Who Made Me Weaker Than You to Begin With?

"Ah..."

At that moment, quite a few people below the stage cried out in alarm.

Because on the stage, faced with Kurusu Kunoichi's sharp katana coming down upon him, Fang Li neither dodged nor evaded. He simply raised his empty hand and held it over his head.

"—?!"

Kurusu Kunoichi was immediately startled. Without the slightest hesitation, he hurriedly pulled back his strength.

The next second, the sharp katana swept across Fang Li's arm raised over his head, slicing through the skin on his arm with a faint tearing sound.

Blood flashed into view, making Kibito Aragane widen his eyes below the stage, while the samurai were equally dumbfounded.

A stabbing pain shot through Fang Li's nerves.

But at that moment, Fang Li suddenly took another step forward and forced his way into Kurusu Kunoichi's guard.

"You...?!" A trace of shock inevitably appeared on Kurusu Kunoichi's stern, serious face.

Yet just as that flicker of shock appeared on Kurusu Kunoichi's face, an exceptionally cold sensation touched his neck.

Kurusu Kunoichi instantly understood what that cold sensation was.

It was the feeling of a dagger pressed against his neck.

Having forced his way into Kurusu Kunoichi's guard, Fang Li pressed his dagger against his neck. Looking at the somewhat stunned Kurusu Kunoichi, he gradually smiled.

"Does that mean I win?"

Silence.

Deathly silence.

Everyone stared at Fang Li on the stage, his dagger pressed to Kurusu Kunoichi's throat, completely stunned for a moment.

"That... that kid..." Kibito Aragane could not hide his surprise either.

It could not be helped.

No one had expected the battle to turn out like this.

The Wanderer, whom everyone had thought would be effortlessly crushed, had instead subdued Kurusu Kunoichi.

How could that not be surprising?

Kurusu Kunoichi was still the first to recover.

Looking at Fang Li's smile so close at hand, then at Fang Li's arm that was still bleeding, Kurusu Kunoichi regained his composure. After a long silence, he said something.

"If I had been a Kabane, you would have lost that hand just now."

At that, Fang Li blinked. His smile did not fade as he gave only one reply.

"If you had been a Kabane, your head would have fallen off just now."

On one side was losing an arm.

On the other was losing one's head.

Which one was true defeat and death? Did that even need consideration?

"You..." Kurusu Kunoichi could not help saying, "You were willing to go that far?"

"Couldn't be helped. Who made me weaker than you to begin with? If I wanted to defeat the strong while weak without paying any price, that would be unrealistic, wouldn't it?" Fang Li said frankly. "Besides, didn't I say you would hold back?"

This was only a spar, not a fight to the death.

Therefore, he could not use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which could have given Fang Li an opportunity to win.

But the same logic applied to his opponent.

This was not a fight to the death, only a spar. How could Kurusu Kunoichi knowingly continue when he knew he would cut off his opponent's hand?

This was the only method Fang Li could think of that would guarantee victory.

A very dangerous method, but not an absurd one.

Thus, Kurusu Kunoichi was left speechless.

Seeing that, Fang Li urged, "Well? I won, right?"

"...I am not so dishonorable that I would refuse to acknowledge my defeat." Kurusu Kunoichi said so, but the look in his eyes clearly showed his unwillingness to concede.

After all, in terms of strength, Kurusu Kunoichi still surpassed Fang Li.

But battle was not something where the stronger person was guaranteed to win. It merely meant they had a greater chance of winning.

If this had truly been a fight to the death, Fang Li, who possessed the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and had instinctively become familiar with killing methods during his earlier battle against the Kabane, would certainly have been able to display an even greater advantage.

Still, Fang Li had indeed won this match.

Completed Rank B Side Mission. Obtained 3000 Exchange Points.

Only when that system notification sounded in Fang Li's mind did he finally let out a breath and remove the dagger from Kurusu Kunoichi's neck.

Only then did Kurusu Kunoichi feel the cold sensation before his neck vanish. The way he looked at Fang Li was no longer as stern and serious as before, but filled with fighting spirit.

Then, Kurusu Kunoichi said, "Let's fight again."

Clearly, Kurusu Kunoichi intended to avenge this defeat.

And this time, he definitely intended to get serious and would no longer hold back.

At that, Fang Li froze for a moment, then somewhat helplessly raised his still-bleeding hand. "Now?"

"..." Kurusu Kunoichi suddenly did not know what to say.

Insisting on a challenge while the other person was injured was not conduct befitting a samurai.

Of course, Kurusu Kunoichi did not know that Fang Li still had a bottle of Wound Recovery Potion in his Leg Pouch, capable of healing minor injuries.

Fang Li had used that bottle of potion to recover from his wounds after returning from the forest, where he had drawn blood to lure the Kabane.

If this kind of potion was taken orally and drunk in one go, it would provide a sustained recovery effect. If only part of it was poured over a wound, minor injuries could likewise be healed.

If not for that, Fang Li would not have recklessly kept creating wounds on his own body.

Unaware of this, Kurusu Kunoichi could only give up on continuing the challenge. Looking at Fang Li, he asked, "What is your name?"

"Fang Li, a Wanderer." As he answered, Fang Li subconsciously extended his hand toward Kurusu Kunoichi.

Kurusu Kunoichi looked at Fang Li's hand, then at Fang Li's expression as though it were only natural, and said with a sigh, "Your courage truly is great."

After saying that, Kurusu Kunoichi extended his hand and shook Fang Li's.

"Clap clap clap clap!"

Applause rang out from below the stage.

It was Kibito Aragane, smiling broadly, who had started clapping.

Led by Kibito Aragane, some ordinary civilians in the crowd began clapping as well, and cheers even broke out.

The samurai looked at one another. In the end, they could only clap with unwilling expressions.

Resounding applause echoed above the entire stage.

It had to be said that only at this moment did the tension hanging in the air finally ease.

Not the tension born from the samurai targeting Fang Li, but the unavoidable tension of living in an era where tomorrow could not be guaranteed.

The SC Fang Family had organized the Martial Contest precisely to vent that tension.

And today, this Martial Contest had clearly achieved its intended effect.

It had even far exceeded expectations.

In that atmosphere, Kurusu Kunoichi gave Fang Li one sentence.

"Once your injury has healed, we will compete again."

Fang Li was speechless.

It seemed he had gotten himself tangled up with someone formidable.

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