The ones cheering the loudest for Tian Li’s victory, and shamelessly so, are the disciples of the Seven Killing Swords sect, having apparently overcome their stubbornness for showing gratitude to the sect that saved their run in the Conference, and even delivered the victory on a silver platter — even though it is the same sect that they left on a meager seven points; seventeen now, with Tian Li’s victory.

“Ah, it looks like those guys will win after all,” one of the Galaxy Sword disciples laments, well aware now of the fact what this outcome means.

“Tian Li, you’ve done well. As soon as your opponent comes out, forfeit the match,” Elder Huang calls out to Tian Li, his eyes and expression warm.

“No, Elder Huang,” Tian Li replies, breathing heavily. “I can do it. Please let me do this.”

“It’s enough; you’ve done enough, junior! Come back to the sect and recover,” Elder Hao says.

“It’s not over yet!” Tian Li exclaims. “We can still win!”

No one, not from the other sects, the spectators or even from the Galaxy Sword sect is harboring some kind of illusion that there is still a different outcome possible. It simply made sense. With a few exceptions, most cultivators could only last one or two matches; even if Lan Xiaohui and Tian Li were the strongest cultivators here, asking them to win five consecutive matches was simply too unrealistic.

Those few exceptions fought against relatively low-ranking opponents or used provocations to gain an advantage in settling the match with decisive blows.

“Don’t speak nonsense, junior!” Elder Huang exclaims. “You will just get injured! There is no reason for you to prove anything anymore. You’ve done enough. Tian Li!”

Shaking off the ice crystals from his robes, Tian Li smiles. “We have seventeen points. If Lan Xiaohui and I win the rest of the matches…”

Tian Li’s words cause several heads to turn toward the scoreboard, not just from the Galaxy Sword sect. Even the Frozen Peak Palace disciples and elders cease their celebrations as they consider the possibility.

It is true. If Tian Li and Lan Xiaohui win the rest of the matches, even if Tian Li is defeated, the Galaxy Sword Sect could still collect forty points — putting them in first place.

“Ha! You are still dreaming of victory, Galaxy Sword?” a disciple from the Seven Killing Swords announces as he jumps onto the podium. “But can you do it?!”

“Tian Li — forget about the points. Just forfeit!” Elder Huang insists.

Even Lan Xiaohui jumps out of her seat, perhaps to try to reason with Tian Li. After all, only she knows best whether or not it is possible to win five consecutive battles. After all, even though these were the foremost geniuses of the continent — each a rising star within their sect — Lan Xiaohui was something different; certainly not a genius like them, but a force unlike any they had ever faced before.

But before my owner can speak, Tian Li turns toward the Galaxy Sword elders and bows deeply. “Please! Please!! Let me do this!” Tian Li exclaims, stunning the elders and the disciples who fall quiet. “When Xie Zhiqiang challenged me… I was afraid. Many of you said I had reasons other than fear to forfeit the match, while some of you guessed why. It’s true! I was afraid! Xie Zhiqiang terrified me!”

“Tian Li… you…” several of the disciples whisper. After seeing their brother so heroically challenge and defeat Mu Jingyu, this admission soured the moment for them.

“I only cared about myself and what would happen to me!” Tian Li continues. “That is something I can never take back. That will stay with me forever!”

“Tian Li; that is natural! Xie Zhiqiang was just strong!” one of the disciples shouts back. “You had no other ch—“

“But I was stronger!” Tian Li exclaims. “Because I was a coward, Zhu Xuelian nearly died fighting him! And my dream — my dream of becoming Elder Qin’s disciple; how can I possibly ask for such, if I can’t make a stand when it really matters?!”

“Tian Li…” Elder Qin whispers, surprised by the disciple’s words.

“So, please! Let me do this!” Tian Li exclaims. “Even if it’s not for victory; even if it doesn’t lead to anything… at the very least… let me make amends! To you too, Zhu Xuelian!”

Now, all the elders look at my owner.

“Junior Zhu, say something,” Elder Huang says. “If you, too, tell him that he has done enough, I am sure he will…”

Lan Xiaohui lowers her head and smiles. “Tian Li…” she trails off for a moment, her smile growing larger. “Fight well.”

Tian Li’s eyes widen and his back straightens a bit.

“Zhu Xuelian!” Elder Huang roars.

“Tian Li!” Lan Xiaohui exclaims. “There are times to be rigid and strict, and times to be flexible. But at all times, upholding the principles you vowed is all you can do! So do your best and fight with all you’ve got!”

Who else but Lan Xiaohui could understand Tian Li better? Who else would know better that the sword can wash away past mistakes and their shame?

In fact, several of the disciples who hear Lan Xiaohui’s profound words suddenly fall silent. Their entire lives they believed that being strict and rigid was the only way to be a sword cultivator, but something about what Lan Xiaohui said rang true in their ears.

Elder Qin bursts into laughter at Lan Xiaohui’s words and nods. “Well said, Zhu Xuelian!” she exclaims, well aware of the trouble that her disciple’s principles have brought her. “Tian Li, fight well! As for the matter of that dream of yours… we will discuss in detail later.”

Tian Li bows once more politely. “Thank you… everyone…!”

“That is a nice speech and very touching, but how do you plan to pull it off?” the disciple on the podium, who had been patiently waiting for Tian Li, finally speaks up. “Do you really think you can do anything? With just you two?”

Tian Li frowns and slowly lowers into a fighting stance again. He does not reply.

“Someone needs to wake you up — Tian Li, your name was?” the disciple continues. “Let me do the honors and teach you; once a coward, always a coward!”

Without further delay, the disciple charges forward, sword raised high.

For all his talk about honor and washing shame away, Tian Li is as good an actor as he is a swordsman, because, until then, no one had realized just how exhausted Tian Li was. Though he looked fairly fatigued, everyone expected him to still have some fighting strength left.

In reality, he had nothing to give but an uplifting speech.

His sword is knocked out of his hands by a simple strike from the Seven Killing Swords disciple, and the following kick knocks Tian Li to the ground. Perhaps the disciple is aware of just how tired Tian Li is, having observed the scene from afar and an objective viewpoint — something the Galaxy Sword disciples were not capable of in the moment. Perhaps that is why he didn’t use any sword energy or qi.

“Was that it?” the disciple asks. “Get up.”

Slowly, Tian Li climbs to his knees, and then to his feet. “My… sword… where is…”

“It’s right there,” the disciple points at Tian Li’s sword, and as Tian Li turns towards it, aims another kick at the Galaxy Sword second-ranker.

This time, when Tian Li falls to the ground, the Seven Killing Swords disciple sits down on his chest and smirks. “Didn’t you say you would make amends…?” the disciple asks, and then punches Tian Li in the face, leaving broken and torn skin behind.

Then another punch, followed by another. After half a dozen punches, the Seven Killing Swords disciple drags Tian Li to his feet and then aims kicks and knees at the Galaxy Sword disciple’s stomach — all to the loud and thundering protest of the Galaxy Sword disciples and elders.

Fight well? They only encouraged Tian Li to get beaten up for nothing.

But Lan Xiaohui understands better than anyone. Tian Li’s amends were not victory, but punishment. Tian Li never intended to win — his one and only goal was to tire out the Seven Killing Swords fifth-ranker. Even though this fifth-ranked disciple was a weakling compared to the rest, it was all Tian Li could do.

Even when the shouts to end the match are called by the side of Galaxy Sword and Frozen Peak Palace, one simple profiling read of the tournament organizers reveals the ugly truth.

In their deepest hearts, they are hoping for a miracle — that Tian Li can somehow sweep the entire Seven Killing Swords; that way, they would not be dead last with their forty-eight points. But such a thing… it was simply impossible.

After nearly an entire minute of uninterrupted punching and kicking, Lan Xiaohui finally leaps onto the platform and lands between Tian Li and the fifth-ranked Seven Killing Swords disciple, who is forced to back off.

“What is this? Isn’t this against the rules?” the disciple asks, glancing toward the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion. “Shouldn’t she be disqualified for this — interrupting our match?”

Now, all eyes turn toward the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, as Lan Xiaohui casually picks up Tian Li into her arms, and begins walking back toward the Galaxy Sect section.

“Well,” Elder Mo begins, pausing briefly. “The match was already over, so, this time we will allow it.”

Perhaps it is out of guilt that they subjected Tian Li to this nonsensical beating for their own desires, but more likely it is because most cultivators will find my owner fascinating; this is likely because of my [Avarice].

Their thoughts are simple to read when they are so forward. It is not just the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion, but the other elders too. They all wish to know what kind of sleeping dragon lurks in the disgraced Galaxy Sword. Because even though they might not all practice the sword, they can all see it clearly — the hint of overwhelming, ruinous sword force in my owner’s aura.

“Sister… Zhu… did I… do well…?” Tian Li asks, face so swollen that he can barely even see.

“Mmm, you’ve done well, Brother Tian. The sect is proud of you,” Lan Xiaohui says as she slowly lowers Tian Li into her own seat, laying him down on his side.

“G… good…” Tian Li mutters. “I know… you can do… it… You are so… strong. … Win!”

Lan Xiaohui nods. “Don’t worry. Thanks to you, I will definitely win. You don’t even have to watch. Just rest and heal your wounds. Leave the rest to me.”

“Zhu Xuelian…” Elder Qin begins, and her gaze meets my owner’s. For a moment, Elder Qin is clearly searching for answers in my owner’s eyes, because she knows that Lan Xiaohui has a very deep grudge with the Seven Killing Swords sect.

Lan Xiaohui smiles, perhaps reading Elder Qin’s intentions.

Something about Lan Xiaohui’s smile reassures Elder Qin and she nods when she doesn’t find any hidden intentions to make a scene here, or settle grudges.