~~~

It happened the night before the fight.

“Yun Han will not make the first move,” Xiao Fang tells him. The heir of the Xiao Sect is not looking at him. Instead, his eyes are aimed at the other members of their delegation. Su An has Big Nose Li in a headlock, and the other disciples are cheering her on. Although Xiao Fang appears relaxed, his voice carries absolute certainty.

“Is that so?” Liu Jin cocks his head to the side. “I thought you said he wouldn’t waste the opportunity to hurt me.”

Xiao Fang closes his eyes and sighs. “You forget your position too easily, brother-in-law.”

Liu Jin has nothing to say to that. After all, Xiao Fang is not wrong. In fact, rather than saying he forgets his position easily, it’d be more accurate to say he only occasionally remembers it.

“Yun Han is both older and stronger than you. If he goes all out from the start of the match, his intentions will be too obvious. Such a blatant attack on your person is not something our Xiao Sect will tolerate. We will have cause to demand retribution, and the Yun Sect won’t be able to stop us. Yun Han cannot remove you at his leisure.”

Liu Jin mulls over Xiao Fang’s words and finds them reasonable. Yun Han would trounce him if he were to use his full might from the start. However, doing so may not be the best option for him. The difference in level between the two is simply too big for Yun Han to get away with something like that.

“Do you remember Yun Han’s match against that disciple from the Seven Leaves School?” Xiao Fang asks, unaware of the impact that fight had on Liu Jin. “Yun Han may have been playing around back then, but that will probably be his strategy for tomorrow. He will wait until you use enough strength to force his hand and counterattack mercilessly.”

Xiao Fang makes a displeased face.

“After that, he will say something like, ‘His strength caught me by surprise, so I forgot to hold back’ or ‘I am sorry. I was unable to control my might against him.’”

In other words, Yun Han will try to pass the whole thing off as an accident. Certainly, the Yun Sect will face repercussions for doing something like that, but they won’t be as severe. In the worst-case scenario, the Yun Sect may be able to argue the blame should be placed on Liu Jin for not surrendering when he had the chance.

Still…

“You seem oddly sure of what is going to happen.”

“It is important to know how to crush a problem before it becomes a threat,” Xiao Fang replies in a toneless voice. “What I describe is not an uncommon strategy. It is certainly one Yun Han seems to favor.”

In other words, it is something Yun Han has done before.

And it is something Xiao Fang may have done as well.

“I see,” Liu Jin says.

“Do you, brother-in-law?” Xiao Fang asks in a tone Liu Jin cannot recognize. Xiao Fang’s face, at that moment, is something he cannot read.

Xiao Fang pours himself more wine. A few feet away, Big Nose Li has seemingly turned the tables on Su An.

“Regardless,” he says, bringing the cup to his lips. “Yun Han will wait for you to show your strength. That is the only reason why you have a chance to survive. If you are determined to fight him, that is your only chance.”

~~~

Xiao Fang’s words prove to be prophetic. Instead of attacking him the second the fight starts, Yun Han merely looks at him with curious eyes. His body is in a loose, defensive stance that perfectly announces his intentions.

The first move will be Liu Jin’s.

“I must admit I was not expecting you to fight me. Perhaps you are being forced to stand before me? Was Xiao Fang that angry over your surrender during the group stage?”

“It is nothing like that.” Liu Jin shakes his head. “I am here of my own free will.”

Yun Han raises an eyebrow. “Truly? Then why bother going through the effort of avoiding me during the first round if your own actions would lead you back to me?”

And that is the question, isn’t it?

Why is he doing this?

Why fight Yun Han?

Is it because Yun Han is of the Yun Sect and Liu Jin is of the Xiao Sect? No. Though it would not be an exaggeration to say the Eastern Port City Tournament revolves around the conflict between the two Sects, Liu Jin cares little for such things. That is not why he is doing this.

Is it because Liu Jin is angry about what happened to Cui Tian and now seeks retribution? Liu Jin mulls over the possibility before discarding it. Certainly, Liu Jin is angry about what Yun Han did, but he has not stepped into the ring for the sake of vengeance. Doing something like that would be ignoring his own role in Cui Tian’s fate.

Is it then perhaps because of that afternoon so many years ago when Yun Han held his fate in his hands, and Xiao Fang needed to save him?

“I wonder,” Liu Jin says both to himself and Yun Han, carefully measuring his words. “This may be rude of me to say but… I just don’t like you.”

And that, perhaps, may be the truest reason his mind can produce.

Liu Jin sees the smile slip from Yun Han’s face, but he does not wait to hear his retort. His body is already in motion.

The first hit lands on Yun Han’s waiting palm. The Yun Sect’s Young Master reacts to Liu Jin’s attack in a thousandth of a second, yet it still feels like he is not even trying.

Liu Jin keeps attacking.

Dozens of blows ring across the arena. Gasps rise from the audience. Some even stand up and cheer. Even those who do not have much fighting experience can tell the truth. Liu Jin’s Qi may be in the Inner Realm, but the power he displays is not. The sound and fury behind his attacks are undeniable. It is like they are watching someone in the early stages of the Nascent Realm.

And yet…

Yun Han blocks every single one of his blows.

The people who had started cheering for Liu Jin find themselves stopping as realization sets in. Liu Jin is strong. Stronger than his level would suggest. No one can deny that.

However, Yun Han is stronger.

Liu Jin is stronger than his level would suggest, but the same can be said of Yun Han. Thus, the difference between them remains the same. No, it may even be more. Due to how powerful Yun Han is, there is no telling how big the gap between them truly is.

It is the same as Yun Han’s fight against Cui Tian. The only reason it isn’t over yet is that Yun Han has yet to attack. As the last member of the audience realizes it, the cheers for Liu Jin stop completely. Up in the Xiao Sect’s private room, Su An is screaming at Liu Jin to stop while Xiao Fang watches everything with a face carved out of stone.

Liu Jin does not stop.

He keeps attacking with reckless abandon, piling blow upon blow on Yun Han. As he does, one thought keeps running through his mind.

Amazing.

Even though he finds Yun Han to be wholly unlikeable as a person, he cannot deny the truth before him. Yun Han is amazing. He is not just relying on his superior speed and strength to block. Certainly, he is choosing to block to show off the difference in power between them, but each of his blocks is flawless. There is no wasted motion to be found. He always perfectly receives his blows in the way that best neutralizes Liu Jin’s strength.

It is not something he is doing consciously. Liu Jin has grasped enough of Yun Han’s character to understand that.

This is simply the result of all the training he has undergone. His body naturally moves this way.

What a waste.

For such a fantastic fighter to have such a miserable character is nothing but a waste. The thought passes through Liu Jin’s mind, but it does nothing to help him. Beads of sweat shine on his forehead, yet he does not slow down. Thoughts of pacing himself have no place in a fight like this. From the very beginning, this has been an all-or-nothing attack.

And at that moment, the unthinkable happens.

Yun Han dodges.

The motion bewilders the audience, yet none is more shocked than Yun Han, who stares at Liu Jin with wide eyes. Some would consider the moment to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. For the first time, Liu Jin is in a position where he can land a solid blow on Yun Han.

Liu Jin knows that if he does, he would most certainly not survive the counterattack.

Ground Contraction.

Liu Jin vanishes only to reappear many yards away from Yun Han. The Yun Sect’s Young Master is staring at his arms with a stunned expression before lowering his head, his hair casting a shadow over his face.

“You…”

The amount of anger in that one word is palpable.

“You trash… You dare soil my body with poison!”

By the time he gets to the end of the sentence, Yun Han is shouting. His words are loud enough to be heard by the spectators, who quickly start muttering among themselves.

Liu Jin sighs.

As expected, it was too much to hope for Yun Han not to notice it.

When Liu Jin fought against Xiao Fang, he used Poison Qi exactly once. It was a dangerous gamble that relied on Xiao Fang’s temper to succeed. Had Xiao Fang kept calm, he’d have instantly noticed the poison.

Against Yun Han, Liu Jin summoned a tiny amount of Poison Qi, one so small only a fly would mind it.

Liu Jin put that exact amount of Poison Qi behind every hit Yun Han blocked, so of course, Yun Han had not noticed it. He did not notice when he blocked ten of his blows. He did not notice when he blocked fifty, nor did he notice when he blocked a hundred.

Like that, hit by hit, the poison had built up inside Yun Han’s body.

If Yun Han had chosen against blocking his attacks, the strategy would have never worked. In other words, had Yun Han not been so eager to show off his superiority, this would have never happened.

“Well? Have you nothing to say for yourself!” Yun Han roared, his Qi blazing around him.

“I truly had hoped you wouldn’t notice until I won.”

Liu Jin’s words do nothing to help Yun Han’s mood. His Qi rises even higher, cracking the ring around him in the process. Even though his skin is rapidly paling due to the poison, he still has more than enough power to win the fight.

It isn’t as though Liu Jin ever thought he had a chance of winning, but for a tiny moment, he had almost dared to hope. If only Yun Han had noticed a few hundreds of hits later…

It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.

All it means is that there is no point in Liu Jin being subtle anymore.

And with that thought, Liu Jin’s Qi rises.

The audience watches enthralled as the two fighters summon their power. Certainly, Yun Han’s might is without question. There is no doubt he is stronger than Liu Jin. However, it is Liu Jin’s Qi that draws the most eyes and with good reason.

Liu Jin’s aura is made up entirely of Poison Qi.

For someone in the Inner Realm to be able to manage something like that is astounding. The poison roils and bubbles all around his body. While Yun Han’s sheer power breaks everything around him, the poison around Liu Jin starts melting the ring beneath his feet.

“Is that supposed to impress me!” Yun Han shouts. “Do you think poison makes you a threat?!”

Yun Han’s Qi, which has been blazing all around him, suddenly focuses on his hand. Liu Jin instantly understands what is about to happen.

Severing Palm.

One of the Yun Sect’s secret techniques.

If Liu Jin is hit by it, he’ll be cut in half. There is no question about it. There is only one thing he can do now.

White Venom Fist.

Yun Han laughs as Liu Jin focuses his Qi on his hands. While the display is undoubtedly impressive for his level, it is nothing compared to Yun Han’s.

“Very well, trash! If you’re tired of living, I’ll oblige you!”

At once, they charge at full speed.

The ring breaks in half.

Yun Han’s Severing Palm strikes without mercy, causing a shockwave that resounds across the stadium. Even though the ring is made of durable materials, it is simply no match for his might. The people watching raise their arms to shield themselves from the power unleashed by the clash.

When the dust clears up, Yun Han is standing in the center of the ring, an expression of pure rage on his face.

“How?!”

Standing at the very edge of the ring is Liu Jin. He smiles tiredly. The Poison Qi that surrounded him earlier is nowhere to be found now.

Art of the Roaming Thief.

In the end, the two fighters had never clashed against each other. During the very last fraction of a second, Liu Jin used the technique to escape, leaving Yun Han to strike at the ring instead.

Now...there is only one thing he can do.

“I surrender.”

~~~