The arena roared with excitement that morning.
Flags fluttered like waves of color, petals danced in the wind, and cultivators from every sect leaned forward in anticipation.
Today's exhibition match wasn't between enemies.... it was between Falling Sword Sect's oddball laborer and the Imperial Academy's unrivaled prodigy, the Ice Lotus of Heaven herself Luo Yan.
Rumors had already spread like wildfire:
They say the Emperor himself requested this match!
No way—how can a broom fight against the Empire's number one beauty?
It's Shen Liang, the Janitor Demon! Maybe he'll sweep her off her feet... literally!
Shen Liang stood in the center of the grand stage, twirling his broom lazily. His robes fluttered in the gentle breeze, a picture of carefreeness that made the gathered sect elders grind their teeth.
Across from him, Luo Yan stepped forward in pale blue robes embroidered with silver cranes. Her hair was tied in a long braid, her eyes calm and unreadable. The soft shimmer of Sword Qi surrounded her... a serenity that masked deadly precision.
Even the Emperor himself was watching from the imperial balcony.
Are you sure about this, Envoy Luo? asked Grandmaster Hua from the Academy, frowning. To face a laborer...?
Luo Yan cut him off softly. This isn't about rank. It's about… curiosity.
Her gaze met Shen Liang's. He smiled... that same mischievous smile that always seemed one breath away from chaos.
The officiator raised his hand.
By decree of His Imperial Majesty! Exhibition match... Luo Yan of the Imperial Academy versus Shen Liang of the Falling Sword Sect! Begin!
Boom!
The gong thundered.
Luo Yan vanished.
A flicker of silver light erupted from behind Shen Liang, her blade slicing through air with the precision of a falling snowflake. But her sword met not flesh only a wooden handle spinning in the wind.
Shen Liang had already sidestepped, yawning mid-motion.
Careful there! You almost scratched my broom.
She landed gracefully, sword gleaming. You're still joking even now?
Joking? No, no, he said, tapping the ground with his broom. I take cleanliness very seriously.
He spun the broom once, and a soft gust swept across the stage... carrying fallen petals into a spiral of golden light.
The crowd gasped. The broom's bristles shimmered faintly, releasing waves of refined Sword Qi. Each sweep wasn't just movement; it was control, artistry.
Luo Yan's expression shifted slightly... from calm to intrigued.
You… infused Sword Qi into a broom?
Shen Liang grinned. Why not? Heaven gave me hands, a broom, and bad luck. It'd be rude not to combine them.
Her lips twitched, the faintest hint of amusement before she lunged again.
This time her blade became a blur of silver arcs. Dozens of sword shadows filled the air like falling petals. Each cut was precise, beautiful, deadly.
Shen Liang's broom danced between them, turning, sweeping, parrying every movement effortless.
To the audience, it looked less like a battle and more like a choreographed dance.
Petals spun around them as the broom's wind met Luo Yan's sword light, their clash painting the arena in shimmering hues.
Your technique, Luo Yan murmured between strikes, is refined but strange. Are you mocking me?
Mocking you? Never! Shen Liang dodged another blow, balancing his broom on one finger. If anything, I'm cleaning the path for your beauty to shine brighter.
She blinked. You...!!
But before she could retort, he leapt back, landing on the arena's edge.
He bowed dramatically, sweeping his broom with exaggerated grace. A broom that harms beauty is no tool of Heaven.
The crowd exploded.
Did he just flirt with Luo Yan in the middle of a duel?!
The man's either fearless or insane!
Or both!
Even the Emperor coughed, clearly trying to hide a smile.
Luo Yan, meanwhile froze... cheeks slightly pink, eyes wide. For the first time in years, her calm composure faltered.
You… you're incorrigible.
Thank you. I work hard at it, Shen Liang said proudly.
But the duel wasn't over. Luo Yan steadied herself, taking a deep breath.
Her sword flared with blinding radiance. The temperature around the arena dropped... frost forming on the marble floor.
This is no longer practice, Shen Liang, she said softly. I'll use my full strength.
He sighed dramatically. Ah… I knew this broom would get me killed one day.
With a sharp motion, Luo Yan unleashed her signature art Thousand Petal Snowfall Sword.
Countless petals of sword light descended from above like a blizzard, each carrying a trace of her will.
The crowd gasped even sect masters leaned forward. This was the pride of the Imperial Academy!
But Shen Liang simply smiled and closed his eyes.
His broom moved in smooth, circular motions... sweeping, turning, spinning.
Every petal that neared him… shattered.
Not from resistance, but from redirection. He wasn't fighting the storm, he was guiding it.
The petals flowed around him in a spiral, forming a vortex of pure brilliance.
When the light finally faded, Luo Yan stood across from him, panting softly. Her sword trembled... the attack had been completely neutralized.
How… did you…?
Shen Liang opened one eye and smirked. I just cleaned your sword aura. It was dusty.
For a long, stunned moment, no one spoke.
Then a burst of laughter it came from the Emperor himself.
Hahahaha! To think the Falling Sword Sect still hides such a man!
The officiator, finally regaining his voice, raised his hand. Match concluded! By His Majesty's decree... both participants have displayed equal skill. The duel is declared a draw!
The arena erupted into cheers.
As the crowd dispersed, Luo Yan approached Shen Liang, her usual serenity softened by something unfamiliar...curiosity and… a faint hint of affection.
You could have defeated me, she said quietly.
He scratched his head. Maybe. But what's the point of winning if the view disappears?
She tilted her head. The view?
He smiled and gestured to her, the petals still swirling faintly around her, glowing under the sunset. That one.
For the first time, Luo Yan laughed... a soft, genuine sound that made the air feel warmer despite the lingering frost.
You're impossible.
Thank you, Shen Liang replied with mock pride. Heaven seems to agree. It keeps giving me impossible women to clean up after.
From the imperial balcony, the Emperor watched with sharp eyes.
Beside him, Minister Xu whispered, Your Majesty, shall we investigate this man further?
The Emperor shook his head. No. Let him grow. Heaven doesn't need more blades — it needs those who remember what they're meant to protect.
As he looked down at the pair, Luo Yan's silver sword and Shen Liang's worn broom glinting side by side, the Emperor smiled faintly.
Perhaps the age of dust and steel is not yet over.