Wu Jian had never seen so many people before. The stands were filled to the brim. He wasn’t surprised this event had a full house, but even so, the sheer amount of people in the crowd and the noise their voice generated astounded him. How many people could this arena fit anyway? Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand? It was the largest arena he had seen so far.

All the contestants were gathered on the arena floor, which had changed from several smaller platforms to one large platform that took up most of the space. Not only was the platform they would be fighting on much bigger, but it also had multiple levels and several raised pillars. It looked like the Saintly Sword Sect had decided to add some complexity to this tournament by offering them multiple angles and heights from which they could fight from.

An balcony extended from one end of the arena stands. The Saintly Sword Sect’s sect master and all the elders stood on it. Húndàn Qie stood at the front, smiling as he gazed upon the over five hundred tournament participants.

The man soon spread his arms wide as if to encompass everyone, and his voice boomed out like thunder. “Welcome, one and all, to the annual Shang Kingdom National Tournament. My sect has been given the honor of hosting the tournament this year, and we have spared no effort to ensure this will be the best tournament to have ever graced the Shang Kingdom. We hope you are all excited to be here!”

Thunderous roars of approval and applause met his words. Wu Jian flinched and held his hands to his ears. Hou Jingshu ran her hand down his back. He appreciate her comforting gesture, even if it did little to help.

Húndàn Qie gestured for silence and the crowd slowly settled down. “I am not one for long-winded speeches, and you are not here to listen to an old man talk.” He smiled as a round of chuckles past through the crowd. “That being the case, let us get the ball rolling. I would like to direct your attention to the screen above me. This screen is made from a chi-conducive material that responds to the will of whoever has imprinted their chi into it. The name of whoever shows up on this screen will come onto the platform.”

The Saintly Sword Sect’s head elder made a hand seal. A brief surge of chi erupted from him, then it settled down. The screen flickered before displaying a pair of names.

“Will Long Huang and Sun Yazhu step onto the platform? Everyone else, head back into the waiting room.”

Wu Jian and Hou Jingshu moved with the crowd, entering the waiting room. Most of the people immediately crowded around the long window that showed a view of the arena. Only a few like himself, Hou Jingshu, Mei Xilan, the other two Ice Fairies, Húndàn Wang, Hou Gun, and Hou Chao didn’t bother to watch the match. They were the ones who had absolute confidence in their abilities and knew they wouldn’t lose to the pair currently in combat.

“Who do you think will win?” asked Wu Jian.

“Sun Yazhu,” Hou Jingshu said, “Not only does he have more talent than Long Huang, but the Sun Sect spent a lot of resources on bring him up to the Seventh Subrealm of the Asura Realm.”

“That was a fast response, but you’re right. He’s definitely stronger than Long Huang,” Wu Jian nodded.

“I see neither of you plans on watching the match either,” said Hou Chao. The man walked up to them with an arrogant grin. “Are you both that confident in yourselves?”

“We have to be. I would not be able to look Father in the eyes if I didn’t have the confidence to make his dreams come true,” said Hou Jingshu.

Hou Chao clicked his tongue. “Still going on about that, huh? Do you really think you can accomplish the old man’s dreams? It’s been decades since the Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy won this tournament, and this year’s participants are more powerful than any other year previously.”

Hou Jingshu wore a bone-chilling smile. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve trained hard to be just as strong as the strongest cultivators in this tournament.”

“You think you’re gonna beat me?!”

“Did I say that? Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Tch! We’ll see who beats who!”

Hou Chao spat on the floor before stomping off. Hou Jingshu sucked in a deep breath, held it, then let it go. She was obviously nervous confronting her brother. The strong front she put up nearly collapsed the moment he left.

“You okay?” asked Wu Jian.

“I’ll have to be. I cannot afford to be weak.” Hou Jingshu took another deep breath, then reached out and grabbed his hand. “Thank you for not interfering. I cannot hide behind you. I’d never be able to face Father if I did.”

“I thought as much. You’re welcome.”

Wu Jian did not get to say more. Hou Gun and Húndàn Wang were now walking over to them. The stern set of Húndàn Wang’s face made him look irritated. Wu Jian wondered why at first, but then he realized the man was staring at their conjoined hands. He had laced his fingers with Hou Jingshu. The intimacy of this gesture no doubt set the young swordsman off.

“I see your relationship with Hou Chao hasn’t changed at all,” said Hou Gun.

Hou Jingshu shrugged. “That’s to be expected. He only ever comes to me when he wants to make trouble. You do too.”

“I’m quite hurt. I’d never purposefully cause trouble for you.” Hou Gun placed a hand over his chest.

Hou Jingshu snorted. “So, what do you want then? You’re not the type to make small talk.”

“I’m not here for myself.” Hou Gun shrugged and looked at Húndàn Wang.

“I never got to ask you this back at the auction because we kept getting interrupted, but what is your relationship with Jingshu?” asked Húndàn Wang.

Wu Jian shrugged, then lifted his and Hou Jingshu’s joined hands. “Is it not obvious?”

Hou Jingshu blushed bright red and tightened her grip on Wu Jian’s hand, which made Húndàn Wang’s face spasm. A vein throbbed on his left temple.

“So… you two are in a relationship. I thought as much, but I had hoped otherwise. Your Highness, this might sound disrespectful, but I think having a dalliance with some unknown rogue cultivation is a big mistake. You are a woman, and so I know the idea of a romance with a dark and mysterious man like Jian Wu might be titillating, but it is unbecoming of a woman of your stature.”

“Oh? Unbecoming, is it?”

Uh-oh…

Wu Jian had not seen this look in a while. Hou Jingshu’s smile was a sight to behold, and not a pleasant one. It looked like murder given form. This was the kind of smile he’d expect on a serial killer just because they stabbed someone in the throat. Lacing this smile was an anger so hot that a draconic aura seemed to surround the Shang Kingdom princess.

Húndàn Wang took a step back.

“The fact that you think my relationship with Jian Wu is nothing more than a dalliance shows how little you know about me? Do you think me so uncouth that I’d ruin my reputation and, by extension, my Father’s by having a tryst with an unknown cultivator?”

“I… uh… no… that’s not what I…” set back on his heels, Húndàn Wang tried hard to recover, but there was no hope of that happening now.

Hou Jingshu was on a roll.

“Jian Wu earned my respect, and my love, when he journeyed with me into the White Tiger Sect Ruins. He and I fought side by side. We shared life and death together, and he has done everything within his power to help me achieve my goals. He has supported me with his whole being. And what have you done? Stuck around inside of the Saintly Sword Sect’s halls and trained your sword. You never once lifted a finger to help me in my time of need, never once supported me. That tells me what kind of man you are, Húndàn Wang, and it is not the type of man I would ever allow to take my hand in marriage.”

Her words were loud, brazen, and everyone who had been paying attention to the battle on the platform was now watching the battle in the waiting room.

Húndàn Wang was aware of this, which explained why his face held nothing but shame. Wu Jian had never seen a man’s face turn so red. He looked like his head might explode. Was he embarrassed, angry? Did he feel humiliated that a woman dared to speak to him like this? Whatever the case was, this was nothing less than what he deserved.

“It is truly a shame you feel that way. I have long wanted to assist you, but certain matters have prevented me from doing so. I hope you understand that I am doing my best to get stronger for you, so I can support both you and the Shang Kingdom.”

“If you wanted to support me and the Shang Kingdom, you should be doing your best to help cure my father.”

The words brought Húndàn Wang up short. He bit his lip. There was truly nothing he could say in the face of that. While the common folks thought Emperor Hou Gun was sick, those with the power to move the nation knew the truth. He had been poisoned. Húndàn Wang could not be unaware of that. He had to know. The fact that he knew and did nothing to help had earned him Hou Jingshu’s scorn.

Everyone was hanging onto every word being spoken now. Even after a winner was announced and two more people left the room to fight, no one paid attention in favor of watching the events in here unfold.

Hou Gun stepped forward and tried to pacify the situation. “Come now, Jingshu. You know as well as I that Father’s condition is quite hard to deal with. Húndàn Wang understood there was little he could do to help cure him, and so he focused his efforts where he should--on getting stronger to protect the Shang Kingdom.”

“I disagree,” Wu Jian suddenly stepped forward.

Hou Gun’s face twitched, but he maintained his pleasant smile. “Oh? Then tell me, young man, what do you think Húndàn Wang should have done?”

“He should have asked Hou Jingshu if he could journey with her. That’s what I would have done. That’s what I did when I realized what she was trying to do.”

Hou Gun shrugged. “If he did that, he would not have reached the Human Limit Realm at such a young age. He only managed to reach this level of cultivation because he wholeheartedly dedicated himself to getting stronger.”

“Perhaps.” Wu Jian returned the man’s shrug with one of his own. “But he would have gained two things that are far more valuable.”

Hou Gun frowned. “And what is that? Please, enlighten me.”

“Gladly.”

Wu Jian stepped forward and finally released the aura he had been containing. Chi washed over the participants like rain during a flood. Several people began choking. A few fell to the floor, hand on their chest as they gasped for breath. The powerful chi took shape behind Wu Jian, forming a tiger out of what looked like a starry night sky.

Hou Gun took a step back. Sweat formed on his brow and his face grew pale. His breathing became short as he clenched his hands into fists. His arms trembled and his knuckles turned white.

Wu Jian was impressed that Húndàn Wang did not back off in the face of his overwhelming aura. He remained calm. His respect for this man rose a little, but it didn’t change the fact that this man put himself before others. That made him unsuited toward standing beside Hou Jingshu.

“The first thing he lost is obvious, and that is Hou Jingshu’s respect. She does not respect people because they are strong. Strength of arms is nowhere near as important as strength of character, and it is clear she finds Húndàn Wang’s character lacking.”

The aura surrounding Wu Jian suddenly exploded even more. A roar like that of a tiger shook the room. While Húndàn Wang did not take a step back, he did tighten his hands into fists.

Wu Jian raised his chin to stare down at Húndàn Wang. “The second thing you missed out on was experience. You might be strong, and you might be talented, but have you ever laughed in death’s face? How many times have you come close to dying? How many times have you pulled yourself from the brink? Have you ever fought an enemy so overwhelming that just standing beside them made you feel like an ant? Staying in your little sect and quietly training instead of experiencing the outside world might have made your cultivation strong, but it has also made you brittle. You’re like a newly forged sword that has only just been quenched in the flame’s of creation. You have yet to truly taste blood. You haven’t proven yourself to anyone. I will prove to you in this tournament should we face each other that experience will trump cultivation every single time.”