Chapter 21

The competition had already gone through two rounds, and Su Yi had been given a bye in one round and a walkover in another, almost effortlessly advancing. The looks his fellow disciples gave him became increasingly unfriendly.

How could this guy be so lucky?

Even Yin Zhiping was a bit annoyed with Su Yi. "I worked hard and even got injured to win, what’s your deal? You just got lucky and advanced? Are you trying to make me feel bad?"

Ma Yu also rubbed his temples in frustration. To be honest, he was the one most eager to see how strong Su Yi really was. If Su Yi’s martial arts were truly outstanding, he would have to secretly give Guo Jing some extra training. He liked that simple and honest boy to the core, even though Su Yi’s identity made him closer to him, he still hoped Guo Jing would win the future competition.

Ma Yu completely dismissed the idea of voluntarily conceding victory after winning, as suggested by Qiu Chuji. The Seven Freaks of Jiangnan were incredibly proud; how could they accept a victory that felt like charity? He doubted Qiu Chuji even believed it himself, it was just an excuse to ease his conscience.

Unfortunately, in the face of Su Yi’s incredible luck, Ma Yu could only sigh in helplessness. He couldn’t really rig the competition, could he?

Forget it, forget it. There are still a few more rounds. I don’t believe this guy can so easily become one of the top four...

On the third day, the final day of the competition, only a few dozen disciples remained on the field, and the top four were about to be determined.

Ma Yu, who had been the host for the first two days, seemed to avoid suspicion and did not appear today. Instead, Wang Chuyi, the Iron-foot Immortal, took over as the judge.

Unfortunately, even Wang Chuyi’s presence made no difference against Su Yi’s invincible luck.

"Su Yi versus Qian Zhibin!"

As Wang Chuyi announced the match, everyone was speechless again.

Qian Zhibin lived in Zhongnan Mountain. His ancestors had been woodcutters for generations. Because his grandfather had once helped Wang Chongyang, after Qian Zhibin was born, his family sought out the Quanzhen Sect, hoping their grandson could join and avoid a life of poverty and hard labor.

As the saying goes, "If you eat someone’s food, you owe them; if you take someone’s hand, you owe them; if you owe someone, you owe them in every way." So, Qian Zhibin had entered through a back door, and his talent was naturally very poor, and his martial arts were naturally weak. More importantly, he had only recently joined the sect and was only about thirteen or fourteen years old, just a little kid.

The only reason this little kid had made it this far was because his luck was no worse than Su Yi’s. His previous two opponents were already exhausted and injured from earlier rounds, and he had simply taken advantage of the situation.

In the end, the one who took advantage was taken advantage of by Su Yi. Without even drawing his sword, Su Yi beat the kid to tears with just a few punches and kicks, and the kid hurriedly conceded.

Yin Zhiping’s luck was not bad either. In this round, he faced a junior disciple who had only recently joined the sect. Despite his injuries, he still advanced easily.

With this, another round of the competition ended.

Finally, Zhao Zijing could no longer hold back. Just as the next round was about to begin, he stepped out of the crowd and bowed to Wang Chuyi, saying, "Uncle, I have something to say."

"Oh, speak your mind."

"May I ask, Uncle, is the purpose of the Quanzhen Sect’s competition to allow disciples to test what they have learned over the past year and for the elders to see where the disciples need improvement, hence the annual competition?"

Wang Chuyi stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Zijing, you are quite right. Master Chongyang set up the annual competition for this very reason. Back then, the Quanzhen Sect was just a few of us, and the competition would end in half a day. Now, with the sect growing, it takes three days to complete."

"That’s exactly the point..." A sinister smile appeared on Zhao Zijing’s face where Wang Chuyi couldn’t see. He continued, "The competition is not about winning or losing. We are all fellow disciples. If we insist on ranking, won’t it hurt our feelings? Our goal is to let the elders see if the younger generation has gone astray so they can guide us better."

"But now, the competition is halfway through, and Brother Yang has never seriously fought. Isn’t this against the purpose of the competition? I boldly request that Uncle let me face Brother Yang in the next round."

To avoid any misunderstanding, Zhao Zijing explained, "I have often heard Uncle Qiu praise Brother Yang’s skills. I believe his swordsmanship and internal strength are exceptional. Ordinary disciples might not be able to test his true abilities, so I volunteer."

Zhao Zijing’s reasoning was so sound that Wang Chuyi was speechless. In the past, the competition was fair, with all matches decided by drawing lots, and no one had complained. But now, Su Yi had it easy from start to finish, either getting a bye or facing weak opponents. If he really made it to the top four, wouldn’t the Quanzhen Sect’s competition become a joke?

Wang Chuyi was in a dilemma.

"Uncle, this is not right..." Yin Zhiping also stepped forward and said, "Uncle Wang, the Quanzhen Sect has always been fair. Brother Yang is just lucky. If we force him to face a specific opponent, won’t it make us look petty and make others laugh at us for being jealous of his easy passage?"

"Yin Brother, who are you calling petty?" Zhao Zijing was furious.

Yin Zhiping waved his sleeve and said, "I didn’t say it was Brother Zhao. Why are you so quick to take it personally?"

"You... Humph!" Zhao Zijing angrily huffed and said to Wang Chuyi, "My intentions are purely for Brother Yang’s benefit, to ensure he doesn’t go astray in his training. I hope Uncle understands!"

"Enough, stop arguing!" Wang Chuyi shouted, then turned to Ma Yu and asked, "Brother, what do you think?"

Ma Yu smiled slightly and said, "Let’s hear what the person involved thinks. Kang, what do you think?"

Su Yi stepped forward and smiled, "Brother Zhao is so kind and thoughtful, I am truly moved to tears. How can I refuse such a kind offer? I hope Brother Zhao will go easy on me in the next match."

Zhao Zijing smiled satisfactorily, his eyes full of malice, "Of course, Brother Yang is very talented. Who knows, I might be the one who falls short."

"Since that’s the case, the next match will be between Kang and Zijing." With Su Yi’s agreement, Ma Yu made the decision.

The three returned to the crowd. As soon as they stood still, Yin Zhiping couldn’t help but whisper, "Brother Yang, you’re being too impulsive... Zhao Zijing just wants to teach you a lesson. How could you fall for his trap? If you refused, the elders wouldn’t force you!"

Su Yi smiled confidently and said, "Brother Yin, don’t worry. This guy wants to teach me a lesson, and I want to eliminate him from the top four. Our goals are the same."

"But Zhao Zijing’s skills are not to be underestimated. He is the top disciple of the third generation in the Quanzhen Sect. Even I don’t have a sure win against him!" Yin Zhiping said with concern.

"I didn’t have a sure win either, but now I do." Su Yi looked at Zhao Zijing teasingly. Just then, Zhao Zijing also looked over, and their eyes met. Su Yi flashed a bright smile, making Zhao Zijing feel uneasy all over.