Chapter 41

As if air was slowly filling his lungs, Jin Jige slowly released the hand that had been tightly gripping Lian's wrist. However, the light did not return to his pale face. It seemed as if Jin Jige was still standing, wandering through a terrible nightmare.

Tairen Zhenren cleared his throat and interjected, while also not forgetting to signal the people around.

The servants of the two families quickly regained their composure and began to disperse the onlookers.

The difference was that the people of the Danmu family had a somewhat smug expression, while the people of the Jin family were trying hard to hide their dejected looks.

"Ahem. Lian, are you alright? If you're not feeling well, we should call a doctor right away..."

"No, no, no! I'm fine! I just lost my concentration and felt a bit weak. This was my first time in such a match!"

Lian raised his arm and shouted, forcefully asserting his well-being, which made Tairen Zhenren smile.

"That's a relief. Both of you showed a splendid match, so shouldn't we give a prize, elders?"

However, despite his efforts to lighten the mood, the representatives of the two families remained silent. Lian glanced to the side.

The face of the Jin family's head, who looked even more pained than himself, was etched in his mind. And the look on his mother's face as she gazed at the Jin family's head.

Wei Ziqing's eyes did not show any hostility towards Jin Jige. Instead, there was a sense of empathy, as if she was looking at someone who had lost the same thing.

"Ugh..."

At that moment, Jin Zongxia, standing beside him, let out a stifled groan and staggered. A cramp had seized his leg from the strain of the match.

"Zongxia!"

"Master!"

Lian, who was closest, instinctively supported him. Jin Zongxia's limbs were trembling.

Seeing this, people began to murmur.

* * *

Jin Zongxia, feeling extremely embarrassed that he had a cramp while Lian was standing fine, lay on the bed without even looking back.

"Hehe, it's just a cramp, so there's no need to worry."

The doctor, who had been called, chuckled and gave him some acupuncture before gathering his things.

Lian wanted the doctor to stay longer, to brew some herbal medicine and apply moxibustion to Jin Zongxia's limbs, but the doctor left without any hesitation.

As he left the inner chamber, an awkward silence fell among the remaining people.

The Jins, father and son, were tight-lipped, Wei Ziqing was unusually quiet and composed, Danmu Xianwu was busy shooting worried glances at Jin Jige and then at Lian, and Danmu Tianji was silently observing them with a deep, thoughtful expression.

Tairen, who had inadvertently become involved in the family affairs, tried to leave but stayed due to Lian's pleading gaze.

However, Lian soon regretted it.

"Um... Since the match was constructive and Jin is not seriously injured, why don't we review the match?"

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere became twice as cold.

While Jin Zongxia's face burned with indignation, Lian pressed his forehead. Tairen looked around, flustered.

'Oh, Master...'

In a Taoist sect, after a match, they could laugh and review the match together. After all, they were people who had gathered to become immortals!

But this was the secular world. Moreover, even Ye Yun had not immediately conceded after a match with Lian. In this situation, who would listen to a match review?

"...Hmm, the Zhenren is right."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

"A, Father!"

But Jin Jige agreed. While Jin Zongxia looked at his father with a betrayed expression, Danmu Tianji spoke up this time.

"Bring the writing materials. Since Jin had a cramp in his arm, Lian, you can summarize the discussion."

Lian realized he would be surrounded by the elders of both families, forced to review the match.

Lian's mind worked faster than during the match.

"Then, I'll do it with Jin alone!"

"What?"

The scar on Danmu Tianji's eyebrow twitched. Lian spoke firmly.

"A martial artist doesn't casually talk about their martial arts to others."

"Your martial arts come from me, and Jin's come from the Jin family's head. Are you saying this?"

"Respected parents and grandparents have shaped my outward appearance, but I will build my inner self."

Jin Jige let out a sound that was hard to tell if it was a laugh or a sigh. Danmu Tianji shook his head and left with the elders.

However, the guards, the young servants, and Ye Yun remained to protect the premises. They were of similar age and had observed the match, so it was suggested they discuss together.

Lian understood that Ye Yun, a Taoist, was left to prevent any accidents but said nothing, just nodding.

* * *

In the inner courtyard, a boy and a girl sat facing each other at a large table.

"Is this okay?"

Hualun, beside Lian, fiddled with the inkstone and glanced at Jin Zongxia.

The perceptive Hualun seemed to have grasped the relationship between the Jin family and the Danmu family, and why Lian's father had died.

Jin Zongxia, his face flushed, was whispering to his servant and did not hear Hualun's words. Lian replied in a low voice.

"It would be embarrassing to do this with all the elders around."

"Um."

Not that...

However, Hualun did not say more and took the inkstone from Lian's hand, grinding it smoothly. When Lian tried to take it back, Hualun almost sternly avoided his hand.

In a few strokes, the ink was ground smoothly.

"Ugh."

"Um."

Meanwhile, Jin Zongxia's expression, who had to review the match with a child a head shorter than himself, was a sight to behold.

His face showed admiration, then an attempt to look dignified, then anger, and his expressions changed rapidly. One might believe he had a cramp in his face rather than his arm.

"Honestly, I let you win because I was a bit careless. If I had done it properly from the start, I could have won!"

Jin Zongxia said bluntly. Lian narrowed his eyes at Jin Zongxia, and a small laugh was heard.

It was Ye Yun, sitting beside them with a composed posture.

"Why, why are you laughing?"

Jin Zongxia's face turned bright red at the laughter, and his servant fidgeted.

"Well, you said you could win..."

Ye Yun's expression showed a hint of the experience and superiority of someone who had tasted defeat, which Jin Zongxia avoided, calling out in a slightly deflated voice.

"Or did you, Danmu Lian, use some trick?!"

"What trick?"

Jin Zongxia's mind raced.

"Um, did you listen to the elders' advice through secret communication during the match...?"

There was a limit to the tricks a ten-year-old, no matter how robust, could think of.

"Does that make sense?"

Listening to advice through secret communication and implementing it during a match was something even a decent expert would find hard to do, but Jin Zongxia shook his head vigorously. He seemed unable to accept the current situation.

"That's it! That must be it! You were dodging too quickly! Always criticizing my father, and now using underhanded tactics in a match?!"

"Master..."

While the servant fidgeted, Lian tilted his head.

"Then, let's do it again?"

"What?"

"Let's have another match. There are no elders around now."

"That...!"

"Scared?"

Lian said this and picked up the brush. Jin Zongxia jumped up from his seat.

"Come on!"

At his aggressive voice, Ye Yun, looking a bit more flustered, whispered to Lian.

"Lian, don't be too harsh..."

He seemed to feel sympathy for Jin Zongxia. It might have been a sense of shared suffering. Lian pouted and looked at Ye Yun.

"Whose friend are you, Master Ye Yun?"

"Of course, I'm Lian's friend. Do you want to borrow my sword?"

"Hey! What are you whispering about! Giving secret advice again?! Get out right now!"

* * *

Jin Zongxia, with puffy, tear-stained eyes, sat quietly opposite Lian. His hair was disheveled, and his face was stained with dried mud.

"Shall we review the match?"

"..."

"Or have another match?"

"No, no. Let's... review the match..."

Jin Zongxia, startled, quickly spoke.

"Um, in the third round..."

As he spoke, Jin Zongxia quietly closed his mouth and observed Lian's reaction.

"In the second round?"

"Um."

"Surely not from the first round..."

"Can you start from the beginning?"

"No... um... yes... okay..."