Chapter 45: Chapter 43: Sudden Change

The crowd, as if drawn by a magnet, quickly converged in that direction, forming a swirling wall of people.

A tide of whispers spread, carrying a complex mix of shock, fear, and morbid curiosity.

“…Songfeng Martial Arts Hall is ruthless!”

“Qin Lie is finished. What a waste of talent.”

“It’s his own fault for running into Gao Sheng.”

“Zhou Liang really stumbled this time… Utterly humiliated…”

“I heard their two families have been feuding for decades… Now the grudge runs even deeper.”

….

“Make way! Everyone, make way!”

Sun Shun’s hoarse shouts came from within the crowd.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

The crowd instantly parted down the middle, creating a path.

Zhou Liang walked at the very front, his usual smile long gone, replaced by unconcealable panic and anxiety.

Sun Shun and several disciples from the Zhou Institute followed close behind, carrying a simple stretcher.

Sprawled on the stretcher was none other than Qin Lie.

Where was the arrogant, high-spirited man from before?

He was like a pile of soft mud, his body twisted at unnatural angles. His arms and legs, in particular, were a gruesome sight—this was no ordinary sprain or dislocation, but clearly the work of someone who had intentionally crippled his bones and tendons.

His expensive training clothes were covered in dirt and bloodstains, and even bore the clear, glaring impressions of several footprints.

As they watched Zhou Liang and his group hurry away, a series of deliberately muffled but malicious sneers came from the direction of Songfeng Martial Arts Hall.

’Who did this?’

Seeing this, Chen Qing was completely bewildered.

’Isn’t this the Martial Arts Examination?’

’How did Qin Lie end up crippled like this?’

Before he could dwell on it, the round of matches ended, and a new drawing of lots began.

Once the lots were distributed, Chen Qing stood on the sidelines, intently watching the upcoming combat matches.

The Martial Arts Examination determined one’s future, so every Martial Artist in the arena held nothing back, fighting with extreme ferocity.

Besides gaining experience by fighting personally, one could also benefit greatly from observing experts trade blows and studying their techniques.

A few of them were so skilled that even Chen Qing was alarmed as he watched.

This was especially true of Mo Ziyu from the Blood River Gang. He had achieved Great Success in Dark Force three years ago and had been diligently polishing his foundation ever since, building up Momentum to break through to Transmutation Force. He was considered an unrivaled opponent below the Transformation Realm.

Anyone who drew his lot sighed in despair, their faces turning pale.

“Young man, your skills are clean and efficient. Truly admirable.”

Just then, Lin Sheng sidled up with a fawning smile. “The Martial Arts Examination is filled with experts today. I am Lin Sheng, and I once trained at Jinghong Martial Arts Hall. Might I ask your name, young man? We could say fate brought us together. How about we become friends?”

Chen Qing glanced at him and smiled. “I am Chen Qing.”

Seeing that Chen Qing had taken the bait, Lin Sheng immediately got to the point. “So it’s Brother Chen! A pleasure, a pleasure! Today’s drawing is all about luck. I wonder which lot you drew, Brother Chen? Tell me, just in case we’re matched up. We could go easy on each other, haha!”

He laughed insincerely, leaning forward slightly, desperate to know the answer.

When Lin Sheng saw Chen Qing’s lot number, a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. He made some small talk and then left.

After Lin Sheng had walked away, Chen Qing turned to the Escort Master he had just met and asked in a low voice, “Master Hong, what’s that man’s story?”

It was common for participants to chat during the Martial Arts Examination, and Master Hong had acted perfectly normal when exchanging pleasantries with Chen Qing. Lin Sheng’s excessive enthusiasm, however, had made Chen Qing suspicious.

Master Hong followed Chen Qing’s gaze and glanced over, saying nonchalantly, “He used to be with Jinghong Martial Arts Hall. He’s not weak. Later… something happened, and he left the hall. Now he’s a Guest for the Huang Family.”

Master Hong’s tone was subtle, as if he was holding something back.

Chen Qing understood immediately. ’For someone with Dark Force strength to leave a martial arts hall, it’s either because they found a better opportunity, or they were kicked out for some dirty dealings.’

Three more matches followed, and each time, Chen Qing advanced with a “narrow victory.”

’That should be enough,’

Chen Qing thought to himself.

Winning four matches in a row was already an impressive record.

The opponents he would face from now on were mostly seasoned, ruthless experts who had been famous in the county for years.

To secure a high rank in the Martial Arts Examination and make a name for themselves, these people went all out, using their deadliest moves. The fights were exceptionally dangerous.

Two of them were even severely injured and crippled on the spot, carried away on stretchers.

The top fifty in the Martial Arts Examination would all be named Martial Scholars; a higher rank within that group offered no substantial benefit.

’Risking your life like this for a mere title?’

Moreover, what happened to Qin Lie had set off alarm bells in Chen Qing’s mind.

“Brother Chen, what impressive skills!”

Lin Sheng ambled over again, his face wreathed in smiles. “If your luck holds, you have a great chance of making it into the top rankings, don’t you?”

As he spoke, his gaze swept seemingly casually over the lot token in Chen Qing’s hand, while inwardly he was cursing, ’This kid has some dogshit luck. He’s faced several mediocre opponents in a row, letting him win four rounds straight.’

Chen Qing’s expression was indifferent. “Brother Lin, you flatter me. This time, I drew A-6.”

“A-6?!”

Lin Sheng’s eyes lit up. He instantly suppressed his wild joy, offered a few perfunctory words, and hurried away.

He had asked several times, and this time he was finally matched with Chen Qing. He rushed to report to Xu Xiuhua, pounding his chest and guaranteeing that he would humiliate Chen Qing completely in the arena.

Soon, a Junior Official called out in a loud voice, “Lot A-6, to the stage!”

Lin Sheng leaped onto the stage impatiently, then roared in Chen Qing’s direction, “What are you dawdling for? Get your ass up here! Are you scared? I heard you have some skills. Today, I’ll size you up properly and see if you’re the real deal or just some useless trash who’s all talk!”

He deliberately emphasized the word “trash,” causing the surrounding audience to turn and look. His plan was to humiliate Chen Qing and vent his master’s frustrations for her.

Chen Qing looked at Lin Sheng as if he were an idiot.

Lin Sheng sneered, “What? Scared stupid?”

However, the one who walked onto the stage was not Chen Qing.

Instead, a burly man with a stern, iron-like face slowly ascended the stage, his chilling presence almost making the air freeze.

“It’s the Young Gang Leader of the Blood River Gang, Mo Ziyu.”

“Is that Lin Sheng crazy? How dare he insult the Young Gang Leader of the Blood River Gang like that?!”

“He’s got a terrible temper.”

….

The smile on Lin Sheng’s face froze instantly. His expression shifted spectacularly from ecstasy to astonishment, and his face turned deathly pale in a flash.

He whipped his head around to look at Chen Qing below the stage. He saw Chen Qing with his arms crossed, a faint, taunting smile playing on his lips as if he were watching a show. Chen Qing even gave him a slight raise of the eyebrows, as if to say, ’Surprise, surprise!’

Lin Sheng’s mind went blank with a buzz. He understood. He’d been played!

’Chen Qing had just made up a number on the spot!’

’Or rather, that brat Chen Qing must have seen my lot number and deliberately told me that one.’

’And he, like a fool, had just spent all this time wildly taunting his real opponent—that demon from the Blood River Gang!’

“Come on.”

Mo Ziyu’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip water, and his voice was bone-chillingly cold. “Weren’t you going to size me up and see if I was the real deal?”

’I’m finished!’

Lin Sheng’s entire body trembled with fear. A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. He frantically waved his hands. “Young Master Mo! A misunderstanding! This—this is all a huge misunderstanding…”

“A misunderstanding?”

Mo Ziyu gave a cold laugh. His figure shot forward, and an iron fist tore through the air, carrying a suffocating gale as it flew straight for Lin Sheng’s face.

….

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep