Chapter 072: Caught Someone’s Eye

With a tremendous roar, the "Sailing" departed the port and glided along the wide Tianqing River. Beautiful, scale-like white clouds adorned the azure sky, and the sunlight was warm, creating a comfortable, drowsy feeling.

Shen Duo and Feng Jun ordered two cups of nectar and found a spot on the deck to sit, savoring the changing scenery along the riverbanks. Neither of them were talkative; sitting across from each other in silence, the atmosphere was calm rather than awkward.

In the distance on the deck, two young girls were playfully pushing each other, and soon they walked hand in hand toward Shen Duo and Feng Jun. One of the girls had a slight blush on her cheeks, her smooth black hair cascading over her shoulders, a few strands mischievously dancing in the river breeze. She glanced at Feng Jun with admiration, then shyly lowered her head, while the slightly shorter girl nudged her forward.

At last, the black-haired girl stammered, "My name is Aisha. May I ask your name, sir?"

It was clear she was drawn to Feng Jun and had come to confess her feelings. Shen Duo, observing the scene, regarded the poker-faced man across from her with amused curiosity.

Feng Jun turned his head, his expression even colder and more handsome, making the girl's heart race, but his words were as unfeeling as ever: "My name is none of your concern."

Aisha's passionate heart was crushed by Feng Jun's reply. She had never imagined that lowering her guard to express her admiration would be met with such cold indifference.

"You..." Aisha's slender, pale finger trembled as she pointed at Feng Jun, but, as if compelled by some unseen force, her gaze shifted to Shen Duo. She looked Shen Duo up and down with barely concealed hostility, and the light in her eyes grew sharp.

"It must be you, you foolish woman!" Aisha had been spoiled by her mother from a young age and, being beautiful, was always approached by handsome young men wherever she went. Now, after finally finding someone she fancied, she was met with an icy rejection—an unbearable humiliation. The young man before her, though outwardly cold, had the air of a gentleman. He would never disregard the feelings of a beautiful girl unless the woman beside him had persuaded him to do so.

Aisha, convinced of her reasoning, placed all the blame on Shen Duo, who, caught up in the spectacle, wondered if the girl's logic was entirely sound.

Seeing that Shen Duo ignored her, Aisha's anger flared even higher. Never in her life had she been so disregarded—how could this woman dare? It infuriated her!

"Why won't you speak? Are you afraid?" The girl's face was flushed with rage.

The situation had changed, and not only did Feng Jun not intervene, he even allowed things to unfold. Now, the expressions on their faces had swapped; Feng Jun was enjoying Shen Duo's predicament, the tables had turned.

Shen Duo was utterly helpless. She had just been quietly drinking and enjoying the scenery, only to encounter such an unreasonable person. People like this were the hardest to deal with—they wouldn't stop until they were taught a lesson.

"What do you want?" Shen Duo's voice was cool and clear.

Aisha suddenly laughed arrogantly; this was the moment she had been waiting for. The girl before her seemed not yet of age, with no trace of spiritual or magical energy—clearly a helpless, easy target.

"The arena, one-on-one. If you win, I'll apologize. If you lose, hmph, you'll have to leave this gentleman's side!" Aisha raised her chin and issued her challenge with pride. If the girl cared enough for this handsome young man, she would surely accept. Then, in the arena, Aisha would teach her a lesson, showing her this world belonged to the strong.

Feng Jun hadn't expected Aisha to be so overconfident. He could see her strength at a glance—she was a five-star Grand Illusionist, impressive for her age, but compared to Shen Duo, she was nothing.

Seeing Feng Jun making no move to stop her, Aisha felt overjoyed. Clearly, this gentleman was tired of the woman beside him, but held back out of sentiment. Now, she could step in, and the handsome young man could rid himself of her through her efforts. How clever and lovable she believed herself to be!

Aisha, caught up in her self-delusions, looked at Shen Duo with provocative challenge.

No matter how big "Sailing" was, space was limited, and with many passengers out on deck, a crowd quickly gathered to watch the commotion. Seeing that the quarrel involved such beautiful girls, the spectators began to cheer and shout for the challenge to be accepted. With the journey so long and dull, how could anyone pass up such excitement?

Shen Duo's dark, bright eyes fixed on Aisha, and suddenly her lips curved into a smile that lit up her whole face. "I'll accept your challenge, but I want to add another term to the wager."

"What is it? As long as I have it!" Aisha looked down on her, as if at a struggling animal on the verge of death.

Shen Duo glanced at her waist. "Your storage pouch."

Aisha snorted mockingly, "I thought this gentleman fancied some elegant lady, but you're just greedy. Fine, if you defeat me, not only will you have my storage pouch, but also this bracelet!" She shook her wrist, showing off a jade-red bracelet gleaming in the sunlight, clearly a valuable item.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shen Duo stood and took an oath, a flash of silver light appearing at her feet. Aisha did the same. The two girls, solemnly making a vow before heaven and earth, only made the spectacle more entertaining; within half an hour, the news had spread throughout the "Sailing."

The girl beside Aisha looked at Shen Duo with a mix of disgust and pity. "Do you know who Aisha is? She's Lord Leo's only daughter!"

She waited for Shen Duo to show fear, but to everyone's surprise, Shen Duo remained unmoved and even asked innocently, "Who is Leo? Should I know him?"

The question drew a collective gasp from the crowd, who had previously been watching for entertainment. Now, sympathy flooded their faces.

A kindly passenger explained, "Little girl, Lord Leo is a famous beastmaster."

A beastmaster—the most untouchable profession on the continent. It seemed this girl was about to be in trouble.

But Shen Duo was undeterred, simply striding toward the arena, leaving the crowd behind.

The girl with Aisha stomped her foot in frustration.

"Carlo, don't be angry. That woman is just pretending to be calm—she's probably scared to death inside! Let's go and teach her a lesson!"

Feng Jun glanced at the two ignorant girls and shook his head. They would regret this soon enough.

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Updating two stories at once is exhausting, especially with work during the day. I just finished this chapter—sorry everyone, please check back tomorrow! I posted it in a hurry; I'll fix any typos tomorrow night, and lastly, I'll shamelessly ask for recommendation votes!