When Tang Qianqian announced her defeat, the slender figure didn't pursue her any further but instead raised his right hand high, like a victorious athlete.
After a brief celebration, he didn't forget to show his sportsmanship, bowing to the onlookers who had been watching the fight for a while, before retreating into the shadows of the alley and vanishing from sight.
Duan Mingyuan hesitated for a long time but ultimately chose not to intercept.
Demons like this, who knew to stop at the right moment and were also polite, were really rare.
Perhaps... that's exactly the kind of opponent Tang Qianqian needed.
Of course, he couldn't trust a demon with unknown origins; until he figured out the demon's background, all duels would have to be under his supervision.
As an adult, one should adjust their emotions and view Tang Qianqian's defeat with a positive and optimistic attitude, realizing she had doubled her strength in this battle - from a weakling with an Energy Level of 1 to a slightly less weak weakling with an Energy Level of 2.
Defeat isn't something to fear; it just shows Tang Qianqian has a lot of room for improvement.
The only bad news might be that after defeating her archenemy, the Red-eyed Demon's Energy had also grown to Level 6.
"Senior."
After her archenemy had left, Tang Qianqian, who was lying on the ground, finally opened one eye, "The ground is so cool, can you help me up?"
............
Meanwhile, City No. 1 High School's advanced class.
As the bell rang for the end of class, a girl with long black hair suddenly woke from her nap, straightened up, took a deep breath, and a blush appeared on her usually indifferent face.
Her classmates whispered among themselves.
What did they see?
Ling Long, the student who had dominated the top of her grade since enrollment, well-rounded in morals, intelligence, physical fitness, the arts, and labor, a beautiful girl with no flaws, so perfect that even the teachers turned a blind eye to her napping in class.
If it was Ling Long, there must have been a good reason.
Perhaps she had been up all of the last night studying, or maybe she was out saving the world.
Ling Long, as always, ignored the people around her, gently patted her face, and started to pack her books. The excitement from the depth of her soul also cooled down, and her expression became detached once more.
Only in her dreams could she briefly experience the feeling of freedom; real life was like a cage. From the moment she opened her eyes each day, she lived like a marionette, reminding herself constantly to maintain her perfect image.
Out of step with the buzz around her, she left the classroom first, heading down the stairs. This way, she could catch the earlier subway home before those playful and noisy classmates made it to the station, and maybe buy some food on the way...
Her brisk walk suddenly slowed down.
The three people waiting at the door looked somewhat familiar, especially the dispirited woman with a defeated look and covered in dust, whom she felt she had seen somewhere before.
The three of them didn't pay her any attention, not looking her way as they passed each other.
"Tang Qianqian, don't lose heart. Failure is the mother of success."
Tang Qianqian.
Ling Long didn't know why she felt the need to remember this name.
The only male among the three spoke up, while the other beautiful woman hid behind them, trying to hold back her laughter, her body trembling slightly from the effort.
A love triangle?
A career crisis?
Even with her clever mind, she couldn't figure out the relationship between the three, finding the scene strangely fascinating.
"Jiuyue."
"Present!"
"What are you laughing at over there?"
The laughing woman was indeed caught, questioned by the man. Ling Long covered her mouth with her hand. This was the school entrance; acquaintances could pass by at any moment. Laughing out loud would damage the image she had always maintained. A smile makes someone approachable and gives opportunists a chance to strike up a conversation.
She didn't like interacting with people, maintaining a cold demeanor was the best method.
However, when Jiuyue was called upon, she tensed up as if she were a student caught slacking off in class by the teacher.
"Because today we had chicken."
"Bang——!"
When Ling Long heard the sound that was only an arm's length away, she was first stunned, then as the pain emerged, she tightly covered her forehead with both hands, almost ready to cry.
She had firsthand experienced the dangers of not looking where she was going, which made it easy to crash into a utility pole.
In a daze, she seemed to see the woman who had tensed up looking at her, even showing her a proud smile.
More than the pain, the shame of walking into a utility pole made Ling Long quickly flee the scene to avoid her classmates who might come out after her and spread the embarrassing incident throughout the school the next day.
After glancing at the girl who covered her face and ran away, Jiuyue scoffed in her heart.
If she couldn't handle Mr. Mingyuan, couldn't she deal with just a high school student?
Thinking that it might come at a price to see her embarrassment.
But today was a good day for her. The moment Tang Qianqian lay on the ground, she almost joined the Red-eyed Demon in celebration, for that was the moment when evil triumphed over good, proving she was a better trainer than Mr. Mingyuan, even if possibly only temporarily. But it was a historic moment nonetheless.
Evil always prevails!
She was not going to stop there. When night fell, she wanted to reward that evil Warrior properly. Although he was small and unimpressive in appearance, he had defeated the hero of justice without a scratch—worth cultivating indeed.
Since Mr. Mingyuan wanted to create a complete industry, she couldn't lag behind.
Red-eyed Demon, begin your adventure with the goal of obtaining an "Advanced Professional Title"!
"We should encourage others when they fail."
Duan Mingyuan criticized Jiuyue for taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others.
"Actually, there's nothing wrong with that."
Tang Qianqian, having emerged from her failure, waved her hand, "Repelling the Red-eyed Demon without anyone getting hurt, isn't that the best outcome?"
If all it took to dispel the Red-eyed Demon was getting a bit dirty, she would welcome that—rolling around on the ground a few more times didn't matter.
The type of Ability is related to desire and obsession.
Emotions, on the other hand, determine the strength of the Energy.
Duan Mingyuan repeatedly pondered the theory he had formulated, then realized the real problem was that he simply couldn't understand Tang Qianqian.
She seemed angry at that time, yet she directly lay down on the ground, choosing to surrender. But this surrender actually increased her Life Energy a little bit.
What was that all about?
Even the world-wise Duan Mingyuan was puzzled.
He then asked, "So, if this wasn't a friendly match, how would you have reacted?"
"Then she would've faced my Lethal Hit."
"Lethal Hit?"
"It kept kicking my butt, and always liked to sneak attack from behind. As long as I lay on the ground, it couldn't get behind me anymore."
Tang Qianqian summarized her combat tactics, "More importantly, I've left it with the impression that I am weak. You've said before, senior, that as long as I grab the moment the Red-eyed Demon touches me, I can severely harm them. But under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to seize such an opportunity."
As she spoke, she pulled out a can of Anti-Wolf Spray from the inner pocket of her clothes.
That was the reason she clutched her stomach when she fell to the ground.
The weak must sneak attack!
Though a salted fish was indifferent to the world, if pushed into a corner, it would strike back with a salted fish thrust.
"But hey, I'm not someone who cares about winning or losing. It's better to stop when enough is enough in a sparring match."