watched as I landed solidly on a stone, his beautiful brows arching in concern as he inquired.
“N-nothing, nothing at all…” I scratched my head awkwardly. “Get ready, then; I’m coming!”
He nodded, signaling for me to proceed.
I walked up to him, took a deep breath, clenched my fist, and twisted my body 180 degrees.
Seeing my posture, the God’s Agent immediately felt a pang of sympathy for Qianliu Yingyue. By the looks of it, this was practically a guaranteed knockout.
“*Thwack!*” My fist landed squarely on his chest, sending Qianliu Yingyue flying backward like a broken puppet.