Chapter 174

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Zhang Xiaohua’s opponent that round looked weaker than the ones from previous rounds and seemed slightly younger as well. In the earlier matches, this opponent had mostly lost, with only a few draws, making him likely the weakest in the group, aside from Zhang Xiaohua.

In Changge and Chen Chen’s eyes, it seemed like a few moves would be enough to settle the match.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t a female disciple from Ming Cui Hall standing on the stage—it was Zhang Xiaohua. So, the situation on the platform unfolded similarly to previous matches.

Although this Young Eagle Hall disciple was the weakest, his fist techniques, palm techniques, and internal energy were all decent. Most importantly, his Qinggong was quite good. Faced with this situation, Zhang Xiaohua could only look on in frustration.

Sigh, could this be what the ancients describe as: strong against the strong, weak against the weak?

Both Changge and Chen Chen had this thought pop up in their minds at the same time.

Given this, no matter what happened in the match, the result was already certain. After fighting for the duration of one incense stick, it would most likely end in a draw. The audience below the platform couldn’t imagine any other outcome!

On the platform, Zhang Xiaohua’s punches were forceful and wild, while his opponent used Qinggong, flitting here and there. A phrase suddenly came to Changge’s mind: A bull chewing on a peony!

Yes, a bull chewing on a peony.

Zhang Xiaohua is like a bull recklessly chewing on the delicate peony that was the martial techniques of the Piaomiao Sect.

The martial arts of the Piaomiao Sect were so refined. The various fist techniques, palm techniques, and Qinggong displayed were like a beautiful peony in full bloom. Yet, Zhang Xiaohua, this “bull”, was not fighting with similar techniques. Instead, he was using his brute strength and a simple boxing style, charging recklessly and forcing his opponent to dodge in all directions. Whenever he faced a technique he couldn’t counter, Zhang Xiaohua used just one strategy: Dodge! After dodging for a while, he would immediately resume his brute-force punches, relentlessly pounding away at his opponent. This rough, wild method of competition was entirely different from the other Young Eagle Hall disciples’ elegant duels. While others competed through a beautiful display of techniques like flowers blooming, Zhang Xiaohua demonstrated his strength by crushing and destroying that beauty.

Other than “a bull chewing on a peony”, there really isn’t a better phrase to describe Zhang Xiaohua’s fighting style.

However, Zhang Xiaohua, this bull, truly has the strength to be called a bull. The power in his arms goes without saying. Although the Big Dipper Divine Fist doesn’t have many moves, with only 108 in total, in Zhang Xiaohua’s hands, it turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. When facing the various techniques and moves of the Young Eagle Hall disciples, he counters all of them with the same approach, dismantling each move as it comes, without falling behind.

In fact, Changge and Chen Chen had set their expectations for Zhang Xiaohua too high. They had seen his stunning sword technique and naturally assumed that Zhang Xiaohua’s martial arts were extraordinary. However, they had selectively forgotten:

How long has Zhang Xiaohua been practicing martial arts? How long have the disciples of Piaomiao Sect’s Young Eagle Hall been practicing martial arts?

How many martial arts resources does Zhang Xiaohua have access to? And how many martial arts resources do the disciples of Piaomiao Sect’s Young Eagle Hall have access to?

These things are simply incomparable!

Because, when compared to the height and size differences of the two on the platform, these are things people don’t even think about.

It only feels like Zhang Xiaohua, who is a full head taller, is bullying the small child on the other side. If Zhang Xiaohua wins, it’s expected, but if he doesn’t win, it would be unacceptable.

Does being older and taller mean you must win?

Of course not.

At least, among those on the same field, Yu Deyi and Shangguan Yun are proof of that.

There’s no need to mention Shangguan Yun—he lost three matches in a row yesterday, and today’s two matches haven’t gone any better. As for Yu Deyi, after two draws and one loss yesterday, earning him one point, he had hoped today would bring steady improvement. But as soon as he stepped on the platform, he encountered a formidable opponent and lost two matches in a row, even losing the point he had gained yesterday.

At this moment, both of them hung their heads low, like ostriches, hiding among the crowd of children.

Today, their dejection was exactly the opposite of yesterday. Yesterday, Shangguan Yun was unusually dejected, feeling that coming here was a complete mistake. But after a sleepless night, he truly understood his shortcomings. Although he had practiced martial arts for several years back in his hometown, it was essentially self-taught, without formal instruction from others. Even though he had trained earnestly at the Lotus Escort Agency’s martial arts hall, and despite his diligent study and hard work, the time had simply been too short. As a result, he realized that his failures were completely normal. If he had won, that would have been the abnormal outcome. Today, he was fully prepared for failure. Losing two or three matches was something he could accept, after all, he couldn’t compare to the exceptionally talented disciples of the Piaomiao Sect. His own talent and resources were severely lacking.

Meanwhile, yesterday, although Yu Deyi had also been dejected, there was a trace of excitement within him. After all, it was a rare opportunity to spar with the Piaomiao Sect disciples, even if they were only first-level Cloth-Robe disciples. He had chalked up yesterday’s failure to a momentary lapse or encountering a stronger opponent early on. After a night of meditation, he was ready to show his skills today and win resoundingly. Of course, bullying the younger and weaker wasn’t appropriate, but for the sake of face, he couldn’t care too much. However, reality had harshly taught him a lesson: today’s opponents were the true experts, and yesterday’s were merely appetizers.

As the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Today, Yu Deyi was completely deflated.

Because Yu Deyi and Shangguan Yun had drawn earlier numbers in their group, while Zhang Xiaohua was just finishing his second match, the two of them were already starting their third round.

There was no miracle in the third round either. Yu Deyi held on for most of the match but was eventually forced off the platform by his opponent’s relentless attacks. After his humiliating defeat, Yu Deyi jumped off the platform, standing dazed on the ground. He turned to look back at the proud boy on the platform, clearly realizing that this was not his stage. The one releasing his dreams wasn’t him, but that triumphant youth. Gathering himself, Yu Deyi looked down at the ground beneath his feet. It seemed he had truly come to the wrong place.

It was as if a decision had been made. When Yu Deyi raised his head again, his eyes were clear. On the platform, another contestant was already displaying their talents. Though Yu Deyi felt a lingering attachment, he was resolute. He walked slowly to one of the Group Leaders and spoke to him in a low voice. The Group Leader listened, showing no surprise or unusual reaction, as if Yu Deyi’s words had been expected.

After listening to Yu Deyi, the Group Leader gave a slight nod and returned his attention to the match on the platform. When Yu Deyi raised his hand in a gesture of farewell, the Group Leader merely waved him off.

Yu Deyi left—decisively leaving a stage that wasn’t his.

As he made his way out of the noisy crowd and headed toward the gate, he heard someone call his name from behind. Turning around, he saw it was Shangguan Yun. Seeing the somewhat forlorn expression on Shangguan Yun’s face, Yu Deyi smiled. The way of Yu is not lonely.

The two contestants from the Lotus Escort Agency left just like that, waving goodbye without drawing any attention. It seems that for a long time to come, the Lotus Escort Agency won’t be sending anyone to participate in the martial arts competition again.

As Yu Deyi and Shangguan Yun walked away, they didn’t talk about the competition, nor did they have the interest to discuss the other wildcard contestant, Zhang Xiaohua. In their minds, even their own level was barely worth mentioning, so what could a country bumpkin like Zhang Xiaohua possibly accomplish? They assumed he’d be knocked off the platform the moment he stepped onto it.

Their only thought now was: What on earth was Yu Lun thinking, pushing us to participate in this ridiculous martial arts competition, making us lose face so thoroughly? The first thing I’ll do when I get back is deal with him! Meanwhile, at the Lotus Escort Agency, Yu Lun, who was currently busy currying favor with Fourth Master Wen, kept sneezing nonstop. He couldn’t understand why and asked himself, I behaved well last night at Flowing Fragrance Pavilion, didn’t I? After all, I’ve been carefully saving the money that Yu Deyi rewarded me with!

Setting aside the fact that the two extras at the martial arts tournament had finally realized their role, fulfilled their mission, and withdrawn in resignation, another extra at the Young Eagle Hall’s square seemed to have no such self-awareness. Instead, he was proudly bragging about his fist techniques to the big sister who admired him.

In truth, calling it “bragging” might be an exaggeration. Zhang Xiaohua wasn’t saying much, but he couldn’t fend off Chen Chen’s incessant questions. Zhang Xiaohua’s Big Dipper Divine Fist was quite different from the popular fist techniques yet also quite similar. Many of the moves were ones Chen Chen had learned herself. She was very curious about how this mysterious boy, whom she held in high regard, had managed to alter all 108 moves of the fist techniques so chaotically, yet still be so harmonious.

Unable to resist this curious girl’s persistent questions, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t really know how he had pieced the moves together either, so he could only respond vaguely. As a result, under Chen Chen’s deliberate flattery, Zhang Xiaohua’s tail started to raise a bit.

Could it be that I’m really a genius, like the stories say?

Unlike the constant chatter of Chen Chen, Changge remained mostly silent. It wasn’t that she didn’t like to talk, but with Chen Chen monopolizing Zhang Xiaohua’s attention, Changge could only speak with Zhang Xiaohu. However, since Changge didn’t know much about Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaohu knew even less about her, they struggled to find any topics to talk about, leading to an awkward silence between them.

The two of them focused intently on the match taking place on the platform.

After watching for a while, Zhang Xiaohu furrowed his brows slightly, leaned over, and asked Changge: “Junior Sister Changge—oh, no, I mean, Changge, could you explain the martial arts techniques that these two junior brothers on the platform are using? Since I’ve only recently joined the sect, I’m not familiar with the martial arts of our sect. If I can take this opportunity to learn more about our sect’s techniques, I think it would be helpful for my future training.”

Changge smiled slightly when she heard this. She wasn’t fond of the awkward silence either, and Zhang Xiaohu’s question stirred her interest in teaching. Pointing to the competitors on the platform, she began to explain to Zhang Xiaohu, describing the various moves of the disciples in detail and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each technique.

Thus, Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaohua, for the first time, enjoyed a deeply memorable and perfect afternoon.

As the sun began to set, Zhang Xiaohua reluctantly climbed the ladder once again, returning to the task of crudely trampling over the graceful techniques of others.

The outcome, of course, was predictable. The people below the platform stared blankly as the incense stick slowly burned down, having lost interest in watching the match. It was laughable—after watching four matches of the same kind, the first match might have been astonishing, and the second still enjoyable. But when it’s the same few moves over and over again, who could still find it exciting?

Even when the match ended, the audience was too disinterested to applaud. It wasn’t until Group Leader Chang announced the result as a draw that the crowd finally dispersed in disappointment.

After Zhang Xiaohu and the others left Young Eagle Hall and reached a fork in the road, Zhang Xiaohu naturally wanted to invite everyone to have dinner together. In reality, having dinner together just meant sitting in the same dining hall to eat. The Piaomiao Sect had many disciples, and naturally, there were many dining halls. For example, Ming Cui Hall and Young Eagle Hall each had their own dining halls. As a direct disciple, Zhang Xiaohu also had access to a dining hall reserved for them. However, Changge didn’t give him the chance. She politely declined, saying that it wasn’t convenient for them to join him at the direct disciples’ dining hall. Plus, she hadn’t been back to Ming Cui Hall all day and needed to return quickly to check on the results of the matches. She gave various reasons, gently turning down Zhang Xiaohu’s kind offer.

Zhang Xiaohu didn’t insist, and after exchanging formal goodbyes, the group parted ways.

After Changge and Chen Chen had gone far away, Zhang Xiaohu finally withdrew his gaze. He then slapped Zhang Xiaohua on the shoulder and laughed: “You little rascal, you actually lied to me yesterday.”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback, rubbed his shoulder where Zhang Xiaohu had slapped him, and pretended to be in pain, grinning as he said: “Second Brother, how did I lie to you yesterday?”

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled and said: “You didn’t lose a single match yesterday, so why did you tell me you lost them all? You had me comforting you for half the day, not even daring to bring up the matches. If I had known you were this strong, able to fight three consecutive draws against our Piaomiao Sect disciples, I would’ve toasted with three cups of wine in celebration yesterday!”

Zhang Xiaohua also smiled and said: “I didn’t say I lost, I just said I didn’t win. But not winning doesn’t mean I lost! A draw is still not a win, right?”

Zhang Xiaohu was stunned and thought to himself: “That’s true, a draw is still not a win. But there’s a huge difference between a draw and a loss.”

Then, Zhang Xiaohua added: “Besides, I didn’t win—that’s a fact. Wait until I win tomorrow, and then you can celebrate.”

Zhang Xiaohu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He wanted to tell him: “Give it a rest. You’ve only been training for a few days, while they’ve been practicing for years. How can you compare to them?”

But he didn’t want to discourage his enthusiasm, so he just said: “Alright then, we’ll see your skills tomorrow. Just don’t keep drawing again!”

Zhang Xiaohua patted his chest and said: “Second Brother, just wait and see tomorrow.”

Zhang Xiaohu couldn’t believe it. If there was anything other than another draw tomorrow, it would be a miracle.

After a moment, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly said: “Second Brother, tomorrow is the last day of the martial arts competition. I think I’ll be returning to Huanxi Villa by tomorrow evening. Since it’s still early today, I’d like to go visit Captain He and the others. I’m sure they’ve finished their matches by now. What do you think?”

Zhang Xiaohu thought for a moment. Since Changge and the others had spent plenty of time at Young Eagle Hall today, He Tianshu and the others had probably finished as well. So, he nodded and led Zhang Xiaohua toward the direction of the Medicine Hall.

Zhang Xiaohu wasn’t exactly sure where the Medicine Hall was, but as the saying goes, ‘The road is right under your nose’. After asking around a bit, they found their way to the Medicine Hall.

The location of the Medicine Hall was quite peculiar; it was actually situated at the innermost part of Piaomiao Manor. The journey from Young Eagle Hall to the Medicine Hall was not a short one. Along the way, they encountered many excited disciples. After all, it was the grand annual event, and many had gained something from it. Additionally, several platforms were being dismantled across the various squares, signaling the end of the matches and the need to clean up.

Each small courtyard and square had lit up with lanterns and torches, indicating that yet another lively and orderly night was about to begin.

Following directions from others for quite some time, they reached a point where there were fewer people around. It was only then that they arrived at a long green wall, beside which stood a wide vermillion gate that was open. Several large lanterns hung at the entrance, casting light onto the large golden characters above the door: “Medicine Hall.”

Unlike Young Eagle Hall, the entrance to the Medicine Hall was guarded. Disciples entering or exiting were required to present their identification tokens for verification.

It was still early in the evening, and many disciples were going in and out. Judging by their accustomed expressions, it seemed like a routine procedure.

Zhang Xiaohu led Zhang Xiaohua to the gate. The guards noticed that Zhang Xiaohu was unfamiliar, and their expressions grew wary as they stepped forward to stop him. Zhang Xiaohu wasn’t bothered by this and obediently presented his identification token. Zhang Xiaohua, not having such a token, handed over his tournament number plate instead. The guard carefully inspected Zhang Xiaohu’s token and asked a few detailed questions before returning it. However, after looking at Zhang Xiaohua’s number plate, the guard shook his head and said: “Young brother, the tournament number plate only proves that you are allowed to participate in the matches. It doesn’t confirm your identity. Do you have an identification token?”

Zhang Xiaohua had a sudden realization and patted his own head. He remembered that he still had the Huanxi Villa token. Ever since he returned to the villa last time, Qiu Tong had given him an identification token, saying that from then on, he wouldn’t need to borrow a token from the guards whenever he left the villa. He had kept it tucked in his chest and had long forgotten about it. He also recalled that He Tianshu had once told him that the Huanxi Villa token could also grant access to Piaomiao Manor. How could he have forgotten?

Zhang Xiaohua quickly retrieved the Huanxi Villa identification token from his chest and handed it over.

The guard took it, inspected it carefully, then smiled and said: “Young brother, you must be from Huanxi Villa, here to participate in the martial arts competitioon, right?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded quickly, confirming this.

However, the guard still looked regretful and said: “This Huanxi Villa token indeed allows you access to Piaomiao Manor, but unfortunately, the Medicine Hall is a crucial part of our sect. Only Medicine Hall disciples and core disciples are allowed to enter freely. Although your token verifies your identity, it doesn’t grant you entry here.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua became anxious and said: “The Medicine Hall is that restricted? I only want to meet Captain He Tianshu.”

The guard maintained his helpless expression and replied: “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, young brother. We truly have this rule. Unless you have a special permit issued by an elder of the Medicine Hall or higher, even if He Tianshu himself came to fetch you, it still wouldn’t be allowed.”

Zhang Xiaohua felt frustrated. He only wanted to see He Tianshu, Nie Xiao’er, and the others—why was it so troublesome? Forget it, he thought. He might as well head back to his Second Brother’s place.

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