Is this Green Hill Village? If it weren't for the incident, I wouldn't have heard of this place."
A tall young man with short black hair spoke from atop his horse, his sharp eyes looking down on the passersby with disdain. His elderly companion with a beard replied calmly,
"Investigating such matters is the main family's duty, and it's not a bad idea to check the youth. We might find a talent or two to recruit for the institute."
The sharp-eyed young man forced a smile.
"Do you think you'll find talent in a place like this? You're quite the optimist."
The villagers were abuzz with excitement. They had heard that a member of the Shin family, of which they were a branch, was coming. The youth were the most enthusiastic, hoping to be chosen to move to the city and open new horizons. They had been preparing for the competition all morning, except for Jin, who was on his seventh bowl of black noodles, indifferent to the competition.
"The bill, please."
"One hundred and twenty silver pieces, sir," the waiter replied as if he had been waiting for the question.
"One hundred and twenty? Why, did I eat roasted dragon and not realize it?"
"Sir, this is the bill for three consecutive days," the waiter pointed to the stacked dishes, "and you have quite an appetite."
"Not today, my appetite is low. Here are 20 silver pieces," Jin turned to a table behind him and shouted, "Doctor, don't forget to pay my bill too. It's one hundred silver pieces," he looked at the waiter, still pointing at the doctor, "he'll pay."
The food fell from the doctor's mouth as he heard Jin's words. A miser like him would rather die than endure such torture.
'How much does he think I earn in a day to ask for 100 silver pieces every time he sees me? Enough is enough, no discussion, I'm leaving this village.'
Of course, he didn't dare say that out loud and continued cursing Jin silently.
As soon as Jin left the restaurant, he found someone blocking his path, anger evident on their face.
"Where do you think you're going without keeping your promise?"
A girl with pigtails stood in the middle of the road, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out, making her look even more adorable.
"Brother, didn't you promise to defeat Luna Bai's brother? All you do is eat and wander around."
Jin bent down, and in one swift motion, Mei was on his shoulders.
"Princess, you shouldn't be wandering outside. You'll make your mother worry."
The girl ignored his warning and pointed to where a crowd had gathered.
"Luna's brother is over there. Hurry up and defeat him."
"At your command, Princess. Let's go."
He imitated the sound of a horse and ran towards the square while his sister cheered joyfully.
In the village square, a rectangular platform had been set up as the fighting arena for the youth. The first and second-place winners would be chosen by the noble from the main family to join the outer section of the Martial Arts Institute.
All eyes were on Du Bai, a dark-skinned boy with blonde hair, thirteen years old. He was undoubtedly the top contender, having just won two matches and preparing for his third against a girl. The girl was visibly nervous but somehow managed to gather her composure and get ready for the fight.
"Step aside."
A strange hand pushed the girl out of the way, and a young man with white hair approached Du Bai, asking,
"Are you Luna's brother? I have to defeat you. I promised my sister."
Du Bai and the crowd were puzzled. Jin hadn't registered for the competition and hadn't shown any interest in joining the institute. Having been absent for years, no one had considered him. Finally, the blonde boy snapped out of his shock and smiled, saying,
"Oh, it's you, little Mei's brother. Listen, I know the whole story. My mischievous sister always teases her peers, but as you can see, I'm busy today."
Du Bai approached Jin and whispered,
"Don't you see the beautiful girl behind you? This is my chance to impress her. How about we postpone the fight until tomorrow, and I promise I'll pretend to lose to your sister."
"No need to postpone or pretend. Let's settle this here and now."
Jin rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. His actions were considered rude, especially in the presence of representatives from the Shin family. The village elder wiped his sweat and forced a smile, trying to justify Jin's behavior to the guests.
"He's a reckless young man. He was a prisoner of the Auris and wasn't taught the proper etiquette for meeting nobles. I'll intervene to stop him."
The elder stroked his beard, intrigued by the mention of the Auris.
"Isn't he the same boy who reported Monroe's murder?" (The village chief nodded in agreement.) "Let him be, then. Let's see what he's capable of."
Du Bai sighed and refused to take a fighting stance.
"Listen, I'm three levels higher than you and about to break through to the Spirit rank. You'll only end up embarrassed in front of your sister and all these people. Why not leave it for when we're alone?"
Jin wanted to end it quickly. He wouldn't escape his sister's wrath if he backed down. So, he turned to the girl whose turn he had taken and said,
"Cover your ears for a moment. You shouldn't hear this. Hey, you blonde ****** son of a ******, why don't you ******"
Although he lowered his voice, and those outside the ring couldn't hear anything, the girl was close enough to flee the ring with a face as red as a tomato.
"You scoundrel, I'll smash that filthy mouth of yours."
Du Bai's eyes turned red with anger, and he unleashed his power, gathering crimson energy around his body. He threw a heavy punch at Jin's face. Even from a distance, the air ripples caused by his powerful strikes were visible. The elder smiled.
"That blonde isn't bad. He's about to enter the Spirit realm. From the air ripples, I can tell his strength exceeds his level. He seems to be in a frenzy."
The village chief's eyes widened, and he jumped as if stung by a scorpion. The difference between Jin and Du Bai was significant, but with Du Bai in a frenzy, things could get out of control. He didn't want to see a boy from his village get hurt.
"We need to stop the fight. Jin is just a beginner."
The chief was about to step into the ring but stopped when he saw the elder's astonished look, signaling him to wait.
"Impossible, the Falling Leaf Technique."
In the ring, a barrage of fast punches and kicks cut through the air, aiming at Jin's body but to no avail. All those powerful and swift attacks ended in the air as Jin moved with incredible agility and grace, dodging everything his opponent threw at him.
After a while, Du Bai's heart filled with turmoil. Not being able to touch him with such an attack while his opponent did nothing but dodge and smile was impossible. With all that tension, his movements became predictable.
'What's happening? How can I not touch him... What's this blue color? Why am I staring at the sky?'
Silence fell over the place as no one understood what had happened. In a single moment, the roles reversed, and the attacker was thrown out of the ring.
"Yay, my brother won! Brother, you're the best!"
Mei's cheering and jumping for joy snapped everyone out of their shock. Jin had won simply by dodging his punch, grabbing his arm, and throwing him over his shoulder out of the ring.
"He's out of the ring, and according to the fight rules, Du Bai lost the match," one of the spectators said.
No one expected such an outcome. Despite witnessing the fight, they still couldn't believe what had happened.