Two days later—
“Top Scholar Liam Willow’s booklets are amazing! I’m definitely saving this for my grandson—way better than anything the teachers say!” one excited spectator gushed, waving the pamphlet in the air. Around him, the crowd buzzed with praise, everyone eager to get their hands on a copy.
The Six-Realm Martial Conference officially kicked off to wild anticipation. Tons of people showed up to register, most signing up by sect—much safer than going solo, and if your sect wins, you get major bragging rights. One old man clutched his booklet and beamed, “I’ll treasure this for my grandson! It’s worth more than all the lectures in the world!”
Ivy Shen snapped open her white paper fan and flashed a sly smile at Lucian Vane, who was standing beside her. “Our sect name is—Sure‑Win!” she announced, lips curling into a wicked grin. Across the crowd, a young scholar clutched his new book and declared, “This is a sign from heaven—I’m sure to pass the exams now! Top Scholar Liam Willow is a living Bodhisattva!”
Lucian Vane gave her a gentle smile. “Yep, Sure‑Win Sect! Victory is guaranteed!” He glanced at the booklet again and nodded with certainty—Liam Willow was definitely doing all this for Ivy.
“So today’s the prelim registration—what match did we get?” Ivy asked, but her eyes lingered on the crowd, her heart aching as she forced herself not to approach Liam Willow. She had to be ruthless—even if it hurt.
“Match ten. But honestly, these prelims are kind of a joke,” Lucian Vane said, glancing at the packed crowd. “Even though it’s just the first round, the elimination rate is brutal. Each match has three bouts—so if a sect wants to win, they have to take at least two out of three. Otherwise, they’re out on the spot.” He shot another worried glance at Ivy, who was already walking away, but not before his gaze flickered toward Liam Willow.
The one silver lining for contestants: you can swap out fighters every bout, as long as they’re from your own sect. But if you’re flying solo and draw a sect, you have to take on all three bouts yourself—or beat three people in a row!
*****
(Author’s aside about update schedule and thanks skipped—see footnote.)
Honestly, the hype isn’t any less intense than watching the Olympics back in the modern world. Lucian Vane softly called out, “Ivy…” but she seemed distracted, lost in thought.
“Ivy, aren’t you going in?” Suddenly, Lucian Vane spotted Ivy heading off in another direction and hurried to ask. He caught the flash of pain in her eyes as she glanced at the exhausted figure of Liam Willow—she didn’t know the details, but she could feel he was still working for her.
“We don’t need to fight in the prelims,” Ivy Shen said, already knowing who their opponent was. She sent Wind into the ring, but not before warning him: “Stick to the most traditional martial arts—don’t show off any weird moves. I don’t want anyone getting suspicious.” Their opponent was a small, weak sect; Ivy was sure that even if Wind only used a tenth of his real strength, he’d win easily.
“Wind, you got this?”
“His skills aren’t super high, but against those guys? More than enough,” Ivy explained. She hadn’t told Lucian Vane the truth about Wind and the others—not because she didn’t trust him, but because it wasn’t the right time yet.
Lucian Vane didn’t press the issue. He didn’t really know Wind’s background, but he trusted Ivy’s judgment—if she said it was fine, that was good enough for him.
“By the way, looks like Silver Consort isn’t here today?” Ivy glanced around, scanning the crowd.
“Yeah. She sent a guy named Jett Black to take her place. I just watched him fight—his style is nasty. The tournament rules say no poison or hidden weapons, but every move he makes goes straight for the kill.” Lucian Vane frowned, watching Jett Black go for opponents’ hearts. “Sure, the tournament isn’t strictly life-or-death, but it’s supposed to be ‘stop at the point,’ not murder!”
Ivy Shen wasn’t surprised at all. Silver Consort was vicious—of course her underlings would be just as cruel.
“So, what now?” Ivy asked, keeping it casual.
“Just wait for the finals!” Ivy joked. “I bet Silver Consort’s doing the same.”
“Huh?” Ivy finished her sentence, but Lucian Vane didn’t respond. She looked up and saw him staring into the distance. Following his gaze, Ivy’s heart suddenly clenched tight.
In the distant sea of people, Ivy Shen spotted a familiar figure weaving tirelessly through the crowd. Beside him was a man clearing a path, making sure he didn’t get jostled too hard. Even from far away, that thin, gentle silhouette and that familiar back were instantly recognizable—Liam Willow, with Colin Kerr guarding his side.
“What’s he handing out?” Lucian Vane frowned, puzzled. Just then, someone walked by clutching a booklet, and Lucian snatched it right out of his hands.
“Hey! Give that back! Why are you stealing my book?” the man protested angrily.
Lucian Vane shot him a sharp, intimidating glare. The man, terrified, bolted away without another word.
“Huh, what is this—a scripture?” Lucian Vane flipped through the booklet, confused by all the moral teachings inside. “Did he get so rattled he’s turning into a monk now?”
“Scripture?” Ivy Shen took the book for a look. Sure enough, it was written just like a tract. Wasn’t he handing out stories before? Why the sudden switch…?
-----
“Liam, stop passing those out. You haven’t slept in two days—go get some rest!” Colin Kerr said, full of worry.
Liam Willow turned, revealing dark circles under his eyes, and managed a weak smile. “I’m fine, really. Colin, I mean it—thank you. If you hadn’t warned me, that story might’ve drawn Silver Consort’s attention and led her right to Ivy. I was so stupid—I almost got her killed.” He forced out a shaky laugh.
Colin Kerr looked at him in anguish. “Stop torturing yourself. You’re working so hard for her, and she just pushed all of you away. Is it really worth it?”
Colin Kerr had been shocked when he learned Ivy Shen’s real identity, but he knew just how dangerous it was to be close to her. Maybe her pushing him away was actually for the best.
But seeing Liam Willow in such pain made Colin’s own heart ache unbearably. Why did loving someone have to be so exhausting? Why wasn’t he born a woman—if he were, maybe Liam could accept him.
Still, Colin knew that whether Liam accepted him or not, he’d never give up. He loved him—truly loved him.
So when Colin read Liam Willow’s allegorical story, he immediately realized how dangerous it was. Not only would it bring trouble for Ivy Shen, it’d endanger Liam himself. Honestly, Colin hadn’t even meant to save Ivy—he just knew the story was so vivid and juicy, everyone would be dying to know more. And at the end, Liam had written in big letters: ‘Want to know the truth? Wait for my reveal!’
Colin saw it clearly: Silver Consort would catch wind of the story in no time. She’d follow the rumor right back to Ivy Shen. And knowing how much she doted on the Crown Prince, she’d shut Liam Willow up the simplest way—by killing him.
But if Liam switched to scripture-style tracts or practical study guides, he could win people’s hearts without attracting Silver Consort’s attention. Colin told him, ‘Focus on winning support. When you’ve got enough loyal followers, then, when Ivy Shen finally confronts Song Zhijue head-on, you’ll have the crowd ready to rise up.’
Liam Willow agreed—Colin’s logic was solid. Only by dropping the story could he stay safe. What Colin didn’t expect was that Liam immediately started churning out scripture and exam-prep guides, writing for two days and nights without sleep just to produce enough.
That moment, Colin’s heart twisted with jealousy. Ivy Shen had been so cruel to Liam, yet this fool still worked himself to the bone for her. Seeing Liam like that hurt so much it was hard to breathe.
“Ivy…” Lucian Vane called out softly to her, seeing she was lost in thought.
Ivy Shen didn’t have x-ray vision or super-hearing, so she couldn’t know exactly what Liam Willow was doing. But seeing how worn out he looked still made her heart ache. Whether or not he’d distributed that story, she could feel he was still doing something for her…
“Top Scholar Liam Willow is so kind! His booklets are amazing—I’m saving this for my son!” one spectator exclaimed.
“Wow, this trip was totally worth it. This book is so well-written, way better than anything the teachers teach—I’m rushing home to show my grandson!” another said, clutching the booklet like treasure.
“Whoa, I just came to watch the tournament and ended up with a book like this. Heaven must be helping me ace the exams—Liam Willow, you’re a living Bodhisattva!” The crowd treated the booklets like precious gifts, their admiration for Liam Willow growing by the minute. Some even looked ready to worship him outright.
“He’s definitely doing this for a reason—and that reason is you,” Lucian Vane said, closing the booklet with certainty after hearing all the praise.
Ivy Shen didn’t reply. She knew he was doing it for her, but she couldn’t go to him. She had to be ruthless—she had to.
“Ivy…” Lucian Vane watched as she suddenly turned away, shot one last worried glance at Liam Willow, and hurried after her.
*****
(Author’s aside about update schedule and thanks skipped—see footnote.)