The second round of the competition ended, leaving only three candidates: Li Hu, Jia Hongyi, and Lu Feng.
To determine the final winner, Strategist Wang Jun had the three of them draw lots again.
This time, Li Hu and Jia Hongyi both drew lot number one, while Lu Feng drew lot number two.
That meant Lu Feng got a bye and went straight to the final.
Looking at the number two lot in his hand, Lu Feng merely smiled.
"Heh, looks like my luck isn't bad."
He didn't mind either way. To become the new constable, he had to take first place in the competition, whether he got a bye or not.
But Li Hu and Jia Hongyi were in a different position. Since Lu Feng's Martial Realm had already been revealed, the pressure on them was considerable.
Still, neither of them would give up easily when the new constable's position was at stake.
Soon, Li Hu and Jia Hongyi began their match. They were at the same level, both at the peak of the Seventh-Rank Martial Artist realm.
They traded blows for over a hundred exchanges in the Martial Arts Arena without a clear winner.
But Lu Feng, watching from below, could see that Jia Hongyi was already running out of stamina.
If the fight continued, Li Hu would surely win.
And just as expected, at the hundred-and-twentieth exchange, Jia Hongyi left an opening. Li Hu struck him with a punch, putting him at a decisive disadvantage.
In fewer than ten more exchanges, Jia Hongyi was knocked out of the Martial Arts Arena, spitting blood as he suffered a clear defeat.
Lu Feng looked at Li Hu on the platform and gave an approving nod.
The man had a solid foundation in martial arts, and he also had plenty of real combat experience.
If Lu Feng hadn't advanced to the Eighth-Rank Martial Artist realm, taking him down would have taken some effort.
At that moment, Li Hu on the platform also turned his gaze toward Lu Feng. A glint of coldness showed in his eyes, as if he had a grudge against him.
Lu Feng was puzzled. He and Li Hu knew each other, but they had never had much to do with one another. There had to be a reason Li Hu was looking at him like that.
Afterward, Li Hu went below the platform to rest for a while. Once he had recovered his strength, Strategist Wang Jun announced the start of the final match.
Lu Feng and Li Hu both stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena. Once they were in position, they clasped their fists and saluted one another.
As soon as the salutations were over, Li Hu launched an attack without a word.
Lu Feng remained where he was, responding to each move with ease.
They quickly exchanged more than twenty blows. Seeing that ordinary punches and kicks wouldn't bring Lu Feng down, Li Hu changed his fist into a claw and suddenly lunged for Lu Feng's throat.
That claw strike was clearly a Martial Skill. As far as Lu Feng knew, Li Hu practiced the Black Tiger Claw.
If that strike landed, it could tear his throat open on the spot.
It seemed Li Hu meant to kill him.
Thoughts raced through Lu Feng's mind, and he understood. He stopped holding back and gave a sharp shout.
"Cloud-Dispelling Palm, second form: Cloud-Veiled Moon!"
His right palm came down from above, chopping into Li Hu's tiger claw.
With a bang, Li Hu's claw strike was shattered on the spot, and the impact sent him staggering back several steps.
Seeing him stagger, Lu Feng immediately pressed his advantage. He darted forward and struck with Mountain-Overturning Sea-Crushing.
Li Hu's right hand still throbbed from the impact, but with another attack rushing toward him, he could only grit his teeth and unleash the Black Tiger Claw again.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
In the next instant, Mountain-Overturning Sea-Crushing's rapid succession of palm strikes drove Li Hu backward again and again. Seeing him completely on the defensive, Lu Feng turned and struck him in the chest with Dark Clouds Obscuring the Sun.
"Bang!"
This time, Li Hu failed to block the attack. Lu Feng's palm hit him, sending him flying backward.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed from Li Hu's mouth as he flew through the air, and his face turned deathly pale.
Seeing him hit the ground, Lu Feng didn't continue attacking. He waited for Li Hu to admit defeat.
After that last palm strike, even if Li Hu could still fight, he was no longer a threat.
But just then, Li Hu, lying on the ground, suddenly pulled a dagger from his sleeve and flung it straight at Lu Feng's face.
"Whoosh!"
Just as the dagger was about to hit him, Lu Feng suddenly raised two fingers and caught it firmly between them.
Looking at the dagger in his hand, fury blazed in Lu Feng's eyes. "Li Hu! You dare to use a dirty trick? You're asking for death!"
As he spoke, he lunged forward and struck at Li Hu's head with his palm.
"Lu Feng, stop!"
A furious shout suddenly rang out from beyond the Martial Arts Arena. Lu Feng's palm stopped just in front of Li Hu.
If that voice hadn't stopped him, Li Hu's head would already have been smashed to pieces by that strike.
At the sound of the voice, Lu Feng turned toward it. The speaker was none other than County Assistant Zhou Yongsi.
"Lu Feng, how dare you! You deliberately tried to kill a fellow officer during the competition. Do you have any regard for the law? Or for the County Magistrate?" Zhou Yongsi saw Lu Feng looking his way and shouted at him again.
At that, Lu Feng slowly lowered his hand. He first shot Li Hu a furious glare, then turned to County Assistant Zhou Yongsi.
"County Assistant, Li Hu attacked me with a dagger, and you said nothing to stop him. But when I defend myself, you accuse me of deliberately trying to kill a fellow officer. May I ask what reason you have for targeting me?"
Zhou Yongsi's expression stiffened slightly at Lu Feng's words. Everyone had seen Li Hu attack with a dagger. Under those circumstances, even if Lu Feng had accidentally killed Li Hu, it would have been self-defense.
So Zhou Yongsi had no way to refute Lu Feng's point.
The County Magistrate, Wang Lichuan, seated above them, didn't immediately deliver a verdict. He simply watched the two of them.
Zhou Yongsi's expression shifted. He gave a cold snort. "Hmph! I was momentarily distracted and didn't notice Li Hu using a concealed weapon. As for your claim that I'm targeting you, that's pure nonsense!"
Lu Feng frowned slightly. Zhou Yongsi really was an old fox. He'd brushed the matter aside with a flimsy excuse. It seemed none of these officials was simple.
Though Zhou Yongsi's excuse wasn't entirely unreasonable, everyone present could see that he was targeting Lu Feng.
Then the County Magistrate, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "All right! This matter ends here. Strategist, you may announce the result of the competition."
At that, Strategist Wang Jun immediately stepped into the Martial Arts Arena and announced, "I hereby declare that Lu Feng has won first place in the Qinglu County Yamen's New Captain Election. In accordance with the rules of the competition, starting today, Lu Feng is the fourth constable of Qinglu County!"
When he finished, some people were delighted, while others frowned.
Lu Feng was overjoyed. After all his effort these past few days, he had finally become a constable.
Then Lu Feng clasped his fists and bowed to County Magistrate Wang Lichuan. "This subordinate thanks Your Honor for recognizing my ability. I will always remember your kindness in giving me this opportunity!"
Wang Lichuan smiled faintly at Lu Feng. "Heh, you earned the position of constable yourself. There's no need to thank me. If you want to thank anyone, thank yourself."
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