Chapter 885: Star Sky Martial Performance Ceremony (40)

The three quickly reached the arena edge, hoping to watch the duel up close, but unfortunately Lu Ka and the others arrived just as the match had already been declared over, and the victor was Yan Qing, the defending swordsman of the Lord of Luofu Eastern Dao.

Unfortunately, Lu Ka didn't even get a chance to see what Yan Qing looked like.

Lu Ka sighed, "We're late, what a pity. Looks like we'll have to watch the replay later…"

"He's got a prized leg, this kid is so strong!" Bo Tiou stepped down from the arena and happened to run into the three who had come to watch, "Hey, you're here to see my match? Too bad, the company's little cutie has set its sights on me, I've got to make a quick exit."

Bo Tiou saw that Lu Ka had switched back to his former iron arm, nodded approvingly, "Hmm~ your original iron arm still looks good to me. Still, even in a rush there's room for a farewell. Before I leave I'd like to treat you to tea; there's Du's Tea House in Jinren Xiang, and its tea is truly exquisite."

"Their tea is a bit strong."

Bo Tiou looked up and laughed, "Strong is exactly right! We mature men need it strong! Powerful!"

"No way, you're a wanted criminal of the company! How could we let you take him to drink tea!" Ka Mei Li, though it was her first time getting this close to a company wanted criminal and she was terrified to death, still stepped forward from behind the star.

"Camera, I don't mind that you're the company's little cutie, but you've got a prized leg and you're now looking down on me."

——

Spirit Cage.

"Huh? So Bo Tiou can't beat Yan Qing?"

Shan Da wore the same disappointed expression as Lu Ka; with Bo Tiou's skill, he really wanted to see what the scene would look like when these two masters met.

"Isn't it normal not to win? Bo Tiou's weapon is a revolver, while Yan Qing's weapon is a mind‑controlled flying sword; the technological gap between the two is tens of thousands of li, okay?" Xia Dou spread her hands; when it comes to power discussions, she absolutely backs Yan Qing.

"Nonsense, it just means Bo Tiou isn't willing to go all out." Xu Tong retorted dissatisfiedly, "If Bo Tiou turned his left hand into a cannon, not only could he blast Yan Qing away, his flying swords certainly couldn't stop heavy firepower!"

Xia Dou flushed with anger, "Xu Tong, you… you're the one who loves to fart the most!"

The two both turned their heads in unison, looking neatly at Bai Yuekui, who was sipping tea nearby, "Boss Bai, give us your take—who's stronger, Yan Qing or Bo Tiou when he's serious?"

"Within seven steps Yan Qing is stronger; beyond seven steps Bo Tiou is stronger." Bai Yuekui leisurely set down his teacup, "…but none are as strong as Feixiao."

"Boss Bai, tell us something we don't know; we all know Feixiao is the strongest." Xia Dou pursed her lips, "With Yan Qing's current strength, I even think he can survive ten moves against Jing Liu!"

"Hey hey, getting puffed up…! Yan Qing can handle ten moves from Jing Liu, but does he even know you're hyping him?" Xu Tong crossed his arms, sneering, "It just means Bo Tiou isn't willing to go all out with Yan Qing; if they truly fought to the death, the outcome would still be uncertain."

——

Lu Ka thought it was no big deal and gladly accepted Bo Tiou's invitation.

A quarter hour later, he arrived at the promised tea house on time.

"Grandpa Bo, you're here—please have a seat." The tea house's owner Du brightened as soon as he saw the people behind Bo Tiou, "AUV— isn't that the iron‑arm Lu Ka everyone's talking about on the streets? You two are honored guests! What would you like to drink, just say it."

After each ordered a drink, they began discussing business; Bo Tiou's solo invitation to Lu Ka was for two reasons.

"The first is to make amends. I originally wanted to test your enlightenment… but threatening a match opponent with life‑or‑death stakes was indeed excessive. I apologize, I'm sorry! If you drink this tea, consider it your forgiveness."

Lu Ka scratched his head, "The match with Mr. Bo Tiou helped me grow a lot; I still want to thank you."

"Alright, as long as you don't blame me." Bo Tiou paused, "Now for the second matter— I want to advise you to withdraw from the competition."

Lu Ka immediately rejected, "That's impossible; just like when I faced your gun, I wouldn't flee the battlefield."

"I want to leave, not only because I must seize the time, but also because of that defending swordsman. The kid is young yet his strength is remarkable. Facing him would take too long, and victory isn't guaranteed. He's risking a win‑or‑lose for the sake of a company dog, which isn't worth it." Bo Tiou looked at Lu Ka seriously, "You're different. You always have the choice to leave. The whole galaxy already knows you and your Bei Luo Bo Ge; your goal has been achieved."

"If you withdraw now, no one will blame you. But stepping onto the stage now just means getting beaten. Understand?"

Lu Ka nodded, "I understand, but I still want to step onto that arena and throw a punch. Because victory or defeat isn't everything in a fight."

Bo Tiou burst into laughter, patting Lu Ka's shoulder with satisfaction, "Hahaha! Good kid!"

Lu Ka suddenly realized, "Ah… you're testing my enlightenment again! You almost fooled me!"

"He's a whiny… you little clever ghost! You remind me of a friend, a girl named Luan Po. She's just like you, overly attached to dead logic."

"So she's as weak as me too?"

Bo Tiou didn't answer directly but retorted, "Then can you crush a star with your bare hands?"

Lu Ka was startled, "Uh… she can???"

Bo Tiou shook his head, "She can't either, but she keeps insisting she can."

"Hahaha, what a mess!"

"She's a real treasure, she's truly ridiculously strong."

Bo Tiou downed the thick tea on the table in one gulp, waved at Lu Ka, and left the long street without looking back.

——

Ren Ya.

"Unfortunately Bo Tiou didn't bring Luan Po along this time; with her strength she could have challenged Yan Qing as well," Miyamoto Musashi said regretfully, shaking his head.

"Really? Are you sure it's just a challenge?" Yu Di Ke Si recalled the body data that flashed across the sky earlier, smiling wryly, "Her muscle strength is 3,596 times that of an ordinary human; if we take a typical human woman at 38 kg, her punch delivers 138.8 tons of force. Since an elephant is about 7 tons, she could easily lift twenty elephants for a workout."

"At the performance ceremony, a serious punch from her could turn an opponent into a blood‑mist, right?"