Chapter 3: The Final Showdown at the Mountain Stronghold (2)
The rush to register for the competition was swift.
After all, when it comes to martial arts prowess, each faction is somewhat aware of their standings.
But even so, there were still some factions trying to cram more than one member into the limited eighteen spots allocated to six teams, which undoubtedly sparked dissatisfaction among others.
Thus, before the main event kicked off, various factions began a series of warm-up matches to vie for spots.
This, of course, attracted a huge crowd, and conveniently filled the mountain stronghold’s betting coffers with unexpected wealth.
According to the original agreement made by the Burning Moon Sword Manor regarding the order of matches, “The Woman in Red” and Ao Hongtu were scheduled to compete in the fifteenth and sixteenth slots.
However, after negotiating with the stronghold to change the competition format, the top seven factions decided to grant Burning Moon Sword Manor just a single slot. This enraged Ao Hongtu, who started yelling that he wanted to duel with the faction slated to compete before the sword manor, fighting for more slots.
“I am Mei Wanzheng of the Five Poisons Sect, ready for your teachings!”
As it turned out, the Five Poisons Sect was vying for that same slot, so the two factions unwittingly collided, agreeing that the winner would claim two slots, while the loser would walk away with nothing.
“I’ll handle this!” declared Lin Nan, eager for a quick resolution, but Ao Hongtu thought it better if he took the lead since he was the head of Burning Moon Sword Manor.
After all, if “The Woman in Red” won, and certain individuals refused to acknowledge it, it would be neater if he stepped in himself.
“Fear not, my lady. I shall deal with him!”
Before anyone knew it, the two were locked in battle.
This also provided Lin Nan the opportunity to witness Ao Hongtu’s true skills.
Mei Wanzheng specialized in poisons, and as soon as the duel began, he distanced himself from Ao Hongtu, weaving around the perimeter.
Ao Hongtu, knowing that an extended fight would increase his chance of being poisoned, struck like a venomous snake, keeping pressure on his opponent while denying Mei Wanzheng any chance to breathe.
But despite his efforts, Ao Hongtu inadvertently ended up getting poisoned.
In the chase after Mei Wanzheng, he suddenly felt his body go limp, and his sword clattered to the ground.
Overjoyed, Mei Wanzheng just needed to press his dagger against Ao Hongtu’s neck to claim victory.
However, just as he moved closer to Ao Hongtu, ready to declare his triumph, Ao Hongtu suddenly lunged with a sword, aiming for Mei Wanzheng’s shoulder.
A spray of bl**d shot into the air.
Mei Wanzheng clutched his wound, retreating in disbelief, leaving a profound impression on Lin Nan’s mind.
After all, everyone had thought Ao Hongtu was about to fall under the Five Poisons Sect, yet unexpectedly, he turned the tables at the last moment, snatching a precious slot for Burning Moon Sword Manor.
Ao Hongtu was no simpleton; Lin Nan recognized this clearly.
However, to form a trio, Burning Moon Sword Manor still lacked a third partner. The two glanced around, but at the moment, they couldn’t find a suitable candidate.
Just then, “Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn” Mu Zhi, who had been observing from the sidelines for a while, stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.
“May I know if Mu here meets your approval?”
Ao Hongtu and Lin Nan exchanged surprised glances; they could see the astonishment mirrored in each other’s eyes.
“Isn’t your sect one of the top seven? Wouldn’t teaming up with a humble, nameless faction like us tarnish your reputation?” Ao Hongtu replied.
Mu Zhi shook his head. “To be honest, here in Lehua Town, I’m the only one from the Qingcheng Sect who can hold my own.
I don’t want to meddle with the old fogies from the other six factions, plus I admire both of you greatly. So, why not give me a chance?”
Ao Hongtu chuckled. “Admire me? You must mean you admire this lady hero, The Woman in Red!”
Both men laughed together.
Lin Nan shrugged, looking as if he didn’t quite catch their banter.
At that moment, the teams participating in the main event were practically set.
Lin Nan took a peek and saw that Liao Chen had teamed up with two Taoists from Wudang. Aside from her team, the remaining four groups were similarly configured, two representatives from the top seven factions, while the last was a headliner from a smaller faction.
Over on the stronghold’s side, all the best fighters were in attendance.
Trissa, Morris, Fuerman, and Fatty were each leading a team, but what surprised Lin Nan was that Adeline, who he always thought couldn’t lift a chicken, was also on the teams’ lineup.
Turns out, she was secretly a fighter too?
“Why isn’t your stronghold leader competing?” a curious onlooker asked.
“If our leader were competing, would any of you even exist?” Fatty shot back nonchalantly.
“Hmph! So arrogant! Just wait until our Demon-Subduing Alliance wins the championship; let’s see if she can still look so unfazed!”
“Right! She’s only taken down a couple of bl**d Cloak assassins. Compared to the top seven, they barely register as noteworthy.”
“Exactly! Just some little mountain stronghold leader, utterly unaware of the vastness of the world.”
DONG!
A gong sounded, signaling that the competition was about to begin.
According to principles of fairness and justice, each competition zone was to feature three teams from both sides.
But determining which two factions would represent their zones after an all-out brawl would ultimately depend on their skills.
Moreover, there could also be infighting within the same faction.
Thus, no team could afford to be careless in any match.
BANG! Another gong echoed.
“Betting is open! Minimum bet one tael of silver, no upper limit!”
The crowd rushed to surround the betting tables, nearly everyone had their favored team.
Among these teams, the one from the stronghold, composed of exotic-looking foreigners, stood out, even if their strength wasn’t widely known. Surely, the stronghold wouldn’t send them to battle if they weren’t tough cookies.
Especially a team composed entirely of foreign women caught many spectators’ attention.
In fact, the opening match was set to be the female team from the stronghold versus the Kongtong Sect from the alliance.
Needless to say, the female team was led by Trissa and her harpists.
When the three entered the arena, instead of drawing their weapons like the other teams, they bent their knees slightly and—like a magic trick—a beautifully crafted harp appeared before them.
This unprecedented method of competition left everyone scratching their heads.
Their opponents were the nimble Kongtong Sect; could they actually pull this off?
But the moment the match officially started, the female team’s remarkable performance left the audience in awe, shattering all preconceived notions.
Three musical notes flowed like water, beautiful to the listeners, but to the Kongtong Sect, it sounded like demonic tunes that rattled their very souls.
After a brief struggle, they staggered drunkenly, eventually collapsing to the ground.
The three’s snores echoed – they had genuinely fallen asleep on the spot.
Everyone in the crowd, “……”
Lin Nan, “……”
Who would have thought they had such a trick up their sleeves? If one faced them, they’d better be careful not to trip over a gutter.
After all, aside from Fatty, no one in the mountain stronghold knew “The Woman in Red” was the leader. No one would let up unless she revealed her identity voluntarily.
Clearly, that was not her intention.
