I'm Already the Richest Man, Why Did My System Just Arrive?

Chapter 297: Chapter 178: Drawing Prison

"Hero Xiao, you and Xie Luohe actually..."

As Zheng Xiu passed, Dugu Xiang gave him a suspicious glance. He clearly knew what had just happened up there.

The reason he was ahead of Zheng Xiu was that he had secretly used Qinggong to rush through the woods, then reappeared on the path acting as if nothing was amiss.

Zheng Xiu shook his head and said with a wry smile, "The matters of the heart are complicated. Forgive the embarrassing display, Brother Dugu."

’I never thought I’d end up talking to the "World’s Number One Sword" all because of Xie Luohe.’

Dugu Xiang wore a strange expression and didn’t reply.

"By the way, Brother Dugu, if someone were to cause trouble for me, Xiao Buping, here in Hidden Sword Manor—or even try to kill me for revenge—wouldn’t that mean they have no respect for Hidden Sword Manor?"

Zheng Xiu gathered his courage and spoke loudly.

The faint footsteps in the woods behind him came to a sudden halt. The enraged female knights, who had been stealthily approaching with swords drawn, held their breath.

Dugu Xiang’s eye twitched. He hesitated for a moment before managing to say, "Since I have dared to host this Martial World gathering, I will not allow private duels within my manor. If anyone violates this rule, they show no respect for the Dugu Family. I will certainly protect you within the manor, but once you leave..."

"Thank you, Hero Dugu!" Zheng Xiu cupped his hands, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said joyfully.

After parting with Dugu Xiang and arriving safely at the banquet area, Zheng Xiu gritted his teeth and scanned his surroundings. He didn’t see Xie Luohe, so he could only take Xiaotao to sit in a corner.

Surrounded by judgmental gazes, Zheng Xiu endured it. He let Xiaotao eat first, while under the table he secretly opened the "love letter" Xie Luohe had mentioned.

On it was written only a single line of text: The plan has changed. You must fight for a spot in the top ten!

Below it was a poorly drawn "smiley face" that was barely recognizable.

Fuck!

’Xie Luohe, you think way too highly of Gongsun Mo, don’t you?’

’This is something Gongsun Mo could never accomplish!’

Zheng Xiu’s first reaction was confusion.

He was Zheng Xiu, not Gongsun Mo. In his mind, Gongsun Mo was nothing more than a scholar. This was a complete deviation from the original trajectory of the "memory world."

In fact, Zheng Xiu also knew that ever since Gongsun Mo’s influence had faded, everything he experienced had gradually deviated from its set course, veering off into some unknown territory.

Setting that matter aside for now, Zheng Xiu was more puzzled by what Xie Luohe meant by "changed." What exactly had "changed"?

According to Xie Luohe’s original plan, she was supposed to fight her way into the top ten and then take the opportunity to snatch that piece of calligraphy.

But now, it seemed Xie Luohe had discovered something. The original plan wouldn’t work, so she used this method to tell Zheng Xiu that she was giving up on the top ten, and he was up instead.

’Can we even switch like that?’

Puzzled, Zheng Xiu crumpled the "love letter" into a ball, stuffed it into his tea to soak, and completely destroyed the writing on it.

Little did he know, this scene made countless female knights grit their teeth in fury, cementing their view of his "scumbag" behavior.

The banquet ended quickly amidst Zheng Xiu’s anxiety. To avoid being assassinated on the road over some fabricated love affair, he left early. He kept his eyes on Dugu Xiang, and the moment the man departed, Zheng Xiu followed, trailing him from a distance all the way back to the Sword Inquiry Platform.

「In the afternoon.」

The knights took their seats once more.

The Martial World gathering continued.

The first round had taken a considerable amount of time. However, after the fierce competition of the first round, the number of contestants had been drastically reduced. The following proceedings would be much more condensed.

Soon, it was the Jiazi group’s turn again.

After a few bouts that weren’t particularly intense, nothing major happened. The knights closed their eyes to rest and conserve their energy, waiting for their own rounds.

At the end of a round, Dugu Xiang looked at the pairings on the list, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he announced in a clear voice.

"Jiazi Group! Iron Fan Scholar, Xiao Buping!"

"Blood-Handed Rakshasa, Iron Maiden!"

"Will the two of you please ascend the Sword Inquiry Platform!"

"Hahaha!" A valiant-looking female knight with a scar on her face and dark skin pushed off with her feet, somersaulting several times in mid-air before landing lightly in the center of the Sword Inquiry Platform. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. With a cold sneer, she crooked a finger at the scumbag on the viewing platform. "Bandit Xiao, get down here and die!"

In an instant, many people’s eyes snapped open, their gazes focusing on one person.

"Sigh. Is this really necessary?"

Zheng Xiu recalled Xie Luohe’s words on the note. He had no choice but to helplessly set down his bamboo basket, hang the Luohe Brush from his waist, and, unlike his opponent’s flashy Qinggong entrance, slowly stroll down from the stands, fanning himself with an unhurried air.

This display stunned the knights present. Everyone knew that Xiao Buping’s Qinggong was unparalleled and that he excelled at escaping and breaking into places. They had expected his opponent’s flashy Qinggong display to provoke Xiao Buping’s competitive spirit. Yet, Xiao Buping was so composed, walking down step by step. In their confusion, they found themselves looking at this man in a new light.

Reaching the center of the Sword Inquiry Platform, Zheng Xiu looked at the Iron Maiden.

The woman known as the Iron Maiden had a murderous look in her eyes, staring daggers at him.

"Miss, do I, Xiao Buping, have some grudge with you?"

"Hahaha, Bandit Xiao! You know full well, so why play dumb! Killing you will rid the Martial World of a great menace. Millions of female knights will be able to rest easy!"

Zheng Xiu smiled faintly. "Everyone under Heaven knows my Qinggong is second to none. If I were to beat you with Qinggong... tsk, you surely wouldn’t accept it." He then raised his head, looked at Dugu Xiang—who had an expression like he was watching a good show—and called out, "If I may ask Hero Dugu, could I raise the stakes for this match?"

Dugu Xiang was taken aback, then frowned. "Raise the stakes?"

Zheng Xiu took the Luohe Brush from his waist, twirled it a few times between his fingers, and smiled. "Martial Arts are killing techniques. I have no interest in a mere spar. But a true life-and-death battle of blades would go against Hero Dugu’s original intention for hosting this grand event."

Under the watchful eyes of all, Zheng Xiu bit his finger, took out the Luohe Brush, and its black bristle tip took on an eerie red glow.

He walked around the arena, drawing a "blood-red circle" on the Sword Inquiry Platform, enclosing both himself and the Iron Maiden within it.

"Beating you with Qinggong would be an unfair victory."

"We will settle this within the circle. Surrender, and you lose. Get pushed out of the circle, and you lose. That will decide the victor!"

"But if either of us uses the advantage of Qinggong to voluntarily step out of the circle, they will take their own life on the spot! We’ll be betting our lives!"

Fanning himself with his right hand amidst a sea of shocked faces, Zheng Xiu laid down his "rules." He looked at the equally bewildered Iron Maiden and said calmly:

"I, Xiao, dare to forsake my own Qinggong, dare to use this Drawing Prison, and wager my very life!"

"All for the sake of battling you with a warrior’s dignity!"

"Do you,"

"dare?"

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