Chapter 66: Competing Three Times in a Row
“Shut up. A loss is a loss. Where do you think you're going with these excuses?”
Standing nearby as the referee was a blue-clad constable surnamed Wu.
Seeing that Tian Qiming was unwilling to accept defeat and making a scene in front of the Governor, he immediately barked a reprimand.
Tian Qiming naturally dared not argue with a Fourth Grade expert from the Six Doors. Though his heart burned with resentment, he did not dare utter another word.
Zhao Shouchang spoke in a calm tone, “You were too careless when facing an opponent whose strength was unknown. I hope you’ll learn from this lesson in the future.”
“Yes.”
Tian Qiming’s eyes were bloodshot.
It took all his strength just to squeeze out that single word through clenched teeth.
At that moment, Chen Ming spoke up. “Sir, since Brother Tian is not convinced, I’m willing to spar with him again.”
“Oh?”
Zhao Shouchang looked at him in slight surprise, then smiled. “Since you’ve agreed, there’s no reason to refuse.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Tian Qiming was utterly overjoyed, as though a new path had opened before him. He had unexpectedly secured a chance to redeem himself.
He stared at his opponent with eyes that seemed ready to burst into flames.
Although this second match was granted because of the opponent’s request, he felt no gratitude.
On the contrary, a surge of uncontrollable rage welled up within him.
This meant the other party hadn’t taken him seriously at all.
“You dare look down on me!”
Tian Qiming took a deep breath, picked up the weapon from the ground, and assumed his stance. “This time, I won’t be careless again.”
…
【You have defeated an LV33 enemy. Gained 500 experience points.】
Seeing the notification vanish before his eyes, Chen Ming felt a surge of satisfaction.
This was the highest single amount of experience he had earned so far—and it was won with such ease.
From the moment the opponent made his first move, Chen Ming knew he was a noob.
Perhaps the sword technique he had learned was advanced, but a noob was still a noob—too focused on being flashy, leaving himself wide open.
Chen Ming had spotted the flaw instantly and defeated him in a single strike.
The opponents Chen Ming had faced in the past were mostly seasoned veterans who would never make such rookie mistakes.
On the contrary, these high-born disciples with stronger cultivation often seemed a bit foolish.
If only all of them were like this.
So, when Tian Qiming stubbornly claimed the last match didn’t count, Chen Ming had volunteered to fight him again.
Another match meant another batch of experience points—he couldn’t be more willing.
“Please!”
Chen Ming once again allowed Tian Qiming to make the first move.
This time, Tian Qiming was much more cautious.
He used the move “Wild Geese Descend on Flat Sand,” with one part offense and nine parts defense.
He didn’t aim to win but rather to avoid mistakes, leaving no openings for the opponent.
He finally remembered his master’s teachings—when fighting someone for the first time, one must first probe the opponent’s style.
Chen Ming smiled faintly.
Pressing down with the saber in his hand, he charged straight at the opponent’s sword.
Clang!
A solid impact rang out as their weapons collided.
Tian Qiming’s arm was numbed by the force, and he quickly changed moves.
Clang!
Chen Ming slashed again—no tricks, just brute force—forcing the opponent into direct confrontation.
Although Tian Qiming was three levels higher than him, Chen Ming’s saber was heavy, while his sword was light.
In a head-on clash, Chen Ming held a significant advantage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!…
After five or six strikes, Tian Qiming’s arm had gone almost completely numb. His tiger’s mouth had split open, and he could no longer endure the exchange.
He started dodging left and right in a panic, looking increasingly disheveled.
By the tenth move, he had nowhere left to dodge. His sword was knocked from his hand, and the tip of Chen Ming’s saber was already at his chest, stopping abruptly just a foot away.
Tian Qiming’s face turned deathly pale, and his legs weakened.
For a brief moment, he thought he was done for.
“Thanks for letting me win.”
Chen Ming withdrew his saber and returned to his original position.
…
Constable Wu asked in a deep voice, “Tian Qiming, after this loss, are you convinced?”
Tian Qiming’s lips trembled. He looked somewhat dazed as he replied, “Yes…”
This time, he had been completely suppressed from start to finish, without any chance to fight back.
No matter how unwilling he was in his heart, he couldn’t utter a word of denial.
【You have once again defeated an LV33 enemy. Gained 250 experience points.】
Upon seeing the prompt appear, Chen Ming respectfully saluted both Constable Wu and Zhao Shouchang, then returned to his seat.
“Well done.”
Sitting beside him, Zhang Mingyu whispered a word of praise.
Among everyone present, he was the only one who had confidence in Chen Ming’s strength.
He believed that Chen Ming was not much weaker than these noble disciples.
But unexpectedly, he had underestimated him—Chen Ming’s strength was actually this formidable, utterly overpowering Tian Qiming without giving him a chance to retaliate.
The victory had been effortless.
His junior had made a name for himself in front of so many people.
As his senior brother, Zhang Mingyu felt proud as well.
…
At the pavilion.
Among the Xiaoshui Sect’s female disciples, the Fifth Senior Sister—who had earlier confidently declared that Chen Ming would undoubtedly lose—now nonchalantly remarked, “Junior Sister, your grandfather’s disciple has impressive saber skills. Quite rare.”
“Thank you for the praise, Senior Sister.”
A faint and nearly imperceptible smile crossed Huo Qianqian’s face.
Several other female disciples nearby were holding back their laughter.
They all knew that Fifth Senior Sister was just putting on a brave front to save face after her earlier embarrassment.
Fifth Senior Sister’s face stiffened.
Having suffered such a loss of face, she shut her mouth and dared not offer any more comments.
Huo Qianqian’s gaze involuntarily drifted to Chen Ming, who sat in a corner.
She recalled how, over a year ago, she had sparred with him more than ten times.
Back then, he wasn’t even a martial artist.
And now, he was already at the Seventh Grade.
Even the so-called well-established noble disciples praised by her Senior Sister couldn’t match him.
Looking back on those past days evoked a complex mix of emotions.
…
At that moment, Constable Wu asked, “Who will go for the second match?”
“I will!”
A voice rang out. A burly man stepped forward. “Wang Ruisheng from Tianhai County, greetings, Sir.”
Over at the pavilion, one of the Xiaoshui Sect’s female disciples said, “The Wang Family from Tianhai County once produced a Second Grade martial artist. Though they’d been in decline for nearly a century, in recent years they’ve produced two Third Grade fighters in a row. Their influence is currently on the rise.”
“I remember, the Wang Family has some longstanding grudge with the Tian Family from Dai Prefecture…”
As they spoke, Wang Ruisheng declared, “I wish to challenge that Chen Ming from earlier.”
The moment he said this, everyone present was stunned.
They didn’t understand why he was insisting on challenging someone who had just fought a match.
After all, the opponent had just finished a fight and would be somewhat drained. Challenging him now seemed a bit underhanded.
Suddenly, a female disciple from the Xiaoshui Sect clapped her hands and exclaimed excitedly, “I get it! If he defeats Chen Ming, wouldn’t that prove his strength far exceeds Tian Qiming’s?”
So that’s what it was!
Many people, hearing her words, suddenly understood.
Just as Constable Wu was about to speak, Chen Ming had already stood up and said, “Sir, I accept his challenge.”
Constable Wu glanced at him and nodded. “Very well.”
…
“That bastard!”
Back in the field, Tian Qiming—already frustrated by losing to an unknown nobody—now felt like he had swallowed a fly.
The feud between the Tian and Wang families went back more than a decade.
Recently, however, the Wang Family had been growing stronger.
The two families had clashed several times, each suffering losses.
Last year, both sides held negotiations and agreed to a ceasefire.
That was why he hadn’t challenged Wang Ruisheng earlier.
Who would have thought Wang Ruisheng would stoop so low as to challenge the very man who had just defeated him—Chen Ming?
What was this supposed to be?
Tian Qiming found himself torn.
One was the new enemy who had just defeated him.
The other was a hereditary enemy. He didn’t even know who he wanted to win anymore.