Be Fair

Listening to Mo Qingkuang's words, Li Sheng's heart bloomed with laughter. Two thousand points? 

'Let alone two thousand, if I had ten thousand, I'd still be willing to gamble with you. Mo Qingkuang, you have no idea how hard it is to earn points. I, Li Sheng, am ranked in the top twenty on the Qingyun Stele, and even I barely receive five hundred points each month!' 

Those tasks assigned by the academy's external affairs office give out pitifully few points. They're also extremely dangerous tasks that most people dare not take on. Only disciples like Li Sheng, with decent strength and extraordinary speed, dare to attempt a few, nearly risking their lives several times. 

Even so, Li Sheng's entire fortune is just over three thousand points. Other students probably struggle to make ends meet every month. The consumption of resources for cultivation is never enough! But Li Sheng also couldn't believe he would lose. Putting up two thousand points was just a verbal number! 

In the end, the result would surely be him receiving Mo Qingkuang's actual one thousand points. Thinking of this, Li Sheng agreed gleefully, "Alright! It's a deal!" Speaking very quickly, he blurted it out as if afraid that Mo Qingkuang would change his mind at the last moment. 

The onlookers, however, thought Mo Qingkuang had gone mad! Most of them thought he had no hope of winning. 

Insisting on putting up your entire fortune, did you really think you could win Li Sheng's two thousand points? Greedy and arrogant... 

A series of derogatory labels were pinned on Mo Qingkuang, who had originally left a good impression. 

Han Yan, on the other hand, calmed down. From her understanding of Mo Qingkuang, every time he did something out of the ordinary, he was already confident, and each time, the result was not disappointing. 

When he dared to ask others for something, it usually meant he would get it, whether it was from her or from Director Zheng. 

No matter how much others underestimated him, he always proved them wrong in the end. Chen Kong's dark eyes glanced at Mo Qingkuang somewhat strangely, as if reassessing him. But he didn't say anything to him, simply taking a step forward. "I'll be the referee." 

With that said, he moved towards the finish line, followed by many disciples from the academy who went to wait for the outcome. As the referee for the race, he only needed to be at the finish line to ensure fairness and didn't need to run with the participants. 

Chen Kong's prestige was reliable, built on solid achievements. He took on the most difficult tasks from the external affairs office, so he received more rewards and progressed much faster than others. But no one was resentful. It was all earned through their hard work. 

"Let's start from here." Seeing Chen Kong leave, Li Sheng came to the arena and drew a line on the ground with his toe, beckoning Mo Qingkuang over. Mo Qingkuang came to his side as instructed, and both of them assumed their prepared stances. 

"Mo Qinkuang, do you want me to give you a ten-meter head start?" Perhaps it was because Chen Kong had left, Li Sheng's tone became much harsher, and he couldn't help but taunt Mo Qingkuang. 

"Sure." 

No one expected Mo Qingkuang to play against the rules. He nodded at Li Sheng and actually moved forward ten meters. 

Everyone couldn't help but feel baffled. 

How could you be so unintelligent? He was clearly mocking you! As a promising young man, you could have just refused to give him the ten meters. At least you could have said you didn't need it! Why did you agree? 

Seeing this, Li Sheng felt embarrassed. He quickly moved forward ten meters as well, coming to Mo Qingkuang's side, and forced a professional smile on his face. "Fairness is key, to prevent any excuses from you later when you lose." 

The audience erupted in murmurs, thinking, it's you who's afraid of losing, right? Mo Qingkuang gaining a ten-meter advantage was just that—an advantage. It's you who lost out with these ten meters. Now you feel like you can't win? You're the one boasting, and in the end, you're the one chickening out! 

Li Sheng, being a lackey for many years, thickened his skin and ignored the constant murmurs from the crowd. It wasn't that he was afraid the ten-meter distance would affect the outcome between him and Mo Qingkuang, but rather, it was a precautionary measure. 

Two thousand points was not a small amount, and it took him several months of hard work to save up that capital. If something went wrong, not only would he lose face, but he would also lose the points. Then, what use would his pride be? 

Even amidst the constant murmurs, Li Sheng chuckled and said, "Mo Qinkuang, it's not that I don't want to give you any advantage. How about this, let the Ninth Princess start the race." 

Li Sheng's shamelessness once again astonished everyone. Starting the race by having Han Yan call it, and still managing to let Mo Qingkuang take the advantage? The jeers in the whole arena intensified, even Li Sheng's entourage felt a bit embarrassed and turned their faces away. 

Mo Qingkuang also looked disdainful. Although Han Yan was full of disdain, she still stepped forward, pinching her nose. "Start!" 

The two instantly turned into blurs and darted out, disappearing from the sight of the crowd in the blink of an eye. 

"So fast!" Someone exclaimed as they watched Mo Qingkuang and Li Sheng's speed. 

"Did anyone see who was in front just now?" 

"I didn't see it; it was too fast!" 

"I... I vaguely saw it, it seemed to be Mo Qingkuang!" 

"It's impossible! It must be Li Sheng! Although Li Sheng's shamelessness is a bit much, his skills are top-notch! Moreover, he's several grades higher in cultivation!" 

The crowd exchanged their opinions as they walked towards the finish line. The majority of the disciples from the Inner Court were inclined to believe that Li Sheng would emerge victorious. One reason was their confidence in Li Sheng, and the other was their unwillingness to admit that a newcomer could dominate over the veterans who ranked at the forefront of the Qingyun Stele. 

Some faster individuals believed they could keep up, intending to do live broadcasts from behind. 

The distance from the Qingyun Arena to the registration area was quite long, requiring at least the time to burn a stick of incense for ordinary martial artists. When the competition officially began, some were already prepared. Along this path, at intervals, individuals stood on the roadside trees watching. 

In the blink of an eye, the two figures passed many 'watch posts' occupied by others. However, it was somewhat frustrating for people since both were wind attribute physiques, surrounded by a green aura. 

Moreover, they were dressed similarly today, with almost identical body shapes. In the high-speed movement, they became blurry figures, making it nearly impossible for most people to distinguish between them. 

But some noticed that, just past one-third of the way, the figure in front was getting faster and faster, pulling away from the one behind by quite a distance. 

"Still getting faster! Who is that person?" 

"No need to guess. It must be Li Sheng! This guy has some tricks up his sleeve. No wonder he dares to take on those dangerous tasks. With this speed, how could anyone catch up to him!"

***

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