"Feng-shixiong!!!" Lei Ling, You Rou and Cheng Sheng cheered from below the stage after they saw Feng Mo won. They ran to greet him.
Feng Mo left the stage after the emcee announced his win and he landed near his fellow disciples. He then wiped the blood off his lips which was cut earlier. If he hadn't dodged his opponent's attack on time, it would've been his whole face that'll be cut. He grimaced as he imagined Wu Bai would chastise him for a whole day and then punish him in the bed the whole night. He knew he wouldn't wake up the next day because his body was beaten1.
"Feng-shixiong! Are you okay?" Cheng Sheng, Lei Ling and You Rou asked when they saw Feng Mo was in a daze. Cheng Sheng immediately gave Feng Mo a magic pill to restore his strength.
"So fierce!" Chen Han exclaimed, referring to Feng Mo's style of fighting. Then, he looked at the usual liveliness of the Xinfaxian Sect returned as they surrounded Feng Mo. Sun Yi, on his side, nodded in agreement.
On the Zunjingde Sect's side, Jing Cheng was thinking the same as Chen Han as he looked at the Xinfaxian Sect cheered loudly when Feng Mo regrouped with then after the emcee announced his win. "Looks like they've gotten over a huge crisis last night." He said as he observed their group.
"Yeah! They're as lively as before!" Jing Hei commented.
Meanwhile, Jing Bai glanced at Jing Kang and saw Jing Kang was staring at Lei Ling. For someone who hates the Alliance, going back even though his match has already finished, surely Jing Kang wanted to see not the match but someone who also has finished his match and returned to cheer for his fellow disciples.
"Enjoying?" Jing Bai can't help but tease Jing Kang who can't take his eyes off of Lei Ling.
After realizing his feelings last night, though he initially couldn't accept it, Jing Kang still returned to see Lei Ling in the guise of cheering for his own fellow disciples, too. But, his gaze had never been on the contestants on the stage, but on someone who was watching the contestants on the stage with shining eyes as he was amazed by their strength.
Lei Ling, on the other hand, even though he had been depressed of his performance yesterday in his match, but he immediately recovered with the help of his fellow disciples and he returned to his usual cheerful self.
"… no." Jing Kang answered and looked away, but his gaze can't help returning to Lei Ling's figure on the other side of the venue.
"Hm?" Lei Ling noticed someone's staring at him. He turned just in time to meet Jing Kang's gaze. "Hii!" he gasped and immediately hid behind Cheng Sheng. Hiding behind Cheng Sheng's back, his face can't help but burn in embarrassment... and something else. He clutched his chest when he felt his heart beat faster than usual.
"What's wrong, Lei-shidi?" Cheng Sheng asked. He didn't wait for Lei Ling to answer and followed his gaze. Then, he saw the Zunjingde Sect was staring at them. He waved his hand to them as a greeting before he turned to look at Lei Ling. "… why are you still scared of him? Isn't he your benefactor?" he asked, referring to Jing Kang.
"… shixiong QAQ" Lei Ling called with a wronged expression.
"What's wrong with him? Why is he crying?" Feng Mo asked when he saw Lei Ling's crying expression.
"Something's wrong with his brain." Cheng Sheng answered as he pulled Lei Ling's cheeks. "Stop acting cute and just properly watch the match!" he told him. Although he always protected him, never lets someone bully him or wrong him, but he's the number one bully of Lei Ling. He's a sadist, and Lei Ling was used to Cheng Sheng's sadism all these years he became a masochist. Thus, he can endure Cheng Sheng's bullying.
"Who's next?" Feng Mo asked Li Tian since he hadn't heard the next contestants' name because of Cheng Sheng and Lei Ling's banter.
"Jing Hei." Li Tian answered when he heard Jing Xian announced the next contestants' name earlier. Then, they turned and watched as Jing Hei hopped on the stage and faced his opponent.
"Ah Lin! Watch me closely, okay?" Jing Hei called as he winked at Qian Lin, who was sitting on their side, just rolled his eyes at him. He just laughed and started to fight against his opponent. Countless flashes immediately came from the stage and the audience ran away as another wild fight occurred on the stage.
"The third day of the competition is always fierce but exciting!" someone exclaimed from the audience as they watched the dazzling flashes of light on the stage where the contestants exchanged skills.
"Yeah. The powerhouses start to meet head-on in the stage." They said as they watched Jing Hei and his opponent exchanged a hundred blows at a very fast speed.
"They're really monsters…" someone said in awe as he stared at the stage with widened eyes.
Jing Cheng suddenly clicked his tongue. "He's playing around again." He frowned as he watched Jing Hei tease his opponent. "I won't help him if uncle will scold him later." He said as he crossed his arms.
Jing Bai laughed. "Because uncle can't scold him later, Ah Hei is playing around." He told Jing Cheng, in which Jing Cheng answered with a sigh. "Ah Lin. Won't you cheer for him?" he asked as he turned to Qian Lin who looked bored.
"Is throwing my fan at him counts as cheering him on?" Qian Lin asked as he played his fan with his hand.
"… you can always try. I'm sure Ah Hei wouldn't mind." Jing Bai told him and smiled.
However, Qian Lin didn't and kept his fan. Jing Hei also finally stopped fooling around and delivered the final blow against his opponent. His opponent cried loudly in pain and rolled on the ground for many times before his body fell off the stage and made a loud thud after it hit the ground.
"Winner, Jing Hei of Zunjingde Sect!" the emcee announced.
"Ah Lin!" Jing Hei called as he immediately ran towards Qian Lin after he jumped off the stage.
"Too many wounds." Qian Lin said and glared at Jing Hei and his wounds. His clothes are torn and had traces of blood.
"Erm… I'm thinking men with scars are more attractive1." Jing Hei scratched his head and bashfully smiled as he looked at Qian Lin.
Qian Lin's eyes narrowed as he finally hit Jing Hei with his fan. "You want scars? I'll cut your face and open your stomach for you!" he told him, anger in his voice. "Are you a masochist?!" he can't help asking.
"Ah Lin… you're the one who taught me how to be one – OWW! OW! OW!" Jing Hei cried when Qian Lin kicked the wound in his leg.
"Ah Hei… I can't help you if you choose to be stupid." Jing Bai sighed. But, a smile was on his smile as he turned to the silent Jing Kang whose eyes are still on Lei Ling. "Aren't they lively?" he asked and looked at Jing Hei and Qian Lin who were still fighting despite the next match had already started. He's referring to them.
"Yes." Jing Kang answered, an air of nobility around him but what he's doing is no noble. His eyes are still on Lei Ling!
How long has he been staring at the air-headed shidi of the Xinfaxian Sect? Jing Bai thought and looked at Lei Ling who is talking to Cheng Sheng with enthusiasm and is completely oblivious of Jing Kang's gaze… and feelings. He scratched his cheek and looked away.
Jing Rui, sitting beside the Righteous Alliance elders as his privilege as the host of this year's Intersect Competition, looked at Jing Hei and frowned when he saw the wounds on his body. "Tch." he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Sect leader Jing isn't happy your nephew won?" a sect leader asked.
"I'm not satisfied with his performance." Jing Rui had always been a straightforward person, thus he can even tell his thoughts about his nephews in front of the outsiders.
The sect leader wanted to smooth things over. "Gaining wounds is inevitable…" he said.
"I know my people's strength." Jing Rui said. He meant, he knew Jing Hei was playing with his opponent.
The sect leader of Jing Hei's opponent felt anger bubbling inside him after hearing what Jing Rui said. It can be seen he was being mocked at. The sect leader beside him saw his dark expression and tried to pacify him. Conflicts between the sect leaders are also inevitable. However, one should give face to Zheng Fu Gong and the Righteous Alliance if they want to fight. As long as it is within the rules, Zheng Fu Gong wouldn't relent with the complaining party. This is the reason why Pei Zhu backed off before and went home with the corpse of his son.
However, off-the-stage, Zheng Fu Gong and the Righteous Alliance would turn a blind eye. The Righteous Alliance can't watch each action of each person. Thus, there would be killings in the dark when the matches are over.