"Hey! Why are you still here? Hurry up and come with me!"
"What's the rush? I haven't finished watching this match yet."
"Stop talking nonsense! A monster has appeared in the southwest corner! He's already reached the fifth round, and all his opponents in the previous four rounds were defeated in a single move!"
"Huh? A single move? Really?"
"Anyway, he's super strong! Just follow me, hurry up, or we won't be able to squeeze through!"
...
Similar conversations were happening all over the square.
Like magnets, the audience began to flock in large numbers to the southwest corner. Before they knew it, the areas around most of the other arenas had become deserted.
And at the center of this crowd.
A black-haired boy leaned against the wooden platform, bored, picking at his ear.
"Is the next one not here yet?" he glanced at the referee.
"He'll be here soon! Mr. Xiano, please bear with us for a little longer!" The referee, a high-ponytailed girl in her twenties, hurriedly replied.
As the crowd around her grew denser, she was squeezed and sweaty, but the smile on her face couldn't be suppressed, clearly in high spirits.
What luck!
This was her first time as a referee, and she got to oversee such an incredible swordsman. When she tells her juniors at the martial arts school, they'll be so envious.
After watching four matches up close, she was already in awe of his miraculous swordsmanship.
Moreover, Mr. Xiano was still young. If his swordsmanship was already this impressive, what would he be like in the future?
"He's here!"
Her eyes suddenly lit up as she saw a scar-faced swordsman approaching. She stood on tiptoe and waved frantically, "Mr. Qi Lin, over here!"
The scar-faced swordsman, with a cold expression and a cigar in his mouth, seemed shrouded in shadow as he silently stepped onto the wooden platform.
"Hey, it's Mr. Qi Lin, the deputy head of one of the Seven Great Dojos, the Fallen Leaves Dojo!"
A spectator recognized him and couldn't help but exclaim.
"It really is him!"
"He was the runner-up in the Swordsmanship Tournament five years ago, right?"
"A renowned swordsman like him is participating in the tournament again? Is he still haunted by not winning the championship back then?"
On the wooden platform, Xiano took in all these comments.
Narrowing his eyes, his gaze at the scar-faced swordsman finally carried a hint of seriousness.
This guy... is different from the previous small fry. Just by his aura, he seems really strong.
If nothing unexpected happens, he should be the most noteworthy opponent in the entire swordsmanship tournament—
"I concede."
A hoarse voice mixed with smoke drifted out.
"Alright, it seems both competitors are ready, so... huh??"
The ponytailed girl turned her bewildered gaze to the scar-faced swordsman, "Mr. Qi Lin, what did you say?"
The surrounding noise ceased, and the audience's astonished eyes all focused on Qi Lin.
Clatter, the sound of a bamboo sword being tossed aside. Qi Lin exhaled a smoke ring and waved his hand casually, "Don't look at me like that. I saw this kid's third-round match."
"With such terrifying swordsmanship, I admit I'm no match. I'm getting old; rather than being knocked out and humiliated, I'd rather save some face for myself."
"Is... is that so..."
The ponytailed girl was about to say something more.
But Qi Lin had already stepped off the wooden platform, his figure disappearing into the crowd with a cigar in his mouth, soon vanishing from sight.
Xiano retracted his gaze, looking at the bamboo sword that had fallen right at his feet. He frowned almost imperceptibly, then suddenly bent down to pick it up.
"This counts as a trophy, right? I'll take it. No problem?"
"Huh?" The ponytailed girl was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded. "Of course, it's fine. Since Mr. Qi Lin discarded it himself, you can do whatever you want with it."
"Good."
Xiano placed the bamboo sword alongside his own and tucked them back into his waist.
The ponytailed girl took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, and stepped onto the wooden platform, announcing loudly:
"The fifth round of the Sea Selection, Xiano versus Qi Lin, has concluded with Xiano as the winner!"
"On behalf of the Swordsmanship Tournament organizers, I hereby declare that Mr. Xiano has achieved five consecutive victories! He will skip the Revival Tournament and officially become the first contestant to secure a spot in the top eight!"
The audience, who had been whispering among themselves, was eagerly waiting for this announcement.
After a brief moment of silence, deafening cheers erupted across the square—
"Xiano! Xiano! Xiano!"
————
Bang!
In a spacious office, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothing slammed his fist on the desk, roaring in fury:
"This is the so-called nobody you mentioned? A coincidence? Even after giving him the toughest opponents in the draw, he still won all five rounds. With that kind of strength, he's clearly a strong ally brought in by that damn kid from the Sakuraba Family!"
"The term 'nobody' was your own description, Boss."
The tall, thin swordsman wearing the White Fox Mask replied calmly.
"Huh? Really?… Wait, no! Is that the point here? How dare you talk back to me!"
The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, then, in a fit of rage, grabbed an ashtray from the desk and hurled it at the swordsman.
"That mistake was based on your intel! Tell me, how do we deal with this kid who's so ridiculously strong?"
"And that Qi Lin! Wasn't he supposed to be here to redeem himself for not winning the championship back then? I thought he'd come to settle the score, but instead, he turned out to be a complete coward! He didn't even have the courage to step onto the platform and fight!"
"…" The tall swordsman remained silent, his expression hidden behind the mask.
The middle-aged man, still seething, suddenly remembered something:
"By the way, what about that kid from the Sakuraba Family? Has he finished his matches? How's his record?"
"Five matches, four wins. He lost to another top contender, but he still holds a spot in the Revival Tournament. If nothing goes wrong, he'll likely advance to the top eight later."
The middle-aged man grew even more agitated. He stood up and began pacing back and forth in the office.
"No! We absolutely cannot let the championship fall into the hands of the Sakuraba Family. If the Sakura Courtyard Dojo's reputation rises again, it'll be a pain to deal with if they make a comeback…"
"Hey, White Fox!"
He suddenly turned, his cold gaze fixed on the tall swordsman.
"Before the Sea Selection ends, you're going to participate immediately. You must secure one of the top eight spots. Right now, you're the only one with the strength to keep the championship in our hands!"
The tall swordsman's brow furrowed slightly.
"Wasn't it agreed that I'd stay behind the scenes and not have to appear publicly for this kind of work?"
"Isn't this a matter of circumstance? Who else but you can reliably stop those two boys, especially Xiano? As for the Sakuraba kid, it's still uncertain whether he can defeat the other advancing competitors."
The middle-aged man sneered, "Besides, I'm not asking you to remove your mask. You can use your current fake identity or change your mask. Who could possibly guess who you are?"
"..."
The tall, thin swordsman remained silent for a while before finally nodding.
"Go, and make it quick!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand. Just as the tall swordsman's figure was about to disappear outside the door, he suddenly spoke up:
"Tell me, White Fox, you wouldn't go soft on me and betray our agreement from back then, would you?"
The footsteps outside paused for a moment.
"...Asking something you already know the answer to is pointless."
A voice devoid of emotion came through.
"Haha, as long as you know!"
The middle-aged man threw his head back and laughed heartily, "Don't forget! The extent of my power is terrifying, far beyond what ordinary people like you can resist!"
...
Southeast area of the square.
"What's wrong, Mr. Xiano?"
Junichi had just stepped down from the wooden platform amidst cheers, his excitement still lingering, when Xiano pulled him aside, prompting him to ask in confusion.
"Nothing much."
Xiano smiled, "First of all, congratulations on easily passing the Revival Tournament and advancing. However, the quarterfinals won't start until 1 PM, so we have plenty of time. How about grabbing a bite to eat with me first?"
"Eating already?"
Junichi scratched his head, still processing, when Xiano forcibly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the outskirts of the square.
Only after entering a secluded alley did Xiano stop.
He handed a bamboo sword to the puzzled Junichi.
"This is..."
Junichi raised the bamboo sword and noticed a line of small characters engraved on it, "11 AM, Wisteria Restaurant, second floor?"
"My opponent in the fifth round, Qi Lin, the deputy head of the Falling Leaves Martial Arts School, gave this to me." Xiano frowned, "It seems he wants to talk to us privately. Do you know this guy?"
"Deputy head? Qi Lin?"
Junichi racked his brains, thinking hard.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he smacked his fist into his palm:
"I remember! I didn't recognize the title of deputy head, but I've seen this name before—five years ago!"
"That year, when my father was still alive, he was in charge of organizing and hosting that year's swordsmanship tournament. He would always bring a list home."
"The list contained the names of swordsmen who had signed up for the tournament but couldn't afford to attend due to financial difficulties. My father allocated funds specifically to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. Qi Lin was on that list!"
"A list? You were only ten that year. Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Absolutely!"
Junichi nodded firmly, "I only looked at that list twice, so I wouldn't be sure about other names, but this one was so unique and memorable that it stuck with me."
"Given that, the most reasonable assumption is that he's... no, that he's our ally?"
Xiano pondered thoughtfully.
Recalling Qi Lin's sudden withdrawal from the match and the two still-warm cups of coffee from the morning, he twisted his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
"Then let's go meet him and hear what Mr. Qi Lin has to say. But we should stay on guard. Bring your sword."
(End of Chapter)