Chapter Eleven: The Second Draw

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Ye Zhengliu carefully unwrapped the sizable paper bundle, inspecting its contents. Unexpectedly, Mu Yaoguang had been meticulous; the package was divided into several smaller parcels, each meticulously labeled in ink, and the contents were remarkably complete.

Ye Zhengliu opened the parcel marked “Medicine” and found two bottles of superior white medicine, along with several commonly used pills, all of which were of comparable quality to those Ying Luanxing had originally given her.

In addition, Mu Yaoguang had prepared some refined salt and brown sugar; a length of clean white cloth wrapped in two handkerchiefs; Ye Zhengliu even found needles and thread, a small knife for nail care, and two hairbands neatly rolled up.

Though compact and occupying little space, these items would undoubtedly elevate their quality of life.

At this moment, even she couldn’t help but admire the thoughtfulness behind these preparations.

Occupying half the package—and the most conspicuous portion—was a parcel labeled “Pastries.”

Ye Zhengliu opened it to find four pieces each of purple sweet potato and yam cake, crabapple pastry, glutinous rice cake, and lotus flower pastry, all neatly arranged in one bundle. The pastries were molded into perfectly square shapes resembling mahjong tiles, presumably for ease of packaging and transport.

The person who wrapped these treats must have been very considerate; the packaging was thick and tight enough that even after Mu Yaoguang’s earlier toss, not a single corner of the pastries was broken.

Killing Soul, attracted by the aroma, instantly switched from deep sleep to full alertness. Ye Zhengliu ignored his intense gaze and leaned in to smell the pastries herself, though she sensed something was off.

Perhaps it was due to their similar shapes, but these pastries gave her a strange feeling, as if they shared some odd common characteristic.

Recalling a scene from a TV drama, Ye Zhengliu was moved to carefully break each pastry apart.

—As it turned out, the drama was not to be trusted. There were no notes hidden inside, and the honeyed fragrance and osmanthus sweetness only made Killing Soul more ravenous.

Perhaps Mu Yaoguang hadn’t overthought it.

Maybe his original intention in bringing the pastries was simply to provide her with an extra meal.

After several fruitless searches, Ye Zhengliu reluctantly shared the food with Killing Soul.

At that moment, two bodies lay sprawled nearby, their blood congealed into black-purple sludge on the floor. The dim prison was suffused with Mu Yaoguang’s lingering exotic scent. Killing Soul devoured the treats noisily, gulping them down with a rumbling sound.

Meanwhile, Ye Zhengliu chewed on the long-missed sweetness in her mouth. In this scene, with these sounds, smells, and circumstances, she unexpectedly found a hint of joyful absurdity reminiscent of a New Year’s movie poster composition.

After all, no matter how life changes, it must go on.

Perhaps today is a desperate struggle of ambushes and assassinations, and tomorrow brings unexpected pardon. Just as she could never have predicted the sweet taste in her mouth now, no one knows what the next moment will bring.

Whatever happens, life must continue.

...

Mu Yaoguang walked briskly along the bluestone corridor of the fighting arena.

The prison was poorly lit, and some floor stones were uneven, yet he carried no lantern and moved with calm, unwavering steps.

His mood was excellent—he had finally dealt with a major nuisance.

Everyone on the island knew the island lord was his benefactor, and Mu Yaoguang had come to the island to repay that debt, yet the Shadow had never trusted him.

This man was exceedingly suspicious, alert to the slightest disturbance day and night. Yet, paradoxically, the Shadow controlled the island’s most crucial fighting arena.

In principle, Mu Yaoguang and the Shadow each served their own masters and harbored their own secrets. They came with different goals but found themselves converging on this strange island—a twist of fate.

Shouldn’t they, bound by such fate, share a knowing smile and tacit understanding?

Yet the Shadow remained deeply distrustful of Mu Yaoguang, not only guarding against him relentlessly but even seeking to kill him.

This deeply pained Mu Yaoguang’s heart and taxed his mind.

To Mu Yaoguang, the Shadow was like a wounded wild dog, his past injuries tangled like bone maggots in every nightmare, driving him mad.

Without a personal leverage, the Shadow could not be at ease.

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Since the Shadow would never trust loyalty as Mu Yaoguang’s leverage, Mu Yaoguang had to painstakingly fabricate one himself.

When he previously administered the spirit medicine to Ye Zhengliu, he deliberately used first-grade gilded ore. From that moment, the Shadow’s gaze subtly shifted.

Tonight, he also ordered the chef to prepare four new pastries, specifying that no white sugar be used—only honey.

The pastries were to borrow the fragrance of osmanthus, yet no flower petals were allowed in the filtered ingredients.

The molds could be mahjong tile-sized, but the patterns must combine four colors—purple, yellow, bean green, and pink—with peonies preferred.

The chef assumed this was just a picky demand from some favored lady in the Jade Pavilion, and since the pavilion lord indulged whims, he complied. But heard by the Shadow, these preparations took on a new meaning.

Seeing Mu Yaoguang so “attuned” to Ye Zhengliu’s tastes, the Shadow would assume they had known each other before.

The Shadow himself came to the island to avenge an old acquaintance’s death, so he was willing to believe such an explanation.

Just like Ye Zhengliu...

Mu Yaoguang wanted leverage, while she wanted convenience.

She appeared at the right moments, eloquent and clever, willing not only to go along with his cues but to speak beautifully.

Mu Yaoguang liked collaborating with her without needing negotiation.

Of course, just providing her with medicine wasn’t enough; the pastries were merely a small comfort.

What Ye Zhengliu desired most was freedom, and Mu Yaoguang understood this clearly.

Therefore, whenever he needed her again, as long as he could offer her a chance to escape, Miss Ye would never refuse.

Just as the Shadow would not refuse the “leverage” he “discovered” himself and was willing to believe Mu Yaoguang’s carefully woven story.

Show people what they want to see, and they will blindly trust and obey; promise them what they desire, and they will follow Mu Yaoguang’s lead without hesitation.

Mu Yaoguang slowly opened his folding fan, and wherever he passed, a subtle fragrance flowed. Though his footsteps faded, the lingering scent hung in the air long after.

A faint smile graced his lips as he lightly fanned—

He truly did not understand why people say human hearts are hard to fathom.

Hearts are plainly simple.

—

Last night, two newcomers suddenly launched a night attack. Although they didn’t even graze Ye Zhengliu, the incident made her keenly aware of the gap between herself and Killing Soul.

If her opponent had not been ordinary people without cards but Killing Soul himself, Ye Zhengliu reckoned that with her current abilities, she could hardly best him.

This notion was later confirmed by Killing Soul.

After receiving medicine and white cloth from Mu Yaoguang, Ye Zhengliu rebandaged Killing Soul’s wounds. His natural healing was strong, and with the medicine, his recovery accelerated.

When he could move without straining his wounds, Ye Zhengliu and Killing Soul engaged in their first duel within the small cell.

To avoid accidental injury, both wielded only sword sheaths.

Ye Zhengliu’s card had three skills: “The Shepherd Points to Apricot Blossom Village” and “The Minister Has a Long Plan, He Can Be Whipped Slowly” were opened early each time, but “Ten Years’ Dream of Yangzhou” lasted only a precious five seconds, so she had to act accordingly.

The duel began, and Ye Zhengliu suddenly saw a blur; the next moment, Killing Soul’s sword sheath attacked head-on!

Ye Zhengliu hastily activated her third skill, barely dodging under the sword sheath’s strike. Her sword sheath was halfway extended when the five seconds elapsed. Killing Soul regained control and struck again, the sheath’s tip aimed straight at her heart!

This time, Ye Zhengliu couldn’t dodge. The sheath struck the ground with a thud, knocking her back three steps. Had Killing Soul wielded his rapier, she would have long since become a human kebab.

This match was undeniably her defeat.

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Learning from this experience, Ye Zhengliu fought Killing Soul four more times in succession, losing each match decisively.

Even when opening two skills simultaneously at the start, her best result was only a slight scratch on Killing Soul’s left rib.

Killing Soul and Ye Zhengliu had faced different opponents before.

He possessed rich battle experience, and his innate sword bone talent made his swordsmanship highly skilled. He was calm, cunning, precise, and ruthless—a wolf that never missed its strike.

So even when Ye Zhengliu froze time, his posture prevented her from easily piercing his vital points; and when he regained control, his moves had no hesitation.

After the second skill ended, there was a cooldown exceeding ten seconds. Though not very long, Ye Zhengliu invariably “died” during this interval.

Killing Soul’s speed was simply too fast, and his eyes too sharp. As long as Ye Zhengliu was within three zhang (about ten meters), she could not evade his fierce, sudden barrage.

After five straight losses, Ye Zhengliu hastily called a halt. Though each duel ended swiftly within seconds, the intense, high-energy fights drained her greatly.

In contrast, Killing Soul showed only a slight flush, appearing just warmed up.

Ye Zhengliu: “...”

Her stamina was truly the limiting factor; having grown up with little nourishment, she could not compete with someone like Killing Soul who always ate well.

Summarizing her combat experience, Ye Zhengliu concluded she needed more skills to complement her arsenal.

The Du Mu card had three skills—“The Shepherd Points to Apricot Blossom Village,” “The Minister Has a Long Plan, He Can Be Whipped Slowly,” and “Ten Years’ Dream of Yangzhou”—all very useful, practically divine. If she could develop them further, her prospects would be bright.

But for now, they were only auxiliary skills.

Anyone who has played mobile games knows that though you usually start with a support card, to thrive you need a powerful damage dealer.

Ye Zhengliu currently lacked that output.

She had four card draws remaining: two granted by the system when she obtained the Heaven-tier Du Mu card, and two earned completing tasks.

Speaking of which, why didn’t the Destiny system ever offer a grand opening gift pack? There should be a gathering gift, too. And why no microtransaction system? A game system without in-app purchases—are the developers even human?

Ye Zhengliu: If I had a grand opening gift pack, would I still be in this sorry state? jpg.

But no matter how she mentally poked the system, the Destiny system lay dormant, giving no response.

Fine.

Ye Zhengliu sighed, deliberated, and decided to spend one draw to test her luck.

She remembered the system’s prompt: a ten-draw guaranteed card.

But given her current dire straits, even drawing defensive equipment or stamina-boosting experience packs would be useful.

Without hesitation, Ye Zhengliu used one draw. Instantly, a colorful vortex formed before her eyes, shimmering with golden specks like scattered gold dust and countless translucent ice crystals. The scene was stunningly beautiful, though Killing Soul a few steps away saw nothing—it was hers alone.

The vortex appeared and vanished as if from nowhere, and at its center, the shape of a card gradually took form.

Card! It was a card!

Ye Zhengliu unconsciously held her breath, fingers clenched tightly.

The card landed in her palm, making her heart race. She focused her gaze, and immediately—

Ye Zhengliu: “!!!”