Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Zhao Ranran furrowed her brows slightly and immediately pushed open the wooden window, looking in the direction the arrow had been shot from. The sky was pitch black, and though her vision was strong, it was difficult to pierce through the layers of darkness. The Jingyao Divine Bird trembled all over, having already developed a fear of startled birds.

She clenched her delicate fists, aware that the arrow was surely fired by Li Xian, both shocked and enraged. Yet in such overwhelming darkness, there was nowhere to search. Zhao Ranran fetched a sheet of paper, examined the handwriting, and murmured, "Tomorrow evening, Absolute Palm Peak, meet for life and death?"

She couldn’t believe it, finding it utterly ridiculous, and reread the letter several times. Only then did she realize that Li Xian indeed sought a duel with her. It was absurd, the Flower Thief was utterly foolish, seeking his own death, perfectly suiting her wishes.

But after a moment, all around was dark as ink, and the night was silent. The absurdity in her heart dissipated, yet she couldn’t help but think:

"If I’m not mistaken, that Flower Thief escaped us and happened to arrive at this city by boat. There are only a few inns in Swallowing Water City, so he must have checked in earlier than us. We didn’t notice when we arrived, allowing him to escape without a trace. Without any reason, he suddenly shot an arrow for a duel; he must have heard the discussions in the hall. Infuriated, he seeks a duel with me."

"It’s absurd to the extreme; it was Nangong Xuanming who came up with that treacherous plan. It’s a family matter; why should I intervene? I don’t even like her, so why should I think of her?"

She argued in her heart, yet her face was already flushed with irritation, and she felt a sudden sense of bewilderment. She despised Nangong Liuli by extension, unwilling to help when she was in trouble. But upon careful thought, it indeed seemed shameful; she truly was using Nangong Xuanming’s hand to perform despicable schemes. The reputation of the Jade Girl was thus tarnished and impure. Yet she loathed Li Xian deeply and was eager to kill him quickly to settle her inner conflict. In this battle between emotions and reason, she chose to abstain.

However, to abstain is to acknowledge. She was not merely standing by but aiding the wicked. She could predict how Nangong Liuli’s situation would end but remained indifferent due to selfishness, even thinking, "She chose to love the Flower Thief; whatever fate befalls her is her own doing. Although I have the duty to save people and help them in distress, I cannot save those who refuse to save themselves."

Her mind was in turmoil. Entering the world for the first time, she was not versed in reasoning, nor did she understand love and hate. Yet, with an arrogant heart, when facing this matter, she inevitably made errors in judgment. She didn’t want to meet Bian Qiaoqiao, but guessed Bian Qiaoqiao would come for help and thus entrusted Su Lanfeng to aid her.

Now she suddenly encountered a letter sent by arrow. The handwriting within was bold, carrying a sense of decisiveness and a hidden intention to face death in anger. Though the penmanship was still shallow and not better than hers, its Mental Realm was powerful. Zhao Ranran, being skilled in writing, felt a chilling murderous intent when reading the six words, "Absolute Palm Peak, meet for life and death."

No room for retreat, knowing it’s a losing battle, yet insisting on bravado.

Zhao Ranran knew this letter was no joke; without genuine intent to fight, such words couldn’t have been written. It was precisely for this reason that her hidden thoughts and bystander mentality seemed to have been exposed and stripped bare.

Exposed to Li Xian’s eyes.

The Jade Girl had always been noble, now with flaws. Zhao Ranran really felt uneasy about "Nangong Liuli," her guilt being more profound intent toward Li Xian. She weighed "a fleeting acquaintance" too heavily, leading to indirect sacrifice.

She felt hidden shame, and her heart suddenly thought: "I desperately want to kill that Flower Thief, knowing fully well how pitiful Nangong Liuli’s fate is, yet I still refuse to help. Nangong Xuanming’s plan is insidious; I appear to abstain but actually agree in my heart. Once the Flower Thief knew about this, he sought a duel with me out of anger..."

The Flower Thief is even willing to die for Nangong Liuli. I originally came to save her, yet due to brief scheming, such... oh well, oh well, this matter is too confusing. I’ll see if the Flower Thief dares to show up tomorrow. Killing the Flower Thief is the priority!"

She forced herself to suppress her chaotic thoughts, sitting cross-legged until dawn. The next day, Nangong Xuanming, Nangong Wuyang, and other Jianghu Guests were having porridge in the hall. Bian Chengfeng and Bian Bianyun sat at another table. Bian Qiaoqiao sat in the corner, looking at the window in contemplation.

Zhao Ranran focused on Nangong Xuanming, seeming to have something to say, but suddenly her pride surged, and she thought, "I see, is that Flower Thief trying to provoke me into stopping Nangong Xuanming? Does he truly have the guts and determination to duel with me? If he truly did, he wouldn’t have become a Flower Thief. I can’t fall into his trap."

She utterly despised Li Xian and suddenly doubted whether he had such courage.

Silently, she ate a simple meal and then returned to her room to meditate. She practiced the "Nine Orifice Purifying World Skill," cultivating within, cleansing both body and mind. Yet, unexpectedly, seeing the copper arrow on the table, she felt inexplicable anger.

As noon approached, Zhao Ranran made little progress in her cultivation. Her mind grew increasingly complex. She clearly hated Li Xian, wanting to kill him, but didn’t wish Li Xian to fight as promised. A Flower Thief made her, the "Jade Girl," seem insignificant and despicable. She refused to be entangled with the Flower Thief for "perfect destiny," yet she conveniently committed an equally despicable act as the Flower Thief.

She gazed across the lake and thought, "I must kill that Flower Thief. Why is something so simple made so complicated?" She recalled the reminder given by her master before descending the mountain: Throughout history, the Jade Girls have unparalleled talent. Martial arts are not the hardest, but cultivating the heart and emotions is like a great flood.

As noon passed and evening approached, Zhao Ranran had already found out the location of Absolute Palm Peak. With mixed emotions, she deliberately set out a bit late. On the lakeside, she cut the boat’s rope and took the boat to Absolute Palm Peak.

When she first glanced at the peak and saw no one, she felt secretly relieved: "I’ll only wait for him for a quarter of an hour; if the time passes, I will not wait. These Flower Thief’s words cannot be believed. I really am muddled."

"When the time comes, I’ll figure out how to kill him."

The boat approached the foot of the peak. Zhao Ranran gracefully leaped up, traveling further along the mountain path, arriving at the palm of Absolute Palm Peak. She looked around but saw no trace.