"Master, why do you always praise Xi Feng over me, I am the one who has been with you even before you were born but you are clearly favouring him over me," She complained with her arms folded on her chest, earning a chuckle from the fourth prince.

"If you say it like that then it only means that you are my senior so I am supposed to be the one calling you master," the fourth prince responded with his head slightly bowed to tease the poor spiritual beast.

​​

"Master!!!" she yelled in complaint while the fourth prince couldn't help but laugh at her silliness, he poured the tea into the cup and raises the cup to his lips, an idea popped into his head that moment, he raises his gaze to look at Xi Feng who was still swinging his sword around, he placed the teacup on the stone table gently and turned to Xiaodi.

"If you think it is unfair that I compare you to him then why don't you have a duel with him," the fourth prince suggested with an evil smirk on his lips, judging from her character, he knows that she will surely agree without hesitation.

"Alright, then I will show you that I am better than him," she replied confidently and stood up from her seat, she walked up to Xi Feng and pointed her finger at him, causing him to stop his practice, he spun around and kicked his sheath up, he threw his sword into the air causing it to enter its sheath then he caught the sword.

"What is it?" He questioned with a sigh

"I want to challenge you to a duel," she declared with her finger still pointed at him, he looked at her with a look that showed that he wasn't taking her seriously, he turned to the fourth prince knowing that Xiaodi will never try to spar with him unless she was provoked or challenged, seeing Ruansong smile as he sipped his tea, he understood what had prompted her to spar with him.

"I don't have time for your problems, move, I need to practice," he responded and ignored her, she walked to his front again and stood firmly in front of him with a confident look in her eyes.

"Why? you don't dare to duel with a hundred years old spirit fox," she confronted him looking straight into his eyes, she moved two steps back and arched her fingers in front of her face and drew them apart, showing her eyeballs which have changed into a pink colour, her nine pink tails slowly emerged and her entire body became surrounded with pink aura.

Xi Feng who has never really seen her transform into a spiritual beast was taken aback by how seductive and beautiful she looks as a pink coloured nine-tailed fox but even the fourth prince who had seen her in her beast form has never seen her transforming in a human form ever since she became hundred years old.

He smiled seeing how much she has changed, Xi Feng glanced at the fourth prince as though he is asking him for his permission before duelling with his dear spiritual pet, the fourth prince then nodded at him.

He pushed his sword forward and drew it out of the sheath then he kicked the sheath away from the space, he took his fighting stance while Xiaodi's lips curved into an evil smirk.

She attacked him first, she spun around causing one of her tails to pull Xi Feng by his legs and pulled him close to her then she retracted her tail from his leg and pulled him by his neck with her claws at his neck, Xi Feng was taken aback by the special tactic of a fox.

She slightly grazed his neck using her claw, he held her hand holding his neck and twirled her body around before giving her a hit to her chest which she blocked with her tails blocking her chest.

"Don't underestimate me," she warned seeing how taken aback he was by her agility and fierce attacks.

"I really shouldn't underestimate a fox but I don't need to waste much energy on you," he propelled his body forwards and swung his sword at her which she dodged with a frown on her face, the fourth prince placed his elbow on the table and placed his jaw on his hand as he keenly observed them.

{She has really improved}

With each of her tails elongating themselves to strike him, he kept dodging her attacks while she dodged his, he dashed towards her and swung his sword at her neck but she tilted her neck to the side while he swung his sword to the other side causing her to tilt her neck to the other side, she took the opportunity to aim her claws at his neck but just as he was about to escape her claws, her claws ended up tearing his robe and grazing his chest.

He looked down at his chest but she used the opportunity to land a hit to his chest, he was surprised at her speed, even as a former assassin, his speed and agility couldn't be compared to hers and that gave her a great advantage compared to him.

He spread his arms wide while he moved backwards then he balanced himself with his sword grazing the ground, he raised his gaze to look at her with surprise written on his face, while she met his gaze with a smirk.

"I told you, don't underestimate me, I know you still aren't using your full strength against me," she was happy with her performance but she didn't like that he was withholding himself, Xi Feng turned to the fourth prince with a look that showed him asking for permission then the fourth prince gave him a nod.

"Okay, let's determine the winner with one move but the winner should accept the result without further argument," he responded, stressing the last part of his sentence which Xiaodi frowned at.

"What do you mean by that?" she questioned angrily.

"Nothing, I am just saying that a certain person should not create a fuss when she loses," Xi Feng responded, he needed her to get riled up and that would make her act on impulse and reveal her weak spot.

"you don't need to worry about that, we will see who creates a fuss at the end," she replied with confidence.

The fourth prince was quite surprised at her answer, he smiled in amusement. He originally understood Xi Feng intention by riling her up but he didn't expect her to not act impulsively after his comment.

{It seems like she does know when to keep her calm}

"Then why don't we start,"

"Remember, don't withhold your strength, I will prove to master that you are not better than me,"

That being said, they both sprung into the air with Xi Feng aiming his sword at her and her aiming her claws at him, he swung his sword around with speed while she quickly escaped his attack and slashed her claws at him, he bent his body backwards and somersaulted in the air but her tails pulled him back.

But he also pulled one of her hand with him causing the both of them to land on the ground at the same with her claws aimed at his neck and his sword aimed at hers.

"A draw," the fourth prince remarked and scoffed, he didn't think that Xiaodi would be able to come to a draw in a duel with Xi Feng, it now seemed to him that Xi Feng is the one who actually needs more training.

Both of them widened their eyes at each other, they weren't expecting a draw since their intention was to obtain a loser and a winner.

"This doesn't count!" Xiaodi snapped with a fierce look in her pink coloured eyes

"Alright, let's have another round then,". they moved away from each other and took their fighting stance again.

"Enough!" the fourth prince ordered, both of them turned to look at him with a dissatisfied look, they are both his subordinates but he couldn't understand why they were always against each other.

"Master!" both of them complained, unwilling to accept the result of their duel as one wanted to win the other.

The fourth prince stood up from his seat and walked into the open space, he patted Xi Feng shoulder and signalled him to sheath his sword, he obeyed without further objection.

"I have given you both a chance to prove your abilities and you have entered a draw, why would you want to duel again?" the fourth prince questioned in a scolding tone.

"But,"

"Enough! you are both my subordinates if one day you need to work together to achieve great things, will you continue to be against each other, how am I supposed to entrust important tasks to you both when you are always against each other?" he queried in feigned anger, they lowered their head in remorse.

"One is a spiritual beast and the other is a well-trained assassin, I expect you both to know the importance of being coordinated by now, when we return to the capital and we are surrounded with enemies, will you be able to entrust your life to the other?"

"We apologise for our misbehaviour which has greatly disappointed you, master," they apologized with their hands cupped in front of them and their heads bowed while Xioadi transformed back, the fourth prince turned his back at them and smiled faintly as how smoothly his plan has succeeded.

"Both of you should stay in the mediation room until you have realized your mistake and worked out your difference, am I understood?"

"Understood," they chorused then he walked away.

.