Chapter 88: Good Fortune

Because Zhang Chulan’s affair had caused quite a stir, even the Celestial Master himself had been alarmed.

Several matches that were about to begin were abruptly halted, and many people gathered here, eager to feast on a second great scandal after Zhang Lingyu’s defeat.

As one of the figures at the center of the uproar, Tang Wenlong, who had already left the arena, was quickly brought back as well, so the matter could be asked about face-to-face.

Since this was an inquiry meant to steady the crowd’s emotions, it was naturally conducted in public.

The Celestial Master took charge personally as the chief investigator this time, while respected figures such as Lu Ci and Wang Ai also came to observe from the sidelines.

Under the gaze of all present, Tang Wenlong was brought to the center of the arena, where the Celestial Master questioned him personally.

“Little friend Tang, there is no need to panic. I have only called you here because of the matter of surrendering in the match just now. You needn’t be nervous.”

The Celestial Master’s expression was mild and benevolent, like a kindly old grandfather next door.

“Please ask, Celestial Master.”

Tang Wenlong remained calm in the face of the words, though his manners were impeccable.

“Little friend Tang, I will ask once more: in the previous bout, were you threatened by someone else, which caused you to forfeit so readily?”

“No.”

Tang Wenlong answered earnestly.

The Celestial Master nodded, then asked a second question. “Then was there some other hidden circumstance?”

“No, senior.”

Tang Wenlong’s answer was still crisp and direct.

“Impossible.”

“Absolutely impossible.”

“Tang Wenlong, just speak freely. We’re all watching here. Tell us what really happened to you...”

This time, before the Celestial Master could even respond, the spectators below had already exploded in outrage.

One after another, they waved their fists and shouted indignantly, demanding justice for Tang Wenlong.

Seeing this, the Celestial Master followed their lead and said gently, “Little friend Tang, if someone truly overstepped, then speak boldly. If anyone dares to disrupt the order of this Grand Ritual, I will certainly not spare them.”

The Celestial Master’s words were entirely reasonable, and at once drew cheers from many in the crowd.

Yet Tang Wenlong on the opposite side could only give a helpless, bitter smile. “Celestial Master, this junior truly suffered no threat, nor any unfair treatment.”

“Then why did you give up the match?”

The Celestial Master spoke again, asking the very question that everyone most wanted answered.

“I drank too much last night. I was still hungover and hadn’t come to my senses. Right now I’m weak all over...”

Tang Wenlong’s expression was solemn.

The crowd: “...”

Good heavens, even lying should have some sense of propriety. A perfectly capable practitioner, defeated and laid low by drink, then forfeiting because of a hangover?

Weak all over?

Weak my foot.

Was the liquor mixed with poison or what?

Even if it had been, you’re a disciple of the Tang Clan. Would that even do anything to you?

The crowd was left speechless, but there was nothing they could do. After all, even Tang Wenlong himself, the person involved, had said he was under no threat at all.

And with the Celestial Master present as well.

In the end, the matter could only be let go.

With the affair declared over, the crowd that had stirred it up quickly dispersed, leaving only Zhang Chulan standing alone and bewildered in the stands, still unsure of what had happened.

...

“Taken care of for you.”

On the way back to his lodgings, Ye Yan received a message from Tang Wenlong. The content was brief.

“Thanks.”

Ye Yan replied instantly. “I’ll owe you one for this. I’ll return the favor when I get the chance.”

“No problem.”

Tang Wenlong sent back an emoji.

After closing the chat window, Ye Yan could not help but feel a little moved.

Tang Wenlong was a good friend. When something happened, he really did step up.

The affair had escalated so quickly that even the Celestial Master had been alarmed. This would inevitably damage Tang Wenlong’s own reputation, and could even harm the standing of the Tang Clan.

Yet even under those circumstances, he had still chosen to help Ye Yan with this favor.

This debt of gratitude was no small matter.

Ye Yan silently kept it in mind.

Just as he put away his phone and was about to find somewhere to lie low for a while, the group chat in Fourth Brother Xu’s harem suddenly became lively...

“Damn it, damn it, what the hell is going on? Why did Tang Wenlong surrender out of nowhere? @FourthBrotherStillYourFourthBrother @IAmVeryProper”

The sender was Zhang Chulan, and at the end of the message he also tagged Xu San and Xu Si.

“No idea,” said Feng Baobao.

Li Ziyuan: “curious groundhog emoji”

Xu San: “I’m not very clear on it either.”

Xu Si: “You little brat, you win and still aren’t happy? Why pry into everything?”

Xu San and Xu Si could not answer Zhang Chulan’s confusion either, because the matter had not been handled by them, and they did not know the reason behind it.

“Third Brother, Fourth Brother, I, Zhang Chulan, may want to win, but I don’t want to win like this, without understanding a damn thing about what happened.”

“At the very least, I need to know why.”

“Why? Who am I supposed to ask if you ask me?”

Xu Si tossed up a meme of Zhuge Qing’s fox eyes.

Still, after a moment, it seemed he remembered something. “If you want to know the reason, don’t ask me or your Third Brother. Ask your Brother Yan instead.”

“That Tang Wenlong seems to be from the Tang Clan, right? If I remember correctly, he has connections with quite a few people there. It should have something to do with him.”

The Tang Clan belonged to the Southwest and was outside the jurisdiction of the North China region, so Xu Si had little contact with them.

“Got it.”

Zhang Chulan replied, then swiftly tagged Ye Yan in the harem group.

Ye Yan had naturally seen the conversation in the group a long time ago; he had simply been lurking and hadn’t replied.

After thinking it over, however, he still decided to send a message: “Tang Wenlong is my friend.”

Those six simple words were enough to explain everything.

After getting the answer, Zhang Chulan was stunned.

So this was the power of having a backing?

He was in love with the idea.

Even at the round of sixteen, he could still manipulate things and have someone throw a match. If you asked who was truly formidable, it had to be Brother Yan.

One really could not help but submit.

Thinking of this, the fellow shamelessly went all in licking Ye Yan’s boots.

“Say no more, Brother Yan. From now on, you’re my big brother. Your little brother Zhang Chulan will follow your lead. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never...”

If each message had not been limited by character count, he probably would have kept groveling until he pierced the heavens. Ye Yan’s face was already covered in black lines.

Xu Si, however, was accustomed to being immune to Zhang Chulan’s sycophantic behavior, and responded naturally.

“Speaking of which, the round of sixteen isn’t even over yet, and our North China side already holds three spots. At this rate, Chulan’s chances of winning the championship are much higher.”

“Three spots?”

Ye Yan paused. If he remembered correctly, Feng Baobao’s match had not started yet.

That meant Li Ziyuan, the girl who was just along for the ride, had also advanced smoothly into the quarterfinals.

“Not bad, partner. You were hiding your light all this time, huh? You’re already in the top eight.”

Li Ziyuan’s advancement was something Ye Yan had not expected. He had thought she was just a filler, a travel companion along for the show, but it seemed she was no weakling after all.

Li Ziyuan stuck out her tongue shyly.

“It’s nothing. I was just lucky, that’s all. My opponent, Hu Jie, somehow couldn’t get into the arena, so I got lucky and advanced.”