An Owl Finds a Rotten Rat

With so many people defeated by Si Ming, how could he possibly remember them all? Besides, his opponents weren't exactly formidable. Although this battle was significant for Si Ming, Lian Buqi, as his opponent, didn't leave a deep impression on him. Even the "Bullet Fist" and "Phase Transfer Body-Protecting Divine Art" that he stole from Lian Buqi became useless later on.

Because he hadn't seen the specific details of the Cultivation Method, the skills he secretly learned could only maintain the level he had at the time and couldn't keep up with Si Ming's growth. In addition, better alternatives came along later, so he naturally abandoned them without feeling any regret.

"Another guy involved in Super Martial Dao. Why are they all popping up lately? By the way, isn't this guy Germany?"

Si Ming remembered that after he beat Lian Buqi half to death, the other party was deported back to his country. He originally thought there would be legal trouble, but nothing came of it and nothing happened. It was only much later that he learned from his master Yan Jinghong that this person was an experimental subject of Germany research on Super Martial Dao and practiced a martial art called "Heat Death Tome".

Murong Qing said, "Yes, that's why he's a student at the International Union Academy."

Si Ming had nothing to say. The International Union Academy was mainly composed of foreign students. For example, his old classmate Tao Chengsi was not actually Su State. He just forgot about it. The National Youth Martial Dao League did not stipulate that only native Chinese could participate.

Murong Qing volunteered, "If we win this round, we'll face International Union Academy in the next round. I'll take care of him then; it's a rare opportunity to redeem myself."

"I don't object, but it seems like I'm his target. You want revenge, and he wants revenge too. Alas, when will this cycle of revenge end?" Si Ming adopted the compassionate demeanor of a high monk.

Murong Qing her eyes and said, "You're the winner, so of course you don't care. A victor's tolerance is composure, while a loser's tolerance is admitting defeat. Although I'm not a sore loser, now that I've encountered an opportunity to avenge myself, I can't let it slip away so easily."

"Alright, then you figure out a way to deal with him. I have no objection."

Si Ming displayed the composure of a victor.

The two chatted for a while, and then the quarterfinals were announced to have begun. Fortunately, the Second Martial Arts Club had already decided on the lineup, so they didn't seem flustered.

Si Ming slowly stepped onto the arena. His opponent was a handsome young man. Although his appearance was average, he was full of vigor and spirit, and was obviously a dragon among men.

However, after stepping onto the stage, this person kept staring at Si Ming. Fortunately, there was no hatred in his eyes, only a hint of jealousy. Otherwise, Si Ming would have to recall which of his defeated opponents he had defeated.

"What kind of day is it today? Everyone seems to be staring at me. Is it because my domineering and handsome aura has been exposed?"

Just as Si Ming was muttering to himself, the young man cupped his hands and said, "Sima Liang, a disciple of the Dinghu Sect, greets Martial Uncle."

"Wait a minute, what's Si Liang's name?"

Sima Liang.

What happened to Sima?

"It's not something else, it's Sima Liang."

"Sima what?"

"It's Sima Liang, Uncle-Master."

Chapter 779 The Owl Gets a Rotten Rat

When a fake meets a real person, Si Ming is incredibly embarrassed. Sima Liang is one of the aliases he often uses, and he never expected to actually meet someone named Sima Liang. If it were a stranger, it wouldn't be so bad, as there are plenty of people in the world with the same name. But the other person happens to be a disciple of the Dinghu Sect, meaning they are from the same sect.

However, Si Ming immediately realized that "Sima Liang" was the alias he used in the Barbarian Continent, and he had never used it in the Sea Continent. In the Sea Continent, he usually used "Sikong Ming," and there was also another pen name, "Sima Kongming." The other party should not know about this.

Having figured this out, Si Ming felt relieved and asked, "I've never been to the Dinghu Sect before, how do you know me?"

"Master Uncle is the only direct disciple of Grandmaster Yan, and was once famous throughout the Northern Continent. We have all seen your photo, how could we not recognize you?"

These words made Si Ming a little embarrassed. As a disciple of the Dinghu Sect, he had never been to the sect's headquarters. His fellow disciples all recognized him, but he didn't recognize them. It was indeed a bit unreasonable.

In addition, he did not expect that his master Yan Jinghong was of a high seniority, which led to him being promoted one level and being called "Shishu" (junior uncle) by his peers, thus becoming an elder.

"Why hasn't my martial uncle returned to our sect? The sect leader keeps mentioning it; could it be that he finds our sect too shabby?"

"Uh... I didn't achieve anything before, and I was afraid of tarnishing my master's reputation, so I didn't dare to go back. Now I've barely made a name for myself, but I haven't been able to find a suitable auspicious day. I'm always delayed by various things, so I've missed it."

Si Ming had no desires or ambitions towards the sect, so he naturally didn't care. If we're talking about backers, his master was the biggest backer. Even the Dinghu Sect probably relied on his master's reputation. So what was the point of him going back? He couldn't possibly use Yan Jinghong's reputation to show off and slap his fellow disciples in the face, could he?

The times are not what they used to be. Various Cultivation Method are everywhere, and resources can be bought as long as you have money. Sects have lost their monopoly and are already in decline. Si Ming is so busy cultivating that he is almost a homebody. He has no time to travel far.

Considering that his master Yan Jinghong had never allowed him to return to the sect, and that the Dinghu Sect had never sent anyone to contact him, could it be that his master had a conflict with the sect?

Si Ming quickly conjured up hundreds of thousands of words of plots about power struggles and internal strife within sects, and reminded himself that even if he were to visit a sect in the future, he should first mention it to his master and obtain permission before setting off, so as not to find himself in a dilemma.

On the other side, Sima Liang's feelings were quite complicated. As a disciple of the Dinghu Sect, he naturally couldn't have been unaware of the sect's famous figure, Yan Jinghong. In fact, his initial motivation for joining the Dinghu Sect was to use this identity to establish a relationship with Yan Jinghong. He even harbored a sliver of hope that Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens might take notice of him and accept him as a disciple.

Unfortunately, after joining the sect, I learned that Yan Jinghong never returned to the sect. He was always traveling around and we could never meet. Fortunately, the Dinghu Sect had real talent and the inherited Cultivation Method were better than those taught in those key martial arts schools. Becoming a disciple was not a bad deal. With the living signboard of Jinghong Beyond the Heavens, the Dinghu Sect gradually showed signs of revival. The number of disciples increased from the original fifty to nearly a thousand. Moreover, they were by no means mediocre. They either had backgrounds or talents. Their network of connections alone was invaluable.

Sima Liang was praised as a martial arts genius by those around him from a young age, and thus quickly stood out from the disciples. He was chosen by the sect leader's eldest disciple to be his personal disciple, and in recent years he has been groomed to be the next sect leader. He himself has been striving towards this goal, but unexpectedly, Si Ming appeared out of nowhere.

The mere fact that he is Yan Jinghong's personal disciple is a huge political asset, enough to win the favor of most of the Dinghu Sect members. Not to mention that he himself is capable, not just a charlatan second-generation martial artist. He made a name for himself in the war between humans and demons in the Northern Continent, becoming famous throughout the world. Now, when people discuss who is the number one person below the Spirit Transformation, they will include Si Ming's name in the list of contenders.

Sima Liang couldn't help but worry, fearing that the other party would return to the Dinghu Sect and try to seize the position of the next sect leader, since he was inferior to him in terms of background and reputation.

However, when he nervously confided this to his master, the master comforted him, saying, "If this person were just a figurehead, he might have returned to compete with you for the position of sect leader. But now that it has been proven that he has real talent and ability, he poses no threat to you. You can relax, just as our sect leader is not Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens figure."

At the time, Sima Liang could not understand these words, and even felt that his master's words were contradictory. The higher the other party's ability, the greater the threat he should pose. It was not until he read a passage from "Zhuangzi: Autumn Floods" that he understood the reason.

The Zhuangzi, in the chapter "Autumn Floods," tells a story about a bird in the south called the Yuan-chu. The Yuan-chu flies from the South Sea to the North Sea, refusing to perch on anything but the parasol tree, eating only bamboo fruit, and drinking only sweet spring water. Once, during its flight, a kite found a rotten mouse. Seeing the Yuan-chu fly past, it quickly protected the mouse and let out a shrill cry to scare the Yuan-chu away, fearing the other bird would steal its food.

After reading this story, Sima Liang understood why his master said the other party wouldn't compete with him for the position of sect leader. How could a phoenix-like phoenix possibly be interested in a rotten rat?

Therefore, his feelings towards Si Ming were complicated. On the one hand, he was glad that the other party would not compete with him and that they could establish a relationship through their sects, becoming friends rather than enemies. On the other hand, he felt resentful that the goal he had strived for was not taken seriously by the other party and was regarded as a rotten rat. He also felt a little jealous, thinking that if he had been the disciple that Yan Jinghong had taken in, would he have been able to rise to prominence and become a phoenix?

"Gentlemen, may we begin?" the referee urged impatiently.

There was no way to avoid urging them on. Although it was generally accepted that both sides were allowed to chat before fighting, and this was euphemistically called the art of winning hearts and minds or the art of diplomacy before force, it was to stir up conflict between the two sides and make the upcoming fight more exciting. However, the two people in front of them were gazing at each other "affectionately," and it seemed that they were about to reunite and reminisce. If this continued, there was a risk that they would be suspected of rigging the match and throwing it. The referee had no choice but to urge the two people to start fighting as soon as possible.

Si Ming and Sima Liang composed themselves and had no objections, so they drew lots to choose the competition venue.

"A library? There's actually this kind of venue?"

Several burly staff members pushed a cargo cart onto the arena, unloading bookshelves one by one and decorating the huge arena like a library. However, to save costs, the bookshelves were spaced far apart, which made it easier for the contestants to perform, especially in the central cross position, where more space was available. Si Ming and Sima Liang stood in a straight line facing each other.