~~~

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?”

“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.

Using Ground Contraction means fully committing oneself to a movement. Had he used it and had Fu managed to use her dagger in time, the fight would have been over in an instant. Even as Liu Jin tilts his head to the side to let the dagger fly by, he’s still not sure if he has made the right choice.

Fu moves her hand, and the dagger suddenly switches direction. The moment it does, Liu Jin uses Ground Contraction to get away.

Unlike the rings used during the group stage, the ring they are fighting on now is quite large. There is plenty of room for them to move around. Liu Jin zig and zags all over the arena, using Ground Contraction to always stay one step ahead of Fu’s dangerous flying dagger as it carves its way through the ring.

Fu’s hand moves as she guides her weapon. The long sleeves of her cloak hide her arms, yet he can see something glinting on her finger. A ring?

Is that how she is controlling the dagger?

Liu Jin frowns as he jumps over the weapon. A triumphant grin appears on Fu’s face. She thinks she has him. In the air, he cannot dodge. The dagger curves as it heads right for his center.

Liu Jin uses Ground Contraction.

In mid-air, the technique is not as effective as it is on solid ground, yet it does what is needed. Liu Jin’s body gains new momentum, giving him but a small instant to appreciate the shock on Fu’s face before his body blurs towards her.

His fist doesn’t reach her.

Ground Contraction carries him to the place where Fu was before her flying dagger can protect her, yet by the time Liu Jin gets there, Fu is no longer there. It doesn’t take Liu Jin long to find she has moved all the way to the other edge of the ring, her dagger once more hovering protectively in front of her.

A movement technique.

Liu Jin clicks his tongue as he runs through his options. The same trick will not work a second time. If he wants to get to Fu, he must get rid of the dagger. The weapon has no acupoints for him to attack, so his usual method is out. Besides, trying to attack the dagger with his bare hands is bound to end badly. If it could cut the skin of someone in the Nascent Realm, Liu Jin has no desire to see what it would do to him.

Perhaps Poison Qi?

Liu Jin considers the idea for a moment as his body blurs all over the ring. While Fu is mostly static, her weapon and Liu Jin’s body are moving all over the place in a deadly chase. It is not the type of fight the audience is used to seeing, yet they cheer all the same.

Ever since Liu Jin passed Nine-Headed Snake God’s Trial, he gained the ability to use Poison-Attuned Qi, likely a side effect of being exposed to Nine-Headed Snake God’s poison for so long. Of course, the poison-attuned Qi Liu Jin can generate is nowhere near as powerful as Nine-Headed Snake God’s poison.

However, that doesn’t mean he has used this ability to its full potential.

White Venom Fist.

The name comes unbidden to Liu Jin. It has been doing that for a while now. Liu Jin knows his ability to create poison will grow stronger as his cultivation level rises. He knows that if he uses that technique, the damage he causes will not just leave his victims with some light numbness. It is a deadly technique that yearns to be used.

However, today is not its day.

Putting aside the part where Liu Jin has no desire to cause lethal damage, he is not sure it is the right technique for this situation.

That leaves only one option.

The audience cries out as Liu Jin finally stops dodging and rushes to meet the dagger. Some people stand up and cheer him on. Others try to warn him to stay away from the dangerous weapon.

A clang rings across the arena as the two weapons meet.

Liu Jin’s knife is much smaller than Fu’s dagger. It is not made of metal but rather the fangs of a dangerous beast.

Unlike Mo Mu’s sword, Liu Jin’s knife doesn’t shatter.

Liu Jin grits his teeth as he pushes back against the dagger. To his surprise, the dagger doesn’t immediately break. It flies back and tries to rush him from another angle. Two more exchanges go by as Liu Jin weaves around the dagger, sparks flying whenever his knife strikes it.

That it doesn’t break right away speaks volumes about its quality. However, Liu Jin’s weapon is made from the fangs of a powerful Spirit Beast. It is only a matter of time.

By the fourth exchange, the dagger shatters, bits of metal clatter all over the arena’s floor.

Liu Jin breathes heavily as he locks eyes with Fu.

He dashes in.

“I surrender!”

Liu Jin stops mere inches away from Fu. He looks at her with a disbelieving expression. She stares back, unashamed.

“Fu has surrendered! The winner of the match is Liu Jin of the Xiao Sect!”

The announcer declares his victory, yet Liu Jin can’t help but feel cheated.

“Whatever happened to needing to take risks?” He asks as the two are being checked by Wu Yan.

“Taking risks is important!” Fu replies, not looking even slightly bothered by her loss. “However, one must know when not to push one’s luck.”

“Besides,” she adds after the two have been cleared and are away from the audience’s sight, a smile tugging at her lips. “I think I already have what I wanted.”

“Dare I ask?”

“A business opportunity.”

Fu smiles as she pulls out a card and offers it to him.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Song Daiyu of the Five Blessings Group. If you’re ever near one of our businesses, don’t hesitate to use this card.”

Song Daiyu of the Five Blessings Group? Then that meant...

The Song Clan!

Even Liu Jin has heard of them. To be more precise, Old Jiang had made sure to teach him about them. The Five Blessings Group is a prominent merchant guild that manages several auction houses all over the continent. It is said that it is wealthier than some countries. Within the Five Blessing Group, there are several prominent families.

The Song Clan is one of those.

“I…This is....” Liu Jin takes a deep breath. “Why?”

“Originally, I was hoping to talk with the future heads of the Yun and Xiao Sects.” Song Daiyu frowns. “However, they both ended up being a bit too simple for my tastes. A business partner must be reliable. You, however, seem to show more sense. Since you are Xiao Zheng’s son-in-law, there will come a time when knowing you will be beneficial for me. After all, the Xiao Sect controls quite a few rare ingredients.”

“And this card?” Liu Jin asks, holding up the item in question. It is a simple black rectangle with the name of the Five Blessings Group written on it. “Will it really work in any business affiliated with the Five Blessings Group?”

“Naturally. I want you to understand I am serious about this,” Song Daiyu tells him. “Ask a favor of me, and if it is within my power, I will grant it.”

A favor from someone belonging to the Song Clan.

Liu Jin doesn’t need to think about it twice.

“In that case, the disciples of the Seven Leaves School are likely to visit your auction house in Five Bats City. If they do, please ensure they are treated well.”

Song Daiyu stares.

“... That’s it? A daughter of the Song family offers you a favor, and you waste it on trash?”

She laughs.

“I am no businessman.”

“On the contrary,” Song Daiyu says. “I think you are quite the investor. I look forward to doing business with you.”

She walks away with that, not willing to say more.

It is the first time Liu Jin meets Song Daiyu. It won’t be the last.

~~~