Final Match Arrives

At precisely eleven o'clock, Xianuo and Junyi met Qilin at the Wisteria Restaurant, who arrived right on time.

"You must be Junyi?"

Qilin said emotionally, gesturing with his hand, "I saw you by the old chairman's side when you were very young. You definitely wouldn't remember me. You were just a tiny thing back then..."

"Let's get to the point."

Junyi's face was stern. He clearly remembered Xianuo's instructions. "I know my father helped you out a bit, but that small favor can't compare to the shifting tides of human hearts. There's no need for this."

"You child." Qilin shook his head helplessly and sighed.

"Then let's be direct. I couldn't rest easy, so I came specifically to inform you. This Kendo Tournament, although you've been approved to compete under the Sakuraba name, the championship is impossible for you to win. Doing so could bring about fatal danger, so it's best to give up early."

"Someone wants to deal with us? Is it the people who ostracized and suppressed us, the ones who ruined the Sakuraba Dojo?"

"I can't say for sure."

Qilin frowned deeply. "Honestly, I still haven't figured out why the other dojos suddenly joined forces to go after Sakuraba back then."

"There were several dojo masters who were good friends with the old chairman... your father, and they were certainly not the type to kick someone when they're down."

"Starting about four or five years ago, the atmosphere on this island became increasingly strange. Everyone seemed to have suddenly forgotten the original intention of this island of kendo, focusing solely on making money."

"Especially the masters of the Seven Great Dojos, they were like they'd all gone completely mad for money. They would even disappear together for a day or two occasionally, having secret meetings somewhere..."

"In short, the waters behind this island are very deep."

Qilin said sincerely, "I know you two, especially Mr. Xianuo, have very strong swordsmanship. But this isn't something one or two people can handle. So, put away your curiosity and it's best to leave this island as soon as possible."

Xianuo and Junyi exchanged a look.

"I've said all I can. Coming to see you was already a great risk for me. I've done all I can, don't expect me to help you further."

Qilin shook his head and pushed his chair back, standing up. "As you said, that old favor was only enough to support me doing this much. Gentlemen, goodbye then."

They watched his retreating figure descend the stairs, his footsteps gradually fading away. Only then did the two switch seats, sitting opposite each other.

"From a rational standpoint, this muddy water is indeed not something we should get involved in."

Xianuo crossed his legs and said leisurely, "But I know, with your personality, you definitely won't give up on this championship that's within your grasp."

"Uh, Mr. Xianuo, you don't have to always use me as a shield."

Junyi spread his hands with a pained expression. "At this point, even if I wanted to back out, you probably wouldn't allow it..."

After a few days together, he had become increasingly familiar with Xianuo.

When they first met, this guy seemed calm and experienced, very reliable. But his true nature was also quite unrestrained, and when he got angry, he could be even more stubborn than Junyi himself.

"Heh, you brat, you learn fast."

Xianuo rolled his eyes furiously and said exasperatedly, "Yeah, right. I'm not like you, struggling even to reach the finals. The championship trophy already has my name engraved on it, you know? And the prize money is five million Belly."

"Besides, the registration fees and all that other nonsense ate up my entire fortune. Who cares if the water is deep or not? This is East Blue, it's got this much capacity. Anyone who dares to block me from getting my money, I'll kill them!"

"Mhm, mhm!" Junyi nodded vigorously. "So, what are we doing now?"

"Idiot, we're already at the restaurant, what else is there to ask!" Xianuo said heroically, waving his hand to call the waiter to order. "We're eating first, of course! If we don't fill our stomachs, how can we have the strength to fight?"

"But this seems like a high-class restaurant. I just looked at the menu, and even a vegetable salad costs five thousand Belly. Your money..."

A dead silence followed.

In the end, Xianuo grabbed Junyi and, under the waiter's scornful gaze, they fled in a sorry state, returning to the plaza to honestly queue up for the free ramen provided by the Kendo Tournament.

Speaking of which.

It was originally just supposed to be repaying a small favor, but how did things get so complicated? Now they've even degenerated to the point of scavenging like homeless people.

What was I even going out for this time?

In the afternoon, the quarter-finals and semi-finals were held successively.

For Xianuo, there was no suspense.

His two opponents were no different from the fodder in the preliminaries, both sent flying out of the arena with a single powerful sword strike.

It almost made the audience suspect that he wasn't competing in swordsmanship, but playing golf.

Junyi's matches were much more perilous. He fought a tough battle for over ten minutes in the quarter-finals before finally winning, and his semi-final was scheduled for the last match. Xianuo finished his match first and watched from the sidelines.

"Hmm?"

Looking at the tall, thin swordsman wearing a mask, Xianuo's eyes narrowed, and a sense of danger arose in his heart.

His sharp intuition, a result of his physical transformation, told him that this person was very dangerous, on a completely different level from all the swordsmen he had encountered before.

"Be careful, Junyi." He quietly instructed the younger man who was preparing to enter the arena. "This guy... he's not simple."

"Ah, I can tell too." Junyi nodded with a grave expression.

"You can tell my ass. It's just that the other seven people in the top eight, you'll have a hard time fighting any of them."

"...Do you have to expose it? Not everyone is as strong as you, beating anyone is like spinning a top."

A moment later.

The two took the stage and stood facing each other, bowing to each other.

When they looked up again, Junyi's eyes were full of tension, while the tall, thin swordsman opposite him quietly stared at him, his face hidden by a White Fox mask, making his expression unreadable.

"Second match of the semifinals! White Fox versus Junyi, the final winner advances to the finals!" the announcer shouted, then with a mighty swing of his right hand, he declared, "Now, begin!"

Crack!

The instant the words fell, accompanied by the crisp sound of bamboo swords, Junyi screamed and flew off the stage, crashing heavily onto the ground several meters away.

Silence descended upon the surroundings.

The audience stared blankly at White Fox, who calmly sheathed his sword. Once they processed what had happened, a clamor erupted.

"This guy, he actually managed to instantly kill his opponent like Mr. Xianuo!"

"What's going on with this year's Kendo Tournament? What kind of monsters are competing!"

"The finals are going to be suspenseful now! I originally thought Mr. Xianuo would definitely win, but this makes things exciting!"

Amidst the noisy uproar, Xianuo helped Junyi up. After confirming the latter was alright, he coldly glared at White Fox on the stage.

The opponent seemed to sense his gaze as well, his eyes swept over, and after meeting Xianuo's eyes, he shook his head and turned to leave the stage.

The announcer also stood frozen in place, only snapping back to reality after a long moment. He hurriedly took the stage and loudly announced the match results.

"Second match of the semifinals, White Fox wins! He advances to the finals to face his opponent, this year's biggest dark horse, Xianuo!"

"Following the tradition of the past five years, this year's finals will be held tonight at 7 PM, four hours from now, in the indoor dojo, giving the contestants ample rest time!"

"--Spectators with tickets can enter early with their tickets! There will also be a live broadcast on a big screen in the plaza, so please look forward to it!"

Do we really need rest?

The audience muttered to themselves. Both Xianuo and the masked man, White Fox, had instantly defeated their opponents. They had barely stepped onto the stage before stepping off again; it couldn't even be considered a warm-up, right?

This year was truly bizarre. In previous years, by the time the quarterfinals arrived, the matches were basically evenly matched. How could there be a scene like this?

However.

This also made some people realize that the hype for this year's finals would likely far exceed previous years. With monsters on both sides, who wouldn't want to know who would emerge victorious?

I need to buy tickets!

It would be a shame not to witness such a match live!

Many people immediately took action, heading to the ticket booths, only to be stunned to learn that the finals tickets, with a minimum original price of several thousand Belly, had been sold out days ago. There were no more tickets available.

Just then.

A group of scalpers sneaked into the crowd, looking for targets everywhere to hawk their wares...

Behind the large office desk.

"All the tickets are sold out? Front-row seats are being resold for fifty thousand Belly and people are buying them?"

After listening to the report from the microphone, the middle-aged man's spirits soared even higher. "With this, the ticket revenue alone will be tens of millions. If we add in the income from the entire Kendo Tournament, this year's net profit will exceed two hundred million!"

"As expected of you, White Fox!"

Hanging up the phone, the middle-aged man lit a cigar and chuckled, "Only a swordsman like you, who has been immersed in kendo for over twenty years, could send that Sakuraba Family kid flying with a single strike. I really didn't misjudge you. If it weren't for you, how could the hype for this year's finals be so high!"

"Want one?"

He offered another cigar, "The finals are best of five. Try to make it go the full five matches, and defeat that kid at the very last moment. Can you do it? Only then can we attract more tourists next year and continue to drive up the finals ticket prices!"

White Fox stood silently, not responding, nor showing any intention of taking the cigar.

"Don't appreciate my generosity." The middle-aged man felt a bit embarrassed and snorted, putting the cigar back. "Get out! Go prepare for your finals. I'm going to watch the live broadcast here with some beautiful ladies later. Having you standing here like a wooden post would only spoil the mood!"

White Fox turned and left without a word.

As he walked through the corridor.

He happened to see Xianuo and Junyi in the distant plaza, queuing up to receive the free dinner rice bento boxes. The two were playfully bantering and laughing, clearly having formed a strong bond.

Why did you have to come back...

White Fox stared at the scene, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes, which quickly turned to coldness.

He had already given him a chance back then.

He cast one last look in the direction of the middle-aged man's office, no longer lingering, and strode away.

The money has been earned, the act has been tiring, I don't want to stay on this island any longer. It's about time... to end it.