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墨書 Inktalez
The trio made their way to the Training Ground, drawing curious glances from the crowd.
First, Guo Zhang and his companion were not exactly enemies, but they certainly did not get along. Whenever they met, harsh words were exchanged. Both were known for their cunning; one was deceitful and sharp-tongued, while the other was notoriously stingy, a real miser. Now, with Xunuo sandwiched between them, those with a keen eye couldn't help but feel pity for Xunuo.
Xunuo was well aware of the two individuals beside him. He understood that while friends might have flaws, it was the lack of strengths that truly mattered. Although these two were close by, they were beyond his control; instead, he found himself under their influence, which relieved him of any worries.
Upon arriving at the Training Ground, they indeed found the Arena surrounded by a throng of spectators. Song Fenqiang had been waiting on the Arena for some time.
Spotting Xunuo from a distance, he shouted, "I thought you'd hide like a turtle and not show up! Since you're here, I'll teach you a lesson about humility and show you the price of arrogance."
Xunuo dismissed the brash man with a cold smile and leaped onto the Arena.
Once on stage, he looked down to see over a thousand people gathered; it seemed that even those without tasks had come to watch. To his surprise, there were also several disciples in white robes nearby. Typically, private matches among Outer Sect Disciples were considered beneath their notice.
As Xunuo stood on the Arena, Song Fenqiang surprisingly did not rush forward. Instead, he stood in the center of the Arena, coldly observing Xunuo.
At that moment, another disciple dressed in green appeared to be overseeing the challenge. He approached the edge of the Arena and called out loudly, "If you want to place bets, do it quickly! Once the gong sounds, betting will cease."
Xunuo shivered at this announcement and cursed under his breath: he had been sold out again.
Sure enough, he saw Guo Shujiang holding a handful of silver coins as he squeezed in front of someone to place a bet. Remembering how this guy had repeatedly asked about his chances last night while pretending to worry about his safety—when in reality he was only concerned about his own money—Xunuo's expression darkened.
When the noise from below finally quieted down, the overseeing disciple stepped into the middle and struck the gong to start the match. With a strange roar, Song Fenqiang charged forward.
Xunuo was already furious with Guo Shujiang for provoking him earlier. Seeing Song Fenqiang approach, he thought to himself: "You're asking for trouble; today I’ll take my frustrations out on you."
He swung his fist hard and sent Song Fenqiang staggering back. In fact, this single move could determine victory or defeat; without even moving from his spot, Xunuo had knocked Song Fenqiang back. However, unwilling to admit defeat, Song Fenqiang steadied himself and charged again.
The two of them exchanged blows for a few rounds, and by the fifth round, Song Fenqiang threw a punch at an angle. Xunuo twisted his body and sidestepped, shifting his weight to his left foot, raising his right leg high, and then brought his foot down hard onto Song Fenqiang's face. The black-clad man was sent tumbling twice before he shook his head and got back up.
Xunuo's high kick was actually a major taboo in martial arts; it was easy for someone to take advantage of such an opening. However, the gap between the two was significant, and Xunuo was filled with anger. He wanted to stomp on Song Fenqiang's face, humiliating him so that he wouldn't have the audacity to speak again.
Dazed from the blow, Song Fenqiang felt as if half of his face had swollen up. Standing there, he reached up to touch his face and felt something foul and sticky. Xunuo, standing opposite him, noticed this too and lifted his right foot to take a look at the sole. With a grin, he said, "Sorry, I stepped in some dog poop on the way."
Upon hearing this, Song Fenqiang's face twisted in rage as he wiped at his face with his sleeve. The disciples below the arena were laughing uncontrollably; those who had bet on Xunuo were genuinely amused, while those who had wagered on Song Fenqiang were trying to find humor in their misfortune.
Having taken a kick and realizing that today would not end well for him, Song Fenqiang refused to admit defeat. Instead, he circled around Xunuo but was hesitant to strike. Xunuo understood that unless he knocked this guy off the arena today, Song Fenqiang would never concede.
As Song Fenqiang moved toward the edge of the arena, Xunuo suddenly struck. Song Fenqiang quickly stepped back to evade it but didn’t realize that Xunuo's punch was a feint. Seeing him dodge, Xunuo pivoted and delivered a swift kick that sent Song Fenqiang crashing off the arena.
This time, Song Fenqiang had lost all dignity. As he got up, he still stubbornly declared, "Let you have your moment today; just wait! I will make you beg for mercy next time."
Xunuo responded from the stage, "When will that be?"
Song Fenqiang was merely boasting; when Xunuo asked him directly, he dared not respond.
Xunuo continued without letting him off the hook: "In a few days is the monthly competition; why not have another match then?"
At that moment, a voice rang out from the crowd: "That sounds great."
The crowd parted to reveal Nangong Changjian. He added, "At that time, you can take his twenty-second place; I’ll fight him again and knock him down to twenty-fourth."
Seeing this turn of events, Song Fenqiang felt a chill run down his spine; he knew that if things continued like this, it would be a case of everyone pushing him down as soon as he fell. He stepped toward the edge of the crowd and shouted, "Make way for me!" as he tried to leave.
Xunuo suddenly called out from the stage, "Stop right there."
"What's the matter?" Song Fenqiang turned around and asked.
Xunuo stood with his hands behind his back, not looking at him. He simply said, "You can leave now."
Song Fenqiang hesitated, caught off guard, glaring angrily at Xunuo.
Nangong Changjian remarked leisurely, "He doesn't dare."
Xunuo kept his hands behind him, still not looking down, and smiled, "Maybe he's just a fool."
Nangong Changjian snorted coldly, "He's not really a fool; I am."
Only then did Xunuo shift his gaze and glance at Nangong Changjian. "Those who call themselves foolish are never truly fools."
Nangong Changjian burst into laughter.
Throughout their banter, neither of them had looked at Song Fenqiang even once. After lingering for a long time with his eyes on them, Song Fenqiang finally turned and left, his earlier arrogance completely vanished.
The exchange between Xunuo and Nangong Changjian was like a Buddhist verse, leaving everyone else utterly confused.
Once Song Fenqiang departed, chaos ensued. Those who had won money crowded around the dealer to cash in their winnings, while those who had lost gathered outside cursing.
Xunuo scanned the stage and noticed that Guo Shujiang and Zhang Changzai were nowhere to be seen. He pondered silently: Could it be that these two have teamed up to sell out their own?
Xunuo felt quite frustrated that he had become a mere tool for these two to make money.
In truth, Xunuo had somewhat wronged Zhang Changzai this time. Guo Shujiang had indeed plotted everything out well; he had won big this time by betting all his possessions. It was only after seeing Guo Shujiang's confidence in taking such a risk that Zhang Changzai rummaged through his own silver to place a bet. Fortunately for him, this plump fellow always had some silver on hand due to his lucrative job, so he ended up making quite a profit as well.
Xunuo did not see Guo Shujiang on stage and thought about teasing him when he returned. Just as he was about to step down from the Arena, he noticed two figures in white leaping onto the stage. They clasped their hands towards Xunuo and said, "Divine Mechanism Hall's Jiang Tiesuo and Hu Kaiyan, we wonder if Lu Shidi still remembers us?"
Upon recognizing them, Xunuo recalled that they had previously arranged to spar together as Outer Sect Disciples practicing the Eight Extremes Fist. He quickly replied, "Of course I remember! Last time there were three of you. Why have only the two of you come today?"
Hu Kaiyan responded, "That particular Shidi has some business today and isn't on the mountain. We heard someone was foolish enough to challenge Lu Shidi, so we came to see how this fool would meet his end."
Xunuo chuckled at this, saying, "Such a trivial match is hardly worth your attention, brothers."
Jiang Tiesuo remarked, "Lu Shidi is being modest. Winning so decisively this time shows you've improved since last month's competition. It's just that Lu Shidi won't be using the Eight Extremes Fist against him this time; it feels like we came for nothing."
Finished speaking, he sighed with a hint of regret.
Hu Kaiyan laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Why don't we invite Lu Shidi to the Divine Mechanism Hall for a chat and a sparring session in the Eight Extremes Fist? Would Lu Shidi be willing to grace us with his presence?"
Xunuo had been feeling frustrated about his slow progress in the Eight Extremes Fist, so when he saw disciples proficient in it offering to spar, he was naturally pleased. He replied, "It would be my honor to accept your invitation; I would gladly follow your lead."
The two exchanged delighted glances before bowing to Xunuo and saying, "Please."
They then leaped down from the Arena and led Xunuo towards the Divine Mechanism Hall.
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