Jao Fuu approached Wang Zen, who was leaning against a wall.

“Are you ready?” Jao Fuu said.

Wang Zen nodded.

“You don’t look ready,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

“There you are, Brother.” Lang said, walking up to Zen.

Jao Fuu glared at him but remained silent.

“May the best man win,” Lang smiled before he left for the ring.

Jao Fuu looked at Zen. “Give him hell.”

Zen walked out, also heading for the ring.

Chen Jian entered the booth of City Lord Xu.

“City Lord Xu, you summoned me?” Chen Jian clasped his hands together and bowed.

“Chen Jian! Yes, I did.” City Lord Xu said.

Jian looked at Xu Hua, Hao Meng and Yang, hoping either of them would give him a clue on what this was about.

Xu Hua gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’ve seen your matches. You are quite impressive.” City Lord Xu said.

“Thank you. You honour me, Sir.” Jian said.

“What do you think of this Lang character?”

Chen Jian took a moment to think. “Not sure sir. All I know is I can beat him.”

Xu smiled at this. “Good, that is what we want to happen. He has been very vocal against us. He has a lot of ears on him. Whoever beats him will have those ears on him. Do you mind using those ears for our advantage, to foster peace of course.”

Chen Jian did not need to think for too long. Being good with the City Lord himself was too good to pass up. “Of course, Sir. Anything to serve the City Lord.”

“Here he is now.” City Lord Xu said. “Wait, he is fighting that masked boy that you all seem to hate.”

“Ugh! Useless Wang Zen!” Xu Hua said.

“Has he won all his matches though.” City Lord Xu said. “He might have a chance to win against Lang.”

“I doubt it,” Chen Jian said. “Lang is the most talented commoner, next to me. Wang Zen doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I agree. That trash stands no chance.”

Xu leaned forward and rested his head on his hand. “You kids confuse me.”

Zen and Lang entered the ring. Their every step in sync. They both stopped and faced each other at the same time.

The referee stated the rules. Both boys were quiet and unmoving as they faced each other. The closer the referee was to finishing his speech the louder the murmur of the crowd grew.

On the stands, Deng Ai, Jao Cong and Xue Shaonu watched eagerly.

“I hate that Wang Zen is fighting that man.” Xue Shaonu said.

“Zen’er is a close fighter. I wonder how he will deal with Lang’s Smashing Knee.” Jao Cong.

“Yes,” Deng Ai pushed his glasses up, “if he wins, it will be a hard fought battle.”

““When he wins.” Both Cong and Shaonu said.

The referee finished his explanation of the rules. He looked at both boys and raised his hand, then began the match by chopping the air.

Both boys stood still.

“So,” Lang said, “How do you want to start this, Brother.”

“I’m not your brother.” Zen said curtly.

“What?” Lang frowned.

“And I’m not your friend, nor your ally.”

Lang laughed in discomfort. “Have they brought you out? Your father would be ashamed of you.”

“Too late,” Zen said. “And you don’t seem to know much about my father or me.”

“What?”

“See, my father didn’t care about commoners and if I’m honest, I don’t either.”

“How dare you?” Lang shouted.

“Oh don’t get me wrong,” Zen continued, “I have friends who are commoners. There are commoners I respect, who are more powerful or talented than nobles. Miss Hong, Yang, Hui Yi.” As he said this, he looked at Xu Hua in the stands.

She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her seat as she glared at him, feeling his judgement even from this far.

“Same goes for nobles.” Zen continued looking back at Lang. “I don’t love or respect them because they are nobles or commoners, I do it because of their character. They are just good people who are good to me. Unlike you. You pride yourself in being better than everyone else because you’re a commoner. You’re no different than the nobles who called me bribeblood because my father worked harder than they ever have or could to get where he is.”

Lang gritted his teeth.

“Now that I have cleared that up, we can move on to my gripe with you.” Zen said. “You can beat up any noble or commoner you please but not my friends, not my family, not my cousin. You treated him like trash and for that I’m going to break you.”

At first Lang was quiet. Then his shoulders began to shake as a giggling smile spread across his face. The giggle soon grew into a bashful fit of laughter that seemingly threatened to take him off his feet. He threw his head back and laughed even louder.

All the while, Zen stood in place and observed him.

“You?” Lang shouted between laughing, his tears watering. “You think you can beat me? You? That was a nice speech and all but you forget that I know you’re secret!” His smile was replaced by an expression of prideful rage. “I told you I lived in the town next to yours! You think I don’t know about your father? That talented metal elementalist, Wang Ton, who could build powerful weapons and special masks that can imbue special properties when one wears them. Like the mas you have on now! That’s how a weak, piece of trash like you seemed to grow in power so quickly! All your fake power is attached to that fake mask!”

Zen stood there, silently.

Yang, who was sitting in the City Lord’s booth smirked at this. “He figured it out.”

“So that’s how he did it.” Chen Jian said.

“Of course, the trash.”

The City Lord looked at the kids around him in confusion. “Wait, did everyone know that his power is fake?”

“Yes,” Hao Meng said. “You see, Sir, Wang Zen is the direct opposite of Chen Jian here. Where Chen Jian is strong, skilful and talented, Wang Zen simply is not. So when he suddenly appeared with a great amount of power, we all knew that he either got his hand as on some high level pills or it was some kind of a trick.”

“And now his trick has been revealed inf front of everyone.” Xu Hua smirked. “Serves the trash right. Now I just wish they would hurry up and destroy each other.”

Xue Shaonu was surprised to hear this. She looked at Jao Cong. “Is this true? Jao Cong, did you know about this?”

Jao Cong shook his head. “It-It can’t be true! Wang Zen is the hardest worker I know! His power must be real. It is!”

Xue Shaonu looked at the stage in worry.

Lang continued to laugh.

“What’s wrong, Wang Zen? Cat got your tongue?” Lang spat. “The truth ahs got you scare, shaking and silent!”

Zen slowly reached up for his mask. He slowly began to remove it from his face.

Lang’s laugh choked in his throat before he became silent. He looked at Zen’s actions with wide eyes.

Zen’s eyes were the first of his face to be revealed as he slid the mask off his face.

The noise in the stadium died to nothing, so much so, that they could hear the mask land in front Lang after Zen threw it.

Lang looked down at the mask at his feet before looking at his opponent. Zen’s brown eyes pierced into him with a quiet rage and fear or doubt on the outcome of this conflict. He could feel the waves of killing intent and power flowing from the boy.

“Tell me,” Zen said, his eyes unmoving from Lang, “what part of my power do you feel comes from that mask.”

Lang was trembling, unsure what was happening as he looked between Zen and the mask at his feet in fear.

Zen spread his legs and raised his fists as he got into a fighting stance. It was the most movement he had ever done while in the ring.

“Enough talk, I’ll let you have the first shot.” Zen said.

Lang’s trembling got worse. He fell to his knees. “I… I give up.”

There was a short pause before the referee declared Zen as the winner.

Zen looked at the silent crowd.

“My name is Wang Zen, son of the hero Wang Ton, brother of the murdered Wang Hun! And if anyone is in front of me, noble or commoner, pray that I show mercy for it does not matter how strong they are, I will beat them!” Zen said. “And I am going to win this whole tournament!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and clapping. Zen smirked and walked off the stage.

Ao Li was the first to meet him. “Wow, that was great!” the boy combed his hair as he spoke to Zen. “Sure going to be hard for me next match.”

Zen looked at him confusion. “Huh?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Li Ao said, putting away his comb before lightly patting his hair, “I’m your next opponent.”