Chapter 4209 — Let's Just Concede Together?

"Reporting for duty?" Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan, the two brothers, were dumbfounded on the spot. Yu Jiang had never had any dealings with this Young Master Xu before—how had he suddenly become Young Master Xu's underling?

"That's right. What you two don't know is that Yu Jiang has already become a member of our center," Xu Lingchong explained to them. "And unlike you two, he isn't merely an outer member—he is a special assistant the mysterious one assigned to this young master."

"Special assistant?" Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan exchanged a glance, their faces full of disbelief; and beyond the shock, their expressions turned spectacularly vivid.

They had only just latched onto a powerful patron, fully convinced that now they need no longer fear Yu Jiang, that they could borrow Young Master Xu's prestige and simply dispose of this treasonous bastard—and then, in the blink of an eye, the lot of them had somehow become one and the same side?

And what was even more infuriating was that Yu Jiang, this treacherous disciple, actually ranked above the two of them!

"Since you have all joined the center, then put your former grudges out of your minds—dwelling on them is useless. If anyone dares harbor crooked thoughts and move against their own people, this young master will be the first to show them no mercy!" Xu Lingchong swept his gaze over the three before him and said blandly, exuding the bearing of a superior, imposing without anger.

"Yes," Yu Jiang agreed readily on the spot. After all, in the first round of the singles matches he had already settled every score he needed to settle and vented every grievance he needed to vent; and with his strength and prospects far surpassing Nan Tianxiong and the others, naturally there was nothing for him to worry about.

Nan Tianxiong and Nan Tianguan exchanged a glance, unwilling to accept it, but cowed by Xu Lingchong's tyranny, in the end they could only nod and assent.

They knew that seeking revenge on Yu Jiang was now impossible—and even their uncle, Nan Tian Liuguang, far away in the Middle Island, likely could not manage it either.

Though Nan Tian Liuguang had also joined the center, and was moreover a core member, the center would never allow him to move against his own people. That foul breath pent up in their chests would, for the time being, have to stay pent up.

"Very good. There are no other tasks for now. First, make the most of this inner sect tournament—draw as much attention as you can, and if possible use the opportunity to take a high-ranking elder as your master. Understood?" Xu Lingchong instructed.

"Yes. But Young Master Xu, I am still short a partner for the doubles matches," Yu Jiang replied. He had only returned a few days ago and knew no capable Golden Core experts, so having no partner for the moment was only natural.

"That's simple. There's one ready at hand right here. Nan Tianxiong, from now on you will partner with Yu Jiang. If you already had a partner arranged, then kick them to the curb. Our own people come first," Xu Lingchong decided in a tone that brooked no argument.

Though Nan Tianxiong's expression was somewhat conflicted, in the end he did not dare defy Xu Lingchong's instructions; he could only grit his teeth, set aside personal grudges, and temporarily choose to join forces with Yu Jiang to make a run at the doubles matches of the inner sect tournament. And so came about this scene that left everyone utterly baffled today.

Faced with this bizarre pair, the crowd, for all their puzzlement, could not help but feel a secret wariness. After all, Yu Jiang's performance was truly not to be underestimated—against them, one must never grow careless, lest one follow in the footsteps of that pair of peak early Golden Core fighters.

Still, formidable as Yu Jiang and Nan Tianxiong's partnership was, for those truly powerful core disciples of the inner sect, there was no need to take it too much to heart. The pair of newcomers about to step onto the stage next were the real formidable foes they needed to be on their guard against—Xu Lingchong and Meng Zhou!

Meng Zhou, a newcomer who, like Wei Zhao, hailed from the Welcoming Pavilion, had displayed strength in the earlier singles matches in no way inferior to Yu Jiang's—perhaps even surpassing it. At least in terms of ranking, he had fared far better than Yu Jiang, who had been shut out of the top fifty by Wei Zhao.

And Xu Lingchong's formidable strength was plain for all to see. From the first round of the singles matches all the way to seizing first place, he had crushed his way through without the slightest suspense. Among all the Golden Core disciples participating in this inner sect tournament, one could not find a single rival worthy of giving him a real fight.

Wei Zhao, who had initially enjoyed similarly high expectations, had been thought by many to be a possible contender—after all, he too had forced his way into the singles finals on the strength of his domineering power. But facts had proven that this show-off rookie king was utterly worthless before the mighty Xu Lingchong.

He did not even have the courage to fight Xu Lingchong—what strength was there to speak of? He was nothing but a show-off ringleader who only knew how to bully the weak and fear the strong!

Bearing an aura of formidable might, Xu Lingchong and Meng Zhou walked side by side slowly up onto the platform, looking down upon the spectators below like emperors lording over their realm, the corners of their mouths curved in arcs of boundless confidence.

At this moment their opponents had yet to be drawn, but Xu Lingchong already knew who they would be—for he had long since spoken with Xu Yuanzheng: in the first round of the doubles matches, he wanted to fight Wei Zhao!

In the earlier singles matches, he had deliberately avoided meeting Wei Zhao, holding off all the way until the final, precisely so that he could trample Wei Zhao to death in that final and consider his merit complete. Yet he had never expected Wei Zhao to be so cunning as to simply concede and surrender, giving him no chance to strike at all—and Wei Zhao had even collected forty-nine points, making him secretly curse his miscalculation!

So this time, he would kill Wei Zhao right from the start, giving him no opportunity whatsoever. If Wei Zhao conceded outright again, then he would earn not a single point in the doubles matches—and the loss would be no small matter.

Sure enough, the opponents drawn next once again set the whole arena abuzz—none other than Wei Zhao and Huang Xiaotao.

Amid the clamor of discussion, Wei Zhao and Huang Xiaotao stepped onto the platform and stood facing Xu Lingchong and Meng Zhou, calm and composed. Wei Zhao, naturally, feared neither Xu Lingchong nor Meng Zhou; as for Huang Xiaotao, she was in truth a little nervous at this moment, but with her veil covering her face, no one could see it at all.

"Show-off rookie king, since you already chose to concede outright in the singles final, why not be sensible this time too and just concede together?" Xu Lingchong was the first to speak, sneering with a chuckle.

"After all, both of you are defeated foes of Chongchong and me. Put together now, you'll only lose faster and more miserably. Since Chongchong has kindly offered you a way out, you may as well be sensible to the end and just concede like that—spare yourselves from being beaten to tears by the two of us in a moment, which would be far too humiliating. Wouldn't you say so?" Meng Zhou chimed in from the side, his face full of contempt.

Below the platform there was likewise a round of jeering and catcalls. By rights, at the level of Golden Core experts, few would be so petty—but today was an exception. The vast majority of them were core disciples of the inner sect, yet in the earlier singles matches they had been trampled underfoot by a bunch of newcomers, and their faces had truly lost all luster. (To be continued..)