Chapter 201 : Who Will Fight Me?
Chapter 201: Who Will Fight Me?
Chen Ming set out together with the twenty-five patrol envoys from the Six Doors Authority, walking at the very rear alongside Qiu Chundong.
Originally, there were supposed to be twenty-seven people, but one had been injured a few days prior and was still recuperating.
He asked in a low voice, “Brother Qiu, what kind of grudge does the Wan Family have with Lord Liang?”
To summon all martial artists under thirty in Xiazhou whose strength exceeded the Fourth Grade wasn’t a trivial matter—it required extensive bureaucratic procedures.
These past few days, Chen Ming had been asking around. He knew the Wan Family was located far away in Xiazhou City, yet he still couldn’t find out what kind of grudge Liang Zongcheng had with them.
Qiu Chundong replied, “That, I’m not too sure about.”
But from his expression, it was obvious he wasn't unsure—he just didn’t want to talk about it.
Chen Ming didn’t press further and simply said, “I heard that more than a dozen Third Grade experts are attending this time. Will the Wan Family send out a Third Grade expert too?”
“Don’t worry. Among the current generation of the Wan Family, those at Third Grade have already surpassed the age limit. There’s only the fifth son who’s at Fourth Grade. However, this person is quite formidable. Though we have many colleagues, only one or two have a real chance of defeating him. This time, we may still have to rely on Brother Gu.”
Chen Ming naturally responded with a few modest remarks.
Top-tier prodigies were extremely rare within the Six Doors Authority. After all, those who chose to join usually didn’t come from prestigious backgrounds. Aristocratic young men like Gu Xianyu were the exception.
Even those among them with outstanding talent were usually limited by their cultivation methods, often unable to compare with the geniuses from noble families or sects.
As such, among the younger generation, it was rare to hear of any truly remarkable individuals from the Six Doors Authority. It usually took them until their forties or fifties and a couple decades of hard work to finally close the gap.
Liang Zongcheng was a prime example. Though he had once lost to Gu Xianyu’s thirteenth uncle, if the two fought again now, it was uncertain who would win.
Among the twenty-some people present, all under thirty and already at Fourth Grade, they were among the most outstanding talents of their generation. Many would likely become Third Grade Inspectors in the future, perhaps even First Grade Commanders.
Chen Ming could feel the others’ distance from him—a kind of respectful detachment.
So far, the only one who had spoken to him was Qiu Chundong.
Qiu Chundong, being the host, was likely acting under Liang Zongcheng’s orders to look after him, and so often took the initiative to engage him.
…
Before long, they arrived at the Qian Money Gang.
In the center stood a massive arena, with a large canopy set up beside it and a grand armchair placed in the middle.
Around the canopy, many gang members in uniform stood guard to keep outsiders from getting too close.
Already, quite a few people had gathered around the arena.
The Qian Money Gang didn’t seem to have any intention of maintaining order—whoever could push their way to the front did so by sheer ability.
Chen Ming and the others, dressed in plain clothes, walked straight ahead and pushed aside those who had been standing at the front. Though those people were shoved aside, none dared voice their anger.
Seeing that the host had yet to appear, Chen Ming grew a little bored and asked Qiu Chundong beside him, “Have you ever seen that Miss Xia? What does she look like?”
Qiu Chundong replied, “How could I be so fortunate? This young lady rarely shows herself. Even in managing the Qian Money Gang’s affairs, she has her personal maids handle everything. I’d only heard rumors that she was as beautiful as a flower. Only after her name appeared on the Supreme Beauty List did I learn that she possesses peerless beauty.”
He asked curiously, “She seldom appears in public, clearly not wanting to cause trouble with her looks. So how did the First Pavilion of the World find out she was so stunning and include her on the Supreme Beauty List?”
Qiu Chundong answered as if it were obvious, “This is the First Pavilion of the World. What could possibly be hidden from them?”
Chen Ming was about to ask more when a commotion broke out in the crowd. “They’re here.”
He looked up and saw a middle-aged man with a dragon-like stride and tiger-like presence walk out, followed by several others who all exuded extraordinary auras.
That middle-aged man was quite the handsome figure—it must have been Xia Shaowen, the leader of the Qian Money Gang.
He stepped up to the arena and spoke loudly, “Thank you all for honoring us with your presence. I, Xia, have set up this arena to choose a worthy son-in-law for my daughter. Anyone under the age of thirty may step up and give it a try.”
Someone from the crowd called out, “Leader Xia, if this is for your daughter’s hand in marriage, why not let her come out so we can see what kind of national beauty we’re competing for?”
Naturally, this suggestion drew agreement from many eager onlookers.
Xia Shaowen wasn’t angered and said, “My daughter is quite shy, so she won’t be coming out. She’s upstairs watching. Your performances will not go unnoticed. So, who wishes to go first?”
As soon as he finished speaking, voices shouted from the crowd, “I’ll go!” “Me too!”
Two people leapt onto the stage almost simultaneously, showcasing remarkable footwork. Both were at the Fourth Grade and looked quite young.
The two introduced themselves, both hailing from counties within Xiazhou.
They immediately began to duel.
After watching for a while, Chen Ming’s attention drifted elsewhere. Scanning the crowd, he quickly spotted Gu Yuyin. She was arm in arm with another young woman, looking quite close. Beside them stood a valiant young man.
That youth seemed to sense his gaze and looked over.
Their eyes met in the air, and Chen Ming nodded slightly.
At that moment, Gu Yuyin also noticed him and whispered something to the young man, who then nodded back politely.
Chen Ming was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Gu Yuyin’s cousin to be so friendly.
Then, he spotted the so-called “Peerless Young Master” among the crowd—he stood out like a crane among chickens, the center of attention.
After surveying the area, Chen Ming had a general sense of things and returned his attention to the match onstage.
Moments later, the fight ended.
Cheers and sighs erupted from the crowd.
…
One after another, people continued stepping onto the stage.
After a few matches, Chen Ming grew puzzled and asked Qiu Chundong, “Why haven’t any of the Third Grade experts made a move yet?”
Qiu Chundong whispered, “The young lady hasn’t appeared yet. Who would they be performing for?”
“How do you know she’s not here?”
“She has two personal maids. Wherever they are, she is. Since we haven’t seen either of them, she hasn’t arrived.”
“I see.”
Indeed, though this was a martial competition for marriage, the final decision still lay with Miss Xia. Those Third Grade experts were proud—if they were to make a move, it had to be when the main guest was present for it to mean anything.
Qiu Chundong added, “To be honest, is there even a point to competing? With that Peerless Young Master here, who could possibly win?”
Chen Ming deeply agreed. In terms of looks, even if everyone present joined forces, they still wouldn’t measure up to that Peerless Young Master.
Though Gu Xianyu was also incredibly handsome, he paled in comparison to that man.
Any woman with eyes would probably pick the Peerless Young Master.
From Chen Ming’s perspective, this marriage competition’s format was quite casual.
Anyone who won two consecutive matches could step down and rest, making way for two new challengers. Losers naturally had no face to return.
The benefit was that those unsure of their strength wouldn’t dare go up.
The downside was that those who went up too early might expend too much energy and have no more chances later on.
With this setup, if a truly powerful expert appeared, dominated the stage, and crushed a few opponents, the whole event might end right there.
As Chen Ming mulled this over, he suddenly heard Qiu Chundong say, “Someone from the Wan Family is onstage.”
He looked up and saw a young man in his early twenties wielding a treasured sword. Handsome and elegant.
Were it not for the Peerless Young Master, his looks and demeanor would surely be ranked first.
Wan Boliang, Fourth Grade, ranked second on Xiazhou’s Azure Clouds List, only twenty-two years old. His talent was astounding.
Unfortunately, he happened to live in the same generation as the Peerless Young Master—a Third Grade expert under twenty-five. All the spotlight had been stolen from him.
In fact, he was destined to live in the Peerless Young Master’s shadow for life. Put in that perspective, it was truly tragic.
Wan Boliang quickly made his move. His swordsmanship was indeed excellent. In just ten moves, he utterly defeated his opponent.
For someone his age, such talent was extraordinary. The future held endless possibilities for him.
No wonder Liang Zongcheng had summoned all eligible Fifth Grade patrol envoys from Xiazhou to try to stop Wan Boliang.
If Chen Ming were Xia Shaowen, he’d also be torn between the Peerless Young Master and Wan Boliang. In fact, he might lean toward Wan Boliang.
The problem with the Peerless Young Master was that he was simply too exceptional. A person like that would soon rise above worldly affairs. Anyone unable to keep up would be left farther and farther behind.
“Brother Gu, do you have confidence?”
Suddenly, Qiu Chundong asked in a heavy tone.
At this moment, Wan Boliang stood proudly atop the arena. For a while, no one dared challenge him.
Chen Ming shook his head.
He had no intention of being used as a tool by Liang Zongcheng.
…
Time passed with no one stepping onto the stage.
Eventually, one brave Fifth Grade patrol envoy mustered his courage to go up—only to be defeated in just over twenty moves.
That man’s strength ranked among the best of their group, yet he still lost.
After two victories, Wan Boliang stepped off the arena with his head held high.
Chen Ming noticed Qiu Chundong’s grim expression—failing to stop Wan Boliang meant he’d likely face harsh words when they returned.
It was likely they wouldn’t get another chance to shine. There were still over a dozen Third Grade experts waiting to go up.
Suddenly, Chen Ming saw two stunning maids walk out on the second floor, standing by the window to watch below.
A stir ran through the crowd below. Someone shouted, “She’s here!” “Finally!”
His heart stirred—he knew that the “Mortal World’s Regal Flower” had arrived. He focused his gaze, but the second floor was veiled, and he could only faintly make out a graceful silhouette.
“Hahaha! At last, it’s my turn! Who will fight me?!”
A tall man leapt onto the arena. His voice boomed like a bell, and a fearsome surge of qi erupted from him, domineering and overwhelming.
Third Grade!
Finally, the real show had begun.
“I’ll go!”
Chen Ming shouted, drawing countless gazes upon him.