Volume 3: Chapter 28 – The Competition’s End
He coldly looked at me and asked, “Zhang Gong. Am I correct? ”
Shakily, I stood up from Xiu Si’s embrace. After swaying a second, Xiu Si immediately supported me. I wiped the dried blood from the corner of my mouth and answered with a bitter smile, “You’re right. But nevertheless I still hadn’t achieved my expected result, otherwise you’d be on the floor.”
Bi Er smiled saying, “To tell the truth, I really admire you, because the day before yesterday, you arduously prevailed over the Prince’s team. Of course, I believed that today it would be impossible for you to have any strength left to resist. I certainly didn’t expect that we would actually suffer a loss of four men. If I weren’t fighting for my father’s honor, I certainly wouldn’t still be competing with you.”
I felt that his current words were a mockery. I waved my hand and coldly said, “Stop talking. These words have no use. Did you believe that we would lose the will to fight? Are you certain you will win? Then come. We will not concede. Beat me until I can no longer stand.” Xiu Si and Dong Ri supported me from my left and right side.
I whispered in a voice only they could hear, “I can no longer fight. You two go. You must defeat him.” Dong Ri loosed his bowstring as fast as lightning, each draw showing an afterimage of an arrow flying straight toward Bi Er.
Bi Er smiled dimly and said, “Still have tricks up your sleeve?” His hand was not idle, quickly intercepting arrows flying towards him with his knight sword. The elf arrows’ powerful impacts forced Bi Er to step back. He couldn’t help but praise it,”Such great arrow technique, you are the best archer I’ve ever seen. I am unable to avoid your arrows at all. If there is an opportunity I will surely have you join my second [Earth Dragon] Corps.
Coming from an enemy, Dong Ri naturally believed Bi Er was mocking him. Putting away his bow, Dong Ri brandished a knight’s longsword and charged at Bi Er. I immediately said, “Xiu Si, go with him. He can’t go alone.”
Xiu Si helped me sit on the ground, and also joined the battle. Although Xiu Si was inferior to Bi Er by only one rank, in a true fight, the difference was even greater. Bi Er effortlessly dealt with their combined attack and simultaneously said, “Zhang Gong, why aren’t you summoning the magic beast you used the other day? That is the only way you can win.”
I bitterly smiled. If I could summon Xiao Jin, would you still be so provocative? Currently, the magic power within my body had been completely exhausted. What could I use to deal with him?
Seeing I did not reply Bi Er naturally guessed that I was unable to summon Xiao Jin and strengthened his assault. Just as he was about to finish Xiu Si and Dong Ri, I hurriedly said, “Xiu Si hold him back, Dong Ri shoot arrows!”
Hearing my words, Dong Ri withdrew from the fray and readied his bow, letting loose an arrow. He couldn’t have given Bi Er a greater headache. Bi Er loudly yelled, “Profound Thunder Leopard sword technique – Furious Leopard’s Violent Thunder!” The knight’s sword in his hand turned into a barrage of arrows and casted them towards Dong Ri and Xiu Si. Dong Ri’s arrows were shattered the Bi Er’s sword barrage. Xiu Si blocked off a majority of its power. The two were sent flying simultaneously by the tyrannical force of the blow. A rain of blood scattered, filling the sky.
At the seats for distinguished guests, Teacher Wen and Dike Bi Qi were still standing.
When I saw Xiu Si and Dong Ri again, they were lying on the floor next to me, covered all over with cuts and bruises. Dong Ri had already lost consciousness. Xiu Si wasn’t completely lucid. His armor was smashed and scattered. The knight sword was barely in his grasp.
It’s over. It’s all over. Are we truly unable to defeat Bi Er?
Bi Er advanced two steps and said with an apologetic voice, “Forgive me. I hadn’t meant to use such a great maneuver. As Dong Ri’s arrows are truly difficult to deal with, I had no choice but to use that technique. You should now concede.”
The only person that could currently move was me. I cannot lose. Never in my entire life had I thirsted more for victory. In the face of such a difficult victory, I had unexpectedly stood up. Looking coldly at Bi Er, I tremblingly lifted my magic staff and began chanting, “Oh Mighty God of Creation, I humbly request your assistance. Use your endless power and open my life’s origin.” Just as I said this, a tall shadow of a man appeared behind me and used his palm to chop at my neck. I groaned and fainted onto the ground.
It was Teacher Wen that appeared at that crucial moment. He emotionally held me as I was fainting, murmuring, “Foolish child, how are you so stupid? How could you possible use life magic? If I were a step slower, I would have eternally been unable to forgive myself.” Tears flowed from the corners of Teacher Wen’s eyes. Truly, I had wanted to use life magic to arouse my latent life energy. However, the damage would have been at least the loss of half of my life’s energy. Even so I had wanted to pay the cost of my life. It was fortunate that Teacher Wen had heard my incantation in time to stop me.
The audience observing the fight were in a tremendous uproar. A great many people recognized Li Ke Wen. They all loudly shouted, “Foul! Foul!”
The referee walked over and respectfully asked, “Honored Principal, What are you…?”
Teacher Wen held me and stood up. He waved his hand, saying, “I conceded on behalf of the Brilliance Team.” He turned his head toward Bi Er and said, “I will go to your father and acknowledge my error.” Bi Er had wanted to say something, but seeing Wen’s remorseful complexion he had refrained from saying anything.
The competition ended with our crushing defeat.
I regained consciousness .Where is this? Such an unfamiliar place. I turned my sore neck and looked around. It was a very large room. Apart from mine there were four more beds, each with a member of the Brilliant Battle Squad lying in them. Gao De and Xing Ao were chatting. As for Dong Ri and Xiu Si, I didn’t know whether they were sleeping or still knocked out.
I painfully groaned, Xing Ao said, “Ah, Zhang Gong is awake! Boss Zhang Gong, how are you feeling?” Huh? When have I become your boss?
I weakly said, “I’m not dead yet. How did we get here? What happened in our last match?”
Xing Ao sighed and started talking about what happened after we lost consciousness.
It turned out that after the competition had concluded, King Xiuda had heard of our tenacious spirit and had us specially recover inside the Imperial Palace under the treatment of imperial physicians. Something else that amazed me was that Duke Bi Qi hadn’t pressed Teacher Wen for an apology. He had only said that the matter was over.
Hearing that Teacher Wen hadn’t been humiliated, I let out a long sigh and said with regret, “This is all because I failed accomplish what was expected of me. It seems the path I must walk is still quite long.”
Xing Ao chuckled and sincerely said, “That’s enough, Zhang Gong. Right now, I am dead set on serving you. With our strength we actually managed to beat the Prince’s Squad. That was something that already surprised me, but even more so you three had managed to almost defeat the Wind Dragon Squad. I heard from Teacher Wen that had he not stopped you, you would have used life magic. You are truly too competitive. If it weren’t for you, I fear our combined strength would have been far too lacking. When we prevailed over the Prince’s squad, Gao De and I, even Boss Xiu Si had decided that we must to follow and accompany you on your adventures. We would follow no other person but you.