“In that case,” Ling Yunfeng rubbed his furrowed brow, “find some time to bring Brother Nameless home for a visit.”
“Of course. I’d have brought him even if you didn’t say anything,” Ling Yuyan replied, her chin tilted up as she spoke to her elder brother with a defiant tone.
“Brother Nameless.” Ling Yunfeng cupped his hands toward Gu Ming. “I’ll have to trouble you to look after my willful younger sister.”
“I will,” Gu Ming nodded.
After a quick word of advice to Gu Ming, Ling Yunfeng bid them farewell and walked away alone.
Watching him depart, Gu Ming remarked, “Your older brother seems like a decent person. He cares about you quite a bit.”
“Unfortunately, he’s a total blockhead.” Ling Yuyan shook her head dismissively.
“By the way, didn’t he come specifically to watch your match today?” Gu Ming looked toward where Ling Yunfeng had disappeared, feeling somewhat puzzled. “Why is he leaving already?”
“He’s definitely going back to tattle to Father. But that’s fine; it saves me the trouble of telling him myself.” Ling Yuyan wrinkled her nose, her tone sour.
Gu Ming rubbed the bridge of his nose, unsure of how to respond. This was, after all, a private matter between the two siblings.
“Let’s not talk about him.”
Ling Yuyan let go of Gu Ming’s arm. Noticing his collar was slightly crooked, she stepped forward to straighten it. “Oh, right — don’t you dare lose before you face me.”
“I’ll return those words to you exactly as they are,” Gu Ming said.
“Hmph. This young miss possesses a Secret Treasure and is much stronger than my big brother. I won’t lose.” Ling Yuyan was brimming with confidence.
Their interaction quickly drew the attention of those around them.
“Hey, isn’t that the Second Young Miss of Lingyun Pavilion? Why is she with that Nameless guy?”
“He defeated Ling Yunfeng yesterday, and today he’s already with his sister? Is this man a charm body? Is he a fox demon in disguise?”
“I want to know what Gu Ziye’s expression is right now.”
“What does this have to do with Gu Ziye?”
“Inside info: I heard the Pavilion Master of Lingyun Pavilion wants to form an alliance with Hundred Flowers Valley through marriage. He wants the Second Young Miss to marry Gu Ziye. However, for some reason, they’re still negotiating.”
“That’s juicy!”
…
Gu Ming overheard some of the whispers. Most of the gossip revolved around him, Ling Yuyan, and Gu Ziye. The rumors were becoming increasingly sensational. Within a few days, the name Gu Ming — scratch that, Nameless — would surely echo throughout the entire Righteous Path.
“Pay them no mind.”
Ling Yuyan seemed to have expected this. Her expression remained calm as she told Gu Ming not to take it to heart.
After a few more words, Ling Yuyan departed for her own arena.
Once she was gone, Gu Ming collected his thoughts and stepped onto his own stage to begin his third round of the competition.
His opponent this time was clearly much more cautious. He circled Gu Ming continuously, searching for an opening.
Gu Ming didn’t feel like playing along. He secretly cast “Forbidden,” freezing the man in place for a split second before kicking him off the stage. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water.
The referee stood dazed. He had only just announced the start of the match, and now he had to announce the winner.
The audience was equally stunned. Was it really over just like that? Was there some kind of foul play?
Then, someone shouted, “Rigged! It’s rigged!”
A crowd began to jeer.
However, these people were all talk. They were cowards at heart. As soon as the Law Enforcement Disciples arrived and detained a few of the ringleaders, the rest of the crowd pulled back and went silent.
Gu Ming ended his fourth match even faster. As soon as the fight began, he immediately restricted his opponent’s movements and kicked him down.
After announcing the result, the referee glanced disdainfully at the spectators before leaving.
One match might be a fluke, but four consecutive matches had gone the same way. The opponents would always freeze for an instant before being kicked off, ending the match right then and there.
While people had shouted about foul play earlier, they were now being won over by Gu Ming’s strength.
“Holy crap, who is this guy? What kind of style is he using? One move to rule them all — he’s basically invincible.”
“Exactly. Everyone who fights him seems to freeze up for a moment. It looks like he’ll definitely take first place.”
“Not necessarily. The Second Young Miss of Lingyun Pavilion has a Secret Treasure. If they face off, it’ll be a tough fight.”
“Psh, they’re a couple. It won’t be surprising regardless of who wins.”
…
The discussions were endless. Gu Ming heard them but didn’t pay them any mind.
He was, however, somewhat interested in the Lingyun Pavilion’s Secret Treasure.
‘What is this treasure? Why is everyone so confident in Ling Yuyan because of it?’
While Gu Ming was pondering, a commotion broke out in the distance.
He looked over, and his pupils shrank slightly.
Beside a distant arena, Ling Yuyan was sitting on the ground, staring up at the man on the stage in disbelief.
The man had long hair draped over his shoulders, a messy beard, and a gaunt, sallow face. He stood with a hunched back and hollow eyes, clutching a longsword in the center of the stage. He radiated an unusual aura.
Sensing Gu Ming’s gaze, the man looked back. As their eyes met, Gu Ming felt an instinctive sense of unease.
The man soon jumped off the stage and walked away alone.
Gu Ming rushed to Ling Yuyan’s side and reached out a hand. “Are you alright?”
Ling Yuyan shook her head slightly and took his hand. With his help, she stood up.
“Who is he?” Gu Ming asked, looking in the direction the hunched man had gone.
“He calls himself the Sword Fanatic,” Ling Yuyan said solemnly.
“How did you lose?” Gu Ming asked curiously. “Even with the Secret Treasure, you still lost?”
“I didn’t even get the chance to use it before I was blasted off the stage.” Ling Yuyan grew indignant at the mention of it. “If this were a life-and-death struggle, I definitely wouldn’t have lost.”
“How were you blown off? What technique did he use?” Gu Ming asked.
“I don’t know.” Ling Yuyan shook her head. “The moment I saw him draw his sword from its scabbard, a powerful gust of wind slammed into me. By the time I regained my senses, I was already outside the arena.”
“A master swordsman?”
Gu Ming’s interest was piqued. Plowing through weaklings was starting to get tedious. Now that someone potentially on his level had appeared, he finally had something to look forward to. At the very least, things wouldn’t be boring.
“His sword skills are incredible. He might even be on par with the son of the Sword Saint,” Ling Yuyan said seriously. “You’ll have to face him tomorrow. Be careful.”
“I will,” Gu Ming nodded.
***
As news of Gu Ming’s one-hit victories and the Sword Fanatic’s instant wins spread, even the Great Elder of Saintess Mountain heard of them.
He had originally wanted to recruit both men. But when he heard that one of them looked remarkably like the Saintess’s White Moonlight, he immediately abandoned that thought and prayed that the Sword Fanatic would win the top spot.
Meanwhile, the Saintess, Shen Lingxi, was about to explode. After not seeing him for just one day, her home base was being stolen?
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