Chapter 0: 58. A Play
Qin Gou’s opponent was very late this time. Just as Qin Gou was starting to think Xu Zimu was playing a trick, making his opponent forfeit by being late, the other party finally appeared.
Upon arrival, he immediately gave Qin Gou a show of strength.
“Your Excellency, are you the Third Young Master of the Marshal’s Mansion, Xu Jin?” the heavily armored cultivator asked.
“Indeed.”
“Hahaha, excellent, I’ve truly struck it rich by encountering Young Master Xu Jin.” The heavily armored cultivator’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Qin Gou asked with confusion, “What do you mean, sir?”
“Young Master Xu Jin doesn’t know? The rumors are spreading among the people now that you’ve reached this point by cheating and through underhanded tactics. You have no real strength! You’re just a pretty face that anyone can defeat.” The heavily armored cultivator grinned provocatively, and he even addressed the audience, “Don’t you all agree?”
However, the crowd only discussed it amongst themselves, with no one responding to him. They weren’t fools. Regardless of whether there were any shady dealings, Qin Gou was now the Third Young Master of the formidable Marshal’s Mansion, and no one would dare to court death by confronting him directly.
“Hmph, I know! Everyone knows this in their hearts, they just don’t say it out loud, out of fear of Young Master Xu Jin’s displeasure.” The heavily armored cultivator sneered, “However, I also know some even fresher gossip. For example, the reason Young Master Xu Jin was able to win so many battles yesterday was precisely because of the favoritism shown by this Captain Xu who is now the referee! He was long bought off by Young Master Xu Jin and would always nitpick, finding all sorts of strange and shoddy excuses to disqualify his opponents, allowing Young Master Xu Jin to win without a fight. It’s truly shameless!”
“Presumptuous!” Xu Zimu’s face instantly turned red with anger, veins bulging on his forehead. “How dare you slander this official! Do you know that just for your current disrespectful nonsense, I have the right to directly disqualify you from this competition!”
The heavily armored cultivator, undeterred, burst into laughter. “Do you all see? This is the tactic! The corrupt official took the bait and revealed his true colors!”
“Bastard!” Xu Zimu was so enraged he started waving his arms and crying out to the heavens. “I have always been strict with myself and lenient with others. How can I tolerate you slandering me like this? Heaven and Earth bear witness to my innocence! The sun and moon attest to my integrity!”
The spectators in the stands, however, began whispering amongst themselves due to the heavily armored cultivator’s words and Xu Zimu’s unnaturally exaggerated reaction.
“Could what that guy said be true!”
“Actually, I’ve heard similar rumors before, saying that Xu Zimu is just a lackey of the Marshal’s Mansion, favoring Young Master Xu Jin all the way to the top!”
“Is Young Master Xu Jin truly that despicable? I previously thought he was accumulating strength and would eventually achieve greatness, and I even used his story to educate my own son. I never expected him to be this kind of person.”
“The corrupt official deserves to die!”
“How bold of you, you ignorant rabble! Do you believe anything someone casually incites? It infuriates me!” Xu Zimu’s nose was practically crooked with anger, his face flushed crimson as he argued.
“Hmph, if it weren’t true, why would you be so anxious?”
“He must be feeling guilty.”
Just then, Qin Gou amplified his voice with spiritual power and shouted, “Enough. Whether my abilities are real or fake, it will be known with a try. Sergeant Xu, please announce the start of the match.”
The heavily armored cultivator said triumphantly, “Heh heh, then please excuse me. If I accidentally injure Young Master Xu Jin a little too severely, don’t run back to the General’s Mansion crying.”
Xu Zimu cast a sorrowful glance at the spectators, sighed, and said, “Then let it be so. Let the truth clear my name. I hope that at that time, you will all give me justice.” With that, he suddenly dropped the hand he had raised, and the great battle was about to begin.
In an instant, the Staff Sword was drawn, and the pale purple Myriad Seed floated steadily above Qin Gou’s shoulder, moving with him as he leaped.
The man in heavy armor conjured a long, pure silver spear from nowhere. It was sharp and unmatched as it slashed and chopped. At that moment, close-quarters combat ensued, and the crisp sound of clashing weapons echoed endlessly.
“Haha, is this all Young Master Xu Jin’s skill amounts to? The probing is over, I’m going to get serious now.” As he spoke, the heavily armored man’s spear moved with lightning speed, stabbing out repeatedly. A strong wind pressure erupted, as if he controlled the gale, causing everyone’s robes in the arena to flutter wildly.
Qin Gou wielded his Staff Sword, moving like a madman. His dazzling sword moves were bewildering. The Myriad Seed, which had been gathering power, revealed its fangs at this moment. It was as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning, a single cold glint piercing directly towards the heavily armored man’s chest.
“Clang!”
In a flash, the heavily armored man hurriedly blocked with the tip of his spear. The spearhead came into direct contact with the Myriad Seed, producing a crisp sound.
Seeing this, Qin Gou secretly sighed. It seemed the opponent’s Natal Spirit Tool was also specialized in speed, and possessed some automatic protective ability. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to resist the sudden attack of the Myriad Seed.
To his surprise, the heavily armored man, who had seemingly just barely blocked Qin Gou’s sure-kill move, suddenly retreated violently. The silver spear in his hand trembled unstably for a moment before disintegrating. Then, the tiger’s mouth of his wrist directly cracked open, and he vomited fresh blood, his body shaking like a sieve as he knelt down, his face filled with disbelief as he screamed, “This is impossible!”
A flicker of surprise flashed in Qin Gou’s eyes, and his movements slowed slightly. What was going on? The Myriad Seed attacked directly with its true body. While it could have considerable power if it could directly pierce a person’s flesh, it shouldn’t have caused such severe injuries if it was successfully blocked by another Natal Spirit Tool. Could he have accidentally comprehended the ultimate profound art of ‘striking through the mountain’?
“What kind of Natal Spirit Tool is that? How can it possess such terrifying power? Wait… Natal Spirit Tool? Does that mean Young Master Xu Jin has already broken through to the Hidden Weapon Realm in just a few days?! Heavens, are you kidding me? We are all cultivators who have worked hard, why are you so unfair!?” The heavily armored man, looking like a madman, smeared the blood from his wrist across his face, baring his teeth and roaring angrily, as if filled with immense unwillingness.
“It seems the winner is decided. I ask you, do you have any further grievances?” At this moment, Xu Zimu stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of clear-headedness amidst the hubbub.
The heavily armored man’s face turned ashen. He let out two bitter laughs, his spirit crushed, and said, “Grievances? To be defeated in one move and lose all face, how can I still have any grievances? Moreover, I must sincerely apologize to Young Master Xu Jin. I was too rude before. I now realize that Your Excellency has been lying dormant for twenty years, and has now amazed the world. You are truly a dragon among men! I willingly admit defeat!”
At that moment, the spectators were also filled with astonishment. They knew that there would be a contest between the two, and the outcome would either be that Young Master Xu Jin possessed true skill or was a complete fraud. However, they never expected the battle to end so abruptly, or for Young Master Xu Jin to win so spectacularly!
At the same time, Xu Zimu winked at Qin Gou with a knowing look.
Qin Gou instantly had a sudden realization. Good heavens, there was such a trick as well.
