Chapter 239: Ranking

Zhang Zhang Zongyuan felt his strength return to his body, the coldness around his neck declaring all was over; he still stared blankly at the boy.

He was far from being defeated; though he bore some moderate injuries, none had truly damaged his tendons or bones, his Qi reserves remained abundant, his body was far from exhausted, and many of his prepared techniques had yet to be used.

But victory and defeat hinge on a single instant—he had inexplicably lost all power in that moment, and Yang Yan had simply placed his blade against him; thus, it was over.

To the spectators on the stands, this outcome came as a shocking surprise—the tide had turned in an instant, and victory had been reversed.

In truth, the entire match had carried this quality: after the fifth move, Yang Yan had barely escaped Zhang Zhang Zongyuan's grasp by enduring injury, and everyone had assumed it was the boy's final struggle, that the match had reached its end.

But in the next instant, without warning, the little lamb fleeing beneath the tiger's paw suddenly sprouted fangs and claws, whirled around, and slashed fiercely at the tiger's face—and from then on, the tide could not be turned; the situation erupted into fierce back-and-forth combat.

Just as Seeing Pei Ye and Li Li Shaozhang had brought the most exquisite and dazzling sword duel of this tournament, Yang Yan's all-out struggle was the only one so bloody, thrilling, and intense. This was not sparring—it was outright killing.

And when the boy, utterly restrained, suddenly stripped the Tiger Roar Staff of all its power through an unfathomable, mysterious technique, it surpassed everyone's expectations.

The underdog's reversal from utter despair has always been the most electrifying moment in martial contests; some private tournaments even deliberately stage such scenes to boost ticket sales—now all eyes were fixed on the boy.

"First round, fourth match of the Kuai Tournament: victor—Zhang Dingyun Yang Yan!"

The crowd's roar surged again; Zhang Zhang Dingyun leapt to his feet, pointing toward Qiyun Trading House and screaming with all his might, sweat glistening on his palms under the midday sun.

But only the movements of his face and mouth were visible—his voice was drowned entirely by the tidal wave of cheers from the entire arena.

Yang Yan's fighting style was the most exhilarating kind, and the opponent he defeated was one of the two strongest; the young, silent swordsman earned everyone's admiration and respect, and his standing in people's hearts was skyrocketing.

—

On the high platform.

Between the first and second rounds of the Kuai Tournament, there was a lengthy interlude; this interlude was now nearing its end, and the crowd sat resting and discussing.

"This Yang Yan—is he the 'younger brother' Master Lu Yunsheng mentioned?" Gu Gu Yunfu asked, tilting his head.

Li Wei nodded: "I'm unfamiliar with affairs in Xilong Province, but the 'Yang Yan' Master Lu spoke of is indeed this one."

Gu Gu Yunfu nodded: "What an extraordinary child—Hushan Sword Gate is famed for its sword arts, yet few have heard of such a wondrous blade technique."

Li Wei smiled: "Then elaborate further?"

Gu Gu Yunfu laughed, sighing: "Both fighters were formidable: Zhang Zhang Zongyuan is truly a rare talent from this province; he lost this time due to talent, birth, and luck—not because of his martial skill. Yang Yan, however, possesses exceptional blade sensitivity, lightning-fast reflexes, and an unyielding, forward-driving spirit; he is not merely a raw gem, but a rare and extraordinary one."

Li Wei raised an eyebrow: "'Raw gem'—that's an evocative description."

Gu Gu Yunfu laughed heartily, offering no reply, only sighing: "I deeply regret my ignorance and arrogance when I first sat down—based on these four matches alone, the losers were all remarkable, and the victors were all dragons among men; your region's martial contest should not have only one slot."

Li Wei smiled: "This year's just a bowl of dumplings."

"The filling's too big."

Li Wei chuckled, said nothing more, picked up the brush and ink before him, and began writing on a small slip of paper.

Gu Gu Yunfu had noticed the paper lying before him, divided into four columns, each headed with "One, Two, Three, Four." He didn't know its purpose, so now he leaned forward curiously and saw the old man had already written "Shang Qijiao Shang Huaitong" in the first column.

Li Wei smiled: "Did you think I was merely asking you for commentary as idle chatter?"

"Oh!" Gu Gu Yunfu suddenly understood. "You only implement this ranking system at this stage."

Li Wei chuckled: "Talents are scarce; only after reaching the quarterfinals can one clearly assess the competitors' levels and make meaningful evaluations."

Gu Gu Yunfu slowly nodded, lowered his head, and looked at the small slip before him.

This method was not used in every martial contest, but it was far from rare—it involved rating or ranking the upcoming competitors, then using those rankings to determine matchups.

It was inspired by the Hefu Scroll; originally, martial contests assigned opponents by random draw, heavily reliant on luck, and those who drew strong opponents could only curse their misfortune.

Later, the losers' bracket emerged, offering a second chance to those with skill but bad luck. But another unavoidable problem remained: martial contests used real blades and swords, and competitors retained their Qi; many were injured after the first round and could not face subsequent matches in full condition.

Thus, the best solution was to reduce clashes between top contenders in the first round, giving rise to a method that was both cruel and effective—though imperfect: "pluck the head, take the tail."

That is, the first-place finisher faces the last, the second faces the second-to-last, and so on, to determine the next round's matchups.

This method was typically applied in the latter stages; depending on the contest's level and competitor strength, some began at the round of sixteen, others at the quarterfinals—Bo Wang began at the semifinals.

The later the round, the greater the rewards and the more significant the consequences off the arena; thus, rankings had to be carefully stripped of luck.

At this moment, every martial artist with sufficient strength and qualification held one of these slips—114 in total. Once collected, the most frequently appearing names in each column would determine the final rankings.

Gu Gu Yunfu picked up his brush but paused, tilting his head to observe the old man's method.

Li Wei was writing the second column—"Yang Yan."

Gu Gu Yunfu furrowed his brow slightly, but nodded.

The third column read "Zhang Zhang Junxue."

Gu Gu Yunfu's brow tightened.

The fourth column read "Seeing Pei Ye."

". Master Li, this isn't my evaluation," Gu Gu Yunfu distanced himself.

"Hahaha, how would you rank them?"

"Move Master Pei to second—or even first."

Li Wei shook his head with a smile, pointing: "I'd urge you to place Master Pei last."

"Why?"

"Because it's Master Pei's own request," Li Wei smiled, stroking his beard, then shook his head again. "But honestly, it makes little difference."

Yes, because this wasn't a matter of one or two votes; after four matches, the strength hierarchy was clear—this year's contest held no real suspense.

Gu Gu Yunfu copied Li Wei's ranking exactly, turned around, and saw the clerks had already collected the other slips and returned to the platform, a thick stack placed before Zhao Zhang and others.

Li Wei handed his two slips upward.

The vote-counting was handled by these high-ranking officials with little cultivation; the results came quickly, and Zhao Zhang summoned a clerk to write the rankings onto the giant curtain hanging over the arena.

—

Beneath the arena.

Seeing Pei Ye and Zhang Zhang Junxue still sat side by side, silently watching the match.

"Yang Yan is incredibly strong," Zhang Zhang Junxue glanced at Seeing Pei Ye, flatly.

For a woman, changing the subject so clumsily was awkward—but she had no desire to quarrel with Seeing Pei Ye.

"Yang Yan carries a heavy burden of vengeance," Seeing Pei Ye ignored her attempt, his gaze calm as he stared ahead. "He's two years younger than me, like a younger brother I once knew. He doesn't appear as strong as he seems—if I told him someone could avenge his enemies, I think he'd be overjoyed, relieved, and sleep peacefully."

"But I don't have that power," Seeing Pei Ye whispered.

"."

"But now you have the chance, Zhang Junxue," Seeing Pei Ye turned to look at her seriously. "We can help you accomplish this properly—it's what Li Piaoqing was meant to do, and I'll help you too."

"My tone earlier was wrong," Seeing Pei Ye said softly, watching the silent woman. "I shouldn't have said you could easily bow to Shang Qijiao Shang Huaitong. But this matter isn't important. When you face him, just step onto the arena, then turn and walk off."

Zhang Zhang Junxue lowered her eyes, saying nothing.

"Because I think what comes after matters more, Zhang Junxue," Seeing Pei Ye fell silent for a moment, then turned to gaze at the southern sky, whispering. "That night at the Changdao Martial Hall, I showed you 【Clouds Veil the Sky, Feathers Lost】, and you said you'd one day create a blade like that; a few days ago on the lake boat, you told everyone your sword path's aspiration, and all agreed your ambition was the highest. I imagine that in ten or twenty years, we'll meet again, talk over the years, and discuss how far your blade path has carried you—you can't risk all this for a needless gamble."

"."

"So," Seeing Pei Ye looked at her earnestly, "let go of Shang Qijiao Shang Huaitong, alright?"

Zhang Zhang Junxue stared at him, stunned; Seeing Pei Ye held his gaze without flinching. Long moments passed before the woman lowered her head again.

Seeing Pei Ye's heart grew cold.

". I can't, Seeing Pei Ye," the woman avoided his eyes, her voice muffled. "I used to be foolish. Only since my sister's death these past six months have I felt I've grown. I love the scenes you described—the martial hall, that day on the lake—I was happy too. But. I can't cross this threshold."

She lifted her head, her eyes gleaming with stubborn resolve: "For six months, day and night, I've thought of nothing else. Even if you're angry, I—I—"

She fell silent, her head bowed, her words cut off.

Seeing Pei Ye drew a deep breath, his face expressionless as he stared at the arena.

On the arena, a man soared toward the crimson curtain with a giant brush, as the announcer's voice echoed across the crowd, writing the rankings line by line.

【One: Shang Qijiao Shang Huaitong】

【Two: Yang Yan】

【Three: Seeing Pei Ye】

【Four: Zhang Zhang Junxue】

Seeing Pei Ye exhaled sharply, gripping his knees.

—

Meanwhile, the crowd erupted in cheers, for this was precisely the ranking most had expected.

Shang Qijiao Shang Huaitong needed no explanation; as the favorite since the tournament's announcement, the man had never shown the slightest strain on the arena, and now that the other sixth-rank competitor had fallen, he still stood supreme.

For those who had sensed the sword about to be unleashed, they wished there were a "Zero" slot to place his name above "One."

Yang Yan's name shouldn't have even been among the top four—but his victory over a sixth-rank opponent was enough to override all speculation and disdain, especially given Zhang Zhang Zongyuan's undeniable strength.

Seeing Pei Ye was equally deserving; since rising to fame at the poetry gathering, his sword art had been praised, and he had not disappointed—his battle with Li Li Shaozhang displayed the pinnacle of sword technique, and his four wins against five, including Li Li Piaoqing—a true fifth-rank powerhouse—was a remarkable achievement.

But that was all; the gap between fifth and sixth was vast, and the top two stood on opposite sides of that chasm—one already beyond it, the other having just dragged a man from beyond it into the abyss.

Zhang Zhang Junxue might have been the top contender in past tournaments, but among these four, she appeared ordinary. Shen Yao could not support a high ranking; even though she had defeated the Emerald Feather senior sister without much effort, the woman now ranked last.

With the hierarchy clear and matchups determined, the second round of the Kuai Tournament was about to begin.

Gradually, the murmuring crowd returned to their seats, the noise slowly subsiding; four massive crimson silks swept across the sky, while white egrets flew above them.

At that moment, an old man in black robes and white hair ascended the platform.

No one knew who noticed first, but the moment their eyes fell upon him, they rose—prompting others to turn, and within an instant, the entire platform stood in unison.

Li Wei had already risen; only Gu Gu Yunfu remained momentarily confused, but he had noticed the empty chair beside the Inspector, and now he understood.

"A bit late," the dignified old man smiled, gesturing for everyone to sit. He glanced at the crimson curtain on the arena and handed Zhao Zhang a small slip. "I heard the talk, so I wrote one too—but it seems I'm too late."

Gu Gu Yunfu peered curiously, but the slip lay flat on the table, its contents hidden; yet the old man sensed his gaze and turned to look at him.

In that single glance, Gu Gu Yunfu straightened his posture, hand on his sword.

A man long stationed in the Divine Capital, serving the Immortal Platform, knew this feeling intimately—the aura of a great figure, especially one with profound cultivation, was always distinct.

Yet he couldn't help being astonished—how could such a remote province harbor so many hidden dragons?

He bowed first with his hands, while Li Wei smiled and introduced: "Lord Sui, this is Lord Gu Gu Yunfu, a senior disciple of the Weifeng Pool on Mount Tian, recently returned from his post at the Divine Capital's Immortal Platform."

Gu Gu Yunfu completed the fist salute with a bow.

Sui Sui Zaihua smiled and nodded.

"Young Master Gu, this is Senior Sui Sui Zaihua, Chief Secretary of the Shaolong Dao Prefectural Office, Junior Minister of Rites, and Acting Supervisor of the Yi Jian Academy Academy."

Gu Gu Yunfu nearly choked on his breath and quickly bowed again.

(End of Chapter)