After being toyed with by Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Xiao Er and the others had no heart left to watch the matches on the stage. After lingering for a while longer, they took their leave and went back.
Watching them shuffle away, Zhang Xiaohua could not help feeling a little guilty. Had I gone a bit too far?
The rather eye-catching arena in Fledgling Eagle Hall finally returned to peace. Captain Chang also let out a sigh of relief. Steward Xu had surely seen the morning's commotion, but he did not know whether his handling of it had been appropriate or steady enough to catch Steward Xu's discerning eye.
The other children below the stage, however, were delighted. No one enjoyed being surrounded by a crowd, especially when that crowd was the cheering squad of one's opponents. Now the skies were high, the clouds pale, and all was quiet; they could finally focus on their matches.
Leaving aside Zhang Xiaohua's guilt, Captain Chang's unease, and the children's relief, Nie Xiao Er and the others shuffled out of Fledgling Eagle Hall. The moment they turned the corner, they all straightened their backs. One of them said, "Who would have thought Zhang Xiaohua would be so difficult to deal with now? We wanted to draw him out and make him reveal something, but look how that turned out. He was even harder to handle than He Tianshu. Old He merely kept his mouth shut, but this fellow traded three words for eight sword techniques!"
Another said, "Exactly. Zhang Xiaohua is no longer what he once was. He is not that country boy we first met back then."
"Hehe, yes. The sight of Ma Jing'er bullying him back then is still vivid before my eyes."
"Of course. People have to grow and mature. If