In the center of a bustling street in the western part of Glory City stood a magnificent mansion.
This mansion was the residence of one of Glory City's three major families, the Sacred Family.
Inside this huge mansion was the main affairs office, led by the Main Affairs Elder, Shen Ming, a middle-aged man who had been left in charge of the family's affairs.
Despite not being particularly strong, possessing only the strength of a Silver-ranked Demon Spiritualist, Shen Ming had managed to climb to the upper ranks of the Sacred Family's authority due to his cunning and merciless nature, which he used to increase the family's wealth by subduing and stealing other families' businesses.
Because of his enormous contributions to the family, Shen Ming had earned Shen Hong's trust and was placed in charge of the family's business affairs.
Sitting in his chair, Shen Ming's leg bounced uncontrollably while he read the letter delivered to them by Glory City's Judgment Hall.
Shen Ming read the contents of the letter many times, hoping that he was simply reading it incorrectly, but the words written on the parchment remained the same.
"Young Master Shen Fei is really not thinking about his actions. To actually be lured into such an obvious trap and willingly dive into it unknowingly... sometimes I wonder if Young Master Shen Fei is really the Patriarch's son," Shen Ming muttered under his breath. His head throbbed with a massive headache as he tried to come up with a way to pull Shen Fei out of the mess he was in.
Right at that moment, Shen Ming was snapped out of his deep contemplation when the door to his office slid open and three individuals entered. One of them was Shen Fei.
With his usual haughty attitude, Shen Fei walked in front of Shen Ming and bowed his head slightly. The two people behind him quickly followed suit.
"Shen Fei pays his respects to the Main Affairs Elder."
"Shen Xiao pays his respects to the Main Affairs Elder."
"Shen Ning pays his respects to the Main Affairs Elder."
Unlike Shen Fei, Shen Xiao and Shen Ning didn't dare to be careless with their actions while In front of the Main affair Elder.
Shen Ning and Shen Xiao were both members of the branch family.
Naturally, their status within the family was far below that of Shen Fei.
Shen Fei sent the two disdainful looks, which were caught by Shen Ming.
Shen Ming sighed to himself. Shen Fei's talent was not bad for his age, but compared to Shen Ning and Shen Xiao, he was severely lacking.
'How come the young master of the Sacred Family can't even compare to members of the branch family?' Shen Ming thought.
"Elder Shen Ming, did you send that invitation to that bastard, Xue Hui? I've been eager to make that guy kiss the pavement and beat him to death. He dared to steal my woman. If I fail to kill him in this tournament, then my name is not Shen Fei."
Every word Shen Fei uttered dripped with unfiltered hatred.
Even after he stopped speaking, the people around him could hear the grinding of his teeth.
No one knew the extent of Shen Fei's hatred toward Xue Hui. Ever since the rumors involving Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er had spread throughout the Holy Orchid Institute, Shen Fei had been forced to endure bone-deep humiliation. That hatred had only grown stronger with each passing day.
Shen Ming sucked in a cold breath. Now it was clear to him why Shen Fei had fallen into that trap so easily.
"Young Master Shen Fei, regarding Xue Hui accepting our invitation to participate in the Young Generation Tournament, the Divine Family has confirmed that he is indeed participating."
Shen Fei's lips stretched into a vicious grin. His head was filled with thoughts of Xue Hui suffering beneath his feet while Xiao Ning'er watched.
But before Shen Fei could drown himself in fantasies of victory, he heard Shen Ming clear his throat.
Looking at him, Shen Fei noticed the grim expression on Shen Ming's face, which confused him.
"Young Master Shen Fei, did you happen to sign any contract regarding your duel against that Xue Hui boy?"
Seeing the contemplative look on Shen Fei's face, Shen Ming leaned back in his chair and patiently waited for his response.
"I kinda did. I remember that bastard took out a piece of paper and asked me to sign it with my blood, so I did."
Shen Ming closed his eyes upon hearing Shen Fei's answer, controlling his breathing. He did his best not to yell at the stupidity of the young master sitting before him.
Shen Ming's eyes shifted toward Shen Xiao and Shen Ning, and he asked them to wait outside while he spoke with Shen Fei privately.
The two bowed and turned away, leaving Shen Fei and Shen Ming alone.
Once they were alone, Shen Ming took out the letter he had received from the Judgment Hall and handed it to Shen Fei.
Confused, Shen Fei scanned the contents of the letter but failed to understand its significance.
Seeing Shen Fei's confusion, Shen Ming shook his head and decided to explain the situation, making him understand just how much trouble he was in.
"That is the official stamp of approval from the Judgment Hall regarding the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment between you and that brat, Xue Hui."
Shen Fei nodded, but based on his unfazed expression, it was clear that he wasn't taking the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment seriously. So Shen Ming continued his explanation.
"Glory City has many laws intended to prevent the city from crumbling from within, one of which is that murder is heavily prohibited regardless of the reason behind it. But throughout the years, some disputes have resulted in far more damage than necessary because humans are naturally emotional creatures."
At this point, Shen Fei wore a contemplative expression. His brows knitted together as he tried to understand the relevance of Shen Ming's words to his battle against Xue Hui.
"That's why, to avoid such disastrous outcomes, the Judgment Hall created a way for people to settle their disputes however they wished, even if it ended in death."
Shen Ming pointed at the letter in Shen Fei's hands.
"And that is the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment."
This time, Shen Fei's bewilderment turned into realization. He quickly looked down at the letter before shifting his gaze back to Shen Ming, seemingly asking if he was serious.
"Young Master Shen Fei, that brat Xue Hui fully intends to eliminate you. Not only did you allow him to lure you into his trap, but you also placed our Sacred Family in a huge predicament."
His haughty attitude gone, Shen Fei anxiously reread the letter in his hands.
When Shen Fei had threatened Xue Hui's life, he had been fully aware that he couldn't actually kill him. Murder was heavily prohibited in Glory City, a crime that even the Sacred Family wouldn't dare commit openly unless they wanted to be prosecuted not only by the Judgment Hall but also by the other major families.
So when Shen Fei threatened to kill Xue Hui, at most he intended to leave him crippled or half-dead.
A feeling of dread began creeping through his body. Shen Fei didn't know why, but his instincts were telling him that he was in a very dangerous situation.
"Young Master Shen Fei, are you now aware of how much trouble you're in?"
Shen Ming's question snapped Shen Fei out of his thoughts. Only then did he notice that his back was drenched in sweat and his lips felt as dry as a desert.
"That can't be! That damn Xue Hui tricked me into it! I never agreed to anything, especially a life-and-death battle!"
Shen Fei hurriedly replied. Although he hated Xue Hui and wanted Xiao Ning'er under his control, he wasn't desperate enough to bet his own life just to get her back.
"Young Master Shen Fei, the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment wouldn't take effect unless both parties agreed to it. That contract contains an inscription array created by Legend-ranked ancestors. You can't claim ignorance simply because you didn't read it."
Shen Ming stared at him.
"Let me ask you. Did that brat Xue Hui offer to explain the contents of the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment?"
Shen Fei pondered for a moment before nodding timidly.
"And let me guess. You said something like, 'It doesn't matter,' or 'There's no need'?"
Shen Fei nodded again.
Shen Ming threw up his hands in exasperation.
"There you have it! You agreed to it despite not knowing what it was!"
"I-it's good then! If that's the case, that means I can kill that bastard without any consequences, right?!"
Instead of nodding, Shen Ming looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"Young Master Shen Fei, do you know what that brat's cultivation strength is? He is the rumored disciple of a Legend-ranked expert. Even if both of you are placed under the effects of the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment and his cultivation is suppressed to your level, what about combat skills?"
Shen Ming's voice turned sharp.
"Do you honestly think someone personally taught by a Legend-ranked expert is that simple? Why do you think he challenged you to a life-and-death battle in the first place? Of course he was confident he could kill you."
"Then I'll back down! Who wants to die for that whore anyway?!"
Shen Fei replied angrily, causing Shen Ming to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Young Master Shen Fei, if the solution were that simple, we wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place. I would have already resolved it without your knowledge. The problem is that unless both of you agree to settle the dispute, the duel will continue."
Shen Ming's expression hardened.
"And don't even think about running away, or you'll be struck by Judgment Lightning for violating the Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment."
Shen Fei was now absolutely terrified.
He had never imagined that Xue Hui would resort to such measures.
Even his cultivation, the one thing he had always believed gave him an advantage over Xue Hui, had been completely dismantled by Shen Ming's arguments.
Now that he thought about it, all of Xue Hui's friends were already Silver-ranked, while Xiao Ning'er had reached Gold rank.
Terrified, Shen Fei fell into a panic. Sweat drenched his clothes. His breathing became ragged, and his excessive sweating made his head feel light.
"Father! We should ask my father for help! I'm sure he'll have something to say about that damn cheater. Something about him being ruthless, evil, and shameless! All just to steal my woman. He would stoop to such cowardly tactics. I bet everyone in Glory City would agree with him!"
This time, it was Shen Ming who looked horrified.
He shot to his feet, genuine terror written across his face. For the first time, he didn't hold back his anger.
"Idiot! Do you want both of us to end up in serious trouble?! Don't ever repeat those words to your father, not even once!"
"W-what's the problem?! I'm just stating the facts! Xue Hui is a loser for pulling such a trick!"
Shen Fei snarled back.
Agitated, Shen Ming strode toward Shen Fei and grabbed him by the cheeks, forcing him to focus.
"Because your father did the exact same thing to steal your mother from her fiancé."
The revelation left both of them staring at each other in silence.
"Oh!"
Shen Fei exclaimed as his mind reeled from the shocking piece of information.
End of Chapter 68.
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