It's My Turn to Install

Jiang Mingzhuo took a drag from his cigarette, inhaling deeply before exhaling the smoke. "Xiao Que, it's all in the past now."

"In the past? I'd believe it if others said that, but not you."

Zhang Que lit his own cigarette. Sitting on the ground, leaning against a nearby slope, he said,

"We've all grown old."

Jiang Mingzhuo said softly.

"Brother Shou said the same thing."

Zhang Que looked at Jiang Mingzhuo.

"You... went to see him?"

Jiang Mingzhuo suddenly stopped, then laughed, "He didn't curse you out?"

"Back then, Brother Shou called me trash, said I was a burden, told me to get lost, that he never wanted to see me again..."

Zhang Que took a couple of puffs from his cigarette and flicked the ash. "But so many years have passed. His anger must have faded long ago."

"He wasn't really angry with you back then either."

Jiang Mingzhuo glanced at Zhang Que. "You were still young, and he felt responsible for you losing an arm. Moreover, he... he was crippled."

"What did you say?"

Zhang Que abruptly straightened up.

"He only told me. After he woke up from that serious injury, he could no longer use Qi."

Jiang Mingzhuo explained. "It wasn't just you. It was the same with everyone else. Telling you all to get lost was just because he didn't want you to know he had become a cripple, afraid you'd do something foolish."

"That bastard, Brother Shou!"

The hand holding Zhang Que's cigarette trembled. He took several frantic puffs before crushing the butt with his fingers. "I've been a real beast, holding a grudge against Brother Shou all these years."

Then, he suddenly froze. "Wait, that's not right. Last time, Brother Shou easily caught the blade of that late-stage Gang Qi user. If he couldn't use Qi, even if he could catch it by reflex, he wouldn't be able to hold it firmly."

"Could it be that after all these years, he's recovered?"

Jiang Mingzhuo stubbed his cigarette out on the ground and pulled out a box of Furongwang from his pocket.

He took out two, putting one in his mouth and offering the other to Zhang Que.

Both of them sat there, smoking away, lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile,

the people outside the arena were still reeling from Xu Mu's earlier performance.

So much so that the final match of the first round, between two early-stage Shentong practitioners, didn't even spark any discussion.

Finally, the quarterfinals were over.

The winners were Xu Mu, Cui Yu, Lv Pinlong, and Wu Deng.

After another intermission of over ten minutes, the semifinals began.

Xu Mu had already made up his mind; it was still best to keep a low profile.

If he faced Cui Yu or Lv Pinlong, he would simply forfeit. Then he'd win against this Wu Deng and secure third place.

The matches began.

First match: Xu Mu vs. Cui Yu.

Seeing this, Cui Yu immediately stood up.

His master had just asked who was stronger between him and Xu Mu, and now he was going to prove it.

"Cui Yu, forfeit this match."

Jiang Mingzhuo suddenly said.

Hearing this, Cui Yu looked puzzled, but his master's command was absolute.

Just as he was about to speak, Xu Mu from a distance spoke first.

"I forfeit!"

Xu Mu raised his hand and said, "The last fight used up a lot of my Qi. I need to recover!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Yu couldn't help but look at Jiang Mingzhuo.

"Since he forfeits, you may sit down."

Jiang Mingzhuo said indifferently.

"Yes."

Cui Yu sat back down.

"Next match, Lv Pinlong vs. Wu Deng."

Wei Jingzhi, on the high platform, announced.

"I forfeit too."

Wu Deng was well aware that he had only gotten this far by luck.

Facing Lv Pinlong, not only would he not win, but he'd also get a beating for nothing. Only a fool would fight.

"Good. Then we will now determine first place between Lv Pinlong and Cui Yu."

Wei Jingzhi continued from the high platform.

Lv Pinlong stepped into the arena first. Even though it was just a one-point difference, he didn't want to give up.

The points weren't important; what mattered was his status. As the illustrious Tenth Captain of the Sanitation Department, if he lost to a nobody, where would he put his face in the future?

"Master, I'm going."

Cui Yu stood up and started walking over.

"No need. It's not worth wasting time on him. A one-point gap can easily be made up in the second event."

Jiang Mingzhuo said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Yes."

Cui Yu looked towards the high platform. "I forfeit this match."

A slight smile appeared on Lv Pinlong's face. This kid knew what was good for him.

On the high platform, everyone offered their congratulations to Lv Chuan.

"Truly worthy of being the Tenth Captain of the Sanitation Department cleaners. His strength is formidable."

"I think in the next assessment, he might even advance further."

...

Jiang Huihui listened to these flatteries, her expression unchanging.

First place, so what?

He was only a few points ahead of Xu Mu. Xu Mu would easily overtake him in the second event.

"Good. Now to determine third and fourth place: Xu Mu vs. Wu Deng."

Wei Jingzhi announced from the high platform.

Wu Deng raised his hand again. "I forfeit."

If it were before, when Xu Mu wasn't taking it seriously and was still the 'fixed-match guy',

he would definitely have gone up to have a go. But now, having witnessed Xu Mu's true power, he absolutely dared not fight.

In his view, the threat from Xu Mu and Lv Pinlong was the same to him: a beating.

"Good. Then third and fourth place are decided."

After Wei Jingzhi finished speaking, the number '3' appeared next to Xu Mu's name on the large screen behind him.

Wu Deng's name now appeared in fourth place, but he knew he wouldn't hold that position for long.

"I challenge Wu Deng!"

At that moment, Xue Kaixuan, with bandages wrapped around his torso, walked over from a distance.

He had been knocked unconscious by Xu Mu's technique earlier, but his injuries were mostly superficial and not serious.

In his view, dealing with an early-stage Shentong practitioner was still doable.

Wu Deng felt helpless. Even against a wounded Xue Kaixuan, he wasn't confident of winning.

"I forfeit."

Wu Deng said to Wei Jingzhi.

"Good. Then Xue Kaixuan takes the fourth position," Wei Jingzhi said calmly.

"I challenge Wu Deng!"

Chen Xuan also stood up at that moment, addressing Wei Jingzhi.

Wu Deng sighed helplessly. Damn it, he wasn't a match for Chen Xuan either.

"I forfeit."

Wu Deng continued.

"I challenge Wu Deng!"

"I challenge Wu Deng!"

...

For a moment, many people joined in the chorus. In their eyes, Wu Deng was indeed occupying a position he didn't belong in.

"Damn it! You really think I'm afraid of everyone? I accept the challenge!"

Wu Deng said sharply.

He couldn't beat those top fighters, but was he supposed to be afraid of the rest?

Time passed minute by minute.

Everyone had one chance to challenge.

Finally, everyone was more or less in the position they should be in.

The top five were Lv Pinlong, Cui Yu, Xu Mu, Xue Kaixuan, and Chen Xuan.

Actually, by rights, Zhao Gang could have been near the top too, but his shoulder had been cut open by Chen Xuan, and he had already been carried away, forced to forfeit.

The first event, the martial competition, concluded successfully.

Xu Mu scored seventy-eight points, just two points behind Lv Pinlong's eighty.

"Good. Prepare the brushes and ink. The second event, the traditional painting competition, will now begin."

Jiang Sheng also found it hard to believe that Xu Mu's strength was so formidable, only two points behind Lv Pinlong.

Given his painting skills, he would definitely surpass everyone in the second round and take first place.

Xu Mu gently flexed his arm. Finally, it was his turn to show off.