Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде - Глава 20
"Don't be scared and cry when you get up there," Lin Zhao said dismissively.
"It's okay, just do your best, maybe you can win?" Song Zhixuan encouraged.
Looking at the field, Li Changzhi, who was usually quiet, was actually fighting with skill and precision, occasionally throwing a clever attack that Zhao Chuan couldn't dodge. Li Changzhi seemed to have great stamina; he didn't seem tired at all, and instead seemed to be getting stronger as the fight went on. I couldn't help but wonder if his usual silence was a way of holding back his energy. Finally, Li Changzhi hooked a leg and followed up with a punch, knocking the already exhausted Zhao Chuan to the ground. Lin Zhao jumped up excitedly and cheered loudly.
Amid the cheers, I heard Meng Yue call my name. I nervously grabbed Song Zhixuan's hand, which trembled uncontrollably.
Song Zhixuan pulled his hand away and shoved me forward. I glared at him resentfully and dragged my trembling legs onto the field. When I reached Zhang Shiguang's side, I was only up to his waist. I was the shortest, and he was the tallest. Wasn't this combination the most ridiculous?
Looking up, I saw almost everyone watching us with great interest. It was a contest with no suspense whatsoever; they were so excited to see me make a fool of myself. In the distance, I saw Jiang Ming's face, half worried and half expectant, and Shen Haoyu's face full of mockery. Then, turning around, I saw Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao, along with several other companions, raising their fists at me, cheering me on.
Am I supposed to give up before it even starts?
If I were to lose easily, it would only cause pain to my loved ones and joy to my enemies. At this moment, those with ill intentions are my "enemies," and those who are worried about me are my "family." I cannot afford to lose face.
"Can we begin?" Zhang Shiguang asked, amused, seeing me standing there for a long time.
I nodded.
“You’ll be down in three moves,” Zhang Shiguang said confidently.
I nodded again and bowed to him.
Before I could even regain my footing, Zhang Shiguang threw a heavy punch at my face, forcing me to crouch down amidst a burst of laughter from those around me.
I rolled on the spot and ended up behind him. I raised my foot and kicked at his knee. My leg is much stronger than my fist. This is called playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses.
The attack was a direct hit, thanks to Zhang Shiguang's underestimation of his opponent. Zhang Shiguang lost his balance and knelt on the ground, and the laughter abruptly stopped.
"You cheated!" Zhang Shiguang shouted.
"I'm not stupid, am I? Do you think I'd just stand there and wait to be hit?" Before Zhang Shiguang could get up, I continued my attack from behind, landing a shovel kick to his waist and a spinning kick to his neck. I stayed behind him the whole time, and he finally fell to the ground. My kicks didn't have any fancy moves; I just tried my best to hit the vulnerable spots Jiang Ming had told us about.
I didn't expect the victory to come so easily; the people on the sidelines didn't seem to have reacted yet.
Is it just a rumor or am I too amazing? Neither.
The key to victory is to take things by surprise, avoid the strong points and focus on the weak points, and play to your strengths while avoiding your weaknesses.
It's fortunate that Zhang Shiguang was just a big guy with no brains, and it's also fortunate that his arrogance led to a lack of vigilance. Thinking back to the fear I felt towards him before the match, not to mention Lin Zhao, even I despise myself.
"Here's your advice: you'll be done in three moves." I turned around gracefully and walked towards Song Zhixuan and the others, who were still in a daze.
Back in my seat, they looked at me with adoration, asking me all sorts of questions. I just smiled and didn't say anything, my eyes fixed on the platform, watching with satisfaction the incredulous expressions on everyone's faces, especially Shen Haoyu's extremely unwilling look, which made me secretly very happy.
"You were still shaking when you went on stage," Song Zhixuan said with a laugh.
"Thanks to my turning around and seeing so many of you supporting me, I gained courage and confidence. So, the victory belongs to everyone." I said with satisfaction, "So, everyone must be confident when you go on stage. We will definitely win." I didn't forget to encourage everyone.
As a result, our morale soared to unprecedented heights.
Wang Wenli went up and returned in triumph.
Song Zhixuan went up and returned beaming.
Shi Nan went up and returned amidst our cheers.
Lin Zhao went up, and we helped her back with her bruised and swollen face.
Sun Xian went up and came back limping.
In the competition against the princes' sons, we won five consecutive matches, which was astonishing. The outcome of the competition was decided before it even reached its final stage.
Five wins and three losses.
The most controversial match was the one between me and Zhang Shiguang, and between Lin Zhao and Zhao Ming.
Zhao Ming and Zhang Shiguang are different, and so am Lin Zhao and I. If I beat Zhang Shiguang, Lin Zhao might not be able to beat Zhao Ming; if I beat Zhang Shiguang, I definitely can't beat Zhao Ming. Our methods and goals are all different. Zhao Ming's intelligence and martial arts skills are currently the best among us; we have no chance against him. Zhang Shiguang is brave but lacks strategy; a little cleverness might win him. Lin Zhao may have lost, but it was a spectacular defeat. Even if I win, I can't escape the reputation of being treacherous and cunning; others won't deny it just because I don't.
I have a good mindset. No matter what others say, as long as I'm not knocked down by a big fist and don't feel any pain, that's fine. If I win by chance, that would be even better.
While everyone was still having a heated discussion, Meng Yue gestured for us to pause.
Master Kong stepped to the front and earnestly summarized our achievements and shortcomings in the competition. This reminded me of my high school homeroom teacher, with his bald head, giving impassioned speeches after every exam. The teacher I once resented so much now evokes a slight sense of nostalgia. I lost everything in that world; what do I possess in this one?
After Master Kong finished speaking at length, he specifically praised Zhao Ming and Lin Zhao. I chuckled to myself, knowing that my behavior was something he would despise, which is why he glossed over Zhang Shiguang's defeat with just a few words, despite the vast difference in strength between them in that match.
The matter of the competition has been settled. We are allowed to rest this afternoon, and tomorrow we will begin a new training program with new pairings.
I sighed, wondering if this kind of life would never end once I sold myself into the Prince's mansion.
After having a meal together in the dining hall, Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao helped him back to his room and lay down.
A short while later, Jiang Ming came in with several small porcelain bottles, presumably medicine for Lin Zhao.
Upon seeing this, Song Zhixuan quickly brought a basin of hot water to help Lin Zhao clean her wounds, while Jiang Ming carefully applied medicine to Lin Zhao's wounds.
"Where are you injured? Let's go together," Jiang Ming asked.
Song Zhixuan unbuttoned his shirt, revealing two bruises around his chest. I applied hot water to the bruises, and Jiang Ming applied medicine.
"And you?" Jiang Ming asked me.
I shook my head.
Jiang Ming laughed and said, "The most unexpected result is that the short guy is the only one who didn't get injured today, even though he's the big guy."
"Master Kong seems quite dissatisfied," I said.