Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 974: Killing Two Birds with One Arrow

Chapter 974: Chapter 974: Killing Two Birds with One Arrow

The rain started to pour, and the second round of the martial arts competition scheduled for today was postponed as well. This gave the martial arts experts some time to rest and afforded the leader of the Xuanjian Sect and the bookkeeper better opportunities to plan.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect stood by the window, looking out at the wind and rain creating a dismal scene, and he sighed for a moment, "How’s it looking? We should have made quite a bit, right?"

Sitting beside, the bookkeeper was tallying accounts and said with interest on his face, "I want to tell Leader some good news. Initially, I anticipated losses from the first round of the martial arts competition, but the arrival of Gu Fan forced us to take action — and as a result, we made a fortune."

"Yes, so many people bet on Gu Fan to lose. If that kid really had lost, we would be the ones robbed blind," the leader of the Xuanjian Sect stated with a furrowed brow, and then added, "Thankfully, we had arrangements in place — Iron Arm Fist Gu Tong is our man. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble."

Upon hearing this, the bookkeeper also felt a shiver down his spine; Gu Fan’s match could really be attributed to good luck. They were able to fully control that round. Otherwise, they would have really suffered a loss.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect asked another question, "What about the betting situation for the remaining 32 experts and 16 matches?"

The bookkeeper answered, "We’ve set the odds for the 32 experts and determined the betting for the second-round’s 16 matches. There are many who have placed bets, and according to our calculations, no matter how these 16 matches go, we will profit."

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect nodded, "After the second round, a total of 48 martial arts experts will be eliminated, and the bets placed on these 48 to ultimately become the leader of the Martial Arts will fall into our pockets — we’ve really made a tidy sum."

Thinking of the wealth rolling in, the bookkeeper couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, as if seeing mountains of gold and silver, "That’s only because you and I have deployed our strategies so well that we can make such a killing and prosper together."

"You’re the one getting rich. I need this money to buy people’s hearts," the leader of the Xuanjian Sect said with a bit of regret in his eyes, but he had no choice; being the leader of Martial Arts required greasing the wheels of the various sects and schools with money.

The bookkeeper added, "When the previous leader of Martial Arts was needed, everyone called on him to take charge. When he wasn’t, they forgot about him. If he had tactics like yours, it wouldn’t have come to this."

"That’s why it’s long past time for a new leader of Martial Arts," said the leader of the Xuanjian Sect, unable to suppress a laugh. He reveled in the idea of taking the money from the people of Martial Arts and using it to command them; he admired his own maneuver, feeling it was simply brilliant.

Suddenly, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect thought of something, "What about the next match for Gu Fan? Are there still bets on him?"

The bookkeeper shook his head, "After the loss they suffered because of Gu Fan, who would dare to touch that now? They all keep their distance, and it’s a good thing they do. Because Gu Fan’s next opponent is not someone we can control."

Just then, the bookkeeper flipped through the betting details for the leader of the Xuanjian Sect’s own round and frowned slightly, as if he had stumbled upon a troublesome matter.

Noticing the bookkeeper’s expression, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect asked, "What’s wrong? Any problems?"

The bookkeeper said, "This is serious. Many have bet on you to win your round. We’re sure to lose on that one, and the loss will be significant, but overall, it’s within an acceptable range."

"It’s normal to have wins and losses. If we always profit, I’m afraid that might arouse suspicion. Sometimes, we need to lose a little," reasoned the leader of the Xuanjian Sect, and the bookkeeper constantly nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the wind ceased, the rain stopped, and the clouds began to disperse. The leader of the Xuanjian Sect watched the sunlight peeking through the clouds, took a deep breath, and felt a surge of excitement within. It was as if his era was about to begin.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect thought of another matter, "What about the surveillance on Jian Shen? Any new discoveries?"

Seeing how anxious the leader of the Xuanjian Sect was, the bookkeeper responded cautiously, "Jian Shen is still with Qian Ye in that remote town. It seems he has no intention of joining the Martial Arts Competition. He won’t pose any threat to you."

"A threat? Even if he were to come, he wouldn’t pose a threat to me," claimed the leader of the Xuanjian Sect confidently, but everyone could see his wariness towards Jian Shen. After all, it was known among the people of Martial Arts that Jian Shen’s martial arts skills surpassed the leader of the Xuanjian Sect.

The bookkeeper voiced his concern, "Ever since Jian Shen and the previous leader of Martial Arts united to defeat the Devil Cult and the vampires from the West, saving Martial Arts from catastrophe, Jian Shen went from being an enemy of Martial Arts to a hero respected by all. His prestige is extremely high. If he stepped forward, without needing a competition, everyone would willingly support him to be the leader of Martial Arts. How can you be so certain that Jian Shen won’t come to claim the title, confident enough to hold the Martial Arts Competition and set this trap?"

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect smiled slightly, "Because Jian Shen was raised before my eyes. He’s only interested in martial arts skills and doesn’t want to be distracted by other matters. Besides, he loves his freedom and dislikes being restricted. Moreover, he’s now with Qian Ye, and for her, he would disregard everything, even becoming an enemy of Martial Arts. Do you think he cares about the seat of the leader of Martial Arts?"

"I see. This is indeed knowing the enemy and knowing yourself, never failing in a hundred battles." The bookkeeper feigned a look of admiration, but inwardly he sneered. Despite the leader of the Xuanjian Sect’s confident talk, he had deliberately spread rumors before the Martial Arts Competition to test Jian Shen’s response and only then dared to set such a grand scheme.

The leader of the Xuanjian Sect snorted, "But I didn’t expect Jian Shen to send his own disciple to participate. What does this mean? Is he looking down on me?"

"Jian Shen’s disciple is Jin Yi, right? Compared to Gu Fan, this young man really is a dark horse," the bookkeeper said with a dismissive expression. "Jin Yi has indeed performed remarkably, but I believe that he certainly won’t win his next match. No matter how powerful Jian Shen is, he can’t train a disciple in such a short time that could pose a threat to you."

"True, Jin Yi, let alone Gu Fan, is not my main contender." After saying this, the leader of the Xuanjian Sect suddenly turned around: "How about the investigation I tasked you with? Who are going to be my biggest competitors for the title of the leader of Martial Arts?"

The bookkeeper looked carefully at the list and then said with deep concern, "There’s only one, but this one is difficult to deal with."

"Only one? Is it the Female Sword Immortal?" The leader of the Xuanjian Sect’s brows knitted tightly — he had seen the Female Sword Immortal in action. Her martial arts were exceptional, and he had yet to see her use her full strength.

The bookkeeper added, "Leader doesn’t need to worry. You will only encounter the Female Sword Immortal in the final round. Until then, we have plenty of ways to disqualify her prematurely."