The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - Chapter 9

Within the circular Training Ground, the disciples practiced scattered about, not far from one another, able to observe each other’s progress at a glance.

Under the gaze of all, Fei Wanghuai was defeated, yet he did not fly into a rage. Calm and composed, he picked up his wooden sword, still the graceful young man. Dressed in white as pure as snow, he deftly flipped his right hand, surged forward with a Cloud Step, and thrust his sword, once again throwing himself into the spar.

The white figure closed in; Chu Zaishuang hurriedly spun to block, the heavy force transmitted through the wooden sword to her wrist, bringing a tingling numbness. The fierce attack left a gap-just the chance to gather strength for a counterattack. Their blades collided and locked in midair, producing a sharp, scraping sound.

The second round lasted longer; the youth and maiden exchanged blows, neither gaining the upper hand for a time, like fluttering white butterflies entangled in the Training Ground. Slashes, angled thrusts, horizontal blocks-swift attacks, relentless combat, and sharp sword edges.

Moments later, Fei Wanghuai made an unintentional mistake, failing to block the sword tip, and regrettably lost again.

If the first round could be considered a lucky win, then the second round was proof: the two faced off for quite a while, but Chu Zaishuang was clearly superior!

Amid the crowd’s astonishment, Li Jingjie covered his eyes, “I really can’t watch this. How is this any different from performing a sword dance?”

The reason they could spar for so long was mainly because Fei Wanghuai was feeding her moves.

Su Hongli said solemnly, “Perhaps Chu Zaishuang truly has skill. It’s just that you and I are too inexperienced to understand their sword techniques.”

“…” Li Jingjie was speechless, “She did help you out this morning, but you can’t be so biased. Aren’t you romanticizing her a bit too much?”

This logic was absurd: if the swordplay was clumsy, it wasn’t Chu Zaishuang’s fault, but theirs for not understanding!

Hearing the others’ praise, Chu Zaishuang felt as if she were sitting on needles, just as uncomfortable.

“What are you doing?” She looked bewildered, asking, “Can’t you show your true strength?”

He had defeated her three times before-was he planning to return the favor now?

Fei Wanghuai stood with his sword, his posture like a crane, gently saying, “This is my true strength, just like when you played chess that day.”

She had held back and fed him moves in chess before-wasn’t it just like now?

“…Why are you still holding a grudge?”

Seeing him squint and smile, Chu Zaishuang felt her scalp tingle, unsure how she had provoked him again.

She complained inwardly to Xiao Shi, “I haven’t done much to him, have I? His strange attitude is too much, and he still hasn’t vented it all.”

Xiao Shi chimed in: [Indeed, all we’ve done is freeload a bag of buns, brush him off with a few words, play dumb a few times, and occasionally ignore what he says. We haven’t done anything truly outrageous!]

“?”

Fei Wanghuai sheathed his sword with a reverse grip, “Weren’t you looking for some sense of achievement in swordsmanship?”

“That doesn’t mean you can treat me like a three-year-old!” Chu Zaishuang protested. “How is this different from playing swords with a child?”

He glanced at her, “It’s still different.”

“How is it different?”

“A three-year-old is much more sensible than you.”

“…”

On the other side, a group of people watched everything in secret. Seeing Fei Wanghuai repeatedly lose, their expressions grew resentful.

“Hewei, you still can’t keep your cool. Look how clear-headed he is. She’s the Sect Leader’s Daughter-when sparring with her, it’s not about winning or losing, but about something else!”

Lu Hewei’s face was gloomy, “She’s only at the early stage of Three Leaves…”

“No matter her cultivation, her parents are influential. Even if they’re hands-off, they still have a say.” His companion sighed, “Look at Fei Wanghuai, always aloof, but now he’s currying favor, trying to win her over.”

Fei Wanghuai had always kept a low profile in the Lecture Hall, only discussing cultivation with Senior Brother Chu, and occasionally chatting with Li Jingjie. He seemed elegant and proud, yet he went out of his way to protect Chu Zaishuang, abandoning his usual composure and finally revealing his ambitions-he was probably trying to seize an opportunity to rise in status.

With just a word from Chu Zaishuang, not to mention the high-level Elders, even the Sect Leader might take Fei Wanghuai as a disciple. Lu Hewei was still foolishly charging ahead, giving the other a chance to play the hero-truly making a wedding dress for someone else.

“Hmph, the final outcome is still undecided.” Lu Hewei sneered, “If he wants to climb high, he shouldn’t be afraid of falling.”

He stared intently at the pair not far away, quickly hatching a plan.

After class, Chu Zaishuang was surrounded by a flood of praise, declining her enthusiastic peers’ requests for sword instruction. Taking advantage of the chaos, she quietly slipped away. Fei Wanghuai happened to be talking with Chu Bingxiao, so her disappearance went unnoticed, like a silent breeze slipping away.

Escaping the Training Ground, the surroundings fell silent, no longer filled with the earlier noisy commotion.

For the first time, Xiao Shi experienced what it was like to be surrounded by admirers, sighing: [Your deskmate is actually not bad, always finding ways to cheer you up.]

No matter his true nature, Fei Wanghuai did protect Chu Zaishuang, preserving her dignity in public, and even helping her gain new followers.

“He’s cheering me up?” Chu Zaishuang exclaimed. “It’s obviously just sarcasm!”
[Regardless of my own reputation, I lost to you in swordsmanship in public. That’s enough to show my sincerity.]

“Something so unusual must have a reason. The more he acts like this, the more uneasy I feel.” She was bewildered. “Is it really necessary to go this far?”

Chu Zaishuang racked her brains but still couldn’t understand why Fei Wanghuai was so persistent about her, even willing to lower himself and become a stepping stone just to keep her at the Training Ground. Ever since they met, he had been like a shadow, relentlessly tracking her every move, never relaxing his control over her whereabouts.

She had always been carefree, not easily moved by others. Faced with Fei Wanghuai’s protection and care, her first reaction was only confusion.

His chess style was forceful-he would never stop until he achieved his goal.

But what exactly was his goal?

Xiao Shi asked curiously: [What are you so uneasy about?]

Chu Zaishuang replied seriously, “When someone is overly attentive for no reason, they’re either up to something shady or trying to steal.”

[Well, you can rule out the shady part first. Honestly, that’s pretty unlikely. You wish.]

“?”

She was instantly embarrassed and angry. “I’m trying to have a serious discussion with you, and you suddenly bring this up!”

Xiao Shi said carelessly: [Maybe you’re just overthinking things, making simple problems complicated? Maybe that’s just his personality. Look at that mortal down the mountain-Aunt Sun likes to keep an eye on you too, but she’s actually pretty nice to you.]

” Aunt Sun and he aren’t the same type of person. Everyone says he’s very goal-oriented-he must be plotting something…”

[But we’re useless! Even if he’s plotting, it’s like drawing water with a bamboo basket-he’ll get nothing!]

“You’re right.” Chu Zaishuang paused, suddenly enlightened. “Useless people have no value, so we’re actually winning here?”

[Exactly! As long as we’re bad enough, no one can use us!]

It had to be said, Xiao Shi’s words were extremely effective. Chu Zaishuang, who had been trying to avoid Fei Wanghuai, now felt fearless, adopting a mindset of not taking initiative, not refusing, and not taking responsibility. Since she couldn’t figure out his intentions, she might as well just muddle through-after all, being useless wouldn’t hurt her.

If you can’t figure something out, don’t overthink it; if you can’t do something, just set it aside. Why worry yourself and add unnecessary troubles?

Isn’t chess the same way? Maybe one day, luck will turn and your thoughts will suddenly become clear.

The fog of confusion lifted, and even her steps felt lighter, no longer hurried or flustered.

Suddenly, a male voice called out ahead: “Chu Zaishuang.”

She looked up to see Lu Hewei blocking her path, not knowing how long he’d been waiting there. He wore a Cloud Water Robe, with a deep green jade pendant at his waist-rumored to be a protective talisman.

There was no one else around, just this hostile male cultivator, but Chu Zaishuang showed no fear. “What do you want?”

“What happened at the Lecture Hall was a misunderstanding. I acted rashly and only wanted to scare you a bit. Looking back, it was childish. If I upset you, I hope you’ll forgive me.” Lu Hewei’s attitude was sincere, his tone tinged with regret.

Chu Zaishuang found it odd-she hadn’t expected him to come and apologize.

A weasel wishing a chicken Happy New Year-clearly up to no good. She simply replied, “Honestly, I was pretty childish too. If you let me punch you a couple of times, maybe my annoyance will turn into happiness.”

He sounded nice now, but when Lu Hewei wanted to hit her, it hadn’t seemed like he was just trying to scare her.

“We grew up together, it’s not like we haven’t fought before. If you’re still angry, hit or scold me as you wish-I won’t complain.” Lu Hewei said, “I just want to remind you: don’t let a moment’s grudge give a villain an opening, or you’ll regret it later.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you really think Fei Wanghuai is genuinely good to you?” He sneered. “You weren’t at the Lecture Hall before, so you don’t know what he’s like. He never does anything without a reason-he wouldn’t approach you for nothing.”

Chu Zaishuang’s eyes widened, suddenly interested, though she feigned innocence. “Aren’t you just judging a gentleman with a petty heart?”

“He’s just relying on his looks and sweet talk to fool girls. He knows you’re the Sect Leader’s Daughter and tries every way to find out about you, just so you’ll recommend him to the Sect Leader and get accepted as a disciple. He flatters Senior Brother Chu for the same reason!”

Lu Hewei said bitterly, “You and I both come from prestigious families, so we understand the stakes. How can we let someone so vain and power-hungry get his way!?”

His words were passionate and indignant, full of a sense of shared outrage, but unfortunately, they fell on deaf ears.

“Hmm…” Chu Zaishuang hesitated, “Why can’t we?”

Lu Hewei: “?”

His words offered a new perspective, and the previous problem was instantly solved.

Her eyes lit up, and she suddenly understood. “So you mean, if I recommend him to my father for cultivation, he won’t keep following me around the Training Ground?”

“Someone like him is just using your family background. Once he gets what he wants, of course he won’t-”

“Then I hope he really does use me!”

She’d finally be free!

“???”