Chapter 81: The Determination of the Pale Shadow

Just as Miss Ruoxi was speaking, an unexpected announcement blared from the towering loudspeakers above the audience. “The competition will be temporarily suspended. As Qin Xiaochuan’s team has just completed a round and suffered injuries, headquarters has decided to dispatch medical emissaries to conduct physical examinations on Qin Xiaochuan’s team members. Once the checks are complete, the contest will resume!”

“What? Medical checks!? What nonsense is this?”

Qin Xiaochuan and Bai Ying glanced at the loudspeaker, bewildered by the organizers’ intentions. First, they demanded consecutive battles; now, they were halting the match for physical examinations. What was going through their minds? Wasn’t this just toying with the contestants?

The audience, too, grew restless at the news. Some began tossing rubbish onto the arena, their voices rising in protest.

“What’s the point of these checks!? Such a waste of time!”

“Exactly! Have the organizers lost their minds? What are they playing at?”

“Yeah! Why examine them at all?”

“There’s nothing to check!”

Amidst the jeers and complaints, a striking woman in a nurse’s uniform appeared, holding a medical report folder, emerging from the corridor beside the stands and walking toward Qin Xiaochuan’s team. She stopped in their midst, pointed at Feiyan, and said, “Young man, please come with me. I need to conduct a physical examination.”

Feiyan glanced at the nurse, his lips curling into a sneer. “If you ask me, the one really needing treatment is that fellow lying on the ground over there. He’s in worse shape than I am.” He gestured toward Zhang Yang, sprawled behind him.

The nurse showed no interest in Zhang Yang. “It’s nothing serious, just a few simple questions. Please come with me to the table nearby—it won’t take too much of your time.” She seemed determined, turning toward the table without waiting for Feiyan’s answer.

Feiyan shook his head, said nothing, and followed, hands in his pockets. He was curious to see what this beautiful nurse, dispatched by the organizers, truly wanted from him.

Standing beside her, Feiyan stared coldly, refusing to speak, waiting to see her next move.

She glanced at him and, as she wrote in her folder, asked, “Have you experienced any stomach pain recently?”

“What are you talking about?” Feiyan’s irritation was palpable, his tone filled with dissatisfaction.

The nurse set down her pen, looked up, and smiled sweetly. “It seems you’re under a lot of stress lately. You should rest here properly, or you won’t be able to leave this place.”

“How ridiculous. I’m perfectly healthy. You should check your own head, you fool!” Feiyan stepped forward, but as he did, he suddenly realized he was surrounded by a powerful domain. Dangerous currents crackled through this space; Feiyan knew well that, with his current strength, touching those currents would reduce him to ash, or worse. He was sealed and immobilized by the nurse’s power.

“I am Liu Qing, the Barrier Master,” she declared, no longer hiding her identity. The organizers had tasked her to seal one member of Qin Xiaochuan’s team, and she had chosen Feiyan, sensing a dangerous aura within him—one that felt strangely familiar. With Feiyan sealed, Liu Qing grinned and continued, “Be good, little brother. Your sister is one of the foremost Barrier Masters in the Demon Realm. This defensive spell wall is crafted from spiritual talismans and my demon power. If you touch it carelessly, well—no one knows the consequences better than you do, hehe! But don’t worry, I’m only sealing you for a while. When the match ends, I’ll let you out. Oh, and my barrier really does have healing properties, you know. You can experience it yourself—I wouldn’t lie to you.”

While Qin Xiaochuan and Bai Ying stared in shock at Feiyan, sealed by the nurse, the arena’s loudspeakers blared again. “After examination by the tournament’s designated physician, the result is: Feiyan of Qin Xiaochuan’s team will undergo further treatment due to physical reasons and is barred from participating in the upcoming match!”

“What!?” Qin Xiaochuan felt his blood boil, rage surging to his head. First, one teammate was laid out in the previous round; next, they were forced into consecutive battles; now, the organizers’ unfair rules had sealed away their most capable member. This was bullying—excessive bullying! Furious and unable to vent, Qin Xiaochuan leapt onto the arena, pointing at Miss Ruoxi, the referee, and shouted angrily, “Is there no justice anymore? We’re already short one member, and now you lock up another! You’re deliberately targeting us! Explain yourself, you bastard!”

Miss Ruoxi was startled by his fury, retreating hastily. “I’m so sorry, truly sorry! I’m just an employee! I really am just an employee! This was decided by the organizers—I have no say in it, I don’t know anything about these arrangements! Please forgive me, I’m so sorry!” She waved frantically, genuinely clueless about the organizers’ motives.

On the other side, among the Demon Realm Emissaries, a burly team member burst into laughter at the loudspeaker’s announcement. “So now, Yuan could wipe them out single-handedly!”

Yuan, hearing this, seemed displeased with the tournament organizers as well. He replied stiffly, “Whatever! I refuse!” He dug at his ear, shot the teammate a disgruntled glance, and continued, “I’ve changed my mind. Any of you can go up.”

“What!” The big man, angered by Yuan’s reversal, clapped a hand on Yuan’s shoulder. “You’re always so unruly! Stop talking nonsense and get up there!”

The burly man’s words wiped the smile from Yuan’s face. Grabbing the teammate’s wrist, Yuan’s demeanor turned grave and intimidating. “Don’t boss me around—” He swung his right hand, tossing the man’s arm aside, showing utter indifference to who fought next. He walked straight to the cement wall beneath the front row of seats, sat down, whistled a cheerful tune, and closed his eyes to rest.

“Fine, I’ll go,” said another Demon Realm Emissary, stepping onto the arena. He shrugged off his jacket, revealing a wiry, muscular torso. He was bare-chested, with two mysterious, dagger-like tools hanging from his waist, a camouflage scarf wrapped around his head, and remarkably, no eyebrows over his small, sharp eyes. Despite his eccentric appearance, his style was fashionable—a true hippie.

“Alright, the Demon Realm Emissaries’ Painter is on stage,” Ruoxi hastily announced. “Qin Xiaochuan’s team, please send your contestant!”

At the referee’s urging, Bai Ying stepped forward to face the Painter. He turned to Qin Xiaochuan and said, “Though I’d like to say I can defeat them all myself, in terms of demon power, that’s beyond me. Still, I’ll try to expose their abilities as much as possible… The rest is up to you.” With that, Bai Ying, resolved as if facing death, leapt onto the stage without looking back.

Watching Bai Ying, Qin Xiaochuan felt a strange ache in his heart. From Bai Ying’s tone, it was clear he intended to pave the way, risking himself first. Though he rarely spoke, every word struck deep, nothing wasted.

Since meeting Bai Ying, this cold-faced, warm-hearted friend had always placed himself in danger for Qin Xiaochuan’s sake, quietly repaying the promise they shared to save his mother. Whenever danger arose, Bai Ying was at the forefront, as in the duel with Feiyan, where he shielded Qin Xiaochuan from a deadly blow. That act alone repaid his debt for sharing half his life. Yet here Bai Ying was again, facing peril to probe the opponent’s hidden techniques, always protecting Qin Xiaochuan like an elder brother, never letting harm come his way. Staring at Bai Ying’s back, Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes grew inexplicably moist. With such a friend, even death would be willingly embraced.

On stage, Bai Ying faced the Painter, who had drawn his two weapons from his waist. Though they looked like daggers, they were actually paintbrushes. Brandishing them, the Painter applied bold makeup to his face and body. No wonder he was called the Painter—he fought with brushes. But what purpose did his painted mask serve?