The fight raged on, and Yuwen Yue's cold, calculating eyes followed the black ninja's every move. The ninja's arrogance was notable, and the crowd was enamored with his showy display of confidence, as if he had already claimed victory despite the bout's actual outcome.
After a series of brutal strikes that left his opponent reeling, the black ninja glanced around and found the big, muscled man lying unconscious, as though he were asleep in the center of the fighting circle. The defeated fighter was dragged out and unceremoniously thrown aside.
With the first fight concluded, the host of the event made an announcement, signaling that the final match was imminent. The stage was cleared for the grand finale, and a flurry of money rained down from the audience, adding to the excitement.
Back in his quarters, the black ninja remained unscathed—no wounds or broken bones evident on his body.
Suddenly, a short man entered the room, tossing a few coins onto the floor. He approached the black ninja and, with an urgent tone, asked him to prepare for the final match.
Because of Yuwen Yue's attractive personality, another man pushed him into the circle of fight where he became an instant fighter and contender.
He does not have any idea who he will fight yet.
He locked his brows when he thought about the black mask ninja earlier and the crowd shouts out his name. Yuwen Yue knew the black mask ninja will join in the next fight.
Unexpected situation Yuwen Yue was forced to fit in, fate let him face it today.
If the seventh Yue will not recognize him, he will have to defend himself but will not hurt his closest former bodyguard.
Yuwen Yue is somewhat looking torn, his head looking down while the black mask ninja came out to fight him full of arrogance.
An inexplicable attitude of revenge the master of disguise also felt around him, Yuwen Yue started to draw his inner strength to counter it.
In the dim light of the fighting circle, Yuwen Yue stood in perfect stillness, his shadow cast with striking clarity. He kept his eyes closed and his posture unmoving, exuding an air of calm that set him apart from any fighter the black ninja had encountered before.
The black ninja, sensing that his opponent was unlike anyone he had faced in the past, grew wary. His eyes narrowed with focus, determined not to let his curiosity distract him from his objective.
No one wants to start the first move, but the ninja's irritation with Yuwen Yue's composed stature grew stronger.
Swoosh..
The black ninja began to test the calm water, and the ripples did not fight back.
Yuwen Yue avoided the first strike that landed on his left shoulder.
And just like that, the crowd went crazy then silence followed everyone in awe.
After the first attack, the bets started to shuffle.
It was as if the memory pierced his heart anew, though it wasn't a physical blow. The black ninja noticed Yuwen Yue protecting his left shoulder, where he had initially struck, and aimed to exploit it. Yet Yuwen Yue adeptly defended against the attack.
Aware that the young ninja was focusing on his left shoulder, Yuwen Yue knew he had to avoid appearing defensive. Any sign of vulnerability would prompt the ninja to target his still-healing wound. To counter this, Yuwen Yue shifted his stance from calm to aggressive.
For the first time since the incident at the frozen lake, Yuwen Yue unleashed his Gongfu martial arts, though he did so effortless.
The black-masked ninja was taken completely by surprise when he felt a sudden pain and noticed blood streaming from his nose. His brows wrinkled in disbelief, and he struggled to comprehend the turn of events. The sight of his own blood, though seemingly minor, shook his confidence and made him fear that this setback might jeopardize his career with the outcome of the fight.
Yuwen Yue, hoping for an interruption to avoid an extended fight, found himself facing a crowd that seemed frenzy at the moment. The situation felt like a dam about to burst openly.
When he adjusted his approach, the black-masked ninja launched another attack. Yuwen Yue controlled the fight from attack to counter-attack and putting himself in the gray area of this moment. It was like breaking his rules back to not breaking them.
Almost in a blink of an eye, those movements made the black ninja scratch his head.
The crowd cried louder, burst out in laughter, cast more bets, and shifted their bets back and forth.
He couldn't shake the disturb thought from his mind: "Why is it that the black-masked ninja doesn't seem to recognize me at all?" Observing from a distance, Yuwen Yue pondered the situation, his thoughts racing with curiosity and concern.
The black-masked ninja, unaccustomed to such public ridicule and feelings of bruised ego, hurts him like he is not good at all. The laughter from the crowd grew louder, his anger boiled over. In a sudden, reckless move, he reached out and touched Yuwen Yue's arm. Yuwen Yue baffled by how his opponent allowed such close contact, he is thinks this is a giveaway.
Without hesitation, Yuwen Yue removed the black mask, revealing the ninja's face and the crowd went astonished. The revelation was met with gasps and murmurs, as the audience clearly saw this unexpected turn of events.
A moment paused, and all jaws dropped to the ground, the busy, noisy crowd becomes quiet.
Yuwen Yue took a moment to process the sight before him. Truly, the young black-masked ninja bore a striking resemblance to Yue Qi, despite his youth. This uncanny similarity took Yuwen Yue by surprise, making the encounter even more unsettling.
Before Yuwen Yue could fully react, the black ninja swiftly replaced his mask and leaped sideways from a wooden post. In one agile motion, he reached the height of the balcony and swiftly vanished through an open window.
Yuwen Yue left to his surmise, exited the fighting circle while the crowd erupted in cheers, tossing more money into the air and celebrating their new champion.
As the result sets place, Yuwen Yue remained indifferent. Although he needed the money to support his living, his focus was solely on receiving the payment for his services with no plans of taking credit for the winnder events today.
Yuwen Yue, deep in thought, when he saw the face beneath the black mask—it was Yue Qi. The fight had been interrupted, wondering if Yue Qi had recognized him. He was left to consider whether the black ninja would return and, if so, how that would unfold.
Meanwhile, the lodge-keeper was thrilled, having profited immensely from the final match. The earnings from this fight exceeded what he would normally make in an entire year, leaving him in high spirits.
After the fight, Yuwen Yue was thrown out of the place like a useless fellow after the fight match was finished. They threw him out like a trash. This small-statured man tossed some of his hard-earned money like he is no one without a high regard.
With nothing to lose, Yuwen Yue bent down to pick up the scattered bills from the ground. Although it wasn't a fortune, it is enough to sustain him with food for weeks.
Even if Yuwen Yue emerged as the winner by default, the match itself was left unresolved. The crowd's favorite, who had been gaining significant attention, vanished as soon as his mask was removed. This sudden disappearance left the fight inconclusive.
It was never Yuwen Yue's intention to unmask the ninja. The exposure had been an unexpected turn of events, not really part of his plan.
Yuwen Yue knew he needed to bring the fight to a close to avoid exhausting himself further. The excessive attention and publicity could potentially put him in danger.
And to shift the focus away from himself and prevent unlikely situation, he decided it was crucial to redirect the crowd's curiosity. This strategy was to make them ponder the identity of the black ninja—the crowd's favorite—by leaving them with the lingering question: "Who is behind the mask?"
So as he wished, he took it off.
True to Yuwen Yue's guess, the unmasking of the ninja's face took the crowd's attention and became the source of entertainment. The audience watched with amusement as the battle lost its seriousness and became a spectacle.
Some of them asked the name of the contender.
As Yuwen Yue made his way through the bustling streets, he overheard people asking about the name of the mysterious contender. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, he quickened his pace, hoping to remain unnoticed.
Putting on his hood, Yuwen Yue walked tall like that Gregorian chant people.
By the time he reached his room, exhaustion had set in. He carefully stashed the money he had earned from the fight. He planned to use it to purchase a weapon for his uncertain journey. Perhaps, in some way, all paths would eventually lead him to Xinger?
This thought is the only peace he will settle whenever he thought about her. She remained alive in his thoughts and close to his heart.
A familiar parrot, caged in a rusty prison, suddenly broke the silence with a spoken name: "Xinger, Xinger…" The bird's voice, eerily human-like, was suddenly cut off as Yuwen Yue's brows furrowed, silencing the parrot's call.
Indeed, it was the Yuwen parrot! This uncanny bird, again captured his attention!
Getting tired but sleepy, Yuwen Yue went into a flashback. In the deep in the forest, struggling with hunger. He had expended nearly five out of his seven spears, but his efforts to hunt had yielded no food. His left arm, wounded and weak, made it even harder to catch a decent meal.
As he staggered through the woods, nearly collapsing from starvation, he noticed a father and son nearby. The pair, clad in thick leather fur boots, were camping and had just taken down a deer. Yuwen Yue, weak and desperate, watched them from a distance, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Fortunately, the compassionate father and son came to his aid. Without a word, Yuwen Yue allowed them to help him, his past unspoken. They carried him to their camp, tended to his wound, and cared for him during his recovery. Bedridden for weeks, Yuwen Yue remained silent, but the father and son nurtured him back to health, feeding him and helping him heal.
One day, as Yuwen Yue finally regained his strength and ventured into the market, he wandered through the bustling stalls. Passing by a vendor selling a variety of birds, he was suddenly captivated by a familiar sound—a bird tweeting the name "Xinger" three times.
The sound struck him deeply, and he retraced his steps, trying to locate the source of the noise. His search led him to discover the Yuwen parrot.
Overjoyed to find the bird, Yuwen Yue was momentarily lost in himself, nearly forgetting about the vendor. However, his lack of money to purchase the parrot soon became evident, and the vendor, noticing his empty hands, rudely pushed him aside.
Yuwen Yue soon came to the realize that his former status as the master of the Eyes of God or the fourth-generation master of the Yuwen household meant little in this place. Here, no one knew who he was or cared about his past privileges. His authority and demands held no weight.
Determined to get the parrot, Yuwen Yue resolved to find work to earn the money he needed. Each day, he returned to the bird vendor, promising the purchase the Yuwen parrot. He set up a layaway plan, paying the vendor weekly until he had fully settled the amount required.
This routine became a small but significant part of his life, marking a new chapter where he worked diligently for what he wanted, step by step.
Yuwen Yue treated the parrot as if it were gold, valuing it deeply, though he hadn't fully understood its significance until now. In this moment, when everything he held dear had been lost—his home, his status, even the connection to his past—the bird became a symbol of resilience and continuity. It was the only link he had to his past and to Xinger, providing a glimmer of hope.
When he finally took the bird home, he noticed its wounds and signs of distress. These marks were clear evidence of the hardship it had endured, likely stemming from the time when the Yuwen household was thrown into chaos.
Yuwen Yue reflected on the chaos that must have engulfed the Yuwen household after his disappearance. The parrot mirrored its troubled history, was now the only tangible connection with the past. He held it close, cherishing it as a fragment of his former life and a source of comfort in his uncertain journey ahead.
Although Yuwen Yue's stance remained as cold as ever, the parrot seemed to understand his master's struggles. The bird was quiet for a few days, but under Yuwen Yue's care, it recovered its health, vibrant and lively once more. The bird's usual naïve bullying tweets makes Yuwen Yue annoyed sometimes.
Exhausted from the day's events, Yuwen Yue drifted into sleep. Just like in his former life, the parrot served as his alarm and guide. The Cangwu bird, with its usual bright eyes, was about to settle down as well.
Suddenly, it let out a loud, unexpected "quack!"