Chapter 56: The Entrance of the Six Wanderers' Strange Squad

Hearing Zhang Yang’s words, the child put down his cup, leaned comfortably against the wall with his hands behind his head, and began to introduce himself, “What nonsense about me hiding in this room, that’s ridiculous, haha. I walked in here through the main door, fair and square. Let me introduce myself, I’m Ling Ju, the captain of the Six Wanderers, the team you’ll be facing tomorrow in our first match...”

“Six Wanderers? Isn’t it supposed to be five people per team?” Zhang Yang was puzzled by Ling Ju’s introduction. Weren’t all the teams supposed to have five members? Why did this team have six? Was there some discrepancy?

Ling Ju laughed, “What are you talking about? Of course, it’s five people. Don’t you know? If a teammate dies during battle, you can replace them with one substitute at most. Anyway, our team’s members are all very strong, haha. The substitute is chosen by rock-paper-scissors. And you guys, as honored guests, don’t have to attend the opening ceremony, how lucky you are.” As he spoke, the child propped himself up with his index finger and spun around the rim of his cup, full of childlike energy. After a full rotation, Ling Ju continued, “Today’s opening ceremony and speech were so boring. I heard you’re special guests invited by the tournament, so I came to visit before tomorrow’s match. I didn’t expect...”

“You talk too much, Ling Ju!”

Just as everyone was listening to Ling Ju, a stranger’s voice came from behind Zhang Yang and his companions. This man had apparently been inside for quite a while.

“No way! There’s another person in the room?” Turning to see yet another figure, Zhang Yang couldn’t handle the reality and began searching the room, checking for anyone else. “Seriously, how can people just barge in without knocking? There shouldn’t be anyone else, right? So rude... Hey, you in the black vest, who are you?” After checking and finding no one else, Zhang Yang angrily questioned the man leaning against the wall.

“Oh, it’s Yan. Sorry, haha,” Ling Ju recognized his teammate Yan, jumped down from the platform, and bounded toward him. “When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here a while,” Yan replied, glancing disdainfully at the four in the room. “So you’re the members of Qin Xiaochuan’s team, the ones facing us tomorrow? Not impressive. Enjoy your last night.” With that, Yan led Ling Ju toward the door, turned, and added, “Tomorrow, you’ll be like the cups on the table — enjoy while you can!” And these two peculiar fellows left the room, their demeanor arrogant, clearly probing Qin Xiaochuan’s team.

As everyone watched them leave, their gaze fell upon the coffee cup on the table that Bai Ying had just finished. Suddenly, the cup split down the middle and toppled to both sides. “The cup on the table? Wow, it’s cracked!” Zhang Yang exclaimed. It looked as though some sharp instrument had sliced it through, yet none of them had noticed when it happened.

Everyone fell silent, gazing at the ruined cup. It was embarrassing — from Ling Ju’s entrance to Yan splitting the cup, not a single person had noticed anything. Either they were too careless, or those two had extraordinary skills. Clearly, all teams that made it to the knockout stage were formidable. Every competitor here possessed some unique ability; otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it into the fifteen tournament teams.

The next morning, the first match of the Dark Martial Arts Tournament began in the only grand arena on Fairy Island. Qin Xiaochuan’s team faced the Six Wanderers. The stadium was packed to the brim; the circular viewing platforms surrounded the central stage, capable of seating at least one hundred thousand spectators.

Amid the thunderous cheers, the Six Wanderers entered. Ling Ju and Yan led the team, waving to fans who called out to them. These two clearly enjoyed a high reputation among the monsters. Behind them followed three hipsters in trendy attire, rapping and swaying their bodies to the rhythm, their moves dazzling.

“We’ve waited so long for you, Six Wanderers, you’re the hope of the slum...”
“Kill them, Ling Ju, I believe in you...”
“Yan is so handsome, go for it...”
...

Listening to the crowd’s chants, an Asian middle-aged man in the VIP section applauded and turned to Mr. Yu Jing beside him, “What do you think, Mr. Yu Jing? The kids I found in the slum aren’t bad, right? They may not be famous yet, but only they can defeat your Sikong team. Even the Qin Xiaochuan squad you favor can’t match that kid Yan. His flames can even melt diamonds.”

Yu Jing took a drag on his cigarette, silent. Yoshida, the owner of the Six Wanderers, was a BBC member and harbored persistent resentment toward his Sikong team. After his squad was easily beaten by Sikong Lang last time, Yoshida scoured the world for new talent. The Six Wanderers were his discoveries from the slums. No wonder he was so confident; from Ling Ju and Yan’s display at the hotel yesterday, their skills were indeed impressive. It remained to be seen how they would perform in actual combat.

While the audience cheered wildly for the Six Wanderers, Qin Xiaochuan’s team of five emerged from the contestant corridor. Perhaps still sleep-deprived, Qin Xiaochuan was being supported into the arena by Zhang Yang, followed by Bai Ying, Fei Yan, and the mysterious masked player. As they entered, the crowd’s jeers grew louder.

“Go die, Qin Xiaochuan team! You still dare to show your faces...”
“Yeah, what kind of losers are these? Weaklings, just die already...”
“How dare you walk out here, you all should die!”
“Traitors Bai Ying and Fei Yan, the Six Wanderers will crush you to pieces!”
...

“What are they saying?” Supporting Qin Xiaochuan, Zhang Yang glanced at the stands, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The spectators’ words were brutally direct. “Such terrible hostility! They’re venting all their pent-up resentment right here!”

“To be called traitors by people with no sense of camaraderie — they’ve got nerve,” Bai Ying muttered, clearly dissatisfied with the crowd’s inexplicable shouts.

Fei Yan, however, looked unconcerned; he seemed far more familiar with these monsters than Zhang Yang and Bai Ying. He’d grown up dealing with them, knowing that only strength earned respect. The best way to silence these obnoxious hecklers was to defeat their opponents in the arena.

“Hello everyone, the first match of the Dark Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin. I’m your commentator, Miss Ling Ling.” Dressed in an adorable bunny outfit, Miss Ling Ling had already taken her place at the center stage, ready to begin. “Now, let’s invite both teams to step into the middle.”

Though the arena was bursting with people and monstrous voices, outside the entrance roamed a throng of spectators without tickets. These monsters, unable to get seats, hung around hoping to buy a ticket from someone who had to leave or from scalpers. As some scouted for opportunities, a skinny, shriveled scalper waved a ticket at a handsome young man about to enter, “Hey, handsome! I’ve got a front-row standing ticket. Want a look? It’s close to the action, perfect view of the arena. Two million dollars per ticket — interested?”

“Oh, no need, I have a VIP suite pass.” Hearing the offer, the young man turned, fixing his gaze on the gaunt old scalper. Oddly, he had a pacifier in his mouth — was he still nursing at his age?

“Ah! Lord Little King Yan! How do you have time to watch the match?” Recognizing the young man as the Little King Yan of the Underworld, the scalper quickly stashed his tickets and hurried over to greet him. Apparently, he not only dealt tickets here but was well-connected in the underworld, with King Yan among his acquaintances.

“Hehe,” Little King Yan replied bashfully, “My father saw I was too tired lately and allowed me to take a break. With the Dark Martial Arts Tournament happening, I thought I’d come watch and catch up with some old friends...”

Just then, Xiao Dan’s voice sounded behind him, “Lord Little King Yan, hi! I’m over here!”

“My, you’re quite popular, Lord! Are all these beauties your girlfriends?” Seeing Xiao Dan, Fan Fan, Jing Chu, and Su Su behind him, the scalper couldn’t help flattering Little King Yan — he was the future heir to the underworld, after all, and surrounded by beautiful women.

“Ahem, no, not at all,” Little King Yan coughed awkwardly at the compliment. “They’re just my attendants, and family members of some contestants. You’re mistaken, haha.”