TSVSFL 20

Shut Up

Lin Ziyuan stared at her in shock. “You can’t take that many—”

Ding Li shot him a glare. After a moment, she felt energy surge through her body, and her condition improved significantly.

She shoved Lin Ziyuan aside and stood up abruptly, calling out to Xiao Wenjing, “Senior Brother Xiao, I’m fine now.”

Xiao Wenjing glanced at her, sizing her up.

Ding Li puffed out her chest. “I’m completely fine. Never better.”

He nodded. “I can tell.”

Ding Li cleared her throat. “Actually, Senior Brother Xiao, I just thought of something.”

“What idea?”

Pretending to think, she said, “Here’s what I’m thinking. Since we represent Cangshan Sect, we can’t afford to waste time like this. If we don’t get first place, how will we explain it when we return? So—why don’t we split into two groups? You go ahead and secure a top ranking for our team. The other five of us will… develop quietly. As long as we survive to the end, that’s a kind of victory too, right?”

Lin Ziyuan opened his mouth to object but was silenced by her glare.

Qin Zhixing hesitated but didn’t dare speak.

The two junior sisters immediately protested:

“What do you mean? No way! We have to stay with Senior Brother Xiao!”

“Yeah! Who wants to team up with you? We’d probably die without even knowing how!”

“Who gave you the right to decide for us?”

Only Xiao Wenjing remained thoughtful. After a moment, he nodded. “That’s not unreasonable.”

Ding Li was overjoyed—

But then he added, “In that case, it’s fine not to get first. Second or third place is acceptable too.”

Everyone immediately looked at him.

Ding Li almost choked. Taking a deep breath, she said, “…Senior Brother Xiao, I’m not looking down on second or third place. But we’re from the number one sect in the world. If we can’t even get first in a simple disciple trial, what will others think? And how will you explain it to Senior Sister?”

“And how do you suggest explaining it?” he asked.

“I…” Ding Li’s brain went into overdrive. “…I…”

Damn it—he’s not falling for it.

She quickly changed tactics. “You’re right, Senior Brother Xiao. In that case—Qin Zhixing and the two junior sisters clearly want to compete for the top. Why don’t you take them ahead? If we all stay together, there won’t even be enough monsters to go around. Let’s split up and act fast!”

Without waiting for a response, she stepped back and turned to leave.

Lin Ziyuan was still standing there, staring at Xiao Wenjing.

This idiot… what are you thinking? You think Xiao Wenjing is your superhero?

Ding Li grabbed him and dragged him away. “Junior Brother Lin, wake up! Let’s go grind monsters and level up!”

Lin Ziyuan followed reluctantly, looking back every few steps.

After walking some distance, Ding Li finally let go and glanced behind them. Once she confirmed Xiao Wenjing was out of sight, she relaxed.

“What are you looking at?” Lin Ziyuan asked.

“Nothing,” she replied.

He looked back as well. “Wouldn’t it be better to follow Senior Brother Xiao? Why split up? This place is dangerous—what if we run into trouble?”

Ding Li glared at him. “Why are you so scared? You think following Xiao Wenjing will benefit you? He’ll kill all the monsters himself, and we’ll be left with nothing! Then we’ll rank dead last—how are we supposed to explain that?”

Lin Ziyuan thought about it. “That makes sense… Oh! So Senior Sister Ding, you really just want to hunt monsters!”

“Of course,” she said. “What else did you think?”

“I thought maybe you had some conflict with Senior Brother Xiao.”

Well, you’re not wrong—but that’s none of your NPC business.

“Nonsense,” Ding Li said. “Nothing like that.”

They continued forward. Before long, they heard voices ahead.

Ding Li stopped.

If it were small monsters, great—easy experience. But if it was other people… she knew her limits. In her current state, she couldn’t compete.

So after a brief pause, she decisively turned around.

Lin Ziyuan, however, didn’t move.

Ding Li turned back and saw him staring in the direction of the voices.

He said, “Senior Sister Ding, I hear people talking. Shouldn’t we go check it out?”

Exactly because I hear people, I’m leaving!

Before she could respond, he started walking forward. “Let’s take a look. Maybe there’s a monster.”

Monster my foot—there are people there!

But Lin Ziyuan seemed possessed, insisting on going. By the time Ding Li hesitated, he had already gone ahead.

She had no choice but to follow, gripping her sword tightly.

But when they arrived, the voices had disappeared.

No one was there.

What?

Wait—there really is something!

A monster!

Work time!

Ding Li suddenly felt excited—the enthusiasm of a zero-point player ready to prove herself.

“Xiao Lin! Get to work! Turn this place upside down!” she ordered.

Lin Ziyuan: “……”

She turned back. “What are you standing there for? Thinking about life?”

But he only shook his head.

Ding Li found him strange—acting weirdly inconsistent.

She ignored him and turned to investigate on her own.

In the next second—

A sudden gust of wind attacked from behind!

Ding Li sensed the change instantly, but her injured body reacted slower than usual. She barely managed to dodge to the side, narrowly avoiding being sliced in half.

Before she could turn around, another sword strike came from behind—aimed straight at her heart.

In that instant, she felt death closing in. Her heart stopped.

There was no time to dodge.

At the critical moment, someone rushed in from the side, sword in hand—clang!—deflecting the attack with ease.

Only then did Ding Li turn around.

Where Lin Ziyuan had been standing—

Now stood a black-clad, masked figure.

The outfit was unmistakable.

Another demon.

Damn it.

So the “monster ahead” was a decoy—the real danger had been right beside her all along.

Ding Li broke into a cold sweat.

Thinking back, it was terrifying.

From the moment she split from Xiao Wenjing, the person beside her had never been Lin Ziyuan—

But this impostor from the demon race.

It was no wonder—Ding Li had felt something was off. Thinking about it now, Lin Ziyuan had never once called her “Senior Sister Ding.”

She had really gotten carried away by all those “Senior Sister”s…

Ding Li wished she could slap herself. She never expected she’d fall for such a cheap trick one day.

Luckily, Xiao Wenjing had arrived in time. Otherwise, she really would have been done for.

Ding Li looked at the two figures fighting ahead. Xiao Wenjing’s attacks were fierce, and the black-clothed man was clearly unable to hold out.

Another flash of sword light—Zhanhun Sword decisively severed the man’s right arm.

This one was far weaker than the last. Completely insignificant. Sure enough, powerful opponents were reserved for powerful people—the stronger black-clothed enemy had probably been “assigned” directly to Xiao Wenjing.

Ding Li clicked her tongue and shook her head.

The black-clothed man seemed provoked by her reaction. In an instant, he erupted, his sword moving so fast it almost created afterimages.

But the next moment, Xiao Wenjing poured power into his strike and slashed down fiercely!

The man didn’t even have a chance to resist—he was instantly obliterated.

Heh. What’s the use? No matter how flashy your moves are, you still can’t withstand a single strike from the male lead’s rival.

This—was the gap between a second male lead and cannon fodder!

As Xiao Wenjing sheathed his sword, Ding Li dashed over.

At this point, if she still didn’t recognize how crucial the second male lead was to this mission, she might as well not have lived over twenty years.

A bright smile spread across her face as she said excitedly, “Senior Brother Xiao, your timing was perfect! If you hadn’t come, I’d be the one split in half!”

Xiao Wenjing glanced at her calmly, saying nothing.

Ding Li continued, “Senior Brother Xiao is still Senior Brother Xiao—one appearance and you instantly dominate the entire field. Amazing!”

Xiao Wenjing: “…”

Ding Li was still trying to come up with more praise when Xiao Wenjing said, “Shut up.”

She immediately shut up. Honestly, she was running out of new compliments anyway.

But then she remembered something and asked, “What about the other three…”

“Handled,” Xiao Wenjing replied.

“They were fake too?” Ding Li was shocked.

“What else?”

Ding Li fell silent.

Why would several members of the demon race disguise themselves as them—and do it so convincingly? If all of them were fake, then the real ones…

A chill ran down Ding Li’s spine. “Then Lin Ziyuan and the others?”

Xiao Wenjing paused briefly before saying, “They should still be alive.”

Only then did Ding Li feel the fear set in. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Do you think the people outside know what’s happening here?”