Master, This Poor Disciple Died Again Today

Chapter 99: Second Round

Li Xiang stretched and walked off her square. As most of the other duels drew to an end, Hui hopped down. Itll be my turn next.

He landed beside Li Xiang as she stepped off and nodded at her. She smiled back. Good luck, Hui!

Thank you, elder sister. Congratulations on your victory!

Her brows furrowed faintly. Do you think I was too hard on him? I didnt mean to bruise him so badly.

Li Xiang, please dont say that around Su Yan. I think hed go berserk to know you were holding back. I think its fine, its fine. Su Yan has his pride as well.

Do you know him? You seemed friendly with him, she said, tilting her head.

Hui shrugged. I met him coincidentally in the plaza a few days back. He has a cute little sister Ive been helping look after.

Ah! That cute little girl next to you? She was adorable! Li Xiang said, nodding.

I think shes a third-tier cultivator, the same as us. And if she looks that young, shes got to be a genius of some sort, Hui evaluated. We probably shouldnt call her cute.

Eh? But she is cute. If she didnt want to be cute, she could use a body-modification technique, Li Xiang said.

Hui considered. Thats true.

Its also possible that shes naturally a very small person, and shes our age but looks small, Li Xiang said, narrowing her eyes after the retreating Su siblings. I should ask her.

Ask her how? Hello, elder sister, did you know that youre cute? Youre going to come off like youre flirting with her!

Hui paused. Now that I think of it, that would be a very harmonious scene. The purehearted white lily beauty, Li Xiang, and the small, adorable cultivator Su Caiyi, chatting together under the falling plum blossoms

In his minds eye, Bai Xue joined the other two. At first, she fit right in, but then she smirked and put an arm on either of the other twos shoulder. Her smirk turned devious, and she led them away from the plum blossoms, giving Hui a knowing wink.

Hui waved away the image, enraged. Bai Xue! Dont haunt my pure fantasies, you evil furnace!

Eh? Hui, are you okay? Li Xiang asked.

My inner demon came back, Hui grumbled. Argh, if Bai Xue actually ends up as an inner demon, I think Ill give up, fake my death, and restart as a wandering cultivator. If she found outand she wouldId never hear the end of it.

Ill cheer you on from the stands, Li Xiang said, hopping up into the stadium.

Ah, this small cultivator appreciates it, but you dont have to, Hui said, bowing. The Starbound Peak cultivators would outright murder me, I think.

Li Xiang smiled and patted his shoulder. No, no! Let me, let me. Im here to cheer on my friends!

Hui straightened up, excited. Youyou consider me a friend?

She tipped her head, then nodded. Mhm! Of course.

I Im honored, Hui said, touched.

Li Xiang laughed. Havent we been friends for a while? Sometimes youre very strange, Hui!

Hui laughed. Ive heard that before.

Ah, of course Id rather she saw me as more than a friendbut, but! This is a start! And besides, friends are precious. I had none in my first life. I mean to treasure all the friends I can make in this life. Even if this is as far as we go, Ill still treasure Li Xiang.

But that doesnt mean Im giving up!

Opposite him, a green blur descended. A young man a little older than him in scholarly, long robes stood opposite him, holding a wooden sword. Rather than an elegant, scholarly look, though, he had a very practical, plain face for a cultivator, and even the billowing scholars robes had been reined in and shortened to be easier to move in.

So hes not someone who worries about aesthetics. Hmm if hes as practical as he looks, itll be difficult to draw him into my pace. This could be a difficult fight.

Oh well. Now that I have my talismans, I can fight back. Even if I cant draw him into my pace, theres a route to victory.

As he thought, Hui summoned a stack of each of the types of talismans from his ring. He stored each stack in a distinct place in his robes, so he could use them without searching in his ring first. At higher levels, the delay will be negligible, but at the third stage, it still requires some of my focus to choose the right talisman from the ring in the middle of battle. Better to prepare ahead of time.

He grinned at the cultivator opposite him. Ding Bo, I presume?

The young man nodded back at him.

Only a wooden sword? Thats not very impressive, he taunted, resting a hand on Gu Tians sword.

Ding Bo blinked at him, his expression steady. In a familiar, even tone, he stated, Many people have told me that, before they lost.

Ah! That wasnt even bragging! Im quite familiar with that tone from hanging around so many peerless experts. No wonder he modified his scholarly robes. Despite belonging to the Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect, which seems to value plant cultivation and magical techniques, hes a true sword cultivator.

And then theres me, from Starbound Sect, whos mostly represented by its sword cultivators and who has no more than the outer sects sword techniques!

Though I cant complain. It seems I have no karma with sword techniques, but plenty of karma with talismans to make up for it.

Mmm, but, fighting a Li Xiang-like cultivator maybe this small cultivator should give up and play dead. I dont like pain, after all, and I dont know if I can win.

Images of the Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivators flashed through his head. The four cultivators standing over his Masters wolf. The cruelty in Sect Master Mus eye as he tried to twist the scenario to take his Masters hand. Long before that, the triplets repeatedly caging Bai Xue, trying to force her to be their furnace against her will.

Hui tightened his grip on Gu Tians sword. No. Not against Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect. I refuse to give in to these bullies. Even if I have to act dishonorably, Ill take this man down.

And its easier to rend hearts that way, too! I know I cant strike fear into their hearts from my martial prowess, so Ill have to do the next best thing: make them view fighting with me as worthless! If they see me playing in the mud, and know theyll only get mud on themselves if they try to come after me, wont this small cultivator face many fewer conflicts in the future? Playing dead now is too early. Let me show them the depths of horror first.

Hui nodded to himself, pleased with his plan. Ah, Hui, youre too clever. Youve out-clevered yourself this time.

Ding Bo pointed his sword at Hui. Why dont you leave your snake to the side? I already know that trick.

Ah, elder brother, I appreciate the advice, but Zhubi is a valuable companion. He fights alongside me, Hui said, bowing. Back when he was a small snake, and I was planning on faking my death in the arena, I couldnt risk his life. Now, Im not planning to get stabbed in any vital places. In fact, in some ways, I can think of Zhubi as fourth-stage neck armornot that Id deliberately risk his life, of course, but as a four-hundred-year-level spirit beast, his scales should be too hard for a third-stage cultivator to scratch.

Besides, now that he can turn into a ten-meter-long snake, Id be a fool to leave a valuable weapon outside of combat! Even if his qi-poison has been revealed, its still a poison, and I have the element of surprise on his size!

I want to have a good, clean fight. If you bring him into battle, I will view him as an opponent, Ding Bo said woodenly.

A good, clean fight? Is this the same Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect who kicked my Masters wolf while he was down? Hui snorted. Understood, understood. A good, clean fight. Zhubi, do you want to come into battle?

Zhubi nuzzled his neck and nodded, coiling slightly tighter. Not tight enough to choke, but closer to Huis warmth.

Hui chuckled. In the end, hes still a snake. He doesnt want to leave the warmth of my neck. See? Zhubi wants to fight, too.

Ding Bo blinked. He nodded.

Ah, Im getting drawn into his pace, dammit! I need it to be the other way around! Hui shook his head. Right, right, I should open with a bluff. What can I do this time? Hes seen some of my skills, so

All around them, the last of the other fights finished. The next round of cultivators lined up, matched with their opponents. Hui jogged in place and did a few stretches, warming up. Alright! Ive got this!

The gong rang. Hui stepped into the ring.