Chapter Seventy-One: Two Women Competing for One Man

A barren yellow earth slope stretched out, with a long-dried riverbed cutting through it. Scarcely a trace of green was to be found in the desolate landscape—save for a single patch of green, which hung suspended in the air.

There, a woman dressed in fresh green trousers and jacket floated above the ground. Her figure was petite, shaped like a jujube pit, and she appeared to be just over three feet tall. Yet her eyes were a deep indigo, and at this moment, they glared fiercely at the person opposite her.

That person, too, was a woman—clad in a palace robe of deep indigo. She, like her adversary, stood just over three feet tall, her hair styled in twin topknots resembling sun and moon. Her indigo eyes met the other's glare with unwavering resolve.

The woman in green spoke first, using a language unknown to the world. "I clearly discovered this one first. Why must you fight me for it?"

The palace-robed woman sneered, her laughter cold. "Xiao'e, have you no shame? I was the first to make a move with the Seven-Star Spinning Cloud. If not for me, do you think it would have been so easy to capture this exotic creature? By rights, it is mine."

Xiao'e, the green-clad woman, reached out and retrieved an indigo olive-shaped object. With a flick of her finger, a palm-sized leaf emerged from within. The leaf was divided into five lobes, slightly yellowed but thick and sturdy.

At the sight, the palace-robed woman's eyes flashed with a trace of panic. "Xiao'e, you would turn against me for this exotic? Not only disregarding our sisterhood, but even resorting to your natal treasure? If the Queen learns of this, you will not escape punishment."

Xiao'e rolled her indigo eyes and curled her lips. "Stop threatening me with the Queen. She is busy with important affairs and has no time for hunting disputes. Since we both desire this exotic, let us settle it by skill—winner takes all, as always."

With that, Xiao'e pointed at the golden maple leaf treasure before her. It whooshed into her jade-like hand. Without another word, she formed a spell seal and poured her spiritual energy into it. The maple leaf swelled swiftly, growing to over ten feet tall.

Gripping the enormous leaf as though wielding a giant fan, Xiao'e swept it toward the palace-robed woman. Instantly, a fierce gale roared through the air, whipping up yellow dust and sand in a mighty assault. But the palace-robed woman had been prepared; a handkerchief-shaped treasure shot forth, expanding into a translucent shield that enveloped her protectively.

The yellow gale battered the shield, crackling against its surface, but the treasure held firm, absorbing the full brunt of the attack. Xiao'e's eyes grew sharp; she flung the golden maple leaf high into the air, then formed several spell seals. The maple leaf began spinning counterclockwise, spraying forth countless smaller golden leaves. Caught up in the raging wind, the leaves surged toward the palace-robed woman, soon obscuring the shield entirely. All that could be seen was a whirling mass of golden leaves, spinning in the storm, gradually forming a massive yellow sphere. From within came a howling sound—the tiny leaves mercilessly slicing at the barrier.

The palace-robed woman was not about to surrender. With a sharp cry, dazzling starlight burst forth, swirling behind her to encircle the golden maple leaves.

Starlight glittered and golden leaves fluttered as the two sides reached a stalemate. The palace-robed woman, trapped in the center, was hidden from view, but the green-clad woman's face grew ever paler, clearly drained by the expenditure of spiritual power. Her opponent could not be faring much better.

Suddenly, a jet-black beam of light shot in from the horizon, accompanied by a cold snort. Though the sound was not loud, it struck both women like a thunderbolt on a clear day. They immediately began to withdraw their power, intending to cease their battle, but their treasures had already been pushed to their limits and were spinning out of control.

At that moment, the black beam arrived, followed by an even swifter streak of darkness that struck the heart of the clash between the Seven-Star Spinning Cloud and the golden maple leaf. With a sharp crack, the starlight vanished, and the golden leaves drifted down to the ground.

The black radiance faded, revealing a slender woman dressed entirely in black. Her entire body was wrapped in the dark cloth, leaving only her indigo eyes visible. In her hand she held a whip over ten feet long. She stood silent and motionless, yet a commanding presence radiated from her, making it impossible to look upon her directly.

The two younger women, once fierce as tigresses, now collapsed to their knees like lambs.

"Queen Qing... Thank you for rescuing us. I—"

Before Xiao'e could finish, the Queen cut her off brusquely. "Enough. Punishment is inevitable for both of you. Now explain yourselves."

The palace-robed woman hurried to reply first. "Your Majesty, we were out hunting today. I was fortunate enough to discover an exotic creature and used the Seven-Star Spinning Cloud to capture it. Then Xiao'e arrived, insisting she had found him first and tried to take him away. That is why we fought."

A muffled sound came from behind the Queen's black veil. "An exotic? What kind, and for what use?"

This time, Xiao'e spoke up eagerly. "Your Majesty, it is a human male, seemingly trained for a few years and quite robust. I believe she is acting out of pent-up desires, eager to claim a male for release, which is why she fought me for him."

"Nonsense!" spat the palace-robed woman. "You little minx, always twisting words. I simply wished to obtain a stud to continue our lineage. Besides, this exotic is several times stronger than our tribesmen—an excellent candidate for breeding."

Xiao'e retorted, "Don't try to sound so noble! As if the Queen doesn't know your true intentions. If you weren't seeking your own pleasure, why fight me for him? He was my target first, yet you twist the truth. I intended to present him to the Queen, unlike you, who would squirrel him away in the Elf Manor."

The palace-robed woman pursed her lips, about to argue, but the Queen silenced them both with a stern command. "Enough! You're both the same—greedy for fat morsels. Since you've never seen a stud before, I'll have a few sent from the palace as your reward. Stop disgracing yourselves. Two proud Azure Elves, fighting over an exotic—what a spectacle!"

Neither dared protest further, but each harbored her own thoughts.

The palace-robed woman mused, "A couple of studs from the Queen is still worthwhile. Not as good as that great exotic, but better than nothing. I'll report back to the Elf Manor."

Xiao'e, however, thought differently. "I'm a palace maid, yet the Queen doesn't take my side, giving me only used-up studs as consolation. Everyone knows those are her cast-offs—men old, spent, and hollow, many having already sired children."

The Queen's indigo eyes swept over the two, her gaze stern. Seeing them kneel obediently, her tone softened slightly. "Where is this exotic? Show me. I wish to see what manner of being could drive you both to such lengths."