Chapter 182

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Zhang Xiaohua’s opponent’s little abacus was rattling. People’s strength would eventually run out, and Zhang Xiaohua would be no exception.

However, the duration one can maintain their strength varies from person to person.

In Zhang Xiaohua’s previous match, he almost exhausted himself to death (in terms of energy!) because he recklessly used too much force at the start. Naturally, in this match, he was very careful in managing his strength. Seeing that his opponent kept dodging without attacking, he resorted to using mostly feints. From starting with seven real moves and three feints, he shifted to seven feints and three real moves, and by the end, he was using nothing but feints. After all, if you’re not attacking, why should I go all out?

Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua had just refreshed his body with the Big Dipper Divine Fist, leaving him even more energized than when he had first entered the stage. In such a startle how could he be exhausted in two or three incense sticks’ time?

Thus, an unbelievable scene unfolded on the stage, much to Zhang Xiaohu’s amazement: Zhang Xiaohua was actually chasing his opponent all around the arena.

Although keen observers could see clearly that his opponent was using a hit-and-run tactic, moving like a young swallow darting around the platform, gracefully dodging Zhang Xiaohua’s punches, it was still defensive and lacked some momentum, making it less appealing to watch. Zhang Xiaohua’s movements, in contrast, were clumsy and heavy due to his lack of Qinggong, yet they carried a certain unrefined power, giving him a certain imposing and heroic spirit.

And so, the two of them continued their match, alternately attacking and retreating, for nearly an incense stick’s time.

Although Qinggong doesn’t consume as much internal energy as other techniques, it still requires energy to maintain. Otherwise, Zhang Xiaohua would have already mastered it by now. After a full incense stick of running around the stage, his opponent began to sweat heavily. Zhang Xiaohua, on the other hand, was breathing heavily as well. Seeing this, the opponent was secretly pleased—his strategy was working. Zhang Xiaohua had clearly used up a significant amount of his strength.

At first, the disciple planned to switch his strategy to a more offensive one if his tactics hadn’t shown results by mid-match. However, seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s footsteps slowing down and his breathing becoming more labored, he grew excited. He took a deep breath, allowing his internal energy to flow through his meridians, and continued his evasive movements even faster.

He was confident that Zhang Xiaohua could last no more than half an incense stick’s time. Once Zhang Xiaohua was out of strength, it was time for him to pick the fruits of victory.

As expected, Zhang Xiaohua’s steps grew heavier, and his breathing became even more ragged. The disciple patiently waited for another half-incense stick to pass, calculating that the time had come. He let out a triumphant shout, halted his evasive footwork, and said with a grin: “Number 250, you’ve fallen for my trick. Now, watch this!”

With that, he spun his body and leaped into the air, his legs shifting rapidly as he alternated kicks toward Zhang Xiaohua.

Zhang Xiaohua grinned widely, revealing a flash of white teeth. Instead of dodging, he planted his feet firmly, spreading his legs slightly apart and sinking into a horse stance. He raised his fists and met the incoming kicks head-on.

A series of “bang, bang, bang” sounds echoed across the arena as the opponent’s kicks, filled with internal energy, collided with Zhang Xiaohua’s powerful fists.

Zhang Xiaohua remained as steady as a mountain, completely unmoved, while the kicks, like water crashing against a rock, failed to break through. The opponent, after several unsuccessful attempts, withdrew and landed back on the ground. His legs trembled slightly, aching from the impact. On the other side, Zhang Xiaohua relaxed his fists and shook them out, seemingly feeling the same strain as his opponent.

The disciple stared at Zhang Xiaohua in shock and asked: “Do you still have the strength to withstand my Shadowless Kick? You didn’t really use up much energy earlier, did you?”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled, his face looking innocent and harmless. “You guess? You guess? You guess, guess, guess?”

Without waiting for the disciple to respond, he suddenly closed the distance and launched a punch toward his opponent’s chest. Thinking it was another feint, the disciple moved to dodge. But as the punch neared, he realized it was backed by real force, and the sharp wind accompanying it made him panic. His face changed, and he quickly raised his palm to block it. The punch and palm collided, sending the disciple staggering as he realized Zhang Xiaohua had used his full strength.

Seeing his punch blocked, Zhang Xiaohua didn’t hesitate. He followed up with another move, forcing the disciple to respond immediately, leaving him no time to regain his footing or continue his evasive tactics.

That disciple was one step behind with every move, constantly falling behind. Zhang Xiaohua pressed his advantage, each punch driving his opponent to fight with full force, using all his internal energy to defend.

After this period of training, Zhang Xiaohua’s fist technique had long lost its earlier immaturity. Even if Nie Xiao’er were to step up now, relying on his old trick of using ‘four ounces to move a thousand pounds’, he would no longer be a match. The inner strength of this current disciple far surpassed Nie Xiao’er’s, but Zhang Xiaohua’s arms, with their unknown amount of strength, were more than enough to cope with it.

In the last half of incense stick’s time, Zhang Xiaohua truly dominated his opponent, leaving him no room to even catch his breath, let alone sneak in a counterattack.

The disciple was utterly frustrated. He had initially thought he was setting a trap for Zhang Xiaohua, only to realize too late that Zhang Xiaohua had turned the tables, cleverly luring him into a counter-trap. He inwardly cursed himself for not having studied the Thrirty-Six Stratagems thoroughly enough.

As Zhang Xiaohua continued his triumphant offensive, relishing the satisfaction of his strategy working, and his opponent was filled with regret, struggling to fend off the relentless attacks, a loud shout from below the stage suddenly broke the moment: “Time’s up! Stop!”

Zhang Xiaohua immediately jumped up in excitement and shouted to Zhang Xiaohu below: “Second Brother, hahaha! It’s a draw again. Another draw.”

But his opponent’s face had gone ashen, filled with dejection.

Just as Zhang Xiaohua was happily preparing to step down from the stage, satisfied with the tie, the team leader below announced: “This match—Number 250 wins!”

Zhang Xiaohua froze in surprise and asked: “Group Leader, wasn’t it a draw? How did I win?”

The Group Leader, clearly in no mood to argue, waved him off and said: “If I say you won, then you won. Stop asking so many questions and go rest up for the next round.”

With that, he turned to call the next set of contestants to the stage.

Zhang Xiaohua reluctantly jumped off the stage and grabbed a nearby onlooker, asking cheerfully: “Brother, can you tell me how I ended up winning?”

The young man gave him a cold look and asked: “What’s your surname?”

Zhang Xiaohua was confused but replied: “My surname is Zhang.”

Then he asked: “Does this have anything to do with me winning?”

The young man shot back: “It has nothing to do with your win, but my surname isn’t Zhang. Don’t call me brother. Maybe in my next life, if I’m surnamed Zhang, then you can call me that.”

Zhang Xiaohua muttered to himself: ”What’s with kids these days? Rebellious, full of attitude! Next life? Who says I’ll even be surnamed Zhang then?”

Then he said with a playful smile: “Never mind the names. Can you at least tell me why I won?”

The young man looked at him dismissively and said: “Honestly, your martial skills aren’t necessarily better than Senior Brother Gao’s.”

“Oh,” Zhang Xiaohua said: “You mean the one I just fought?”

The young man raised an eyebrow in surprise: “Didn’t he tell you when you two greeted each other before the match?”

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head and said: “Maybe. I forgot.”

The young man became even more exasperated and said: “Senior Brother Gao knew you didn’t understand Qinggong or internal energy, so he planned to wear you down first, and once your energy was depleted, he’d finish you off. But it’s a pity he miscalculated. Instead of exhausting you, he ended up being chased around and beaten. If he had fought you head-on from the start, the outcome might have been different. At least he wouldn’t have been constantly on the back foot, and the Group Leader wouldn’t have ruled against him.”

Zhang Xiaohua was still confused and asked: “But it was clearly a draw. How can it be a loss?”

The young man frowned and replied: “Are you really that clueless? The second round of the Martial Arts Competition is an elimination round. There’s no such thing as a draw. If the match reaches the time limit of two incense sticks without a clear winner, the disciple in a disadvantaged position is declared the loser.”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood. Ah, so that’s the rule!

The young man continued: “At first, Senior Brother Gao’s evasive tactics didn’t put him at a disadvantage. As long as he beat you in the end, it wouldn’t have mattered. But since you managed to turn the tables and press him into defense, his earlier evasiveness made it look like he was on the losing end. When it ended in a draw, the decision naturally went in your favor! You got lucky this time, but remember, martial arts isn’t always this forgiving.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua laughed out loud and said: “Hahaha! It’s all about good character! Good character!”

Seeing this, the young man quickly stepped back several paces, wearing a look that said, ‘I don’t know this guy’.

Zhang Xiaohu, who had been listening, also laughed and congratulated Zhang Xiaohua: “Xiaohua, congratulations. You’ve passed another round by sheer luck.”

Zhang Xiaohua stopped laughing and said to Zhang Xiaohu: “Come on, Second Brother, let’s rest for a bit. I’ve got another match coming up soon.”

The two brothers returned to their resting spot.

As Zhang Xiaohua plopped down, Zhang Xiaohu asked curiously: “Xiaohua, aren’t you going to practice the Big Dipper Divine Fist anymore?”

Zhang Xiaohua grinned and replied: “Second Brother, I’m not actually that tired. I just need a short rest, and I’ll be back to full strength. Don’t be fooled by how I was pushing him on the stage earlier—most of the time, I was just going through the motions. It was only toward the end that I actually used any real effort.”

At that moment, there was a sudden ‘bang’ from the side. When Zhang Xiaohua and his brother turned to look, wasn’t it the very disciple who had just sparred with Zhang Xiaohua on the platform?

He must have overheard Zhang Xiaohua’s comment and fainted from the shock!

The two brothers remained at the edge of the arena, chatting while keeping an eye on the ongoing matches. After a while, the current round of matches concluded, and many disciples staggered over to rest and regulate their internal energy.

A bit later, the third round of matches began. As names were called, the number of disciples waiting outside the arena dwindled, with more and more heading inside for their bouts.

However, neither Zhang Xiaohua nor Zhang Xiaohu heard their rather unfortunate number being called. Even after several rounds of matches had passed, there was still no mention of Zhang Xiaohua’s turn.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed:_ “Oh no, Second Brother! The rules say if we don’t show up for the match in time, it counts as a forfeit. What if we missed it? I don’t want to lose my chance for nothing!”

Zhang Xiaohu, also anxious, said: “I didn’t hear them call it either. Maybe they skipped over it. We’d better go inside and check quickly.”

But when they hurried into the arena, they saw that all the stages were occupied with ongoing matches—none seemed to be waiting for contestants. Zhang Xiaohua began to panic. “Second Brother, it looks like we really missed it. They didn’t wait for us at all. I finally made it to the third round, and now we’ve forfeited! Who knows who got a free pass because of us?”

Zhang Xiaohu replied: “But we were listening carefully. There’s no way we could’ve missed hearing ‘Number 250’—that number stands out too much. It’s so loud and jarring; we would have noticed for sure.”

Zhang Xiaohua, equally puzzled, said: “Yeah, I thought the same.”

Just then, as they passed by a stage, Zhang Xiaohua grabbed a passing Group Leader and asked: “Excuse me, Uncle Master, could you tell me why I never heard my number called? What happened?”

The Group Leader, fully focused on the current match, barely paid attention and absentmindedly replied: “You lost. That’s why they didn’t call your number.”

Zhang Xiaohua said: “I didn’t lose. The Group Leader declared me the winner in the last match.”

The Group Leader replied casually: “Well, then you must have missed the call. That counts as a forfeit. Tough luck.”

Zhang Xiaohua, on the verge of tears, said: “But, but I honestly didn’t hear it.”

Zhang Xiaohu chimed in: “That’s right. I was listening too, and I didn’t hear them call it either.”

The Group Leader briefly glanced at them and said: “I don’t have time for this. If you’re concerned, go ask Manager Xu.”

“Manager Xu?” Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes lit up in realization.

Grabbing Zhang Xiaohu by the arm, he rushed toward the largest stage in the arena.

Sure enough, from a distance, they spotted Manager Xu, engrossed in watching a match with great interest.

Zhang Xiaohua approached, bowed respectfully, and called out: “Manager Xu.”

Manager Xu looked at the youth, puzzled, as if he didn’t recognize him. “You’re from the Young Eagle Hall? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

Zhang Xiaohua carefully explained: “Um, Manager Xu, I’m from Huanxi Villa.”

“Oh~” Manager Xu nodded in understanding, smiling. “I see now. You’re one of the participants sent by Huanxi Villa to join the Martial Arts Competition. Haha, how do you find it so far? The second round is far more thrilling than the first, isn’t it? How are you enjoying the matches?”

Zhang Xiaohua forced a smile and replied: “Yes, very thrilling indeed. The level is really high.”

Manager Xu beamed proudly. “Of course! The disciples of Piaomiao Sect’s Young Eagle Hall are all top-tier talents, which one isn’t a dragon among men? But to be able to participate in the first round is already an accomplishment for you. Don’t worry about winning or losing; what matters is participation. Remember, competition comes second, and friendship comes first. The bond between Piaomiao Manor and Huanxi Villa will last forever. By the way, you seem to have a lot of free time—nothing going on at Huanxi Villa, so you’ve been able to watch all the way from the first round to the second.”

Realizing that Manager Xu misunderstood the situation, Zhang Xiaohua explained: “Actually, Manager Xu, I made it to the second round myself.”

“What!” Manager Xu was so surprised his eyes almost popped out. “You made it to the second round?”

Then, as if realizing something, he continued: “Well, that’s quite something. But the second round is filled with elites. If you lost, it’s fine—stay here with me and watch how the others compete. You can definitely learn a lot from observing, and when you go back, you can train hard and win more matches next year!”

Zhang Xiaohua, still trying to clarify, said: “Actually, that’s it, Manager Xu, I’ve already won two matches.”

“Two matches!!!” Manager Xu was stunned, completely disbelieving. “You mean to say you’ve won two matches in a row?”

“Really!” Zhang Xiaohua nodded earnestly. “Both were announced by the Group Leaders.”

Manager Xu still couldn’t believe it. “If you’ve won two matches, you should be competing in the third one right now. Why are you here?”

Zhang Xiaohua, with an innocent expression, said: “But I also wanted to compete in the third match. However, no one called my number, and I didn’t know where to go for the match, so I came to find you.”

“What?” Manager Xu was equally confused. “How could that happen? The third competition has already started—they should’ve called your number by now. By the way, what’s your number?”

“Number 250!” Zhang Xiaohua replied without hesitation.

“Number 250!” Manager Xu exclaimed out loud.

“There are only 250 disciples in the second round, which means you’re ranked at the bottom.”

“Alright, come with me, I’ll go check what’s going on.” Manager Xu called Zhang Xiaohua, leading him to the side of the arena.

At the side of the arena were a few tables stacked with slips of paper, where several Group Leaders were sorting through them.

Manager Xu approached and explained the situation to one of the Group Leaders, who then carefully sifted through the slips. After a moment, the leader pulled one out, looked at it, and exchanged a few words with Manager Xu.

Manager Xu glanced at the slip, his expression turning a bit odd, before looking back at Zhang Xiaohua.

Returning the paper to the Group Leader, Manager Xu walked back with a wide smile on his face.

Zhang Xiaohua hurried up to him and asked: “Manager Xu, did I miss the call? I really didn’t want to miss it. Maybe the Group Leader’s voice was too soft—it’s not my fault, right?”

Manager Xu chuckled and said: “You didn’t miss anything, and the Group Leader’s voice wasn’t too soft. Actually, they never called your number.”

Zhang Xiaohua froze, then anxiously replied: “That can’t be. I won the second round; the Group Leader personally announced it. Even though it was technically a draw, I had the advantage. There’s no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the third round.”

Smiling, Manager Xu said: “It’s not what you think. Congratulations, Number 250—you’ve advanced directly to the fourth round!”

“The fourth round!?” Zhang Xiaohua was bewildered. “But I haven’t even participated in the third round yet!”

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua didn’t understand, Manager Xu explained: “You skipped the third round. You’ve been given a bye and moved straight into the fourth round.”

“Bye?” Zhang Xiaohua was even more confused. “What does ‘bye’ mean? Does it mean I don’t have to compete?”

Manager Xu sighed inwardly, thinking: “What level is this? He doesn’t know anything, yet he’s still so lucky. Ah, I suppose I’ll have to clear things up for him.“

He patiently explained: “There were a total of 250 disciples in the second round. In the first round, that was an even number, so everyone had a match. But after that, only 125 remained—a single odd number, meaning one disciple would be left without an opponent. So, one person doesn’t have to compete and automatically advances to the next round. That’s called a ‘bye’. Now in the third round, there are 63 disciples left, which means, once again, one disciple had to skip and move directly to the fourth round. You’re that lucky disciple—you’ve got a bye and advanced straight to the fourth round!”

Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed in surprise: “There’s something like this? My luck can’t be that good! How great would it be if I could skip both the fourth and fifth rounds too!”

Manager Xu shook his head and said: “The fourth round will have 32 disciples, an even number, so no one will get a bye. The fifth round will have 16 disciples—there’s no need for anyone to skip a match anymore. Even if there are matches, no one will get another bye.”