Chapter 96. A Person Shone.

The participants in the Heavenly Dragon Tournament's martial arts competition were eight in number.

The Ximen Family of the Ten Great Clans did not participate, and only two elders from the Zhuge Family attended.

The lineup was as follows:

Moyongzhen of the Murong Family, Huangbaojiang of the Huangbao Family, Pangwujie of the Northern Pang Family, Yanjiaoyun of the Jinzhou Yan Family, Yuefan of the Shandong Yue Family, Simagong of the Sima Family, Bailizhenfeng of the Baili Family, and Nangongyu of the Nangong Family.

Now, they were seated in a circle, their eyes shining as they listened intently to the call of the Nangong Family’s head.

The head of the Nangong Family, Nangongxue, was nearing the end of his explanation.

"…including today, there are four days. The elders of the Yin Ying Gate will assist in the identification of the hidden individuals. This competition will be more than just an evaluation; it will be a meaningful time for each of you. Remember our high expectations. Now, if anyone has additional questions, please speak up."

"How many elders from the Yin Ying Gate are participating?"

It was Moyongzhen of the Murong Family who asked.

"I cannot answer that question. I believe you can guess the reason. Next question."

Moyongzhen did not press further.

The others also understood immediately and nodded. The ambiguity of the number would prevent complacency, increase the likelihood of errors, and make identification more difficult, thus enhancing the accuracy of the evaluation.

"Will the level of the hidden individuals remain the same from the first day to the last?"

This time, it was Simagong of the Sima Family who asked.

Nangongxue smiled faintly.

"Good question. To answer directly, no, it will not be the same. The first day, today, will feature the highest level, tomorrow will be high level, and the final day of the competition, the fourth day, will be the lowest level. The level of the hidden individuals will decrease sequentially over the four days."

Instantly, the eyes of the young talents became intense.

The contrast was now very clear.

The one who finds them the fastest will gain great glory. But what if they are only discovered on the last day? It would be a significant blemish. Perhaps another derogatory nickname would follow them.

The meaning was palpable, and the young talents felt a weight even greater than the competition.

While the glory of winning the Heavenly Dragon Tournament is well-known and will be talked about in the martial world for a long time, everyone knows that in terms of practicality, it leaves something to be desired when it comes to discussing true strength.

There are no ultimate techniques in the competition, and no deadly moves. The foundation is friendship and unity, so bloodshed is avoided.

But what is the martial world?

Life and death in the martial world are decided by a single blow. Even the level of internal energy and the realm of cultivation cannot guarantee victory. A person with lower skills can still prevail through experience, and many lives have been turned upside down by secret techniques and hidden moves.

There are no formalities in life-and-death battles, and insisting on a fair fight is merely the whining of a child. Those who fall to a sudden attack are remembered as failures and forgotten, while those who survive are remembered as formidable opponents.

In this sense,

identifying the hidden individuals is already part of the martial world.

If a loved one, a family member, or a friend suddenly stabs you in the back, and you fail to recognize them as a hidden individual and meet your death, the futility would be indescribable.

This is the martial world.

That is why the eyes of the young talents became more intense and burned with desire.

'Hmm...'

Nangongxue smiled inwardly.

By their eyes alone, he could hear their voices. Seeing that they had reached the 'awareness' he and the head of the family had hoped for, Nangongxue felt satisfied.

But the story was not over yet.

It was time to reveal that the elders of the Yin Ying Gate had already been active during the banquet. They would be shocked.

Anticipating the change in the children's expressions, Nangongxue began to speak.

"There is one thing I have not told you. It is quite a surprise. That is..."

"Head of the Family!"

A sudden voice interrupted Nangongxue.

He looked towards the door.

His brows furrowed involuntarily.

'Feilongjian?'

Feilongjian, his closest confidant, had interrupted him rudely.

Knowing that Feilongjian was not unaware of the rudeness, Nangongxue was certain it was a matter of great importance.

"Come in."

Feilongjian approached and leaned in to whisper.

"What?"

Nangongxue's eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean? You found all the elders of the Yin Ying Gate?"

"Yes, the eldest son of the Tianhua Library."

"But what...?"

Nangongxue, who had been expecting the children's shock, was now the one who was shocked.

The competition had not even started.

But Nangongxue was relatively composed.

The eight young talents,

knowing the significance of finding the elders of the Yin Ying Gate, all turned pale.

Before the competition had even begun,

someone had already claimed the glory.

**

Soon, Nangongxue met with Jiuhuan,

and he had to endure the torrent of accusations from Jiuhuan.

"Head of the Family, why did you do that? Why didn't you tell the eldest son of the Tianhua Library beforehand?"

"..."

It was almost a roar.

The status difference between the Nangong Family and the Yin Ying Gate was significant.

Given this, Jiuhuan's words and actions had crossed a line.

If someone had seen it, they might have mistaken Jiuhuan for the head of the Nangong Family. But Nangongxue listened calmly. It was not just because Jiuhuan's head was bandaged.

It was a missed opportunity,

and he was not wrong.

"If you had just given him a hint, he wouldn't have had to step in, right? Then I wouldn't have been treated so harshly."

Nangongxue nodded occasionally.

"At the very least, you should have informed me that the eldest son of the Tianhua Library had a much higher level of martial arts than was known. If I had known that it was beyond my and the main branch's capabilities, I would have revealed the truth immediately upon meeting him, rather than provoking him. Then I wouldn't have been sent flying, right?"

Nangongxue bowed his head instead of arguing.

"You are right. I was shortsighted."

He apologized sincerely.

His attitude was so sincere that Jiuhuan was at a loss and felt uneasy.

"Um... well... if you say so..."

He had not expected the head of the Nangong Family to admit his mistake and apologize without a single excuse. In his anger, he had not thought about the consequences, but now, receiving the apology, he realized he was in the presence of the head of the Nangong Family and swallowed hard.

"Is there anything else you would like to say, Elder? I think there is."

"Me?"

Jiuhuan blinked in confusion.

He had already vented his frustrations and felt relieved. What else could there be? He could not think of anything more to say.

"Head of the Family... I think I have said everything I wanted to..."

Jiuhuan's hesitant tone revealed his unease. Perhaps the apology from the head of the Nangong Family was not an apology but a taunt, a challenge to say more. His lips dried up as he wondered if he had misinterpreted it as a genuine apology.

"I see. I understand."

But the response was straightforward.

Nangongxue had no intention of taunting him; he was simply curious.

He had asked if there was more to say because

this was the second time.

The first was Qibidanhun, and now it was Elder Jiuhuan.

It was a strange situation. Just like Qibidanhun, something that should have been said was missing from Jiuhuan's words.

Despite being wronged,

there was no resentment towards the eldest son of the Tianhua Library.

Nangongxue had waited for him to vent his anger, but all the criticism was directed at the Nangong Family and himself.

So he had subtly hinted, trying to prompt Jiuhuan to remember what was missing, but Jiuhuan showed no sign of realizing it.

One person had been buried, and another had been sent flying, yet there was no blame. Instead, he seemed deeply impressed and only showed regret. Why?

'Is he charming?'

The thought made Nangongxue laugh.

If that were the case, he himself had been charmed. He had even tried to involve Xiaoye.

At that moment,

Jiuhuan spoke.

"Ah, Head of the Family! Now that I think about it, there was something I didn't mention."

Nangongxue nodded, hoping he would finally say it.

"Please speak your mind."

"So... the eldest son said something strange."

"Strange?"

"It was so absurd... He asked how many people the main branch had sent, and then said he had found five of them."

"What do you mean?"

Nangongxue's brows furrowed deeply.

His eyes flashed, and Jiuhuan became anxious.

It was an absurd claim, and he regretted bringing it up. The eldest son could not have known something the head of the Nangong Family did not.

"That's right. I thought it was absurd and told him it must be a mistake, but he disappeared right in front of me. Who in the world would dare to use hidden techniques in the Nangong Family...?"

Jiuhuan was stunned.

In the next moment,

the head of the Nangong Family, who had been standing in front of him, vanished.

Just like the eldest son of the Tianhua Library.

Jiuhuan swallowed hard.

'Is this a trend?'

But as he pondered the meaning, Jiuhuan's mouth dropped open.

"Could it be...?"

...The Nangong Family was in an uproar.

An outsider had infiltrated the family.

And it happened during the Heavenly Dragon Tournament.

Although the intruder had entered through the intentional hidden techniques of the Yin Ying Gate, the shock was significant.

An immediate internal inspection was conducted. They checked the number of people, whether anything was missing, if anything new had appeared, and if any other hidden individuals remained.

Of course, this was done discreetly.

It was so subtle that it went unnoticed. But the family was in turmoil.

Meanwhile, the heads of the Ten Great Clans and their leaders convened a meeting.

Qiyun Kai, the head of the Anhui branch of the Beggar Sect, and Mengyan Meng, the branch leader of the Alliance, were also present.

"Qiyun Kai, can you explain the situation from the beginning?"

"Of course."

Qiyun Kai began his account.

It started with the eldest son calling him and his grumbling, followed by the gathering of people, the secret messages exchanged, and the detailed description of the events.

In the story, one person shone.

The eldest son of the Tianhua Library.

He was the observer,

the commander, and the executor, as everyone could see.

He was also a covert tracker.

His instructions were simple and clear, and the fact that those receiving them were the branch leader of the Alliance and the head of the Beggar Sect's branch was surprising.

The situation was controlled, and the threat was contained. The eldest son personally verified the situation without passing it off to anyone else. The subsequent events, as everyone knew, were successful tracking and interrogation.

Qiyun Kai's explanation was rough,

but the sequence of events was seamless.

The response of the Tianhua Library's scholar was no less, if not more, skilled than any experienced martial artist.

After Qiyun Kai and Mengyan Meng left,

the heads of the Ten Great Clans and their leaders remained, but no one spoke easily. The silence lingered for a long time.

In that silence,

some were filled with admiration,

some saw a blemish on the reputation of the Ten Great Clans,

and others tried to suppress their urge to criticize the Tianhua Library.

Hou Gong returned around that time.

He met Nangongxue in the evening.

After expressing his intention to leave, he acted immediately.

There was no hesitation.