Love & Redemption
Chapter 35: Finals (3)

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Finals (3)

Today continues with three updates~~ This is the first one~~

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"Brother Duan Zheng!" The Shaoyang Sect disciples cheered in unison below, with Linglong hopping about on a large rock, nearly tumbling off.

Upon seeing her partner’s wrist injured, Pian Pian immediately sheathed her sword and checked the wound on her hand before asking, "How is it, are the tendons injured?"

Yu Ning looked pale as she stared fixedly at Duan Zheng, as if he were some kind of demon, and after a long while, she said in a low voice, "No. It’s just... I won’t be able to hold a sword for two or three days."

With a clank, Pian Pian put her sword back into its scabbard and, bowing to Duan Zheng, said loudly, "Brother, you have great skill. The two of us concede defeat."

Once these words were spoken, it was clear that Duan Zheng had won the match, and Shaoyang Sect had gained another victor among the top four. The cheers of the Shaoyang disciples below almost seemed to flip the sky over.

Duan Zheng smiled faintly, performed a deft flourish with his sword that scattered flashes of white light, then, with a woosh, tossed it gently towards Yu Ning. She caught it reflexively, her expression complex, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

Duan Zheng said in a deep voice, "At the last Flower Pinning Conference, Duan Zheng was unskilled and lost to you two. This time, thanks to your generosity, I have presumptuously won."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and bowed to his Shaoyang brethren who were cheering for him, his honest face filled with smiles.

"This is what I call a true relief!" Zhong Min Yan’s face flushed with excitement. "Brother Duan Zheng is really something! A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years!"

"Revenge for what?" Linglong asked him repeatedly.

Du Minxing laughed and said, "At the last Flower Pinning Conference, you and Xuanji were too young to have seen it. Brother Duan Zheng lost the first match to Pian Pian and Yu Ning; the tendon in his left foot was half-severed by Yu Ning, and he nearly became a cripple. Fortunately, Master He Yang took great care of him for half a year, and he fully recovered. His ability to move so swiftly now is not only a miracle but also a result of Brother Duan Zheng’s life-risking dedication to his training."

"Wow, so this Yu Ning was that ruthless!" Linglong was indignant. "Brother Duan Zheng should have also severed half of her tendons this time!"

Du Minxing shook his head. "To exact revenge for every grievance is not the way of cultivators. Moreover, since Yu Ning is a woman, as a true man, it is proper to be more lenient. This victory is commendable, and his past efforts were not in vain."

While they talked, the three had already descended from the stage. Duan Zheng had been quickly surrounded by the passionately excited Shaoyang group, and even Chu Lei was alerted and came over to encourage him.

Yu Ning was holding her wrist, already bandaged by someone. Her fellow sect members spoke to her, but it was as if she heard nothing, her gaze fixed on Duan Zheng with a complex and strange expression, as if he were some kind of monster.

This match had no tricks or surprises; Duan Zheng had won outright against the two of them. From this point onwards, the wonders of Dual Swordsmanship would be no more at the Flower Pinning Conference; in another five years, both Pian Pian and Yu Ning would be over twenty-five years old. According to the rules of the Flower Pinning Conference, competitors must be between eighteen and twenty-five, so the ones previously favored to win were ultimately defeated.

Dongfang Qingqi, however, took a philosophical approach, constantly consoling his disappointed disciples and smiling as he said, "There are skies beyond our sky, and people above us. The Flower Pinning Conference is just a process, and what the final outcome will be is still up to your own hard work. There’s no need to be upset; this defeat is also a lesson. The two of you will emerge stronger."

Pian Pian had looked unconcerned on the stage earlier, but being proud and competitive by nature, losing Dual Swordsmanship to a bare-handed opponent and having the sword taken from him was indeed humiliating. Now, hearing his Master’s comforting words, he couldn’t help but feel his eyes well up as he said in a trembling voice, "Disciple... obeys."

Before he could finish, he saw Duan Zheng emerge from the crowd, walking towards them, holding a black lacquered wooden box in his hand.

"The sword is heartless, I am deeply sorry for injuring Miss Yu Ning’s wrist. This is a specially made antiseptic medicine from Shaoyang that is very beneficial for wounds. I hope you will accept it."

Dongfang Qingqi laughed, "You are too polite! Haha, Yu Ning, quickly accept it and thank your brother!"

Yu Ning lowered her eyelashes, slowly accepted the antiseptic medicine, and whispered, "Thank you... Brother Duan Zheng."

Duan Zheng smiled again and said warmly, "After you apply the medicine, wrap it tightly with a bandage, and it won’t hurt anymore by tomorrow. Now, I shall take my leave."

He turned around and walked away. Yu Ning’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t.

Watching her reaction, Pian Pian laughed and said, "If you have something to say to him, you better do it quickly. In two days, we’ll be returning to Fuyu Island. Once we leave, who knows when we will see each other again."

Yu Ning’s face turned pale, and after a long moment, she said softly, "You don’t need to... worry about me."

Pian Pian just smiled and didn’t speak again.

"In my opinion, Brother Duan Zheng and that wicked girl Yu Ning probably had some dispute before that we don’t know about," Linglong said, batting her big eyes. After observing for a while, she concluded seriously.

"How do you know that?" Xuanji asked curiously.

Linglong lowered her voice mischievously, "Didn’t you see the way she looked at Brother Duan Zheng? Was that a normal look? Her eyeballs were practically falling out! In my opinion, she definitely fancies our Brother Duan Zheng, but he doesn’t fancy her back. So, last time she got humiliated and angry, and that’s why she injured Brother Duan Zheng."

"There was such a thing?" Xuanji found it unbelievable, thinking Linglong’s imagination was truly vivid and completely illogical!

"How could it not be possible! These adults... humph! Their affairs are as complex as can be."

Seeing her shaking her head and speaking confidently, Du Minxing couldn’t help but laugh and said, "It must be your little brain that’s making things complicated. You spend all day thinking about these things, yet Brother Duan Zheng and Yu Ning have never had any contact; where could any dispute have come from. Stop guessing. The last match of today is about to start."

The Qing Character Arena had already been cleaned up, and Chu Yinghong, the judge for this match, had also taken her place beside the arena. She announced loudly, "Please, the two participants, come up to the Qing Character Arena!"

No sooner had her words fallen than two shadows leaped onto the arena at the same time. As soon as Linglong caught a clear view of one of them, she couldn’t help but exclaim, "It’s him! That jerk!"

The crowd looked intently and saw that the man had jet-black hair, well-shaped eyebrows, and a pale face. Although he had delicate features, there was an uncomfortable air of slyness and coldness about him—it was Wu Tong.

His opponent was a fellow disciple from Dianjing Valley, both dressed in black; with long hair draped over their shoulders, they looked like a set of twins at first glance.

"Disciples from Dianjing Valley are all so bizarre and annoying to death!" Linglong, hating the house for the mouse, wasn’t just annoyed with Wu Tong; she ended up disliking all the disciples from Dianjing Valley as well.

"Remember, stop at the slightest touch. Do not use overly powerful spells or Immortal Technique, and do not harm anyone’s life. If any of these rules are broken, the privilege to participate in the Flower Pinning Conference will be revoked."

Chu Yinghong emphasized this rule specially, her eyes fixed on Wu Tong. She was still uneasy about his previous conduct, and for this reason, the elders had set an extra rule for the Flower Pinning Conference: No use of spells like the Five Thunders Technique was allowed in order to prevent the chaos from happening again.

Wu Tong curled his lips, revealing a mocking smile, clearly not taking it seriously.

Seeing his stubborn cunningness, Chu Yinghong truly disliked him. Dianjing Valley was an established sect, known for its philosophy of cultivating oneself and striving to live peacefully with the world. The disciples it taught were always perfect gentlemen. She had never seen such a problematic member from Dianjing Valley before and wondered how the venerable elders there could tolerate him.

The sound of the horn quickly followed, signaling the start of Wu Tong’s match.

Disciples from the Shaoyang Sect jeered at him, outraged by his previous action where he had injured Xuanji. Now united by a common enemy, they discarded their previous dislike for Xuanji and cheered with great enthusiasm.