Chapter 69, Small World, Senior Brother Wang

Translator: StarReader

 

Wang Fugui promised Li Kui, and his gaze swept over Li Jiao’s face, only to discover she wasn’t listening to his or Li Kui’s conversation; she was watching a few young experts fight in the arena.

 

Wang Fugui felt a sense of frustration.

 

Since three years ago, when Li’s transport ship encountered pirates, he suffered a crushing defeat, and Li Jiao had been cold and indifferent to him, barely paying him any attention.

 

Given Wang Fugui’s background and handsome looks, he was a prominent figure in the Medicine King Group and certainly didn’t lack girls eager to throw themselves into his arms; he didn’t have to marry Li Jiao.

 

But his junior sister, who had once held him in such awe and admiration, had disregarded him ever since that incident, which wounded Wang Fugui’s proud and sensitive young master heart, suffering a setback he couldn’t recover from.

 

He had never been so humiliated in his life.

 

Upon returning to the Medicine King Estate, Wang Fugui resolved to cultivate diligently for three years, spending a fortune to buy high-grade body-tempering tonics to replenish his energy, and within just three years, he advanced to the early first-rate realm, all to find an opportunity to redeem himself and prove his worth.

 

During these years, he immersed himself in advanced cultivation of the Azure Cloud Sword Art and occasionally sparred with other first-rate experts from the Medicine King Group, often defeating them within a hundred moves, rarely losing.

 

It could be said that Wang Fugui was quite remarkable among the young experts in the Medicine King Group.

 

Of the several thousand disciples in the Medicine King Group, fewer than ten within the Swordsmanship Hall, between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five, could be considered on par with him.

 

And the young experts in this arena, representing the four groups of the Wu Region, were not necessarily stronger than him. This was a great opportunity for him to prove his worth again.

 

[This time, I must regain my honor!]

 

Wang Fugui encouraged himself, quickly surveying the arena.

 

The arena was divided into four small arenas, each ten zhangs in size. Each small high platform had a host of first-rate experts engaging in sparring matches to satisfy the demands of the numerous martial practitioners eager to fight.

 

Although thousands of martial disciples had gathered around the arena, the number of young practitioners with the ability to take the stage wouldn’t exceed a couple dozen.

 

Winning consecutively against challengers in any of the stages earned the title of Three Consecutive Victories or Five Consecutive Victories.

 

Two of the stages featured young practitioners who were quite formidable, each with a victory under their belt, their momentum soaring.

 

Only on the third stage, the young practitioner there, after winning his second and troublesome challenger, depleted much internal strength, and with their aura disrupted, their strength was estimated to have plummeted by half.

 

[This is my chance!]

 

Wang Fugui inwardly rejoiced, seizing the moment and leaping onto the platform with his sword drawn, charging directly at the host.

 

He swiftly and cleanly defeated the stubbornly resistant young practitioner with just a few dozen exquisite sword strikes, taking the first victory without a hitch.

 

Wang Fugui didn’t dare to be complacent and quickly seized the opportunity to sit cross-legged on the platform to regulate True Qi, awaiting the next challenger.

 

The first victory was somewhat fortunate.

 

He still had two tough battles ahead and needed to consecutively defeat at least three first-rate experts to earn Three Consecutive Victories, proving himself to be an outstanding martial practitioner.

 

As for the even more difficult Five Consecutive Victories feat, that was highly unlikely.

 

Consecutive battles would consume a large amount of True Qi. Even first-rate experts would rapidly weaken without True Qi. One needed profound cultivation to even qualify to compete for the honor of five consecutive victories.

 

Wang Fugui possessed a clear understanding of his abilities and did not harbor overly high expectations, content with simply earning three consecutive victories.

 

…

 

Ah Chou was looking around, selecting which stage would be easiest to tackle.

 

Su Chen saw Wang Fugui, and his eyes lit up. He pointed towards Wang Fugui in the arena and said, “Ah Chou, challenge him. You will surely win!”

 

Wang Fugui’s appearance on the platform signaled to him that Ah Chou’s opportunity had arrived.

 

“Him?”

 

Ah Chou was surprised and somewhat puzzled as to why Su Chen thought he had a chance. “The advanced sword technique that person displayed just now was refined and exquisite. With little effort, he forced the previous stage master off the arena. To defeat this sword technique master will be difficult.”

 

In his opinion, Wang Fugui’s martial arts skills were probably even more sophisticated than the other two stage masters.

 

Su Chen smiled faintly and quietly whispered a few words to Ah Chou.

 

Since the Li Clan cargo ship encountered misfortune, Ding Shisan’s single move shattered Wang Fugui’s superb sword technique. Su Chen had noticed Wang Fugui’s fatal weakness.

 

This Senior Brother Wang cherished himself too much and lacked ferocity. Not to mention a fight to the death, he didn’t even have the courage to fight the enemy.

 

This was likely related to Senior Brother Wang’s privileged upbringing.

 

This weakness was harmless as long as it went unnoticed. Once discovered by an opponent, it would be too easy for them to exploit.

 

As long as the opponent adopted a tactic of exchanging blow for blow, it would be very uncomfortable for Wang Fugui. Unless Senior Brother Wang showed the determination to take the opponent down with him, the enemy would not dare to use this tactic.

 

This was a subtlety of combat mentality, not about the quality of martial arts.

 

This method was foolproof and enough to throw Wang Fugui into turmoil. As long as this weakness was grasped, he could force him off the stage.

 

Ah Chou listened, and his eyes lit up, suddenly understanding.

 

He leaped onto the stage occupied by Wang Fugui, challenging him.

 

Old Su presiding over the arena immediately cautioned, “Gentlemen, remember, today’s arena is merely a martial exchange. Please restrain yourselves and avoid causing genuine harm. Those who inflict injury must pay for the treatment!”

 

Then, he announced the start of the challenge.

 

Wang Fugui was taken aback, feeling frustrated.

 

He had barely settled into a cross-legged position, preparing to circulate his inner strength and replenish some True Qi, when someone had launched a challenge—it was far too swift.

 

Did his earlier masterful swordsmanship fail to deter his opponents below, preventing the first-rate young talents from carefully considering the matter?

 

“Very well!”

 

“That ugly brute has some nerve! Daring to challenge a swordsmanship master!”

 

Immediately, the martial disciples below erupted into cheers.

 

Many martial figures had already observed that Wang Fugui’s advanced sword technique was exceptionally refined, clearly belonging to a swordmaster. Ordinary individuals would never presume to challenge him so readily.

 

Ah Chou knowingly walked into a tiger’s den and dared to confront danger; he had to be just as impressive.

 

This battle promised to be a clash of geniuses.

 

Wang Fugui rose to his feet with a grim expression, scrutinizing Ah Chou before deliberately revealing a look of disdain, and said, “What an unsightly face you have, aspiring to become famous in the martial world!”

 

He had always been proud of his family and his high status and would never deign to insult someone with words.

 

He deliberately spoke these words, intending to enrage Ah Chou so that Ah Chou, in his anger, would lose his composure and reveal his flaws, allowing him to easily win this second spar.

 

He abandoned his usual demeanor as a young master of a noble family in such extraordinary times.

 

“Hey! You pretty boy, a gilded poser, a pillowcase of embroidery with nothing inside! Come, try my fist, and you’ll see who is tougher!”

 

Ah Chou, bare-handed, retorted with a sharp tongue.

 

“You’re asking for it!”

 

Wang Fugui’s face flushed red like a liver.

 

He harbored a pain for these past few years—he detests being told he was just a pretty face. This was a secret few knew.

 

But Ah Chou’s single sentence pierced his heart.

 

Instead of provoking Ah Chou, he ended up being angered first.

 

Wang Fugui let out a fierce cry and lunged forward, his treasured sword performing a Soaring Eagle move, manifesting a blinding sword light, instantly stabbing toward Ah Chou’s chest.

 

Ah Chou flipped backward and fell to the ground, his legs performing Fierce Hare Kicking Eagle, directly kicking at Wang Fugui’s chest, aiming for his Middle Dantian.

 

Wang Fugui’s sword was long, sufficient to strike Ah Chou’s chest as he fell.

 

But Ah Chou’s kick could also strike Wang Fugui’s chest, and even if Wang Fugui’s Middle Dantian was protected by True Qi, it could still be broken.

 

Although the two were restraining themselves and wouldn’t truly stab or kick, if the opponent were to accidentally fail to retract his foot and the Middle Dantian were kicked open, causing True Qi to leak, he would become a waste.

 

If both parties refused to yield, their Dantian would be ruined.

 

Wang Fugui was startled and dared not risk a head-to-head exchange with Ah Chou.

 

He quickly took a deep breath, forcefully channeling True Qi and his refined lightness skill to move swiftly. He suddenly soared backward, retreating while brandishing his sword to defend against the maneuver ‘kicking hare.’

 

He was no longer a third-rate practitioner; even without a place to leverage his movements in mid-air, he was capable of reversing direction and withdrawing safely due to his abundant True Qi.

 

Ah Chou immediately flipped onto the ground, taking the initiative and launching a fierce attack.

 

A myriad of fist, palm, and claw techniques were unleashed, with no discernible pattern—a close-quarters brawl.

 

No matter what maneuver Wang Fugui employed, each of Ah Chou’s moves targeted vital points, leaving Wang Fugui momentarily disoriented and with only the ability to block, unable to counterattack.

 

Wang Fugui barely managed to withstand Ah Chou’s relentless assault and, after briefly recovering, discovered he had already been driven outside the thirty-meter-wide stage.

 

Driven out of the arena meant an automatic defeat!

 

Wang Fugui felt his eyes darken and swayed slightly, nearly spitting blood.

 

He lost.

 

Pharmacist Li Kui watched from below the arena, utterly astonished.

 

As Wang Fugui’s master for five years, he naturally knew of Wang Fugui’s extraordinary advantage in swordsmanship and his weakness of lacking ferocity.

 

Li Kui remained silent for a while.

 

He hadn’t expected that the ugly man would so easily see through Wang Fugui’s weakness.

 

Wang Fugui’s swordsmanship was exceptional, but the ugly fellow was overly aggressive and unreasonable.

 

Today’s impromptu stage was merely to liven up the atmosphere and warm up for tomorrow’s Laba Festival martial competition.

 

Everyone came to make a name for themselves, so demonstrating their high-level martial skills and earning a reward of one hundred silver taels was sufficient.

 

This wasn’t a martial life-or-death battle, so which first-rate expert would risk their life and suffer injuries for a mere one hundred silver taels in the arena?

 

If someone were to inflict serious injuries, the reward for fighting in the arena wouldn’t even cover the medicine costs.

 

The fighters were blinded by their own ambitions, while the onlookers saw clearly.

 

Li Kui was experienced and could tell that the ugly-faced young man was just putting on a show of ferocity and wouldn’t genuinely attack.

 

But Wang Fugui couldn’t conceal this weakness; even if his opponent was bluffing, he still showed hesitation and was exhausted from defending.

 

Li Kui shook his head inwardly.

 

This defeat in the arena meant he wouldn’t be able to establish his reputation in the Wu Region martial world; he’d have to find another way.

 

“Master, I failed you!”

 

Wang Fugui, clutching his sword, returned to Li Kui’s side, his expression quite dejected.

 

He didn’t even dare to meet the gaze of his junior sister Li Jiao, fearing that he would see disdain and contempt in her eyes, which would cut him deeper.

 

It was so serious it might even become his inner demon.

 

“Oh well, it’s not your fault. That ugly fellow is likely experienced in the martial world. I just find it odd how he could see through your weakness. This arena gathers thousands of people in the martial world; there are many young experts, making it too difficult to stand out in this arena. Let’s go; I’ll take you two to pay our respects to Old Su and other seniors. In the future, when you travel in the martial world, you’ll get some help from them.”

 

Li Kui felt disappointed, but he didn’t blame Wang Fugui; he just shook his head to offer a few words of consolation before turning around and leaving the South Plaza with the two of them.

 

Since he couldn’t make a name for himself on the path of fame and fortune in this arena, there was only one thing he could do, which was to rely on the reputation of a senior pharmacist from Medicine King Group and let his two disciples mingle with other martial seniors to get acquainted.

 

No matter what, his disciple couldn’t remain an unremarkable and mediocre person in the martial world.