“Boss Huanhuan, so are we just going to sit here like this? That doesn’t look like it’ll win, right?”
After being kicked, that kick finally woke Huyan Yazhi up. It also ended her dream of being a loyal minister, and she recalled her true self.
Lin Huanhuan stood up, clasping her hands behind her back, and said calmly.
“Don’t worry, I have other arrangements for what comes next. You don’t need to worry about so much. Just sit back and watch the show.”
“The opponent will be fooled by my surface attacks, and will ignore what’s deeper. What’s dangerous is never just above the surface.”
Over the next few days, Shangguan Muqing’s Martial Arts Hall was repeatedly hit with underhanded tricks, including but not limited to: being drugged again, piles of trash at the entrance, many picky and hard-to-please customers, and even a lot of rumors spreading within the sect.
However, Shangguan Muqing was prepared and dealt with them one by one, not suffering much loss. But even so, they still felt physically and mentally exhausted—it was such a hassle.
But this only strengthened Shangguan Muqing’s resolve to persist. The more Lin Huanhuan did this, the more it proved that she had completely run out of tricks.
The sparse attendance at [Tiance Guild Hall] was the best proof. Compared to their plagiarized hall, anyone with discerning eyes could see the huge gap.
After they resolved these issues, Lin Huanhuan finally seemed to have despaired and calmed down.
Six days flew by, and soon it was the day they had agreed upon.
The two met on a small hill outside the halls. A temporary seating area had been set up there for them to observe and rest.
Lin Huanhuan sat down calmly. Behind her, Dong Yuner smiled fully, first putting up an umbrella to shield her from the sun, then began massaging her shoulders—extreme luxury.
Dong Yuner handed a glass of juice to Lin Huanhuan’s lips. She took a small sip. The cool, sweet juice flowed into her lungs, lifting her mood.
“Miss, some juice?”
Shangguan Muqing, who had no one behind her, couldn’t help but frown slightly and sneered.
“Have you completely given up? Well, that’s right. After all, you’ve done so much and still can’t turn things around. You did try, so it’s normal to be desperate now.”
Only then did Lin Huanhuan slightly lift her eyes and smile lightly.
“The desperate one might not be me, you know? No matter what, don’t jump to conclusions until the last moment. Heaven never seals off all exits, don’t you think?”
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Muqing’s unease surged again. She couldn’t explain it, but it made her very uncomfortable.
Not far away, the halls had officially opened. Shangguan Muqing saw that in no time, so many people had flooded into her own hall, while only a sparse few went to [Tiance Guild Hall]. She immediately felt relieved again.
She spoke in a lecturing tone, intending to humiliate Lin Huanhuan.
“Sinister schemes do have some effect, but they seem fragile and powerless in the face of absolute strength. This world ultimately depends on hard power!”
Lin Huanhuan was unimpressed. The net had already been cast; soon it would be time to close it. No need for debate.
Shangguan Muqing snorted coldly and also sat down.
After a while, around noon, a large crowd suddenly surged toward them, muttering, “Hurry up, hurry up! Not only can you try it for free for a day, you can also get two spirit stones. This kind of good deal is rare.”
Since it was a bit far away, Shangguan Muqing couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying. Seeing so many people rushing over, she thought that her previous promotion had finally gained momentum and that these were her customers.
However, to Shangguan Muqing’s astonishment, these people charged straight into the [Tiance Guild Hall] across the way, like a wave of fresh troops, instantly surpassing her side.
“How is this possible? Why would they go to Tiance Guild Hall? My promotion is obviously better, and the service is superior too. How? Huanhuan, what did you do? Why has the situation turned out like this?”
Lin Huanhuan smiled faintly and said,
“Simple, just a little marketing trick.”
“Nine days ago, I quietly spread the news that anyone who came to this hall today would not only get a free trial for a day but also receive two spirit stones as compensation.”
“Two spirit stones may not seem like much, but there are always people who love taking advantage of small favors. And our service here isn’t bad either. Most people already wanted to give it a try but hadn’t made up their minds. I just gave them a push, and they even have to thank me.”
A few days earlier, Lin Huanhuan had already found Ling Dongdong and quietly told her to spread the news within Formation Peak. But she wasn’t to say it actively—it had to be let slip unintentionally. That way, the chances of people believing it were much higher.
After a few days of fermentation, nearly half of the Outer Sect had heard about it. Many sneered at it, but just as many were willing to come and join in the fun, to experience this novel activity.
Shangguan Muqing and her crew had been busy dealing with Lin Huanhuan’s various surprise attacks over the past few days, so they had no time to pay attention to other things, naturally unaware of this.
Shangguan Muqing’s expression changed drastically, and she said angrily,
“What kind of stunt is this? The people you attract this way aren’t genuinely coming to the hall. They’re just here to take advantage. Once you stop handing out spirit stones tomorrow, they won’t come again!”
“This isn’t a fair win at all! You despicable woman, so shameless, using such unscrupulous means!”
Shangguan Muqing tried to condemn Lin Huanhuan from the moral high ground, but Lin Huanhuan, who considered herself already standing in the moral lowlands, didn’t care at all.
Lin Huanhuan rolled her eyes.
“So what? Whether they come or not is none of my business. I’ve already won, haven’t I? Besides, this also builds up some reputation. Either way, I win.”
“Methods are just tools for winning.”
“Besides, no one said we couldn’t do this, so that means we can, right? You would definitely do the same, wouldn’t you? Or do you think plagiarism is righteous?”
“Let me ask you instead: if you knew in advance that I would do this, would you give up?”
“You!” Shangguan Muqing’s eyes blazed with anger, but she was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Senior Sister Shangguan, it’s bad! They suddenly got so many people, way more than us. At this rate, we’re going to lose!”
“Ah, no good! Someone is making trouble again using the stomachache from a few days ago. It never ends!”
Bad news flew in like snowflakes. Fine beads of sweat covered Shangguan Muqing’s forehead. Even though she kept handling things quickly, she still couldn’t manage everything.
The sun gradually moved westward, and the competition finally came to an end.
And most importantly, the situation was now beyond rescue.
Lin Huanhuan was victorious!