Chapter 58: Wrath

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“I surrender.”

Liu Jin’s words come as an anti-climax. For a moment, the people are left blinking, wondering what just happened. By the time Liu Jin’s words sink in, the announcer’s hand has already come up.

“Liu Jin of the Xiao Sect has surrendered. Yun Han of the Yun Sect wins!”

The words echo across the arena, making many frowns appear on the crowd. Mutters, murmurs, and grumbles are aplenty, for no one had wanted the fight to end just yet. Even though everyone was sure Liu Jin had no chance against Yun Han, they had allowed themselves to become invested in the fight. Every second kept surpassing their expectations. During the last clash, people stood and cheered for both sides, blanketing the arena with deafening noise.

All that is over now.

Yun Han has won. It is the conclusion everyone expected, yet the way in which it happened leaves a sour taste in their mouths.

However, their feelings cannot possibly be compared to Yun Han’s.

His victory has been declared, yet the corona of Qi around Yun Han does not fade away. It keeps on burning with violent intent.

“Surrender?” Yun Han echoes, his voice stilted by rage. “You surrender?”

The rubble around Yun Han crumbles under the weight of his Qi.

His face is pale and sweaty. Green-ish marks have appeared on his skin, and his breathing is heavier than usual. It is clear that his body is feeling the effects of the poison.

However, Yun Han still has more than enough power to kill Liu Jin.

“Do you think I’ll allow such a thing!”

“The rules of the tournament are not something we have control over, Yun Han,” Liu Jin replies, getting ready to defend himself should it be needed. “We fought, yet it is clear I was not your match.”

Yun Han’s glare is fulminating in its intensity.

“I have pushed myself too far during this fight and can no longer continue. Thus, I surrendered. Surely, you cannot find fault with this? The rules allow us to surrender at any moment. Is that not so?”

The announcer gulps as Liu Jin aims the question at him. Suddenly, he is the target of Yun Han’s ire. His glare demands the announcer to deny Liu Jin and allow the fight to continue. Right now, there is nothing Yun Han wants more than that.

Yun Han may have won the match, but Liu Jin has wounded him too deeply for Yun Han to ever forgive him.

It is not because of the poison. Liu Jin is certain that Yun Han’s body will be able to fight it off eventually. No, what Liu Jin damaged is not Yun Han’s body.

It is his pride.

Yun Han fought against someone he surpassed in almost every way, and in the end, he was hurt by that person. He planned to harm Liu Jin, yet Liu Jin is completely unharmed while Yun Han is the one whose body is wounded.

In fact, Yun Han did not score a single hit on Liu Jin throughout the entire fight.

No matter how Yun Han looks at it, the entire fight is a deliberate insult to his person, one he cannot stand. It is only natural for Yun Han to be as angry as he is. However, Liu Jin’s surrender has taken away his opportunity for immediate retaliation, leaving him without an outlet for his wrath.

No matter how much he wants to, Yun Han cannot attack Liu Jin right now. The only thing he can do is to stand by and let Liu Jin walk away.

It is, without a doubt, the sort of situation that makes one cough blood.

All that frustration is now aimed at the lone announcer.

“I…I… P-Participant Liu Jin is co-correct,” the announcer manages to stutter out, impressing Liu Jin. Then again, if he sided with Yun Han, the wrath of the Xiao Sect would come down on him. When caught between the two, siding with the Xiao Sect is only natural.

A guttural sound leaves Yun Han’s throat.

“How sad it must be to blame others for your inadequacy.”

Xiao Fang makes his entrance with all the confidence in the world. Everyone had been so caught up by Liu Jin and Yun Han that they completely failed to take notice of his arrival.

“This is no business of yours, Xiao Fang!”

Xiao Fang laughs at that.

“No business of mine? You threaten my brother-in-law, and I am expected not to interfere? Were my brother-in-law’s blows so strong that you have taken leave of your senses?”

Just like that, Xiao Fang reminds Yun Han of his poor performance against Liu Jin, further hammering his humiliation while also making it clear Yun Han will not get his way today.

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Xiao Fang, Liu Jin muses, is very good at insulting people.

“We are in the middle of a tournament match.”

Yun Han’s reply is weak. Perhaps, if he were thinking calmly, he’d be able to better argue his case.

“You were in the middle of a tournament match,” Xiao Fang corrects him, moving with confident steps until he is beside Liu Jin. “My brother-in-law surrendered. You were declared the winner. I trust these events have not escaped your notice?”

A smarter person would have stopped arguing there.

“Does he look like he can no longer fight?” Yun Han yells, raising his arm to point at Liu Jin.

“Irrelevant. My brother-in-law knows his limits, something which clearly cannot be said of you.” Xiao Fang’s smile turns smug. “If we are to judge who can continue to fight purely based on appearance, I am afraid it would be you who would be deemed unfit. Of course, if that is what you desire, our Xiao Sect has no problems with such an outcome.”

Some people in the audience laugh at that, causing Yun Han’s anger to soar.

The people are laughing at him, and there is nothing he can do about it.

“Young Master Yun Han,” Wu Yan’s voice is as meek as Liu Jin has ever heard it. Dr. Wu’s son has made its way into the ruined ring and now stands a few yards behind Yun Han. He does not dare to step closer. “They are right… the fight… it is over. You won.”

Wu Yan may tell him he has won, but Liu Jin can tell Yun Han’s mind is stuck on the sentence before that one.

It is over.