Two days passed
The morning sun greeted Ming well, under Lian's tender care and treatment, Ming recovered fully
Ming slept over at room 003 again. It had become almost habitual for Ming to hug Lian to sleep to ease her nerves
It was embarrassing at first but Ming gradually got over it, he and Lian are very close friends, and close friends do things like this right? Right? Ming pondered
Lian's gentle snoring like a sweet melody to Ming as he sat up and got himself ready
He turned to stare at Lian's god awful sleeping posture. She was sprawled all over with her limbs twisting and turning like tree branches
"No matter how many times I see it. I still don't understand how her body can twist like this" Ming chuckled as he get ready and left to meet up with Bu Li and Lao Jiu
Tonight's the night, Ming's final two Gu fights before they can reap the rewards, at least in theory
Ming can't help but think that those beggars will still find a way to scam them even if he won his fights
Welp, no use thinking about it now. He'll burn that bridge when he gets to it
For now, focusing on winning the fights is enough
"Lao Jiu! You home?" Ming call out as he stand outside the professor's rundown house
"Ow ow ow!! Calm down old man!" Bu Li's pained cries ran out from within
De Ming sighed and walked in, brushing the "door" (dirty rags) aside
Lao Jiu was bending Bu Li's malnourished arms backwards
"You asked me to teach you martial arts kid, this what you signed up form"
"Well yeah assshat but I didn't see you doing this torture when you taught my benefactor!!"
"He doesn't need it dumbass" Lao Jiu said with a petty grin
Ming could tell that this was Lao Jiu's revenge for whatever the hell Bu Li did to him. Ming would've stopped Lao Jiu had it been anyone other than Bu Li, but the mischievous chump probably did something that warranted this treatment
"About tonight's matches, is there anything different? It's the finals and all"
Lao Jou raised his eyebrows
"Hmm? Didn't this Bu Li runt tell you? The last match is a four person free for all"
"Well, that's certainly new" Ming replied blankly, shooting an annoyed look at the yelping Bu Li
"Yeah, ok, I may have forgot to tell you some details, but, ya know, I'm only human, mistakes happens, hehe" Bu Li laughs, feigning innocence
Ming, with the blankest look and the most monotonous tone possible turned to Lao Jiu
"Stretch him harder please, thanks"
"Got it, Kid"
"Huh, what. Wait-AAAAAAAAA-"
Ming smirked as he head to a different corner to review his martial arts for tonight
=================================
As the sun dimmed over the horizon, three figures moved through Golden Carp Town's underworld.
The people were unusually rowdy, as expected. It was final's night of the Beggar Sect's Gu Tournament. This was the height of entertainment here in the land where the benevolence of even the Jade Emperor don't reach
The dilapidated temple, usually quiet, festering in its ruination was filled with heaps of beggars, rouges, thugs, those most of Jianghu considered to be "low-borns"
As shady as this place is, tonight its De Ming's stage to steal
"Are you ready kiddo?" Lao Jiu ask one last time, placing a hand on De Ming's shoulder
"Wouldn't be here if I wasn't" Ming answered simply? Steeling his resolves
"Yeah! My representative right here got the guts, old man. Underestimating him means underestimating me. Bu Li"
Bu Li puffs up his chest as he declares while both Ming and Lao Jiu promptly ignore him
The crowd turned their heads as Ming and his companions entered the scene, splitting apart like the red sea as they approached the "ring". Murmur of Ming's freakish endurance and Lao Jiu's training rang about within the crowd
Within the ring were three individuals, a short stocky man holding a knife, a tall and wiry man and a girl with silver twintails, half her face obstructed by a veil. They were waiting for the final contestant, Ming
The stocky man snorted at Ming, making faces in an attempt to intimidate, Ming ignores him
The tall man darted his eyes left and right, seemingly calculating his moves
While the two men were fiddling around, the silver hair girl only stood silently, waiting for the start of the finals, not paying any attention to Ming
A man wearing old and ragged Buddhist robes and a hole high hat
"Pssst, benefactor, he's the current regional manager in this Beggar's Sect's branch" Bu Li whispers as I approach the stage
"I'll be working directly under him if you win" Bu Li added
"Go ahead kid, the people's waiting" Lao Jiu interjected, sensing the impatient gazes directed at De Ming
"It seems that all our finalists are here" The man in Buddhist robes spoke out, his voice clear
"As per usual, last one standing wins, have a good fight" He announced as the crowd starts chanting "Kill kill kill" enthusiastically
Ming steps into the ring, the short man to his right, the veiled girl at his left and the tall man directly facing him
The crowds chants
"THREE!"
Ming bends down reaching his hand towards his shoe
"TWO!"
Ming tightens his fists and stands upright
"ONE!"
With a big step, Ming immediately opened his dantian, letting his chaotic Qi flow to his soles, ripping painfully through his legs as it goes
//Flowing Reed Steps, Mid Bronze, Familiar//
Ming's legs takes in front of the tall man with surprisingly speed and all the unpredictable fluidity of river reeds under the current
The tall man reacted in time and jumped backwards, intending to dodge any punches or palms from Ming, the man paid watched close attention in Ming's previous fights
Ming smirks, he's exactly where Ming needed him to be, Ming punched his right fist forward
The tall man grinned at Ming's pathetic attempt, Ming's fist weren't gonna reach him under any circumstances
But then Ming opened his fist mid strike
//Heated Sand Splash, Low Bronze, Novice//
Hot sand bursted forth from his fist and into the man's eyes, searing them shut
"ARGHHHH BASTARD" the tall man yelled as he grabbed his own face in pain
During the short moment of the man being disoriented. Ming stepped forward and slammed his right foot onto the man's right
//Flattening Curb Stomp, Low Bronze, Familiar//
An audible crack rang out his the man's foot completely crumbles against Ming's foot with bones reinforced by Lao Jiu's Sturdy Bone Infusement Technique
To finish him off, Ming directed a hard punch to the man's stomach, the constant pain and shock knocks him out
One down, two to go
While the scuffle happened, the stocky man stood back waiting for Ming and the tall man to tire themselves out before picking off the victor of the two
What he didn't expect was for Ming to finish the job in one quick combo, this so called "softy" was not one to be underestimated, he thought to himself
The silver hair girl also stood back, she had a disinterested look to her, as if bored of the battle at hand
Ming turned back to face the two, shut off his dantian as the pain in his nerves retreated. He had spent a fourth of his Qi finishing the tall men, he couldn't afford to drag this out
"Don't tell me both of you are scared of me after just that" Ming sneered, angering them would give him much needed openings
"Don't bother trying that kiddo, I've been hustling on these streets longer than you've been born" the stocky man grunted as he slowly approached Ming
The silver haired girl, with a spark of interest followed suit, threatening to conner Ming
Ming had underestimated their wisdom, looks like these two were no joke