With that, Wu Hao dashed out of the plaza.
’Fight Su Mo?’
’He wouldn’t have the guts even if you fed him the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. Not unless he had a death wish.’
Li Nan announced in a booming voice, "Fifth place: Wu Hao! The reward is one Celestial Heart Pill."
Seeing this, the crowd burst into laughter.
Just as they suspected, the youngsters were negotiating their ranks amongst themselves.
"Patriarch Wu, congratulations!"
The crowd offered their congratulations to Patriarch Wu.
"Thank you, everyone! Thank you!"
Patriarch Wu was ecstatic, pride written all over his face.
He had originally sent Wu Hao just to tag along, get some experience, and maybe make a few friends. He never dreamed Wu Hao would actually place.
But to his surprise, Wu Hao had managed to distinguish himself and take fifth place.
It had far exceeded his expectations.
"Who’s going to be fourth place?"
The crowd looked toward the plaza expectantly, only to see Su Mo looking utterly dejected.
’Damn it, Wu Hao actually ran off.’
Left with no choice, Su Mo turned to Man Mountain. "Since Wu Hao won’t hit me, you do it. And don’t hold back."
"Elder Su, I would climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire for you, but I just can’t hit you. So, um, I’ll be taking my leave!"
Man Mountain dashed out of the plaza and ran to Barbarian Tyrant.
Barbarian Tyrant clapped Man Mountain on the shoulder, praising him, "Not bad, not bad at all! Fourth place! You really fucking brought honor to your old man."
"Heh, it’s only because Elder Su was looking out for me that I did so well," Man Mountain said with a smile.
Barbarian Tyrant gave him a thumbs-up. "Humble and composed, and you know your place. Truly a worthy son of I, Barbarian Tyrant."
"If Elder Su hadn’t told me to hit him, scaring me into running away, I could’ve gotten an even better rank," Man Mountain added with a chuckle.
"What? That kid told you to hit him?" Barbarian Tyrant asked, surprised.
Man Mountain corrected him. "Don’t call him ’that kid’! Dad, you need to call him Elder Su. Remember?"
Barbarian Tyrant was speechless.
It was understandable for his son, Man Mountain, to call Su Mo ’Elder,’ since Su Mo clearly possessed the strength to crush him.
But why should he?
How could a forty-year-old man like himself call an eighteen-year-old brat ’Elder’? He just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Still, he relented.
If Man Mountain was telling him to do it, he must have his reasons.
Barbarian Tyrant asked uncertainly, "So... Elder Su scared you out of the plaza?"
Man Mountain nodded. "Yeah. He told me to hit him, and with all my might, too. I didn’t dare, so I just ran down here myself."
"It was the same for me. I ran because Elder Su told me to hit him," Wu Hao said, walking over.
Barbarian Tyrant frowned. "Has Elder Su lost his mind?"
WHACK!
Man Mountain kicked the back of Barbarian Tyrant’s leg. "How dare you insult Elder Su?" he fumed. "I’ll kick you even if you are my father!"
Barbarian Tyrant glared at Man Mountain, furious.
’For the sake of an outsider, Man Mountain would strike his own father?’
’This boy is utterly unfilial!’
Man Mountain retorted, "Dad, don’t look at me like that. This is for your own good, and for the good of our Celestial Blade Sect."
"Hmph. I’ll deal with you when we get home."
Barbarian Tyrant shot Man Mountain one last fierce glare before letting the matter drop.
’He couldn’t very well start a fight in public and let everyone watch him and his son make a spectacle of themselves, could he?’
’That would be far too undignified.’
Wu Hao mused, "I have a strong feeling Elder Su doesn’t actually want first place. That’s why he’s asking us to hit him."
"I get that feeling too," Man Mountain agreed.
Barbarian Tyrant was stunned. "Impossible. Everyone wants to be number one, and he doesn’t? Then what place is he aiming for?"
Man Mountain and Wu Hao both shook their heads, showing they had no idea either.
「In the plaza」
Mu Qing said with a beaming smile, "Elder Su, you don’t need to say a thing. I would sooner hit my own father than lay a finger on you. Just give up on that idea. I’m leaving!"
"Leaving?" Su Mo’s voice was frigid. "Hmph. If you dare run, I’ll slap you into paste right here on the spot. Then I’ll have your father come collect the body."
Mu Qing froze in his tracks. He could feel it—Su Mo was genuinely angry now. He wasn’t joking.
But he truly didn’t dare to strike Su Mo, not even lightly.
A middle-aged man in the audience, thinking Mu Qing was about to be eliminated, said with a smile, "Patriarch Mu, it looks like your son is third place."
"Third place? Hehe, not bad, not bad at all!"
Patriarch Mu’s face swelled with pride as he basked in the envious gazes from the crowd.
This was a result he could brag about for the rest of his life.
Little did he know...
Su Mo, simmering with rage, glared at Mu Qing. "Well? Are you going to hit me or not?"
’He was furious. His original plan was to have Man Mountain and Wu Hao hit him, put on a little show to decide the winner, and then gracefully exit the plaza to claim third place. But those two cowards just ran off.’ ’Fucking useless.’ ’If Mu Qing ran off too, it would just be him and the green-clad maiden left in the plaza.’ ’At that point, he’d be stuck with second place.’
Su Mo raised his right hand. "If you don’t hit me now, I’m going to have to hit you."
Mu Qing was scared witless.
’If that hand comes down, I’ll be turned into meat paste on the spot.’ He could only brace himself and say, "Elder Su... you’d better be careful, then."
"Right here! And put your back into it!"
Su Mo pointed to his own chest.
Mu Qing clenched his fist, shut his eyes tight, and threw a vicious punch.
’To hell with it! If I die, I die!’
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Su Mo was sent flying out of the plaza.
"Third place: Su Mo! The reward is a Nine-Hearted Demon Fruit... Wait, how did he get knocked out?"
Li Nan stared at Su Mo and Mu Qing, completely dumbfounded.
Everyone present was just as dumbfounded.
’What in the world just happened?’
’Did Mu Qing really just send Su Mo flying out of the plaza with a single punch?’
Man Mountain cried out in disbelief, "When did Mu Qing get so powerful? He actually defeated Elder Su?"
"Could it be that Mu Qing was hiding his true strength all along?" Wu Hao added with a frown.
’That’s impossible.’ ’If Mu Qing were that powerful, he wouldn’t have been ambushed and robbed in the Holy Spirit Secret Realm.’
Mu Qing scrambled over to Su Mo. "Elder Su, are you all right? You were the one who told me to hit you with all my strength! You’re a magnanimous man, so please don’t hold it against me!"
He looked like he was about to burst into tears from fright.
Su Mo scrambled up from the ground, cupped his fists toward Mu Qing, and declared, "Brother Mu, your strength is truly immense, terrifyingly so! This humble one admits defeat."
"Huh?"
Mu Qing was completely bewildered. Only after seeing Su Mo give him a sly wink did he manage to play along, "Elder Su... I mean, Brother Su, you are not so bad yourself. A warrior who can take on ten thousand men."
"Holy shit, the two of them are acting!" Hua Celestial Sect complained.
Bai Luoxue was speechless. "Acting is one thing, but to act so badly? They must take us all for fools."
"Acting?"
Hearing their complaints, everyone had a sudden moment of realization.
Li Nan announced loudly, "Third place: Su Mo! The reward is one Celestial Heart Pill and three Nine-Hearted Demon Fruits! Second place: Mu Qing! The reward is one Celestial Heart Pill and one Tier Five Spiritual Soldier!"
’My son is second place?’
Patriarch Mu was dumbfounded at first, but his expression quickly turned to one of pure excitement.
’What a wonderful, unexpected surprise!’
In the plaza, the green-clad maiden stood all alone, her face a mask of disbelief. "I’m... first place? But I didn’t do anything at all."