Call Me Daddy

Murong Qing standing next to him, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Lu Mao laughed and said, "I'm still young. The most important thing for me is to hone my skills. Doing business can easily delay my learning process. I don't plan to do it unless absolutely necessary."

Si Ming's mind raced, and he said, "If you don't have a place to stay, why don't you come stay at my place? I have plenty of empty rooms, and I don't charge any accommodation fees."

Lu Mao's eyes lit up. "Really? There's such a wonderful place in the world?"

Si Ming continued to entice him, adding, "Our place is quiet, spacious, with friendly neighbors, simple and honest people, and it even comes with a yard where you can move around freely."

"Then... can I go for a visit tonight?"

"Welcome!"

Now the orphanage will have another resident who isn't an orphan at all.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Call Me Father

"Starting today, the lottery system for each round will be discontinued, and a fixed advancement table will be used instead."

Before the draw even began, the host announced a change in the competition format.

However, most contestants don't care about this at all. All they have to do is get on stage and defeat their opponents. That hasn't changed. Everything else is secondary.

"Is it because the random draw system is unsuitable for running gambling games, and therefore they are being pressured by betting companies?"

Si Ming made a malicious guess, but he felt it was unlikely, since the competition was hosted by the Yuezheng Lineage, and such a large Lineage would not be short of money.

Murong Qing didn't realize it was a joke and said seriously, "It's mainly because of the number of people. There are a total of 121 people entering the elimination rounds, so there will be byes in the first, second, and third rounds. If a fixed advancement table is used from the beginning, there will be consecutive byes, which will affect fairness. It's not until the fourth round, when there are exactly 16 people, that there will be no byes."

Soon the host announced the start of the draw, and the thirty-one contestants took turns going up on stage to try their luck. Zhong Lingxiu and Ying Zhou were among them, and the two successfully passed the second round, facing relatively weak opponents.

Zhong Lingxiu encountered a fellow member of the Mohist Knight Guard, a logistics team member named Yun Yinmo. Yun Yinmo was skilled in Mohist School mechanical arts and was even more capable in actual combat than Zhong Lingxiu. However, the weapons provided by the organizers were limited, and they were not allowed to bring their own tools. As a result, she could not use even 40% of her skills. A skilled cook cannot make a meal without ingredients, and she was tragically eliminated.

Ying Zhou encountered Xiong Aixin, a successor of the Xiong Family Martial Arts School. Xiong Aixin had created his own "Courage and Loving Heart Fist" based on the family's Five-Style Bear Fist. Unfortunately, it turned out that creating one's own martial arts style was not something an ordinary person could handle. Without sufficient experience and skill, it would only be a superfluous addition. If he had used the Five Bear Fists style, he might have had a better chance of winning. The outcome was still uncertain, but he insisted on using his self-created "Courage and Loving Heart Fist," and the result was that he was brutally ravaged by the Five Demon Fists.

When she was defeated, Xiong Aixin cried loudly, pounding the ground and lamenting, "The Courageous Fairy has been humiliated by the Great Devil King!" Her cries saddened all who heard them and brought tears to their eyes.

The group moved quickly, and soon it was Si Ming's turn. Murong Qing was at the front of the line. She reached into the box, without performing any mystical rituals, and casually took out a colorful ball. She glanced at the number on it and showed a surprised expression.

Number Thirty-One.

Upon hearing the host announce the number, the people in line behind sighed with regret, because this number meant they would miss their turn, and it was their last chance to miss out. Some of them had even brought many items that were said to increase luck, but unfortunately, they had no use for them.

Next was Ying Zhou, who also just casually touched it.

Number 30.

As he read out the numbers, he subconsciously exchanged a glance with Murong Qing, because if he won this round, the two of them would have an internal battle in the next round.

"You two are just too unlucky. You should at least have made it to the quarterfinals together. And the draw should have been taken seriously. If you don't respect fate, fate won't respect you either."

Si Ming went to the lottery box, first did a side stretch, then turned his back to the box, did a backbend, reached into the box, picked up a small ball and put it down, repeated this eight times, and finally picked up the ball on the ninth time.

Nine consecutive draws can change your destiny!

The host watched expressionlessly as Si Ming completed the entire routine, then read out the number, "Number twenty-eight."

"Wait a minute, something's definitely wrong... I know, it's the angle of my arm! Let me try again, next time I'll definitely have a lucky draw!"

Filled with resentment, Si Ming was driven off the stage by the bodyguards who were responsible for his security.

Zhong Lingxiu was ranked lower, drew number six, which placed her in the upper half of the competition. It was virtually impossible for them to have an internal battle, because even she didn't think she could make it to the finals.

At this moment, Nan Kemeng, dressed in Baiyi, came to Si Ming's side and said, "It seems that your injuries have healed quite well, brother."

"You always have to act tough, otherwise you'll be underestimated," Si Ming said, trying to appear energetic. "No matter what my situation is, I still hope you can give it your all; that's the greatest respect you can show your opponent."

"... I see, I understand now. I won't let you down, brother."

Nan Kemeng was slightly taken aback, then smiled, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave with a flourish.

Murong Qing, asked with concern, "How is your injury recovering? Judging from your condition when you practiced shooting this evening, you don't seem to be in any serious danger."

Si Ming, "I've recovered 70% and can use some of my True Qi. Although I can't fight too intensely, I can handle ordinary duels without much trouble."

"Be careful, and don't be impulsive like last time. There will be plenty of martial arts competitions in the future; there's no need to gamble with your precious life."

Si Ming replied, "I understand."

Remembering is one thing, doing it is another. Having vaguely found his way forward, he no longer hesitated about what to do in the future.

Murong Qing seemed to sense Si Ming's thoughts, but she raised an eyebrow and ultimately said nothing.

"Match fourteen, both players are in position, ready—"

On the loose sand, Si Ming held a cork spear, intently staring at his opponent, slowly adjusting his breathing to its optimal state—after entering the third round, a large number of contestants were eliminated, so there was no need to extend the competition to two days; all matches would end on the day of the draw.

Nan Kemeng gave up her weapon in exchange for the right to choose the terrain. She also seemed to have adjusted Si Ming's intelligence, knowing that Si Ming was good at light footwork, so she chose the desert terrain that was not easy to use for leverage.

The soft sand is easy to sink in, which obviously poses a significant obstacle to movement unless one maintains a high speed. However, maintaining such a speed would consume a lot of physical strength and True Qi, making it an extremely unfavorable environment for Si Ming, whose body has not yet recovered.

This also proves that Nan Kemeng indeed had no intention of holding back and truly regarded Si Ming as an opponent she needed to go all out against.

Bang!

With the sound of a gong, the competition began.