The Truth (continued)

"I'm exhausted. It feels even more tiring than playing a competition."

After finally dealing with wave after wave of supporters, Nie Wanzhi returned to the bus to rest. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water and drank it in large gulps, completely unconcerned about her image. Her fans, seeing this through the bus window, didn't mind at all. They praised Nie Wanzhi for being genuine and unpretentious, unlike those glamorous celebrities, and said they liked her even more.

"Seriously, why do they all call me Sister Wanzhi? I've seen several middle-aged men and women who are much older than me call me that. Am I becoming more and more charming as a mature woman lately?"

Nie Wanzhi thought about it and felt quite happy, but she tried her best to restrain herself from showing it too obviously and act as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Upon hearing this, her teammates exchanged smiles. Nie Wanzhi had good interpersonal relationships within the team, and everyone liked her. Being young had its advantages; she was easily treated like a younger sister and protected.

Of course, it's also because Nie Wanzhi is unpretentious, doesn't have any princess syndrome, and is willing to actively integrate into the group. In contrast, although Ying Zhou is also young, there are many people in the team who dislike him, roughly half as many like him. His sharp and distinct personality easily gets polarized opinions. However, since he has always been responsible for individual battles and doesn't need to cooperate with others, he doesn't care about his teammates' opinions.

"Little Wanzi, don't you usually follow martial arts fan activities?" a female teammate who was close to Nie Wanzhi asked as she sat down next to her.

"I also have to study regularly, and I can't let my written grades fall too far behind, so I don't have extra time to worry about anything else."

"No wonder... I almost forgot you're still a student. To have such strength at such a young age, your future is truly limitless. You'll definitely become a pillar of our league team in the future. Tsk tsk, don't forget us then! What's that saying again, the one that starts with 'survival'?"

"I'm still far from good enough. There are plenty of people around me who are much better than me." Nie Wanzhi recalled the school's Second Martial Arts Club, where her skills were almost at the bottom.

"You're too modest. If martial arts geniuses like you were everywhere, how would we useless adults survive?"

One of the male teammates said, "Speaking of which, our opponent's ace today seems to be that young-looking, arrogant kid. Yun Haoran, you've played against him before. What do you think of his strength? Compared to our Captain's still recovering from his injury, who's stronger?"

Yun Haoran pondered for a moment and said, "In terms of cultivation alone, they should be about the same, but if we were to actually fight, I'm afraid the other one would have a better chance of winning."

"No way, this kid is that good! He looks so arrogant and conceited."

"The fact that he can be so arrogant and cocky until now only proves that he's quite powerful. Otherwise, he would have been taught a lesson long ago."

"That's true... On another note, young people these days are getting more and more amazing. I heard from Director Jin that someone recently broke the record for the youngest Spirit Transformation; apparently, she's under twenty and a woman."

Do you have any opinions on a woman becoming the Spirit Transformation?

"No, no, please don't misunderstand, I'm actually a feminist."

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Nie Wanzhi thought to herself, "You're all talking about my friends."

While feeling proud, she couldn't help but feel a strong sense of urgency. Being friends with a group of geniuses meant either giving up and becoming complacent, or constantly pushing herself and fighting against the pressure. Nie Wanzhi was not one to give up easily, but seeing Ying Zhou, who was two years younger than her, display dominant strength on the stage, far surpassing his skills when she was learning at the Glazed Temple in the Barbarian Continent, inevitably made her feel dejected.

Even though she had been working very hard in her cultivation, she not only failed to close the gap with her companions, but actually fell further behind, and was even surpassed by her juniors. That sense of powerlessness was really discouraging, and she couldn't help but think that "it would be easier to just give up."

"No, giving up now would be a huge disservice to all the hard work I've put in. Others are others, and I am me. There's no need to compare myself to them. Just treat them as your goals. A strong goal makes the pursuit meaningful. Compared to those Wutian days, what are these difficulties?"

Nie Wanzhi patted her face with both hands, quickly cheering herself up. She wasn't so easily defeated; she was very confident in her willpower.

At this moment, the team leader called out, "Nie Wanzhi, there's an old lady downstairs who claims to be a big fan of your martial arts. She's traveled a long way just to see you up close. Although the meet-and-greet has ended, I think you should still be considerate of the elderly lady."

"Oh, oh, that's only natural, I'll be right there."

Nie Wanzhi composed herself, greeted her teammates, and got off the car amidst their teasing comments such as "Wow, she's so popular!" "She's really well-liked!" and "I wish I had some older martial arts fans too!" Then she met the old lady who claimed to be her martial arts fan.

The old woman had a thin face, etched with the wrinkles of a lifetime, her complexion dark and yellowish. Beneath her light eyebrows, her kind eyes shone brightly. Although she was very old, she still walked with a sprightly gait.

Nie Wanzhi concluded that he must have been a martial artist in his youth, and respectfully stepped forward, saying, "Hello, ma'am, thank you for coming here to support me. However, for the sake of your health, please try to avoid going out too much in the future. I'd be happy if you could watch my matches in Flowing Cloud City."

"What a polite and kind-hearted child! He worries about this old woman like me."

The old woman showed a relieved expression and reached out to stroke the other person's head.

Normally, Nie Wanzhi would instinctively dodge, as she dislikes being touched on the head, as it makes her seem unreliable. However, for some reason, the old woman in front of her gave her a sense of warmth, so she didn't dodge and let the woman touch her head.

"What a good child, very remarkable." The old woman patted him a few times, then withdrew her hand.

Nie Wanzhi chuckled a little awkwardly and asked, "Grandma, would you like an autograph and a photo? If you don't have a camera, I can borrow one from one of my teammates. Leave your address, and I'll send you the photos after they're developed."

"No need. Just seeing you with my own eyes and touching you with my own hands is enough for this old woman. You are just as I imagined, a gentle, capable, and kind young man."

"Grandma, if you keep praising me like that, I'm going to blush."

"A flushed face is good; it makes you look young and energetic, not like an old woman looking dull and lifeless." The old woman said, handing over a bag of bright yellow fruit. "These are oranges I bought by the roadside; they're nothing expensive, I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no way! Oranges are my favorite food. Thank you so much!"

Nie Wanzhi felt increasingly close to the person in front of her, as if she were an elder, and couldn't help but invite, "Grandma, why don't you ride back with us? I'll talk to the instructor, and he'll agree."

"No need, I've already bought my train ticket and I'm going back tonight, so I can only thank you for your kindness. Anyway, I've seen him and even touched his head, I'm satisfied. Alright, get on the train, your teammates are calling you, we can't keep them waiting."

The old woman waved her hand, her eyes showing reluctance, but she still resolutely turned and left.

Watching her retreating figure disappear into the crowd, Nie Wanzhi felt a pang of loss and quickly asked, "Grandma, will you come to watch my match again?"

The old woman stopped, turned around, and smiled, "Of course, I'll definitely come again."

As Nie Wanzhi watched the hunched figure gradually disappear into the distance, she felt an urge to rush forward and forcibly pull him into the car. Just as she gritted her teeth, preparing to take action, her teammates in the car urged, "Wanzi, hurry up and get in, we're about to leave."

"Oh, oh, I'm coming."

Distracted for a moment, Nie Wanzhi realized that she could no longer find the old woman, only groups of martial arts fans cheering for her. A sense of loss welled up in her heart for no reason, but she could only return to the car with regret.

In the crowded throng, the old woman watched the car start and turned to leave when suddenly, a strong sense of crisis surged into her heart. Before she could react, two auras enveloped her from the left and right, filled with a warning that if she dared to make the slightest move, she would be struck by lightning.

"What would drive a fugitive to attend a celebrity's concert, risking discovery?" Si Ming, standing to the old woman's left, asked himself. "Of course, it's because this fugitive is a huge fan of the celebrity, or perhaps a fervent admirer, or perhaps it's a connection from his childhood. But whatever the reason, there must be something attracting him, rather than simply wanting to join the crowd."

Murong Qing continued, "There are only two reasons why you would risk coming to the Martial Arts School Tournament. One is to support your own team, but we checked your hometown, and it has nothing to do with either the home team or the away team. Therefore, it can only be the second reason: you are coming to watch a certain contestant's match. This person must have a very close relationship with you, and most likely they are a junior, either your apprentice or your child."

Si Ming continued, "Let's eliminate the possibility of them being your disciples. Judging from their ages, the only ones who could potentially become your disciples are those two young men. However, these two are our friends, and we know very well that the martial arts they practice have nothing to do with you. Therefore, they can only be your children. But now another problem arises: none of these contestants have the surname 'Qi.' What's going on?"