Pinching the Sword

Gu Shenwei had noticed early on that some people were not ordinary spectators. Unlike Tu Gou, who focused on faces, he watched their positions.

Many people could keep their expressions perfectly still, but the places where they stood would expose their truest intentions. Ordinary people chose spots with the best view, while those with ulterior motives casually blocked every exit, their eyes sweeping back and forth like Tu Gou's and rarely looking at the fights in the ring.

Gu Shenwei retreated and signaled for Nie Zeng to move forward and observe while he watched their rear.

A quarter of an hour later, the two of them quietly moved two streets away.

"Did you notice anything?" Gu Shenwei asked softly. The steady stream of people on the street provided them with the perfect cover.

Nie Zeng knew the Dragon King was testing him. "There are at least twenty people in the courtyard who didn't come to watch the fights. Outside, there are also five to eight places where people are hiding."

That was roughly what Gu Shenwei had observed as well. "Anything else?"

Nie Zeng thought for a while. "They... don't seem to be from the same group. They're deeply wary of one another."

Gu Shenwei nodded, signaling for the boy to continue.

Nie Zeng's face flushed slightly. "That's all. I didn't notice anything else."

"This martial contest was originally nothing but a farce. Everyone treated it as a joke to spread around, and all the saber wielders who came to participate were ordinary martial artists. Yet two or three groups took it far more seriously than anyone could have expected."

Nie Zeng also began to feel puzzled. "That's right. And those people aren't weak. Judging by the look of it, they intend to capture Old Man Mu and Tu Gou