Small Tournament

"Junior Disciple Brother, be careful. Yuntai Peak isn't easy to climb."

Yue Lingshan skipped along smugly ahead. Yuntai Peak was steep on all sides, but it posed no challenge to her.

Mount Hua had only one path up since ancient times, and it was indeed steep and difficult. But Ji Boying paid it no mind, merely smiling faintly as he followed closely behind.

After all, he had already experienced such hardship during his first few days after joining Mount Hua. It was precisely because the mountain paths were so difficult that Yue Buqun had made an exception and taught Ji Boying the introductory cultivation method ahead of time, increasing his strength.

He had been here for more than a month now, so such a path was naturally nothing to him.

At Yuntai Peak's summit lay a natural platform, upon which stood Yiyun Pavilion. Yue Buqun and his wife were waiting there.

"My father said that those who perform well in this tournament will be rewarded. Junior Disciple Brother, this is a great chance for you. You've only just come up the mountain, so you've been improving every day. There's no room for you to fall behind."

Laughing and chatting, Yue Lingshan and Ji Boying arrived at the summit, where the narrow trail suddenly opened onto the Yuntai platform.

Everyone from Mount Hua had already gathered there.

When they saw Yue Lingshan and Ji Boying arrive together, the female disciples exchanged meaningful looks, while the male disciples wore all manner of expressions.

Some saw nothing unusual, some were mildly surprised, and some were indignant—such as Lu Dayou.

Linghu Chong had not thought much of it at first. His Junior Disciple Brother was talented, cheerful, and humble; there was no reason to think ill of him. When Lu Dayou had come to complain, Linghu Chong had even scolded him.

Yet now, seeing Ji Boying and Yue Lingshan standing together in such perfect harmony, like a golden boy and jade maiden, he could not help but feel a little sour inside.

Ji Boying silently walked into the crowd, smiling as he nodded greetings to his senior brothers.

Laodeno, Liang Fa, Shi Daizi, and the others all smiled and nodded in return. Only Lu Dayou, though he greeted him as well, looked somewhat stiff.

Ji Boying walked over to Linghu Chong. "Senior Disciple Brother."

"Oh, Junior Disciple Brother, you're here. Get ready. It'll begin soon."

Linghu Chong hurriedly forced a smile, though it was somewhat unnatural. Seeing Ji Boying's open and candid smile, he felt ashamed in his heart.

Only then did Ji Boying settle into place. His Master and Mistress sat in Yiyun Pavilion. His Master was still dressed as a scholar, while his Mistress wore the attire of a wandering heroine. She was as bright and lovely as a hibiscus blossom, with the grace of a chrysanthemum touched by frost and the integrity of a green pine in the mountains.

The two of them admired the scenery from within the pavilion. The trees were lush, and the air was full of delicate beauty. Nearby, they could look down upon Yuntai Peak's mountainside; farther away, they could gaze out at the precipitous heights of the other main peaks.

Ji Boying looked around. Though this was called a small tournament, it was really a grand tournament. There were only a few dozen people in all of Mount Hua, barely more than thirty altogether. Since everyone was here, how was this not a grand tournament? Still, with so few people, calling it a grand tournament would be rather embarrassing.

Ji Boying thought that Old Yue truly had it rough, propping up such a desolate Mount Hua Sect for all these years. Never mind that the entire sect had only around thirty people—Songshan Sect alone had more than ten first-rate experts active in the martial world. Though any one of the Thirteen Taibao of Songshan might not be Old Yue's match in a one-on-one fight, if just three or four of them came together, Old Yue would be helpless without even needing Zuo Lengchan to intervene.

What was more, the honor guard Yang Lianting had displayed in Blackwood Cliff's main hall numbered more than a hundred, every one of them holding a halberd.

Mount Hua really was pitiful. Ji Boying sighed repeatedly to himself.

Then he saw Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze rise from their seats in the pavilion.

"Everyone is here." When Yue Buqun spoke, his voice echoed across Yuntai Peak, as though he were speaking directly into everyone's ears. It was entirely unaffected by the fierce wind at the summit, showing how deep his inner strength was.

"I went down the mountain some time ago and have not tested your martial arts for quite a while. I do not know whether you have been slacking off. Today, we shall enjoy the scenery here on Yuntai Peak while you fellow disciples test your skills against one another. Those who perform well will be rewarded, while those who perform poorly will be punished."

After Yue Buqun finished speaking, some disciples eagerly anticipated rewards, while others became deeply worried.

But the matter had already been decided and could not be changed. They could only compose themselves and prepare to step forward.

The group split into two sides, with the female disciples competing first. There were only five or six of them, however, so their matches ended quickly.

In truth, Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze taught all the male and female disciples together, since Mount Hua had only the two of them as masters. Still, the female disciples were nominally under Ning Zhongze, while the male disciples were under Yue Buqun.

But Yue Buqun went down the mountain more often, and every time he did, he would seek out disciples. Ning Zhongze took in fewer disciples, and these female disciples had all come to Mount Hua for various reasons. Their talent was nothing remarkable, so naturally none could compare to Yue Lingshan.

Yue Lingshan won with ease, her face unflushed and her breath steady. She smiled smugly at everyone. Standing gracefully in the center beside Ning Zhongze, the two of them formed a pair of beautiful sights. Unfortunately, Yue Lingshan was still young and retained a certain youthful immaturity.

Now it was the male disciples' turn to compete, but what was there really to compete over among them?

They simply followed the order in which they had joined the sect, with the first and second disciples fighting first. If someone wished to fight later, they could skip their turn and continue down the line.

"Junior Brother, make your move."

Linghu Chong drew his sword and stood ready, looking quite dashing as he waited for Laodeno to attack.

The little old man Laodeno put on a troubled expression, tugging at his grizzled hair with a bitter smile.

"Senior Disciple Brother, please show mercy."

With that, he drew his sword and thrust forward. His move was utterly proper and conventional. His Mount Hua Swordplay was not even as good as Ji Boying's, so how could it possibly trouble Linghu Chong?

Linghu Chong lightly deflected the strike and counterattacked in the same motion. Laodeno was not at all surprised that Linghu Chong had easily blocked the blow; he had grown accustomed to it over the years. Just as he was about to change moves and press the attack, he found that Linghu Chong was acting completely unlike usual.

In past years, Linghu Chong had always been gentlemanly enough to let his junior brothers attack to their hearts' content. Why was he so sharp and aggressive today?

With sword light already upon him, Laodeno had no time to think. He hurriedly dodged, his body flashing aside as he casually swung his sword. Yet instead of retreating, he advanced, striking at Linghu Chong's side with his palm. Linghu Chong spun around and slashed back, forcing Laodeno to withdraw his palm. Twisting his body, Laodeno used his sword in his right hand to block, then followed with two consecutive kicks—one at Linghu Chong's lower body and the other at his abdomen.

To outsiders, this would surely have seemed strange, but everyone at Mount Hua was accustomed to it. Ji Boying had also read the original work, so he naturally knew that Laodeno had joined the sect while already skilled in martial arts. He was not adept at Mount Hua Swordplay, and his training was broad and miscellaneous.

Thus, he merely used the sword as a weapon in his hand; a saber would have served just as well. He relied more heavily on his fists and legs in battle.

Sure enough, after another five or six exchanges, Laodeno seemed to behave in a manner fitting for someone his age. His reactions were too slow, and Linghu Chong knocked his sword flying. As usual, he admitted defeat.

"Senior Disciple Brother wins!"

Linghu Chong sheathed his sword and stood still, feeling somewhat regretful. For some reason, he had attacked too fiercely. Could it be that he really was jealous over his Junior Disciple Brother?

Unable to resist, he stole another glance at his Junior Disciple Brother. Shame rose in his heart, but then he turned to look at Yue Lingshan, and his mood immediately improved again.

Ji Boying stood at the very end of the line. No one had arranged an opponent for him. After all, he had only been on the mountain for a month. Once everyone else had finished, they would simply have Shu Qi, the youngest, exchange a few moves with him. After all, no matter how hard one trained, what could one accomplish in a single month...