Chapter Thirty-Five: The Oath of Life and Death

Over the following days, Jiang Xiaotian devoted himself almost entirely to practicing the art of igniting fire with his fingertips. But this skill was purely a matter of talent—if you couldn't master it, there was simply no way around it; once you grasped it, everything else would come easily. As a result, his progress was virtually nonexistent, and even Ling'er grew too bored to demonstrate it for him anymore.

Of course, thanks to Zhang Guodong's bribe, Qin Lulu was no longer so lazy. Practically every day, Jiang Xiaotian would fetch her to help treat Ye Wan'er. The best part was that she could eat and drink for free, so over time, the two became quite familiar with each other.

Before he knew it, the Martial Arts Tournament was just a day away. Jiang Xiaotian was not so much nervous as he was excited. In the past, he had no interest in the world of martial artists, but now he wanted to change his circumstances, to grow stronger—in particular, he longed to slaughter that old dog Chen Yu.

However, there was one thing he couldn't figure out: why was Zhang Guodong so certain Chen Yu would show up? Was it really just because of that Zhao family? That seemed unlikely. Yet, since it was said to be a secret, asking would be pointless, so Jiang Xiaotian could only accept that Chen Yu would definitely appear.

That night, he received an anonymous text message on his phone, asking him to fill in his address and personal details. Once he did, another message arrived, providing a time and location, and informing him that a car would come to fetch him the next day.

Why all the secrecy? Even Brother Long couldn't help himself and called Jiang Xiaotian to confirm the address. He insisted on going too—even if it meant risking his life, he didn't want to miss it.

Jiang Xiaotian didn't practice that night. He felt he was beginning to grasp the trick to the technique, but hadn't quite seized upon the key point. Ling'er had told him that the dragon clan's secret arts were all about fury, but he had yet to understand what that truly meant.

He didn't sleep a wink that night. Throughout Linhai City, undercurrents were surging as all factions prepared to make their move.

None of them knew Chen Yu's current condition, so in their eyes, his terrifying power still held sway. Yet those martial artists who had originally been too afraid to participate, or had given up altogether, now found their hope rekindled.

This was all because of the Zhao family.

The Zhao family of Dragon City carried a resounding reputation in the martial world; countless powerhouses had emerged from their ranks. Anyone chosen by them was destined for a life out of the ordinary.

No one wanted to give up this chance to rise above the masses, and the martial world of Linhai was boiling with excitement.

While everyone speculated about the sudden arrival of the Zhao family, Jiang Xiaotian spent his time watching dramas with Ling'er.

Where there are those who stand in the light, there are also those who lurk in the shadows.

In some unknown alley, Chen Yu dumped the corpse of a woman into a sewer.

His expression was savage, yet a smile curled at his lips.

Though he had failed to capture Ling'er, he now possessed two new cultivation manuals. Driven by hatred, he made rapid progress in his comprehension. In just a few days, he had performed blood sacrifices on dozens of girls!

And at last, he had truly stepped into the realm of Inner Strength.

After disposing of the body, he slowly turned around to find a middle-aged man, expressionless, watching him. Though he had witnessed everything, the man seemed unfazed, as if nothing had happened.

"Chen Yu, my young master wishes to see you."

But Chen Yu ignored him, melting away into the darkness.

—

"My young master says he can help you get your revenge."

Chen Yu's footsteps faltered. His voice was low, cold, and dripping with hatred. "Who is your young master?"

The man remained expressionless, but there was an unmistakable arrogance in his tone, sharp as a blade.

"Dragon City. The Zhao family."

—

Early the next morning, Jiang Xiaotian set out for the appointed place. He hadn't even seen the car yet when a figure dressed in black appeared, masked, wearing sunglasses, and a fisherman's hat pulled low—his whole demeanor was shifty in the extreme.

It was obviously Brother Long. He was terrified of dying; even knowing Chen Yu's present state, he still didn't dare show his face unless the man was dead.

Jiang Xiaotian couldn't be bothered with him and simply stood by the roadside with Ling'er.

Before long, a black business van arrived to pick them up. The glass was completely tinted, so the interior lights had to be turned on to see anything. There was a partition between the passengers and the driver, so they couldn't even tell who was driving.

This was mainly because the venue was rather secretive and to prevent anyone from cheating or setting traps.

Though Jiang Xiaotian had mentally prepared himself, he was still shocked when they arrived at the destination.

It looked like an underground fight club, but was as large as a sports arena. The environment was not dim but especially bright, making petty theft or trickery impossible.

Though it wasn't quite a sea of people, the place was fairly crowded.

Sensing the room, Jiang Xiaotian realized that quite a few martial artists had already arrived. Most of them were at the early stage of External Strength, a few at the middle stage, and as for those at the peak of External Strength—there were virtually none.

No wonder, then, that Chen Yu's appearance had once caused such a stir. At his peak, he was the star of the show here; if he had reached Inner Strength, he could practically turn Linhai upside down.

Jiang Xiaotian's eyes never stopped searching for Chen Yu. He dreaded his arrival, yet feared he might not show up.

But one thing was certain: if Chen Yu dared come, he would do so in secret. If Jiang Xiaotian didn't seek him out, they would only meet in the finals.

He looked around the audience. Nearly all were ordinary people, both young and old—likely members of various Linhai families.

Linhai had a population of over four million, yet even when all the martial artists gathered, there were only this many. Clearly, ordinary people still made up the vast majority of the world.

Amid the noisy throng, silence suddenly fell.

Jiang Xiaotian looked in the direction everyone was staring.

An old man entered, smiling. But a burn scar marred his face, impossible to ignore.

"Chen Yu!" Jiang Xiaotian gnashed his teeth, rage twisting his features. He never imagined this man would dare show up so brazenly!

Brother Long turned ashen and immediately slipped away, hiding in the crowd.

The others, unaware of what had transpired before, greeted Chen Yu warmly.

He responded to each in turn, appearing every bit the kindly elder. Yet many could sense his energy was different.

—

He noticed Jiang Xiaotian as well, and showed a flash of surprise. "Well now, you're actually still alive. Come, let me introduce him to you all: This is Jiang Xiaotian. He killed my elder brother in arms, killed my apprentice nephew, impersonated him to bask in my glory! This despicable wretch even coveted my beloved disciple Ye Wan'er! When I exposed him, he turned murderous, tried to silence me, and while my attention was elsewhere, murdered Ye Wan'er! Truly deserving of death!"

He turned black into white with his words, and the crowd began eyeing Jiang Xiaotian with growing suspicion.

"How poisonous can one be!"

"Unbelievable! So young, yet so devious!"

In an instant, the whispers swirled, and Jiang Xiaotian once again became the target of everyone’s ire.

But this time, he did not flounder as before. Instead, he sneered. "Once you said I was Ling Zhi’s disciple, you all wanted my head. Then you claimed I was Chen Yu’s nephew, and suddenly your attitudes changed. Now I’m just an ordinary martial artist, and here you are again, condemning me. Is it really so enjoyable to be a weathercock?"

Some fell silent, others, stung by his words, began to hurl insults.

"Heh, and who are you to talk? So according to you, you kill people but you’re innocent—a good man?" Suddenly, a voice rang out as Fang Ye stepped from the crowd.

He was at the middle stage of External Strength, ranking among the top ten here.

Whatever one thought of Jiang Xiaotian, his aura was weak and unstable, barely at the early stage of External Strength, and even worse than others at this level. What right did he have to boast?

"In my opinion, though Senior Chen Yu’s methods are questionable, he is righteous at heart. At least he never harmed his own disciples. But you? You coveted a young woman and then killed her—how revolting!" Fang Ye’s words stirred the crowd’s anger once more.

But Jiang Xiaotian dismissed him as a noisy cockroach. "He twists the truth and you all swallow it? I could just as well say you’re a woman—so much blather; why not take your pants off and check?"

"You—!" Fang Ye’s face turned livid. He clenched his fists in fury, itching to start a fight right then and there.

But Chen Yu stepped in to stop the conflict just in time. "Heh, I had not planned to compete with the younger generation, but my disciple’s life must be avenged. Therefore, in this martial tournament, I demand to sign a life-and-death contract with Jiang Xiaotian!"

The crowd drew sharp breaths—life-and-death contract! Once signed, it could not be rescinded; the fight would not end until one of them lay dead.

All eyes turned to Jiang Xiaotian. None had expected Chen Yu to be so ruthless, wagering his life from the outset.

"I bet he won’t dare. A life-and-death contract is not something you just sign."

"Yeah, he was reckless and now he’ll pay the price!"

"Frankly, he deserves it!"

As the onlookers argued, Jiang Xiaotian just smiled.

"You’re right. Wan’er’s life must be repaid. I accept the life-and-death contract!"