Chapter 72, Successive Victories

Translator: StarReader

 

The plaza in the southern part of the city, with intense sparring and fighting in the arena, drew a constant flow of people from Gusu County City. The martial crowd and common folk were packed together, an immense and crowded audience.

 

Vendors selling melon seeds and pastries, taking advantage of the lively atmosphere, loudly hawked their wares, further intensifying the excitement.

 

“Junior Brother Ah Chou, give it your all and win five in a row!”

 

Numerous martial artists watched from below the stage, shouting and cheering for Ah Chou.

 

Ah Chou had already won three matches, his ever-changing techniques intimidating many young experts. For a time, no one challenged him.

 

After a brief period, a dozen young heroes came from a tavern on the opposite street, pushing through the crowded people to reach below the arena.

 

After whispering amongst themselves, one young hero, holding a crystalline whip, leaped into the arena and issued a challenge to Ah Chou.

 

“Wow, isn’t that Wu Qing, son of Caravan Guards Vice Leader Wu Changqing?”

 

“That’s right, it’s him! With his esteemed status, he’s already a well-known hero in the martial world. Why would he even take the stage?”

 

The crowd watching below the arena burst out in exclamation, many instantly recognizing the whip expert’s identity.

 

The young men who had previously taken the stage were also first-rate experts, but they were unknown in the martial world, yet to establish their name.

 

But this Wu Qing was different. With his status and position, he was an object of flattery for the lower-ranking martial disciple, and he was not lacking in fame, yet he also took the stage.

 

He must have aroused the interest of several true experts.

 

“Caravan Guards Shadowless Whip Wu Qing, please!”

 

“Heaven Falcon Group Ah Chou, please!”

 

Wu Qing flicked the grayish-black serpent-shaped treasure whip in his hand, displaying his superb, advanced Shadowless Whip art, and rushed toward Ah Chou across the arena.

 

Under the rapid whipping, the whip’s shadow blurred, whistling and tearing through the air, with only the sound heard but the whip barely visible. The slightest mistake would lead to becoming tied up and knocked off the stage.

 

Ah Chou, however, wasn’t fooled by the elusive shadow of the whip but instead secretly rejoiced.

 

He often sparred with Su Chen, whose unpredictable movements were ten times more difficult to track than this Shadowless Whip. Consequently, his ability to discern sounds sharpened over the years, and he adapted to this Shadowless Whip in moments.

 

Wu Qing felt extremely frustrated. The Shadowless Whip, which he had always taken pride in, couldn’t seem to unleash its power against this Ah Chou.

 

After two incense sticks’ worth of time, Wu Qing made a mistake and was struck by a peculiar move from Ah Chou, kicked in the lower back, and knocked from the stage.

 

“There’s only the final match left. As long as I win five matches in a row, I will become famous in the Wu Region martial world and will no longer be a nobody!”

 

However, Ah Chou wasn’t having it easy either. His face was pale, and his steps were a little unsteady. He gritted his teeth, holding on, and immediately sat down to regulate his breathing and recover True Qi.

 

…

 

Su Chen watched from below the arena, a little worried.

 

Aside from his own idea for taking down Wang Fugui in the first match, Ah Chou had relied on his own strength to win the remaining three matches.

 

Winning four matches in a row was quite impressive.

 

But Ah Chou had been fighting for over two hours, battling four young first-rate experts consecutively, and his True Qi had been depleted to a great extent. Once True Qi was exhausted, his strength would be cut in half.

 

This situation made winning the fifth match difficult, to say the least.

 

At this moment, a confident young hero leaped onto the high platform, wielding a massive greatsword aimed at Ah Chou.

 

“Isn’t he Iron Sword Group Leader Han Pingshan’s son, Young Master Han?”

 

“What’s he doing here? Given his martial status, challenging Heaven Falcon Group’s Ah Chou is a bit unfair.”

 

The crowd watching the match around the arena erupted again in astonishment and clamor. Some martial disciples even revealed expressions of displeasure.

 

“Young Master Han of Iron Sword Group, please!”

 

Young Master Han ignored the voices of dissent and bellowed in a deep voice. He didn’t intend to use the arena to suppress Ah Chou, which would damage his reputation. However, he needed to show off to Young Miss Han Shu.

 

He knew Ah Chou had won four consecutive matches, his True Qi nearing exhaustion.

 

After watching a few matches, he also realized that this Ah Chou’s martial arts were diverse, and he excelled at surprise tactics to achieve victory. Upon entering the platform, he wouldn’t rush, holding a massive greatsword, steadily advancing, intending to wait until Ah Chou’s True Qi completely exhausted itself, resulting in defeat without a fight.

 

This match was even more difficult for Ah Chou.

 

His powerful attacks consumed a lot of True Qi, and he dared not use them lightly without certainty. However, his weaker attacks couldn’t break through this Han’s defense.

 

While the two were locked in combat.

 

Under the arena, the martial disciples were cheering and encouraging both of them.

 

“Tiger Leap Pounce!”

 

From the noisy crowd under the arena, a familiar, faint voice suddenly entered his ears.

 

That was Su Chen’s voice.

 

Ah Chou did not hesitate in the slightest, immediately unleashing a Tiger Pounce from the Tiger Leap Fist, his fists brimming with powerful True Qi, slamming towards Young Master Han’s face.

 

Young Master Han hurriedly swung his massive greatsword, aiming to pierce Ah Chou.

 

“Golden Bell Inverted!”

 

That familiar voice came again.

 

Ah Chou was now suspended in midair, suddenly performing a backward somersault, dropping into a Golden Bell Inverted posture.

 

He dodged the upward slash of Young Master Han’s greatsword and unleashed the Golden Bell Inverted from the Tiger Leap Fist, a single strike aimed at Young Master Han’s lower body.

 

Young Master Han snorted, abruptly reversing his grip on the greatsword in his hands, thrusting it forward at full speed towards the descending Ah Chou.

 

“Dragon Tailwhip!”

 

That voice seemed to have anticipated it, uttering again.

 

Ah Chou had already flipped, his legs performing a spinning kick with the Dragon Tailwhip, striking Young Master Han’s face, causing Young Master Han’s cheek to swell and sending him falling several tens of feet away, stumbling off of the stage.

 

Ah Chou was also staggered backward several steps by Young Master Han’s protective True Qi, his body feeling weak, his legs trembling. He had used up the last of his True Qi in his final strike.

 

Young Master Han, holding the massive greatsword, covered his face with a moment of bewilderment. In a blink of an eye, after three consecutive combinations, he had lost!

 

Ah Chou was on a winning streak.

 

The countless people in the arena were deeply shocked. They never expected that Ah Chou could defeat these two young heroes, winning all five matches.

 

“Good!”

 

“Ah Chou, well done!”

 

“Young Master Han wielded the massive greatsword, seemingly defensively impenetrable. However, the greatsword’s weight made the changes in technique slightly slower, making it difficult to switch tactics and defend both the upper and lower body. Ah Chou actually found the flaw so quickly, with this triple attack striking both upper and lower body, forcing Young Master Han to change moves faster than he could keep up. He seized upon the vulnerability exposed during Young Master Han’s defensive recovery—that move, the Dragon Tailwhip, secured the victory. Ah Chou’s perception is keen; he handled it beautifully!”

 

A hush fell, then the crowd on the plaza erupted in a furious roar of applause.

 

Young Master Han lost, and Ah Chou secured five consecutive victories!

 

This was the only young genius, since the martial arena was set up this morning, to achieve five consecutive victories.

 

…

 

Han Shu dispatched the group of young heroes to the arena, intending to force Ah Chou down.

 

Subsequently, she returned to the luxurious private room, idly chatting with Manager Liu while awaiting the results of the arena sparring.

 

She mused that, with the reputation of Wu Qing, Han Yun, and the others, someone would surely be able to drive Ah Chou off the stage.

 

What startled Han Shu was that Wu Qing and Young Master Han—these two famed young heroes—succumbed to defeat one after another.

 

“Useless fools! I wasted my hopes on you!”

 

She couldn’t help but pout and mutter to herself.

 

Ah Chou had actually won two more matches, securing a rare five-win streak.

 

At this point, Manager Liu would surely be more pleased than ever and would value that fellow even more, perhaps even offering counsel to her brother. Perhaps her brother, under some suggestion, would elevate Ah Chou within the Heaven Falcon Group, promoting him to a higher level within the sect.

 

“Hehe! Splendid, splendid! I haven’t seen such a young fellow with fighting spirit in a long time.”

 

Manager Liu took a small sip of fine wine, yet looked at Han Shu’s thin smile.

 

He saw that just now Caravan Guards Wu Qing and Iron Sword Group Han Yun, these two young first-rate experts, went to the arena to challenge Ah Chou, and he knew that it had to be Han Shu who put them up to this.

 

Otherwise, with their noble status, they would never challenge an unknown and waste their reputation.

 

Although Wu Qing, Han Yun, and others were all outstanding first-rate experts among the young generation in the Wu Region, Ah Chou still won five consecutive victories, which was enough to prove Ah Chou’s strength in the young generation, not inferior to the martial geniuses of foreign groups.

 

“Young Miss, although Ah Chou is a bit ugly, he has a clean background. It’s also a good thing that Heaven Falcon Group has such a talent. The Leader and I are old, and we can’t hold on for much longer. In a few years, we will inevitably pass on the affairs to Young Miss. Young Miss will have to nurture some of her own capable men in the future. Ah Chou is about the same age as you, and it would be beneficial to win him over and obtain his help.”

 

Manager Liu advised patiently.

 

Han Shu was frustrated; she dug a hole, and the hole ended up trapping her. Now she was stuck wallowing in a misery of her own making.

 

However, she changed her mind.

 

She came to find Manager Liu this time, not to discuss Ah Chou’s matter with Manager Liu, but to prepare for a grand banquet of young talents tonight.

 

She invited the most outstanding young talents from all groups within the Wu Region to participate, forming a young generation martial circle centered around her.

 

If she did a good job with this much-anticipated banquet, her prestige in the Wu Region martial world would be even more outstanding, which would be very beneficial for her to take over Heaven Falcon Group in the future and even lead Heaven Falcon Group to become the leader of the Wu Region Five Major Groups.

 

[I don’t need to argue with Manager Liu on this small matter and affect tonight’s banquet.]

 

Han Shu thought so and immediately smiled, “Uncle Liu makes sense. Ah Chou is indeed a talent. Tonight, I will hold a banquet to invite the most famous twenty or thirty young heroes in Wu Region martial arts, and I’ll also invite Ah Chou to the banquet to have a meal. Uncle Liu, what do you think?”

 

“That’s wonderful! I just happen to have some free time today. I will personally help you prepare the banquet tonight. Be sure to make this banquet the biggest feast for the young talents in the Wu Region and spread it throughout the Wu Region martial world so that Young Miss can be even more formidable in the martial world!”

 

Manager Liu was delighted to see her change her mind.

 

He also knew that Han Shu was likely still harboring some reservations. But the beginning was all that mattered; once she grew accustomed to Ah Chou’s presence, she would naturally begin to value it.

 

Han Shu was overjoyed that Manager Liu himself was personally overseeing the arrangements for this banquet, ensuring it was incredibly lavish. She did not need to worry about funds, and it would undoubtedly become the first banquet for the promising young talents throughout the martial world.

 

“I knew Uncle Liu cares about me. I have already prepared the list of heroes who are qualified to attend. I will send out the invitations now. Let’s meet tonight at Heaven Falcon Inn, where Uncle Liu will have arranged the banquet!”

 

Han Shu, delighted, rose and bid Manager Liu farewell, preparing to send invitations to all the young guests attending the banquet.

 

Heaven Falcon Inn belonged to their group; this grand feast would, of course, enrich their own coffers.