Chapter 99: Never Would Have Expected This (Part Two)

BOOM!!

A faint dragon’s roar echoed in mid-air as the golden whip lashed out. Qin Ye’s eyes widened, and without a moment’s hesitation, he channeled his yin energy into his arms to defend against the strike.

*Clang-clang-clang...* The golden-scaled whip left striking red marks on his arms. As gravel sprayed across the ground and smoke billowed, he realized with a shock that he had been knocked back more than a dozen meters!

WTF?!

"Still holding back... fine, let's see how long you can keep that up!!" If Qin Ye was surprised, Lin Han was purely furious. With a roar, his figure moved as fast as lightning, leaving behind several afterimages in the air as if he were attacking Qin Ye from all directions simultaneously.

"Seven Stars Flashing Moon. Lin Han never received formal tutelage; he must have stumbled upon an ancient scroll, likely a true legacy of the Xiaoyao Sect from over twelve hundred years ago. He’s practiced it quite well." Xu Anguo’s smile had vanished. He watched the arena thoughtfully, muttering, "S9527... he shouldn't only have this level of strength."

"Indeed. If this were all he had, he could never have single-handedly purged nine major predator zones. We’ve personally investigated—it was undoubtedly his true qi. Given his strength, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the best of the new generation." Li Tao stroked his beard, his brows furrowed as well. "Unless..."

The two men exchanged a glance, the same thought crossing their minds: *Match-fixing!*

Dare to fix a match right in front of the two principals?

Have they gone mad?!

It wasn't just the principals who were shocked; the others were stunned as well. They knew how strong Lin Han was, but this rumored "best of the new generation" was actually... being forced into a purely defensive stance?

"No way..." a middle-aged woman gasped. "Is he... letting the other guy win? Or is it really a case of a reputation exceeding the reality?"

"I don't know..." a man beside her replied, looking dumbfounded. "I only see... Mr. Qin struggling to defend..."

Qin Ye was unaware of their thoughts. As he stared at the seven figures in the air, he was cursing up a storm in his heart.

*How do you even know such a bizarre technique! This isn't like you! Rip off that face-skin and let this official see who you really are!*

The seven figures were indistinguishable from one another, each producing a sharp whistling sound as they struck—punches, elbow strikes, knee slams, kicks... all aimed at his vital points. They were fast as lightning, like seven lethal weapons.

He didn't dare pull out his Ghost-Head Blade. It might work to bluff the Flame Squad, but with Wuchang and even Zhou Xianlong lurking somewhere, a single slip-up would completely ruin his "Hamster Plan."

What now?

Countless thoughts raced through his mind. It wasn't that he couldn't block this, but... as the man who purged nine major predator zones, he was reduced to only defending? What would the school board think? Would they assign him a group of C-tier losers? Would they strip him of unknown future benefits?

*Lin Han... after you die, this official will eventually throw your soul into the mines for forced labor!!*

As his mind raced, the seven figures closed in. Qin Ye took a deep breath, and a violent burst of true qi erupted in the arena.

It drifted away like white mist.

A moment later, as the mist cleared, Qin Ye stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression as calm and immovable as a mountain. He looked at Lin Han and asked, "Is that it?"

No one saw that his hands, hidden in his pockets, were trembling like he had a stroke.

*Dammit... that was too intense, right? Is this what a human genius is? Why couldn't you even scratch a ghost for half an hour, but you go full-on mad dog mode the moment you face me! This is unscientific!*

Lin Han’s gaze chilled as he bit his lip. "So, the Seven Stars Flashing Moon really can't hurt you..."

"In that case..." Qin Ye maintained a calm facade, acting for his life. What he meant to say was: *Then just concede.*

Lin Han let out a long breath. "I wasn't planning on using this move..."

*Whoosh...* The moment the last word fell, the scattered true qi from all directions gathered like a sea of dragons into his body, causing his camouflage uniform to billow violently.

*Wait...*

*You still have more?!*

*Will this ever end!!*

Qin Ye’s calm expression froze. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his jaw. Just as Lin Han’s true qi was about to explode, Qin Ye said faintly, "In that case... I concede."

*Pfft...* Lin Han’s true qi deflated like a punctured balloon. He looked at Qin Ye in disbelief.

Qin Ye kept a smile on his face while screaming internally, nodding at him. "Not bad."

"You’ve improved since I last saw you. My hands are still numb."

A flush of red appeared on Lin Han’s handsome face. He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't need you to go easy on me!! This round doesn't count, we go again!!"

*You want to go again?!*

"No, a bet is a bet. You won." Qin Ye walked off the stage with a smile, hiding his merit and fame.

He didn't care about the pairs of wide-eyed stares fixed upon him.

"Interesting." After a long silence, Li Tao’s voice rose from the crowd with a smile. "Instructor S9527, your... approach is quite unique."

"Instructor Lin wins," he said with a meaningful look. "However, Instructor S9527, I hope you won't regret your modesty today."

Qin Ye kept his smile.

*Of course I'll regret it! The problem is that this official can't actually beat him!*

*Why does a ghost-binding spirit need this official’s help to be defeated, but acts like a mad dog on aphrodisiacs when facing me!*

Xu Anguo also smiled and said, "Instructor Qin has a great spirit of unity and friendship. If it weren't for the fact that your purging of the nine predator zones was personally verified by myself and Elder Li, you almost would have fooled us. However... in cultivation, one must still compete for what is theirs."

Qin Ye continued to smile.

Before he could finish smiling, a shadow a head taller than him stood in front of him with a *thud*.

Lin Han’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. He stared fixedly at Qin Ye for a long time before saying, "Do you look down on me?"

*No... I think very highly of you...*

Qin Ye maintained a perfect smile. "What are you talking about?"

"Then why didn't you go all out against me?" Lin Han’s chest heaved. "In your eyes, am I not even worthy of you drawing your blade?"

"Where is your blade? The one you used to slay the ghost-binding spirits that night! You used less than a tenth of your strength; don't try to lie to me!"

*I'm really not lying to you!!*

Qin Ye’s fake, flawless smile faded. He said in a deep voice, "Is this interesting?"

"We've known each other for a while, and I... don't exactly care for these titles..." He ground his teeth as he spoke, then let out a sigh. "I don't want to show my full strength; I'd rather leave you all with some hope."

"You..."

"Lin Han!" Qin Ye raised his voice slightly, his tone stern. "My blade is only for slaying ghosts."

"Once it leaves the sheath, it must taste blood."

"I don't want to leave you with any regrets."

Lin Han bit his lip so hard it almost bled, then turned and left without another word.

Qin Ye stood there, meeting the complex gazes from all around. He had mastered his tone perfectly—it was the kind that suggested he had "lost control of his emotions for a moment." His acting was perfect.

*Oh, damn... finally managed to bluff my way through...*

*But... but there's still another round...*

Five people, divided into two groups, with the last person getting a bye. This meant he had to act for one more round to drag this incredibly awkward competition to its end.

It was a true test of his acting skills.

The next round was between Su Feng and Li Runsue. Qin Ye would have to face the loser, and if he won, he would have to fight the winner, and then defeat Lin Han to meet Zhuo Qinfen, who had the bye.

A double-elimination format.

The battle between Li Runsue and Su Feng was much more intense. They knew each other’s roots, and every move was aimed at the other’s vitals. The speed and power of their true qi made Qin Ye shudder.

*These human geniuses are too fierce... I can't beat them, I really can't...*

*If you're so good, let's compete at slaying ghosts!*

In the end, Li Runsue narrowly defeated Su Feng by a single move.

"Well fought." Li Runsue was covered in injuries as he bowed to Su Feng. Su Feng shook his head helplessly, adjusted his glasses, and turned toward Qin Ye.

Qin Ye immediately lowered his head.

*Turn away!*

*Don't look at this official!*

*I know exactly what you're going to say before you even open your mouth!*

"Qin Ye." However, Su Feng clearly couldn't hear Qin Ye’s inner voice. He said gravely, "Next round, I hope to see your blade."

*Heh... I won't let you see it.*

Watching Su Feng jump off the stage to recover, and feeling the expectant gazes from all directions, Qin Ye felt his teeth ache with frustration.

*"After you die... this official will be waiting for you in the eighteen levels of hell!!"*

Su Feng swallowed some kind of pill. After a ten-minute rest, Li Tao smiled and asked, "Are you ready?"

"I am," Su Feng nodded solemnly.

"I am also looking forward to it." Li Tao smiled at Qin Ye. "That night, Instructor Qin clearly used a blade; his true qi was profound, and every ghost was killed with a single strike. If Instructor Su can force Instructor Qin to draw his blade, it will surely be an eye-opener for us all."

Qin Ye felt his smile slipping.

*I can't fight...*

Su Feng wasn't much weaker than Lin Han. He might be able to win, but...

An S-tier instructor who purged nine predator zones, having to struggle with everything he had just to beat another S-tier? That was even more shameless than being shameless!

"Instructor Qin. You..." Before Li Tao could finish, Qin Ye calmly raised his hand. "I concede."

The entire arena fell silent.

Su Feng adjusted his glasses, looking at Qin Ye as if he had seen a ghost. "No... are you really not going to try? I'm easy to beat, I'm weak and trashy, give it a shot? Who knows, maybe you'll knock me over with a single push..."

*Could it be that even he can't force the guy to draw his blade?*

"No need to try." *I'm not falling for your tricks...* Qin Ye waved his hand as if bored. "You are no match for me."

"An instructor who couldn't even scratch a ghost-binding spirit for half an hour, and needed me to save him... there's no need to waste my time."

"Principal, announce it."

Li Tao felt that something was wrong.

Clearly, after "No need to try, you are no match for me," the next sentence should not have been "Then you concede."

What was the logical connection there?

But... why did it seem like there was no error in that deduction based on the information Qin Ye had revealed?

Su Feng’s face turned beet red. However, since it was the truth, he couldn't refute it.

"Instructor Qin..." Xu Anguo paused. "Won't you reconsider?"

Qin Ye shook his head. "Not interested."

*I've lost interest in this whole competition!*

However, to the ears of everyone else, it sounded like: *You are all too weak, I'm really not interested.*

"So arrogant." A male instructor tossed a small knife in his hand, frowning. "Really? Su Feng was actually saved by him?"

"Otherwise?" A middle-aged man with a square face beside him shook his head. "I heard from Lin 'Big Mouth' that it was all one strike... every single ghost-binding spirit, all taken down with one strike, none spared. Otherwise, why do you think they were so eager to have this match today?"

"Too bad, the gap in skill is too large. The other party has no intention of attacking at all."

"Yeah..." a female instructor sighed. "Only those with strength have the capital to be arrogant."