"Next match: He An versus Li Si."
As the next pair of fighters was announced, the two once again became the center of everyone's attention.
At that moment,
not only the common folk below the platform,
but the Wu, Meng, and Xu families, County Governor Shen, and nearly everyone else all turned to look.
Some had even started setting up betting tables below.
The odds: three to one.
That showed just how little faith everyone had in He An.
It made sense. He An had performed well earlier, but he was still a nobody, and the few opponents he had faced were all of middling ability.
Li Si, on the other hand, was known as a Martial Arts Genius.
He had studied martial arts for only a short time, yet his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. Meng Cao had taken a keen interest in him and brought him along to personally instruct him.
By comparison, those odds seemed only fair.
"Brother Wu, who do you think will win?" County Governor Shen asked warmly, smiling.
Wu Feng chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Kid He, of course. We all saw how he performed just now. He held back, but there's no way either of us could have missed it."
"Today's First Incense is his and his alone. No one else can claim it."
"That's right."
County Governor Shen sighed. "To have such strength at his age—and, more importantly, to be loyal and grateful. It's been years since I've seen a young man like him."
"If he isn't cut down before his time, he'll reach heights beyond anyone's grasp."
Wu Feng's smile faded.
"That depends on the two of us."
"In Fangcheng, we can make sure he comes to no harm."
"Once he reaches the commandery, we can look after him there, too."
"But beyond that, there's nothing you or I can do. From then on, he'll have to rely on himself."
"Of course!" He paused, then said helplessly, "With the talent that little brat of mine has, maybe he can follow in He An's footsteps."
"But..."
Thinking of Wu Wenming, Wu Feng ground his teeth in frustration. "Let's not talk about him. Let's not!"
Meanwhile, He An made his way up to the platform.
Li Si stood there, his Qi and Blood surging like a bull's. "Brother He, ready to die?"
"Please, instruct me."
He An clasped his hands as before.
Before his words had even faded, Li Si shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
He had learned Tong Bei Quan. The instant he closed in on He An, his left arm darted out like a searching serpent, aiming straight for He An's vital point, while his right arm followed close behind.
Smack, smack, smack.
His fists carried the shriek of tearing air, lashing out like iron whips.
A barrage like that would leave anyone struck either dead or grievously wounded. The previous fighters had lost in exactly this way, and had suffered serious injuries besides.
But this was a normal attack; it couldn't be considered deliberate harm.
That was how brutal fights between Martial Artists were.
Lose, and you died!
He An neither dodged nor evaded. Now that he had perfected the Yi Jin Jing and reached the Muscle Condensing Realm, he wanted to see just how strong his body had become.
Perfect. A warm-up.
He An gave a low shout. The Qi and Blood in his body surged like a mighty flood, rushing through his meridians and into both fists.
His joints cracked like firecrackers.
The moment their four fists collided, a muffled boom exploded through the air.
He An had used only thirty percent of his strength in that punch, yet his body was like a wall of bronze and iron. The blow instantly numbed both of Li Si's arms and sent him flying.
He slammed into the ground, smashing open a deep crater.
Inside it, Li Si struggled to his feet, disheveled and unsteady.
"This... This is impossible! My Tong Bei Quan has clearly reached Great Accomplishment, and I have strength no weaker than someone in the Muscle Condensing Realm. How could I not even hurt him?"
He stared at He An, his eyes clouding with confusion. "What did you do? You cheated!"
"That's right, you must have cheated! Otherwise, how could I possibly be weaker than you? What did you do?"
He roared as if trying to vent all the resentment burning inside him.
Just one punch. A single punch had beaten him. How could he possibly accept that?
This turn of events left not only Li Si dumbstruck, but also Meng Cao, Master Li, and everyone else. No one had expected the match to end so abruptly.
He An hadn't wanted to taunt him, but Li Si had pushed him too far.
"Useless!"
"If you're weak... then train harder!"
Li Si's pupils contracted. Rage blazed inside him. "A scholar would rather die than be humiliated. Even if I die, I'll make you pay!"
He stamped down with all his strength, and the ground shattered beneath his foot.
This time, he didn't use both arms. He gathered all his strength and poured it into his right fist.
He An looked at him with contempt, but there was also a hint of respect in his eyes.
In an instant,
the air burst apart with a thunderclap.
A soul-splitting pain shot through Li Si's right arm.
He could feel it crumbling bit by bit, his meridians snapping one after another.
"Argh!"
He howled, his face twisting into a savage grimace.
"It's not over yet."
As he flew backward, his left arm swept out in a follow-up strike.
He An felt no strength in that blow at all, but Li Si's eyes gleamed like a hawk's as he burst into laughter. "You've taken my Bone Piercing Force. You'll suffer for it from now on!"
"Is that so?"
A mocking smile tugged at He An's lips.
Bone Piercing Force, the "Bone Piercing Force" of Tong Bei Quan, was nothing more than a technique that passed through the body to damage the meridians, leaving the victim grievously wounded. It was an especially vile move.
But against someone like He An, whose body was several times stronger than his own—
It was useless!
The Bone Piercing Force entered He An's body and vanished without a trace, like a mud cow sinking into the sea.
Seeing that He An wasn't angry in the slightest, Li Si sensed that something was wrong.
"You... How is that possible? Did my Bone Piercing Force not work?"
"Now it's my turn!"
He An didn't answer. He simply closed in on Li Si, one step at a time.
Sensing that things were going badly, Li Si hurried to speak, trying to concede.
You want to concede after getting your cheap shot in? Not a chance. He An sneered inwardly.
First, hit the mouth to stop the opponent from conceding.
Then hit the legs so they couldn't run.
But He An skipped those steps.
He went straight to the finish!
The punch looked light, soft as cotton.
Yet when it landed on Li Si, it shattered his heart. Blood poured wildly from all seven orifices.
"I... concede!"
The three words finally left Li Si's mouth, but it was already too late.
His body hit the ground.
A stunned look flashed across everyone's faces.
Dead?
Someone had died!
Since the fighting began, he was the first person to die—but he certainly wouldn't be the last.
He An calmed himself, then turned to look at Meng Cao on the platform. A half-smile played on his lips, though he put on a sorrowful expression.
In Meng Cao's eyes, that look was pure provocation.
And it was, indeed, provocation.
"He An!"
Meng Cao gritted his teeth and roared the name out, one word at a time, nearly tearing his throat.
His savage, beastlike gaze made everyone nearby turn around.
He stamped down hard.
Meng Cao leapt onto the platform.
"I'll kill you!"
Before you continue