This man is Pang Ying of Black Tiger Hall. An expert in Dark Jin challenging one in Ming Jin—that's a wise choice. He can guarantee himself a position of safety.
Yin Shanshan murmured beside him.
Chen Mo looked up and saw Pang Ying, as muscular as an ox, with thick, corded muscles bulging along both arms.
The Ming Jin disciple from Panshi Martial Hall whom Pang Ying had chosen stepped onto the stage trembling, assuming a defensive stance that looked almost halfhearted.
The outcome was never in doubt. Pang Ying won in the fifth exchange.
In the next two matches, a collateral relative of the Zhao Family chose a Wu Family contestant. The two fought for more than twenty exchanges before the Wu Family contestant lost.
In the other match, Li Xuan chose a Ming Jin disciple from Panshi Martial Hall and narrowly won by a single move, restoring some face for Tianqing Martial Hall.
Now it was the Zhao Family's turn to choose.
Zhao Huayuan cast a meaningful glance at Zhang Chong. The latter nodded slightly, then stepped into the arena and looked toward Tianqing Martial Hall.
In a low, somber voice, he said, "I'd like to challenge Yue Lun of Tianqing Martial Hall. Brother Yue, will you do me the honor?"
At these words, Yue Lun's expression stiffened, while Master Yin's face darkened.
How could Master Yin not know Zhang Chong's purpose—or rather, the Zhao Family's purpose?
The moment he rejected Liu Zongsheng, it had been clear that the other side wouldn't let the matter rest today.
His eldest disciple, once promised to his daughter, had become another man's live-in son-in-law—and then turned around to defeat the strongest disciple currently under his tutelage.
What could be more humiliating than that?
But at this moment, as the head of a martial hall, he couldn't refuse aloud.
We can only leave Yue Lun's fate to heaven...
Master Yin sighed silently. In his heart, he had staked everything on Yue Lun's meager chance of victory.
Yue Lun stepped forward.
"Good!"
The entire crowd stirred with excitement.
It wasn't just because of the spectacle of Tianqing Martial Hall facing the Zhao Family. This was also the first clash between two Dark Jin experts today.
Every Dark Jin expert in Black River Town was watched closely by the various factions, so it was rare to see them fight.
Chen Mo watched intently as well.
With Mountain and Water Cultivation, his Comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary people. Seeing two Dark Jin experts fight at close range was an exceptionally rare chance to learn.
All eyes gathered on the two men.
After exchanging salutes, Zhang Chong struck first. He sprang forward and attacked Yue Lun's flank.
The technique he practiced was Wind Gale Jin. His attacks were usually swift and forceful, and he was skilled with both fists and palms.
Chen Mo's expression tightened slightly.
From Zhang Chong's opening move alone, he could tell that the gap between Ming Jin and Dark Jin was obvious. If that attack landed cleanly, Yue Lun would certainly be injured.
Yue Lun practiced the Water Wheel Stake Technique. His fist and palm strikes were far less forceful than Wind Gale Jin, but their strength flowed on without end.
In the blink of an eye, the two collided.
Though Yue Lun used a unique method to neutralize five or six tenths of Wind Gale Jin's force, the remaining power still surged through his body. He staggered back four or five steps before managing to stop.
Zhang Chong sprang forward again, like a leopard.
Yue Lun brought the Water Wheel Stake Technique to bear with all his might, but could barely hold him off. After that exchange, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his face was pale as paper.
Two exchanges.
The Zhao Family's new son-in-law had already beaten Tianqing Martial Hall's strongest disciple into helplessness.
Everyone quietly wondered:
Could Tianqing Martial Hall still show its face after this?
Master Yin clenched both fists, faint blood vessels already showing in his eyes.
Nearby, Chen Mo had watched the two exchanges and quietly grasped some of the essentials of real combat. He had also gained an initial understanding of Zhang Chong's fighting style.
As everyone's thoughts diverged, Zhang Chong launched the third exchange.
He moved almost like a blur. Thud, thud, thud!
In only three steps, he had closed in on Yue Lun and thrown a ferocious punch. Yue Lun raised his palm to block.
The force of the punch struck in an instant!
Under that blow, Yue Lun's guard shattered in a flash, and the remaining seven or eight tenths of the punch's force slammed into his chest.
"Crack!"
The sound of his breastbone breaking rang out inside his body. At the same time, he was sent flying out of the arena and crashed to the ground before Master Yin. The blood he spat out spattered across Master Yin's trouser cuffs.
In that moment, every spectator around them turned pale.
Master Yin's face darkened like the bottom of a furnace. He bent down and, with trembling hands, helped Yue Lun up.
"Take Yue Lun back at once, and get the best physician in Anyang County!"
Master Yin spoke in a low voice, anger simmering beneath every word.
Before he had even finished speaking, Ji Chang and the others rushed to Yue Lun's side. They lifted him by his head and feet and hurried back toward the martial hall, while two others rushed off to fetch a physician.
Master Yin drew his gaze away and looked toward the two men seated at the entrance to Hua Pavilion.
His mind was clear as a mirror. To scold Zhang Chong now would be like slapping himself in the face—and Zhang Chong had surely been acting on Zhao Huayuan's orders.
He had rejected Liu Zongsheng, and the other side had crippled his strongest disciple.
Without Yue Lun, was he supposed to rely on Li Xuan and Chen Mo to cut down their opponents and seize the banners at the Martial Examination?
That was a fool's dream!
When those two were humiliated in front of everyone, Master Yin's face would become like a stone step at the Martial Examination grounds, trampled again and again by the Martial Scholars!
As these thoughts crossed his mind,
Zhao Huayuan slowly rose at the entrance and reproached Zhang Chong with great solemnity. "Zhang Chong, why did you strike so heavily? He was once your junior brother!"
Zhang Chong paused, then lowered his head toward Zhao Huayuan in remorse. "This was not my intention, Senior. I injured Yue Lun by accident. I ask the elders to punish me."
Zhao Huayuan nodded slightly, then turned to Master Yin and said, "Master Yin, Zhang Chong didn't do it intentionally, and injuries are always a risk in friendly matches. But Yue Lun is indeed gravely hurt. What do you think should be done to punish Zhang Chong?"
The entire crowd turned to look at Master Yin.
He closed his eyes. His beard trembled faintly. Then he slowly opened them and said, each word distinct:
"In a friendly match, injuries are one's own responsibility!"
Yin Shanshan saw that her father seemed to have aged ten years in that moment. She started to go support him, but after a brief hesitation, returned to Chen Mo's side.
"Heh, Master Yin is certainly magnanimous," Zhao Huayuan said with a smile. "Zhang Chong, hurry and thank Master Yin for his mercy!"
Zhang Chong cupped his fists toward Master Yin. "Thank you, Master... Yin."
Scattered jeers came from around them. But when Zhao Huayuan announced, "The matches will continue," the incident was temporarily put behind them.
Just then, Zhao Huayuan seemed to notice something. A mocking smile curled his lips. "It's the last person from Tianqing Martial Hall's turn to choose, isn't it? The available opponents should be a Ming Jin disciple from Panshi Martial Hall and my disciple, Luo Hou."
All eyes gathered on them.
Yin Shanshan warned him softly, "Luo Hou is in the early stage of Dark Jin."
She meant for Chen Mo to choose the Ming Jin disciple from Panshi Martial Hall.
Chen Mo weighed his options.
Choosing a Ming Jin opponent was certainly the safer choice.
But after watching several Dark Jin contestants fight today, he had gained some insights. If he could choose a Dark Jin opponent and fight a match, it would greatly benefit him when he advanced to Dark Jin in the future.
Luo Hou happened to be in the early stage of Dark Jin. Perhaps...
"I choose Luo Hou."
After considering it for a moment, he said calmly.
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