With this preconceived notion, and with a desperate desire to see Yu Qing suffer a humiliating disgrace, he was even more unwilling to yield. An irrational stubbornness, bordering on the pathological, made him bite down and declare, “There is no need for that!”
As soon as these words were spoken, even Yin Shanhe could not help but frown. It was obvious to all who was being reasonable and who was not. Facing the outstanding talents of the world, this third place scholar, who had abandoned literature for martial arts, indeed could not guarantee he would fight his way to the end and meet the young pavilion master.
He could not help but interject, “Young master, his suggestion is quite reasonable. I will go and speak to Kunling Mountain to place you both in the same district.”
Seeing him interfere, Long Xingyun immediately expressed his displeasure, “Uncle Yin, do not interfere in matters of the competition.”
Yin Shanhe replied, “The problem is that he truly cannot guarantee he can achieve this.”
Long Xingyun retorted, “Cannot achieve it? If he cannot achieve it, on what grounds does he demand a one on one duel with me? In the same competition, if he does not even have the qualification to meet me, is there any need to compare who is stronger and who is weaker? Who does he think he is? When he used provocation on me, did he not consider that he would have to pay a price? If he dares not bear the consequences, on what grounds does he bark wildly?”
Yin Shanhe looked at him with some surprise. It seemed this young pavilion master also knew that those previous words were a provocation. Since he knew, why was he still so stubborn?
Long Xingyun stared at Yu Qing again and asked, “In such a competition, if I win and advance, but you do not even have the qualification to advance, it counts as your loss. This is not unfair to you, is it?”
His words cut in from this angle, leaving Yu Qing truly speechless. That was right. If he could not even keep up with the other’s advancement, he indeed had no qualification for a single combat, and it could indeed be counted as a loss. If he lost, he naturally had to honour his previous promise and let the other party deal with him as they saw fit!
After thinking for a moment, Yu Qing asked hesitantly, “That is to say, if you are defeated first during the advancement, it can also be counted as your loss?”
Long Xingyun agreed immediately, “Naturally. If my advancement level cannot match yours, I count as the loser. I guarantee I will not trouble you again in the future, and all past grievances will be wiped clean!”
If it was put this way, and if the advancement level was counted as the result of the single combat, Yu Qing could not help but size up the other party again. He suddenly felt that his chances of winning were actually quite high.
To put it plainly, although he had no certainty when facing the outstanding talents of the world, he truly did not put Long Xingyun in his eyes at all.
When they fought on Zilan Island before, although it was only a sneak attack, as the attacker, he had a certain feel for the opponent’s reaction speed the moment they were ambushed.
He could not guarantee that he could fight until the very end, nor did he dare to promise it, so it was impossible for him to agree to Long Xingyun’s terms.
If it was only a competition of advancement, then it was a different matter.
However, Yu Qing did not agree directly and instead declined tactfully, “Since you were able to track us down, you must already know that the few of us have withdrawn from the Morning Sun Assembly.”
Long Xingyun scoffed, “Is that a problem? Just participate again.”
Yu Qing hesitated, “Can one participate again after withdrawing? Was it not said that a person can only participate in the Morning Sun Assembly once in their lifetime?”
Long Xingyun replied, “Can this be counted as your participation this time? You have not even left Kunling Mountain yet, so do not worry about this. If you cannot participate again, I will help you negotiate.”
With things reaching this point, and facing the other party’s coercion, Yu Qing did not want to implicate the villagers of that small mountain village. Out of helplessness, he finally agreed, “I accept your challenge!”
Long Xingyun immediately perked up, “Good, it is a promise. If you dare to break your word, may heaven and earth destroy you!”
Who could not speak cheap words? Yu Qing also opened his mouth and said, “If you do not break your word, I will respect you as a true man, and naturally I will not break my word either.”
Saying this, he turned his head to look at Yin Shanhe. The meaning in his eyes was very clear, hoping that this middleman would keep his word.
Yin Shanhe’s expression remained indifferent.
With the matter settled, Long Xingyun had no leisure to accompany the few of them here. He turned around and mounted his horse, “I will wait for you in the Dingyin District.”
Not fearing that Yu Qing and the others would break their word and flee, he threw down these words and rode back with Yin Shanhe.
The two riders had not gone far when Nan Zhu’s eyes suddenly flashed. Not knowing what he had thought of, he suddenly leapt into the air and chased after them, shouting from mid air, “Hold on a moment!”
The two men on horseback, Long and Yin, looked back and both urgently reined in their mounts.
Nan Zhu flipped in the air and landed, blocking the path of the two halted riders.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie, who were still in their original spot, were somewhat bewildered, not knowing why this fellow Old Seven was stepping forward at this moment and what he was up to.
Not to mention them, the two men, Long and Yin, were also baffled. Long Xingyun looked down from above with contempt and said, “Fatty, what do you want to do?”
Nan Zhu smiled and cupped his hands, saying, “I am here to remind you that you probably will not be able to wait for us in the Dingyin District for a while. You might have to wait an extra day or two.”
Long Xingyun frowned, “What do you mean?”
Nan Zhu rubbed his hands together, “Look, this is not our first time meeting, so I will speak plainly. We did not bring much money when we came to Kunling Mountain this time. After staying idly for some days, the money we had was mostly used to make friends and smooth things over. If we are to participate again, as you know, registration requires a fee. Could you grant us a few days of grace so we can go outside to a money house to withdraw some funds before coming back to register?”
Thinking it was something formidable, upon hearing this, Long Xingyun immediately said, “There is no need for that.” He turned his head to Yin Shanhe and said, “Uncle Yin, I will pay this money.”
He did not want to give Yu Qing and the others any chance of an unexpected turn of events.
Yin Shanhe immediately reached into his clothes and pulled out a stack of banknotes. Thinking about the number of people, he counted out four banknotes with a face value of ten thousand taels. Just as he was about to pull them out, the sharp eyed Nan Zhu quickly added, “The Morning Sun Assembly lasts quite a while, and there might be expenses later on. It is better to let us go outside to withdraw some money.”
Long Xingyun immediately asked, “Is one hundred thousand taels enough?”
Nan Zhu immediately beamed with a smile and nodded repeatedly, “It is enough, it is enough. It is just that, it is rather embarrassing to take your money.”
Long Xingyun could not be bothered to argue with him and did not care about this small amount of money. In his eyes, even if that third place scholar was short of money, he was not short of this little bit, and would not stoop so low as to tell such a lie. He immediately said to Yin Shanhe, “Uncle Yin, give him one hundred thousand.”
Yin Shanhe cast a slightly unfriendly glare at Nan Zhu, but still counted out ten banknotes and tossed them casually. The banknotes immediately fluttered in the air.
Long Xingyun was a bit surprised. He did not expect the steady Uncle Yin to do such a rude thing, but he did not take it to heart. Seeing Yin Shanhe call out to leave, he followed and rode away.
Nan Zhu stepped aside, nodding and bowing cheerfully to see them off. As soon as the two riders passed, he moved with lightning speed, quickly bending down everywhere to pick up the banknotes.
“Old Seven, what did you say to them? Why did they give you banknotes? What is the situation?” Yu Qing, who had walked over, asked suspiciously. Mu Aotie, who was with him, was also full of doubt.
Nan Zhu quickly rolled up the banknotes and deftly stuffed them into his sleeve, as if afraid of being seen, and sighed with a helpless look, “Do we not have to spend money to register later? Where do we have forty thousand taels? I just borrowed some money from them.”
However, the three martial brothers were all sensitive to money. They might misjudge other things, but how could the patterns on the face value of banknotes escape the eyes of Yu Qing and Mu Aotie? One look was enough to see they were ten thousand taels each, and there had to be at least seven or eight of them.
Besides, borrowing money on his own initiative to pay for everyone? How could this fatty Old Seven be so kind hearted, especially when borrowing from someone like Long Xingyun?
There must be a trick here. No matter how he thought about it, it was wrong. Yu Qing immediately gave Mu Aotie a look. The latter understood. While the former distracted Nan Zhu’s attention, he walked behind Nan Zhu and suddenly attacked. His arms suddenly wrapped around, holding Nan Zhu and his arms in a death grip.
Yu Qing hurriedly reached into the sleeve where Nan Zhu had hidden the banknotes.
Nan Zhu immediately realised what the two wanted to do and struggled desperately in great shock.
However, two fists could not fight four hands. He was quickly tackled to the ground, and the three martial brothers rolled around on the ground like they were entangled.
In the end, Mu Aotie pinned Nan Zhu down, forcefully twisting his arms, while Yu Qing used his knee and hands to press him down.
The two working together acted like they were slaughtering a pig. It was practically no different from robbery.
Then again, it was not the first time disciples of the Linglong Temple had fought each other over money, nor was it the first time Sect Leader Yu had robbed a fellow disciple of his money.
Of course, this was also because he had the strength to win. Without strength, who would dare to do this? They would probably be robbed instead.
“Beast, this is the money I borrowed!” Pinned down tightly and covered in dust, Nan Zhu finally let out a tragic wail, his tone full of grief and indignation.
The coachman and Baili Xin at the other end were already dumbfounded, not knowing why these three guys were rolling on the ground. It looked like a fight, but not quite like a fight.
Yu Qing had already succeeded and stood up. After counting the banknotes in his hand, he raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, “One hundred thousand taels!”
Mu Aotie also let go of the person and stood up, saying to Yu Qing, “Split it equally.”
Yu Qing nodded, “Good, we will each take fifty thousand.”
Nan Zhu immediately scrambled up, ignoring the dust on his body, and rushed to grab the money back.
He certainly could not win a snatch against the two, and keeping it all was impossible. In order to get a share, under the extortion of Yu Qing and Mu Aotie, he had to confess the truth about borrowing the money.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie understood as soon as they heard it. This fellow Old Seven was absolutely certain that Long Xingyun would be generous!
There was no problem with borrowing this money. If it was free, why not take it? The two shared in the joy.
Of course, that was not important anymore. Dividing the money was the most urgent matter!
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie each took twenty thousand taels on the spot, and Nan Zhu got sixty thousand taels. He would cover the forty thousand taels for the registration later.
After brushing the dust off his body, Mu Aotie gestured towards Baili Xin’s side, “What about her? Should we take her back too?”
Yu Qing replied, “Do you think she would let us leave one person behind? It does not matter for now.”
The result was indeed so. After meeting and explaining the situation, Baili Xin indeed refused to leave alone, so they could only return together as a group.
When they returned to the Dingyin District and saw Wu Tian, they also saw Long Xingyun and Yin Shanhe again. Only then did they learn that the two had already communicated with Wu Tian, and Wu Tian had reported the matter of Yu Qing’s group withdrawing from the competition and then wanting to re register, requesting a decision from above.
This matter had to wait for the higher ups of Kunling Mountain to make a decision. There was a decision making process, and the back and forth of messages would also take some time.
Taking this opportunity, Nan Zhu invited Wu Tian to step aside for a private word.
Seeing this, Yu Qing snorted, “Sneaky and secretive, it is obvious he has no good intentions.”
Mu Aotie responded from the side, “Needless to say, he wants to save that forty thousand taels for himself.”
Yu Qing had no objection to this. Although the money was obtained through his influence, it was indeed mainly Old Seven Fatty’s contribution. He and Old Nine had not even thought of this. If the fatty could save the forty thousand taels into his own pocket, he deserved it. This rule could be tacitly approved, otherwise, if everything was divided equally, it would be hard for him to take advantage in the future.
When the decision from the higher ups of Kunling Mountain arrived, the result was as expected. They agreed to let Yu Qing’s group of four re register.
With the matter settled, Long Xingyun and Yin Shanhe had no intention of staying here and returned to their residence.
The place where Yu Qing and the four of them stayed was still in its original location. They had returned too quickly, and the vacated rooms had not yet been arranged for others. Since they were already so familiar with Wu Tian, it was naturally no problem.
The four of them reached the top and returned to their old place, causing the heads of their next door neighbours to pop out one by one.
Ke Ran’s figure appeared at the window upstairs upon hearing the news, staring blankly at the returning four, not knowing what it meant.