“May this one ask if you are Mount Daluo’s representative?” Jin Caitan inquired.
“That’s right.” Su Xiao’s voice couldn’t travel far owing to the injuries he suffered yesterday.
“… Your skills are far from the standard of other competitors, and you are alone. Why are you recklessly throwing away your life at such a tender age?”
While Emperor Yuansheng’s escort was humiliated and livid about Luo Ming not even bothering to keep tabs on them now, Su Xiao was purely disillusioned with himself; he wanted to grow more than ever. Su Xiao didn’t need enlightenment to figure out he helped Luo Ming yesterday.
“I must fight,” Su Xiao avowed. “Everyone will eventually die. It’s just a question of when and for what.”
“In that case, this one shall disqualify Mount Daluo now.”
“Why?”
“Because this one can tell you have seven wounds at first glance, and the one on your back is the worst. You wield a broadsword, do you not? Every martial artist knows the importance of the hips in power generation. There is nobody here you can beat. This is for your sake.”
“What do my injuries have anything to do with fighting? This is important to me. Mr. Jin, you are a judge, yet you want me to duck a fight?”
“This is not ducking. This is a fight we already know the outcome to. Do you still remember the three rules? This one has the final say. Even if you enter the ring, this one will still declare you the loser at the end. Why indulge in pointless endeavours?
“The reason Patriarch Luo chose this one and everyone here trusts him to judge is because he understands the persistence of martial artists and what pointless deaths are. You are decent for your young age and have the potential to see a bright future. Why cut that off for no reason? Would you agree, Patriarch Luo?”
Situational circumstances forced Luo Ming to nod even if he didn’t agree. He would’ve preferred to let the others torture Su Xiao to force out the style that he couldn’t comprehend for his own entertainment and learning purposes. Plus, Su Xiao’s spirit was perfect for adding to the sword he wanted to forge.
“W-wait…” Su Xiao grabbed his wound and winced because trying to belt aggravated it.
“This one can also tell you are not a disciple of Mount Daluo, so you cannot represent them. As there is no representative from Mount Daluo, please take this young gentleman off the ring.”
Watching men climb up to drag Su Xiao off, Huofeng protested, “First Sister, let’s go teach the bullies a lesson. We can’t take part, so why not make a fight for ourselves?”
“There won’t be necessary,” responded Yu Feiyuan.
“Wh-”
“Who’s counting out Mount Daluo?!” Hong Jiu crashed several Luo Clan members aside as part of his party-crashing entrance.
“Daluo Divine Palm Manual?!”
“Do you not see him?” Despite his size, nobody noticed when Ming Feizhen or Shen Yiren landed. Hong Jiu belted, “This man is Mount Daluo’s direct disciple!”
Ming Feizhen nodded with a dumbfounded face.
“Strange, he does not possess Mount Daluo’s styl-” Upon shifting his gaze to Hong Jiu, Jin Caitan clapped sonorously: “Ten Thousand Mile Dragon Rider! There is no room for doubt, then! Please rest up. Refining Divine Convention shall shortly commence.”
All the contestant pavilions’ curtains rolled down to signify preparation time.
“You’re pretty respected,” Shen Yiren commented.
Hong Jiu scratched the back of his head: “I didn’t know I was so famous, either. Man, I wouldn’t have paid for meals if I knew I was this famous. God dang it, I want refunds.”
I derided, “You ever paid? Didn’t you always wash dishes in exchange for meals?”
“Says the one who steals from the kitchen in the middle of the night,” Shen Yiren scoffed.
Up close, Su Xiao looked gaunt compared to usual, so I petted his head: “What’s the matter? Got bullied?”
Su Xiao wailed and clung to me.
“Wh-what are you crying about?”
“I thought you died! Sister Huofeng said you wouldn’t wake up. I was worried you’d be hungry when you woke up, so I always carried meat buns on me, but I couldn’t go.”
I had no idea what Su Xiao was on about, but I knew how scared he was from how tight he squeezed me.
Once Su Xiao recollected himself, he gave us a brief overview of recent events.
“Pretty much what we assumed would happen,” Shen Yiren remarked, biting her nail.
We gathered Luo Ming would go for His Majesty after getting his hands on Green Prince. Plus, it wasn’t a random guess once I heard Luo Ming wanted His Majesty to harvest a head for him. One way or another, Luo Ming wanted His Majesty to share his pain.
