Chapter 40

* * *

On the stage, Jin Zhongha, a well-built young man, stood opposite Lian. In contrast, Lian, who had become quite robust since recovering from his illness, looked rather frail.

‘What have you been eating to grow so big? Have you eaten all the good things in the world?’

Lian grumbled inwardly but maintained a serious expression, looking at his opponent without showing any signs of his thoughts.

Jin Zhongha, with his delicate and noble appearance, had a furrowed brow, showing intense concentration.

Between them stood Tai Xu Zhenren. Although he was a guest of the Danmu family, he was also the senior brother of the Kunlun Sect's leader, so he was chosen to oversee the match.

The competition proceeded smoothly, but for some reason, Jin Zhongha kept glancing nervously between Lian and his father.

‘What’s wrong?’

His father, Jin Jige, shook his head sternly, seemingly telling him to focus on the match.

“This is a friendly competition for mutual learning, not a life-or-death duel. You must not use lethal techniques or underhanded tactics. Do not mock your opponent; instead, face each other with integrity and display your true skills.”

His solemn warning echoed heavily across the stage.

At the same moment, the young man and the young woman gripped their wooden swords and faced each other.

Lian looked at Jin Zhongha and recalled the sword techniques of the Jinjia School he had studied.

‘Jin Wu Dao (金迂刀). This technique primarily uses thin swords, focusing on slashing and utilizing the recoil to swing powerfully.’

The audience was packed.

Lian thought that if he won this match, it might help with the sale of the Qinglian Shui, and he shivered slightly with excitement.

‘More here?’

Stars sparkled in Lian’s eyes. This was a match he could not afford to lose. He activated his Heart Sight, Harmony, and even Purification, which he wasn’t sure he needed, and took a deep breath.

At the same moment, Jin Zhongha raised his arm and moved.

“Haaa!”

But Jin Zhongha’s arm seemed to be aimed at a different direction. Lian’s Heart Sight flashed.

‘A sword that arrives first by taking a longer path. The more force applied to the swing, the stronger it becomes, catching the opponent off guard when the sword comes from an unexpected direction. The more skilled and experienced one becomes, the more overwhelmingly powerful it can be...’

Lian smoothly twisted his body. Jin Zhongha’s eyes wavered as he struggled to change the direction of his sword.

‘The main disadvantage is that it’s difficult to change direction because it comes from a distance. The saying that a skilled practitioner is overwhelmingly strong means that it’s hard to be effective before becoming skilled.’

This technique is almost useless without the wisdom to observe and predict the opponent.

Lian deflected Jin Zhongha’s wooden sword, which lacked proper force due to his effort to swing it, and stepped to the side. Lian’s sleeve fluttered, cleverly obstructing Jin Zhongha’s vision, making him flinch.

‘And it’s specialized in attack, weak in defense!’

Once on the defensive, it’s hard to recover without exceptional senses or significant sacrifice.

“Haaa!”

Lian’s sword moved swiftly, threatening Jin Zhongha from all angles.

‘Wow! That is...!’

Tai Xu Zhenren almost jumped up from his seat but restrained himself. Glancing to the side, he saw Ye Yun also watching the match with wide, surprised eyes.

The martial arts of the Kunlun Sect resemble the form of immortals leaping over rugged mountains. When a Kunlun sword reaches its peak, the practitioner can attack without ever touching the ground.

During this long period of flight, Kunlun swordsmen use almost every means to control their bodies, even moving their clothing like limbs.

The movement Lian just displayed, using a slight arm movement to make his clothing flutter and distract and guide the opponent, was a specialty of Kunlun swordsmen.

It might seem like a simple flick of the collar, but deceiving the opponent and making them move as intended is no easy task, especially when weapons are moving faster than breath.

Yet Lian had done it! Jin Zhongha was completely deceived by Lian’s movement.

The tip of the sword aimed at an ineffective spot, and the free girl took two steps to stand behind Jin Zhongha. Jin Zhongha moved urgently.

‘This boy’s strength is truly remarkable!’

His determination to twist the sword’s path and aim at the opponent was commendable.

However, it seemed that the Jin Wu Dao technique did not suit Jin Zhongha’s physique and strength. Tai Xu Zhenren thought this for a moment but quickly dismissed it.

It was impolite to think that someone else’s heir was unsuitable for their martial arts.

At this moment, Lian had a similar thought.

‘This guy would be much better suited to something more domineering, wouldn’t he?’

They say a strong body means less mental suffering, and Jin Zhongha was a perfect example.

“Haaa!”

“Ugh!”

Clang!

Lian barely blocked Jin Zhongha’s sword falling toward his head. He had anticipated this and prepared, but the force of the blow made his wrist ring.

But Jin Zhongha’s attempt ended there. Lian pushed the sword to the right, took two steps during the opponent’s stagger, and stood behind him, pointing his sword at the back of his neck.

“Ah...!”

A sigh of exasperation escaped Jin Zhongha’s lips, and the audience gasped in unison.

With his back caught, defeat was inevitable.

Lian, despite his heavy breathing, kept the tip of his wooden sword steady. Sweat formed on his forehead, sticking to his hair.

Jin Zhongha’s back, gripping the sword, trembled.

Jin Zhongha, with a face red with anger, tried to turn around but flinched as the tip of Lian’s wooden sword touched him.

At the same moment, Tai Xu Zhenren lightly leaped onto the stage. The rustling of his clothing made everyone hold their breath.

Tai Xu Zhenren looked at Lian and Jin Zhongha, then grabbed their weapons with both hands and announced.

“Winner! Danmu Lian!”

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

The crowd cheered and clapped loudly. Only the people from the Jinjia School had stiff, expressionless faces.

Jin Zhongha, turning to look at Lian, had a gaze burning with anger and resentment.

“L-let’s do it again!”

“What?”

“You cheated! How else could you win!”

As jeers began to rise from the crowd, Jin Zhongha’s face turned bright red.

“L-let’s have another match...”

“Jin Zhongha!”

Jin Jige’s roar silenced even those jeering.

Jin Zhongha, with tears welling in his eyes as if he had been betrayed, looked at Jin Jige.

“The match is over.”

“But Father, I...!”

Jin Jige’s expression hardened further, and Jin Zhongha finally closed his mouth, though his glare at Lian remained unchanged.

Lian merely shrugged. Losing to a scrawny kid a few years younger was frustrating enough.

‘I could have made the skill difference more obvious.’

Lian pouted and walked down from the stage.

“Indeed, the winner is from the Danmu family.”

“It’s not easy to defeat a prestigious family.”

“Still, with such a significant age difference, the Danmu family’s eldest daughter won so easily!”

“Indeed, the blood of the Great Gongzi is strong.”

“If the Great Gongzi were still alive...”

“That’s the head of the Jinjia School...”

“Hey, this guy! He can hear you. Be quiet.”

The comments gradually mixed and became indistinguishable.

At that moment,

Lian’s vision flashed red, and words appeared in the air, almost shouting.

*Caution! Do not let your Spirit Qi drop below 10!*

‘Ah! I know! I know!’

He had used his Spirit Qi for Heart Sight, Harmony, and even Purification—regretting using Purification—during the match. Since his Spirit Qi was not abundant to begin with, it quickly ran out.

With the warning, dizziness also set in. Honestly, it wasn’t because he was out of energy, but the thought of collapsing after winning made him feel twice as dizzy.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arms from both sides.

He was lifted slightly off the ground by the force.

“Lian...!”

“You people!”

Then, a furious voice came from the side. Lian slowly tried to regain his balance and looked in the direction of the voice.

Holding his right arm was Danmu Tianji, and holding his left arm was Jin Jige, his face pale with fear.

Sweat was beading on his forehead, and he looked like he would believe if someone stabbed him in the back. Others might have thought Lian was Jin Jige’s sick daughter.

“If the child’s condition was bad, the match should have been canceled! How can you...!”

Jin Jige’s voice trailed off, seemingly choked up.

Danmu Tianji looked at him with a bewildered expression.

Seeing his expression, Jin Jige seemed to come to his senses.

“You... What are you saying?”