Chapter Seventy-Four: Winning the Championship!

Chapter Seventy-Four: Champion Crowned!

“Is this young brat really Ye Rulong’s master?”

Everyone present was stunned, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“You must be kidding, old man!”

...

Li Ruyi, Liu Heming, and a few others weren’t particularly surprised, but the heads of the families who were unaware of the situation were utterly dumbfounded.

The head of Matsushita Sword Manor, Shangguan Feng, was torn between laughter and disbelief as he gazed at Ye Rulong and his companions on the stage, muttering to himself.

“There’s no way Ye Rulong would do something so absurd, unless...”

His pupils suddenly widened. “Could it be that this boy really possesses such unimaginable strength?”

He had already heard of Shi Bai from Shangguan Yunfei, who claimed that the boy knew the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. He had never believed it, thinking it just the exaggerations of a child. But now, even Ye Rulong revered him as his master. That meant all those rumors must be true.

At this thought, his brows knit tightly and he slammed his chair. “Damn it! How can this be!”

He had trained diligently for decades, finally earning his place as the top expert of the ancient city. He never expected that within days, he would be surpassed by a mere youngster.

If Shi Bai truly knew the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, then no matter what, Shangguan Feng would not be his match.

The head of Murong Manor, Murong Lin, was also deeply astonished. His relationship with Ye Rulong was close, and he knew Ye Rulong’s temperament better than anyone—he would never joke about such things. So Murong Lin understood, Ye Rulong had truly taken Shi Bai as his master.

“But why?”

Murong Lin rubbed his face, puzzled beyond measure.

The rest of the family heads were even more bewildered. Ye Rulong was considered a paragon in the ancient city. Now he recognized a young brat as his master—what would that make them? Were they supposed to acknowledge Shi Bai as their master as well?

Li Baxian was both shocked and furious. Seeing these three “bosses” standing before Shi Bai, he was nearly driven mad with rage.

“Are you three here to mess with me?! Taking him as your master, standing up for him?”

Li Jiankui sneered, “No one is here to mess with you. We’re just here to protect our master.”

Li Baxian was even more surprised. Judging by their looks, they were serious. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Could this kid really be that formidable?”

But then he remembered how his own son had been ruined at Shi Bai’s hands. How could he simply let that go?

With a furious roar, he shouted, “Step aside! Today I will avenge my son! If you block me, I’ll fight you too! If not, I’ll still go for him!”

With that, he raised his iron hammer and leaped towards Shi Bai.

Ye Rulong and the others rushed to intercept him, and the four immediately clashed.

Li Baxian, facing three at once—and with both Ye Rulong and Li Jiankui having learned from Shi Bai’s secret manuals—naturally stood no chance. In no time, he was defeated and subdued by the three.

Shi Bai, with his hands behind his back, walked up to Li Baxian, glanced at him, and said coolly, “Why are you so determined to kill me?”

Li Baxian spat, “You scoundrel, how dare you ask! You harmed my son, of course I want your life!”

Shi Bai laughed coldly. “When did I harm him? Don’t you know he’s my grand-disciple?”

Li Baxian spat again. “You lying dog! My son’s a fool, he calls you master and you take it seriously? Besides, wasn’t it you who struck him down?”

Shi Bai snorted, then slowly walked over to Li Pokong’s body and said to Li Baxian, “Me, hit him? Honestly, I haven’t hit him enough yet!”

He then punched Li Pokong sharply in the stomach.

With a thud, Li Baxian cried out, “You bastard! My son’s already unconscious and you’re still hitting him!”

Shi Bai muttered to himself, “Strange, why isn’t he better yet? Oh! I should hit his head instead.”

With that, he raised his fist again and punched Li Pokong in the face.

“You bastard! May you die a horrible death!” Li Baxian cursed, struggling to break free.

“Fool!” Ye Xingzu spoke up. “My grandmaster is saving your son.”

Li Baxian was taken aback. “What?”

Sure enough, after another punch to the face, Li Pokong slowly regained consciousness.

“Huh? Where am I?”

“Son!” Li Baxian shouted, and as Ye Xingzu let him go, he hopped over like a rabbit.

“Let me see, are you alright?” Li Baxian examined his son’s face.

“I’m fine.” Li Pokong rubbed his head. “Actually, I feel like my mind is clearer than before.”

Li Baxian looked him over. “Yes! And your face seems a bit better looking, too.”

“Exactly,” Shi Bai said, hands in his pockets. “My fist has cosmetic benefits as well.”

The crowd was speechless.

“Alright!” At this moment, the male host hurriedly spoke. “Now the results are in! The champion of this martial arts tournament is... Ye Xiaobai!”

The Ye family erupted into wild applause; since Shi Bai represented them, they were naturally delighted. The rest of the audience, however, felt differently—a scant, scattered applause trickled in.

Thankfully, spirited music played in time, and the hostess elegantly stepped onto the stage with the trophy, which Ye Rulong personally presented to Shi Bai.

“Congratulations, Master, on your victory!”

Li Jiankui quickly joined in, exclaiming excitedly, “Grandmaster, you are truly heroic—one casual move and you seize the championship. As your disciple’s disciple, I am deeply honored. Congratulations on your victory!”

Shi Bai nodded in satisfaction and accepted the trophy.

The hostess then held the microphone to his lips and asked excitedly, “Mr. Ye Xiaobai, what art do you practice? How do you shatter swords with your backside and bring the dead back to life?”

Shi Bai thought for a moment. “Well... perhaps... I’m just more handsome, I suppose.”

The audience collapsed in exasperation.

“Damn! I’ve never seen anyone so full of themselves!”

“Exactly!”

The hostess, awkwardly smiling, pressed on, “So, did you find this competition difficult?”

Shi Bai pondered. “Well... I suppose it was rather hard.”

“In what way?”

“Uh... I couldn’t unleash my true strength, which was quite frustrating.”

“Damn!”

Once more, the audience collapsed.

“Is there anyone more arrogant?”

“You just won a championship, so what! Can’t unleash your true strength? What strength do you even have!”

The crowd erupted with jeers.

“Now that you’ve won the championship, are you happy?” asked the hostess.

Shi Bai thought for a while. “It’s alright, I guess. After all, this is how it should be.”

“Damn!”

Again, a chorus of curses from the audience.

The hostess couldn’t help but laugh. “It seems Mr. Ye Xiaobai is very confident!”

Shi Bai smiled faintly. “Not especially.”

The hostess’s face lit up. “So, Mr. Xiaobai, do you have a girlfriend? Is she here today?”

Shi Bai finally lost his patience—how could this hostess be so long-winded? He gave her a meaningful look and replied, “No.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Alright! That concludes this martial arts tournament! Let’s give Mr. Ye Xiaobai another round of applause!”

Another sparse round of applause followed as Shi Bai turned to leave the stage. The hostess hurried after him, and in the confusion, slipped a business card into his hand, smiled shyly, and then quickly walked away.