Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Snatching Candles
As one of the largest merchants in Feiyan City, it is certain that the Zhang family was wealthy. Upon entering the huge gate, you would be greeted with a grand plaza that extended a hundred meters in both length and width.
The plaza was filled with martial artists of various demeanors and styles.
The appearance of Shi Xiaole attracted considerable attention.
"Where did this little kid come from? He hasn’t even grown full hair yet, but he dares to apply for the position of the guard, truly ignorant of his depth," people murmured.
The noise continued for about half an hour until an affluent-looking middle-aged man, protected by a group of trained guards, walked to the front of the plaza.
"Honorable heroes, I, Zhang, am grateful for your presence."
Zhang Yuanshan copied the salutation of the martial artists by making a fist-palm salute. Then he continued, "This journey of escorting my daughter to the Thousand Poison Mountain is driven by necessity. To cope with danger, I want to select the ten strongest men from you all. I apologize if anyone feels slighted by not being chosen."
Quite a few people harrumphed.
They were quite confident in their own abilities and didn’t think they would lose to anyone else.
A brutish man with a sabre broke the silence: "Stop dilly-dallying, Mr. Zhang, how will you select?"
Mr. Zhang smiled, waved his hand, and several guards placed ten candles on a table not far away.
"The rules are quite simple. Contestants can freely form teams. Within each team, regardless of the method, the one who first grabs a candle will be allowed to stay."
Shi Xiaole paused momentarily, then quickly understood the game.
Zhang Yuanshan was a natural businessman, indeed cunning and slick.
He didn’t initiate any one-on-one fights but set up a candle-grabbing competition. It might seem chaotic, but it tested everyone’s adaptability, combat ability, and survival skills during the scramble.
The strategy of the preliminary grouping also played a vital role and tested the sight of the contestants.
In the martial world, great strength or administrative skills don’t always ensure longevity. What’s more important is the comprehensive ability.
This was clear to Shi Xiaole and many of the seasoned fighters understood this, looking at Zhang Yuanshan with different expressions.
"Does anyone object?"
Zhang Yuanshan loudly asked. Since no one responded, he said, "In that case, let’s begin."
Having said that, he stood by to watch the fray with a very casual attitude, not giving any instructions on how to form teams.
The plaza fell silent for a brief moment.
Suddenly, a figure, like an arrow, shot out to grab a candle while everyone else was off guard.
"Stay right there."
A fierce roar was heard. It was the burly man with the sabre. He stood out and, with a powerful swing of his sword, it sunk into the ground. He blocked the path of the figure targeting the candle.
With his path blocked, the mysterious figure halted, giving the burly man the chance to get to him. The man unfurled his palm and lunged towards the figure’s shoulder.
"Heh-heh, guessing you were waiting for that... but get lost!"
Unsurprisingly, the mysterious figure turned out to be cunning as well. He had hidden a few flying darts in his hand and launched them at the stout man.
Catching the stout man off guard, screams broke out in the background.
However, the man had underestimated the formidable power of his opponent. Nevertheless, the stout man was able to divert the darts by generating a suction force from his palm.
Afterwards, he seized the candle and also threw the figure away by using the momentum of his lunge. He had successfully obtained the first candle.
"Excellent!"
There was a round of applause echoing through the plaza. Even Zhang Yuanshan nodded in approval.
However, before the applause even faded, a second candle got grabbed. The person who seized it was the same lean figure who was thrown by the burly man earlier.
"Sun Ting, the ’Flying Grasshopper,’, you scoundrel!"
Quite a few of the participants were local fighters who recognized the lean figure’s identity. They cried out, furious at his cunning.
Sun Ting chuckled, pleased with himself: "Mr. Zhang didn’t specify that failing the first time disqualified you from trying again."
Everyone turned to look at Mr. Zhang who nodded: "This gentleman Sun also passed the test."
Complete chaos broke out in the plaza. Weapons were secretly drawn, poison prepared, and a growing number of people rushed towards the candles.
There was a melee. The sounds of blades clashing, fists hitting palms, projectiles flying through the air, angry shouts, were like a symphony of chaos.
Some were injured and fell, while others pushed ahead despite the obstacles. At this point, everyone was going all out, desperate to grab a candle.
Some dared to target the burly man and Sun Ting, who had already secured their candles.
"Trying to pull a fast one on me, how daring."
The burly man, utterly cold, cut down a sneaky Transformation Phase expert who ended up bleeding on the ground, unable to get up. This frightened off quite a few participants.
As for Sun Ting, thanks to his superior flying skills, he weaved around in the crowd, unscathed.
"The third candle is mine," declared Wang Yangming.
A young man dressed in white, carrying a wish-fulfilling golden spear, quickly unleashed a few attacks, forcing back two Transformation Phase experts, and grabbed the third candle.
"Is that Wang Yangming, the recently famed Wish-fulfilling Little Spear King?"
"Incredible indeed! His power must be on par with that of a common Transformation Phase expert."
In the ensuing melee, the fourth candle was seized by a red-clad young woman.
The fifth candle ended up in the hands of an unimpressive middle-aged man.
The sixth candle was obtained by a white-haired old man.
A monk, an old woman, and a man with a hoe also each grabbed a candle.
At this point, most people in the field were either injured or retreated, reduced to spectators, leaving only a dozen or so who kept their cool standing at a distance.
"Those cunning bastards."
A number of people muttered under their breath, actually regretful for lacking the composure, and letting these dozen or so people take advantage of the situation.
"Heh, gentlemen, if no one objects, I, Zhao Deming, will take the last candle with one sweep of my sword to shape the universe."
A man in his thirties steps forward, glancing sideways at the crowd.
Zhao Deming had observed carefully earlier. Among these dozen people left, aside from a Daoist who posed some threat to him, the rest were not worth considering.
Which is why he stepped forward at this moment, directly declaring his claim.
"Swordsman Zhao, you are taking us too lightly. How about we work together and kick Swordsman Zhao down first?"
The Daoist steps forward, trying to incite the crowd.
Zhao Deming was well-known among the local cultivators. He had the cultivation of the Hidden Qi Eightfold and his swordsmanship was extraordinary. In fact, when he announced his name, some people had already lost hope.
"Stinking Taoist, dare to play tricks, seeking death."
Zhao Deming lunged at the Daoist with his sword, making erratic movements like a poisonous snake, instantly forcing the Daoist to dodge in disarray and continuously retreat.
"Sword Skill of the Transformation Phase."
Shi Xiaole gave a soft intake of breath.
Without a doubt, in terms of strength, Zhao Deming was stronger than Xue Long from Moyun City, indeed a tough opponent.
With just three sharp strokes, Zhao Deming easily injured the Daoist then drew back his sword and stood firm.
The Daoist’s face turned pale. He knew there was a gap between him and Zhao Deming, but he hadn’t expected the gap to be so large.
"Stop bothering!"
Zhao Deming appeared to be talking to himself, but was actually warning the remaining few. He then walked directly towards the table in front of him, reaching out for the last candle.
At this point, it was clear to everyone present that the tenth candle would fall into Zhao Deming’s hands.
"Stop."
Unexpectedly, someone irreversibly spoke out at this moment. It was Shi Xiaole in his green shirt.
"Brat, it seems that I, Zhao, was too merciful before. It made you think that the consequences of challenging me again and again was just a minor injury, right?"
Zhao Deming turned around, his face immediately darkening.
Since when did his fame as "One who Sets the Universe with a Sword" couldn’t even awe a mere child? Was it because he hadn’t been battling enough lately?
When the distance between them was just two steps, many in the audience showed keen interest.
Because they could see that Shi Xiaole seemed not at all afraid, and Zhao Deming’s momentum had no effect on him.
"Kneel."
Zhao Deming was angry, he pulled out his sword at Shi Xiaole, the tip of the sword darting out like a snake out of its hole, exactly the same move that defeated the Daoist.
The difference was that this time, Zhao Deming used up to seventy percent of his strength, aiming at Shi Xiaole’s knees, seemingly trying to disable his legs.
As the sword approached, Shi Xiaole drew his blade, ringing it with a clang. Under the amplification of the Embracing the Origin Energy at full strength, the Battle Blade made Zhao Deming’s sword lose its way, as if a poisonous snake was choked at its vital point.
Before Zhao Deming could react, Shi Xiaole surged forward with great momentum, repeatedly using his Battle Blade Skill, forcing his opponent to dodge from left to right. Amid the zipping sound, he continuously cut his opponent’s arm and shoulder.
"Great blade skill!"
"The blade skill is exquisite and so is the person, it’s the Blade Skill at the full phase of Transformation. Who knows the origin of this young man?"
Everyone was taken by surprise and marveled at Shi Xiaole’s talent.
The gentleman in white, Wang Yangming, had particularly keen eyes, deep within them a thick fighting will was concealed.
The Battle Blade Skill was a continuous blade technique. Once suppressed by it, unless one’s power was significantly stronger, it would be hard to find an opportunity to counterattack.
Zhao Deming had a hard time due to this. He was rather tough. At one point, he even endured a cut on his shoulder, freeing his right hand and delivering his strongest killing move.
He would make this brat pay for making him lose face in public, he would make him die without a place to be buried!
The terrifying sword light fluctuated, making many people around dizzy. If it were them, they would probably have died under this sword.
However, Shi Xiaole’s face showed no panic. He just subtly slapped the air with his left hand.
In an instant, an invisible force enveloped Zhao Deming, causing his wrist to twist and the speed and power of his sword technique to suddenly decrease.
"Not good!"
Zhao Deming yelled and tried to retreat quickly.
However, Shi Xiaole’s blade was faster. A flash of red blade light, and Zhao Deming had been thrown back ten meters, a terrifying cut on his chest.
