Chapter 168 – Battling Out Your Own Price (2/2)

Chen Chang Sheng turned his gaze towards the tower, remaining silent.

Above that circular tower, the clouds in the deep-blue skies overhead had been teared into billowy wisps; sporadically, forlorn whistling sounds could be heard, unknown as to if it was the wind roaring, or a wolf howling, with each reverberation being startling.

His gaze fell upon the door, it seemed as if he could peer into the tower itself, seeing the expressionless Zhe Xiu battling against the silent Gou Han Shi, with the blood upon Zhe Xiu’s fingers slowly trickling onto the floor.

Standing at the scene of the Grand Examination, it was as if he could see the past, a frail looking youth silently trekked within the blizzard, his illness-ridden body was extremely weak, swaying back and forth, on the verge of toppling.

But upon that youth’s tender looking face, there was no signs of fear or the wish to retreat, he stared at the demon warrior’s hulking figure in front of him, waiting for his opponent to collapse before he did, his eyes full of vengeance and tenacity; looking upon this, he seemed to be a wolf, precisely because he was the wolf-tribe youth.

As Tang Thirty-Six had said, if Zhe Xiu and Gou Han Shi were to have a battle to the death in the real world, it would be hard to know who could persevere in the end, alas, the Education Palace is a miniature world and not the real world, thus, the one to persevere in the end was still Gou Han Shi; this disciple from Li Mountain who had come from poverty, yet had read the scriptures in their entirety.

A creaking sound penetrated the ears and the door to the tower, which had been tightly closed, slowly opened; Gou Han Shi slowly walked out of the tower, arriving atop the stone steps, he painfully coughed twice, his complexion was a little pale and his steps, a little sluggish.

Guan Fei Bai and Liang Ban Hu went up to receive him while Qi Jian anxiously searched for medicine in their luggage.

Zhe Xiu also came out of the tower, but he didn’t walk out himself; he was carried out.

Blood continuously trickled off from the stretcher’s edges, giving a sight that would strike fear into all observers. His pallid face remained expressionless, seeming very tranquil, his eyes were tightly shut and it couldn’t be seen as to what he was thinking at this moment.

He was akin to a wolf, silently and persistently clashing with Gou Han Shi for over an hour, causing Gou Han Shi to suffer fairly heavy injuries, alas, he had also paid a high price for this.

With his current injuries, he definitely cannot continue battling, and it was possibly even life-threatening.

He should have been taken out of the Education Palace in order to receive treatment, yet, previously, in the tower, when the presiding Li Palace clergyman was about to organise this, they had been rebuffed by this youth’s apathetic attitude and insistence, in the end, they could only carry him out of the tower.

To be able to drive Gou Han Shi to this state, Zhe Xiu managed to garner fear and respect from all of the examinees present, but of the two words “fear” and “respect”, “fear” was the predominant feeling; gazing at the blood dripping stretcher and he, who was laid upon it, everyone remained silent, with no one going up to offer condolences or express concern.

He had used the identity of a student from Star Seizer Academy to enter the competition, but had directly crippled that fellow-student from the same academy, currently, the academy could no longer concern itself with him.

The Li Palace clergy carried the stretcher while looking at the examinees who were outside of the tower, they didn’t know where they should carry him to.

It was at this moment, Chen Chang Sheng held onto the poplar tree and stood up with much difficulty.

Luo Luo understood his intent and patted Xuan Yuan Po’s back, indicating that he should go and bring the stretcher over, Xuan Yuan Po didn’t dare to have any objections and went ahead, receiving the stretcher with a single hand.

The stretcher reached the woodlands, Zhe Xiu calmly lay upon it, his complexion pale and his body covered with blood, he couldn’t move nor speak, but he opened his eyes, seeming to be very tranquil.

A tearing sound could be heard and Xuan Yuan Po began to bandage him.

Chen Chang Sheng fed him medicine.

Luo Luo looked at him with complex feelings.

Tang Thirty-Six sighed and said: “Why make it such a bitter fight?”

Zhe Xiu looked at him with an expressionless face and replied: “Add money.”