Chapter 70: People are foolish and have a lot of money, it's impossible not to take advantage of them.
Just then, a pitch-black figure appeared silently beside Qin Hongyun, so suddenly that it was almost unbelievable to one's own eyes.
Qin Hongyun suddenly turned around, looking at the figure that had appeared beside him in terror.
A flash of cold light, Qin Hongyun's head suddenly flew high into the air without warning. In mid-air, Qin Hongyun opened his eyes and looked down at Ling Feiyang and others in confusion, seemingly unable to understand how he had suddenly flown into the sky. Then, looking at his own headless body, he opened his mouth in horror but made no sound. It wasn't until then that fresh blood sprayed into the air like a fountain.
Qin Hongyun is dead, just like that!
Beheaded by a mysterious person who suddenly appeared!
The man in purple clothes, with a long sword shaking, sheathed his sword, and surprisingly, there was not a single trace of blood on the sword. He calmly turned around, smiled lightly, and didn't say a word to Zhuge Mingyue and the others. His figure flashed, and he disappeared from view.
That figure completely disappeared, and several people including Zhuge Mingyue finally came back to their senses from the shock. The man holding the sword was only a glimpse, just a side profile, but it made people unforgettable. Those perfect features, those delicate lines, were so beautiful, so beautiful that they were almost demonic. In that glance, everything in the world lost its color in front of him, leaving only a pale hue.
"Did he really appear?" Wan Xi Chen asked foolishly after a long time.
"It should be." Even Lian Lingfei was a bit dizzy, wondering what was real and what was an illusion.
"It has appeared." Xue Zihao pointed at Qin Hongyun's headless corpse, his whole body feeling a bit chilly.
Chang Sun Ning Hao was also horrified, he was a martial arts fanatic, but not an idiot! The strength of this person was simply not something he could challenge. The opponent could easily kill him with just one sword!
Everyone's gaze returned to Qin Fengyun's headless corpse, and a chill ran down their spines. The sweat on their bodies almost stood upright. That person was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing suddenly. With just one sword, he instantly killed Qin Fengyun. Such terrifying strength, if it were aimed at them... Everyone subconsciously touched their own necks. If that person wanted to kill them, their heads might not still be on their necks now.
How terrifying! Who is this person?
"Qin Hongyun is dead, and the people he brought with him are also dead. There may be trouble." Zhuge Mingyue looked at the corpses on the ground, furrowing her brow.
"Don't worry about it. This experience is already very dangerous, if something happens the Emperor will directly suppress it." Ling Feiyang didn't mind this, but instead turned his head to look at Changsun Ninghao, "Changsun Ninghao, did you see everything?"
Chang Sun Ninghao fell silent for a moment, he knew what Ling Feiyang meant. He was referring to the fact that he had also seen Xing Huan guarding Zuge Mingyue's body.
"I didn't see anything." Long Suninghao expressionlessly spat out a few words.
Ling Feiyang burst out laughing and slapped a palm on Zhang Sun Ninghao's shoulder: "That's enough, brother!"
"Call me brother." Chang Sun Ning Hao glanced at Ling Fei Yang and said seriously, "I'm a bit older than you."
"Die beautifully! Go die somewhere else." Ling Feiyang spat and turned his head, ignoring Zhang Sun Ninghao.
Everyone saw Long Suninghao say this and put their minds at ease. Zhuge Mingyue was very clear about Long Suninghao's character, since he answered Ling Feiyang like that, then he must not have said it out loud.
"This Qin Hongyun, from the previous academy, had his loyal followers with him." Xue Zihao looked at Qin Hongyun's corpse and sighed, "But this time, he and all his loyal followers are dead."
"He had it coming!" Wan Xi Chen glared fiercely at Qin Fengyun's corpse. This Qin Fengyun was a wicked person, if not for Ming Yue summoning the Night Demon, they would have all been buried here.
"This is great stuff!" Xue Zihao took three steps in two strides, rushed to the body of Ming Feng, picked up the sturdy antennae, and knocked them hard with his fingers, but ended up hurting his own hand.
"It's really good." Zhuge Mingyue and the others also walked over, touching that pair of horns.
"Can be made into a bow!" Wan Xi Chen's eyes lit up, and he touched his temples, saying to Xue Zi Hao.
"This is definitely stronger than the Bull's Horn Bow." Xue Zi Hao's eyes lit up. With his increasing strength, his original bow could no longer bring out his strongest power, and he had been trying to find a good bow that suited him, but none were suitable. These horns were even tougher than bull horns, so making them into a bow should be very powerful.
"That's good, go back and find a craftsman to make a longbow." said Zhuge Mingyue.
"Alright, let's go back." Ling Feiyang spoke up, looking at Qin Hongyun's corpse and frowning. "I don't know who that person is either." The identity of the killer was unknown, as well as their motive for killing Qin Hongyun. Everything was a mystery. However, by killing Qin Hongyun, that person had helped them out, whether intentionally or not.
After a brief rest, the crowd walked forward for a short while and easily found the transmission array. The scene in front of them changed, and faces full of anxiety and expectation appeared before their eyes.
No one saw, when their figures disappeared in the transmission array, a pair of phoenix eyes in the dark, slightly narrowed, purple robes lightly swaying, his mouth hooked up with an evil yet captivating smile: "The secret guarded by Star Fantasy was revealed too early, it's not fun anymore."
At this time, Zhuge Mingyue and the others had already walked out of the transmission array and saw that many people were waiting here. As soon as they appeared, there was a shout from the imperial court's high-ranking officials: "You few, actually came from the third layer of the forbidden land?!"
For a moment, the surroundings exploded in an uproar. And Zhuge Mingyue and several others were also stunned, because they saw that the people who had died in the first and second forbidden areas were standing alive in front of them!
What's going on?
He looked down at the injuries on his body, everything was fine and intact. But before that, he really felt the pain, didn't he? Was it an illusion? Zhuge Mingyue thought about it and suddenly understood. Those blood crows and poisonous scorpions were all illusions! It was a test. Then what about Qin Hongyun and his two dead soldiers? Were they also killed in an illusion? And the two dead soldiers who had committed suicide with Qin Hongyun? Zhuge Mingyue scanned the people around her, but didn't see Qin Hongyun or his two dead soldiers, then she understood. The third forbidden area was not something that could be set up by the masters of the imperial palace. Therefore, Qin Hongyun and his men were really dead!
Zhuge Mingyue and his party of five, except for Zhangsun Ninghao, the four of them were selected, and one more quota was not their concern. As for Qin Hongyun's matter, how to deal with it, was also not their concern.
Now they can go back and have a good rest, then wait for the Chenlong Competition in South Chu State!
These few days of rest at home, I did hear some news from the palace. The imperial guards found the bodies of Qin Fengyun and his two dead soldiers in the forbidden area. However, it was not said that they were found in the third layer of the forbidden area. This is probably the emperor's intention, as he feared bringing trouble to Zhuge Mingyue and others, so he ordered the news to be blocked. Because Zhuge Mingyue and others came out from the third layer of the forbidden area, Qin Fengyun's body was naturally found there too. The two dead soldiers had slit their own throats, but Qin Fengyun's head was gone, and no one believed it was suicide either.
"It seems that the Emperor has put this matter down." Zhuge Mingyue lay on the semi-circular sofa, eating snacks and looking out of the window.
"Hmm. But who was it that killed Qin Hongyun back then?" Wan Xi Chen was also snacking on something.
They were in the highest attic of Zhuge Mingyue's residence. The attic was not spacious, but it had good lighting and a broad view. So, this became their usual gathering place. There were several soft sofas, a long table in the middle with a teapot, tea cups, and various snacks. Around the attic and on the windowsill, there were lush potted plants. They all liked this quiet and secluded place.
"Very strong." This was Chang Sun Ninghao's voice. Since the assessment of the Forbidden Land, Chang Sun Ninghao had always come to mix with them whenever he had nothing to do. The other few people also obviously accepted him.
"Nonsense." Wan Qi Chen rolled his eyes, "Of course we know he's very strong. Otherwise, how could he have killed Qin Hongyun with just one sword?"
"He won't be the Emperor's person." Long Sun Ninghao's face was always like this, unchanged since ancient times, without any expression.
"So strong..." Ling Feiyang slightly furrowed his brow, "Why did he want to kill Qin Hongyun? And what was the point of appearing in the forbidden land?"
Everyone frowned and shook their heads, completely unable to guess the person's identity and purpose.
"Somebody knows." Long Sun Ning Hao said expressionlessly and calmly.
"Who?" The crowd looked at Long Sun Ninghao with surprise and expectation.
"He himself." Long Suning Hao replied seriously, with a solemn face.
Everyone: "......"
It feels so cold...
"Haha, Ning Hao, I didn't know you had a talent for telling cold jokes." Zhuge Mingyue said with a slight tremble, her mouth corners twitching upwards in a forced smile.
"Is there?" Long Sun Ninghao asked with a puzzled expression.
Ling Feiyang clenched his fists and gave a sinister smile: "Ning Hao, do you know what I want to do?"
"I don't know." Long Sun Ning Hao shook his head.
"I know." Wan Xi Chen evilly raised a large pillow and fiercely threw it at Chang Sun Ning Hua's face, "He just wants to do this!"
Chang Sun Ninghao steadily caught the pillow thrown by Wan Qi Chen, but unexpectedly Ling Feiyang and Xue Zihao's pillows flew over. So Chang Sun Ninghao decisively - counterattacked!
Zhuge Mingyue and Duanmu Xun were eating snacks, calmly watching the show on the side, and discussing which family's melon seeds were more fragrant and crispy.
Three days later, all participants will go to Nanchu State. The competition venue is in Nanchu State.
Going to Southern Chu, the team leaders include two from Kuangzhan College, two from Ziyun College, two high-ranking officials sent by the Emperor, and one teacher each from other selected colleges. The teacher from Tianfeng College this time is Liang Rouyun. Duanmu Xuan can't go with them this time, although it's regrettable, but there's no way. Zhuge Mingyue and others all encouraged her, when she gets stronger, she'll be able to participate.
Dozens of horse-drawn carriages headed south to the State of Chu. Along the way, the Third Prince Xing Ke Feng was in Zhuge Mingyue's carriage, and they were chatting happily. No, that's wrong - the Third Prince's eyes were shining brightly as he grasped Zhuge Mingyue tightly, seeking her guidance with humility. The Third Prince felt that Zhuge Mingyue's insights were always so astonishing.
"Brother Moon, are you hungry?" The Third Prince looked at Zhuge Mingyue with sparkling eyes and said very kindly. This self-proclaimed close friend had already shortened his address to Mingyue in a familiar manner.
"I'm not hungry, I just think our carriage is too crowded." Zhuge Mingyue said calmly.
"Brother Bright Moon, are you thirsty? Have a drink of water and tell me again how to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger." The Third Prince ignored Zhuge Mingyue's words and continued to ask eagerly. This phrase "pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger" was taught by Zhuge Mingyue, and he took it as gospel afterwards.
"I'm not thirsty, I just think our carriage is too crowded." Zhuge Mingyue's face became increasingly gloomy. This carriage was originally very spacious and could accommodate four people sitting, but with Zhuge Mingyue, Ling Feiyang, Xue Zihao, Wan Qichen, and Liang Rouyun all riding in it, it was naturally cramped.
"Your Highness, Third Prince, your seat seems to be in the carriage ahead." Ling Feiyang spoke up with a straight face.
"Oh? I don't mind squeezing in with you guys. If you're uncomfortable, I can give up my seat to you." The Third Prince said seriously, his expression of not minding them was really infuriating.
"I mind," Zhuge Mingyue said in a cold and stern tone. "I'm asking you, Third Prince, can't you just calm down for a moment?"
When everyone couldn't stand the Third Prince anymore, the carriage finally came to a stop. They had arrived at the border town between Danling and Nanchu, where they would be spending the night. The Third Prince sulkily got out of the carriage, deciding to wait until after dinner to continue discussing with Zhuge Mingyue.
Zhuge Mingyue and Liang Rouyun were allocated to live in a house. After dinner, Zhuge Mingyue and his five companions strolled around the small town, discussing this match along the way.
"What was Danling Country's ranking in the last competition?" Zhuge Mingyue suddenly asked.
Chang Sun Ninghao and Ling Feiyang's faces became subtle.
"Our group has fifteen members." Ling Feiyang coughed lightly and replied calmly.
"How many teams are there in total?" Zhuge Mingyue continued to ask.
"Sixteen branches." Ling Feiyang's face began to flush with a suspicious red glow.
"Oh, that's still not the last one." said Zhuge Mingyue.
"The last one is another team from our Danling country." Even Long Sun Ninghao, who had been expressionless all along, was slightly out of control at this time. He twitched the corner of his mouth and said with difficulty.
Several people including Zhuge Mingyue had a dense network of black lines at the back of their heads... All of them were speechless.
"What's this?" asked Zhuge Mingyue.
"This time, there are a total of sixteen teams from various countries. Our Danling country has two teams." Ling Feiyang explained to Zhuge Mingyue and the others as they walked, "Other countries have either one or two teams. The Southern Chu country usually has three to four teams, their national strength is the most powerful."
Zhuge Mingyue was clear that Nanchu State was the dominant state, governing seven other states: Danling State, Dongsheng State, Gaoheshan State, Taixing State, Xianchang State, Yunluo State and Xiaozhao State. The strongest of these was naturally Nanchu State, which also served as host for each year's Chenlong Games. The strength of the other seven states varied, so it was only natural that not all of them would have two teams participating in the competition.
Zhuge Mingyue and his party of four, plus Long Sun Ninghao as one team, and another team was the Third Prince, Luo Jingfeng's team.
After arriving at the capital of Nanchu, the reception envoy of Nanchu arranged for them to live in a campus of Taiyuan College, an elite academy in the capital of Nanchu. This campus was specially arranged for the contestants of the Chenlong Competition.
The capital of the Southern Chu State was even more prosperous. The wide bluestone road was spotless, and the houses on both sides were slightly taller than those in the capital of Danling State, with many being two-story or higher small buildings. The shops along the street were more spacious, with a dazzling array of goods that left one's eyes wide with wonder. People thronged the streets, with many discussing the upcoming Dragon Dance Competition.
"This time's champion will definitely be our South Chu State."
"That's inevitable, haha."
"We'll go place our bets later, but this time I don't know which team from Nanchu will win the championship either."
"Anyway, buying Nanchu's will definitely make money!"
Zhuge Mingyue and they sat in the carriage, all heard outside people loudly discussing these.
It's not surprising that these people are so confident. The Chenlong Competition has been a historic event on the Canglan Continent for thousands of years, but in recent centuries, the Southern Chu State has relied on its strong national strength and military power to host the competition as the main organizer. In the past century, almost every competition's top two places have been uncontroversially taken by them. As a result, the people of Southern Chu State have developed a misconception that the Chenlong Competition is held specifically for their country, and other academies from various countries are just there to make up the numbers and provide some practice opponents.
However, Zhuge Mingyue was concerned about something else, what she was most concerned about were the stakes mentioned by those people!
Taiyuan Academy has a quiet and beautiful campus with several dormitory buildings, which are specially prepared for the contestants of the Chenlong Competition. Moreover, all of them are single rooms, each contestant is equipped with a room, and everything is available in the room, the conditions are very good. This is to let all the contestants rest and recover, and play their best in the competition.
The list of opponents has been posted on the bulletin board in front of the dormitory. Zhuge Mingyue and her team's first opponent is the team from Yunluo Country. Yunluo Country was fourth place in the previous year's Chenlong Games. Nobody thought they could beat last year's fourth-place team, but Zhuge Mingyue didn't care about that. She cared about other things.
What she's concerned about is the odds! The casino over there has odds of 1:10 for them, she found out.
"Hmph! Zhuge Mingyue coldly laughed three times, no, two. Her eyes shot out a cold and triumphant light. You think you can win ten times against us? I'll make you lose so badly that you won't even be able to wear your pants! I'll make you lose so badly that you'll have to pawn off your underwear!"
The students of Danling Country all lived on the same floor, after dinner, Zhuge Mingyue took Ling Feiyang and a few others to find the Third Prince.
"Why go find him?" Ling Feiyang was very displeased, he didn't want to see the Third Prince at all. This guy always pestered Mingyue, asking some inexplicable questions.
"Because others are foolish and have a lot of money." Zhuge Mingyue said with a smile.
"Huh?" Everyone was puzzled. This sentence seemed quite right. But was it a reason to look for him?
"Hand over all your money." Zhuge Mingyue's face turned fierce, and then she changed the subject.
"What's wrong?" Long Sun Ninghao was puzzled.
Ling Feiyang and Wan Qichen, as well as Xue Zihao, didn't hesitate for a moment. They turned their pockets inside out and handed over the crystal card, even giving up the few copper coins in their wallets. They had no doubts about Zhuge Mingyue's decision.
"We're going to the casino, let's place a bet." Zhuge Mingyue chuckled.
"Bet?" Long Sun Ning Hao's face was stern as he repeated the words, as a well-behaved and excellent student, he had never gambled before.
"Are you dissatisfied with the amount of money?" Zhuge Mingyue gave a cold glance to Long Suninghao, "If you're not satisfied, then lend it to me temporarily. I'll go gamble and win some money, and then return it to you."
"I don't mind paying more." Chang Sun Ning Hao replied calmly, then pulled out his own wallet, "Let's buy our own win."
"That's inevitable." Zhuge Mingyue took over the money bag and led the crowd to knock on the Third Prince's door.
The third prince smiled brightly as soon as he saw it was Zhuge Mingyue.
"Ah, Bright Moon, what brings you here?" asked the Third Prince with a smile.
"Borrow money." Zhuge Mingyue said with a straight face and a confident tone.
"What?" The Third Prince was stunned.
At this time, Ling Feiyang had already gone to knock on the door of Luo Jingfeng who lived next to the Third Prince, and searched for all the money on Luo Jingfeng's body, then gave it to Zhuge Mingyue.
"Hmm, I shouldn't be stingy either." The Third Prince saw Luo Jingfeng give all the money bags to Ling Feiyang, so he also took out his own money bag and pulled out a crystal card, "I only have 500,000 gold coins..."
"That's enough, I'll return the 600,000 to you after the tournament." Zhuge Mingyue happily accepted the crystal card with a smile. Indeed, having more money is better, bringing 500,000 gold coins still felt like too little. This evil rich second generation!
The third prince was shocked, staring at Zhuge Mingyue with wide eyes. After the competition, he had returned 60 million to himself, but now there were 10 million more? He didn't care about the money itself, but rather how in such a short time, Zhuge Mingyue had managed to return an additional 10 million to him?
"Alright, I still have things to do, I'll find you later after I'm done." Zhuge Mingyue smiled and put away the crystal card, not waiting for the Third Prince to ask any questions, and left with a group of people.
The third prince stood foolishly at the door, watching Zhuge Mingyue disappear into the distance. After a long time, he slowly turned his head to look at Luojingfeng standing beside him.
"What's going on with this sudden gust of wind?" The Third Prince wondered.
"I don't know." Ling Jiu Feng shrugged and watched as Ling Fei Yang's figure disappeared into the distance, a smile spreading across his face. "But Fei Yang has finally found a genuine smile on his face, I think that's pretty good."
The third prince turned his head to look at the backs of the crowd disappearing at the stairs, raised his head to gaze at the sky, thought carefully for a moment, and said: "Indeed, Ling Feiyang is your good friend, I didn't say anything before. Actually, I've been wanting to say it, this person always has the same smile towards everyone, smiling too falsely, making people want to punch him. Now, his smile seems to be genuine. It's much more pleasing to the eye."
"So, I think he's really good now." Luo Jingfeng said with a smile. He was genuinely happy for his friend's change.
"Alright, alright, we can't afford to lose face again this time." The Third Prince hummed a sentence, turned around and went back into the room, "You come in, let's discuss our tactics."
"Actually, Your Highness, you've lost face so many times already, it doesn't matter this one time..." Ruo Jingfeng whispered from behind.
"What did you say?!" The Third Prince's furious voice.
"I didn't say anything." said Lu Jingfeng calmly.
……
Zhuge Mingyue took everyone to the largest casino in Southern Chu! Many people were placing bets, and as soon as she made her move, the registrar was shocked. It wasn't because the amount she bet was large; many of the people betting here were high-ranking officials, and an amount close to one million gold coins wasn't considered a big deal. What shocked him was that there was actually someone stupid enough to bet on Danling Country's team winning! This was a huge long shot, with odds of 1:10. Nobody had placed this bet... wait, no, someone had just made the bet earlier. But they had made a mistake and were still causing trouble, demanding an exchange. However, in their line of work, once a bet is placed, it can't be changed. So that unlucky person who made the wrong bet was kicked out!
But this time it's an amount of nearly one million, if I buy the wrong one, it won't be easy to explain. So the staff kept asking: "Miss, are you sure you didn't buy the wrong one? If you did, we won't exchange it for you."
"No." Zhuge Mingyue replied firmly.
"You're not mistaken? This Danling country is the last one of last year, and Yunluo country is the fourth place of last year. It's just that it was this ranking last year, but every year in the big competition, Danling country has always been at the bottom." The person who registered was a man, seeing Zhuge Mingyue so beautiful, he couldn't bear her losing so much money, so he persuaded her with a bitter face, explaining clearly.
"Didn't see wrongly, don't waste words! Quickly register and give me the betting ticket!" Zhuge Mingyue was furious. This nagging guy, if he continued to nag, would get his jaw broken off. A stupid moron who looks down on others!
"Oh, okay. But don't regret it later." The registrar's expression turned cold as he quickly processed the registration for Zhuge Mingyue and the others, took their money, and handed them a betting slip. "Use this ticket to redeem your winnings after the tournament is over. However, I think you won't have the chance to come back and redeem it anyway." He let out a slightly disdainful snort at the end, as if saying "just wait for your regrets".
Zhuge Mingyue took the betting ticket and looked at him. This glance made him feel a chill run down his spine, as if a tangible killing aura was emanating from this young girl's body. He couldn't understand how someone who looked so weak and fragile could have such a terrifying killing aura. Fortunately, Zhuge Mingyue quickly withdrew her killing aura, making him feel slightly better.
Got the lottery ticket, came out of the gambling house, Zhuge Mingyue took a look at the money bag, there were still several dozen gold coins left. And the other few people were all penniless! Not a single coin was left on their bodies. This group of people was really poor and destitute.
"There are still fifty-six gold coins, let's go have a meal first. Once our match is over, we'll be rich." Zhuge Mingyue shook the money bag and chuckled to himself.
"Right, let's go, we'll get rich!" Ling Fei Yang didn't doubt this statement at all, he firmly believed it. They would definitely win this time!
Chang Sun Ning Hao was counting on his fingers, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"What's wrong?" Wan Xi Chen looked at Long Sun Ninghao with a puzzled expression.
"I'm calculating how much money I can get after the competition is over." Chang Sun Ninghao continued to calculate with his fingers.
"..." Zhuge Mingyue and others twitched at the corner of their mouths. "A 1:10 odds, can't you calculate it?"
"I gave you a crystal card worth 97,000 and 680 gold coins. If we calculate the compensation at a ratio of 1 to 10, that would be... 680, uh, 6,800, then, 7,000 becomes 70,000, and 90,000 becomes 900,000, which is... 914,000..." Long Sun Ninghao calculated painfully.
"He's bad at math." Ling Feiyang explained calmly to everyone, "His grades in cultural subjects are very poor."
Everyone instantly looked at Changsun Ninghao with a look of stupidity. Isn't math not good?! This, this is simply math stupid!
"Well, in short, once the game is over, we'll have money." Zhang Sun Ninghao finally came to this conclusion with a serious face.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and saw shock in each other's eyes. How did a person with facial paralysis and math idiocy manage to live healthily until today?
"Right, we'll have money after the match is over." Zhuge Mingyue shook her purse, "But for now, let's be poor for a bit and just buy some cheap snacks to take back. After the first match is over, we can have a big meal. And once we win one round, our odds won't be so good anymore. Sigh..."
Everyone sighed after hearing it. Yes, after the first game, the odds will inevitably drop and they won't be able to make so much money again. They didn't even think about losing!
"So this time, I borrowed money from the Third Prince." Zhuge Mingyue thought of this and chuckled to herself, "Five million, it'll quickly become fifty million, and when we pay him back sixty million, we can still make a profit of forty-four million."
Everyone fell silent, and they all thought of Zhuge Mingyue's previous sentence: The third prince is stupid and has a lot of money...
This sentence is the truth!
No money, no confidence, so everyone didn't stroll around much and soon returned to Taiyuan Academy. They all thought that after earning money from the first match, they would take a good stroll around the capital of Nanchu State and buy things lavishly.
As soon as I returned to the academy, it was bustling. It seemed that the disciples of two countries had a dispute and were about to have a showdown.
Regarding the private fights among contestants, officials are tacitly and even encouragingly permitting them. However, they do not allow injuries, requiring students to stop at a certain point. The teams of students are randomly drawn and may not necessarily match up with their desired opponents. Therefore, some people will find their imagined opponents for a fight before the competition. Such fights have benefits for the growth of students, which is why officials have a permissive and encouraging attitude.
Zhuge Mingyue and the others sat calmly in a row, watching the two teams of people fighting fiercely in front of them. Many people around them were itching to join in, and eventually even the onlookers found someone to spar with. In short, the fight was intense and thrilling, with no holds barred.
Then, Zhuge Mingyue and his group, propping up their chins, listlessly watched the fight in front of them.
"Is that all we are? Do we look that weak?" Wan Xi Chen said dejectedly, his head hung low in a half-dead state.
Yes, what he said is absolutely right. The onlookers were all excited and eager to challenge each other, some were fighting fiercely, while others were getting along harmoniously. There was even a group of people waiting in line, waiting for the previous group to finish their challenge before they went up. Even the team with the three princes had someone who wanted to challenge them. Such an intense and thrilling battle, how could they not be a part of it...
Only they, this group of people, watch others fight in cold blood.
"One day, I'll make them taste our ferocity!" Wan Qi Chen said with a vicious and evil tone, biting off a piece of pastry in his hand.
"Agree with what Fatso said." Xue Zihao also ate his snacks viciously.
"Agreed." Long Suninghao was concise and to the point, his mouth also didn't have any idle time, as he munched on snacks.
Ling Feiyang narrowed his eyes and watched the fight on stage, his gaze dim and unclear, lost in thought.
Zhuge Mingyue was observing the occupations and techniques of the crowd. Ye Mei had been summoned back by her early on, she wouldn't expose her trump card so soon.
After a week of preparation, the Chenlong Competition will begin. During this time, all participating students are diligently practicing to perform their best in the competition.
The venue of the competition is in another main campus of Taoyuan Academy.
The Dragon Boat Racing Festival has finally begun.
That day, gongs and drums were loud, colorful flags fluttered in the wind.
In the academy, eight spacious arenas were already bustling with people, and the crowded crowds continued to pour into the arena. The princes, nobles, merchants, and wealthy businessmen of Nan Chu walked down from their carriages, led by their guards along a dedicated passageway towards the viewing platform. When they looked at the students from other countries, a proud expression naturally appeared on their faces. Even ordinary civilians showed disdain when they saw them. This was the sense of superiority that people from the ruling country had always had. Not surprising at all.
As she walked into the arena where they were competing, Zhuge Mingyue found that the stands around them were empty for more than half, and the vast majority of them were ordinary people dressed in simple clothes, with hardly a glimpse of nobles or wealthy merchants. Although the crowd was occasionally whispering to each other, making it seem noisy and chaotic, compared to the thunderous drums and cymbals that could be heard from time to time in other arenas, it still seemed much quieter.
"I told you to buy tickets, how did you end up with these?" A young man with slicked-back hair and trendy clothes complained to his companion at the front of the viewing platform. Judging from his flashy attire, it was clear that he came from a more affluent family than the other spectators.
"I'm also helpless, you know how hard it is to buy tickets for other matches? They were all snapped up early on, and I heard that underground scalpers have tripled or quadrupled their prices. There are still people fighting to get them, but this one match is easy to get tickets for." A young man who looked like a follower said with a bitter face.
"You don't know if you can't buy it!" The fashionable young man scolded irritably.
"I thought so too, but then I met a scalper who wouldn't let me go, saying he'd give it to me for 20% off. I was really bothered by him and had no choice but to buy it." The little sidekick explained with a flickering gaze. He felt a bit guilty in his heart, actually it wasn't 20% off at all, but rather 50% off, the extra 30% he reported falsely naturally went into his own pocket.
"Still, you're getting a 20% discount, are you stupid? I wouldn't even watch this kind of match for free, it's a complete waste of time. I'd rather go somewhere and drink some flower wine." The fashionable young man was furious, and he almost wanted to punch him on the spot.
"Never mind, since we're already here, let's just watch and make do. The tickets are cheap anyway, so let's just treat it as a show. Besides, I heard that this match has Yunluo Country's Yunluo Academy, they were fourth place in the previous tournament, they should have some strength." A middle-aged man who had just entered the venue wearing shabby clothes advised.
"Fourth place, what's the big deal about fourth place? Just by listening to you, I can tell you're an outsider. A competition is only interesting when it's evenly matched. Otherwise, would you find it entertaining to watch them make fools of themselves? Their opponents are from Danling Country, and in every single one of the Chenlong Tournament, they've always been at the bottom. If they're lucky, they might manage to scrape into the top eight, but if things go normally, they'll be sent packing after a single match. And this time, they've brought some unheard-of Tianfeng Academy, just by looking, you can tell they're just here to make up the numbers, clearly being used as pawns. Is it worth spending so much money to watch them get played?" The young man gave the shabbily dressed middle-aged man a disdainful glance and shifted his buttocks to the side.
"No wonder the ticket was so cheap, it's like this!" The middle-aged man showed a disappointed expression. He had been hesitant to watch the game or not, but when he passed by the college, he was stopped by someone who was eloquent and persuasive, and finally couldn't resist the temptation of three-fold discount on the ticket price, and paid for it. Holding the discounted ticket in his hand, this man wished he could immediately go out and beat up the ticket seller, three-fold is also money, the original price of the Chenlong game ticket was not cheap, even with a 30% discount, it's enough to treat his friends to a good drink, and it's a pity to waste it like this.
"You've never seen a Dragon's Den competition before, have you?" The young man asked with a hint of superiority.
"Hmm, I'm just doing some small business on my own, don't have much time, and it just so happens that I arrived at the right time." The middle-aged man said with a reddened face, looking embarrassed.
What's with no time, it's clearly just no money. The young man looked at his awkward expression and felt a sense of superiority, then asked another question: "Then did you place a bet?"
"He lost a few bets." The middle-aged man had forgotten about it, but once reminded, he remembered and his face showed a painful expression. He had bought the wrong one! He had made a mistake when placing the bet. He had bought Danling Country Win, but the person in charge of registration refused to exchange it for him. That money was gone! It hurt, it was all hard-earned money!
This middle-aged man is secretly using his own money, but he doesn't know what kind of surprise awaits him after the game ends.
Digression
At 8:00 on the 20th, there was an earthquake. The strong tremors woke me up. I was sleeping, but I'm used to it! Then I sat up, thought for a moment, and figured that if it's a big quake, you can't run away from it, and if it's a small one, you won't die. So I didn't run, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and washed my face instead. My parents took my child downstairs. Then my dad came back up to call me, saw me brushing my teeth... Ya'an is not too far or too close from here. Anyway, nothing happened. After 512 (May 12th), I seem to have become less fearful of earthquakes. To be precise, the tremors. We're not at the epicenter, but many readers and friends were concerned about me today, and I'm really touched by that. Thank you all, I'm fine, thank you for your concern.
