Unparalleled Duo
Chapter 70 - 70 47 Heroes Cherish Heroes

70: Chapter 47 “Heroes Cherish Heroes 70: Chapter 47 “Heroes Cherish Heroes In the afternoon, the wind began to rise.

Autumn, brought by the wind.

Several withered yellow leaves fell from the treetops, dancing on the breeze, fluttering and drifting onto the platform.

They seemed like sprites of autumn itself, laying themselves out in anticipation of something.

Soon, two figures stepped onto the platform.

One had four eyebrows.

One had thick eyebrows and large eyes.

They walked leisurely, resembling two elders taking a stroll after a meal, exuding a calm disposition that belied their ages.

The area around the platform was already crowded.

At the judges’ seats near the platform, figures led by Shen Youran watched intently, their eyes ablaze and expressions focused.

The moment at hand was the final match of the fourth round in the martial arts segment of the Youth Hero Conference, and the competitors were none other than Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai.

Indeed, Huang Donglai, who had ranked higher in the literary examination, had byes in the first three rounds; based on the tournament charts, his opponent in this fourth round was the victor between Guo Cong and Sun Yixie from the previous round.

Unlike the previous matches, this time Sun Yixie didn’t even bring his trident to the platform.

Of course, Huang Donglai was also bare-handed.

In the wind, the two stood solemnly.

They did not salute each other or even exchange glances.

One looked up at a forty-five-degree angle with a melancholic expression; the other looked down at a forty-five-degree angle, feigning profundity.

After a protracted silence, someone finally spoke.

“What must come, has finally come,” Sun Yixie lamented, his head tilted back, in a tone of compassion for the world.

“Yes, this battle is probably fate,” replied Huang Donglai in a deep voice.

Those below the platform knew these two were friends, so their dialogue before the fight began seemed unremarkable.

After a brief pause, Sun Yixie spoke again, “In this fight, we will both give our all.”

“That is only expected,” Huang Donglai responded.

“That’s best,” Sun Yixie remarked.

Their conversation seemed without end, completely devoid of substance and showing no signs of stopping.

“But you haven’t brought any weapons,” Huang Donglai noted.

“I have,” Sun Yixie stated.

“Where?” asked Huang Donglai.

“Right in front of you,” Sun Yixie revealed.

His implication was clear to the audience; he likened himself to a weapon.

“Good,” Huang Donglai uttered.

“Indeed, good,” Sun Yixie took a pause before adding, “But it seems you haven’t brought a weapon either.”

Huang Donglai cracked a slight smile, “Heh…

as you know, I wield hidden weapons.”

“I noticed… that you came up without a single hidden weapon, which is why I mentioned it,” said Sun Yixie.

Huang Donglai smiled.

“It depends on how you define a hidden weapon.” Picking a falling leaf from his shoulder, he continued, “To me, this…

can also be a hidden weapon.”

This statement startled many.

The martial arts heroes present had heard of the great reputation of Young Master Huang but had never seen his skills.

Now, at his hint of being able to use flying flowers as lethal weapons and falling leaves as harmful agents, everyone was certainly astounded.

Anyone can pick up a stone or tile and throw it as a hidden weapon—even low-class practitioners; however, using a “falling leaf” as a hidden weapon would be beyond even some first-class experts.

The difficulty was akin to being asked to score 147 in snooker with a chopstick or to cheat in mahjong while blindfolded without getting caught.

Such skill couldn’t just be achieved through arduous practice; it required innate talent developed over many years of hard research.

Yet here was Young Master Huang, only seventeen years old, claiming he could turn a falling leaf into a hidden weapon—how could they not be shocked?

“Alright,” on the platform, Sun Yixie remained calm in response to Huang Donglai’s words, “Since we both have weapons, then we can begin.”

“Yes, we can,” Huang Donglai agreed.

After this exchange, they finally stopped posing and instead turned, eyes locking, before taking a few steps toward one another.

The platform wasn’t very large, and within a few steps, they were only about five paces apart.

Yet, they still did not assume any combative stances, simply stood with their hands behind their backs, facing each other.

“Will three moves be enough?” Sun Yixie quickly asked.

“Wouldn’t two moves suffice?” Huang Donglai countered.

“Then let’s settle it in one move,” suggested Sun Yixie.

“Agreed,” Huang Donglai said, “Just one move.”

As the word “move” left his mouth, both men’s postures subtly shifted.

Sun Yixie appeared motionless, but discerning observers noticed that he fully relaxed at that instant, readying for an explosive action.

Huang Donglai slightly withdrew his left leg by half a step while his right index finger trembled faintly…

as if awakening the muscle memory at his fingertips, gathering strength for the forthcoming action.

The autumn wind was bleak, the tension palpable.

Finally, they ceased talking, poised to strike; the audience below held their breath, ready to watch.

Unexpectedly…

Just at that highly charged moment, resembling a bowstring about to snap.

Suddenly!

Both Sun and Huang relaxed again.

“Well done,” Huang Donglai then bowed with clasped palms, uttering what seemed like a concession.

“Nor are you lacking.” Sun Yixie returned the courtesy, “I yield.”

“Please!”

“Please!”

After exchanging pleasantries, they both stepped down from the platform.

Without a doubt, the spectators surrounding this ‘contest’ were utterly dumbfounded…

No one knew exactly what had just occurred, yet it seemed everyone had a general idea.

“Could this be the legendary ‘predicting the outcome without making a move’?”

“Did they…

complete their moves in their minds and determine the victor?”

Not only the spectators but even the judges were somewhat perplexed, some quietly confirming with each other, “This counts as a win for Sun Yixie, right?

We didn’t misunderstand?”

In truth, these people were thinking too much…

What they had just witnessed was a scene that Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai had come up with while picking their teeth after a meal, mostly improvising on the spot.

The reason for this farce was simple—Huang Donglai had not yet recovered from the inability to exert force caused by ingesting the Xie Pill and was incapable of competing in martial arts.

Originally, Huang Donglai intended to simply forfeit when his turn came, but, inconveniently, his opponent turned out to be Brother Sun.

Thus, the two conspired to put on a bit of a show on the platform.

This would not only cover up the necessity surrounding Huang Donglai’s forfeit but also elevate their grandeur.

Even if people later realized they were just acting, it would likely be perceived as mutual aid between friends, helping the one with greater chances to advance preserve his energy under the inevitable elimination of one party; it was unlikely anyone would think, “Huang Donglai can’t exert force.”

In this bizarre farce, Sun Yixie advanced another round, now firmly among the top eight.

And in the next match from the top eight to the top four, Sun Yixie would face another “seeded player,” mentioned earlier by Feng Shunfeng—one of the few youth heroes especially invited by Shen Youran outside the grand roster—”Descendant of the Cranes of Mount Cang,” Liuu Yikong.

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