The waves of noise had yet to settle when the overseeing elder's sharp voice cut cleanly through the chaos.
"Yuan Jie!"
The elder's gaze was cold and heavy.
"You made a wager before this duel began. You will need to keep it!"
Still half-propped against the shattered edge of the platform, his expression stiffened.
The bet.
If he lost, he would kneel before Bai Zihan and apologize publicly for his earlier provocation.
At the time, he had been certain of victory. The wager had been nothing more than a display of confidence.
Now—
It was a blade hanging over his neck.
Yuan Jie slowly pushed himself upright. His body trembled—not from injury, but from humiliation.
"I… understand. I will do it when I see Bai Zihan."
He nodded stiffly.
Outwardly compliant.
Inwardly—
(Keep my words? Fine!)
(After today, I'll simply enter closed-door cultivation. I'll stay hidden for months—years if I must. People will forget quickly.)
