The first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the match schedule was this:
âWhy did they set it up like that?â
Why on earth would they organize the matchups this way?
It was blatantly obvious that the Murim Alliance had tampered with the match schedule.
I had suspected this ever since they reshuffled the matches due to the addition of new participants.
They were definitely up to something.
It was probably just an excuse to justify their actionsâI knew that much all too well.
âBut why?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
This matchup wasnât something I had anticipated.
Tap. Tap.
I drummed my fingers against my waist as I pondered.
What was the reason behind this?
âWasnât the plan to match up the Divine Dragon against the Blade King?â
I had already figured out their scheme.
The purpose of this martial arts competition was to pit the Divine Dragon against the Blade King. Whether it happened in the semifinals or the finals, that was how it was supposed to play out.
This was something I had known ever since the Blade King decided to participate.
And in that setup, the Divine Dragon would put on a good performance before losing, allowing the Blade King to claim victory in the end.
That was how I had expected things to unfold.
âThe Blade King losing makes no sense.â
It wasnât because of differences in skill or cultivation level.
âThe Alliance would never allow the Peng Clan to lose.â
The Peng Clan was one of the prestigious families supporting the Murim Alliance.
If the head of that clan were to participate in this competition and suffer a defeat, the damage to the Alliance would be immeasurable.
âThe Blade King mustâve entered this tournament with an agreement in place.â
The Blade King wasnât an idiot.
Well, maybe he was, but even a fool wouldnât enter a martial arts tournament like this without some kind of deal.
What reason would the Blade King have to enter a match where he had nothing to gain and everything to lose?
âObviously, something must have been promised to him.â
It could have been favorable terms.
Or perhaps he had been coerced into participating.
Regardless, the important thing was that the Blade King had entered.
âAnd the plan was to use that to boost the Divine Dragonâs reputation.â
The Divine Dragon would perform well but ultimately lose to the Blade King.
The goal was to demonstrate the Divine Dragonâs prowess as a martial artist at the Hwagyeong level while also showing that he could put up a fight against the Blade King.
That was the scenario I had envisioned.
âBut then something unexpected happened.â
An anomaly.
âThe Blade King crumbled.â
In his previous match against Twin Dragon, the Blade Kingâs reputation had been utterly destroyed.
It was the most humiliating victory in the past decade.
He had been treated like a plaything by Twin Dragon, a mere Post-Golden Core cultivator, and the way he screamed in frustration as Twin Dragon forfeited the matchâ¦
The Blade Kingâs already fragile standing in Zhongyuan had been shattered that day.
âThe Peng Clan must be in turmoil right now.â
Merchants who witnessed the match would have already started withdrawing their support.
And other merchants, observing the shift, would follow suit.