Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Triumph and Frustration

Having been earnestly advised by someone he had admired for years, Liu Yihan felt a chill run through him. Lowering his head as he listened to the reprimand, his heart was bitter, yet he knew that the words were not wrong.

He was well aware of his jealousy and narrow-mindedness, but he was always too ashamed to admit it. Instead, he stubbornly denied everything about the other person. Yet deep inside, he knew he had utterly failed.

Because of his unstable mindset, Liu Yihan lost focus in the following rounds of the competition. Several attempts to capture spirit beasts ended in failure, and his frustration gave other competitors the chance to catch up. An hour later, the rankings shifted again, with Liu Yihan dropping to the lower end of the list, ensuring he would miss the finals.

After slaying the sixth-level spirit beast, Jiang Hanzheng’s total had reached sixty-eight, placing him first, two ahead of Kong Huai.

When the rankings above the contestants shifted, Kong Huai, in the middle of a fight, flinched. Momentarily distracted, his weapon nearly slipped from his grasp, and his shoulder received a bite—neither too heavy nor too light. The sudden scent of blood made him annoyed.

After slaying the beast with a single strike, Kong Huai still couldn’t calm himself.

He hadn’t been injured in battle for years, and this wound brought him an unexpected sense of frustration, which affected his subsequent performance.

Seeing Jiang Hanzheng’s name above his, Kong Huai’s normally composed mindset wavered even more. Earlier, he hadn’t wanted to waste energy on sixth-level spirit beasts, but now, to close the gap, he headed straight for their lair without hesitation.

However, sixth-level spirit beasts were no easy opponents, especially with Kong Huai’s injury. The scent of blood excited the beasts, driving them to attack relentlessly.

Kong Huai defended himself with composure, but the intense movement caused his shoulder wound to throb with pain. Forced to rely on his left hand, his usual strength with his dominant right hand was weakened.

The combined mental and physical strain made the battle increasingly challenging. Realizing he couldn’t afford to drag it out, Kong Huai angrily unleashed a powerful, energy-consuming technique, spending considerable effort to bring the beast down.

However, while he was entangled with the beast, Jiang Hanzheng’s count increased by several more, keeping him securely in the lead.

Kong Huai seethed with frustration, his breath uneven. With no energy left to control his wound, the partially healed gash on his shoulder reopened slightly, oozing blood. The unfamiliar sting made him momentarily dizzy.

This was the first time in many battles that he’d been seriously injured. For someone like Kong Huai, this felt like a profound humiliation.

Though his place in the finals was secure, he hated being second to anyone. He couldn’t stop imagining his master praising Jiang Hanzheng for his victory, smiling in a way Kong Huai had never seen before. The mere thought filled him with irritation. Even in pain, he wanted to push forward for one last surge.

Unfortunately, dusk had fallen, and the competition was nearing its end.

As the teleportation talismans activated, all participants left the Black Mountain and returned to the sect.

The elders carefully evaluated the participants’ performance based on the grade and number of beasts hunted, their battle techniques, and the time spent.

The results were unsurprising: Jiang Hanzheng placed first, with Kong Huai second.

The news of Jiang Hanzheng taking the top spot and entering the final four, even securing first place, spread rapidly, drawing astonishment from all corners of the sect.

“Who would’ve thought? I assumed his previous wins were just flukes, but he really has some skills!”

“Exactly! I thought he was cowering in that last bamboo forest skirmish. Turns out he’s just as formidable in one-on-one combat.”

“You all don’t get it. Junior Brother Jiang has been hiding his true strength all along…”

In contrast to Jiang Hanzheng’s meteoric rise, Kong Huai’s radiance dimmed. Today, he had neither his usual confidence nor his commanding presence, making his mistakes all the more glaring.

Given his prior exemplary performances, this misstep was magnified, becoming the subject of widespread discussion.

How could the peerless Senior Brother Kong rank below his junior? And even sustain a serious injury? It became the talk of the sect.

Kong Huai, usually the object of admiration, was unaccustomed to this kind of scrutiny. The post-competition criticisms pierced him like needles, leaving him in unprecedented frustration and even contemplating quitting.

He had always valued his reputation. This time, his failure stemmed from his unstable mindset and a momentary lapse. He couldn’t bear to face the possibility of disappointing others again.

Originally, he had vowed to make his master regret, while also teaching that junior a lesson. But instead, he had become a stepping stone for Jiang Hanzheng’s success, bringing him glory while falling from grace himself.

With no desire to dwell on the competition, Kong Huai left early, retreating to his cave dwelling while Jiang Hanzheng was still basking in the spotlight.

Although he tried to appear nonchalant, the despondency in his eyes was impossible to hide.

In the front hall, where He Lang was reading and playing with a rabbit, he noticed Kong Huai’s abnormal behavior. After taking a sip of tea and thinking for a while, he weighed his words carefully.

He Lang had watched the competition from start to finish. His disciple’s sudden surge in strength was surprising but not suspicious. The Five Elements cultivation technique was indeed extraordinarily powerful. Moreover, his disciple had always been low-key, intentionally hiding his abilities. Perhaps he had achieved an epiphany recently.

To He Lang, this disciple was always the most reliable, and he harbored no doubts about him. However, he hadn’t expected Kong Huai to be so easily shaken. To He Lang, Kong Huai had always been cold, proud, and independent, but now he glimpsed his weaknesses and evasiveness.

For Kong Huai to display such dejection over merely ranking second, He Lang feared he might become excessively withdrawn or extreme.

Although He Lang was indifferent to most matters, Kong Huai was nominally still his disciple. So, he offered a few words of polite comfort.

Hearing his master’s rare reassurance, Kong Huai’s eyes wavered, as if he had found a source of salvation.

His mind raced, but he couldn’t express his feelings. A storm of sorrow churned within him like thick, oppressive clouds that wouldn’t dissipate.

When Kong Huai mentioned withdrawing from the competition, He Lang remained calm, sipping his tea and speaking candidly.

“You want to quit? Fine. That will make it even easier for Zheng’er to win the championship.”

Kong Huai’s mood instantly shifted to anger at these words. Unsure whether He Lang was joking or serious, he gritted his teeth and asked bitterly, “Am I nothing to you?”

“You already know the answer. Why seek humiliation?” Since their last confrontation, He Lang had stopped mincing words. He spoke freely, indifferent to how his words might wound Kong Huai.

Already heartbroken, Kong Huai now wore a bitter smile. He had thought his master’s affection would last forever. But in less than a century—a fleeting moment for cultivators—everything had changed. His master’s heart now had no room for him.

Blinking away his dryness, he asked despondently, “If I hadn’t left the mountain back then, would you treat me differently?”

“What’s done is done. There is no ‘what if,’” He Lang replied.

Dissatisfied with his master’s evasion, Kong Huai’s pent-up anger flared. Grabbing He Lang’s wrist, he pressed on. “I don’t believe it! Were all your past affections for me false? And him—he’s just my substitute, isn’t he?”

Although his gaze was sharp, filled with possessiveness, his trembling hands betrayed his insecurity. Hidden in his eyes was a plea that He Lang could clearly see.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Kong Huai deluded himself, He Lang shook his head and replied earnestly, “He’s not your substitute. He is who he is.”

“And what about me?” Kong Huai let out a bitter laugh, stepping closer to him, gently embracing his shoulders as he asked.

He Lang froze for a moment, overwhelmed by a strong emotion rising from deep within. His gaze grew complicated as he stared at Kong Huai for a long time, and before he could control himself, he reciprocated the embrace.

Kong Huai was slightly surprised, but his expression quickly turned to joy. It was as if his wish had finally come true. He closed his eyes slightly, a trace of satisfaction in his demeanor, and wrapped his arms around He Lang’s waist, rubbing his shoulder with contentment.

This was a gesture he had seen Jiang Hanzheng make toward their master before. He had always been bothered by it. Finally, today, he got the chance himself.

He Lang helplessly rubbed his forehead, aware that the faint remnants of emotions within him were still influencing his actions. Since things had already come to this point, he decided to follow the flow and said, “Huai’er has always been excellent, naturally a good disciple of mine.”

Kong Huai frowned slightly, still unsatisfied with this response. But being able to mend his relationship with his master, even just a little, was already a blessing for him.

He gauged the time, suspecting that Jiang Hanzheng would return soon, and tightened his embrace around his master, holding on just a bit longer for his own satisfaction.

The protective array outside the cave flickered slightly, and both of them quickly realized—Jiang Hanzheng had returned.

Today, Jiang Hanzheng had been the center of attention, receiving the admiration of elders and the cheers of juniors alike. He was in high spirits, walking back with a spring in his step. On the way, he couldn’t help but daydream about how his master might praise him or what kind of reward he might receive.

But it only took half a cup of tea’s time for his mood to plummet from the clouds to the depths of despair once he stepped into the cave.

What he saw were the two of them embracing intimately. The usually cold-faced senior brother wore a rare smile, his entire expression softened in a way Jiang Hanzheng had never seen before. Leaning against their master’s shoulder, Kong Huai had abandoned his usual reticence, his lips moving as if saying something, seemingly lost in his own world.

Jiang Hanzheng clenched his fists, his mind blank as he froze on the spot, utterly at a loss. It was as if he were witnessing his master turning away from him, walking step by step into someone else’s world, leaving him completely excluded.

His master had once told him that he would care for no one but him. At the time, he had thought it was nothing more than his own wishful thinking and dared not hope for more. He had simply asked to remain by his master’s side, and that alone had satisfied him. But now, seeing his master’s eyes filled with someone else, his feelings abruptly shifted.

In the end, he had no right to dictate his master’s feelings. He could not blame him. It was just that his eyes stung a little, and his heart ached slightly.

Author’s note: Just realized this has reached 300,000 words. Let’s celebrate! But… this is only the fourth world, and I originally planned for eight worlds. Maybe I should cut it short. It’s getting too long, and even I feel tired looking at it. [wipes tears]