Chapter 201: Chapter 121: Candlelight Heart Eye, Stage 3
Then, she walked over to her lady-in-waiting and guards and gave them a warning:
"Mrs. Qin, Zhang, once the duel begins, you must watch carefully. If it looks like Zhong Ming is about to lose, intervene immediately and get him out of there."
Mrs. Qin replied, "Rest assured, Commandery Princess. With us here, Zhong Ming’s life will not be in danger."
As Ji Qingyue made her arrangements, noon gradually approached.
With that, a large procession of people, led by Zhong Ming and Princess Qingyue, set off for Crescent Lake.
Naturally, they didn’t go on foot. A Water and Air Flying Ship, bathed in a rosy glow, took to the sky and sailed slowly toward Crescent Lake. The vessel was luxurious and grand, shimmering with iridescent light—it was Princess Qingyue’s personal transport.
"SPLASH..."
As the Flying Ship descended into Crescent Lake, the already bustling shore erupted as if a fuse had been lit, the atmosphere instantly igniting.
"Princess Qingyue and her party are here!"
"Where’s Zhong Ming? ... Is that him, the one sitting with Princess Qingyue on the top deck? He looks so unremarkable. How could he have said something so arrogant?"
"Who cares why? We’re about to find out."
"...That’s true. The challenge is about to begin. We’ll soon see if that Zhong Ming is the real deal or just an empty name."
In anticipation of the coming clash of titans, the crowd’s chatter along the Crescent Lake Shore gradually subsided.
But though the voices had ceased, everyone was looking around, waiting to see who would be the first to step forward.
Zhong Ming was waiting, too.
Then, for the first minute... not a single person came forward.
The second minute passed, and then the third... still nothing.
This scene caused the surrounding discussion to flare up again.
Only this time, the tone of the lakeside chatter began to change:
"What’s going on? Why isn’t anyone stepping up? ... They can’t possibly be afraid of Zhong Ming, can they?"
"Impossible! Our Qinghe Prefecture City has plenty of prodigies to begin with, and recently, more than a dozen sects and over a hundred more prodigies have arrived. With so many people, surely not every single one of them is gutless, right?"
While some were confused, a white-haired old man seemed to realize something. Stroking his beard, he shook his head and chuckled.
"’With three monks, there’s no water to drink.’ The ancients truly did not deceive us."
His words made some people’s eyes light up. "Sir, what do you mean by that?"
"Haha, it’s a simple principle. Zhong Ming may be arrogant and conceited, but he isn’t without skill. He instantly killed an Inner Sect Disciple from the Void Moon Sect with a single glance and subdued Zhuo Feng from the Star-Picking Sect with another. His strength is beyond doubt."
"Under these circumstances, those who are even slightly weaker wouldn’t dare take the stage."
"As for the True Disciples from the Major Sects..." The old man’s gaze swept over the luxurious Flying Ships hidden in the mists over the lake, and he sneered. "They represent the honor of their sects. How could they make a move so easily? If they step up now, winning only means they beat an ’arrogant fool’—there’s no glory in that. But if they lose, they’ll damage their sect’s prestige."
"That’s why they’re all waiting. They’re waiting for others to test Zhong Ming’s strength first, but they’re also waiting for Zhong Ming to defeat a dozen or so prodigies. Only after everyone recognizes how formidable he is will they make their move. To achieve fame in a single, decisive battle—that is the most profitable move."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the surrounding crowd came to a sudden realization.
At the same time, they also understood why the old man had said, "With three monks, there’s no water to drink."
Clearly, all the prodigies were waiting for someone else to make the first move, allowing them to swoop in and reap the rewards.
But since everyone had the same idea, no one was willing to be the one to stick their neck out, and the challenge fell into an eerie silence.
...
The old man’s analysis of human nature was spot-on. Right then, the True Disciples of the various Major Sects sat within their Flying Ships, their cold gazes fixed on Zhong Ming and everyone else. They were like hunters lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.
But what Zhong Ming didn’t know was that he was no longer the only person these True Disciples from the Major Sects wanted to defeat.
On a Flying Ship not far from him, Zhu Junfeng’s expression turned grave as he sensed the oppressive atmosphere.
Then, seeing his junior brother, Lin Kong, growing restless, his hand already on the hilt of his sword, he quickly reached out to stop him. In a heavy tone, he warned:
"Don’t be reckless. The nature of this challenge has changed."
"Although Zhong Ming may have started this, now that the stage is set, a mere buffoon like him is no longer the main character."
As his gaze swept over the other Flying Ships, a flicker of apprehension showed in Zhu Junfeng’s eyes.
"If you go up now, even if you beat Zhong Ming, you’ll expend your energy and reveal your trump cards. When that happens, do you think the True Disciples from the other sects will pass up the chance to strike while you’re vulnerable?"
"At that point, someone whose skills counter yours is bound to step forward and use you as a stepping stone."
"If you lose here, in front of this massive crowd, not only will our sect lose face, but it will also jeopardize our sect’s plans in Qinghe Prefecture City."
"..."
Since the sect’s grand strategy was at stake, Lin Kong, however resentful he felt, could only grit his teeth and sit back down.
At the same time, after Zhu Junfeng’s reminder, Lin Kong understood. "So our real opponents now are the other sects’ True Disciples?"
"Exactly!" Zhu Junfeng nodded, his tone tinged with the superiority befitting a True Disciple of a Major Sect. "Zhong Ming is nothing more than an appetizer. He isn’t even worthy of being on this stage. Defeating him is merely the start of the real contest between us Major Sects!"
Disciples from Major Sects had always possessed a natural arrogance toward those from smaller ones. Now, with the True Disciples from all the Major Sects of the Prefecture City gathered, their wariness of one another had long since surpassed any hostility they felt toward Zhong Ming.
However, what these disciples from the Major Sects, all wary of each other’s True Disciples, failed to notice was the man sitting leisurely atop the Flying Ship. The Solar Power within Zhong Ming’s body was growing ever more fiery and profound.
His vertical pupil seemed to form a faint connection with the great Sun in the sky, causing the smile on his lips to deepen.
’I’m waiting for a skill to awaken. What are all of you waiting for?’
