It was an accident.

The confident smile of Li Xue pricked Shen Bingling's nerves. She wanted to wipe that smile off her face faster than anything else possible. Though she knew that Li Xue would never be able to match her skills in the game, she was still dying to pull on her top-notch fencing tactics to prove her superiority over her. 

The rehearsal began with Shen Bingling's set of moves. Thrusting her sword, she compelled Li Xue to step back and defend. And she felt almost winning the first round when just at the right moment, Li Xue took over the show. 

It was not like Li Xue gained the point, rather just when Shen Bingling's sword was about to touch Li Xue's torso, she saw her move and twisted her body, preventing the touch. And just when Shen Bingling was surprised with her defense, Li Xue's foot worked in the coordination of her sword before reaching out to touch the side of the princess.