"Hahaha—"
Both of them laughed, one after the other, and the tension that had been building between them vanished in an instant.
"You’re quite good. This is the first time I’ve fought a woman to a standstill. Although it’s frustrating, I have to admit that if we kept going, I really might have lost to you. I, Shenshang, have never bowed to anyone, but to be bested by a woman for the first time—I concede!"
"Hey, enough with the 'woman this' and 'woman that'! A loss is a loss. Don't go bringing up gender as if women are inherently weaker than you men. You lost to me, didn't you? Is it that hard to just honestly admit you weren't skilled enough?"
Hearing this, Shenshang let out a hearty laugh. "That’s not what I meant. Forget it, I lost. You are truly formidable! Now, can you tell me your name? We’ve fought and become acquainted, after all; I’d hate to not even know who I lost to by the end of it."
"That’s true!" Anlan smiled with a hint of pride. She felt what he said made sense, and more importantly, even though Shenshang had annoyed her at first by stealing her kills, his personality was quite to her liking. Especially their straightforward, direct way of fighting—it really suited her style.
So, Anlan introduced herself with easy grace. "Let’s have a proper introduction, then. My name is Yue Anlan, the eldest daughter of the Second Demon God. It’s a pleasure to have made your acquaintance through battle!"
"Yue Anlan? Aren't you a human-demon hybrid? How are you so strong... Er, no, I didn't mean that as a slight, I just..." Shenshang exclaimed in surprise, but as he spoke, he noticed Anlan’s glare and promptly bit his tongue.
Anlan looked satisfied. "Listen, kid, have you ever heard the human saying, 'After three days of separation, one should look at another with new eyes'? You don't know me that well, so why couldn't I have become stronger? Don't let your own shortsightedness blind you. Never underestimate anyone, or the crushing defeat you suffered today will become your new normal. Do you understand?"
Anlan’s earnest advice left Shenshang deep in thought, and he found himself admiring her even more. The more he learned about her, the more of a treasure she seemed to be. Who would eventually be worthy of standing by a girl like this?
Lost in thought, he suddenly snapped back to reality when he saw Anlan dutifully collecting the scattered Demon Crystals.
"Sister Anlan, let me handle that! A rough guy like me is better suited for this kind of manual labor."
"Huh? Sudden kindness? Are you trying to steal my Demon Crystals again?"
"I’m being wronged here! I was just..."
The two began bickering again, leaving the secret guards hiding in the shadows to exchange bewildered glances. What was going on? How had their Great Princess already become so chummy with the Heir to the Fourth Pillar Demon God in such a short time?
And things looked ominous! The way the guy was looking at the Princess—could it be—? The guards felt increasingly uneasy. What about Prince Abao?
As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear. The very person they were fretting over had arrived.
"What are you doing?"
A furious male voice rang out, effectively cutting off their argument. Both of them turned to look in unison. This reflexive behavior was misinterpreted by someone, and Abao’s eyes darkened as a wave of violent emotion surged within him.
"Your Highness Abao!"
"Brother Bao?"
Both spoke at once. Unable to contain himself, Abao moved with lightning speed, shoving his way between them. With a surge of spiritual power, he grabbed Anlan with his right hand. She suddenly found herself pulled into Abao’s warm embrace.
As for Shenshang, he had it rough. Before he could react, he was sent stumbling backward, nearly knocked off his feet by the force. Once he finally steadied himself, he saw Abao holding Anlan in a protective, possessive embrace.
It was obvious now: Prince Abao must be in love with Anlan and viewed her as his exclusive property, unwilling to let any other male near her. While a twinge of bitterness rose in his heart, Shenshang also felt a sense of schadenfreude. Based on Anlan’s character, if Prince Abao tried to cage her with this attitude, he was in for a rude awakening!
Sure enough—
"Brother Bao, what are you doing? Let go, you're hurting me!" Anlan broke free from his grasp, rubbing her waist in annoyance. She shot him a glare, making her displeasure clear.
Abao had been furious, but seeing Anlan even angrier—and noticing Shenshang clutching his chest—his displeasure only grew. Yet, he surrendered. He knew her better than anyone. If he revealed his feelings now, Anlan would only think there was something wrong with him and distance herself further. She wasn't the type of woman to be easily possessed; if she realized his intentions too soon, she would only run further away.
"I'm sorry, Sister Lan. I thought he was someone with ill intent. Seeing you so close to a stranger made me anxious, and I was clumsy."
"Huh?" Shenshang let out a confused sound. Abao didn't even spare him a glance, leaving Shenshang inwardly astonished. Was this the same cold, arrogant, and untouchable Prince Abao who had made such a splash recently? Was he pretending?
Indeed, Abao had begun his path to becoming a king in accordance with the greater plot, so he was a different person to the public than he was to Anlan. But Anlan didn't know that, so her strange feeling vanished instantly.
"Alright then, I forgive you. It was a misunderstanding. This is Shenshang, the Heir to the Fourth Pillar Demon God. He’s not a bad guy; in fact, thanks to his help, this trial was much easier for me."
Only then did Abao turn his gaze toward Shenshang, re-evaluating the Heir to the Fourth Pillar. He knew who Shenshang was, of course—a genius among the Demon race. He had originally intended to recruit him, but now that he dared to covet what belonged to him, that was another matter...
Abao’s gaze was filled with terrifying killing intent and malice, making Shenshang’s heart skip a beat. But for some reason, Shenshang refused to back down, returning the glare with one of his own. What was there to fear? Abao wasn't the Demon Prince yet, and the Demon God Emperor hadn't recognized him as the heir. An unloved prince wasn't necessarily more noble than he was.
And so, sparks flew between the two males in front of the female they both fancied.
As a normal person, Anlan couldn't imagine that she, a mere nine-year-old, was being eyed by wolves, so it never crossed her mind. She simply thought the two were at odds with each other. Feeling like a protective mother figure, Anlan naturally sided with her own "cub," Abao, over the newly met Shenshang.
Since Abao hadn't been crowned Demon Prince by the Demon God Emperor yet, it was best not to offend Shenshang. Following Abao’s lead, she forcefully stepped between the two men who were busy "exchanging glances."
She grabbed Abao’s arm. "Brother Bao, how did you know I was training here? Did you come to join me?"
With that single sentence, the smokeless war was extinguished.