Appalled by the sudden turn of events, a whispering murmur arose from the crowd below.
First, not only had the three-year reigning champion fallen under the hand of this mysterious newcomer, but now even the famous Quan Gu Mei was trapped by them.
"Ah, just who is this guy!"
"Argh, whoever he is, I just lost ten silvers because of him!"
"Aiyah, if I knew that this competition would be full of twists, I would've bet my silvers on the newcomer!"
Grumbles over lost coins arose in the crowd; however, they didn't make much of a fit as the fight between Zhu Na Ran, and Quan Gu Mei wasn't over yet. There was still a chance for some to keep their money.
"Hmph, not quite enough," smirking back up at Zhu Na Ran, Quan Gu Mei suddenly gave a punishing kick to her side.
"Woah!"
Dodging out of the way, Zhu Na Ran gave Quan Gu Mei the perfect opportunity to free herself.
Immediately getting up, Quan Gu Mei dived for her fallen weapon.
However, she was a step too late as her ribbon was kicked off the stage by none other than Zhu Na Ran.
"I don't think so, little missy," Zhu Na Ran smirked. "As such a great martial artist like yourself, you should be very good at adapting to various situations, no?"
"Tsk," jumping back for distance, Quan Gu Mei couldn't believe the shameless person before her.
She didn't expect this battle to take this turn of events. When she had her pink ribbon, she figured she would've had an even playing field.
Her opponent was a head taller than her, stronger and more agile. Now without her weapon, she was at an extreme disadvantage than before.
'Tch, I can't lose to this smiling fox, how will I face Uncle then?'
Brushing off the invisible dust particles from her pink clothes, Quan Gu Mei stood in a ready position. "My uncle always told me that a martial artist's true skill shines during tough times. Let's see if he's right."
"Hmm," Zhu Na Ran smiled at the young girl's determined eyes. "Let's see."
The two stood across the ring from each other, pacing around the edge, slowly.
Suddenly, without warning, Quan Gu Mei charges towards her opponent with intense determination.
Seeing this, Zhu Na Ran returned the favor with her attack as she blocked the punishing blow coming towards her.
From below the stage, the crowd could only see a flurry of pink and white as the two battled towards victory.
The crowd grew antsy as the battle between the two prolonged. Suddenly the tides of the battle changed as a pink blur few from the center of the arena as the dust began to settle.
"Oof!" Coughing out blood, Quan Gu Mei looked up at Zhu Na Ran with unwillingness in her eyes.
How could she have lost?
Baffled at the sudden turn of events, it took the referee a few seconds to comprehend what had happened.
"T-the winner of the bi-annual Kong Xian City Martial Arts Contest is, is, Contestant 203!"
The crowd erupted in a roaring cheer in both glee and disappointment. Some bemoaned their lost bets, others cheered for a massive turn in profits, and some were just happy to have watched a good show.
"Aiyah! There goes my money!"
"Haha! I won this bet, brother! Hand over my money! Hand it over, haha!"
"Hmph, fine! But drinks are on you tonight, haha!"
"That was an amazing fight," holding out her hand; Zhu Na Ran waited for Quan Gu Mei to grab onto it.
Looking at the outstretched hand, Quan Gu Mei pursed her lips before slowly grabbing onto it and pulled herself off the ground. "Thank you. You weren't bad yourself."
"Heh," Zhu Na Ran smiled. "To have the great Young Miss of Huang He Hall acknowledge this small one's skills is truly a blessing."
"Yeah, well," flustered at her reply, Quan Gu Mei began to glow a bit red. "Don't let it get to your head! When I find you again, I will win next time."
"I'll be looking forward to it. Until then, Young Miss Quan."
"Hmph," after brushing off her clothes once more, Quan Gu Mei exited the stage with her head held high and a determined look on her face.
"What a remarkable girl," Zhu Na Ran mused before turning to the hostess with the tray of rewards.
"Honorable Champion," A-Die smiled with a slightly strained expression. 'Why did it have to be this boy?'
"Please turn in your participant card in exchange for your prize."
"Here you go," quickly handing over the card, Zhu Na Ran stuffed the heavy bag of silver as well as the mysterious sword into a small interspatial bag. 'Woohoo! This auntie is rich! Haha!' ~\(≧▽≦)/~
'I should treat myself with some delicious food for all of my hard work!
After all, it's only natural that after a long day of work, one should reward themselves!' ( ✧Д✧) YES!!
---
"Congratulations, Young Miss Quan," A-Zhan bowed as Quan Gu Mei got back to her seating box. "Young Miss has put up a stunning performance as always."
"Hmm," furrowing her brows behind her teacup, Quan Gu Mei asked with a quiet voice, "Did Uncle say anything lately?"
"Eh," A-Zhan nodded. "Master Su Ge promised that he would be calling soon."
As soon as those words left A-Zhan's mouth, a small mirror began to blink brightly before Quan Gu Mei tapped on its bronze surface: revealing the image of a handsome young man.
"Uncle," Quan Gu Mei greeted with a mumble as she bowed her head.
"Aiyah, who bullied Xiao Mei to be so sad," Quan Su Ge sighed with a weak smile at his sulking niece. "Does Xiao Mei need this uncle to come and beat some people up?"
"No, I can handle it myself…"
"Hah," the young man shook his head. "Tell me, why is it that my niece is so blue?"
"I lost…"
"Ah," Quan Su Ge nodded. It's been a long time since he's seen his niece with a vulnerable expression. Usually, she would have a face full of pride and control, but this time she looked like a normal young girl. 'Ah, thank you to whoever helped me see this side of Xiao Mei!
（Ω Д Ω）
How long has it been since I've seen my niece rely on this uncle!'
"It seems like my niece has learned an exceptional lesson."
"...eh… I'm not undefeatable as I thought."
"Haha, no one is undefeatable, Xiao Mei. This world is too large to say that you're on top."
"..."
Watching his niece still with a downcast head, Quan Su Ge asked, "What is it you wish to ask, Xiao Mei?"
"...do I still get my promised feast?"
"Haha! Of course!"
"Really!" A jovial smile split across Quan Gu Mei's face, wiping away any trace of sadness. "You promise?"
"Of course! After all, we must celebrate the return of our beloved little miss!"
"Hehe! Then this young miss will be waiting!"
Once the image of Quan Su Ge disappeared, Quan Gu Mei quickly turned to A-Zhan.
"A-Zhan, quickly! We must head back! We can't keep Uncle waiting!"
"Yes!"
'Hmph, although I've lost to you, Contestant 203, this young miss will still return home victorious!
After I've trained some more, I'm sure that we will have a spectacular rematch!
Just you wait!'
---
"Hmm, hmm, hmm," gleefully chewing on some screwed barbequed meat, Zhu Na Ran strolled down the streets taking in the various food stalls. Polishing off the rest of the bamboo skewer, she found herself in a dilemma.
'Ah, what should I eat next?'
She didn't bother going into any of the restaurants as around this time, it was the dinner hour, and many people flooded the nearby inns and restaurants after that afternoon's excitement.
"Hot buns! Get three buns for the price of two!"
"Roasted meat! Freshly roasted meat here!"
"Ah, there are too many good options," looking around some more, she spotted an elderly woman selling some hotcakes. Despite the alluring aroma coming from the stand, not many gather around her stall like the others.
"Auntie, how much for a few hotcakes?"
"Hmm," the elderly woman smiled. "For you, young man, five coppers for two buns."
"Alright," pulling out her interspatial bag, she was just about to reach in before a pair of nimble hands snatched the bag out of her hands.
"Hey!" Scanning the crowd for the thief, she spotted the back of a child running through the crowd. "Excuse me, Auntie, I'll be back later!"
Giving chase, she tried to follow the kid through the crowded streets, but the kid was too quick as they quickly slipped through the mass of people.
'Ah, I can't see!' Looking up at the tall surrounding buildings, she suddenly had an idea. "Hmmm..."