What a rotten mess, Tang Changsheng thought. Was this fellow really that blunt? I'd never have said it on the spot.
As he inwardly groaned, Lu Yuanzhen let out a long laugh. "This is my martial nephew, Tang Changsheng. Changsheng, go on up and test yourself against the disciples of the great sects!"
Once Lu Yuanzhen had spoken, Tang Changsheng could hardly refuse. Now that the moment had come, he cast his worries aside. It was a good chance to try the strange arts and wondrous Methods of this world.
At the thought, he smiled easily, stepped forward, and cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Bai and I had a brief spar on the way here, and I was lucky enough to win by half a move. His Sword Cultivator arts are devastating, though. He held back at the last moment for fear of hurting me..."
No one present had seen what caused the dispute between them. Tang Changsheng's explanation sounded reasonable, and most believed it at once.
Even the Mysterious Light Island disciples looked at him with gratitude. His words had saved them a great deal of face.
For his part, Wang Yanwen no longer knew what to make of Tang Changsheng.
He was naturally unhappy about losing to Tang Changsheng for reasons he could not fathom. Yet if Tang Changsheng had not saved him afterward, he would likely have died at the hands of the Tattoo Church expert with whom he had an old grudge.
And Wang Yanwen knew full well how formidable that Tattoo Church expert was. He himself was no match for the man...
Though he had been unconscious and had not seen it himself, his junior brothers and sisters had told him how Tang Changsheng had shattered the expert's meridians and killed him with a single,