Hosting: Part 2

The third bout saw Chen Huan going onto the stage, and with a rapid thrust, she easily dispatched her opponent long before he could slash at her.

Caeser's turn came during the fourth bout, and with a swift side-dodge, he struck his opponent's arm with the hilt of his sword, winning the match.

Then came the fifth round...

Lin Sheng got up and put on his helmet. He grabbed his sword as he went up the stage from the right side.

His opponent was a large brute who was about half a head taller than him and twice the size.

"Boy, with that scrawny frame of yours, it's just a waste of time. Forfeit, I don't want to hurt you!" the brute shouted at Lin Sheng.

Lin Sheng did not even bother to respond.

*Ding!*

The bell rang.

With a chopping motion, the referee signaled the start of the match before stepping back.

Lin Sheng, in turn, took a step forward, his sword on guard.

At the same time, the brute roared and made a powerful downward slash, hitting the side of Lin Sheng's guard.

*Clang!!*

Lin Sheng's sword parried the brute's, and he made use of a powerful strike as counter-leverage.

The brute's massive strength, instead, caused Lin Sheng's blade to rebound and smashed into his face.

"F*ck…" The brute was struck by his own force, and he went into a daze. He spun about dizzily before he fell to his knees.

Lin Sheng then drew his blade and brought it downward.

The blade easily struck the brute's neck, knocking him down.

It was the skill he had learned from the rotten swordsman, Flash Riposte.

It was not a secret technique, rather, it was a very common one created to fight against foes who relied on brute strength.

There were also such techniques within Naxi Swordsmanship that used special moves to turn the strength of one's foes against themselves.

For Lin Sheng, who had obtained the rotten swordsman's memory, it took him just mere moments to master it. He was able to easily advance through the beginner phase and utilize it with ease.

"Steelscale Club, Lin Sheng's victory!" After the referee confirmed that the brute was not able to get up, he raised his hand to indicate the victor.

Lin Sheng walked down the stage indifferently and saw Chen Huan gnashing her teeth as she stared at him.

After that, the victors drew lots again.

Shayeen went ahead to draw her lot, and her opponent was the golden-haired youth, Caeser.

This piqued Lin Sheng's interest slightly.

His match was the second one; the first was Chen Huan against the long-armed swordsman.

The long-armed swordsman had only won by virtue of his arm length. Against Chen Huan, that was mere decoration, and his longsword was quickly knocked out of his hand.

Amid the victory proclamation, he walked down dejectedly without any pomp.

Lin Sheng reckoned that, due to how quick the bout had ended, there was no flourish and spectacle for the audience. As a result, it was probably not so popular.

Sadly, this was a reality that could not be changed.

"Second bout, Lin Sheng of Steelscale Club against Caeser."

Lin Sheng got up with his sword in hand as Russell cheered on loudly and Madillan, as well as Shayeen, clapped hard.

He nodded slightly and got onto the stage, facing the golden-haired youth.

"This guy… He knows real combat techniques!" Lin Sheng looked over and squinted.

Caeser cast a similar sharp glance at Lin Sheng too.

"Such a powerful presence!" He may have looked calm, but deep down, he was unnerved.

The man facing him simply stood there, his blade still in his sheath. His face was impassive, yet Caeser could faintly sense a deadly aura around him.

He had only sensed such an aura from his former bodyguard...

It was the aura of someone who had bloodied his blade before!

*Hiss...*

Caeser slowly drew his blade and moved into position, his blade facing upward before him. It was a stance that he only used against a strong opponent, the Crown Guard.

Although his sword was in front of him, Caeser's eyes were locked tightly on his opponent, as he guarded against any points of attack.

"Start!"

The referee's voice boomed.

Caeser's muscles tensed, and just as he was about to go for a strike, his vision suddenly blurred.

"Where is he?!" He lost his target completely.

As his pupils shrank, he saw a silhouette appearing behind him.

*Clang!*

Their two blades clashed, rebounded, and clashed again.

Caeser rolled and tried to get up for a counterattack, but he suddenly stopped.

A silver blade was pointing at his forehead.

"Such speed!" He looked up in astonishment at his opponent.

Even against his former bodyguard, he could still spar with him for a dozen rounds. He was no mere showoff. In terms of skill and technique, he could even easily fight off a group of people with his blade alone.

Yet, right then…

"I've opened a training school. Feel free to visit if you're interested," Lin Sheng calmly said as he sheathed his sword.

"Victory goes to Lin Sheng of Steelscale Club!" the referee pronounced.

Lin Sheng slowly walked down the stage, his expression calm.

In his eyes, Caeser was only a person who knew combat sword techniques.

As he descended the stage, Russell and the rest happily congratulated him.

Now that the strongest contender, Caeser was so easily defeated, a loser like Chen Huan was a forgone conclusion. Lin Sheng would take the crown in this tournament.

During the next round, Chen Huan easily beat the fifth participant who was given a goodbye.

Once it came to facing Lin Sheng, however, she chose to forfeit.

As Lin Sheng looked at her, she gritted her teeth with her head down. No one knew what kind of expression she was making.

And with that, the tournament officially ended before noon.

The organizer gave Lin Sheng the certificate to participate in the provincial tournament. On it was the details of his placing in the local tournament.

As for the prize, it would be given in one go after the finals.

The provincial-level tournament was a week later at Greenmat Sports Complex in Adien City, the provincial capital.

The team would comprise of the victors, Lin Sheng and Chen Huan.

By the time the tournament ended, it was barely 11 o'clock.

Just as Lin Sheng was leading Russell and the rest out of the complex, a few people came chasing after him.

"Lin Sheng!"

The golden-haired youth ran over, smiling as he called out to him.

Lin Sheng turned over and gave him a confused look. He had no idea why that person had come running for him.

Caeser was wearing a very attractive smile.

"It's so rare that I get the chance to meet a skilled swordsman in Huaisha City. Want to go for a drink? My treat."

Lin Sheng demurred before he nodded. He was curious about Caeser too.

"You can head back first then, I'll have a short chat with Mr. Carmie." He turned back.

"Master Lin, be careful. Caeser's background isn't exactly pristine," Shayeen closed in and whispered.

Lin Sheng nodded in acknowledgment.

"We'll wait for you at the club in that case. Master Lin, you should get a handphone, it's just too inconvenient trying to get in touch with you," Russell grumbled audibly.

The three then got into the car, which had been waiting for them, and left.

Lin Sheng and Caeser then headed to a café next to the sports complex.

Caeser had only come with his bodyguard, and as he sat down, he sent his bodyguard to wait at the door.

There were not many customers in the café, and they both decided to sit in the innermost corner of the shop.

"What would you like to have?" Caeser had changed into a smart casual outfit. His immaculate face held his attractive smile, and his golden hair shone under the light.

Comparatively, Lin Sheng appeared very regular. He had the look of a mere high school student, and aside from his sharp eyes, there were no other defining traits.