Chapter Ninety: Zhang Yang's Resolve

Thinking of this, Qin Xiaochuan clenched his fists and glared at the smug Fire Earth envoy on the stage. “Fine. We’ll follow your lead, and let’s make a complete uproar here!”

“Hold on!”

Just as Qin Xiaochuan was about to strike, a familiar shout suddenly rang out from below. Zhang Yang, who knew when, had already struggled back to his feet. Looking up at Qin Xiaochuan on the stage, he yelled at him, “Ever since just now, all I’ve heard is you people running your mouths. You idiots actually forgot all about me! It’s driving me crazy!”

“Zhang Yang! You’re awake?”

Seeing Zhang Yang sway a little on his feet, Qin Xiaochuan cried out in surprise. When had this guy woken up? It was a miracle. After taking such a brutal beating, he could still stand again. He really was a cockroach that refused to die.

“How is that guy still alive?”

Hearing the cool, indifferent remark from behind him, Zhang Yang flew into a rage. “You little runt who just won’t die, keep your eyes open and watch me!” With that, he waved his arm toward Fire Flame, as if to say he could still fight.

Annoyed by that cold mockery, Zhang Yang jerked his head away and stopped paying attention to the infuriating little man. If he kept talking, he might actually get himself mad to death, and then he would have died for nothing. Gathering himself, Zhang Yang staggered forward on trembling legs toward the stage. Seeing how hard it was for him just to walk, Qin Xiaochuan quickly jumped down and went to his side, placing a hand on Zhang Yang’s shoulder. His tone carried a hint of reproach. “You still dare to move around like that? You’re hurt this badly, so just rest. Leave the rest to me. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Staring into Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes, Zhang Yang’s expression suddenly turned serious. He caught the hand on his shoulder and said earnestly, “The only one who can go up there is me. If we’re just going to lash out in anger and cause a scene, then how are we any different from those bastards in front of us? Even if they use the dirtiest tricks, if we beat them by their own rules and leave them with nothing to say, isn’t that far more impressive, commander?”

“Then you’d better be able to win!”

“Shut up, you little runt. Believe me, I’ll come over there and beat you myself right now!”

“...”

Watching Zhang Yang on the big screen outside the arena wall, Miss Feixue, standing at the entrance to the venue, grew excited. Ever since Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang had rescued her, she had not returned to the demon realm. Instead, she had remained in the human world. After arranging a place to stay, she learned from her monster friends that Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang, who had once saved her, had been invited to the Dark Martial Tournament as special guests and had come to Dead Fairy Island to take part in this year’s competition. Once she learned where her benefactors had gone, she endured great hardship to take a boat from her temporary lodging to this small competition island. Her efforts were rewarded at last when she saw Zhang Yang’s match on the screen. Feixue was overjoyed. Yet remembering that she had no ticket and could not enter the arena, she began to worry anxiously again.

Just as Miss Feixue was fretting outside, she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her. Turning around, she saw none other than Sister Xia Dan, who had once helped her. After Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang rescued her, it was Sister Xia Dan who helped settle her in. Later, thanks to the application materials she had submitted through Xia Dan, she was able to obtain temporary permission from the underworld to live in the human world. She had never imagined she would run into Sister Xia Dan here again. If Xia Dan happened to have a ticket, that would be wonderful, because then she could go in too. Thinking of this, Feixue raised her arm and called out to Xia Dan, “Hey... Sister Xia Dan, it’s me, Feixue! Over here, here!”

Hearing someone call her name, Xia Dan, who had been chatting and laughing with Fan Fan and Susu, looked up. It turned out to be little Feixue. What was this girl doing here? Was she looking for her brother? No, she probably did not yet know what had happened to Fire Flame. Then what had brought her here? Thinking of that, Xia Dan waved to Feixue and led Fan Fan and Susu over. “So it’s Feixue. What are you doing here? Are you here to watch the match?”

“Yes.” Feixue nodded and said a little shyly, “Thanks to Sister Xia Dan taking care of me, I’ve been able to stay in the human world. During this time, I’ve improved my healing ability a little more. I came here this time to repay Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang for saving my life. If they get hurt, I want to help heal them. I don’t know how well it will work, but I’ll do my best!”

“So that’s it.”

“Oh, right, Sister Xia Dan, can you take me into the arena? I saw on the big screen that Zhang Yang seems to be injured again. Do you have a ticket? If you do, could you take me in with you? I want to heal Zhang Yang’s injuries. Please, Sister Xia Dan!”

Looking at Feixue’s anxious little face, Xia Dan glanced at Jingchu and Susu beside her and gave a wry smile. They did have tickets, in fact VIP passes. But after getting drunk yesterday, someone had left the tickets in a pile of laundry. After the washing machine churned everything around with such force overnight, when she took out the spun-dry clothes, all those VIP tickets had been twisted into a mess. The printed markings had been completely ruined by water and detergent, and nothing on them could be seen clearly anymore.

Still, seeing how anxious and pitiful Feixue looked, Xia Dan hurried over and took her little hand, soothing her softly. “It’s all right, Feixue. Sister has tickets. Just follow us, and you can go in with us, hehe.”

Hearing Xia Dan’s words, Feixue’s worried little face immediately lit up with joy. She had never expected to be so lucky as to meet Sister Xia Dan, and even be brought inside so she could heal the two heroes who had saved her. Looking at Zhang Yang on the big screen, Feixue was practically over the moon. Soon she would be able to fulfill her wish and treat the injuries of her benefactors. It was simply wonderful.

By now, a substitution had taken place in the arena. Unable to resist Zhang Yang’s determination, Qin Xiaochuan stepped down from the ring. As he left, Zhang Yang patted Qin Xiaochuan’s arm. Though he said nothing, everything he wanted to say was contained in that silent gesture.

Facing the Fire Earth envoy across from him, Zhang Yang clutched the bruises on his ribs and limped toward the center of the stage. Though he could stand on the platform now, the places struck by Xiu, Kui, and Zhen still ached fiercely. He did not know whether his ribs were broken or fractured. Every breath felt as though needles were stabbing into that part of his chest. He did not dare exert himself too much when inhaling or exhaling. Even so, he could not lose to the arrogant bastard before him. That was the promise he had made to Qin Xiaochuan before leaving. If he were to lose like this, he would rather die on the ring.

“Zhang Yang, go for it! Beat that filthy bastard down, along with those bastards in headquarters!”

Hearing Qin Xiaochuan’s encouragement from behind him, Zhang Yang turned his head carefully, first raising a victory sign, then making an OK gesture. He looked so badly injured that even speaking seemed difficult.

“Zhang Yang really is tenacious. To suffer such severe injuries and still keep going is truly astonishing,” the referee, Miss Ruoxi, could not help saying admiringly into her microphone as she looked at Zhang Yang on the stage, who could barely stand upright.

Inside the chairman’s platform, the middle-aged European man looked down at Zhang Yang in the arena below, and his face darkened. He had not expected such a person to stand up at all. “A bunch of fools. You can barely stand, and you still think you can win? What a joke. But say whatever you like. I am the rules of this match. Let’s see how you fight me.”

However, just as this man was grumbling on the dais, the door to the platform was suddenly pushed open. Mr. Yujing entered first, followed by Sikong Lang wearing sunglasses. Seeing Yujing arrive, the middle-aged man hurried to his feet and greeted him respectfully. Although he was the organizer and participant of this year’s Dark Martial Tournament, the financial backing behind it all came from that BBC faction. Mr. Yujing was one of the heavyweights in that organization, and compared with him, this man was nothing more than a pawn before Yujing’s eyes.

“You’ve come, Mr. Yujing. And you too, Mr. Sikong. Please, sit, sit!” With that, the man quickly pulled a chair from behind him and placed it before Yujing. “With your kind patronage, my demon-world envoy team is certain to win, hehe!”

“George, your willingness to do anything for victory is truly remarkable,” Yujing said with a dark expression, looking at the fat man in front of him with that ingratiating smile. “Too bad it lacks any sense of beauty.”

“Huh?”

George was stunned by Yujing’s words, not understanding what he meant. But just as he stood there in shock, Sikong Lang lowered his head and walked over without saying a word. Extending the middle finger of his right hand, he gave George’s head a light flick. The man’s skull seemed to explode backward as if struck by a sniper round. With that single casual tap, this man, who had once dominated Europe, died without a sound, and in such a miserable fashion.

Looking at George lying on the floor, his body still twitching, Yujing took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and drew in a deep breath before exhaling it at the dead man. In a quiet voice, he said, “For the sake of your life, we’ll follow the rules of this match as you said.”

Then Yujing turned and walked to the panoramic window of the chairman’s platform. Looking down at Qin Xiaochuan and the others in the arena, he took another deep drag on his cigarette. “If you can’t even defeat this trash team, then there’s no need for Sikong to make a move.”