Chapter 94

Chapter 93. If we lose to those brats, we're all dead. (3)

The reception hall of the Blue Plum Pavilion, the guest hall of Huashan, was filled with a peculiar atmosphere.

Jin Jinlong, seated in the central chair, narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself.

"I don't like this."

He had just finished his meal.

The neatly arranged dining room and the mouth-watering dishes were perfect for filling the empty stomachs of those who had climbed the mountain.

However, it was precisely this fact that irked Jin Jinlong.

"Did they discover a vein of gold or something?"

Huashan should be inferior to Zhongnan in every aspect.

He knew that Huashan's wealth was still incomparable to Zhongnan's. Yet, the fact that the gap was narrowing made Jin Jinlong extremely uncomfortable.

Zhong Xuhan glanced at him awkwardly and smiled.

Jin Jinlong was usually a very gentle person. But to judge him as gentle based solely on his appearance would inevitably lead to trouble.

To Zhong Xuhan, Jin Jinlong was like the sea.

The sea is usually calm and embraces everything, but when it gets angry, it becomes a fierce storm that swallows everything. Jin Jinlong was exactly like that. He was incredibly gentle most of the time, but when he got angry, he was the most terrifying person in Zhongnan.

Zhong Xuhan smiled awkwardly and spoke.

"Huashan is indeed quite arrogant, Dashi Xiong."

"Hmm."

"But ultimately, what matters is martial arts, right? No matter how flashy the exterior, no matter how well-dressed and well-fed they are, if their martial arts are not up to par, it's just a bright but useless peach."

"You're right."

Jin Jinlong slowly stood up.

He then looked around at his fellow senior disciples.

"One!"

Jin Jinlong bellowed in a thunderous voice.

"What I want is a perfect victory!"

Everyone held their breath.

"A complete and overwhelming victory in reputation, wealth, and martial arts. Anything less is meaningless. If there's even a single aspect where we can be compared to the already declining Huashan, it's a disgrace to Zhongnan. We cannot be held back by such a place. Have you forgotten? In our generation, we must make Zhongnan the number one sect in the world."

Determination shone in the eyes of the second-generation disciples of Zhongnan.

"Control yourselves. Your relaxed demeanor, as if you're on a trip, angers me. Don't forget why we're here. Those who fail to show the demeanor of a Zhongnan disciple will not be forgiven by me, let alone the elders!"

"We will keep it in mind, Senior Brother!"

"We will not let our guard down."

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

At that moment, the door opened wide.

Sima Sheng entered, clapping his hands.

"Excellent."

"Greetings, Elder!"

Everyone stood up and bowed, and Sima Sheng nodded with a smile.

"Jinlong, you've said what I was going to say."

"I'm ashamed. If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have said such things."

"No, no. It was a very good speech. A Zhongnan disciple should indeed have such a mindset."

Sima Sheng lowered his hand and smiled faintly.

"Moreover."

"Yes, Elder."

"This time, the Zhonghua Assembly cannot end with just a victory. We must make them unable to even mention the name of Zhongnan. Do you understand?"

Jin Jinlong narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"A martial arts competition is about comparing skills. Not harming each other is the basic principle, isn't it?"

Jin Jinlong, who had been lost in thought, smiled.

"Elder."

"Hmm?"

"The Huashan disciples are extremely sharp. They're not like they used to be."

"Hmm?"

Sima Sheng's expression stiffened slightly at Jin Jinlong's sudden weak tone, but it softened again as he continued.

"A martial arts competition is about not harming each other. But given their sharpness, there are limits to how much we can hold back. To avoid getting hurt, we might have to break a limb or two. Is that acceptable?"

"Ah, that's a big problem."

Sima Sheng pretended to ponder, placing his hand on his chin.

"No, no. That won't do. No matter how important the competition is, it's meaningless if our children get hurt. You must end this competition with the least amount of injury. Even if... "

Sima Sheng smiled coldly and continued.

"...you have to hurt them."

Jin Jinlong nodded with a smile, as if that was all he needed to hear.

"I will manage the junior disciples to ensure there are no accidents."

"Hmm, good."

Sima Sheng smiled at Jin Jinlong.

Having such a disciple makes the world worry-free. When Jin Jinlong becomes the sect leader in the future, the golden age of Zhongnan will begin.

Of course, he is already fulfilling that role admirably.

"Jinlong."

"Yes, Elder."

"I'll leave the rest to you. But there's one thing I want to remind you of."

"Please instruct me."

"Don't let that arrogant brat off easily."

"..."

A face came to Jin Jinlong's mind. The other senior disciples were likely thinking of the same person. There was only one person who could be described as both Huashan and arrogant.

"Are you talking about that Qing Ming boy?"

"Yes."

Jin Jinlong smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to correct his behavior."

"You're underestimating him."

"..."

Jin Jinlong, realizing he had spoken out of turn, bowed hastily.

"That boy has already made significant contributions to Huashan through the Galaxy Merchant Guild. You all know this, right?"

"Yes."

Everyone answered firmly, except for Li Songbai, who bowed deeply, unable to shake off his inferiority complex whenever the Galaxy Merchant Guild was mentioned.

Sima Sheng glanced at him briefly before continuing.

"It seems Huashan has a lot of trust in that boy. Despite his character, what does that mean?"

"I'm too foolish to guess."

"The world is a place where the capable rise. But sometimes, the incapable can achieve incredible things through sheer momentum. I believe that if this boy continues to grow, he could become a major threat to Zhongnan."

Jin Jinlong furrowed his brow.

'Is he that much of a threat?'

"But isn't he still a child?"

"Exactly."

"..."

Sima Sheng growled.

"A child who hasn't even reached his twenties has already spoken his mind in front of me. What will happen when he grows up?"

"..."

"Two possibilities. He will either grow excessively or be destroyed."

"Isn't the latter more likely?"

"I cannot accept the possibility that he will grow and strengthen Huashan. Therefore, we must cut him off at the root."

"I understand what you mean, Elder."

Jin Jinlong turned his head.

"Xianliang."

"Yes, Senior Uncle!"

Xianliang, the best among the third-generation disciples, quickly stepped forward.

"Did you hear what the Elder said?"

"Of course, Senior Uncle. Don't worry. I'll thoroughly crush that arrogant mouth so he can never use it again."

"That's not enough. Make sure he can never rise again. Make him regret opposing Zhongnan for the rest of his life."

"Yes, Senior Uncle!"

Jin Jinlong nodded.

Xianliang was called the best talent among the third-generation disciples. Though not the oldest, he was the strongest.

Especially since his skills began to stand out after the last Zhonghua Assembly, Huashan likely has no idea who Xianliang is.

He is the perfect card to capture Qing Ming.

Jin Jinlong smiled at Sima Sheng.

"Everything will go as you wish. I will make it happen."

Sima Sheng nodded with a satisfied smile.

"I trust you."

He is incredibly reliable.

These are the children Zhongnan has raised with great effort. Sima Sheng firmly believed that all their efforts would lead to the golden age of Zhongnan through these children.

And this Zhonghua Assembly would be the beginning of that era.

'I will crush them thoroughly.'

Cold determination filled Sima Sheng's eyes.

* * *

"Are we really going to do this?"

"My heart is pounding so hard I think I'll die."

"I've already gone to the bathroom twelve times today."

"Ugh, that's disgusting."

The third-generation disciples couldn't sleep late into the night.

The Huazong Assembly starts tomorrow. Until now, they were so busy with training that they barely had time to think about the Huazong Assembly.

But now, with a day off to conserve their strength, all sorts of thoughts filled their minds.

"Can we really do this?"

"Qing Ming said he would."

"But he's never faced Zhongnan disciples before."

"That's true, but..."

Yun Zhong sighed deeply.

He understood his fellow disciples' anxiety but couldn't find the right words to calm them.

'I'm so anxious I could go crazy.'

His heart was pounding continuously.

Turning his head slightly, he saw that even the mighty Zhao Jelma looked tense. No wonder no one could sleep, even as dawn approached.

Yun Zhong scratched his head a few times and spoke.

"Qing Ming?"

"He's sleeping."

"..."

"Is he made of steel or something?"

What's the point of being nervous? What's the point of being nervous?

It's the Huazong Assembly tomorrow, or should I say today? It's past midnight.

Just thinking about it makes my heart race.

"He's been sleeping since a while ago."

"I saw him lying flat on his back, even snoring."

"..."

"Envious and also a bit crazy."

Both, probably.

Just as Yun Zhong was about to speak, a nonchalant voice came from the stairs.

"It's not that I'm not nervous, it's that you guys are just cowards."

Everyone's heads turned toward the stairs.

Qing Ming was descending with a bored expression.

"What are you all doing, gathered here so late at night?"

"We're nervous."

"Nervous?"

Qing Ming's head tilted to the side.

'Here we go again. That brat!'

'He's going to criticize us again.'

'What, he's going to say we'll die if we lose, that evil guy!'

But Qing Ming's words were a bit different from what they expected.

"Why are you nervous?"

"..."

"Being nervous is for those who haven't prepared enough, isn't it?"

Yun Zhong answered for the group.

"No, it's not that. I'm just worried about not showing my best tomorrow..."

"Senior Brother."

"Yes?"

"If we could turn back time to ten days ago, would you do anything differently?"

"..."

No, I wouldn't. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick. Having to do this crazy training for ten more days...

"Being nervous is for those who haven't done everything they could. You guys aren't nervous, you just don't believe in yourselves. But that's a ridiculous thing to say. If you're weak, accept it. The important thing is whether you've truly done your best. Have you done your best, Senior Brother?"

"..."

Yes, I can say that with certainty. They had truly done their best.

"Then that's it."

Qing Ming snapped his fingers.

"No matter what others say, I will acknowledge that you've done your best. So don't waste time on useless things. Go to sleep. Getting enough rest the night before is also a part of your skills and efforts."

Everyone nodded.

"Then go to bed."

"..."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to train."

"It's the day of the Huazong Assembly?"

"What's the big deal? Training is ten times more important than that."

With that, Qing Ming opened the door and left.

Everyone let out a low sigh.

"He's really..."

"He's going to train."

Watching Qing Ming maintain his usual routine until the day of the Huazong Assembly made them feel foolish for their previous worries.

"Come on."

Yun Zhong spoke softly.

"Qing Ming is right. If you want to confidently say you've done your best until the end, you need to make the effort to get some sleep."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Everyone seemed to agree and stood up.

As Yun Zhong watched his fellow senior disciples head to their rooms, he turned his head slightly to look at the door Qing Ming had left through.

'He's definitely a strange guy.'

With just a few words, he had calmed everyone who couldn't sleep all night.

No matter the outcome of the Huazong Assembly, with Qing Ming around, the third-generation disciples would become even stronger.

Yun Zhong was certain of that.