Wen Ruowei’s eyes truly lit up. This was exactly the brother-in-law she had in mind, someone who should possess the bold spirit of taking first place.
Mu Aotie and the other two, however, were dumbfounded. Nanzhu could not help but ask, “What is Old Fifteen trying to do?”
Baili Xin and Mu Aotie both shook their heads speechlessly. No one could answer that question.
Xiao Hong hurriedly asked Wen Xin, “Miss, now that he has hung his name under first place, can everyone challenge him? I did not mishear the rules, did I?”
Wen Xin nodded without making a sound, her eyes fixed intently on the first person to hang their nameplate on the main stage.
Below the stage, Zhong Ruochen’s eyes revealed surprise.
Long Xingyun, on the other hand, looked completely stunned. He held his folding fan against his chest and kept it still. He had to weigh the consequences of challenging that person. Even if he won, would he be ganged up on by many others? Subconsciously, he turned his head to look at the veil-wearing Zhong Ruochen in her white dress, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Just yesterday, Yin Shanhe had specifically warned him not to mess with Zhong Ruochen. But the problem now was that even if he did not mess with her, she might take the initiative to mess with him.
His old man was defeated by her master, and now the son was about to be beaten up by her disciple. What kind of situation was this?
What should he do now? Unless he lost to that wretched Tanhua, but that was a result he could not accept either!
Should he let the Earth Mother’s disciple defeat the wretched Tanhua first, wait for the wretched Tanhua to successfully challenge someone else, and then challenge the wretched Tanhua himself?
But if he did that, would it not make him look a bit cowardly?
Seeing Yu Qing turn to look at the crowd on the stage, he immediately turned his head away. He waved his folding fan and pretended to look at the scenery nonchalantly, unwilling to meet Yu Qing’s gaze. He was terrified that Yu Qing would look at him provocatively. If he did not dare to accept the challenge or go on stage at that time, he would lose a lot of face.
In short, he absolutely could not lose his pride in front of the wretched Tanhua.
Who would have thought that Kui Kui, separated from him by two people, would stare at Yu Qing on the stage and chuckle happily. Looking completely fearless, he clapped his hands and laughed, “Now there is one more person competing with me for first place.”
As soon as these words were spoken, they shocked the surrounding contestants. They all looked at him, realising that this fellow was also aiming for first place.
Long Xingyun stretched his neck to take a good look at him and mocked, “Have you not looked at your own reflection in a puddle of piss? Are you even worthy?”
Kui Kui looked back and sneered, “Have you looked at your own reflection in your piss then? If you think you can do it, go up. If you go up, I will follow right away. I will beat up a pretty boy like you.”
Rarely, Long Xingyun did not argue back fiercely. Ignoring the provocation, he waved his folding fan and said with a calm and composed demeanour, “I will naturally go up when it is time. I do not need a country bumpkin like you to boss me around.”
Kui Kui said disdainfully, “If you lack the guts, why come out here and act like a punk?”
Long Xingyun gave a cold snort. “Everyone will naturally see who the real punk is later.”
The two engaged in a fierce war of words here, fighting with their mouths below the stage first.
The group of people in the VIP seats also fixed their eyes on Yu Qing, who had gone on stage to hang his nameplate. Princess Chaoyang suddenly turned her head and asked Yan Yi, “Mother, is this person aiming for first place?”
Yan Yi glanced at Zhong Ruochen in the crowd and said indifferently, “It is a good thing to have such ambition.”
Princess Chaoyang was visibly somewhat excited. “Mother, can we make him take off his veil so I can see what he looks like first? What if he is very ugly?”
Upon hearing this, Li Chenghu, who was sitting leaning against the armrest, immediately grinned in silent amusement. He knew he had guessed correctly. This mother and daughter had indeed come to choose a son-in-law and a husband.
His guess was not wrong. Yan Yi had told her daughter that, when all was said and done, this world belonged to the cultivators. Being first in literature was actually far inferior to being first in martial arts. She told her daughter she might as well come to the Chaoyang Assembly to pick a future husband.
She said that as long as her daughter took a liking to someone, and as long as there was nothing wrong with the person, she would definitely grant her wish.
It was also because her daughter was getting older. If she did not marry soon, she would become an old maid. Yet she was stubbornly insisting on having the most talented scholar in the world.
She would never let that so-called Tanhua become her son-in-law. He had an ambiguous relationship with his sister-in-law, and he used to be the fiancé of her senior sister’s disciple. How could she want such a son-in-law? She would never accept it even if she were beaten to death.
As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her mother. She came up with this method to divert her daughter’s thoughts. Sure enough, her daughter immediately became interested and directly transferred her affections, eagerly tagging along.
Now, hearing her daughter’s unreliable request, Yan Yi felt that this girl was indeed spoiled by her father. She immediately scolded, “This is not the place for you to make a scene.”
Princess Chaoyang pouted and stopped talking. However, she soon stared at Yu Qing with great interest again, her eyes rolling around as she sized him up, no one knew what she was thinking.
On the stage, Qin Fujun specifically went to communicate with Yu Qing. She informed him of the significance of the position where the nameplate was hung, and then confirmed whether he still wanted to hang it there. Once he stepped off the stage, it could not be changed.
Yu Qing confirmed it and then turned around and left.
Qin Fujun stared at his departing back, also quite surprised.
Just as Kui Kui and Long Xingyun were engaged in their war of words, two figures suddenly leaped onto the stage at the same time.
Zhong Ruochen and Xiang Zhen, who jumped onto the stage simultaneously, both noticed each other. They both turned their heads, glanced at one another, and then walked towards the background wall together.
As Yu Qing passed between the two walking past, he turned his head to look at the people brushing past him.
He lived with Xiang Zhen, so naturally he had no interest in him. Subconsciously, he looked back at Zhong Ruochen. Zhong Ruochen also subconsciously turned to look at him. In the instant they brushed past each other, their gazes collided.
They could even smell each other’s scent in the air.
Neither side stopped for a single step, and neither paused for the other. They just brushed past each other like that.
Yu Qing walked to the edge of the stage and jumped straight down.
Zhong Ruochen and Xiang Zhen both walked to the background wall. Soon they glanced at each other again because they realised they were standing too close, almost squeezing into the same spot.
Xiang Zhen politely took a step back and said, “You first.”
Zhong Ruochen nodded slightly and, without being polite, leaped up gracefully. The nameplate in her hand, bearing the words “Shangyue”, was swiftly hung under the “First” category.
However, her nameplate had to be hung below the name “Zhang Zhichen”. This was because there was only one nail at the very top of each category, which could be said to be the exclusive position for the reigning champion. It could only be taken over after defeating the champion and could not be shared. In short, only one nameplate could be hung in that top position.
Below that top nameplate, quite a few nails were hammered in. The font for each category was large enough that hanging seven, eight, or even ten nameplates at the same time would be no problem.
The meaning of hanging this nameplate was already crystal clear.
“The first place position is indeed dangerous. The challengers follow right on their heels, not even giving a chance to catch one’s breath.”
“That goes without saying. Who comes all the way here to participate in the competition and does not want to take first place? Those who say they do not want it are just being hypocritical, or they simply lack the strength and have no choice.”
“This woman’s strength is also extraordinary. She is highly competitive.”
“Indeed, she gives off an unfathomable vibe.”
“Yes, after the first two fights, she has not even used a weapon. So far, no one knows what kind of weapon this woman actually uses.”
“Going up against the one who can withstand the Thousand Aura Sword Rain, there will be an exciting show to watch.”
The surrounding stands were already filled with discussions everywhere.
Below the stage, Long Xingyun’s eyelids twitched wildly as he watched. He found that, just as expected, how could the Earth Mother’s disciple submit to others? She was indeed going to fight for first place. How the hell was he supposed to play this?
His heart let out waves of silent wailing. If he did not want to admit defeat in front of the wretched Tanhua, the consequence of going on stage to hang his nameplate now would be that he would not even have the qualification to fight the wretched Tanhua. He would first have to fight the Earth Mother’s disciple.
For the time being, he could only try his best to control his gaze and not look at Yu Qing, terrified that the other party was also looking at him.
He was overthinking it. Returning below the stage, Yu Qing turned his head and saw that the white-dressed woman’s nameplate was positioned to challenge him. He was stunned at first, then felt somewhat uneasy. He had to admit that this woman was the most unfathomable among the current competitors. She clearly had not used her full strength in the previous matches, defeating all her opponents barehanded all the way.
Even Kui Kui, after seeing the white-dressed woman’s choice, restrained his fearless expression and looked solemn.
Wen Ruowei, slowly sitting down, could not help but raise her hand and pat her smooth forehead. She lowered her head and sighed. No matter which of the two lost, it was not what she wanted to see.
Most importantly, she felt that her brother-in-law was definitely going to lose. Even she was no match for her older sister. She had cultivated at the same time as her sister. There was a reason why her master had the thought of taking her sister as a disciple the very first time they met.
On the stage, Qin Fujun naturally also saw that the white-dressed woman was exceptionally strong. She glanced at Yu Qing’s reaction below the stage, and the corner of her mouth could not help but reveal a smile. In short, as long as she could prevent Yu Qing from getting his way, she would be happy.
She gestured for Zhong Ruochen to return, and then signaled Xiang Zhen to make his choice.
Xiang Zhen leaped up and, without hesitation, hung his name under the “First” category. After landing, he turned around and left cleanly and neatly.
He had never hesitated about his choice, and he was very resolute.
The reason he made his choice after Yu Qing was that he was waiting for Yu Qing to make his choice first, and then follow up.
Everyone in the venue, no matter how great this master or that master was, was not placed in his eyes. It was not that he thought he was better than others, but rather that he was not interested in anyone else. The only person he was interested in now was Yu Qing. He just wanted to have a fight with Yu Qing.
Naturally, an uproar rose from the surrounding stands again. No one expected that the first three nameplates hung were all aiming for “First”. Even the contestants below the stands were discussing it animatedly.
Yu Qing was speechless. He could roughly guess Xiang Zhen’s intention.
Zhong Ruochen, returning to the crowd, was also quite surprised. It was not that she felt Xiang Zhen was unworthy of fighting for first place, but she felt there was something wrong with his way of choosing. Did he not understand the rules of the competition, or was he specifically targeting her?
Long Xingyun, who was struck dumb for a moment, could not help but start cursing. “Is this stupid brute sick? Even if you want to fight for first place, it is not too late to go up after the two of them finish fighting. What is the point of squeezing up now? Are you helping the reigning champion exhaust his opponents?”
He was a bit annoyed. One more was already too many for him, and now two more had damn well popped up. If he squeezed up now, what would that mean? Would he not just become a complete fool in everyone’s eyes?
But thinking about it again, he realised it was not a bad thing. The fan in his hand began to sway leisurely once more, as he had found a reasonable excuse to back down.
Xiang Zhen jumped down from the stage. As soon as he returned to the group of twenty or so people, Kui Kui immediately walked up to him and tugged at his sleeve. “I say, Blockhead, you must be bubbling with stupidity. You did not want to fight just one match, but you insisted on squeezing in to fight two. What are you thinking about in that head of yours?”
“Blockhead” was the nickname he gave Xiang Zhen, given after interacting with him a few times while living together in the small garden.
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