The entire arena fell silent, and the earlier hecklers quieted down. A drop of sweat slid off Lin’s nose as he lowered his gaze and stared at the sword tip, which was now within arm’s reach. His Adam’s apple moved up and down. Then, the man in the red attire performed a graceful sword flourish and sheathed the sword, which had carried a deadly aura, back into its scabbard at his side.
Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief, exhaled slowly, and said, “I lost.”
In the face of life and death, nothing else seemed to matter. He accepted his defeat with a resigned heart and spoken words.
At this moment, the people below the platform reacted and realized how spectacular the fight had been. They applauded and cheered.
The man in red stood on the platform for a while, but no one dared to come up and challenge him. Finally, someone hit the gong, indicating the end of the competition.
Immediately, several maidservants came forward, carrying a wooden tray. On top of it was a brilliantly embroidered fiery red bridal gown, with golden threads intertwining to form the pattern of immortal cranes, shining brightly in the sunlight.
The crowd was filled with awe and sighs. “Lin, the leader of the escorts, pursued Miss Wan for so long, and just when Miss Wan’s attitude softened a bit, who could have expected someone like this to intervene halfway and steal the spotlight?”
“So, it all comes down to luck for this person. If Lin, the leader of the escorts, had been unlucky, no one would blame him.”
“That person is wearing a mask. Could it be because of their unattractive appearance?”
“That’s true… I’ve seen a person with burns wearing a mask before, and it was quite terrifying when they took it off.”
“Ah… Well, in that case…”
At this moment, Lin, the leader of the escorts, also approached. Although his expression was grim, he sincerely said, “Good brother, with your exceptional martial arts skills, you must protect Miss Wan well in the future.”
After Lin finished speaking, the masked person turned slightly and spoke in a cold and clear voice, “Did I say I want to marry her?”
Lin was stunned, and he heard the masked person say indifferently, “Winning this garment doesn’t mean you have to take responsibility for someone else.” Lin widened his eyes and puzzledly asked, “Then… why did you…”
The people in the audience also heard this, and their eyes widened in disbelief. They saw the masked person casually take hold of the bridal gown and throw it towards the crowd below. Then, without even looking back, the masked person walked away.
As soon as the people in the audience reacted, they exploded with exclamations.
“What does this person mean? Was it all just for that garment?”
“After all, that garment was left behind by a famous embroiderer from the previous dynasty and is extremely valuable.”
“But even so, it’s not worth marrying into the Wan family. The Wan family is as wealthy as a nation, and I’ve heard that Miss Wan is as beautiful as a celestial being. What is this person thinking?”
“This… It’s unbelievable… Did he just come up here to play around?”
“Who knows… I’ve heard that these highly skilled martial artists have peculiar thoughts. Maybe they just wanted to have a sparring session.”
Lin, the leader of the escorts, stared blankly as the red figure disappeared into the distance, recalling the answer he had received when that person walked past him.
“You can fight for your loved one, so why can’t I?”
When the crowd was in an uproar, Su Qiuge quietly followed Han Ming and walked out. Soon after, they returned to the tavern.
Upon arriving at the tavern, the red figure was already there. After all, having attracted so much attention, they were bound to attract trouble. It seemed that this person was trying to shake off their pursuers before finally confronting them.
He leaned on his hand, tilting his head as he looked at her. He played with the wine glass in his hand, while the red bridal gown was placed conspicuously in the room.
He didn’t say a word, but his gaze remained fixed on her, as if waiting for her to speak first.
She pondered for a while and finally managed to utter a word—
“Thank you.”
Upon hearing the “thank you,” he slightly froze, then shifted his gaze elsewhere. However, for some reason, she could sense a trace of disappointment in his reaction.
She pursed her lips and carefully thought it over. After all that he had done, simply saying “thank you” might have been too casual. But she didn’t know what else she could do to express her current feelings. Tentatively, she approached and asked, “Do you… have something you want? A night pearl? Gold? Jade? Or something else… Wait for me. When I return to the palace, I will bring it to you.”
Upon hearing her words, his expression darkened slightly. Then, he stood up and walked towards her. Perhaps intimidated by the lingering air of violence around him, she couldn’t help but take a step back, looking up at him as he approached expressionlessly.
She thought he might be angry.
Not just a possibility, but a certainty.
She didn’t know where she had gone wrong and grew even more anxious, desperately considering a strategy. Her eyes appeared somewhat panicked as she looked at him.
He reached her and stared down at her for a long while. Then, he slightly lowered himself, his slender index finger gently touching his own face. In that instant when their eyes met, all the fierce and murderous aura emanating from him subsided, like a beast retracting its claws and fangs, revealing its most vulnerable side.
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