"Throwing a match" had always been a technical craft. In a real match, all one needed to do was fight desperately; in a fixed one, far too many things had to be considered...
To put on a perfect fixed match, one had to keep the battle at the level of "giving it everything but still being unable to win"... Without the opponent's cooperation, that required genuinely superior vision and strength.
Bao Xuanjing had not thought it would be difficult.
After all, he had once stood supreme in the Netherworld. Even if his strength was restricted to the same level, his vision still stood several stories above these youngsters'.
He had already designed the script for the fight—first, he would display his swordsmanship and movement techniques from every angle, establishing the style of "Little Martial Peace." Then he would demonstrate all the cutting-edge, high-difficulty Daoist Arts from the Qi State Art Academy, vividly showcasing the Bao Clan's inherited legacy, Shuofang's brilliance, and Great Qi's Name Gate foundation!
He would seize the advantage, then fall into disadvantage, then reclaim the advantage, pressing the victory with unstoppable force—only to carelessly step into the opponent's trap. In the end, he would stumble at the last hurdle, a hero at the end of the road.
With astonishing combat talent, exquisite battle wisdom, and an unyielding fighting will, he would launch a desperate counterattack from dire straits. Yet his opponent would also be a dragon among men, never giving him an opening... In the end, he could only suffer a regretful defeat.
He would leave unwilling tears on the stage and cry out, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river," leaving an unyielding mark in the hearts of the audience... Then, someday, he would win back his honor.
Losing did not