Equivalent Exchange: Regaining Self-Confidence Through the Help of a Cute Younger Sister

Su Qi stared at the black-robed figure before him, his mind racing to strategize.

The opponent’s strength left no room for carelessness.

Ironically, his silence at this moment carried more intimidation than any words could.

Lightning crackled around Su Qi’s hands, ready to strike at any second.

The black-robed figure trembled slightly, their form beneath the cloak wavering.

But then, a low, guttural growl emanated from beneath the hood—a warning before the attack.

"I really don’t want to fight you. Blame yourself for knowing too much..."

Su Qi: ???

What the hell?

He’d just stepped out to take a piss before bed—what exactly did he know?

That peeing under this tree felt oddly satisfying?

Or that the feng shui here was so good he’d dream of a cute girl in white stockings?

Are you insane?!!

The moment the black-robed figure lunged, Su Qi moved like the brightest meteor in the night sky, transforming into a streak of lightning that struck directly at his foe.

The black-robed man clearly hadn’t expected such decisiveness. In haste, he raised his longsword to block.

But how could mere mortal strength contend with the might of heaven?

The force of Su Qi’s strike far exceeded his expectations. Lightning clashed against steel, unleashing an ear-splitting explosion.

The impact sent the black-robed figure stumbling back, his form beneath the cloak growing increasingly disheveled.

Seizing the advantage, Su Qi pressed forward, each slash aimed at vital points.

Unfortunately, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted, reducing his subsequent attacks to simple, brute swings.

Even so, the black-robed man faltered under Su Qi’s relentless assault, clearly outmatched.

...

With every swing of his sword, Su Qi roared internally.

‘Clang!’

Run!

‘Clang!’

Why the hell aren’t you running yet?

“Clank!”

Even if you didn’t hear anything, can’t you just abort the damn plan?

‘Shing!’

Are you brain-dead? Make a new plan on the fly!

‘Thud!’

Improvise, for crying out loud!

‘Bang!’

Do you even know how to be a proper villain? Do you need Su Qi to teach you?

To the untrained eye, Su Qi’s strikes seemed ferocious, brimming with lethal intent. But anyone with experience could spot the openings.

His moves were overcommitted—each swing left him momentarily vulnerable as his stamina struggled to keep up.

A single dodge would open the door for a counterattack.

Even if one couldn’t dodge, taking a hit and using the momentum to create distance would be easy. A minor injury, at worst, healing in a few days.

Sure, Su Qi’s approach seemed irresponsible. If he kept this up, Li Hu would likely notice the commotion soon.

Once Old Li rallied a few more teachers from the secret realm, five or six skilled fighters would surround the "suspicious individual," sealing his fate.

They might even stumble upon some grand conspiracy, earning themselves a major merit.

But Su Qi had to ask—what the hell was responsibility?

He was sixth-tier, his opponent seventh-tier. Who’d dare blame him for not capturing the guy?

Any other sixth-tier cultivator would already be lying on the ground, unable to speak.

In other words, if you stumbled upon a criminal hideout on the street, would you just buy a fruit knife and charge in to take it down?

Wouldn’t any normal person’s first reaction be to call the authorities and let the professionals handle it?

Of course, the main issue was that his house was too shabby—hanging an honorary banner there would only embarrass the banner itself.

...

Yet, the other party refused to act as Su Qi had anticipated.

The robed figure couldn’t dodge, nor was he willing to flee.

He chose the most foolish method—head-on confrontation.

Too bad Su Qi couldn’t hear it… but the robed man’s mind was roaring in frustration!

Clang!

He wasn’t fast enough to evade the lightning, so he couldn’t avoid it!

Boom!

But…

Hiss!

He couldn’t run!

Ding!

Turning his back would mean certain death!

Boom!

Only by standing his ground did he have a sliver of hope!

Both their minds raced at breakneck speed in the fleeting exchanges, until their faces twisted into grimaces, pushed to their absolute limits.

Finally, under the threat of death, the robed man let out a furious roar.

Beneath that dark robe, capillaries all over his body ruptured, blood seeping uncontrollably from his skin.

Then, an overwhelming yet unfamiliar surge of power erupted from him. After enduring Su Qi’s strike, he somehow managed to steady himself.

With a swift counterattack, his blade unleashed a rapidly expanding crimson flame, like dragon’s breath, hurtling toward Su Qi.

In an instant, it threatened to engulf Su Qi entirely.

Su Qi reacted quickly, raising a defensive barrier just before impact.

But the lightning-infused barrier, flickering with faint flames, shattered into countless cracks after barely holding for a moment.

As for the robed man, his condition wasn’t much better.

Forcing power that wasn’t his own had placed an immense strain on his body—his internal organs were already bleeding.

He coughed up blood, swaying unsteadily, his mind ringing with a sharp, dizzying buzz. His heart convulsed violently, nearly stopping on the spot.

At this moment, the robed man was in terrible shape, his senses on the verge of abandoning him entirely.

Still, staring at the scorched and ruined ground, he managed a cruel smile.

At least it was all worth it, wasn’t it?

A sixth-tier practitioner in their twenties wasn’t particularly remarkable—but what about one who could push him to this brink?

Had the land of Jiangxia been blessed by this era?

First, there was Yun Huang, and now, another genius hidden so deeply…

In the past century, even one of them would have been a rarity.

Yet, none of it would change the inevitable outcome.

Another "pride of humanity" had fallen. The day was drawing near…

...

Li Hu arrived late, but he arrived.

With lightning and flames erupting just a few hundred meters away, such a commotion would’ve been impossible for him to miss—otherwise, what was the point of keeping watch at night?

The reason he hadn’t rushed over immediately was the fear of a "diversion tactic."

After setting up some defensive measures for the students, he finally moved to investigate.

But just as Li Hu took a few steps, he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

Instantly alert, he shook it off. "Who’s there?"

"Me."

Moonlight illuminated half of Su Qi’s face, while the other half remained shrouded in shadow, appearing unnervingly sinister.

It was a stark contrast to Su Qi’s usual lazy demeanor, making Li Hu hesitate for a moment.

"Who are you?"

"Su Qi."

"Then who’s your sister?"

"Liu Yuan."

After a brief exchange, Li Hu finally lowered his guard slightly. "What's the situation over there?"

"There's a seventh-rank cultist."

Though this era is filled with countless superhumans, private conflicts between individuals rarely occur.

The main reason is the frequent invasions from the Source Realm, forcing humanity to unite against external threats.

Great Xia has even established strict regulations prohibiting private duels among superhumans. If there is an irreconcilable feud, both parties must submit a formal application, sign an agreement, and only then can they face each other in an honorable duel on the life-and-death arena.

Therefore, those who attack others without reason can only be 'cultists.'

Where there is light, there are shadows.

Where there are people, there are traitors.

They call themselves 'Heralds,' and their actions are labeled as the 'Human Completion Project.'

They exist to welcome the descent of the 'Source Realm.'

They believe humanity must 'adapt to the environment' rather than persist in this state of 'isolation,' or else history will repeat itself…

Of course, none of this was the real reason for Su Qi’s grim expression.

[Debuff: Mental Exhaustion]

[Equivalent Exchange: Have a cute little sister help restore confidence.]