Jiang Yuan withdrew his gaze.
It really was different in the city. You could run into a Psychic Class Class-Transferred Warrior just like that.
He didn't pay it much mind.
He followed Xu Yihan into the martial arts hall.
The interior was as large as a stadium. Tiered seats lined the walls, and in the center stood a circular fighting ring spanning a hundred meters. A giant screen hung overhead.
"What a spectacle," Jiang Yuan remarked, looking at the crowd in the seats. "They could make a fortune just by selling tickets."
"Wang Xinlong specializes in this sort of promotion. He never passes up a chance to make money. I heard people are even taking bets online: Thunder Martial Arts Hall versus Chongming Martial Arts Hall, at 3.5 to 1."
Xu Yihan's words made Jiang Yuan's eyes light up.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"By the time I found out, betting had already closed," Xu Yihan sighed.
Otherwise, she really would have wanted to take out a ten-million loan and bet it all.
"Yihan."
Hearing the familiar voice, Xu Yihan turned her head. She saw Ji Feiyue and the others sitting in the front row and couldn't help but freeze.
"President, and Lan Xue, Luo Yi, Lei Na—what are you all doing here?!"
Luo Yi clasped her hands behind her head and grinned at Xu Yihan. "What, we're not allowed to come?"
"Actually, the president already knew," Lan Xue said softly.
Xu Yihan looked at Ji Feiyue.
She smiled and nodded. "We're all companions. It's fine to rely on me a little more. It's just the Thunder Martial Arts Hall; you don't need to worry about causing me any trouble."
"But now, you owe Jiang Yuan a pretty big favor."
Luo Yi sidled up to Xu Yihan and teased her, "Our Yihan doesn't have much money. How are you going to repay such a huge favor? Oh, and you've got those two treasures..."
"Why not offer yourself to him and pledge your life to repay him?"
Xu Yihan grabbed her wandering hand and blushed bright red.
"D-don't say things like that!"
Ji Feiyue's ruby-red eyes turned to Jiang Yuan, a smile in them. "We meet again."
Today she wore a pure white dress with a high slit. Her black jacket, embroidered with a Blood Rose, had slipped halfway off one shoulder. A golden rose-shaped ornament adorned her hair. With her arms crossed over her chest and her long legs crossed as she sat, the slit in her dress revealed a glimpse of flawless, snowy thigh. She looked both noble and icy.
"Hello," Jiang Yuan said with a nod. His gaze wandered for a moment before being drawn to the deep, snowy cleavage that seemed to have no bottom.
Ji Feiyue noticed his gaze. Far from getting angry, she merely smiled.
He really was still an inexperienced young man...
It was easy to tell what would tempt him. That made him easier to control.
"Today is sort of a team-building event for the Blood Rose. I also wanted to introduce you to the others."
As she spoke, Ji Feiyue looked toward the seats on her right.
"Stone, Tier Three, level 34, rare class: Armor Shield Warrior."
The burly man, clad in stone armor and wearing a helmet that hid his face, nodded at Jiang Yuan, then fell silent again.
Lan Xue shook the shoulder of the woman beside her, who had dozed off.
The woman slowly woke, a glistening string of drool still at the corner of her mouth.
"Lei Na, Tier Three, level 32, rare class: Shadowless Assassin."
As Lei Na came around, she saw Jiang Yuan and stared for a moment. Then she abruptly sat up, pointing at him in shock.
"It—it's you?!"
"Do we know each other?" Jiang Yuan asked, surprised.
"I delivered food to your house once! Food delivery, Chileme Delivery. Don't you remember?"
At her words, Jiang Yuan suddenly remembered.
She was the delivery girl who had brought him food that night.
"Lei Na, you know him?" Ji Feiyue asked.
"I delivered food to his place once and met him then. Wait, are you the new member of our guild?"
Jiang Yuan nodded.
She looked both surprised and amazed. "The last time I saw you, you were still tempering your blood and qi. How did you become a martial artist so quickly?!"
"Wow, what a coincidence. I'm Lei Na, and I'm 23 this year. Just call me Big Sis Lei Na. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me. By the way, you look a little different from before, don't you? Your eyes have turned gold. Is that because of your class transfer? And you've grown a lot taller, too..."
Ji Feiyue smiled at Jiang Yuan. "Once she gets started, she just keeps talking. Don't mind her."
Luo Yi held a hand over her brow and surveyed the area. "Looks like just about everyone is here."
Just then, the giant screen lit up.
Everyone looked toward it.
An elderly man in a white Tang suit, with white hair and a youthful face, appeared in the center of the arena, his hands behind his back.
"That's Huo Xuanqi, the old master of the Black Tortoise Martial Arts Hall!"
"So it's him!"
"Is he that powerful?"
"Very powerful."
"I heard he started with an ordinary class and a D-rank talent. He trained his skills step by step and reached Tier Five at the age of sixty. That's impressive. The Black Tortoise Martial Arts Hall became Nanjiang City's top martial arts hall thanks to him."
"Hadn't he semi-retired? Why did he suddenly show up again?"
"I can't believe they managed to bring even him here..."
The spectators whispered among themselves.
People in Moyu's livestream were discussing it, too, surprised by Huo Xuanqi's appearance.
To many ordinary people, he was the very embodiment of hard work.
Despite lacking an outstanding talent or class, he had become a powerful expert by honing his martial skills step by step.
He was therefore greatly respected.
Huo Xuanqi stood onstage, stroking his beard. "Quite a lot of people have come."
As soon as he spoke, the entire arena fell silent, showing just how renowned he was.
"By rights, I shouldn't get involved in a challenge between two martial arts halls. Unfortunately, I knew the old master of the Thunder Martial Arts Hall, and I also shared some ties with the former master of the Chongming Martial Arts Hall. On top of that, today's match between the Thunder Martial Arts Hall and the Chongming Martial Arts Hall involves an old matter that was never properly settled. So I simply couldn't refuse."
"I have no choice but to play peacemaker and do what I can to keep the two sides from becoming sworn enemies."
"Let bygones be bygones today."
"Since we martial artists have a dispute, let strength decide it. The losing side today must have no further complaints."
"Is that acceptable, Master Wang and Master Xu?"
Wang Xinlong and Xu Yihan appeared on the screen. The spectators erupted in surprise when they saw them. They hadn't expected the master of the Chongming Martial Arts Hall to be such a beautiful, elegant woman.
Xu Yihan nodded. Wang Xinlong laughed heartily. "Master Xu, today, before Elder Huo and everyone else, we'll settle this with one fight. If you lose, the Chongming Martial Arts Hall will have to merge with ours, and you'll hand over your family's martial arts."
"If you lose, you won't bring up the weapon matter again or come to the Chongming Martial Arts Hall to cause trouble."
"Of course!"
When Wang Xinlong finished speaking, a young man with tattoos across his face and a fierce expression walked onto the stage.
"Is he the Thunder Martial Arts Hall's prodigy?"
"His blood and qi are so strong. He's already a Tier-One Martial Artist, just as expected."
"No wonder the Thunder Martial Arts Hall can train such a young Class-Transferred Warrior. They're impressive indeed."
"He looks absolutely vicious..."
The onlookers murmured among themselves.
Chen Hao sat beside Zeng Hang.
"Jeez, it really is Liang Cheng from S Class. That guy looks even fiercer than before," Chen Hao said, swallowing nervously.
Zeng Hang folded his arms, his expression grave. "A Tier-One Martial Artist really is on another level. I wonder who his opponent is?"
"Among people our age, who could beat him apart from those few freaks? Back at school, Liang Cheng was known for his brutal fighting style. He beat several classmates who sparred with him so badly they ended up in the hospital. Looks like the unlucky guy from the Chongming Martial Arts Hall is going to leave here crippled," Chen Hao said.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure.
"Zeng Hang, look! Isn't that Jiang Yuan?"
Zeng Hang looked over and recognized Jiang Yuan's back, too. "Looks like him."
Chen Hao stood up and waved, shouting, "Hey, Yuan! Yuan—"
Before he could finish, he saw Jiang Yuan, hands in his jacket pockets, walk up the steps and onto the stage, stopping opposite Liang Cheng.
Chen Hao froze, his expression and movements stiffening.
"...Huh?"
"What is Jiang Yuan going up there for?"
Zeng Hang was stunned, too. He stared blankly. "Could he be... that unlucky guy you were talking about?"
"..."
Before you continue