Zhou Yu seemed to want to speak, but Zhang Ning raised a hand to stop him.
Feeling utterly humiliated, Zhou Yu turned to leave the area immediately. Zhang Ning shot a look at a junior sister beside her, who reached out and pressed a hand onto Zhou Yu’s shoulder, whispering, “Do not leave. If you leave now, you truly lose the match and your dignity as well.”
Zhou Yu’s face flushed a deep crimson, but knowing she spoke the truth, he could only stand stiffly in place.
Yun Huizhou glanced toward them before withdrawing his gaze. It seemed that in addition to the friction between Uncle Xi and the Maple Leaf Valley elders, and the friction between himself and Zhang Ning, there was now one more rivalry: Lian Li and Zhou Yu.
However, he wasn’t sure if the boy, Lian Li, even realized it.
After Jin Manjue announced the result, Lian Li gave a slight nod in Jin Manjue’s direction. Then, as light as a feather, he landed gracefully beside Yun Huizhou.
Yun Huizhou had originally intended to hand the still-warm roasted chicken leg to Lian Li. But seeing that Lian Li was still maintaining his previous posture and cold expression, he understood that the boy hadn’t had his fill of posturing yet.
With so many people present, Lian Li certainly wouldn’t take a chicken leg to gnaw on; moreover, the act of handing over a chicken leg would likely ruin the “cool expert” atmosphere the boy was cultivating.
Thus, keeping his head down at an angle where no one else could see, Yun Huizhou smiled and winked at Lian Li. He then tucked the oil-paper-wrapped chicken leg away again, planning to give it to Lian Li when they were alone.
Seeing how savvy he was being, Lian Li also turned his back to the others and made a face at Yun Huizhou, grinning mischievously.
If not for the crowd and the need to preserve Lian Li’s image, Yun Huizhou really wanted to grab him and give him a good squeeze.
How could he be… so cute?
Lian Li took his bamboo hat from Yun Huizhou’s hand and put it back on. His face was once again hidden behind the hat’s light veil.
He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but the moment he donned the hat, he actually heard many sounds of sighing.
Behind the veil, Lian Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. This time, he hadn’t just gained a surge of prestige for his beauty; his martial arts would surely gain a surge of prestige as well.
By current Jianghu standards, he was already a second-tier expert. He just didn’t know if he had met his Master’s requirements yet.
Regardless, he felt that after finishing the duel, he seemed to have a deeper comprehension of martial arts. This was completely different from his previous sparring sessions with Yun Huizhou.
This was the first time he had truly dueled someone at his own level—someone who was also a disciple of a famous sect, whose martial arts were undoubtedly top-tier for their rank.
As expected, the right opponent allowed one to progress much faster.
Seeing that Lian Li intended to play the part of the cold, silent expert, Yun Huizhou was happy to play along.
With a wave of his hand, he used his internal energy to retrieve the other bamboo hat he had hung on the tree earlier, pulling it through the air and putting it on. He then addressed the crowd: “Since the result of the duel is out, we shall not linger. I will leave the remaining matters to Tower Master Jin to handle.”
Bullying Jin Manjue in private was one thing—after all, Jin Manjue was indeed a bit of a nuisance. But in a public setting like this, Yun Huizhou gave Jin Manjue plenty of face.
Hearing Yun Huizhou show him such respect, the smile at the corners of Jin Manjue’s mouth deepened. He said loudly, “This humble one shall not fail the trust of Great Hero Yun and Young Hero Lian.”
By saying this, he was essentially making a promise before these hundreds of people. No matter how Maple Leaf Valley approached him afterward, the eleventh rank belonged to Lian Li, and he would handle all the tedious fallout.
Naturally, he would also faithfully record and publish the details of this duel.
Once word of this match spread, Lian Li’s reputation was bound to skyrocket.
Zhou Yu’s name would also spread, but it certainly wouldn’t compare to Lian Li’s.
Lian Li nodded toward Jin Manjue and then departed alongside Yun Huizhou.
Many people continued to look up at his retreating back.
Seeing Yun Huizhou and Lian Li leave so decisively, the people from Maple Leaf Valley felt awkward staying any longer, especially since they were the losers of this match.
Whether it was the duel itself or the question of who was more worthy of the eleventh rank.
Lian Li knew of the frustration in their hearts, but he didn’t care.
After maintaining his cold persona and leaving the site of the duel at top speed with Yun Huizhou, Lian Li found a deserted grove.
He looked left and right like a thief, then suddenly yanked off his bamboo hat. He jumped up and hugged Yun Huizhou, shouting excitedly, “I won! I won! Hahahaha, I’m actually so amazing!”
Yun Huizhou held him and replied, “Yes, you are very amazing. When you won, many people nearby were extremely shocked.”
“Hahahaha, I was pretty shocked myself! I really didn’t expect Zhou Yu to try and clash internal energy with me directly after his weapon got tangled. I’m not stupid; I knew his internal energy was deeper than mine, so why would I compete with him in that?”
Lian Li climbed down from Yun Huizhou, gesturing wildly as he spoke.
“He was too impatient. I saw several small openings, but I felt it wasn’t safe to strike then, so I kept holding back. I pretended I didn’t see them to give him the illusion that I was too green to seize an opportunity.”
“But I defended so well that I didn’t give him a real opening. He got anxious, and seeing that I ‘couldn’t’ seize opportunities, he definitely wanted to take a gamble. He surely didn’t expect that I would be the one to win the bet.”
Yun Huizhou felt a bit surprised listening to Lian Li describe his thoughts during the fight. Lian Li’s tactical thinking during the duel was far clearer than he had imagined.
“As expected of you,” Yun Huizhou said, taking out the chicken leg and handing it to Lian Li. “Here, your reward: a chicken leg.”
Lian Li took the leg and stuffed it into his mouth. As he ate, he said, “I happen to be hungry. This chicken leg came at the perfect time.”
Yun Huizhou said, “I saw you didn’t eat much breakfast this morning, so I knew you’d be hungry after the fight. That’s why I specifically saved it. However, even though I kept it warm with internal energy, it’s definitely not as tasty as when it was fresh off the grill.”
Lian Li finished the chicken leg in just a few bites. “When you’re hungry, everything tastes good. Besides, I think even if I weren’t hungry, I’d still find this chicken leg delicious.”
Seeing Lian Li finish, Yun Huizhou handed him another handkerchief. After Lian Li wiped his mouth clean, he said, “Let’s go back. By now, they should have all dispersed, so we won’t run into anyone else.”
When the two returned to the inn, they found that although there were many people, the inn had brought in even more waiters. At the same time, the two of them faintly sensed several individuals with decent martial arts guarding various corners of the inn.
Lian Li and Yun Huizhou looked over and discovered that those skilled individuals were all wearing… the staff uniforms of this inn.
Lian Li marveled in his heart. This level of service was high!
As expected of the five-star inn in Linjiu City highly recommended by Zhao Honglan. It was said to be a chain, with branches in the three most prosperous cities at this stage: Linjiu City, Xianglai City, and the Capital.
