"A competition? To see who’s more outstanding?" A strange expression crossed Wang Zongyao’s face.
’So now I finally know what that old fox Xiao Bai is up to today.’
’So he didn’t just come to show off Wind Rain City’s strength. He wants to hold a competition to prove how powerful they are.’
’If it weren’t for Tang Yi, given Fengyue City’s current strength, our examinees would truly be crushed by Wind Rain City’s. They would likely be beaten so badly they couldn’t hold their heads high.’
’They might even lose their confidence for the House Entrance Examination and suffer a miserable elimination.’
’If not a single examinee from Fengyue City managed to enter the West Mansion, then I, Wang Zongyao, would be the one who becomes a laughingstock in the end.’
Besides, Xiao Bai had arrived with his entourage, their momentum aggressive. Wang Zongyao had no choice but to agree.
If he refused, people would say Wang Zongyao was scared, that Fengyue City’s examinees were no match for Wind Rain City’s.
If word of this got out, not only would Fengyue City be utterly disgraced, but Wang Zongyao would also be left with no dignity.
’I have to admit,’ he thought, ’that old fox Xiao Bai is a master at setting traps. He’ll chat with you with a smile, but deep down, he’s cunningly scheming against you, just waiting to see you make a fool of yourself.’
However...
’Sometimes, the one who comes to watch a joke ends up becoming the joke themselves.’
’Take Xiao Bai, for example. He has no idea that here in the Tang Family of Fengyue City, there is an examinee even stronger than him: Tang Yi.’
’If he knew that, he probably wouldn’t have dared to come here and be so provocative, not for the life of him, right?’
Wang Zongyao chuckled inwardly. He had already decided to agree, but to keep Xiao Bai from sensing anything, he feigned hesitation and said, "This... our qualification exam isn’t over yet. How about we wait until we’re finished before competing?"
"What’s there to wait for? Even though Fengyue City’s qualification exam isn’t over, you must already have a shortlist in mind, don’t you? Just send out the contestants from that list. What’s the matter? Don’t tell me, Junior Brother Wang, that you have no confidence in Fengyue City’s examinees?" Xiao Bai pressed.
"How could I not have confidence in Fengyue City’s examinees!" Wang Zongyao retorted, feigning anger. He then looked toward the Fengyue City examinees (in reality, his gaze was fixed on Tang Yi), thought for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and nodded. "Alright, then. Let’s have a competition. However, to avoid disrupting today’s examination schedule, we can only have five matches!"
"Deal. Five matches it is. We shall each send our five most outstanding examinees to have a go. We’ll leave as soon as it’s over and won’t affect your examination schedule," Xiao Bai also agreed with a nod.
"Alright, I’ll go make the arrangements now," Wang Zongyao said, turning to do so.
Just then, Xiao Bai called out to stop him. "Junior Brother Wang, wait."
"What is it, Senior Brother Xiao?" Wang Zongyao asked, looking at Xiao Bai with confusion. He couldn’t figure out what new trick this old fox was trying to pull.
"Junior Brother Wang, a simple competition is rather dull. How about we make a wager?" Xiao Bai said with a sly smile.
"A wager? I wonder what Senior Brother Xiao wishes to put up as the stakes?" Wang Zongyao asked.
Xiao Bai smiled mysteriously. Then, with a flip of his hand, he produced a pitch-black vest from seemingly out of nowhere and said, "This."
Wang Zongyao took one look and exclaimed in astonishment, "This... Is this the Earth Tier Lower Grade defense artifact, the Black Silk Treasure Armor?"
"Precisely! Junior Brother Wang certainly knows his goods," Xiao Bai chuckled, his gaze filled with pride as he looked at the black vest in his hand.
’This item wasn’t easy to obtain back then.’
He was only putting it up as a wager to lure Wang Zongyao in. He had no real intention of giving it away.
"Senior Brother Xiao, to put this Treasure Armor up as a wager... aren’t the stakes a little too high?" Wang Zongyao said with surprise.
But despite his words, Wang Zongyao was secretly overjoyed.
’This is practically a free gift!’
’How could he not be happy when Xiao Bai was foolishly delivering it to his doorstep?’
But Wang Zongyao’s face remained impassive as he played along with Xiao Bai, step by step.
"It’s just a wager. What’s this about the stakes being too high? It’s only a piece of Earth-tier Armor. Besides, it’s not like you’re guaranteed to win it, Junior Brother Wang," Xiao Bai said with a laugh.
"Senior Brother Xiao, you’re looking down on our Fengyue City’s examinees!" Wang Zongyao said, pretending to be provoked. "Fine, I accept this bet! To match the value of the stakes you’ve put up, I shall also wager an Earth Tier item."
As he spoke, he also flipped his hand, producing a fiery red dagger from out of nowhere.
Seeing this dagger, Xiao Bai’s eyes lit up, and he said with a fiery gaze, "I’ve heard that Junior Brother Wang possesses a formidable Earth Tier Lower Grade Bloodthirsty Dagger. I’ve never had the chance to see it, but I never expected to finally witness it today. It’s truly beautiful."
From the moment Wang Zongyao took out the dagger, Xiao Bai’s eyes never left it.
It was clear how much Xiao Bai coveted the dagger.
’So it was for this dagger all along!’
Hearing Xiao Bai’s words, Wang Zongyao instantly understood.
’Earth-tier Weapons are extremely rare. I only possess one myself, and it’s this very dagger.’
’Xiao Bai must have found out about this, which is why he deliberately put up an Earth Tier defense artifact—his goal was to lure me into wagering this dagger.’
’What a cunning scheme!’
’If Tang Yi weren’t here, this old fox might have actually managed to swindle this Earth-tier Dagger from me.’
’But what a shame for him!’
Wang Zongyao smirked to himself.
Meanwhile, Xiao Bai was also laughing to himself. His goal really was the Bloodthirsty Dagger.
’Why else would he have brought a group of examinees all this way to challenge them on their own turf?’
Xiao Bai had chanced upon Wang Zongyao’s dagger once before, and ever since, he had become obsessed with it, so much so that he couldn’t eat or sleep properly. He desperately wanted to obtain it.
’But we’re both from the West Mansion. I can’t just openly rob him, can I?’
’It would be even more inappropriate to just ask for it!’
’We’re not family or close friends. Why on earth would he just give it to me?’
So Xiao Bai schemed and plotted, finally finding this opportunity to set a trap and lure Wang Zongyao into wagering the dagger.
Now that he saw Wang Zongyao had truly taken the bait, Xiao Bai was utterly ecstatic.
In Xiao Bai’s eyes, the Bloodthirsty Dagger was already as good as his.
After all, Xiao Bai believed Wang Zongyao couldn’t possibly win against him.
No, to be more precise, that Fengyue City’s examinees couldn’t possibly win against Wind Rain City’s.
Because, this year, Wind Rain City had produced an incredible figure...
The two men agreed on the wager, established the rules, and then went back to make preparations.
Before long, Wind Rain City had selected five examinees, and Fengyue City had also chosen five.
Fengyue City’s five examinees were: Tang Yi, Yuan Qiong, Mu Xianling, Fan Wei, and Tang Piaomiao!
The final choice was, surprisingly, not Su Four Sabers, who had the strength of a Battle Grandmaster, but Tang Piaomiao, who was only a Nine-star Martial Master!
This was truly astonishing.

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