Free Web Novel“That’s because your rules weren’t clear enough!” Qiao Jiajin roared. “You said catching the {ball} would earn us a reward, who the hell knew you’d throw us a burning coal to catch?!”
“Can't coal be caught?” Terrestrial Horse arched a brow. “If you’re not afraid of being burned, you could’ve held that {ball} in your arms.”
“Damn...” Qiao Jiajin looked thoroughly exasperated. He was just glad he hadn’t sent the young ones to face {Right Wrong} this round—otherwise, they’d be worse off than if they’d been struck by the iron {ball}.
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“Qiao ge, are you alright?” Bai Nine asked worriedly as she pushed the wheelbarrow forward.
“Can’t say I’m {alright}... only that I’m {alive}.” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “Don’t worry about me; keep moving.”
No one knew whether Qiao Jiajin was bluffing or not, but since he had chosen to face {Right Wrong} head-on, they could only trust that he had some way to withstand this trial.
“Everyone, stay sharp,” Bai Nine warned in a low voice. “We can’t let Qiao ge take all the hits for us. Twenty, be prepared to invoke {Mighty Gale} at any moment. Seventeen, guard yourself well. When the moment turns dire, jump off if you must, but never let the ball strike you.” freewebnøvel.coɱ
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“Jump off?”
“That’s right.” “Correct,” Bai Jiu affirmed with a nod. “The rules state that any {rider} struck by a {ball} is out, yet they make no mention of what happens if one falls off. The worst-case scenario, I believe, is simply restarting from the beginning.”
“Got it!” Feng Seventeen answered crisply.
Everyone turned to look at Qiao Jiajin’s direction with bated breath, only to see him back away several steps before finally stopping a few meters from {Right Wrong}.
He bent his knees, stretched his legs, then straightened his back and raised both hands to either side of his temples, one knee slightly lifted.
“Such a passionate {Right Wrong}...” Qiao Jiajin murmured. “Let’s see if I can kick you to death...”
{Boom}!
{Right Wrong} erupted like a cannon, spewing thick smoke as it launched another black coal. Once Qiao Jiajin locked onto its trajectory, he took a brief run-up, bent forward with a hand supporting him on the ground, and swung his right leg through the air like a battle-axe at the incoming ball.
{Crack}!
A crisp sound split the air as the coal shattered into fragments.
Qiao Jiajin rolled forward through the explosion of embers, narrowly dodging the scattering sparks, then landed in a steady crouch by the side.
“Big ol’ Horse oh Big ol’ Horse ma’am... You certainly put my martial arts to the test....” Qiao Jiajin smiled faintly. “From {Wing Chun} to {Tai Chi}, and now {Muay Thai}... Was this game made with me in mind?”
In the distance, Terrestrial Horse narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched.
That figure... gradually overlapped with the one in her memory.
Back then, that man had guided her aside and cautioned, “Tall gal, take care not to get hurt.”
Then he had assumed a Muay Thai stance and kicked straight at a spear that came hurtling toward them.
How many years had it been?
More than thirty.
No, strictly speaking, thirty full years had passed. She had become a Terrestrial Horse, while he remained a {Participant}.
What a tragic and absurd reunion this was.
In those thirty years, neither the {Earthly Branches} nor the {participants} had ever made it out.
Everyone seemed to be striving forward, yet the {participants}, stripped of their memories, were clearly far more eager than the {Earthly Branches}.
‘So it really is you, huh?’ Terrestrial Horse gave a bitter smile, murmuring under her breath, ‘Most of the mechanisms here were designed with you as inspiration... If you can truly display your full prowess, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.’
She slowly stepped aside, found a large discarded stone, and sat down in the most comfortable position she could find.
Now, all that remained was to watch this man’s performance.
Thirty years had passed, was he still the same as before?
Was their leader, Wen Qiaoyun (文巧云), still alive and fighting?
Would he still use his masterful combat skills to overcome every challenge?
As the third blazing coal {ball} flew out, Qiao Jiajin leapt into the air once more, sending it flying with a cartwheel kick. Each shattered coalburst exploded midair like a shower of blooming fireworks, illuminating the dark field that had seen countless deaths and banishing the chill that clung to the thick ice beneath their feet.
The man before her seemed almost like a sun, radiant and fierce, burning brilliantly amidst the inferno.
Then came the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth.
The sleeve-tattooed man, whether from exhaustion or the searing heat, was drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging tightly to his skin, yet his stance never faltered. He remained steadfast and vigilant before {Right Wrong}.
Only when he leapt high and shattered the final coal {ball} with a flying knee did he lift his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. In that moment, everyone caught a glimpse of the knife scars and hardened muscles that marked his body.
There are no °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° natural geniuses in this world. To be able to stand here today and fend off every {ball}, this man had surely endured more hardship than anyone else.
“Whew!” Qiao Jiajin exhaled deeply. “{Right Wrong}! Thank you for the honor!”
{Right Wrong} trembled faintly, as though acknowledging defeat, then lowered itself back into place.
Qiao Jiajin returned to the group, his clothes scorched with blackened spots and small holes from the embers. Both his arms were covered in red burns.
“Qiao ge, you don’t look so good...” Bai Jiu reached out to touch his arm, only to find it blistered with burns from the intense heat.
“Hm?” Qiao Jiajin glanced down at himself. “I can still run, jump, and even somersault; how’s that not good? I’ve taken wounds dozens of times worse than this. I’m doing fine.”
The group exchanged uneasy looks, unsure of what to say next until Terrestrial Horse spoke first, “Do you intend to rely on your own strength to keep everyone alive?”
Qiao Jiajin turned his head, eyeing the pure white face of the Terrestrial Horse with faint amusement. “If not, what else? Can you guarantee our survival?”
“No, I can’t guarantee that,” Terrestrial Horse shook her head slowly. “In truth, there was once a time when I pondered that very question.”
“What?”
“I suppose...if that man were to take part in this game, he would surely bear everything on his own till the very end.” Terrestrial Horse smiled faintly. “But I am now one of the {Earthly Branches}, and I must put an end to that sort of individual heroism. That is why I placed the {Towering Gates} and {Greedy Wolf} stars at the finale, so that even when faced with the strongest participant, someone must still die.”
Qiao Jiajin clearly didn’t understand a word of it. “What are you talking about? What {man}? What {heroism}?”
“I merely wanted to show you my little bit of creativity,” Terrestrial Horse answered with a shake of her head. “Whether you understand or not doesn’t matter. Just saying this aloud... eases the weight I’ve carried in my heart for all these years.”
‘She’s off her head.’ Qiao Jiajin gave her a sidelong glance, then dismissed her entirely. Turning back to the group, he said, “Next round goes as planned. Star gal said {Academic Intelligence} might be an ice ball; I’m guessing it’ll be similar to the first round, so I’ll ride this time.”
TL Note: I found Saenchai’s cartwheel kick to perfectly match the move our boy pulled off in this chapter, but that’s just my opinion... For context, the cartwheel kick is a flashy, unorthodox Muay Thai technique. Though it’s banned in professional competition.
