[Seer POV:]
Why did I hesitate...
Why did I not move earlier...
I knew this would happen... I knew exactly how this would happen...
Yet I hesitated... No... Why did I want to be involved in this mess in the first place...
Of course, I hesitated. I don't want to be here... I don't want to be in this sickening situation...
But then I am here because... I don't want to lose my friends again...
If only I moved earlier, 50 seconds... no, 40 seconds earlier, I could have made it...
Cao Tang and I rushed to her aid. From the looks of things, I can tell that the vital organs have not been injured, no critical situation. She will make it. But her kid is most definitely dead. After all... that's what that bastard aimed for...
///
Blood rushed to the seer's head like a dam that had overflowed. But the seer was not one to go around letting his emotions cloud his judgment and thinking. Even in his craziness, he was always calculated.
Cao Tang immediately got started with the preliminaries. Saving her life mattered more than kicking Ai Zu's ass.
swish
Ai Zu swung his sword, and it was right on Cao Tang's neck.
"Interfering in the match is against the rules, fuck off," said the man who had Cao Tang on the edge of the blade.
"Attacking people that are not your opponent is also against the rules, and by that standard, you lost the instant you attacked Lin Hua," Neon stated.
"Referee, disqualify him right now," the seer turned and threatened the arbitrator instead.
The poor referee, out of pressure created by the seer, was just about to blow the whistle when Ai Zu swung his sword to cut the whistle in half.
"You attacked a referee, definite disqualification," the seer uttered in a cold and dangerous tone.
Ai Zu, in response, simply walked up to the seer till they stood face to face and neck and neck. Ai Zu with his head up, looking proud, while the seer avoided eye contact to control his rage.
Ai Zu lifted the seer's hermit hat and pushed his head in, pressing his face against his. The forehead and nose clashed against each other as they gazed into each other's eyes.
"The fuck you gonna do about it?" Ai Zu replied.
But there was no change in the seer's expression of anger and exasperation. There was nothing more the seer wanted to do but cut this man down to pieces, but doing so would bring the wrath of not just the Ai family but even the An family and the many other powers in that stadium.
Yes... The only reason Ai Zu got away with what he did was that every single person here in this arena consented to it. He would be kicked out long ago for using poison and stuff. But people wanted fights; they wanted drama at any expense.
"You are disqualified, step down, and let the medics come..." the seer continued in his cold tone.
"Am I disqualified?" Ai Zu asked, pointing his sword at the referee.
"You cannot do that; that's against the rules," the seer uttered still.
"The strong make the rules, and weaklings as you cling to them," replied Ai Zu.
The referee did not answer; he was scared and confused as hell. What was he to do? Do his job and die... or not do his job and maybe live.
"Ohhhh, I know how about we fight it out? I mean, it's Murim; that's how we cultivators like to settle things here. You win, your friends live; I win, they get no medical help. How about it? Hmm?" Ai Zu swung his arms wide and roamed the ring as if to announce to people than challenge the seer.
"I accept," the seer was quick to accept the proposal; every second counted. Cao Tang, all the while, drank his anger and focused on treating Lin Hua and Liu.
It was a suicidal match, or at least that is what the people thought. It was a mortal going up against a grandmaster. The only reason this match even happened was that a few recognized the extravagant attire and demonic eyes. It was the seer, and not everyone knew.
Ai Zu did, however, know of this hermit-hatted man's identity. Hence was the reason he issued the challenge. Might as well look even better to his clan by taking down the seer after annihilating an An clan up-and-coming prodigy and punishing the "traitor" of the clan.
The match, for the most part, did turn out rather one-sided. There was no rule against the usage of poison, and there was no rule against the usage of immortal artifacts.
"Who's the strong one now, huh?"
*thwack* bam *strut*
"Who's the strong one now, huh, pussy?"
The seer punched the guy for a while before he held him up by his neck.
"bastard using artifacts because you have no skill," the guy spoke as he struggled with strangulation.
The entire crowd looked at the seer with disgust.
"Disrespectful bastard, fight and use martial skills, dumbass."
"Your shame."
"Using poison made you stronger than Liu; I don't see how this is any different," the seer could obviously justify himself. "In fact, you should be ashamed of yourself for getting beaten up by a mortal."
"Enough," jumped out a man from a VIP tent, demanding the seer let go of Ai Zu. "You have won, let him go," the man continued.
"You are interfering in the match; please fuck off, or do you want me to beat the shit out of you as well," the seer responded with bloodlust oozing out of him.
This clearly made the man pop many nerves, but he did not move, knowing the seer had his son's life in his hands.
"You clearly completely subdued your opponent; now please let go," he attempted to reason.
"My friend there did the exact same thing a few minutes ago, and she got stabbed. Is that what I am supposed to do with you?" the seer continued to push his point.
The man was now furious and started to leak ki.
"So you won't apologize. After all, you really do want me to kick your ass!" the seer pushed with his taunt.
The medics arrived to treat the seer's friends, and Cao Tang went with them so they can't try anything shady to harm them. The seer could handle himself fine.