Chapter 55: Song and Dagger

~~~

After the group stage, over three hundred participants became sixty-four.

After the first round of fights, only thirty-two remain.

By the end of the day, only half of that will be left.

Due to the sheer number of fights, one could be forgiven for thinking the first day of the tournament is the longest. The truth is most of the fights that happen during the first day don’t last more than a minute, as the weak are weeded out without mercy. Indeed, many of Liu Jin’s matches were over in an instant.

The next one won’t be so easy.

Liu Jin has gone back to the lower levels of the arena to better watch the fights. Still, even as his eyes take in everything happening within the ring, his mind keeps going back to the mysterious girl.

Fu.

For someone to try to intimidate the competition before a match is normal. Fu approaching him during Yun Han’s match is not too surprising when looked at from that perspective. Perhaps, she merely wanted to gain a better understanding of him.

Similarly, the damage she caused to her opponent is not something that unsettles Liu Jin. The wounds Fu inflicted on Mo Mu are not particularly hard to heal. At worst, Mo Mu will be left with some scars, though Liu Jin doubts it. The medical staff will not let someone from the Yun Sect suffer any permanent damage under their watch.

The ridicule Mo Mu will face from his peers due to losing to an unknown fighter will be far worse than anything Fu did.

Yes, Fu’s actions cannot be compared to what Yun Han did to Cui Tian.

Though he does not approve of the brutality Fu showed, such behavior is only to be expected in a tournament like this one. At most, Liu Jin feels some empathy for the healers who now have more work to do.

What truly bothers Liu Jin is that Fu is a complete unknown.

A person who is not affiliated with any of the Sects or Clans of the city made it out of the group stage and defeated someone in a higher cultivation realm than her. Such things do not usually happen. It is a puzzle that Liu Jin’s mind keeps trying to solve.

Perhaps, Fu does belong to one of the factions within the city and is merely keeping her true identity hidden. If Fu were a prodigy from a minor Clan, keeping her real identity a secret would give her the freedom to act as she wished without those close to her facing any repercussions.

However, Liu Jin doubts that is the case. Fu may not be her real name, but green eyes like those are not common in Eastern Port City. It could be a disguise, yet Liu Jin doesn’t think so.

Then there is her weapon.

The flying dagger.

While it is true anyone in a high enough cultivation realm can make any weapon obey their will, true flying blades are not common. Flying blades are weapons only those in lower levels of cultivation benefit from. In other words, they are weapons made for those who are weak, and once they become strong, they’ll leave them behind. Thus, they are not considered an efficient use of resources.

One might even call them luxury items.

The Xiao and Yun Sects possess a few of them. Perhaps some of the stronger factions within the city could get their hands on one, but therein lies the problem. If only the stronger factions within Eastern Port City could obtain one, then it would be easy to discern Fu’s identity.

Thus, Fu must be someone who came from outside Eastern Port City.

Liu Jin sighs and shakes his head.

Pointless.

Regardless of Fu’s motives, only one thing matters. She is his next opponent.

Truth be told, it is not as if Liu Jin harbors any intention of winning the Eastern Port City Tournament. Such goals are for people like Xiao Fang. He also doesn’t feel any particular desire to defeat Fu.

However, he did promise himself to win his first two matches. If one cannot keep promises made to oneself, how can he be expected to keep promises made to others?

Besides…

His father is watching.

Liu Jin will do his best.

~~~

Three members of the Xiao Sect do not make it to the Top 16.

One of them loses to Yun Han. Though embarrassing, it couldn’t be helped. The impact is somewhat mollified by Xiao Fang returning the favor during his bout as he knocks a member of the Yun Sect out of the tournament.

Of the remaining two, one loses to an Inner Disciple of the Yun Sect, and the other one loses to the number one disciple of one of the larger factions within the city.

Su An and Big Nose Li both win their matches. Although not all members of the Xiao Sect have fought yet, Liu Jin feels confident in saying all those that remain will win their fights.

“Liu Jin of the Xiao Sect vs. Fu!”

Naturally, he includes himself in that assessment.

The crowd cheers for him as he steps into the ring. It is a big difference compared to his earlier matches. Even though he is in the Seventh Level of the Inner Realm and Fu is on the Eighth Level of the Inner Realm, public opinion seems to be in his favor. After all, he is a disciple of the Xiao Sect and Xiao Zheng’s son-in-law, while Fu is an unknown. Even her victory over Mo Mu was not enough to change this.

Fu, however, does not seem bothered by it. She walks into the ring with confident steps, her bright green eyes shining under her cloak.

“Congratulations on winning your match,” she tells him in a cheery voice as they meet in the center of the ring. Now that she’s right in front of him, Liu Jin can better see her features. Though her cloak still obscures her face somewhat, Liu Jin feels confident in saying Fu is someone who will grow into a beauty. Her green eyes are striking, her features delicate, and her hair is of an even lighter shade than Meili’s, more like the color of gold.

“To you as well,” Liu Jin says as he assumes a stance. “It is not always one defeats someone in a higher realm of Cultivation.”

“I see the people of the Xiao Sect are quite humble. Didn’t you do the same?”

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“This one was merely lucky.”

“Li-ar.”

Fu draws out the word, almost singing it, a teasing smile on her face.

“Girls won’t like you if you’re like that. A braggart is no good, but someone too humble for his own good is also out of the question.”

“How fortuitous. I am a married man. It would be complicated if a woman other than my wife became interested in me.”

It is not something Liu Jin would normally say. However, since he is reasonably sure Fu is an outsider, Liu Jin doesn’t feel the need to worry about how his words will affect things for the first time in a long time.

“Come now, in this era, such thoughts are way too small! Those who don’t aim high are left with nothing. Without risk, there is no reward!”

“Be that as it may, I am a person of humble aspirations.”

“Oh? You say that, yet your eyes don’t look like you have any intention of losing to me.”

“If I lost to you, my blood would paint this ring. I quite prefer it inside my body.”

“A pity then. We are at cross-purposes.”

“So it seems.”

“Begin!”

The moment the announcer speaks, Liu Jin dashes in. However, he’s not fast enough. Fu’s flying dagger is already moving towards him.

Should Liu Jin have used Ground Contraction to reach Fu before she could use her flying dagger? Liu Jin is not sure. Indeed, it is something he considered before the match. Whether it is her strongest weapon or not, the flying dagger will be troublesome to deal with. Using Ground Contraction could have allowed him to remove it from the match with minimal difficulty.

It could also have caused him to lose.