Buzz buzz—
At that moment, Stelle's pocket vibrated. She opened her phone to find a message from March 7th: The misunderstanding here has been cleared up. How are you doing?
Stelle: I'm doing fine. The two Cloud Knight brothers brought me to a tavern and told me to have fun… Should I head back?
March 7th: No need. Himeko and I can handle things here. Since the opportunity's already presented itself, you might as well take it easy for now. Our meeting is about to start.
Stelle: Is that okay?
March 7th: Hmm… It's fine. We'll need a place to settle anyway, so it's decided. You handle the logistics!
…
Inside the tavern, Stelle found herself in uncharted territory.
The place was buzzing with activity, filled with the lively chatter and laughter of passersby, a testament to just how popular this tavern was.
"Dear guest, today is a big day for our tavern. Take a look over there."
Tingyun smiled and pointed toward the central courtyard of the tavern, where a massive stage stood. At that moment, two robust figures faced each other in a tense standoff, motionless.
"What's going on?" Stelle asked curiously.
"Have you heard of the Xianzhou's 'Martial Exhibition Ceremony'?" Tingyun said with a slight smile. "Rumor has it the Luofu will soon hold the Martial Exhibition Ceremony. We're capitalizing on the hype by hosting a small-scale martial arts competition in advance. The winner will receive a daily free quota of five hundred credits at our tavern."
"Hehe, it might not sound like much, but it's basically enough to cover three or four people's meals for a lifetime," Tingyun added, tilting her head and winking at Stelle. "Dear guest, want to give it a try?"
"I'll pass," Stelle said, waving her hand. She was tough enough to take hits, but fighting wasn't her forte. Back in Belobog, March and Uncle Yang handled most of the offense, while she was just a tank.
"Haha, just teasing. How could someone as delicate and lovely as you be into fighting and killing?" Tingyun chuckled lightly. "Come on, let me arrange a private room for you."
Stelle was about to agree when the crowd suddenly erupted in excited cheers. She instinctively glanced at the stage, where the two competitors, previously locked in a standoff, had just concluded their match. The victor was now facing the audience, raising their arms in triumph.
"So dramatic…" Stelle shook her head, turning to leave. Just then, a figure came rushing toward her at breakneck speed. Unable to dodge in time, Stelle was hit square in the stomach.
"Ugh… Whose kid is this, running around like that…?"
Stelle staggered back two steps, ready to scold the person for their lack of public decency. But when she saw their face, she froze.
Wasn't that… Yanqing?
"Yanqing! What's the rush? You hit someone!"
A familiar voice called out from behind Yanqing. A girl emerged from the crowd—it was none other than Guinaifen, whom Stelle had parted ways with not long ago.
"Eh? Benefactor?"
Guinaifen blinked when she saw Stelle, then furiously poked Yanqing's head. "Yanqing! Look at what you've done! Do you know who you just crashed into? Apologize!"
Still dizzy from the impact to his head, Yanqing was initially disoriented. When Guinaifen rushed over, he snapped out of it and quickly bowed to Stelle. "Sorry, big sister! I didn't mean to. No matter what harm I caused, Yanqing will do his best to make it up to you."
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Tingyun cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Young guest, the tavern is full of people coming and going. Running around recklessly isn't wise. Even if you don't consider others, you should take responsibility for your own actions."
"We're really sorry," Guinaifen and Yanqing apologized in unison. Guinaifen looked at Stelle pitifully. "Benefactor, you're a good person…"
Stelle rubbed her stomach and waved her hand helplessly. "Forget it, I'm fine. But you two better not do this again… By the way, what's going on? Why the rush?"
At the mention of this, Guinaifen scratched her head awkwardly. "Well, we heard there's a martial arts competition here. Little brother Yanqing's always eager to join these kinds of events, and I was hoping we could earn some meal money… Really sorry about that."
Stelle glanced behind her, puzzled. "Where's Mr. Jing Yuan?"
Guinaifen's face soured at the name. "Don't even mention him. When I told Old Jing about this, he said his martial arts are just for health and show—too fragile to risk getting injured. So he didn't come…"
"Now, please welcome our next contestant, Mr. Yanqing, to the stage!"
At that moment, the host's voice boomed from the stage, interrupting their conversation.
Yanqing glanced at the stage, then at Stelle, standing obediently in place without moving.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" Stelle poked Yanqing's forehead. "Give it your all and win enough to cover Jing Yuan and Little Gui's meals!"
Yanqing blinked, realizing Stelle wasn't going to hold him accountable. He quickly bowed again. "Thank you, big sister! Yanqing will do his best!"
…
When Yanqing stepped onto the stage with an ordinary iron sword, his opponent was someone Stelle recognized—or rather, someone familiar from the game: Skott, the "lone wolf" wearing sunglasses.
"What kind of matchmaking is this?!"
From the stands, Guinaifen clutched her head, her tone filled with despair. "Is this some kind of curse? Why does this kid always get matched with such ridiculous opponents? Did the capitalists rig the game or something?"
"My fifty-credit registration fee…"
Stelle asked, confused, "Huh? How can you tell his opponent is 'ridiculous' just by looking at him?"
She figured it was just Skott. Even if his character had been flipped, Yanqing shouldn't have trouble beating him, right?
Wait… Could Yanqing's character have been flipped too? From the Luofu's top genius to its biggest failure? No way! The Xianzhou doesn't have any ring-bound grandpas to save the day!
Tingyun, ever perceptive, explained, "Dear guest, you might be underestimating this young man's opponent. That gentleman, Skott, may be a short-life species from the IPC, but his staff techniques are masterful. They call him 'Black Monkey.'"
Stelle: ???
No way! The biggest beneficiary of this version's meta is Skott?!
…
From the stage, Skott stood with his arms crossed, not even glancing at Yanqing. His gaze slowly swept over the audience below, a faint smirk on his lips as he said casually, "This is supposed to be the top tavern on the Luofu, but the quality of these contestants… tsk tsk."
His words caused Yanqing's lips to tighten, and the noise in the tavern quieted slightly. Anyone could hear the provocation in Skott's tone.
"Hey, IPC guy, what's that supposed to mean?"
"You think you're hot stuff just because you won a few matches?"
"Don't you know there's always someone stronger out there?"
"…"
Skott shook his head. "Let's skip the low-tier matches. I'm only here to fight one battle today."
"I've long heard that the greatest martial artist on the Luofu is Master Bailu. Unfortunately, this so-called master lacks the courage to accept my challenge."
"So, using this stage, I'm challenging Master Bailu again. If you've got the guts, come face me! Otherwise, stop calling yourself the Luofu's top fist—it's embarrassing!"
Whoa—
The crowd erupted in outrage, glaring at Skott, all finding him insufferably arrogant.
"Enough!"
A loud shout drew everyone's attention. All eyes turned to see a gray-haired girl with a cold expression, arms crossed, standing unfazed under the gaze of hundreds. "Skott, you haven't even fought this match yet. Isn't it a bit beneath you to act like this?"
"Xianzhou martial arts are about meeting friends through skill and winning respect through virtue. Acting like this only makes you look like a clown," Stelle declared loudly. "If you've got the guts, fight Yanqing first. Otherwise, Master Bailu probably wouldn't even bother with you."
As she spoke, a rare spark of anger flashed in Stelle's usually calm eyes.