Questions of the Heart

Huang Tu was exposed to a bright light, which immediately blurred his vision, stimulated his nervous system, and even affected his movements. His True Qi became disordered and somewhat out of control, and his steps became chaotic, causing him to deviate from his intended route.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Si Ming used the Dunjia Heavenly Movement to dodge to the side, but he soon discovered that the feeling of being locked on had not disappeared, and his opponent also quickly adjusted his direction and charged at him again.

"We're truly out of options now."

Having exhausted all methods, Si Ming could only cross his arms to protect his vitals, bracing himself for a fierce attack.

But at that moment, Huang Tu suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, and his previously slightly disordered True Qi completely went out of control!

He had already forcibly exceeded his limits by using forbidden techniques to unleash his ultimate move. Even if he were in perfect condition, he couldn't guarantee success. Now, he was risking his life by attempting it while injured. Fortunately, he broke through at the last minute and performed exceptionally well, which allowed him to successfully execute the move. However, the situation was no less than carrying a time bomb. His True Qi was not flowing steadily and he was only able to suppress it forcibly.

When stimulated by the intense light of the Solar Flare, these suppressed hidden dangers were triggered. Huang Tu could no longer control himself and suffered a backlash from the ultimate move, causing him to lose consciousness instantly.

The originally concentrated fist energy, once out of control, dissipated and scattered in all directions, unleashing a series of explosive sounds in the air. The referee and the middle-aged man who had leaped into the arena were stopped by the fist energy, their movements momentarily halted.

Although Si Ming was lucky enough to dodge the concentrated attack of the ultimate move, he was still hit by the dissipated fist force and was immediately struck as if he had been hit by a heavy blow. It felt like being run over by an enraged bull, and his body flew out like a kite with a broken string.

Just as he was about to fall out of the venue, he crashed into a stone pillar, whether by luck or misfortune. His chest and back were both hit, and Si Ming could no longer hold on. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and then everything went black as he fell into a coma.

The middle-aged man quickly helped Huang Tu up, placed his hand against his vest, and used his powerful internal True Qi to suppress the chaotic internal True Qi surging within Huang Tu's body. He then regulated the energy to alleviate the injuries caused by the backlash from the ultimate move.

Upon seeing this, the referee rushed to check on Si Ming's condition and found that although his injuries were not minor, they were all external wounds and not life-threatening. He quickly channeled his True Qi to regulate his breathing and checked for any internal bleeding.

"Hey, those two are really pushing their luck! They almost killed someone. Young people are just too impulsive; they don't know their limits when they act."

"That was a fantastic match, far beyond the level of teenagers, definitely worth the ticket price! But with this unexpected incident, will the match still be able to continue?"

"It should be fine. Everyone gets injured in martial arts competitions. As long as no one dies, it will definitely continue. My only worry is that some parents might be concerned about their children getting hurt and prevent them from participating."

"I'd rather know who wins. I bet on the young Military School; surely it won't end in a lose-lose situation with no winner?"

Murong Qing rushed into the venue in a panic, went to the referee's side, and asked with great concern, "How is your injury?"

The referee exhaled, removed his hand, and said, "There's no danger to his life, but you should still call an ambulance as soon as possible. Early treatment is always safer."

"No need to take him to the hospital, leave him to me."

Pan De appeared on the side at some point, showed the referee his identification card representing the Mohist Knight Guard, then picked up Si Ming and quickly left the scene.

In terms of medical skills, even the best doctor in the city hospital might not be more skilled than Jiang Zhengtai at the base. Besides, going to the hospital means waiting, and you might not even get to see the best doctor.

The referee shook his head, letting out a sigh of relief. He never expected such a situation to occur in a youth-level competition. If an accident had happened and someone had died, he, as the referee, would inevitably have to bear some responsibility.

"What a pity. Either of them has the ability to win the championship, but they just had to meet in the first round. Their luck is really terrible."

After relaxing, the referee suddenly remembered something: the boy named Si Ming hadn't fallen out of bounds and had fallen unconscious later than his opponent. Although the injuries he sustained in this match might prevent him from participating in the next match, and who won or lost was no longer important, as the referee, it was his responsibility to deliver the verdict.

So he announced, "The victor Si Ming!"

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Questions about One's True Self

"It's that familiar white ceiling again..."

Si Ming awoke from his coma and lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly upwards.

Although his expression was calm, he was actually in excruciating pain all over his body, making him feel that it would have been better if he had never woken up. In addition, his whole body was wrapped in bandages, making it difficult for him to move. Although he was not quite a mummy, he was not far off, especially his chest area, which was wrapped in several layers of thick bandages, making him look like he was wrapped in a breast wrap.

Recalling yesterday's arena match, I still feel lingering fear. We had no grudge against each other, but both of us risked our lives and walked a tightrope between life and death. The danger was no less than when I faced the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad.

However, Si Ming didn't find anything wrong with fighting to the death with the Mighty Rhinoceros Toad; it was something he could easily understand based on his own values. But fighting to the death with someone he had never met before over a mere competition was something he simply couldn't accept.

Of course, he was passively gambling with his life, so he should be considered a victim. The one who really made the situation uncontrollable was his opponent. The first half of the match was relatively normal. Although it was too intense, it was still within a controllable range until Huang Tu used his charged-up move, which finally led to a situation that could kill someone.

Admittedly, given the circumstances, Huang Tu had no chance of turning the tide if he hadn't gone all out with this tactic. But was it really necessary to go to such lengths for the sake of winning a match that involved neither emotions nor interests?

Si Ming didn't understand. It wasn't like they were his father's killers. Even if he won this match, there would still be a series of matches to come, and he might not be able to get the final prize money.

What I don't understand is that at that moment I didn't even think about giving up the game.

Whether you try to interrupt your opponent's build-up of energy or try to create distance between you, neither method guarantees safety. The only foolproof method is to admit defeat and surrender on the spot.

As soon as Si Ming speaks, the referee will immediately intervene to stop the match, so he won't have to risk gambling.

Was I letting the atmosphere of the competition cloud my judgment? Or was it that deep down I didn't want to give up like this...?

Si Ming lay on the bed, lost in thought, oblivious to the passage of time.

After an unknown amount of time, the door to the ward opened, and a person walked in.

"You did wake up, around the time I predicted."

Wearing a white coat, Jiang Zhengtai approached the hospital bed with a charming smile and clapped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, your penile removal surgery has been successfully completed."

"Holy shit!"

Si Ming's expression changed drastically, and he couldn't help but curse. He was no longer the half-dead man he had been before; his agitated state resembled that of a fish that had been thrown onto the shore and was jumping around incessantly.

His right hand was immobile, but his left hand was fine. So he reached down with his right hand and used a trick to check if his Monkey was still there. After a moment of surprise, he realized that he had been tricked.

Jiang Zhengtai chuckled and said, "Sorry, I was just joking out of habit, I didn't expect you to take it seriously."

"... If it were anyone else, I certainly wouldn't believe it, but your words are really suspicious. I feel like it's not impossible for you to do such a thing."

Si Ming blushed slightly, realizing that he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't given the words a second thought.

Jiang Zhengtai said aggrievedly, "You're wronging me. Eunuchs are neither men nor women. Whether heterosexual or homosexual, no one has any interest in eunuchs. Many people would rather like a girl with a penis than a boy without one."