Second Round of the Family Hierarch Evaluation, part 9 (after battle)

…….

There's someone here.

Nngh...

Dammit... had to run into a different candidate now, of all times...

... She's Qingshan of the Wang family.

You're hurt. Who did this?

Jia Qiu... he... I barely escaped him...

Why'd he have to come back...? Disappearing from Hongyuan like that after investigating the annihilation of the Kong family, I thought he'd never return... So why now...?

He took almost all... of my coins.

Was he carrying... many?

Yeah...

To the point where he was running out of space to carry them...

That's not good...

Jia Baoyu...

We've sacrificed so much of ourselves... just for this day... just for the Family Hierarch war...

Meanwhile, you could've continued to live large outside Hongyuan, so why? What are you even doing here - what more could you possibly want?!

Please... please give me those coins, please.

Come on, you don't even care about becoming the Hierarch... It's not like someone like you'd do anything with all that power...

You're not wrong. But I'm sorry, I don't think I can give you my coins.

That's it. Listen up, rich boy. If some sod thinks they're smart, prattlin' on about shite like that, you don't apologize to 'em, ever. You let a club like this do the talking instead.

Using a club would only grow the resentment in her heart.

... But it'll... at least it'll make you feel better.

I never needed to feel better.

…….

Then... I swear, I'll use what remains of my clan... to take what is yours, Jia Baoyu. And seize my opportunity once again.

Because I... I'm going to survive... no matter what.

If you insist on drinking that poisoned chalice, then we have no choice.

... Wang Qingshan stumbled to her trembling feet, weapon in hand.

Okay~ If that's what you'd like to do.

…….

I beheld two different eyes. One of Hong Lu, who was willing to let the flow carry him away, and the other of Lin Daiyu, swirling with a kaleidoscope of emotions.