Chapter no.40 Shen Xiu: An Insecure Noble

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People always scream at the heavens, decrying life's unfairness.

They blame their circumstances, convinced things would be better under different stars. Shen Xiu was among them.

Born into the prestigious Sacred Family, Shen Xiu was the sister of the Family Head. To the outside world, she was a princess, born with a golden spoon.

Why would she ever complain?

What did she lack?

Many pondered this, but they didn't know the half of it.

The Sacred Family lived by a simple creed: the strong lead, the weak follow.

Shen Xiu's birth was a blemish in their illustrious lineage, the product of a night between the previous head and a prostitute. From the outset, she was seen as nothing more than a burden, a piece of refuse reluctantly accepted into the fold.

Her mother, barred from the family due to her lowly status, left Shen Xiu to endure alone.

She bore the weight of disdainful glares, looks tinged with jealousy, pity, and lust.

As she blossomed into beauty, men fawned over her, but she quickly realized their interest lay more in her status than in her person.

This reality, more than anything, filled her with loathing – she was nothing but a decorative piece, an ornament in their eyes.

She was the Sacred Family's current head's sister, after all.

This fact disgusted her; it was a life with no real substance. Her own talent was mediocre; despite all the resources at her disposal, she could only achieve silver rank, while peers like Ye Han soared to gold.

To the world, she was a beautiful flower, coveted for the status she could confer.

But to herself, she was an object, worthless and talentless.

The irony wasn't lost on her; the talent of nobles she so often boasted about felt like a source of shame.

She hid her insecurities behind a mask of arrogance, creating a façade to keep men at bay, to survive in their cruel world.

In truth, Shen Xiu had nothing.

Her beauty was overshadowed by her family's standing, her power inconsequential.

Her only real achievement, becoming an inscription array master, was self-taught, unaided by her family.

Yet, she never boasted of this – what was it compared to the so-called honor bestowed upon her by birthright?

Despite her disdain for this "honor," Shen Xiu knew she had little choice.

Stripped of her family and status, she was nothing.

So she focused on the task at hand: ensuring her nephew's favorable standing with Ye Ziyun, securing her future in the Sacred Family.

Then came the brat, challenging her, proposing a bet.

"Want to make a bet with me?" he had dared, stirring a desire in Shen Xiu to see him humiliated.

"Just a simple bet to prove I'm the next Ye Mo," he added. Amused and confident, Shen Xiu accepted.

But the boy proved his mettle, surpassing even Ye Mo.

When he requested a hot steamy night together as his winning prize, Shen Xiu's blood boiled.

Who did this brat think he was?

Shen Xiu knew about Nie Li, the heir of the Heavenly Marks Family and one of the targets that were to either be recruited or killed off.

So, Shen Xiu should be happy, right? She got herself a talent.

She just had to spread her legs him, and the Sacred Family would gain a talent rivaling Ye Mo.

But she didn't.

Maybe it was the small sliver of pride in herself that she didn't have to go along with any of this, maybe it was because she was publicly humiliated by him.

If she accepted him, she would always be known to the world as his.

Oh look, the black sheep of the Sacred Family, at least she made herself useful bys spreading her legs unlike her mother.

Did he view her as nothing more than a trophy, a conquest like her mother was perceived?

These questions set ablaze a storm within Shen Xiu's mind, each thought a spark igniting her fury.

Was she just an object of desire, her worth measured only by her appearance? It seemed history was repeating itself.

Her mother, merely valued for her beauty, and now her, viewed through the same demeaning lens.

She felt her face heat up in anger.

.....

Shen Xiu stood with her back to Nie Li, the room thick with tension. She broke the silence, her voice firm yet tinged with an underlying sharpness.

"What was your goal with all of this?" she asked, not bothering to face him.

Nie Li hesitated before answering, his voice cautious.

"I guess I was annoyed at your words," he admitted.

"I wanted to show that things aren't as black-and-white as you said. The bet... I didn't really think it through."

Shen Xiu listened, her anger slowly brewing. His words sounded like excuses to her.

"Is that so?" she replied, her voice cool, her back still turned.

Inside, her thoughts were racing.

How dare he trivialize the situation?

Did he not understand the impact of his words, the weight they carried?

As Nie Li tried to explain himself, her anger continued to build.

She felt a surge of resentment.

To Nie Li, this might have been a simple bet, a game, but to her, it was a stark reminder of her insecurities especially involving her mother.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

'A game? A challenge? Is that all my dignity is to you?' she thought bitterly.

With each word Nie Li spoke, her anger grew hotter, a fire stoked by years of frustration and the pain of being seen as nothing more than a trophy.

Finally, unable to contain her fury any longer, Shen Xiu whirled around to face Nie Li.

"You think this is just about winning and losing? You have no idea what it's like, living as I do, always judged, always under scrutiny!"

Nie Li looked taken aback, and Shen Xiu felt a brief satisfaction in piercing his composure.

But it was fleeting, replaced by the burning realization that she had exposed her vulnerabilities, her inner turmoil laid bare.

Nie Li looked worried and asked, "How can I fix this mess?"

Shen Xiu, with a cold expression, replied, "Do you realize what you've done? Your bet has put your family in danger. The Sacred Family won't let this go. You've insulted the sister of the clan head, making it seem like she's no better than a woman from the dark light district. Do you think your family, the Heavenly Marks Family, can handle the Sacred Family's backlash?"

Inside, Shen Xiu felt even more frustrated knowing that the Sacred Family's actions would be to protect their image, not her honor.

Nie Li appeared extremely distressed, nervously looking around as if hoping for a solution to just appear, which made Shen Xiu even angrier.

When Nie Li asked again what he could do, Shen Xiu, overwhelmed by her own anger said.

"You can wash away this dishonor with your blood."

Nie Li was shocked and could only utter, "What?" in disbelief.

Suddenly, a system warning flashed before Nie Li's eyes.

[ Warning! Shen Xiu has discovered Nie Li's weakness. How will you respond?]

[▷ Counterattack ]

[▷ Defend ]

[▶ Run Away ]

Nie Li's eyes widened as he realized Shen Xiu was about to attack him.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

The gravity of the situation dawned on him.

"Damn, I really didn't think this through," he thought, regretting his hasty judgment.

Quickly selecting the defend option and grabbing a sword from his storage ring, he prepared for Shen Xiu's attack.

Time resumed, and almost instantly, Shen Xiu spun around, her palm flying towards Nie Li in a swift, forceful strike.

Nie Li, reacting just in time, raised his sword to block the attack.

The force of the blow sent him crashing backward into the window, the sound of shattering glass filling the room.

The classroom, once a place of learning, had turned into a battleground in the blink of an eye, with Nie Li at its center.

He steadied himself, realizing the severity of the situation.

This was no longer about a simple bet; it was a matter of survival.

Nie Li narrowly avoided Shen Xiu's palm strike, feeling the rush of air as her attack demolished the wall behind him.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, he quickly dashed to the front courtyard, his mind racing with strategies.

As he looked around the deserted courtyard, he wondered about the absence of other teachers or the principal.

"Where is everyone?" he thought.

Shen Xiu's voice echoed behind him.

"No one is going to come save you, the principal isn't in the school and the vice principal would take five minutes to come here. The teachers are either protecting their students or they don't want to interfere. No one will stop me from cleaning away my dishonor with your blood."

From the settling dust, Nie Li saw flames ignite around Shen Xiu, realizing she had merged with her demon spirit. He quickly assessed her stats:

[ Name: Shen Xiu ]

[ Status: Half Sister of the Patriach of the Sacred Family ]

[ Cultivation Level: 3 Star Silver Rank ]

[ Physique Level: 4 Star Bronze Rank ]

[ Class: Demon Spiritualists, Fighter, Inscription Array Scribe ]

[ Race: Human

[ Health Points: 56.4K /56.4K ]

[ Soul Force: 3,000 /3,000 ]

[ Battle Power: 807K ]

[ Class Features:

- Soul Manipulation.

- Perception.

- Array Infuse ]

[ Allies: Sacred Family ]

[ Equipment: ]

- [ ? ]

[ Description: The Half-Sister of the Patriarch of the Sacred Family. Because of her background, she is always under pressure to prove her worth to the family. To her, the honor of the family is important; to her, she is nothing without the Sacred Family, so she dedicated everything to the Sacred Family because she is nothing to herself. Even her pride of being a master scribe doesn't amount to much compared to the family, so she is here in the Holy Orchid Institute to complete her mission and prove herself to the sacred family and more importantly to herself. ]

He compared them to his own:

....

[ Name: Nie Li ]

[ Status: Heir of the Heavenly Marks Family ]

[ Cultivation Level: 3 star Bronze rank ]

[ Physique Level: 1 star Bronze rank ]

[ Class: Fighter, Demon Spiritualist ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Health Points: 1000 ]

[ Soul Force: 310 ]

[ Battle Power: 16350 ]

[ Class Features:

- Perception

- Endless Vanguard

- Soul Manipulation

- Third Eye ]

[ Allies: Heavenly Marks Family ]

[ Equipment: ]

- [ Soul Katar ]

- [ Storage Ring ]

- [ Enchanted Armour ]

[ Description: Born to a farmer in the Heavenly Marks Family, a young boy harbors ambitions far greater than his humble origins suggest, along with a deep secret. He carries the burden of memories from a past life, where he witnessed the destruction of Glory City. Faced with the daunting task of altering destiny, he must navigate his new life's challenges. Will he succeed in preventing the catastrophe he once saw, or is history doomed to repeat itself? ]

The disparity in their strengths was staggering. Nie Li realized there was no way he could win this fight in a conventional manner even if he used the skill soul wings.

Remembering that Nie Li quickly pulled up his combat options.

[ Turn Based Combat Style ]

[ Time combat, exchanging hits with each other. - The system window is activated when the user shows a weakness or feels like he is in a crisis. Time stops and you can choose depending on the combat type. ]

[ Advantages ]

[ 1. When the opportunity arises, you can't miss it; you can always make an effective attack. ]

[ Disadvantages ]

[ 1. When you show a weakness, you take more damage than usual. ]

[ 2. Combat focus is low. ]

[ 3. Against a large number of enemies, may not activate; time will not stop.]

.....

[ Free Style Combat ]

[ Description: This style bestows the player with complete control over their actions in battle, removing any system-guided interventions. It emphasizes personal skill and strategic flexibility, allowing the player to craft and execute tactics without constraints. ]

[ Advantages: ]

- [ Unmatched Flexibility: Enables the implementation of any strategy or technique the player has mastered, regardless of context. ]

- [ Creative Freedom: Encourages inventive approaches to combat, potentially surprising opponents with unanticipated moves. ]

[ Disadvantages: ]

- [ Increased Risk: Without system suggestions, the likelihood of errors or suboptimal decisions may rise, particularly under pressure. ]

- [ Higher Skill Requirement: Demands a comprehensive understanding of combat mechanics and situational awareness from the player. ]

- [ Isolation: In scenarios involving numerous adversaries, the lack of system intervention means time will not pause for strategic planning, demanding rapid, real-time decision-making. ]

.....

[ Adaptive AI Combat Style ]

[ AI intervention. - User delegates everything to the system and only observes.]

[ Advantages ]

[ 1. Optimal performance due to total analysis of the situation, including user physical condition, weapons, and opponent's weakness.]

[ 2. Maximizes user's potential.]

[ 3. Accumulates combat experience, improving combat ability.]

[ Disadvantages]

[ 1. No control until the battle is decided.]

[ 2. Decisions can be slow when dealing with multiple enemies.]

Nie Li exhaled deeply, realizing the severity of his situation.

Against Shen Xiu, he had no chance of winning with his current abilities.

The unknown AI combat system offered a ray of hope that might turn the tide in his favor.

"Looks like I have to put my faith in this AI system," Nie Li thought, feeling a mixture of apprehension and hope.

It was a gamble, but it was better than the nothing.

He quickly selected the Adaptive AI Combat System, surrendering control to the system.