Lin Ming listened with rapt attention. At the end of the lecture, after the elder had left, Lin Ming was still immersed in his thoughts; the elder had given him many inspirations.
As he finally snapped back from his trance, the rest of the disciples had already left the Martial Lecture Hall, except Lan Yunyue. She sat in the same seat like she was lost in thought.
Lin Ming began packing up his things and readying to leave, but at this time Lan Yunyue suddenly whispered, “Lin Ming, can you wait for a second?”
Lin Ming’s hand movements slowed, he asked, “Can I help you?”
Although the tone was polite, there was a hint of the taste of alienation within Lin Ming’s words, causing Lan Yunyue to lightly sigh. She said, “Congratulations on attaining the first place candidate spot.”
“Thanks.”
“…” After Lan Yunyue finished speaking, there was a long silence, and the atmosphere between the two began to grow a bit awkward.
“I… I heard that in one month you will have a fighting match with Zhang Cang?”
Lin Ming’s eyes twitched. He said, “The news spread that fast? Well, yes, I really did make a bet with Zhang Cang.” News of the new first place disciple and the old disciple gambling was sure to spread like wildfire. In addition, Zhang Cang and Liu Mingxiang had deliberately publicized it as much as possible.
Lan Yunyue bit her lip, hesitated, then quietly whispered, “Zhang Cang is Zhu Yan’s former comrade…”
Lin Ming was shocked; Lan Yunyue was more sensitive and thoughtful about these matters than he had thought. She had already correctly guessed that this matter was driven by Zhu Yan.
“I know.” Lin Ming faintly responded.
“Then you…” Lan Yanyue hadn’t known how she should open her mouth to say it, but today she had wanted to urge Lin Ming not to take on the gambling match. The words were floating at the tip of her tongue, but yet she feared that Lin Ming would turn a deaf ear to her pleas.
“I know that you aren’t willing to listen to me, but… I have already been in the Seven Profound Martial House for half a year, and have seen many of the gambling matches between the new and old disciples. The new disciples almost never win against the old disciples. Although you are the new first place candidate, Zhang Cang is also known as a fierce character within the Earth Hall. And because of Zhu Yan, his hand will be cruel.”
Lin Ming smiled, “You said that I may not be willing to listen, do you mean that you do not want me to go to the fighting match? Since I already agreed on the bet, it is impossible for me to now keep this appointment, otherwise I would have already ran away before the battle had begun, and this would go against my martial path.”
“But… alright…” Lan Yunyue sighed. She knew that once Lin Ming had made up his mind, it would be very difficult to change.
“Thank you for your advice. I’ll go first.” Lin Ming said as he picked up his things and left the Martial Lecture Hall.
Leaving Lan Yunyue alone, she silently kept sitting in her seat. At the moment she could not identify the taste in her heart. It was impossible to change Zhu Yan’s mind, and it was also impossible to change Lin Ming’s mind. They would one day fight, but to Lan Yunyue, regardless of Lin Ming’s strength of background, it was all inferior to Zhu Yan. The battle would happen, and there would only be a suffering party…
…
…
Time passed like running water, and it was already the fourth day since Lin Ming had arrived at the Seven Profound Martial House. That morning, Lin Ming had been sent a gathering notice, and he arrived early at the Martial House’s martial stage.
The new disciples of the Earth Hall had all assembled together. After they had all arrived, a red-haired man carrying a fencing saber showed up at the contest field. This was Lin Ming’s first class Earth Hall instructor, Hong Xi.
Hong Xi gave a feeling of a swift, brave, and fiercely overwhelming power. If he was in the army, he would have been an absolute general that bravely killed all enemies, trained his troops strictly, and followed like military’s laws like a mountain.
After Hong Xi arrived at the contest field, he glanced and the crowd, and with a steady and powerful voice, said, “Today is the Ranking War! Everybody, come with me!”
“Ranking War?”
They had already known that once they entered the Seven Profound Martial House, sooner or later they would have to participate in the Ten Thousand Killing Array ranking war. It had finally begun!