Chapter 171: The Certain Victory Method
Chapter 171: The Certain Victory Method
When the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master drew the line, everyone on both sides turned their gaze to Sun Niu Zi.
The surroundings were silent, with only the sound of the flames licking the pot.
Sun Niu Zi watched for a while and seemed to have made up his mind. The earlier nervousness had turned into a resigned calm, making him even more composed than before.
He waited for a long time without speaking, and only after nearly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea did he suddenly look at the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master and say, "The water won't boil because your fire isn't strong enough. I'm waiting to drink tea, so let me help you by blowing on the fire..."
With that, he really did stretch his head out and blew at the stove, which was already ablaze, puffing his cheeks.
At first, the flame only trembled slightly, showing no reaction.
Even the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master wore a faint sneer, thinking to himself that the fire was already quite strong; what could blowing do?
Even if he used a bellows and pulled hard, the stove wouldn't boil the water.
However, this sneer lasted only a moment before his expression changed, as Sun Niu Zi seemed to have become addicted to blowing, continuously puffing into the stove without pause.
The rhythm was vaguely unsettling, and if one followed his rhythm, they would notice that he took short breaths and then blew long and steady into the stove.
Overall, he was exhaling much more than inhaling, almost to the point of suffocation.
But Sun Niu Zi didn't look like he was suffocating. Instead, he blew harder, as if he had a bellows inside him. As he kept blowing into the fire, some of the spectators felt a slight dizziness, almost seeing another Sun Niu Zi crawling into the stove through his mouth.
He kept blowing, and the other Sun Niu Zi crawled into the stove, eventually merging with the flames, which turned a strange white and burned even hotter.
At this point, the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master understood something, his pupils contracting sharply as he stared intently at Sun Niu Zi's face, trying to figure out what was happening.
In the deathly silence, the fire grew stronger, and after a moment, a hiss came from the pot as a jet of steam shot out of the spout.
The water boiled.
Sun Niu Zi immediately relaxed and sat back, his face pale and somewhat eerie, though he seemed unaware of it. His gaze drifted as he looked at the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master across from him.
Hu Ma, watching from below, was astonished and speculated, "Is he using his own fire to break the other side's technique?"
"No."
Mr. Xu slowly shook his head and whispered, "This is a more advanced technique, set by the two Guardian Lords."
"Alas, our Red Lantern Association has no choice but to have someone step up..."
Hu Ma, guessing that Mr. Xu knew more, didn't press for an answer. He watched as the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master, seeing the water boil, also changed expression but forced himself to remain calm, even managing a smile.
For him, perhaps having his technique broken wasn't the big issue; not understanding how it was broken was the real problem.
Despite his inner panic, he still stood up, used hot water to brew tea, and presented it to Sun Niu Zi with both hands.
"Brother, please enjoy!"
"..."
Pouring the tea was a sign of conceding defeat, and it was now Sun Niu Zi's turn to set the challenge.
Sun Niu Zi, however, ignored him. His expression seemed even more vacant than when he first stepped up, all traces of fear gone. He spoke mechanically, "Drinking tea is boring."
"Since it's cold at night, how about I treat you to a bath?"
"..."
The Blue Robe Junior Incense Master's face changed dramatically, his voice unsteady, "H... How do you want to bathe?"
Sun Niu Zi didn't answer but turned to see two Red Fragrance Disciples from the Red Lantern Association carrying a large pot up.
The pot looked like a bathtub, filled with hot oil that had been heated beforehand.
They set it directly on the Junior Incense Master's stove, and soon the oil was boiling, bubbling up.
Seeing the large pot, not only the Red Lantern Association but also the Blue Robe Gang stirred in excitement.
Yesterday, they had won a round using a pot of oil, and today, the Red Lantern Association had brought out an even larger pot, with the oil even hotter than yesterday.
"Since they used that technique, we're bound to win this round."
Mr. Xu whispered, "But our Lady values... settling scores where they were lost."
"Is she just holding a grudge?"
Hu Ma thought, how could this be called holding a grudge? This...
...is at most just being petty!
On the stage, the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master stared at the pot of hot oil, his heart racing with unease.
The two sides had been dueling for ten days, and yesterday's round had been the most terrifying, leaving deep psychological scars on both sides.
Today, he had come to showcase his skills, but unexpectedly, the Red Lantern Association had brought out the pot of oil again.
Could this seemingly foolish guy also be trying to outdo him in toughness?
As he was thinking, he saw Sun Niu Zi stand up, clearly intimidated by the pot of hot oil. He looked to the audience for help but only saw Chief Zheng standing under the eaves, waving him off and covering his face as he retreated into the house.
Sun Niu Zi also felt utterly hopeless. Suddenly, he stretched out both hands and tore off his shirt, exposing his thin back.
He said to the Blue Robe Junior Incense Master, "It's about time. I'll go in first, you come too!"
With that, he lifted his foot and stepped directly into the oil pot.
The oil pot sizzled, and the people on both sides immediately covered their eyes, unable to bear watching.
But after a while, they couldn't help but look again. They saw Sun Niu Zi lying entirely in the oil pot, continuously splashing hot oil over his body.
His face wore a strange smile, and he didn't speak, only waving his hand at the stunned Blue Robe Junior Incense Master, as if waiting for him to join.
The Blue Robe Junior Incense Master, seeing this, was already dazed. He could feel the countless eyes of the Blue Robe Gang watching him from behind.
But in the end, he steeled his heart and forced a smile, saying, "No... no need, Brother, you win."
Suddenly hearing this, the Red Lantern Association side erupted in cheers.
On the Blue Robe Gang side, however, everyone's faces turned ashen, yet they couldn't say a word.
Yesterday, they had won a round after the other side had challenged them first, but they hadn't expected to lose again so soon.
Yesterday, they had relied on a fierce member of their gang who had won the round by risking severe injury. Today, they had encountered someone even fiercer.
But it wasn't just about being fierce; this unremarkable person seemed to have considerable skills.
Could he already be an Age Keeper who had entered the Mansion?
Below, Hu Ma watched with growing curiosity. He knew Sun Niu Zi absolutely didn't have such abilities.
If he were forced, jumping into the oil pot in a fit of desperation wasn't impossible.
But once he jumped in, he would be dead.
However, seeing him now, bathing in the oil pot and still moving, with a strange smile on his face, gave a chilling and eerie feeling.
"Ha ha..."
At that moment, the red lantern hanging beside the arena emitted a strange red light.
A faint laugh seemed to echo in everyone's ears, and then the lantern dimmed, as if the Red Lantern Lady had left.
On the other side, a faint cold snort was heard, and the chilling aura disappeared.
Everyone hurriedly stood up. Some wanted to help, to pull Sun Niu Zi out, but he had already stood up himself.
His body, already fried beyond recognition, was still moving mechanically.
As he walked, pieces of flesh fell off, one by one, scattering on the ground. When he finally came down, he walked straight toward Chief Zheng's house.
As he approached, he suddenly called out, "Brother-in-law."
But it was better not to speak. The moment he did, his jaw unhinged, and a black bead rolled out.
Hearing this call, Chief Zheng rushed out of the house. Just as Sun Niu Zi fell forward, he caught him, but Sun Niu Zi's body was already charred and brittle. With a bit of force, he folded Sun Niu Zi's body in half.
"Niuzi..."
A sob burst from his throat, his eyes turning bloodshot.
Ignoring the people watching, he burst into tears. After a long while, he suddenly came to his senses, took off his outer robe, and carefully gathered Sun Niu Zi's remains, wrapping them up.
He then followed the path Sun Niu Zi had taken, picking up the pieces of flesh that had fallen.
After doing all this, he suddenly turned his head and glared at Hu Ma with a fierce, predatory look.
Meeting that gaze, Hu Ma sighed inwardly and, looking straight into his cold eyes, said, "Chief Zheng, congratulations on your great achievement!"
"..."
Chief Zheng was already on the verge of explosive anger. Hearing Hu Ma's sarcastic words, his eyes seemed to bleed.
Everyone around was shocked, ready to intervene in case he attacked.
But after a long while, Chief Zheng didn't move, only wiping away his tears with his sleeve.
When the sleeve fell, a strange smile appeared on his face, and he nodded at Hu Ma, saying, "Good."
"Very good!"
"..."
With that, he tied up the outer robe containing Sun Niu Zi's remains, passed through the crowd, and left.
"This is a deadly enmity now..."
Hu Ma sighed softly. If he had a choice, he would never want to create such an enmity.
But the enmity was already formed, so why bother restraining himself?
Sun Niu Zi's fate was indeed tragic, but if not for the help of a Reincarnated One, wouldn't it be him in the oil pot now?
Waving off Mr. Xu's attempt to console him, he saw the two guardians leave with their lanterns, and the people on both sides of the arena disperse.
He sat in his chair for a moment, then took out three incense sticks from his pocket, came to the front of the arena, lit them, and gently inserted them, saying silently, "If you have any grievances, don't come to me."
"In this world, everyone has grievances. I really don't want to kill you again..."
Today, there are only two chapters. I need to catch up on my writing.
(End of Chapter)
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