Chapter Thirty-Six: Two Cockroaches

Jiang Xiaotian could not understand why Chen Yu dared to stand so openly before him and Ling’er, nor why he had the audacity to wager his life against him. Yet he was a man, and Ye Wan’er was now the one he vowed to protect. But Chen Yu, how dare you persistently bring her up?

“You’re not worthy to mention her!” Jiang Xiaotian’s voice was icy, his intent to kill finally surfacing. Gazing at this smiling old man, he felt an overwhelming disgust. Chen Yu had shattered every boundary of Jiang Xiaotian’s tolerance.

Moreover, almost no one sided with him now; the crowd’s voices all seemed to favor Chen Yu. He was clearly the greatest villain, yet because he was strong, everyone was willing to believe and idolize him! Especially Fang Ye, who cast a venomous glance at Jiang Xiaotian, a cruel hunter’s smile on his face. “I just hope you make it to the end. I fear you won’t even have the chance to face Senior Chen Yu.”

Jiang Xiaotian ignored him. He was nothing more than a barking dog; if he dared approach, Jiang Xiaotian would not hesitate to strike.

The life-and-death agreement was signed, witnessed by the crowd as both Chen Yu and Jiang Xiaotian completed the formalities together. Chen Yu remained radiant as ever, and everyone seemed to see the outcome already, gloating and urging Jiang Xiaotian to cherish his final days.

Of course, not everyone was so fickle; there were still good people. Once most had left, a few young faces lingered, casting Jiang Xiaotian complex, regretful looks.

Finally, a young woman stepped forward. “You’re too reckless. You shouldn’t gamble your life against such scum—it’s not worth it.”

Jiang Xiaotian looked closely; she seemed a little older than him, and her tone was cautious, as though afraid others might notice her speaking to him. “Thank you for your warning, sister, but between us, it’s a fight to the death.” Warmth filled Jiang Xiaotian’s heart.

She wanted to say more, but seeing his determined expression, she swallowed her words, sighed, shook her head, and left.

Almost no one believed in Jiang Xiaotian; all were convinced he was doomed. While Chen Yu enjoyed the adulation of thousands, Ye Wan’er lay in a cold hospital room, sustained only by machines.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiaotian’s anger surged. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails threatened to pierce his flesh.

Yet suddenly, a soft touch in his palm melted his rage instantly.

“I’m here.” Ling’er held his hand. Only she truly stood behind him.

Jiang Xiaotian was stunned for a moment, then managed an embarrassed smile.

“You’re the only one who can still smile. His presence feels different now; I suspect he’s truly an internal energy martial artist. It’ll be hard for you to kill him,” Ling’er rolled her eyes, offering him a dose of reality.

Jiang Xiaotian frowned at her words. “What’s going on? Did he go out and hurt someone again?”

“That’s likely. You’d best not fight him. Don’t you think he’s provoking you on purpose, just to force you into this life-and-death pact?” Ling’er wasn’t exactly worried; she simply found it strange.

Jiang Xiaotian nodded. He wasn’t foolish or impulsive; he had always intended to kill Chen Yu. If Chen Yu came, a deadly battle between them was inevitable.

“I won’t back down. Even if I can’t win, I’ll fight. I can’t always rely on others, then claim I want to protect someone.”

Not only was Jiang Xiaotian unafraid, he was even more eager. An internal energy master—what kind of existence would that be?

The situation now was the opposite of what he’d expected. Their first meeting had already become a confrontation, but Jiang Xiaotian had lost in popularity.

He didn’t care. He went to the registration area and signed up, ignoring the odd looks everyone gave him.

Jiang Xiaotian was already infamous in the coastal martial arts circles. Though most spoke poorly of him, there were some who supported him—after all, everyone knew what Chen Yu truly was.

No one could name any misdeeds by Jiang Xiaotian.

By noon, all participants had arrived. The original few dozen had swelled to over two hundred, so the tournament rules were changed.

The first round became an open selection. Two hundred people were divided into four groups, each assigned a ring. Anyone thrown out lost their eligibility. Nearly one hundred and fifty would be eliminated in this round.

Jiang Xiaotian was ready for a brawl. Whether it was bad luck or the organizers’ design, he drew lots and somehow ended up nowhere near Chen Yu—even Fang Ye wasn’t in his group.

He didn’t feel relieved; instead, his mood soured. Those two cockroaches were disgusting together, and Jiang Xiaotian felt uncomfortable without giving them a taste of his Dragon Form Fist.

Looking around, most in his group were at the early stage of external energy, with two at the mid stage—the strongest among them.

After some preparation, he was sent up.

The arena was actually quite spacious. Fifty people on it had plenty of room, so it wasn’t easy to accidentally fall off. To eliminate others, one needed a strong fist; if you were ousted, it was simply a matter of lacking strength.

Martial artists of all ages stood around—some as old as seventy or eighty, others even younger than Jiang Xiaotian.

The younger ones were fine, but as soon as Jiang Xiaotian stepped onto the ring, the middle-aged ones gave him a strange feeling. Their gazes kept darting toward him, some forming small groups, plotting who knows what.

It was just a martial arts tournament in a small city, an open selection round—was it really necessary?

In the end, only ten would remain.

Standing at the center of the ring, Jiang Xiaotian found most people distancing themselves, opening a path, as if afraid that associating with him would bring trouble should they encounter Fang Ye or Chen Yu later.

He didn’t care; the early-stage external energy types held little interest for him. If he could avoid fighting and watch from the sidelines, that would be ideal.

But as the selection round began, a strange scene unfolded.

The other three groups fought fiercely, people being eliminated left and right. Only Jiang Xiaotian’s group barely moved.

The crowd was distracted, yet if one looked closely, everyone was staring at Jiang Xiaotian with ill intent.

He raised his brow, realizing things weren’t so simple.

In the eyes of these martial artists, Jiang Xiaotian was weak. They didn’t attack immediately, puzzled as to why he’d accept a life-and-death pact.

So at first, they sized him up, soon noticing his numerous flaws. Quickly, two early-stage external energy martial artists couldn’t resist anymore.

They exchanged a glance, approached Jiang Xiaotian with smiles, and bowed. “Forgive us, Jiang Xiaotian. You’re a celebrity now. If we defeat you, our reputations will soar. Let me introduce myself—”

“Enough, spare me the theatrics. If you’re going to fight, get on with it. You think the author cares enough to name you two cannon fodder?” Jiang Xiaotian waved them off impatiently.

Their expressions changed instantly, faces hardening.

“If you won’t appreciate kindness, don’t blame us for being rough!”

Jiang Xiaotian nearly laughed. Two against one, and you talk about courtesy?

Clearly, they knew each other—one favored fists, the other legs. Their teamwork was decent.

“Jiang Xiaotian probably won’t last to the end! That’s Zhang Feng and Zhang Lei; they grew up together, not blood brothers but closer than family. Their coordination is so good even mid-stage external energy fighters can’t take them lightly!”

“Didn’t expect him to face tough opponents right from the start. Interesting.”

“More interesting, look at him—he’s like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. Maybe he’s planning to lose on purpose, so he won’t have to face Chen Yu and die.”

Everyone analyzed the scene, their attention focused on Jiang Xiaotian, confident he’d be eliminated at the start.

But the protagonist simply stood there, not planning to use Dragon Form Fist. At his current level, these kids were trivial.

Their speed was impressive; ordinary people couldn’t evade, but to Jiang Xiaotian, it was slow motion. He yawned and stretched, only dodging at the last moment with a backward lean to avoid their simultaneous attack.

Before they could adjust, Jiang Xiaotian kicked left, then right, sending them flying off the ring without mercy.

A deathly silence descended on the crowd.