Chapter 44
The third bout saw Chen Huan going onto the stage, and with a rapid thrust, she easily dispatched her opponent long before he could slash at her .
Caeser’s turn came during the fourth bout, and with a swift side-dodge, he struck his opponent’s arm with the hilt of his sword, winning the match .
Then came the fifth round…
Lin Sheng got up and put on his helmet . He grabbed his sword as he went up the stage from the right side .
His opponent was a large brute who was about half a head taller than him and twice the size .
“Boy, with that scrawny frame of yours, it’s just a waste of time . Forfeit, I don’t want to hurt you!” the brute shouted at Lin Sheng .
Lin Sheng did not even bother to respond .
*Ding!*
The bell rang .
With a chopping motion, the referee signaled the start of the match before stepping back .
Lin Sheng, in turn, took a step forward, his sword on guard .
At the same time, the brute roared and made a powerful downward slash, hitting the side of Lin Sheng’s guard .
*Clang!!*
Lin Sheng’s sword parried the brute’s, and he made use of a powerful strike as counter-leverage .
The brute’s massive strength, instead, caused Lin Sheng’s blade to rebound and smashed into his face .
“F*ck…” The brute was struck by his own force, and he went into a daze . He spun about dizzily before he fell to his knees .
Lin Sheng then drew his blade and brought it downward .
The blade easily struck the brute’s neck, knocking him down .
Sponsored Content
It was the skill he had learned from the rotten swordsman, Flash Riposte .
It was not a secret technique, rather, it was a very common one created to fight against foes who relied on brute strength .
There were also such techniques within Naxi Swordsmanship that used special moves to turn the strength of one’s foes against themselves .
For Lin Sheng, who had obtained the rotten swordsman’s memory, it took him just mere moments to master it . He was able to easily advance through the beginner phase and utilize it with ease .
“Steelscale Club, Lin Sheng’s victory!” After the referee confirmed that the brute was not able to get up, he raised his hand to indicate the victor .
Lin Sheng walked down the stage indifferently and saw Chen Huan gnashing her teeth as she stared at him .
After that, the victors drew lots again .
Shayeen went ahead to draw her lot, and her opponent was the golden-haired youth, Caeser .
This piqued Lin Sheng’s interest slightly .
His match was the second one; the first was Chen Huan against the long-armed swordsman .
The long-armed swordsman had only won by virtue of his arm length . Against Chen Huan, that was mere decoration, and his longsword was quickly knocked out of his hand .
Amid the victory proclamation, he walked down dejectedly without any pomp .
Lin Sheng reckoned that, due to how quick the bout had ended, there was no flourish and spectacle for the audience . As a result, it was probably not so popular .
Sadly, this was a reality that could not be changed .
“Second bout, Lin Sheng of Steelscale Club against Caeser . ”
Lin Sheng got up with his sword in hand as Russell cheered on loudly and Madillan, as well as Shayeen, clapped hard .
He nodded slightly and got onto the stage, facing the golden-haired youth .
Sponsored Content
“This guy… He knows real combat techniques!” Lin Sheng looked over and squinted .
Caeser cast a similar sharp glance at Lin Sheng too .
“Such a powerful presence!” He may have looked calm, but deep down, he was unnerved .
The man facing him simply stood there, his blade still in his sheath . His face was impassive, yet Caeser could faintly sense a deadly aura around him .
He had only sensed such an aura from his former bodyguard…
It was the aura of someone who had bloodied his blade before!
*Hiss…*
Caeser slowly drew his blade and moved into position, his blade facing upward before him . It was a stance that he only used against a strong opponent, the Crown Guard .
Although his sword was in front of him, Caeser’s eyes were locked tightly on his opponent, as he guarded against any points of attack .
“Start!”
The referee’s voice boomed .
Caeser’s muscles tensed, and just as he was about to go for a strike, his vision suddenly blurred .
“Where is he?!” He lost his target completely .
As his pupils shrank, he saw a silhouette appearing behind him .
*Clang!*
Their two blades clashed, rebounded, and clashed again .
Caeser rolled and tried to get up for a counterattack, but he suddenly stopped .
Sponsored Content
A silver blade was pointing at his forehead .
“Such speed!” He looked up in astonishment at his opponent .
Even against his former bodyguard, he could still spar with him for a dozen rounds . He was no mere showoff . In terms of skill and technique, he could even easily fight off a group of people with his blade alone .
Yet, right then…
“I’ve opened a training school . Feel free to visit if you’re interested,” Lin Sheng calmly said as he sheathed his sword .
“Victory goes to Lin Sheng of Steelscale Club!” the referee pronounced .
Lin Sheng slowly walked down the stage, his expression calm .
In his eyes, Caeser was only a person who knew combat sword techniques .
As he descended the stage, Russell and the rest happily congratulated him .
Now that the strongest contender, Caeser was so easily defeated, a loser like Chen Huan was a forgone conclusion . Lin Sheng would take the crown in this tournament .
During the next round, Chen Huan easily beat the fifth participant who was given a goodbye .
Once it came to facing Lin Sheng, however, she chose to forfeit .
As Lin Sheng looked at her, she gritted her teeth with her head down . No one knew what kind of expression she was making .
And with that, the tournament officially ended before noon .
The organizer gave Lin Sheng the certificate to participate in the provincial tournament . On it was the details of his placing in the local tournament .
As for the prize, it would be given in one go after the finals .
The provincial-level tournament was a week later at Greenmat Sports Complex in Adien City, the provincial capital .
The team would comprise of the victors, Lin Sheng and Chen Huan .
By the time the tournament ended, it was barely 11 o’clock .
Just as Lin Sheng was leading Russell and the rest out of the complex, a few people came chasing after him .
“Lin Sheng!”
The golden-haired youth ran over, smiling as he called out to him .
Lin Sheng turned over and gave him a confused look . He had no idea why that person had come running for him .
Caeser was wearing a very attractive smile .
“It’s so rare that I get the chance to meet a skilled swordsman in Huaisha City . Want to go for a drink? My treat . ”
Lin Sheng demurred before he nodded . He was curious about Caeser too .
“You can head back first then, I’ll have a short chat with Mr . Carmie . ” He turned back .
“Master Lin, be careful . Caeser’s background isn’t exactly pristine,” Shayeen closed in and whispered .
Lin Sheng nodded in acknowledgment .
“We’ll wait for you at the club in that case . Master Lin, you should get a handphone, it’s just too inconvenient trying to get in touch with you,” Russell grumbled audibly .
The three then got into the car, which had been waiting for them, and left .
Lin Sheng and Caeser then headed to a café next to the sports complex .
Caeser had only come with his bodyguard, and as he sat down, he sent his bodyguard to wait at the door .
There were not many customers in the café, and they both decided to sit in the innermost corner of the shop .
“What would you like to have?” Caeser had changed into a smart casual outfit . His immaculate face held his attractive smile, and his golden hair shone under the light .
Comparatively, Lin Sheng appeared very regular . He had the look of a mere high school student, and aside from his sharp eyes, there were no other defining traits .