C13 Lei Jiuping's Bet

As soon as they left, Jinfei smirked and said, "Hey, pretty boy, you think I can't handle you? Here I come," and lunged forward again. Jiuping struck a pose, ready to face the challenge. Yeying followed closely, headbutting Jinfei and knocking her aside.

Seeing this, Jiuping laughed heartily and said, "So that's all you've got, huh? Now I know."

Jinfei scrambled up from the ground, pointing at Jiuping. "You're just an apprentice Demon Suppressing Master. What's so funny? You're not much better than me, so don't get cocky."

Jiuping, now riled up, replied, "Looks like you're not convinced. How about we make a bet?"

"Bring it on," Jinfei said, hands on her hips. "I'm not scared of you. What are we betting on?"

Jiuping thought for a moment. "As Demon Suppressors, let's bet on who can get the medicine first. Dad mentioned it's in the training ground's storage room. Whoever retrieves it first wins. How about that?"

Jinfei chuckled. "No problem. Let's do it."

Yeying chimed in, "Jinfei, don't mess around. This training ground is one of the toughest in the Demon Suppressing Association. It's filled with creatures captured from all over, and they've become quite powerful through constant battles. You two aren't ready for that."

Jiuping laughed again. "I'm not just bragging. Even though I'm technically an apprentice, I've been handling demons on my own. Unlike some apprentices who still need their master's protection."

Jinfei was instantly fired up. She had proven her strength earlier against the demon tamer, Old Ou, defeating him in one move. Being underestimated by Jiuping, especially with his teasing, was not something she could let slide.

Jinfei put her hands on her hips and said, "A challenge it is, then. Who's afraid? Whoever gets it first wins. But let's settle on the stakes first."

Jiuping scoffed, "Ladies first, of course. You decide the stakes. Whatever you want, I'm game. But just so you know, I'm definitely winning this."

Jinfei gave a cold smile and replied, "Don't be so sure of yourself. What if you don't win? But if you do, what do you want? I can't read your mind."

Jiuping thought for a moment and said, "Alright, if I win, I get to take your place as the disciple of Master Ji. Do you dare to bet on that?"

Without hesitation, Jinfei replied, "No problem, let's bet on that. But if I win, you have to pursue me, and you have to do it ninety-nine times. Don't worry, I'll keep rejecting you. Ha!" She laughed triumphantly.

Jiuping paused, looked at Jinfei, and pretended to gag. Then he said, "With your looks, you think I'd chase you? Dream on. Do you want me to give you a head start? I know the training grounds inside out, and you might get lost."

Jinfei gritted her teeth in frustration and said, "No need. We'll rely on our own skills. A bet's a bet." She extended her right hand.

"Alright, a bet's a bet," Jiuping said, immediately reaching out to shake on it, sealing the deal with a high-five. It was a promise neither could break.

Yeying watched from the sidelines, not stopping them. She was quite open-minded about it and had confidence in Jinfei. Jinfei had never acted on her own before, but she was already quite strong. This was a good opportunity for her to handle things independently and gain some experience. She couldn't follow Yeying around forever.

For some reason, after meeting Caiyu this time, Yeying felt a bit uneasy. Maybe it was because of that past incident. She hoped it wouldn't happen again, but she couldn't shake the feeling.

"Master, what are you thinking about?" Jinfei asked as she walked over.

When Yeying looked up, she saw Jinfei standing in front of her, and Jiuping was nowhere to be found. She asked, "So, what did you two decide? Where did he go?"

Jinfei chuckled and said, "He's off getting things ready. I need to prepare too. Master, do you have any secret tips for me? Or any advice?"

Yeying shook her head, saying, "I don't have much to advise, but you're not very familiar with the training grounds. Let me give you a rough idea of the layout. Otherwise, you'll wander aimlessly and won't find what you're looking for. You better be prepared."

Jinfei laughed, "I knew you always have my back, Master. I was thinking of following him at first to see where he goes, get a sense of the place, and then challenge him at the end."

"That's a good plan, but there are too many creatures down there. If you're not careful, you might get trapped. Plus, there are some things beyond your current abilities. You don't have to confront everything you see. Your main goal is to retrieve the item," Yeying advised. "Sometimes, you must use the Demon Repelling Powder. Don't try to save it."

Jinfei's eyes widened as she looked at Yeying. "No way, Master! What's gotten into you today? You usually tell me not to use that stuff. It's expensive!"

Yeying playfully knocked her on the head. "I was always with you before, wasn't I? Back then, nothing could stop me. But it's different now. You're on your own, so of course, you need the Demon Repelling Powder."

"Got it, got it," Jinfei said, rubbing her head with a pained expression. "Thanks for looking out for me, Master."

Yeying rolled her eyes and said, "Come over here and jot down the map of the area below. Hurry up."

"Alright," Jinfei reluctantly walked over. Yeying casually picked up a piece of paper from the table and sketched something on it. The underground training area was divided into three levels, with the storage room at the very bottom. Normally, you could take the elevator straight down there, but since they were competing, the elevator was off-limits.

Taking the stairs meant encountering many little creatures that resided there, and Jinfei would have to deal with them on her own. After finishing the sketch, Yeying said, "In previous training sessions, you had to retrieve an item from the storage room. This time, it's the antidote. Whoever gets it first wins, so be careful."

Jinfei nodded, tucked the map away, and gathered her essentials—her weapon and some demon-repelling powder. Thankfully, there were no venomous creatures below, so she didn't need any antidotes.

Once everything was ready, Jiuping also prepared himself. He had changed into a fitted outfit that showed off his well-trained physique. His weapon of choice was a foldable stick, typically used by those with considerable arm strength.

Yeying glanced at Jiuping, a bit taken aback. He was clearly formidable, not just anyone to mess with—no surprise, being President Lei's son. Yeying couldn't help but worry for Jinfei.

Jinfei, however, was carefree as she said, "Alright, we're all set. Master, wait for my victory news."

Jiuping replied coldly, "You're optimistic. Just don't start crying later; I can't stand the sound."

Jinfei retorted with a smirk, "And let me remind you, those ninety-nine times you plan to chase me better not be repetitive. Delivering a flower every day would only take three months."

Lei Jiuping laughed heartily and said, "You really have some nerve. Let's go."

The three of them finally left the president's office. Behind it was the training ground, managed by well-known Demon Suppressing Masters. The manager first spotted Ji Yeying and greeted him, as Ji Yeying had a good reputation there.

"What brings you here? Haven't seen you in ages," the manager waved and asked.

"These two juniors want to have a little competition, so I brought them over," Ji Yeying replied. The Demon Suppressing Association had rules: if trainee demon suppressors wanted to train at the grounds, they needed the approval of an active Demon Suppressing Master. This was because there might be demons that trainees couldn't handle, and if anything went wrong, an active master would have to step in.

"Got you to come along, huh?" The manager glanced behind Ji Yeying and first noticed Lei Jiuping, pausing for a moment. He recognized the president's son. As for the other one, he wasn't sure who it was, but he could guess it was someone connected to Ji Yeying.

"Alright, what are they planning to use this time?" the manager asked, pulling out two signal cards. These could send signals to indicate their location, as there were some blind spots even with surveillance cameras. Plus, there was always the risk of equipment failure.

"The antidote," Ji Yeying said.

The manager was taken aback; this was a bit challenging. The antidote was different from regular substances, being in liquid form. Although it was kept in a bottle, the bottle could easily break if attacked. This competition was going to be interesting. The manager chuckled awkwardly and noted it down in his logbook.

Ji Jinfei and Lei Jiuping exchanged glances, and Lei Jiuping noticed Ji Jinfei had a somewhat sly smile. Did she have some special trick up her sleeve?