Sisterly Affection (continued)

Why is this happening? I've always worked so hard since I was little, and she's caught up with me all of a sudden. What was the point of all my hard work? If it were a stranger, I could understand that people have different talents, and I don't expect to be on par with those legendary prodigies. But we're twins, why is there such a huge difference in our abilities?

Yuezheng Qiong clenched her fists and fell silent, as if regretting what she had said.

In this atmosphere, Si Ming found it difficult to speak. He seemed to see the shadow of Murong Qing and Hongdou in the other person.

So, how did I comfort Murong Qing back then?

I vaguely remember we had a fight. Is it going to be another fight with Yuezheng Qiong Mieque (Hokuto Compassionate Heart Demon Annihilation Palm)?

However, Murong Qing and Hongdou are strangers. Before the conflict broke out, they didn't even know each other. Yuezheng Qiong and Yuezheng Yao are sisters who grew up together. The former will probably live in the shadow of the latter forever. From this perspective, it is similar to the situation of Si Huaruo and Si Jingyu.

So, how did Si Huaruo and Si Jingyu resolve their misunderstandings?

It seems the two of them got into a fight...

Why does it feel like everyone's going to fight? Is it because martial arts exist in this world that everyone prefers to solve problems with violence? Can't we sit down and talk things out, using love and justice to resolve hatred?

Si Ming tried to put his words into action, racking his brains to organize his thoughts. "Although this may sound arrogant, I think people have hobbies because they enjoy doing them, not to compete with others. Even if others are talented, that's their business. We just need to do our best. Comparing ourselves to others is not our original intention in doing this."

Actions driven solely by the pursuit of pleasure are merely animal instincts. In the process of continuously engaging in something, unpleasant experiences are inevitable, sometimes even outweighing the joys. However, the ability to persevere through such situations demonstrates genuine enjoyment of the activity—at least, I can sense that from your words.

As if sensing Si Ming's thoughts, Yuezheng Qiong burst into laughter, reached out and ruffled his hair, and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but I haven't fallen so low that I need a junior to comfort me. If I still couldn't see things clearly by now, even if I didn't commit suicide, I would have become that kind of self-pitying, useless person. How could I be singing happily on the street?"

Si Ming pushed the other person's hand away, protecting his hairstyle, and asked, "How did you come to this conclusion?"

"It's simple. I have a wonderful younger sister who sensed how I felt, so she deliberately avoids me. She doesn't learn anything I like to do, and she doesn't like anything I like, so there's no competition between us."

This works too!

Si Ming thought of the two sisters in the Si Clan. They had been competing with each other since childhood, neither willing to give in. One refused to admit defeat and fought on despite repeated losses, while the other refused to back down and publicly suppressed the other. Even now that they had resolved their differences, they showed no intention of making peace, seemingly determined to fight to the end. Si Ming really wanted them to learn from these two sisters and see how loving and affectionate they were. Where had they learned the spirit of Kong Rong?

Well, it seems there's no such person Kong Rong in this world, but the principles are still the same. Si Ming felt that his opinion of Yuezheng Yao had changed. He thought she was just an extremely narcissistic person, but he didn't expect her to restrain herself for the sake of others. Because of this, Si Ming decided to put aside his suspicions about her identity for now, at least not to take any action until he had solid evidence.

Seeing Si Ming's expression, Yuezheng Qiong laughed and said, "This is how a mature adult acts. A Blood Qi young man like you wouldn't understand."

Just as Si Ming was about to retort, a sentence suddenly flashed through his mind.

--I have no right to speak, because it's my fault that she can't sing.

These were the words Yuezheng Yao had said when she inquired about information from him. At the time, he was confused and didn't quite understand. To avoid revealing too much to someone he didn't know well, he didn't ask further. Now, combined with the information revealed by Yuezheng Qiong, the truth suddenly became clear.

"Isn't Teacher Yao the only one who chooses to make concessions for the sake of the other person? Sister Qiong, didn't you also choose not to sing for your sister's sake?"

Yuezheng Qiong was taken aback, and somewhat flusteredly picked up the teapot, saying, "The water temperature is about right. It tastes just right now. Once the tea cools down, the flavor will be greatly diminished." Her intention to cover up the truth and divert attention was crystal clear.

When she saw Si Ming looking at her with a "caring" gaze, she knew she couldn't get away with it, so she resigned herself to her fate and said, "Yeah, I deliberately hid my interest in singing for her sake, so what? She's the younger sister, and I'm the older sister. What's wrong with giving in to her a little? I know my own limitations very well. Although I have talent, I definitely won't become a top-tier singer. Looking at the results, wasn't my initial choice worthwhile?"

"I didn't say you did anything wrong, Sister Qiong. On the contrary, I admire you a lot. Sister Qiong's image in my heart has suddenly become much taller. You are a role model worthy of my learning, and I will definitely take you as my example in the future..."

"Enough, enough, stop trying to sweet-talk me," Yuezheng Qiong said, her cheeks slightly flushed. Unable to resist the praise, she quickly changed the subject. "I heard that you've started some kind of Second Martial Arts Club at school, wanting to form a second team to participate in the National Youth Martial Dao League. You'll have to work hard then. You don't need to come to the street performances every day anymore, just once every three days is fine. Anyway, we're already on the right track, we've passed the unknown stage. Next, we need to accumulate experience over a long period of time and wait for our reputation to grow. There's no need to rush."

"Uh, actually, Sister Qiong, you don't need to worry too much. I won't put too much effort into the Martial Dao League. I just need to rest on the day of the competition. I'm not bragging, but I'm afraid you won't find anyone stronger than me among my peers."

Yuezheng Qiong rolled his eyes and said, "Arrogance leads to defeat. You can't have this kind of mentality. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and take every opponent seriously. There are many masters in the world. Don't always be so narrow-minded. Even if you are the strongest among your peers, the Martial Dao League is about teamwork, not individual skill. It's a best-of-five series. No matter how good you are, you can only guarantee one victory. What about the other two?"

"My teammates are also very strong, with at least three strong players. Theoretically, as long as we win the three singles matches, we can win even if we give up the doubles match."

"You're underestimating everyone! Do you think the referee is your personal favorite, that he can just decide who wins? You'd better pay more attention to this. After all, I publicly declare you my little brother, under my protection. If you get eliminated, I'll lose face too. By the way, let me tell you some inside information: if our street performance goes well and we're selected to participate in the show, we'll sing live at the awards ceremony of the final competition. If you're eliminated then, it'll be very awkward for you to go back on stage. Conversely, if you win in the end, becoming both the champion and the performer, that would be very interesting, and I believe it will surprise many people."

"... Hearing you say that really gives me the motivation,"

The opportunity to show off in front of the entire city was somewhat tempting for Si Ming; although the quality wasn't high, the quantity was plentiful.

After thinking about it, he decided to change his attitude towards the competition. He didn't have to be fully committed, but at least he couldn't be as careless and uninterested as he was now. He might not encounter any opponents in the Martial Dao League, but he couldn't guarantee that his teammates would win.

Murong Qing indeed very strong, but she hasn't reached the level of dominating the competition, especially when facing "older opponents," her strength among her peers is largely negated by her age.

Hongdou's cultivation level is indeed unmatched, but her combat awareness is too poor, and she has no sense of self-preservation. If she encounters an opponent who likes to play tricks and schemes, she may very well be defeated unexpectedly. In particular, she has that bad habit of forgetting everything else and immersing herself in painting as soon as inspiration strikes, which makes her really unreliable.

In conclusion, given the team's current situation, an absolute victory cannot be guaranteed, and there are still many uncertainties – which makes it interesting.

Si Ming thought for a moment and decided that he should focus on teaching Nie Wanzhi, because she was the only one in the team whose skills could improve rapidly in a short period of time.

"Okay, then I'll listen to you, Sister Qiong. Please bear with me during the street performance."

"Look at what you're saying, do I look like a petty person? Keep trying, if your team can win first place in the Linked Mountains City division, I'll give you a reward."

"Then I'll give it my all, full of anticipation."

Two months later, the Linked Mountains City Martial Arts Hall was packed with people, a sea of black as far as the eye could see. This was because today was the first day of the Linked Mountains City Qualifying Tournament of the National Youth Martial Dao League, and the organizers had even invited a song and dance troupe to perform at the opening ceremony.

Trumpets blared, suonas soared, and gongs and cymbals resounded in unison. The dance troupe included men, women, and children of all ages. What they all had in common was that they were all skilled dancers. Their arms, strong as steel, powerfully pounded the drums, while their nimble and delicate hands waved colorful ribbons, presenting a dance that combined strength and grace. Even a novice could feel the bold, optimistic, and positive spirit contained within the dance. The audience was invigorated and full of energy, wishing they could immediately join in the battle.

"There are so many people!" Nie Wanzhi exclaimed, looking at the vast sea of people.

Ke Chajing said, "There were only a few more people on the first day. After that, the number of people dropped by half every day. Very few people were willing to pay attention to the qualifying rounds. Don't be fooled by the large number of people at the venue; they were all friends and family members of the participating teams."

Only eight members of the Second Martial Arts Club were present today. Hongdou and Yu Shuying were not there. The former disliked large crowds, and the latter was too busy. Considering that the qualifying rounds were not difficult, Ke Chajing did not insist.

Ultimately, martial arts competitions are different from other competitive sports. In football, if a player gets injured on the field, a substitute is brought in. But the purpose of a martial arts match is to injure the opponent, so it's impossible for a martial arts match to end halfway through with a substitute. If you can't manage your physical health, that's your own fault, and you can't blame anyone else. Once you step into the ring, there's a winner and a loser; once you step out, you have to admit defeat.

The purpose of substitutes is to provide a substitute when a starter is injured and not fully recovered before the next match, so that the substitute can take the field. In addition, sometimes for tactical reasons, a player whose style happens to counter the opponent will be brought on. Once the ten-man roster is submitted, it cannot be changed. It must be planned for the entire stage of the competition, and it is not allowed to replace other players with substitutes midway through the competition.

Therefore, when no one is injured, it doesn't matter much whether the substitutes come or not, since they'll all be sitting on the bench as spectators anyway.

Si Ming, "Regardless of the number of people or who the opponent is, what we need to do is the same."