Jiang Mingzhuo took a deep drag from his cigarette, exhaled slowly, and said,
"Xiao Que, let it go. The past is the past."
"Let it go?" Zhang Que replied bitterly. "If anyone else said that, I might believe it—but not from you."
Lighting his own cigarette, he sat down by the slope.
"We've gotten old," Jiang Mingzhuo murmured.
"Shou-ge said the same thing back then." Zhang Que looked over at him.
"You… met him?" Jiang Mingzhuo paused, then chuckled. "Did he scold you again?"
"Back then, Shou-ge called me useless, said I dragged him down, told me to get lost and that he never wanted to see me again."
Zhang Que took a few puffs, flicking the ashes away. "But after all these years, I figured his anger would've cooled."
"He was never angry with you," Jiang Mingzhuo said, glancing at him. "You were still young, and losing an arm like that… he blamed himself. And besides—he's crippled now."
"What?"
Zhang Que's body jolted upright.
"He told me himself—after waking up from that near-fatal wound, he could no longer use his qi," Jiang Mingzhuo explained. "He didn't push you all away because he was angry. He just didn't want you to find out he'd become a cripple… and do something reckless for his sake."
"That bastard Shou-ge!" Zhang Que's hands trembled, cigarette shaking between his fingers. He inhaled deeply, then crushed the butt into the dirt. "I cursed him for years… what kind of beast was I?"
Then, suddenly, realization struck him. "Wait—that can't be right. Last time, he caught a Gang Qi–stage blade with his bare hand! Even if it was pure reflex, someone without qi couldn't hold that strike!"
"You mean he recovered after all these years?"
Jiang Mingzhuo stubbed his cigarette into the ground, then took out another pack—Hongtashan. He pulled out two, keeping one between his lips and handing the other to Zhang Que.
Both men sat there smoking quietly, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, outside the arena, the crowd was still reeling from Xu Mu's display of power.
The final match between two minor Mystic Art beginners barely drew any attention.
At last, the quarterfinals concluded.
The victors: Xu Mu, Cui Yu, Lu Pinlong, and Wu Deng.
After a short intermission, the semifinals began.
Xu Mu already had his plan — stay low-key.
If he faced Cui Yu or Lu Pinlong, he'd simply forfeit. All he needed was to beat Wu Deng and secure third place.
The first match: Xu Mu vs. Cui Yu.
Cui Yu stood up immediately. His master had asked earlier who was stronger between them—now was his chance to prove it.
"Cui Yu, concede," Jiang Mingzhuo suddenly said.
Cui Yu hesitated, but his master's words were absolute.
Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Xu Mu raised his hand first.
"I'm out!" Xu Mu said. "The last fight drained too much qi—I need time to recover!"
Cui Yu looked at Jiang Mingzhuo in confusion.
"If he admits defeat, you can sit down," Jiang Mingzhuo said flatly.
"Yes, Master." Cui Yu nodded and returned to his seat.
"Next: Lu Pinlong vs. Wu Deng," Wei Jingzhi announced.
"I forfeit," Wu Deng said immediately.
He knew he'd gotten this far mostly through luck.
Facing Lu Pinlong meant certain defeat—and unnecessary pain. Only an idiot would step up for that.
"Very well. Then the match for first place will be between Lu Pinlong and Cui Yu."
Lu Pinlong walked to the stage confidently. Even if it was just a one-point difference, he refused to give up.
Rank didn't matter—his reputation did. As the Tenth Squad Captain of the Sanitation Division, losing to a no-name was unthinkable.
"Master, I'll go," Cui Yu said as he stood.
"No need," Jiang Mingzhuo replied calmly, exhaling smoke. "It's only a single point. You can easily make it up in the second round."
"Yes, Master."
Cui Yu turned toward the stage. "I concede this match."
Lu Pinlong smiled faintly. Smart kid.
On the platform, people began congratulating Lu Chuan.
"As expected of the Tenth Squad Captain—truly formidable!"
"At this rate, he might get promoted after the next evaluation!"
…
Jiang Huihui listened to the flattery, her face expressionless.
First place? So what?
He was only two points ahead of Xu Mu—and Xu Mu would crush him easily in the painting round.
"Now, for the match to decide third place: Xu Mu vs. Wu Deng," Wei Jingzhi announced.
"I forfeit," Wu Deng said again.
Earlier, when Xu Mu was still the so-called "Rigged Brother," he might've dared to spar. But after seeing Xu Mu's true strength, he wouldn't risk it.
To him, facing Xu Mu or Lu Pinlong was the same—both meant a beating.
"Then the third and fourth places are settled."
On the big screen, Xu Mu's name lit up beside the number 3.
Wu Deng appeared in fourth place, but he knew it wouldn't last long.
"I challenge Wu Deng!"
A voice rang out—it was Xue Kaixuan, wrapped in bandages, striding forward.
Though he'd been knocked out by Xu Mu's phoenix earlier, his injuries were superficial. He could still handle a Mystic Art beginner.
Wu Deng grimaced. Even injured, Xue Kaixuan was someone he couldn't beat.
"I forfeit."
"Very well," Wei Jingzhi said calmly. "Xue Kaixuan takes fourth place."
"I challenge Wu Deng!"
Now Chen Xuan stood up, eyes sharp.
Wu Deng sighed. Great—another one he couldn't beat.
"I forfeit."
"I challenge Wu Deng!"
"I challenge Wu Deng!"
…
Soon, a dozen voices echoed across the arena. Everyone agreed—Wu Deng didn't deserve his spot.
"Damn it! You think I'm scared of everyone? I'll accept the challenge!"
Wu Deng roared.
Sure, he couldn't beat the top few, but the rest? He'd show them he wasn't a pushover.
Time passed, and one by one, everyone ended up roughly where they belonged.
The final Top Five:
Lu Pinlong
Cui Yu
Xu Mu
Xue Kaixuan
Chen Xuan
(If Zhao Gang hadn't been carried away with a torn shoulder courtesy of Chen Xuan, he'd have made the list too.)
The first round of the Marriage Tournament concluded smoothly.
Xu Mu's total: 78 points, just two shy of Lu Pinlong's 80.
"Prepare the brushes and ink," Wei Jingzhi announced. "Next is the second round—the Painting Contest!"
Jiang Sheng still couldn't quite believe it—Xu Mu's strength had brought him within two points of first place.
Given his skill in traditional painting, he'd easily surpass everyone in this round and seize the top spot.
Xu Mu stretched his arm lazily and grinned.
Finally—it was his turn to show off.