Monarch Night
Chapter 54 - 19 The Cost of a Beautiful Appearance

Chapter 54: Chapter 19 The Cost of a Beautiful Appearance

Fang Che smiled on the platform, cupping his hands sincerely, "Thank you for giving way, Brother Mo."

Then he stepped down steadily,

His stride firm, his expression as cool and detached as ever.

The Infinite Scripture quietly circulated, washing over the meridians in his legs time and again as his injuries slowly healed.

Taking the large cloak that Fang Qingyun passed to him, he draped it over his shoulders and stood in the front row of the crowd, watching the stage.

It was clear he intended to watch his opponents’ battles.

He stood tall and straight, firm and unyielding. He seemed utterly unconcerned about the leg that had collided over seven hundred times, or perhaps it simply had no effect on him.

With this, everyone immediately realized the outcome of this battle, who had won and who had lost.

It was obvious at a glance.

Indeed, Mo Gan Yun had lost.

But even though he lost, not a single person dared to underestimate him; instead, everyone felt in their hearts: truly a fine man.

...

In the fight from thirteen down to seven, apart from Jing Shuanggao having an empty round, everyone indeed brought out their real skills.

Neither Ding Jie Ran nor the others could achieve victory with a single move.

Each of them was drawn into a prolonged fight.

Finally, the top seven were decided: Fang Che, Ding Jie Ran, Qiu Yunshang, Huo Churan, Xie Gongping, the bye-round Jing Shuanggao, and one more person who surprised everyone.

Yu Zhongge!

This contender, originally ranked eleventh, turned out to get stronger as he faced stronger opponents, and up to now, he hadn’t fallen behind.

Next, it was the round from seven to four.

Obviously, another person would get a bye.

The finals for first, second, and third place were fast approaching.

Down at the betting area, there was an uproar, people were going wild.

After this battle, everyone saw Fang Che’s potential, and he became the top favorite to win the championship.

Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?

But now, the betting area was closed.

No more bets allowed!

As the instructors said: placing your bets now is worse than waiting for the champion to be announced and then betting!

That way, your profits are guaranteed.

So, there was a wail of misery across the Great Training Ground!

Although the suspense still remained, many had already lost the chance to turn their fortunes around, their loss was certain.

Because the competitors they had bet on were now eliminated.

A referee came over especially to ask Fang Che, "How are you doing?"

Fang Che moved his legs a bit and smiled, "It’s fine!"

"Don’t push yourself too hard."

"I’m not."

"Good."

The referee then announced, "The round from seven to four will be after lunch."

Fang Che moved his legs a little, feeling the repair that the Infinite Scripture had done to his legs, and couldn’t help but look over at Mo Gan Yun.

It felt like he had been kicking against a steel rod for a long time. It really hurt, but Fang Che had endured it.

In fact, even if it were more serious, if his leg bone were already cracked, as long as it hadn’t completely broken, and the fight hadn’t been decided, Fang Che could continue to fight without changing his expression.

The ruthless streak of an old Jianghu: it’s better to have a broken leg than to lose your life.

While moving, Fang Che felt like laughing a bit.

Mo Gan Yun’s legs were indeed very hard; it’s just a pity that they were not as properly cultivated as his, and what’s more, his cultivation was slightly lower by one grade.

Third Grade Martial Master!

With the cultivation of a Third Grade Martial Master, Fang Che kicked at Mo Gan Yun without any worries.

But one leg still hurt quite a bit. Lucky for him, it had already mostly recovered.

Mo Gan Yun caught his gaze and laughed out loud, then strode over, his trouser legs still rolled up, revealing a shocking sight of swollen shins, bruised a purplish hue.

He gave off a rather odd impression.

Mo Gan Yun came over as if nothing were amiss, familiarly slinging an arm around Fang Che’s shoulder and asked, "It doesn’t hurt, you say?"

Fang Che’s face expressionless, "I won, didn’t I? Even if it hurts, I have to pretend it doesn’t."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Mo Gan Yun burst into laughter again.

Those familiar with him glanced sideways: Since when did this big lug love to laugh so much?

"In a while, hit them hard!"

Mo Gan Yun, sparing no politeness, pointed at Huo Churan and the others, "These guys, they don’t seem like the type used to tough clashes. Just force them into a few hard hits, I guarantee they’ll be grimacing and hindered in their movements."

His words indeed hit the nail on the head concerning these few.

After all, there are only a handful across the whole continent that can fight as fiercely as Fang Che and Mo Gan Yun.

Ding Jie Ran stood alone to one side, his expression detached as if he hadn’t heard, showing no reaction.

This man, standing amidst a sea of people, gave the feeling of being alone in the vast desert.

No matter how many people were around him, he was always lonely.

Huo Churan and the others glared at Mo Gan Yun, but he didn’t care, glaring back at each of them, "What’s the matter, you disagree? Want to have a go with me first?!"

Huo Churan and the rest turned their heads and rolled their eyes.

The round from seven to four was in the afternoon; they’d have to be out of their minds to go up against a championship contender like Mo Gan Yun now!

Even winning such a fight would be a Pyrrhic victory.

They each turned their faces away.

Qiu Yunshang, however, looked at Mo Gan Yun and said, "Once this matter is settled, we should look for a chance to have a match!"

Mo Gan Yun’s eyes lit up, "Good!"

Then they began to draw lots.

Fang Che was the first to draw as usual.

Once he had his lot in hand, someone across from him looked up, their eyes full of fighting spirit.

Ding Jie Ran!

In the seven-to-four battle, Fang Che came across his second mission target.

Other people were drawing lots in succession, and Yu Zhongge had a bye, which let him breathe a sigh of relief. The earlier ones were all like beasts, and if he could fight one fewer battle, he would save quite a bit of energy.

He was genuinely afraid that a fight might lead to a broken leg or arm or something, and if that happened, there would essentially be no point in fighting again.

Fang Che smiled amiably at Ding Jie Ran, saying in a remarkably friendly tone, "Brother Ding, I have long admired your reputation. Rest well at noon, and in the afternoon, let’s, the two of us, get close and cozy."

Ding Jie Ran did not expect Fang Che to be so friendly and was taken aback. With a stiff face, he said, "You too!"

Those were his only three words before he turned his head and walked away with a stiff expression.

Fang Che was startled.

Wasn’t he known for being a man of few words? Today, had he met someone just like himself?

Then everyone dispersed.

Fang Che didn’t manage to get home. Instead, Fang Qingyun caught him, and they went to the Martial Arts Academy canteen.

Accompanying them were four girls with smiles on their faces, in high spirits, and eight boys with faces filled with dejection, as if they had lost their ancestors.

Fang Qingyun asked sympathetically, "Lost again?"

"Lost..."

The eight of them felt as if they wanted to die: "We all bet on Mo Gan Yun, but you beat him."

Fang Che: "..."

But when he thought about it, it made sense.

These guys hung out together every day. If one ’analysis emperor’ concluded that Mo Gan Yun had a great chance, then they definitely all bet on Mo Gan Yun.

After all, brothers tend to stick together— that’s pretty much how guys operate.

It’s either a total victory or a complete defeat.

Now it seemed they hadn’t achieved a total victory.

If it were a group of girls playing together, the bets would definitely be different. Eight people might say they’re united on the surface, but secretly they could be betting on eight different targets.

"You’re hiding too deep, cousin... At least give us a hint..."

The eight people were full of regret and sorrow.

Fang Che looked helpless, "Who are you guys betting against? To be honest, up to this point, betting on me still could have been a loss! We are all freshmen; who can be sure of victory?"

Upon hearing this, everyone thought it made sense.

Just then, the food was served, and the eight people turned their grief and indignation into appetite, devouring the meal ravenously.

One after another, they patted Fang Qingyun on the shoulder: "Bro! I’ll follow you for the next half a year."

Fang Qingyun widened his eyes: "It looks like you’ve bet your meal money too?"

The eight faces were filled with bitterness.

One of them turned his pockets inside out and hung them on the outside, his face pale: "Broke with nothing left!"

"Pfft!"

Several girls burst into laughter, shaking with mirth.

Fang Che curiously asked, "Senior Sister Liu, what about the four of you?"

"We’re different!"

Senior Sister Liu said proudly, "We bet on you from the beginning, before even the first match!"

Fang Che was immediately impressed: "You really have an eye for it. I hadn’t shown anything at that time."

Senior Sister Liu chuckled dryly and said, "It’s not that we were hoping for you to win the championship. Mainly, we wanted to see your face more. After all, we’ll have many opportunities to play and dine together in the future. If we didn’t bet on you, how could we feel comfortable dining with you later?"

The other girls nodded in agreement: "Cousin’s face is really appetizing. Looking at your face, I could eat half a bowl more of rice."

"I could eat a whole bowl more."

Fang Che was stunned: Could it really be like this?

Another sister said, "And we didn’t bet much, just considering it as a fee for ’feasting the eyes.’ Whether we win or lose, we don’t care."

Fang Che’s face was lined with black threads: ...

Feasting the eyes fee?

When did such a term even appear when referring to me?

You must be mistaken!

That meal was extremely sumptuous.

Fang Qingyun was treating; there was Demon Beast Meat and porridge to replenish Essence Qi.

After the bill, Fang Che was shocked, "This meal is only two points?"

"Of course."

Fang Qingyun said, "You think those points are easy to come by? If it weren’t for giving you a boost, those two points would be enough for me to take them out to eat for seven days."

"..."

Fang Che was dumbfounded: "Such currency is really solid!"

...

In a blink of an eye, it was the afternoon.

The opening act was Fang Che’s match!

On the platform, Fang Che stood with a black cloak with dark gold patterns fluttering in the wind, his hair flowing, his clothes billowing, and the patterns undulating.

Invisibly, there was a feeling of ’fragility due to injury.’

But across from him, Ding Jie Ran was as if facing a formidable enemy!

Having witnessed Fang Che’s thunder and fire combat in the morning, Fang Che’s ’fragile’ demeanor couldn’t deceive him.

The two stood facing each other, eyes locked.

Fang Che was the first to speak: "Brother Ding, it’s been quite difficult for you to come this far too. I can relate. Before we begin the competition on the platform, I have something to say, and I hope Brother Ding will listen carefully."

Ding Jie Ran’s stiff face showed a hint of surprise as he said, "Speak."

"Brother Ding is undoubtedly a remarkable person, and I, Fang Che, do not wish to be your enemy. Besides, this school competition is just a teaching method and should not give rise to any resentment or grudges. Do you agree with what I said?"

Ding Jie Ran nodded, "Naturally."

"So, regardless of the outcome of this battle, I hope that Brother Ding and I can meet through martial arts and become friends. I hope we can drive each other to progress in the future; more importantly, I hope that one day on the battlefield or at a moment of crisis, Brother Ding and I can support and help each other and be each other’s shield!"

Fang Che spoke earnestly and sincerely.

Ding Jie Ran could feel his sincerity and nodded, "I feel the same way."

His face had always been very rigid; he appeared to be a person who seldom smiled or joked. Now, as he spoke, his words jumped out one by one.

And his speech was slow.

He was not very good at communicating.

When he smiled now, it strained his long-stiff facial muscles, making him look rather forced.

But that was already the friendliest expression he could muster.

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