Won the Competition, Lost Her Heart

Xiao Wu, having heard the Heart Voice, felt somewhat disappointed.

Since he claimed to be so fiercely protective of his own, why couldn't he just let her win?

She pursed her lips slightly, a fleeting trace of loneliness flashing through her eyes. However, she quickly lifted her chin and said in a deliberately casual tone, "Hard to say? Then I'll win and show you."

Heh. Once that cheater Tang San gets serious, even several of you wouldn't be enough for him to beat up.

Little Rabbit, you only got his favoritism.

Otherwise, your outcome wouldn't be much better.

That was what Lin Yi thought, but he said aloud, "Mm-hm, I believe in you."

Xiao Wu: "..."

She suddenly felt the urge to hit someone.

After a quarter-hour break, the finals were about to begin.

On the viewing platform, Director Su looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu below with a complicated expression.

One of these children possessed Twin Martial Souls, while the other was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form. Both were geniuses rarely seen in a century.

What a pity...

His gaze shifted toward Lin Yi in the audience.

What a pity that this even more mysterious child seemed to have no interest in the competition.

The finals are finally here. Hurry up and finish so we can call it a day.

I'm starving. That black steamed bun from this morning was digested ages ago.

By the way, what were the rewards for the Year-End Competition again? Soul coins and cultivation resources, I think?

But none of that has anything to do with me. It's not like I get a share anyway.

Lin Yi rubbed his stomach and decided he would buy meat buns as soon as the match ended.

Just then, Teacher Zhang announced loudly, "Year-End Competition finals: Tang San versus Xiao Wu. Both contestants, please take the stage!"

Tang San and Xiao Wu stepped onto the arena.

The two stood facing each other, and the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

"Xiao Wu," Tang San began in a gentle voice. "I'll give it my all in a moment. I hope you will too."

Give it your all? Are you sure you won't go easy on her?

Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then nodded. "Mm. I'll give it my all too."

Her gaze was serious, without the slightest hint of joking.

Seeing this, Tang San felt a little better.

At least Xiao Wu was serious about the match and wasn't brushing him off because of anything else.

"Begin!"

At Teacher Zhang's command, the two entered combat at the same time.

Blue Silver Grass vines spread out from beneath Tang San's feet, while Xiao Wu bent slightly and assumed the opening stance of the Soft Technique.

This isn't the first time these two have fought each other.

There's nothing much to watch.

Tang San will win in the end anyway. He just won't win in such a brutal fashion.

Still, Xiao Wu is stubborn, and Tang San is the type who refuses to lose. This final probably won't end in less than half an hour.

Lin Yi secretly shook his head and simply dozed off.

Hearing this, everyone could not help but smile wryly. Since he had put it that way, should they even watch?

Of course they should. What else could they do if they did not watch?

After all, unlike Lin Yi, they did not know everything.

Watching experts spar and learning a few combat techniques was not a bad thing either.

On the arena, the two truly were evenly matched.

And the course of the fight was surprisingly close to what Lin Yi's Heart Voice had said.

Xiao Wu clearly could not defeat him, yet she stubbornly insisted on competing.

As for Tang San, anyone with eyes could see that his Blue Silver Grass was only restraining and not attacking. He was obviously going easy on Xiao Wu.

That was far too boring.

Quite a few people were speechless at Tang San's behavior, and some even looked down on him.

No wonder Lin Yi had mocked him and wanted to stay away from him.

When dealing with people close to him, he yielded at every turn. Yet when facing others, he seemed to want to beat them to death.

And besides.

When Xiao Chenyu had not competed seriously earlier, hadn't Tang San been displeased too?

What about now? Why did he say nothing when he himself was not going all out?

Was it only because Xiao Wu was a good friend he acknowledged?

That was far too hypocritical.

With that kind of way of handling things, very few people would like him, right?

The expressions of those beneath the arena grew increasingly strange, and some even began whispering among themselves.

On the arena, Tang San also sensed that something was off with the atmosphere below.

He could feel that the way everyone looked at him had not become friendlier because of his gentlemanly conduct. Instead, they had become even more distant.

Why?

Was it wrong for him to show Xiao Wu mercy too?

A wave of irritation rose in Tang San's heart, and the Soul Power in his hands unconsciously intensified.

At this moment.

Xiao Wu was tired of fighting too. She knew Tang San could not possibly admit defeat, and there was no point in stubbornly pushing herself, so she forcibly took one of his moves and ended the match.

She sighed and gave up resisting. "I lost."

Her voice was soft, carrying a faint, imperceptible sense of disappointment.

Tang San immediately withdrew the vines and released the Soul Power suppression, reaching out to help Xiao Wu up.

However, Xiao Wu steadied herself and took a step back, widening the distance between them.

That tiny action left Tang San's hand stiff in midair.

He withdrew his hand and forced a smile. "You let me win."

At the edge of the arena, Teacher Zhang promptly announced, "The winner of the Year-End Competition finals is Tang San."

As his words fell.

A round of symbolic applause rose from below.

Yet many students wore complicated expressions.

It was not that they did not recognize Tang San's strength. They simply found this kind of behavior disgusting.

He wanted to be a gentleman, yet lacked a gentleman's grace.

He wanted both the reputation and the benefit.

And Lin Yi was awakened by the applause.

He glanced at the arena, and immediately understood what had happened.

Tang San won, just as expected.

But what's with Xiao Wu's expression? It's not like this is the first time you two have sparred. Is it really that upsetting?

Or is it because she didn't win the championship, so the reward wasn't good enough?

It's okay. Tang San will give you the reward anyway.

Hearing this, everyone despised him even more.

If he was going to give it to her anyway, why had he been unwilling to let her win?

Just then, Director Su walked from the viewing platform to the arena, delivered a speech, and began handing out the awards.

Champion Tang San received five Gold Soul Coins and one ten-year-old Soul Gathering Grass.

Runner-up Xiao Wu received only three Gold Soul Coins.

Li Yan and Xiao Chenyu were tied, and each received one Gold Soul Coin.

The rest of the top ten received some consolation prizes.

After the award ceremony ended, the students began leaving one after another.

At that moment, Tang San took the champion's rewards and walked over to Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, this is for you."

Although Xiao Wu already knew, she was still stunned for a moment. "For me? Why?"

"The Soul Gathering Grass will help your cultivation." Tang San said seriously, "My cultivation method is rather special, so I have no use for this."

That was the truth.

The Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Skill cultivated differently from the Soul Power methods of Douluo Continent, so the Soul Gathering Grass truly had limited effect on him.

But more importantly, he wanted to use this method to win Xiao Wu's heart back.

Xiao Wu's growing distance from him during this period had made him feel miserable.

Xiao Wu looked at the wooden box before her and hesitated.

If this had happened before, she definitely would have accepted it happily and felt that Tang San treated her so well.

But now...

She recalled Lin Yi's Heart Voice.

She remembered the sacrifice, and her tragic future.

"No need, Little San." She shook her head and pushed the wooden box back. "This is the reward you won. Keep it for yourself."

Tang San's hand froze in midair.

He had not expected Xiao Wu to refuse.

"Xiao Wu, I really have no use for it..."

"I have no use for it either." Xiao Wu interrupted him, her tone resolute. "My cultivation method is special too."

That was also the truth.

As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, her cultivation method truly differed from that of human Soul Masters.

But when Tang San heard that, his face instantly darkened.

He could sense that Xiao Wu was not merely being polite. She genuinely did not want his things.

That rejection felt worse than losing the competition.

"Take it." Tang San forcibly stuffed the wooden box into Xiao Wu's hands. "Consider it a gift from me."

After saying that, he gave Xiao Wu no chance to refuse again and turned to leave.