Victors and losers in the other rings were soon determined. The imperial martial arts tournament won't wait for anyone. The next round hence commenced. The venue's atmosphere became strangely tense.
The audience began to whisper among themselves as if some hot-shot was about to enter the ring.
"Here he is, here he is!"
"Finally. I bet on him winning."
"He's the reason I'm here today!"
"That's him, look. He's here. Look at his prepared look!"
Other than sounding cheerful and excited, their voices also sounded impressed and tense, so it was evident that they were terrified of the figure that was about to take to the ring.
According to what they said, that individual must be an incredible talent with a handsome appearance, highly intelligent……
Su Xiao who just came down from the ring said to me: "Big Brother Ming, you're here."
…… Alright, it's me they're talking about.
"I know, he's just some insignificant Qilin Guard waving his fists around, so what?" As soon as I was done, Long Zaitian who was paired up with Tang Ye glared at me furiously like somebody dug up his ancestors' graves. I ignored him, since Tang Ye alone will give him a handful.
"Big Brother Ming, be careful out there. Jia Yunfeng is very skilled and yet he got beat up like that," Su Xiao looked like a concerned wife seeing her husband off to war and worriedly said: "You're not me, so run when you can't win."
"……"
I was stuck in a dilemma between being moved and speechless, so I could only reply: "Okay, give me a boost then, give me kiss?"
"Eew!" Su Xiao took a step back. He tightened his grip on his Ancient Cold Sabre, and moved his feet as if he was preparing to spring in for the kill, "Don't come close. You touched that Bai Ling-thingy-mabob, and now you want to touch me?!"
"Aren't you going to exclaim 'I'm a guy'?"
"Also, I'm a guy!"
I see nothing has changed.
"Don't worry." I pat Su Xiao on his small head. I then turned around to look towards me opponent in the ring and said: "I'll be back soon."
"Look, he's preparing to curse his opponent to death!"
Who're you saying is cursing someone?!
"Liu Shan Men's Ming Feizhen versus the Qilin Guards' Wei Jiaomeng!"
I deliberately went around the ring once to waste energy before ascending. I did that to lower the chances of me being suspected, but the crowd ended up backing off, out of fear for me. In the end, I ended up attracting more attention to myself, and confused myself too.
My opponent was a lean middle-aged man around forty years old. He was lean and tall, with no flab around his body. His hands and feet were large. His feet in particular were huge, comparable to an ape's. When he flew up to the ring, his feet didn't budge and his movements were fluid, demonstrating that he trained well.
Oooohhhh! Fantastic!
Not only is this guy good, he doesn't look like he's wounded either! Thank heavens! I've finally got an opponent that's not dead!
When I looked at him again, I suddenly felt something was strange. This guy is certainly…… He's strong.
Even though I only took a quick glance, I could tell that he wasn't any less skilled than Long Zaitian. His eyes were full of vigour which was proof that his internal strength had been developed to a highs level. Further, I couldn't tell which school's internal art he trained. Seeing him, I thought to myself: The Qilin Guards definitely asked for outside help!
If a Qilin Guard picked out at random was at his level, they would've revolted ages ago. Your majesty! I suspect that there's some foul play here!
Not too far away in the emperor's seat.
"Who's that? He looks pretty handsome. Nobody at Liu Shan Men in my memory can compare his dignified aura. Yiren?"
"He's Ming Feizhen. Last month, due to a particular case, at Liu Shan Men, you……" Shen Yiren's mood had improved since Su Xiao won and Tang Ye looked in good shape. As she introduced Ming Feizhen and mentioned the case last month, she accidently daggered the orange prince, "You met him due to a certain case. At the time, he was injured. He had wounds on his face, so you might have forgotten."
"Ming Feizhen… I don't really rem-…… Oh, that kid that didn't have any manners?"
"That is right." Shen Yiren smiled helplessly and continued: "He comes from a reputable school and is clever with work. He is the only head constable at Liu Shan Men."
"You sure know how to put people down, Vice-captain Shen." The orange prince chuckled coldly: "You praised him so much, and he turns out to just be a mere head-constable?"
Shen Yiren didn't take any of his crap: "You are great with jokes, your highness. There has never been a captain at Liu Shan Men that was once a head-constable. But it is normal for you to not be aware since you do not involve yourself with the pugilistic world's matters, and know even less about the operations of the three offices."
The orange prince went mull. He didn't dare to mention how much he was involved and even teamed up with the unorthodox evil sects. But he couldn't let himself look bad and admit he wasn't knowledgeable. Hence, he smiled to let the matter pass.
The emperor was busy scanning Ming Feizhen a few times: "Last time I saw him, he was bed-ridden. I didn't know he looked so dignified when he stands. What school does he come from?"
"Ming Feizhen comes from Mount Daluo, your majesty."
"Uhm, I seem to remember that being the case. He should be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight now, right? Since the time Ming Huayu became leader until now… he should be him a third generation disciple, right?"
"You are correct, your majesty. He is twenty-eight this year…… But he is very messy and does not carry himself well. He is not a third generation disciple, but a second generation disciple." Shen Yiren chuckled and said: "He is Sect Leader Ming's junior, Priest Wushan's disciple. While he is young, he holds a high level of seniority. Swordsman Moon Chaser refers to him as senior brother."
"Oh? Second generation disciple?"
The emperor fell into a silence.
As for me, I wanted to know what was wrong with being a second generation disciple. Finish what you started!!
Standing in the ring, I suddenly released that the emperor was staring at me intently like never before. Not long after, he finally relaxed and repeated the facts he heard: "He's a second generation disciple, and his surname is Ming as well? Could he be a descendent of the Ming family?"
I could hear the emperor's conversation with Boss Shen clearly, and of course, I could hear the things the orange prince said. But why was the emperor so tense about whether or not I was a descendent of the Ming family?
I blanked out and recalled a bunch of things……
Shifu! What did you do to his majesty?!!!
Don't tell me you went after his harem too!!!
The emperor then sighed: "I've been searching for direct-disciples of their founder for many years. I've found Moon Chaser as well, but none of them could solve my question. I never expected to meet one of them year."
Huh? Question?
Don't tell me he wants to clarify who the father of one the princesses are.
Shifu, what on Earth did you do?!! When you hit on girls in the future, could you please consider "what if" the emperor one day suspects that one of his daughters isn't his?! He'll hound your disciple over it!
"You have a question for members of the Ming family, your majesty?" Boss Shen continued as if she was in a bit of a dilemma: "I remember that Ming Feizhen said he was from the Ming family's branch family, so I am afraid he might let you down."
However, the emperor replied: "Don't worry, I've had this question for over twenty years. Perhaps Ming Huayu himself cannot answer it. As for Ming Feizhen…… I just want to ask on the rare off-chance."
A question he's had for over twenty years? I don't think any of the princesses are twenty yet, so it shouldn't be what I'm thinking of…… Shiiiit. Don't tell me it's a prince.
I looked in the emperor's direction blankly, and looked at the orange prince who wasn't wearing a smile.
Man…… If he didn't look like the emperor, I'd have mistaken him as the problem the emperor's had for over twenty years.
"Cough, cough." The Qilin Guard in front of me suddenly coughed and then asked: "Can we start now?"
I answered him in an annoyed manner: "…… Come."
Fuck! Why didn't you jump me?
What did think I was doing just now? I was deliberately looking away to give you a chance! He looks like a bandit, but he behaves like a gentleman.
I looked at his bandit-like face again as well as his pose with his sabre. Save it! There's no way you can convince me you know more than five characters!
The emperor wore a joyous smile and said: "I have not seen Mount Daluo's martial arts in a long time. Let's see how good this second generation Ming boy is."
Boss Shen spoke as if she was in a dilemma: "Your majesty, Ming Feizhen, he… his martial arts skills are actually……"
Exactly, watch what martial arts? Watch what martial arts? I'm about to surrender here.
I turned around, stared at the Qilin Guard: "Alright, let's begin."
I swear to god i don't know what happened.
The Qilin Guard took three steps back as if he got punched hard when I glared at him, and then he fell backwards onto the ring.
……
Is he trying to frame me?!
Hey! Get up!!
"Good grief! He's cursed another to death!"
"Liu Shan's plague is overpowered!"
Even the emperor stroked his beard and looked on befuddled. He then said: "He hurt his opponent with pure willpower! What godly power!!"
Hey! Can you please not spout nonsense?! What happened had nothing to me!
Boss Shen was spinning. She said: "Could this punk's horoscope actually be possessed…?"
Boss, you traitor!
"Yiren, what was that style?"
"Even with my vast knowledge, I have never heard of such a style in the pugilistic world. But Mount Daluo's arts are profound, so it might be some divine art."
The emperor laughed cheerfully as he squinted his eyes to look in my direction and said: "That brat is going pretty hard for my daughter, hahahaha."
Can we stop with this nonsense?!!
I quickly ran over and called out to the guy lying on the ground trying to set me up: "Hey, can you stop pretending?! I didn't even touch you!" I looked at him as I desperately went circles around him. I was trying to come up with a way to get him to get up, but nobody could tell.
In the end, he just lay there in that position on the ground and spoke: "I have known of you since long ago… Hero Ming."
As soon as I heard "Hero Ming", I suddenly recalled heaps of details. A lot of unclear things suddenly became crystal clear for me.
"It's you!!"
"We've been eyeing you for a while. It's not too late to find out now!!"
The person lying on the ground like a corpse suddenly sprang to life, and smashed me on my chest with two punches violently, sending me back a few steps. A powerful palm strike got thrust my way. If I didn't counterattack, I would get hit. But just as I wanted to counterattack, I suddenly discovered that the position I was standing in was planned.
Where we were standing could be seen from the royal family's seating area clearly. If I were to reveal my martial arts, Boss Shen and the emperor would recognise everything within in less than three moves.
But then this guy wasn't using an orthodox style. It was a style from an evil sect from beginning to end. Isn't he afraid of getting busted?! I looked at the three people in the royal family's seating area. The emperor and Boss Shen were both utterly surprised by the valiant man's skills. The orange prince was the only one who was as cool as a cucumber.
The orange prince looked like he was smiling like he didn't care if the guy's identity got revealed. I suddenly realised that the situation was bad. I had a feeling that the situation had turned out the way Boss Shen and I predicted.
I was late to realise it. His iron palms had almost reached me. His palm strike was like a hungry wolf that saw blood, but still maintained its intelligence. All of his strikes were targeted at qi points, cutting off the flow of qi.
"Amazing, Hero Ming. You truly are different to those on Liu Shan's Elites rankings and the seventeen hidden dragons. I fought with Long Zaitian using this palm taolu a year ago, and he couldn't even handle fifty-percent of my power. I defeated him in just two strikes. If he wasn't still useful, you wouldn't have seen him today. You on the other hand, Hero Ming, were able to take two strikes at full power without suffering any harm. I truly admire you!"
He laughed coldly and then returned his qi. He didn't stop moving his hands as he spoke. His palms strong were like a snowstorm. Each strike was like an explosion. He left seventeen hand marks on me.
Glossary
In case you have forgotten, Shen Yiren's facts about him being Priest Wushan's disciple is incorrect because he lied about it.