Chapter Twelve: Taking the Stage

Today, Ye Wuyin had already won over thirty consecutive matches, and in almost every one, he defeated his opponent with a single move—there was never any suspense. Of course, there were those in the audience whose strength surpassed Ye Wuyin’s, but they were all much older than him. The Huo family’s martial tournament for marriage had a strict age requirement: no one over eighteen.

It was clear the Huo family sought an exceptionally promising young man as their son-in-law for Huo Siyen. They had certainly investigated a few candidates in advance, and the rule existed to ensure their chosen ones would stand out more easily. Thus, although many powerful warriors who had awakened their bloodline sat among the spectators, none could participate in the contest.

This single restriction alone was enough to leave many aging powerhouses gazing hungrily at the veiled Huo Siyen, longing in vain for even a taste of her beauty. What a torment; what a cruel agony.

In stark contrast, Ye Wuyin, dressed in white and standing proudly upon the stage, was the very picture of triumphant spring. His mood could only be described as elated.

“That woman will be mine soon enough!”

Ye Wuyin’s gaze lingered on Huo Siyen’s exquisite figure, especially the proud curves of her chest—so enticing he wanted nothing more than to seize and ravish them at once. The thought of soon bringing such a beauty home filled his handsome face with undisguised smugness.

On the stage, this was the atmosphere; below it, things were even more frenzied.

“Go! Go! Go!”

Despite the constant shouts, fewer and fewer dared to step onto the stage. Since Ye Wuyin’s first appearance, he had only fought seriously once—when he injured Qin Ba from the Qin family. Every other match ended in a single move, requiring no effort at all.

Fortunately, he had broken through to the ninth level just days prior. Otherwise, facing Qin Ba with only eighth-level strength, the outcome would have been uncertain. But after his breakthrough, victory came easily; each level brought a doubling of power.

Now, as far as Ye Wuyin knew, he alone in Luoyang Town had reached the ninth level under the age of eighteen. In this world, cultivation rank meant absolute strength—no trick or shortcut could shake his dominance.

Thus, after defeating the Qin family’s first champion, Ye Wuyin had already claimed Huo Siyen in his heart.

He was not alone in this thought. Even Huo Zhengxiong, the Huo family patriarch, and Huo Siyen herself—standing elegantly beside her grandfather in the viewing stand—could not keep their eyes off Ye Wuyin.

“Hahaha!”

Huo Zhengxiong was so delighted he could barely contain his joy. The outcome of the tournament was unfolding just as he had predicted: only a handful of true contenders. He had expected Qin Ba to be the likeliest victor, but Ye Wuyin’s sudden rise surprised him—yet the result was still excellent.

After all, the Ye family’s power was comparable to the Qin family’s.

Moreover, in terms of appearance, Ye Wuyin’s handsome, elegant features far outshone Qin Ba’s rough, bear-like looks. Huo Zhengxiong was not one to value looks above all, but his granddaughter Huo Siyen clearly favored the dashing Ye Wuyin.

A ninth-level cultivator at eighteen—a genius blessed by the heavens! If he awakened his bloodline, he would be peerless.

Both grandfather and granddaughter approved—what greater joy could there be? Huo Zhengxiong’s happiness was complete.

Glancing at the sun overhead, he saw that the time was nearly up. If no one else stepped forward, he would end the contest and announce the engagement.

But just as Huo Zhengxiong was about to signal his steward to declare the competition over, someone suddenly leapt onto the stage.

Huo Zhengxiong narrowed his eyes and lowered his raised hand.

The newcomer bore the surname Qin.

Clad in the plain attire of a Qin family disciple, a large, ancient Qin character emblazoned on his left chest, the sight of him inspired solemn respect in all who saw it.

Such was the absolute authority the Qin family had cultivated over the years.

Yet Huo Zhengxiong did not recognize this disciple. Nor had his prior investigations revealed any record of this young man.

Frowning, Huo Zhengxiong glanced at an elderly man with a sinister countenance seated nearby.

The old man’s gaze darkened. He raised a hand and reported, “Master, this is Qin Feng, the only son of Qin Xiaosheng, third son of Qin Tianzheng. He has suffered from a strange illness since childhood, and his cultivation has been painfully slow. During my information gathering, his strength was only at the third level of the Mortal Martial Realm—a recognized good-for-nothing among Qin juniors. Thus, I did not include him on the list of candidates.”

“What? Third level? Useless!”

Huo Zhengxiong nearly fainted with anger. What was this nonsense? The sight of Qin Feng’s ashen hair and frail body only infuriated him further.

“This is my granddaughter’s martial tournament for marriage, not a stage for riffraff and stray dogs!”

His earlier good mood had evaporated with Qin Feng’s appearance, replaced by mounting irritation. Still, rules were rules. The boy had already stepped up, and he met the age requirements—there was no reason to disqualify him.

“Fine, let him fight—would be best if Ye Wuyin knocked him out with a single punch!” Now, Huo Zhengxiong only hoped Ye Wuyin would quickly dispatch this eyesore, so he might soon establish ties with the Ye family and secure the Huo family’s position in Luoyang Town.

Beside him, Huo Siyen, having listened to the old man’s introduction, found herself curious. Her almond-shaped eyes darted to the stage, surprised that such a sickly youth would dare ascend the tournament platform with only third-level strength.

“Is he so blinded by my beauty that he can’t see his own limitations?” The thought made her feel a twinge of disgust, though curiosity lingered. In her heart, she still hoped Ye Wuyin would quickly send Qin Feng packing.

As Qin Feng took the stage, the rest of the Qin family’s disciples arrived as well.

“Qin Feng, do your best! Knock that Ye bastard off the stage!”

“That’s right, Qin Feng, we support you!”

“We’re with you!”

A crowd of Qin disciples surged forward, cheering loudly as they saw Qin Feng on stage.

“What’s wrong with the Qin family today? Have they all gone mad?”

“I know, right? That skinny little disciple they just sent up can’t even compare to one of Ye Wuyin’s fingers!”

“They say the Qin family has no talented juniors left—it’s true! Their top man Qin Ba was publicly defeated, and now they’re sending up this useless boy. Ha!”

“What a joke!”

“The Qin family is finished…”

Most in the audience were outsiders, and none placed their hopes in Qin Feng.

The mocking, scornful whispers grew louder and louder, reaching the Qin disciples’ ears and making their faces burn red with anger.

“Qin Feng will definitely win! Our Qin family will win!”

“Hmph, him? I bet I could flatten him myself without Ye Wuyin even making a move!”

“Hmph, you?”

...

The atmosphere below the stage grew more volatile, tempers flaring dangerously close to an all-out brawl.

On stage, Qin Feng hadn’t expected his appearance to cause such an uproar. Ignoring the crowd, he turned his gaze to Ye Wuyin opposite him.

Ye Wuyin was studying him as well, regarding him like an ant, a naked contempt flickering in the depths of his eyes.

Clearly, the other knew who he was.

The sickly youth—everyone’s favorite object of scorn.

“You’re Qin Feng, aren’t you? Let me give you some advice: walk off the stage now. This isn’t a place for trash like you.”

Ye Wuyin made no move to attack. In his mind, Huo Siyen was already his. The opponent wasn’t even in the same league as him. Like the others, he was curious why Qin Feng, instead of quietly remaining a waste in his family, had come to make a fool of himself in public.

Thus, Ye Wuyin put on a great show of magnanimity—or, rather, took his hypocrisy to the extreme—asking with cultivated politeness, hoping to win without fighting and avoid accusations of bullying the weak.

Qin Feng sneered. He’d seen this act countless times in his previous life. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he countered, “You’re Ye Wuyin? The one who injured Qin Ba and the others?”

To be honest, Qin Feng had nothing but disdain for Ye Wuyin, this self-satisfied hypocrite who fancied himself a gentleman. Unwilling to waste words, he got straight to the point.

“That’s me. So what? You want to avenge them?”

Ye Wuyin produced a folding fan from somewhere, snapping it open with a “pa,” and fanned himself elegantly. His long hair fluttered, provoking squeals from the girls in the audience—“So handsome! So handsome!”

Even Huo Siyen, at the side of the stage, blinked her starry eyes and covered her mouth to laugh.

Qin Feng felt a wave of revulsion.

Gentlemanly demeanor? In Qin Feng’s eyes, it was nothing but affectation.

“Very well. Whoever lays a hand on my Qin family must pay the price. Let’s fight!”