Mu Fusang?
On Liuxian Island, family names carried enormous weight, since a surname represented an entire clan, an entire lineage.
This fellow, like Jun Beiyue, was competing under the status of an adopted son — and yet he didn’t seem quite like the Bai clan’s adopted son at all. He seemed more like an ally.
But however powerful he might be, he likely wouldn’t even get the chance to appear on this battlefield.
Across the vast arena, the moment the roster was announced, discussion erupted everywhere. One by one, the clan heads submitted their competitor lineups, which were promptly written up on the other side of the roster board.
The Yu patriarch’s list held no surprises whatsoever, exactly as expected — the young heir Yu Xiao would take the singles match, the second and third hall masters would handle doubles, and the eldest hall master would personally lead several of his most promising disciples into the free-for-all!
The battle among the three great clans was the finale of the whole tournament, using an elimination format decided by a random draw. In other words, no matter how many lesser clans there were, they’d fight two by two until a single clan head emerged victorious to be paired by lot with the three great clans — the four clans split into two groups, each producing a winner, and the two winners would then face off in the final match!
It was worth noting that Liuxian Island hadn’t seen a new clan rise to prominence in over a hundred years — and this year would be no exception.
Everyone understood that among the three great clans’ rivalry, the Gu clan was, without question, the most watched of all!
When the Gu clan’s roster went up on the board, the once-noisy arena suddenly fell silent — those few unremarkable names nearly made everyone’s jaws drop.
How could this be?
Aside from the topmost entry for singles — “Jun Beiyue,” a name everyone knew well and had fully expected — every other name listed below, for doubles and the free-for-all, belonged to complete unknowns, utter nobodies!
Even the two Qinse elders on the judges’ platform looked startled. Jun Beiyue’s ability was, of course, beyond question — but with the best-two-out-of-three format and the one-match-per-person rule laid out plainly, even if Jun Beiyue could somehow split himself in two, he couldn’t compete in more than one match, and he certainly couldn’t win them all by himself!
Could it be that these unknown nobodies were some hidden trump card the Gu clan had been concealing all along? Were they secretly formidable fighters?
“What exactly is Jun Beiyue trying to do?”
Even the ever-confident Yu patriarch couldn’t help but grow uneasy. He himself held a certain trump card of his own, which was precisely why he’d dared to show the Gu clan such disrespect earlier — but now, seeing Jun Beiyue’s approach, he couldn’t help but worry.
“Father, why do this? Even if we win, it wouldn’t be an honorable victory. And if we lose, we’ll have offended both sides for nothing — this isn’t the Yu clan’s way!” Yu Xiao advised in a low voice.
His father had originally been wholeheartedly determined to help the Gu clan — but ever since a guest had visited two nights ago, his father had seemed like an entirely different person, suddenly brimming with confidence and self-assurance. What Yu Xiao truly couldn’t accept was that his father had developed such a fierce desire to win.
“Nonsense! Since when do you get to decide the Yu clan’s way?! This time, this father isn’t fighting for second place — I’m fighting for first, do you understand?” the Yu patriarch snorted coldly. He suspected that the distinguished guest behind him might have seen through something. Today had merely been a chance to show his face — the finals were still several days off, and he still needed to go back and study the matter carefully.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Bai clan’s father and daughter were conferring quietly among themselves, speculating, without exchanging a word with Mu Fusang. Mu Fusang, for his part, showed no interest at all in Jun Beiyue’s roster — his view of Ziqing was now blocked, so he simply kept his head bowed, as though everything happening around him had nothing to do with him at all.
Meanwhile, though they had become the focus of the entire arena’s discussion, Patriarch Gu could neither move nor speak, and in his distress simply shut his eyes — while Jun Beiyue and Ziqing remained utterly, supremely composed!
Judging by their manner, they hadn’t given the newly-risen-power ranking battle a second thought at all. He idly rubbed his chin, continuing to stare at Mu Fusang, watching him the way one might watch prey!
If this man dared to stare at his woman, then he would stare right back!
Ziqing lounged lazily in Jun Beiyue’s arms, the very picture of a woman anyone would envy to the point of jealousy — undoubtedly the happiest woman in the world. Even surrounded by the whole city, so long as this man was by her side, she could sleep soundly without a care for anything else.
She was even more composed than Jun Beiyue himself. Whatever Jun Beiyue was scheming, whatever plan he had for holding onto the Gu clan’s position as the island’s foremost house with such weak fighting strength — she’d already guessed it, and thought it was a brilliant plan, thoroughly in Jun Beiyue’s signature style.
Soon, the Bai clan’s specific lineup was announced as well: Mu Fusang would, without question, shoulder the singles match, Bai Feiyao would take the free-for-all, and her two cousins would handle doubles.
It went without saying — whether it was the Bai clan or the Yu clan, either one would win outright against the Gu clan.
And even some of the clans ranked below the Yu clan stood a genuine chance of victory over them!
“Does anyone have any objection to this roster?” Elder Se couldn’t help but ask, glancing at Ziqing several times.
Ziqing merely smiled in response, while Jun Beiyue kept his gaze fixed on Mu Fusang — whatever anyone had to say, it made no difference to him.
Though plenty of murmurs circulated, no one voiced an outright objection, and the two Qinse elders finally finalized the roster. With that, Liuxian Island’s newly-risen-power ranking battle officially began!
Besides the central arena, all ten-odd surrounding platforms were fully occupied, the clash of combat erupting on every side, cheers and groans rising without pause.
“Match five — the Chen clan wins!”
“Match eleven — the Gulu clan takes the first two rounds, victory secured!”
…
Amid all the commotion, quite a few members of the three great clans scattered to watch the various matches, while Ziqing, at some point unnoticed, had already slipped over to the two Qinse elders’ side, pulling the two old men along to ask about all manner of ways ancient musical notation had been recorded, probing them about the special fingering techniques of the Qinse Valley.
Jun Beiyue, meanwhile, kept his gaze fixed on Mu Fusang the entire time. Earlier, with the crowd so thick, Mu Fusang hadn’t even noticed — but once the people nearby dispersed, he finally realized a pair of eyes had been watching him all along.
He looked up and met Jun Beiyue’s gaze head-on, perfectly calm — nothing like the killing intent he’d shown toward Ziqing. The two of them simply held each other’s stare, all the way until every match that day had finished, and only when Bai Feiyao urged him along did he finally lower his eyes and turn to leave.
Ziqing glanced over the roster board and saw an ordinary clan — the Hai clan — sitting in first place. She didn’t pay it much mind and simply walked over to Jun Beiyue.
However, Ziqing never expected that, over the following days, this Hai clan patriarch would fight his way straight through to the finals!
This clan would now be paired by lot with the Gu, Bai, and Yu clans for the elimination rounds!
Normally, which clan this was wouldn’t matter in the slightest, since there’d be nothing worth watching. But this time was different — with the Gu clan’s fighting strength so weak, this particular draw had become unusually anticipated.
If the Gu clan drew the Hai clan, what kind of outcome would that produce? That would be even more captivating than the rivalry between the Yu and Bai clans — and the most crucial part was, both matches would take place simultaneously!
Tomorrow would be the day of the drawing!
Deep in the night, with all else quiet, the lamps in the Gu clan’s main residence still burned bright.
Ziqing studied the roster, murmuring to herself, “The Hai clan — no reputation to speak of, and yet… not weak at all!”
Jun Beiyue, meanwhile, remained absorbed in his map, asking almost offhandedly, “Are you going tomorrow?”
Ziqing gave a knowing smile. “Not going. Awaiting Prince Yao’s instructions!”
Tomorrow, the day of the decisive battle — everyone would be watching for the Gu clan’s spectacle, little knowing the Bai clan’s own drama would prove far more worth watching.
“Heh, time to put those mercenaries of yours to use, then.” Jun Beiyue said with a smile, just about to hand Ziqing the map of the Bai clan’s estate — when suddenly, a hidden dart shot in through the window, striking a note into the wooden pillar right beside Ziqing’s head!
Ziqing quickly pulled it down to look, then tossed it to Jun Beiyue and dashed straight out in pursuit. Jun Beiyue read the note’s contents, and his brow furrowed sharply.