Chapter 128: The Final Round

The reaction of the students at the Longteng Martial Arts Academy was less intense today than it had been yesterday, perhaps because Ye Xin’s method of cheating had at least saved face for the Great David Kingdom. There were only a few dozen more posters than the day before.

On the fifth day, the tournament continued with only two matches. The first was a duel between the siblings Zong Yunjin and Zong Yunxiu, and the second pitted Ye Xin against Wei Qingfan. Forcing the Zong family into an internal battle seemed somewhat unfair, but it had been decided by a draw, and the academy could not change it. Zong Yunjin’s strength was slightly superior, and since they were family, there was no need to fight to the bitter end. After about a dozen breaths, Zong Yunxiu conceded; the intensity of the match was far below that of the previous day.

Next came the turn of Ye Xin and Wei Qingfan. The crowd in the stands was filled with complex emotions, for they were witnessing an absurd farce: in a grand competition, a scion of a military family was using shameless cheating to advance, step by step, into the semifinals. Where was the spirit of a warrior? It was shameless! Utterly shameless!

The curtain rose, and Ye Xin and Wei Qingfan locked eyes. Ye Xin smiled. "Young Master Wei, shall we play?"

Wei Qingfan smiled back. In truth, among all the aristocratic youths, he was the least dissolute. Wei Juan had spent the first half of his life consumed by war and had never married. It was only after he was demoted from Jiuding City and retired to live in seclusion on Yiming Mountain that he married an ordinary woman and fathered Wei Qingfan. When Wei Qingfan secretly entered the Longteng Martial Arts Academy in his youth, he was no different from anyone else. Twenty years were enough for people to completely forget a person; many students didn't even know who Wei Juan was, let alone a mere Wei Qingfan. It was only when Wei Juan returned to prominence that Wei Qingfan’s reputation gradually rose. Because he had not been coddled, he lacked the typical habits of the aristocratic youth and was exceptionally cautious.

Wei Qingfan did not believe a wastrel could command the veteran generals of the Sky Wolf Legion, nor did he believe a wastrel could take the head of Zhuang Buxiu, and he certainly did not believe a wastrel could make a man as fierce as Gui Bei bow his head. Although he was curious about exactly how strong Ye Xin was, he had no intention of inviting trouble. After all, there was still Zong Yunjin.

"I concede," Wei Qingfan said slowly.

Qiu Xiang was already numb, his face devoid of emotion. He merely turned to order the recording of Ye Xin’s score. Ye Xin’s total had reached an astonishing ninety points, just two points shy of the record set by Ye Guanhai years ago. But Ye Xin still had the final match. Even if it ended in a draw, he would break Ye Guanhai’s record.

Ye Xin was also numb. He could not help but reflect: was he truly so imposing? So much so that even Wei Qingfan dared not cross swords with him? The loneliness of being unmatched...

The crowd, hearing a contestant concede to Ye Xin for the first time, remained silent. They, too, were numb.

"Heh heh..." Tie Xinsheng let out a soft chuckle and smacked his lips. Truth be told, he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Why was everyone conceding? It was unseemly.

As the saying goes, one either erupts in silence or perishes in it. By evening, the students of Longteng Martial Arts Academy finally erupted in their silence, displaying complete madness. The posters denouncing Ye Xin multiplied several times over, reaching an astonishing six hundred. Many walls had been plastered white, and some were even stuck onto the finals arena.

This was a disgrace! A disgrace beyond words! Since ancient times, had such a thing ever happened? Using such shameless means, colluding from top to bottom, cheating at every turn, advancing step by step to the finals—if Ye Xin were to become the champion, where would justice lie?

One poster was even written in archaic prose, resembling a legendary call to arms. It read: *Ye Xin, born in luxury, blessed by the nation, yet ungrateful. A rowdy in the streets, arrogant before king and father, a disgrace to the imperial line. Heaven’s grace bestowed, redeeming sins before the army. Upon returning to the capital, with time running short, honored by the academy, you force your way to martial glory. With the wolf cavalry’s arrogance, old generals plotting for you, a mere boy plotting for fame—your brilliance is flawed. The academy selects the worthy, warriors fight with honor, yet a base man enjoys the prize. It is the shame of the academy, causing the loyal to hide their faces. May you be banished to the frozen north, so that the dust may be washed away and purity returned to Great David.* (Accidentally discovered this, so I borrowed it—don't blame me, Brother Stubborn.)

However, to the surging tide of student outrage, everyone from Tie Xinsheng down to Qiu Xiang turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. Meanwhile, the betting odds on Ye Xin had skyrocketed. Perhaps people still believed in the clarity of heaven, still believed that Tie Xinsheng, who considered himself a heroic ruler, would not sit idly by while a clown ran wild, and still believed that justice existed and would prevail. Countless people were betting on Ye Xin to lose; their conviction had condensed into an invisible Great Wall. In contrast, Shao Xue, Shen Miao, and Ye Ling were grinning from ear to ear all day long, and even Wen Rong couldn't help but place a bet—after all, how could one turn down easy money?

On the sixth day, the finals finally began. The number of people who arrived was surprisingly high; not only were the stands packed, but every corner of the academy was crowded. Even if they couldn't see, they wanted to be the first to know the result. If Zong Yunjin also conceded today, they believed heaven would send down a blizzard to wash away the shameless sins of the world!

The curtain rose. Ye Xin and Zong Yunjin stood opposite each other. Ye Xin’s expression was relaxed, while Zong Yunjin’s face shifted constantly, clearly in the midst of an intense internal struggle.

"Young Master Zong, surely you won't concede as well?" Ye Xin had already stopped holding out hope. He thought he had hidden his secrets well, but it seemed everyone knew them, preferring to bear the infamy rather than face him.

Zong Yunjin’s face was as heavy as water. Last night, the family head, Zong Zhentang, had a long talk with him, saying Ye Xin’s strength was immense—otherwise, Gui Bei would not have conceded. But Zong Yunjin had his own judgment. Lord Poshan, Ning Gaowu, was a guest, after all; how could he completely ruin Tie Xinsheng’s face? Winning three consecutive matches had already demonstrated the strength of the Da Ren Kingdom. Conceding the final match was a way to give Tie Xinsheng a way out. Ye Xin only won because he was the last to appear; if it had been him, Zong Yunjin, Gui Bei would have conceded just the same.

Zong Yunjin had some cunning; at least he could think independently. But his reasoning was one-sided. While it was true that Ning Gaowu was a guest, Tie Xinsheng was the one seeking favors, not the other way around. With different positions, attitudes naturally differed. Besides, it was Tie Xinsheng who had initiated the challenge—was it necessary for Ning to save face for him? Furthermore, he didn't know that after the battle, Ning Gaowu had interrogated Gui Bei as to why he had conceded.

"Young Master Zong, give me an answer?" Ye Xin said lazily.

Looking at Ye Xin’s nonchalant face, a surge of anger rose in Zong Yunjin’s heart. Did this shameless person really think that by relying on the shade of the Ye family and the protection of the old veterans of the Sky Wolf Legion, he could force Zong Yunjin to bow his head? He was not the timid Wei Qingfan, nor was he Tie Shudeng, who sought to curry favor. He was Zong Yunjin—the upright and honorable Zong Yunjin!

Recalling the angry denouncements of the students last night, Zong Yunjin suddenly understood: Heaven intended for him to be the sword of justice, to sweep away all demons and monsters and restore clarity to the world!

With this thought, Zong Yunjin’s state of mind stabilized. He took a deep breath, cupped his fists toward Ye Xin, and said loudly, "Young Master Ye, please!"

Qiu Xiang had been wearing a pained expression. If Zong Yunjin conceded too, he, as the head of the academy, would have no way to answer for it. Perhaps he should arrange for some instructors to challenge Ye Xin, at least to force Ye Xin to use his full strength so he could become a legitimate champion. Hearing Zong Yunjin say "please," Qiu Xiang couldn't believe it. People are strange; he had grown accustomed to Ye Xin’s opponents conceding one after another, and now he couldn't believe someone would actually fight him.

The stands were silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous shouts. Finally, finally someone was going to stop this ugly farce?!

"Good, good, good..." Tie Xinsheng nodded repeatedly in relief. In fact, Ning Gaowu had guessed correctly: he did want to build Ye Xin up as a household hero so that the battered Great David Kingdom could restore its morale as quickly as possible. If the win were murky, it would leave regrets. Now that Zong Yunjin had decided to fight, it was for the best.

Ning Gaowu, Zhou Polu, and Wu Qiushen stared intently at Ye Xin on the stage, even circulating their internal energy to see more clearly. They saw Ye Xin heave a sigh of relief and then reveal a strange smile. Their hearts skipped a beat, for they saw Ye Xin’s confidence. Could it be that Ye Xin was truly more powerful than Gui Bei?

Countless people in Great David were accusing Ye Xin of cheating. If the fight were to happen, Ye Xin would have to defeat Zong Yunjin with an attack fiercer and faster than Gui Bei’s to prove his innocence. Could he really do it? One had to remember that yesterday, Zong Yunjin had only lasted one breath under Gui Bei—a mere two moves!

The students in the stands were completely wild, jumping and cheering, even throwing their belongings into the air. The long-accumulated anger had finally been vented today. Soon, they would happily watch how Ye Xin was beaten to a pulp.

Qiu Xiang wore a look of relief. He wanted to wait for the cheering to subside before announcing the start, but after waiting for a long time and seeing no end to the noise, he had to order the war drums to be struck.

The crowd slowly quieted. Qiu Xiang seized the opportunity and shouted, "Are you both ready? Prepare... begin!"

Zong Yunjin immediately stepped back, spreading his arms. Sword shadows a foot long swirled around his arms, eventually forming sword wings several meters long. As soon as Zong Yunjin made his move, he unleashed his soul skill, just as he had yesterday.

"Young Master Zong, my thanks," Ye Xin said with a smile, though his pupils emitted a sharp, needle-like glint. "But I must say: goodbye!"

Qiu Xiang froze. He instinctively realized that Ye Xin intended to kill—to kill Zong Yunjin in public!