Chapter 202 : If I Say I’m Not, Would You Believe It?
Chapter 202: If I Say I’m Not, Would You Believe It?
“It’s Peng Tianxu!”
When Wu Zhenhang saw the tall man step onto the stage, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He turned to his younger sister and cousin, saying, “Today, I will wash away my past humiliation!”
Five years ago, during the Azure Cloud Ranking competition, he had lost to this Peng Tianxu by just a single move, failing to enter the top ten. He had always regarded it as a disgrace. This time, he came to participate in the martial contest for marriage only because he had heard Peng Tianxu would be here. He came specifically to settle the grudge from that blade five years ago.
“I’ll go!”
Yet, to his surprise, someone else beat him to it.
He looked over and saw that the one stepping onto the stage was none other than the very cousin his younger cousin had just mentioned—the Gu Family’s Seventh Young Master. He was taken aback and turned to ask Gu Yuyin, “This Seventh Brother of yours, isn’t he only Fourth Grade?”
Gu Yuyin was even more shocked, exclaiming in disbelief, “Has he gone mad?”
With Fourth Grade cultivation challenging Third Grade—it was no different from courting death.
Unless, he had already broken through to Third Grade.
But how could that be possible? He was only twenty years old!
Not only her, but Qiu Chundong was also shocked. He had never expected this Gu Family’s Seventh Young Master to step up at this moment.
That was a Third Grade expert! Could he not see it?
……
“Hmph!”
On the stage, Peng Tianxu saw that the challenger was an unfamiliar young man. Assuming it was some ignorant fool who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth, he snorted coldly and casually struck out with a palm.
A translucent palm of condensed Gangyuan slammed down toward the youth, leaving him nowhere to escape.
Bad!
Wu Zhenhang saw how ruthless Peng Tianxu’s strike was and cried out in alarm. No matter what, that was still his cousin’s elder cousin—the Gu Family’s Seventh Young Master. If he were seriously injured in front of him, Wu Zhenhang could hardly escape blame.
He was about to intervene when suddenly, that Seventh Young Master’s figure shifted, soaring several feet higher, gracefully evading the great palm.
Wu Zhenhang froze. “That’s—Gangyuan?”
“What fine movement!” “Beautiful!”
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Even Gu Yuyin was dumbfounded. Though she had never seen this Seventh Brother fight, she had never once heard that his footwork could be so astonishing.
Suddenly, she heard her cousin muttering beside her, “He’s… Third Grade!”
Thinking she had misheard, she quickly asked, “What did you say?”
Wu Zhenhang’s expression grew extremely complicated. “He’s Third Grade!”
A twenty-year-old Third Grade!
Worthy indeed of being a Gu Family scion—such talent was rare under heaven.
“How could this—”
Gu Yuyin instinctively wanted to argue, but then she saw her Seventh Brother draw that sword “Po Jun.” On its blade glimmered a crystalline sword aura, tangible and real!
Sword Aura?
Her mind buzzed blank, utterly stunned.
He truly was Third Grade?
……
“He’s actually Third Grade!”
Qiu Chundong was so shocked that his jaw nearly dropped.
“Who is that? He looks so young.”
“Unfamiliar face. I don’t know which family’s young master he is.”
“So Xiazhou has produced yet another young expert…”
“……”
The spectators began whispering among themselves.
On stage, Peng Tianxu finally regarded the young man seriously and asked, “Who are you?”
“Gu Xianyu, here to seek guidance.”
Gu?
Peng Tianxu thought hard but couldn’t recall any influential Gu Family in Xiazhou, so he asked again, “Which family’s disciple are you?”
“Capital City, Gu Family!”
Chen Ming spoke, then immediately struck out. “Take my sword!”
Capital City?
Peng Tianxu’s heart trembled. Seeing his opponent already attack, he dared not slack and hurried to respond seriously.
……
At the side of the arena, Xia Shaowen had also been speculating about this youth’s origins. But upon hearing the name “Capital City Gu Family,” his gaze hardened.
Why would someone from the Gu Family of the Capital appear in Xiazhou?
Could it be for tempering?
He felt doubtful. But as he observed Gu Xianyu’s swordplay, unpredictable and ethereal, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind—so exquisite it was—his doubts vanished.
This was the Gu Family’s supreme art, “Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan.” This youth had already comprehended at least three aspects of the sword art.
“This is troublesome.”
Xia Shaowen grew worried. The Gu Family was unlike any local Xiazhou power. They were founding nobles whose lineage stretched from the dynasty’s beginning. Though their presence in the martial world wasn’t loud, their foundations were anything but ordinary.
Rumor had it that the Gu Family’s patriarch, the very duke who had fought alongside the Founding Emperor, was still alive.
For Gu Xianyu to already be Third Grade at such a young age, he must be a core disciple of the Gu Family—not someone easily brushed aside.
As Xia Shaowen pondered,
Gu Yuyin, watching her Seventh Brother display such mastery over “Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan,” felt utterly numb.
A thought flashed through her mind. “So, he was pretending all along!”
To secretly break through to Third Grade without a sound, deceiving everyone, took not only strength but also a deep mind. This Seventh Brother was absolutely not the timid weakling he had always seemed.
Perhaps his insistence on coming to Xiazhou this time had other purposes.
At that moment, Gu Yuyin’s view of her Seventh Brother underwent a complete change. From scorn and disdain, it turned to wariness.
She recalled all her past mockeries, how he had never refuted her, only remained silent. She had thought him useless. Now she realized—he had merely disdained to respond…
While Gu Yuyin’s thoughts ran wild, thunderous cheers suddenly erupted.
She looked up to see Peng Tianxu’s blade snapped halfway, the man standing there dazed.
Seventh Brother had won!
“What a formidable sword art.”
Beside her, Wu Zhenhang’s eyes shone, eager to challenge as well.
On the stage, Peng Tianxu flung aside his broken blade and said, unwilling to concede, “You only won because of the divine weapon’s advantage!”
With that, he leapt down from the stage.
……
【You defeated an LV70 opponent and gained 30,000 experience points.】
Chen Ming saw the prompt and did a quick calculation.
One gave 30,000. To reach ten million, he would need to defeat more than three hundred Third Grade experts.
The higher he climbed, the harder it became to level up. This was only natural.
He glanced at his status panel.
【Level: 70】
【Current Points: 99,896】
【Cultivation Methods: Iron Horse Stance (Fifth Layer Perfection), Five Elements True Art (Incomplete) (Seventh Layer 187,544/10,000,000)】
【Combat Techniques: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang’s Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Returns Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Mastery), Phoenix Dances Through Nine Heavens (Fourth Layer 3,277/400,000), Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan (First Layer 700,000/1,000,000)】
【Secret Techniques: Disguise Art (Mastery)】
“Heaven and Earth’s Lone Swan” was indeed powerful. Even before reaching the second layer, it had allowed him to easily defeat a newly advanced Third Grade opponent.
Among those present, all were under thirty, their Third Grade breakthroughs recent. Their foundations in martial techniques were shallow—how could they be his match?
As Chen Ming replenished his depleted Gangyuan, he shouted loudly, “Who else dares challenge me?”
“I will!”
Very soon, someone else answered, leaping onto the stage. Looking at the sword in his hand, he said, “Your sword is not bad.”
The implication was that his victory over Peng Tianxu was entirely due to that divine weapon.
Chen Ming thought, he hadn’t even drawn his “Phoenix Cry Sword” yet.
The sword he was using now was Gu Xianyu’s sidearm, a divine weapon.
The difference between a divine weapon and a peerless divine weapon lay in whether or not it housed a Spirit of Origin.
Of course, a divine weapon could also cut through iron like mud, allowing a Third Grade expert’s Gangyuan to unleash its full power—just with a little less spirit.
Though peerless divine weapons were unimaginably rare, divine weapons themselves were also quite scarce. Not every Third Grade could possess one.
This second opponent’s strength was evenly matched with Peng Tianxu.
Chen Ming only broke his weapon on the eightieth exchange.
Still unconvinced, the opponent hurled his broken half-sword at him and launched another attack, only to be blasted off the stage by an invisible force.
The one who struck was a Second Grade expert of the Qian Money Gang, responsible for maintaining order on the stage.
He said sternly, “This is a contest for marriage. I ask everyone to show restraint. Young Master Gu, you may step down to rest.”
“No need.”
Chen Ming turned and asked, “Is there anyone else who wishes to come up?”
This angered quite a few of those present.
By the look of it, he wanted to defeat all the young Third Grades of Xiazhou on his own?
They were all young men—how could they endure such arrogance from an outsider, especially in front of beauties?
Thus, a third challenger stepped up.
……
【You defeated an LV71 opponent and gained 33,000 experience points.】
【You defeated an LV70 opponent and gained 30,000 experience points.】
【You defeated an LV72 opponent and gained 36,000 experience points.】
【……】
After Chen Ming had consecutively defeated five opponents, Xia Shaowen finally stepped forward, stopping the sixth challenger. He said, “That’s enough for today. Young Master Gu has fought five battles in a row and consumed much energy. Continuing would be unfair to him. Let tomorrow decide.”
Chen Ming naturally had no objection.
The local Xiazhou youths also didn’t want to take advantage of his exhaustion, so they agreed.
Thus, this highly anticipated martial contest for marriage was paused halfway.
The name of Gu Xianyu spread throughout Wanlei City.
Just as Chen Ming was about to leave, Xia Shaowen stopped him, warmly inviting him to the Qian Money Gang as a guest.
He couldn’t refuse.
……
Soon, in the Governor’s Residence, Liang Zongcheng received the news and was shocked. “That brat is actually Third Grade?”
“Yes, Father.”
The one reporting was his son, Liang Zhengye. With some worry, he said, “I fear our previous plan is now impossible. That boy’s swordsmanship is outstanding, and with Xia Shaowen watching him closely, it would be nearly impossible to kill him on the stage.”
Liang Zongcheng’s expression grew grave. “Why would the Gu Family send him to Xiazhou? They clearly know I am here… could it be the Gu Family also wants that quota?”
Liang Zhengye was shocked. “How would the Gu Family know of this matter?”
Liang Zongcheng said coldly, “There are no walls in the world that the wind cannot pass through. Hmph, Gu Haoran must be insane, sending such a gifted son to Xiazhou. Does he truly think I wouldn’t dare kill him?”
“Father…”
“This is the struggle for the Path of Ascension. No matter who blocks my way, they must die!”
……
Night.
After the banquet, under Xia Shaowen’s invitation, Chen Ming stayed at the Qian Money Gang.
Today, he had drawn far too much attention. Who knew how Liang Zongcheng would react? If he felt threatened and decided to kill him regardless, then staying at the Governor’s Residence would be walking into a trap.
He had originally planned to seek out his cousin Gu Yuyin, but staying at the Qian Money Gang was not a bad choice either.
The Qian Money Gang’s compound was vast and splendid, luxury everywhere befitting its name.
In truth, as Chen Ming had discovered after several days of inquiries, the Qian Money Gang was not some great mercantile power like the Seven Great Maritime Traders. They were Xiazhou’s wealthiest only because the Xia Family owned a gold mine.
They literally had a gold mine at home!
Led by a servant of the Xia Residence, Chen Ming was brought to a rather secluded courtyard.
“Young Master, please wait here a moment. I’ll be back shortly.”
The servant left him there and ran off alone.
What was this?
Chen Ming grew suspicious. Could it be that Xia Shaowen also bore grudges against the Gu Family and intended to—
“Young Master Gu.”
Suddenly, a voice, incomparably melodious, came from the other side of the courtyard. It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. Just from the sound alone, he could imagine its owner was a woman of unparalleled beauty.
“I beg your forgiveness for inviting you here in such a manner.”
“Could it be Miss Xia?”
Chen Ming had already guessed the woman’s identity.
“Yes.”
“A pleasure. I wonder what business Miss Xia has with me?”
“To be frank, I have a rather shameless request.”
“Please, speak.”
That Miss Xia said softly, “The truth is, I already have someone I love. Therefore, I beg Young Master Gu tomorrow, on the stage, to show mercy—pretend to lose. I shall certainly repay you.”
So it turned out she wanted him to throw the fight.
Chen Ming said firmly, “I must refuse. This concerns the Gu Family’s honor. I cannot lose in the arena.”
It wasn’t even worth thinking about. Winning earned him tens of thousands of experience points. Losing would mean losing sixty or seventy thousand in one go. Of course he could never agree.
Miss Xia said, “You could win a few matches, then stop going up.”
“Impossible. That would only make others think I am afraid.” Chen Ming said, “Feigning defeat is out of the question. But rest assured, even if I win, I will not marry you. I already have someone in my heart. Besides, since you do too, you only need to tell your father.”
A sigh drifted over. “If it were so easy, would I have sought you out?”
He couldn’t help imagining a Romeo and Juliet-style love story.
Chen Ming said, “Miss, forgive me. I cannot help you. My personal gain or loss matters little, but my family’s reputation matters greatly.”
He realized that being from a noble family had its advantages—he always had plenty of excuses to refuse.
Miss Xia fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Young Master, did you come for that quota?”
Quota?
What was that supposed to mean?
Chen Ming thought to himself, could it be that this martial contest for marriage had a hidden agenda?
No wonder Liang Zongcheng valued it so highly—so there really was another reason!
His silence made Miss Xia assume he was admitting it. “For a man like you, must you really wade into such muddy waters?”
If I said I wasn’t, would you believe me?