Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 975: Gu Fan and the Female Sword Immortal

Chapter 975: Chapter 975: Gu Fan and the Female Sword Immortal

After the stormy weather ended the next day, the sunlight was splendid. Gu Fan got out of bed, stretched, and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

Perhaps on a whim, Gu Fan went out for morning exercises, waving his fists and feet in the forest to get a feel for it.

Each punch carried the force of a tiger’s wind, each step was strong and masculine. Imagining his enemy before him, Gu Fan’s offense and defense became more fluid. He truly felt his progress, having reached the realm of a third-rate master.

After a short workout, Gu Fan took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and repeatedly told himself not to put too much pressure on himself. His main goal in this Martial Arts Competition was to make a name for himself, not to fight for the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader.

After a day and a night of contemplation, Gu Fan had adjusted his approach. Perhaps knowing the dealings between Xuanjian Sect and the First Gambling House, he could use it to his advantage. Without claiming the seat of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, he could still establish his reputation—and let Lin Xi know, "Gu Fan is here."

Just then, a slight noise caught Gu Fan’s attention. He immediately turned around, "Who’s there?"

A slender figure emerged from under the shade of the trees, dressed like a dashing female warrior, wearing a delicate mask. Who else could it be but the Female Sword Immortal?

Gu Fan greeted her warmly, "What a coincidence, you’re out for morning exercises too."

The Female Sword Immortal crossed her arms, "Yes, but I didn’t expect someone else would also rise early to practice martial arts. It seems you take this Martial Arts Competition very seriously, taking the time to adjust your mind."

Gu Fan nodded, "It seems we’re kindred spirits, having the same idea. It’s rare, indeed. Why don’t we become friends?"

The Female Sword Immortal shook her head, "Never mind that. I’ve looked at the upcoming matches—if you win two in a row, then you’ll be facing me. When I beat you till you’re looking for your teeth on the ground, you’ll hate me. We wouldn’t be able to even be friends, right?"

Gu Fan gave a wry smile, "Do I look like someone who can’t handle defeat? Besides, with my martial arts skills, winning two in a row isn’t easy at all. I doubt we’ll even cross paths."

"No, I have a feeling you’ll definitely win, and we will meet," the Female Sword Immortal said confidently, seemingly very sure of Gu Fan’s abilities.

Gu Fan was puzzled because everyone else didn’t seem to have faith in him; even he thought his chances of winning the next match were low. He didn’t understand why the Female Sword Immortal would say such a thing.

"I’ve seen your matches. Others compete using their martial arts skills, but you’re the only one who knows how to use your brain. And how could one be a Martial Arts Alliance Leader without some brains?" continued the Female Sword Immortal.

"That makes sense," Gu Fan replied, not sounding very confident, "but to contest for the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader, it mostly comes down to martial arts skills, right?"

However, the Female Sword Immortal still highly regarded Gu Fan, "How did you defeat Iron Arm Fist Gu Tong? With your personality, I bet you’ve already investigated your next opponent."

Hearing this, Gu Fan’s heart skipped a beat, feeling that this Female Sword Immortal was no simple character, as if she could guess Gu Fan’s thoughts.

"Alright, the second round of matches is about to start. I’m going to watch. What about you?" said the Female Sword Immortal as she turned and started to walk away, seemingly not wishing to linger.

Gu Fan suddenly called out to the Female Sword Immortal, "Wait, can you do me a favor?"

"What favor?" The Female Sword Immortal seemed puzzled, but seeing Gu Fan’s crafty smile, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be something pleasant.

"Mobilize everyone you can, have them place their bets on the leader of Xuanjian Sect—I guarantee it will pay off," Gu Fan added.

"Oh?" The Female Sword Immortal seemed intrigued. Although she didn’t know Gu Fan’s specific purpose, she found it amusing and agreed to it.

Besides the Female Sword Immortal, Gu Fan also bumped into Lu Bei and Jin Yi, as well as some others he had seen at the Martial Arts Competition. Gu Fan advised them all to bet on the leader of Xuanjian Sect, assuring they could win. However, he made one thing clear—they needed to keep it a secret that it was Gu Fan’s suggestion.

By the time it was the leader of Xuanjian Sect’s match, there was a sudden surge of bets on him, catching both the sect leader and the bookies by surprise. But there was nothing to be done—the leader of Xuanjian Sect could not afford to lose, so they had to tough it out.

After the match, the leader of Xuanjian Sect won, but the bookies had paid out a lot, although it was within the range they could accept. They were baffled, however, why there had been such a sudden influx of bets right before the match.

Naturally, the bookies couldn’t just overlook such an anomaly, so they sent people to investigate. They were told that those who suddenly placed bets had heard some analyses of the match’s situation, thinking the leader of Xuanjian Sect had a high chance of winning. They found the analysis convincing, so they hurried to place their bets.

As for who was doing the analysis, there were many such people. With every match, numerous individuals acted as if they had penetrated the mysteries of the competition, advising others on how to bet. This behavior was quite normal.

The bookies didn’t pay much attention to it thereafter, focusing instead on the upcoming matches. Dark horse Jin Yi barely managed to win, causing everyone to lose money once again, and making more people resolve not to bet on matches involving dark horses.

The Female Sword Immortal’s match was of the utmost interest to both the leader of Xuanjian Sect and the bookies. Normally, a hundred moves would conclude a match, but the Female Sword Immortal won her fight in just over that number.

The leader of Xuanjian Sect now saw the Female Sword Immortal as a significant threat and wanted to discern her martial arts tactics. However, on the stage, the Female Sword Immortal did not reveal her full strength even after a hundred moves, truly an enigma.

As the day was coming to a close, only a few matches in the second round remained, including one of Gu Fan’s. It was a match that left many feeling displeased. Many went to watch, not to cheer Gu Fan on, but to support his opponent, hoping someone would teach Gu Fan a lesson since he was the reason many lost so much money.

Naturally, before the match, there was analysis of both participants’ abilities. Gu Fan, now known as a third-rate master, wasn’t known for anything special.

Gu Fan’s opponent was the Mountain-Splitting Axe Ti Heng, who had displayed his prowess in previous matches. When he swung his axe, it was like a whirlwind—terrifying.

After this analysis, everyone felt confident that Gu Fan would lose. They were itching to place bets against him, thinking that without guidance, without knowing his opponent’s weaknesses, how could Gu Fan possibly win?

Some sober individuals objected, arguing that they had already learned a lesson from betting against Jin Yi. Surely they didn’t want to make the same mistake with Gu Fan? That would be like handing money to the bookies.

Others joked that if Gu Fan won again, he must be incredibly lucky, and from now on, they should simply bet on Gu Fan to win without any second thoughts.

No one could have guessed that this offhand joke would have such a significant impact on subsequent matches.