Chapter 98

Chapter 97. It's just a joke. (2)

He had always acknowledged the gap.

Jin Jinlong had been called a prodigy among prodigies since he was young. Among the people Bai Qian knew, Jin Jinlong was the one who best deserved the title of genius.

He had already experienced defeat.

At the previous Huazong Assembly and even before that, Bai Qian had never defeated Jin Jinlong. He had only tasted the bitter taste of thorough defeat.

However,

'I thought it would have narrowed.'

After all the effort he had put in.

Qing Ming had criticized his efforts as inadequate, but Bai Qian had truly endured bone-grinding training. He could confidently say he had practiced at least twice as much as Jin Jinlong.

Therefore, he believed that even if he couldn't win, he had at least narrowed the gap.

But reality was always more tragic than imagination.

Thwack!

"Guh!"

Jin Jinlong's sword struck Bai Qian's ankle. Bai Qian almost fell over but managed to regain his balance by gritting his teeth.

If it had been a real sword, his ankle would have been severed. Since it was a wooden sword, it ended there.

But conversely, because it wasn't a real sword, he wasn't even allowed the freedom to lose.

'Why can't I even reach him?'

Why!

After all that effort!

Thwack!

Jin Jinlong's sword struck Bai Qian's opposite thigh again.

The impact was almost bone-breaking. He momentarily lost consciousness, but he didn't even let out a groan. Instead, he struck the ground with the wooden sword and used the recoil to lunge forward.

"Roar!"

His sword aimed for Jin Jinlong's head. A simple, straightforward strike, but it was that much faster and sharper.

"Too slow."

But Jin Jinlong took a step to the side and dodged, completely nullifying Bai Qian's desperate strike.

Thwack!

Jin Jinlong's sword struck Bai Qian's left shoulder.

Flesh tore and blood spurted.

"Guh."

One more attack and the match would be over. But Jin Jinlong stepped back and didn't finish it.

He then looked down at Bai Qian with an arrogant expression.

"Guh."

Bai Qian, using one hand to support himself on the ground, somehow managed to stand up again.

"..."

His eyes were bloodshot.

Though in pain, he didn't lose his fighting spirit as he glared at Jin Jinlong.

"Hmm?"

Jin Jinlong looked at Bai Qian in surprise.

"Even when you can barely stand, you still have some spirit left."

Jin Jinlong raised his sword and pointed it at Bai Qian.

"But that's all. You can't even scratch my clothes in a lifetime."

"..."

"Why?"

"You really lack understanding. I've told you so much."

Jin Jinlong looked around and then spoke.

"That means the gap between your Huashan and our Zhongnan is that great. Your Huashan's martial arts can't match ours. Even after a hundred, a thousand years, it will be the same!"

It was an incredibly arrogant declaration.

But no one could refute Jin Jinlong's words. Even the Huashan disciples, who heard this arrogance, could only bite their lips and couldn't vent their anger.

Xianzong closed his eyes tightly at the scene.

'How much more must we endure?'

As the leader of a sect, how could anyone understand his position, where a mere second-generation disciple could speak so arrogantly, and he couldn't even punish him?

'Heavenly sages.'

Forgive my sins.

However, Jin Jinlong's arrogance didn't stop there.

He smiled at Bai Qian.

"If you want to catch up to me, you should leave Huashan now. There's no future here. A failed sect only leaves ridicule behind."

Bai Qian gritted his teeth.

"I am... a disciple of Huashan."

"Excellent. A man should be like that. But..."

Jin Jinlong rushed at Bai Qian with his sword.

Bai Qian tried to block the incoming sword, but his arm wouldn't move.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

With the sound of a large leather drum, Bai Qian received over a dozen strikes and finally fell sideways.

Boom.

Jin Jinlong glanced at the unconscious Bai Qian and smiled sarcastically.

"I'm not going to go easy on you. Oh, did I say that a bit late?"

With a mocking smile, Jin Jinlong casually retrieved the wooden sword and stepped over the fallen Bai Qian, heading back to his side.

Defeat.

It was a perfect defeat.

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother!"

The Huashan disciples finally came to their senses and rushed onto the training ground.

"Senior Uncle!"

"Don't touch him carelessly!"

"..."

Bai Shang, who carefully carried the unconscious Bai Qian, paused for a moment in silence, then bowed his head. He then shouted with a distorted face.

"This is too much!"

Jin Jinlong, who was returning to his position, turned to look at Bai Shang.

"What's too much?"

"This is a sparring match! How can you injure your opponent like this in a sparring match?"

"A sparring match... So it ended there, didn't it?"

"..."

Jin Jinlong smiled mockingly.

"If I had used a real sword, what do you think would have happened to him by now?"

"..."

"You only survived because it was a sparring match. Isn't that right?"

"How can you be so ruthless..."

"Don't be so angry."

"..."

Jin Jinlong chuckled.

"I was also quite surprised. I didn't expect him to be that weak. I thought he could block a bit. I apologize for that."

Bai Shang bit his lip until it bled.

A perfect defeat.

And ridicule that went far beyond the limit.

His heart sank and his blood boiled. If he could, he would drag that guy out and tear him to pieces.

But there was nothing Bai Shang could do now.

"Take Senior Brother to the medical hall! Right now!"

"Yes!"

The disciples carried Bai Qian and ran off as Bai Shang drew his wooden sword.

"Let me see what that famous Zhongnan sword is like!"

"I don't think you can. Xue Han."

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

"Deal with him."

"Understood!"

Zong Xuehan smiled and entered the training ground.

Seeing him walk out confidently, Bai Shang gripped his wooden sword tightly.

The atmosphere on the training ground grew increasingly tense, while the spectators remained very cheerful.

"Indeed, excellent."

"Bai Qian was stronger than expected. But Jin Jinlong's achievement surpasses expectations."

"Indeed, he lives up to the title of the best prodigy in Shaanxi. And Zhongnan, which has such a disciple, is worthy of being the best sect in Shaanxi."

"Is that so. Hahaha."

Huang Wenyao's expression hardened.

'That's why merchants are like this.'

Was it ethnic hatred?

While a person was carried away in a state of utter defeat, no one paid any attention. No one blamed the excessive force used in a sparring match.

It was a natural thing.

They were only interested in assessing Jin Jinlong and Zhongnan's strength to see how they could make money.

Huang Wenyao was not much different from them, but at this moment, he couldn't hide his disgust.

'This is a devastating defeat.'

Bai Qian and Jin Jinlong.

The representatives of Huashan and Zhongnan, and the result was one-sided to the point of being shocking.

Until the end, Bai Qian didn't even touch Jin Jinlong's clothes.

If the Huazong Assembly continued like this, Huashan would never regain its former glory, no matter what.

In fact, the decline would likely accelerate. No one would recognize Huashan.

No matter how much money Huang Wenyao threw at it, it was an irreversible situation. It was a death sentence.

'Small Dao Hall. What are you thinking?'

He thought there must be a strategy to gather people and set up a stage. But now, even that was in doubt.

'Have I overestimated the Small Dao Hall?'

Huang Wenyao's gaze fixed on Qing Ming.

"Is Senior Uncle okay?"

"He won't be."

"Is he badly hurt?"

"He is."

"..."

Frustrated by Qing Ming's indifferent response, Yun Zhong finally shouted.

"No matter how bad the relationship, he's your Senior Uncle. How can you be so indifferent after seeing him suffer like that?"

"Calm down, Senior Brother."

"This brat!"

"Calm down, I said."

Qing Ming's low voice made Yun Zhong open his eyes slightly. It was different from his usual response.

"Do you think he can win?"

"..."

Yun Zhong bit his lip.

He didn't hope for a win. But he thought Bai Qian would at least maintain some dignity. After all, Bai Qian was the prodigy who carried all of Huashan's hopes.

Perhaps Yun Zhong was so agitated now because of the devastating defeat more than the injuries.

'Is the gap with Zhongnan really that great?'

The Nine Great Sects, the Nine Great Sects, but Huashan's disciples didn't feel they were that impressive. They were once part of the Nine Great Sects.

Although they had declined, they believed that with the right timing and effort, they could one day compete with the Nine Great Sects.

But the wall of the Nine Great Sects was higher and more massive than they thought.

Qing Ming chuckled.

"If effort alone could make everyone a master, there would be no non-masters in the world. The important thing is not just effort, but how you put in that effort."

"..."

"Watch. All the second-generation disciples will lose."

"All of them?"

"There's no one who can win. Well, there is one, but... it seems he won't participate."

Yun Zhong's face hardened.

The second-generation disciples' record at the last Huazong Assembly was 2 draws and 8 losses.

A terrible record.

Now, he was saying they wouldn't even manage a draw?

"..."

"Is this how we lose?"

So devastatingly.

But then Qing Ming looked at Yun Zhong with wide eyes.

"Lose? Who said we lose?"

"Huh? You just said..."

"That's the second-generation disciples!"

"..."

Qing Ming's eyes darted around.

"Are you saying the Zhongnan guys will win and leave Huashan? Who says so? As long as I'm here, I won't let that happen! Even if I'm blind, I won't let it happen!"

"..."

"So, warm up. We might have to do something more spectacular."

"No, but..."

At that moment,

"Ah!"

Yun Zhong's head snapped around. He saw Bai Shang lying on the ground.

Zong Xuehan kicked the fallen Bai Shang.

"Still want to fight?"

"Ugh..."

"Just a big mouth."

Zong Xuehan glanced at Bai Shang and then looked up at the Huashan disciples, smirking.

Qing Ming spoke.

"Hey, but that guy?"

"Seize him!"

The third-generation disciples rushed over and grabbed Qing Ming.

Seeing this, Zong Xuehan laughed in disbelief.

"What a sight. You really are an unpredictable sect."

"Hmm?"

Qing Ming's eyes narrowed.

"Let's see how long that smirk lasts."

I've got my eye on you.

It's too late to regret now!