The first to compete were the last two. One was a man who had won all the way to the next round from out of town. No one in his family was an official, so he was considered a commoner. The other was a young man in the capital. Only his father was an official, but his position was not high.
One of them used a knife and the other used a sword. They each had their own strengths and fought fiercely, causing cheers from the people present. In the end, the 25-year-old man who was promoted from another place won.
Qi Tianyang competes with another man for the title of martial arts champion.
The man came from the north. His family was poor and he was considered a humble family. He killed his way up using only a short dagger.
Spear versus dagger, people have been looking forward to this competition for a long time.
Many ministers, officials and their families came to watch the martial arts examination finals. Lord Cheng appeared at the martial arts viewing platform with Zhu Yun and Cheng An.
Jiang Ling had previously sent someone to ask Cheng An if he wanted to come with her, but she heard that she would come with her parents. Jiang Ling had no idea of the secret, but she was happy to see this scene.
She looked towards the martial arts viewing platform on the right and saw Cheng An sitting next to Zhu Yun, his body sitting straight, his fingers tightly clenched in his sleeves, obviously nervous.
The gong sounded, and the two people standing on both sides of the competition stage rushed towards each other together, and the competition began.
Qi Tianyang held the spear in his hand with great dignity. The spear rose and fell in his hand in a dance. His moves were refined and powerful, which was very enjoyable for the people to watch.
His opponent fought back with a short dagger, dodging extremely quickly. His body was as agile and light as a flying bird. While dodging, he could seize the opportunity to quickly draw his sword and was not at a disadvantage at all.
Seeing Jiang Ling dazzled, Zhou Jing'an whispered to her, "This boy's name is Yin Jie. He fought his way up from the north. He's only eighteen years old."
"Only eighteen?" Jiang Ling was surprised. "I see his moves aren't as... formal as Qi Tianyang's?"
She couldn't find the right words. "It just doesn't seem like he learned it specially. It seems more like he practiced it in the wilderness."
Zhou Jing'an smiled and nodded, "Yes, he has no master and is indeed self-taught."
Jiang Ling turned her head to look at him, "Do you admire him?"
He didn't deny it, and raised his eyebrows slightly, "He has a natural talent for martial arts and a high level of understanding."
"How?" she asked.
Zhou Jingan explained to her: "He fought all the way up, and after one fight, he could use the same moves from the previous one in the next fight."
Jiang Ling's eyes widened. "How could he learn his opponent's moves in such a short time? And even put them to use?"
"Not bad." Zhou Jing'an's eyes were filled with smiles, full of appreciation.
Jiang Ling pursed her lips, looked at the figures fighting below, and asked, "Does Qi Tianyang have a chance of winning?" Then she looked to the right, where Cheng An looked nervous and worried.
Zhou Jing'an followed her gaze and understood, but still spoke the truth: "The chances of winning are slim."
"Tian Yang has a great talent for martial arts, but he has little actual combat experience. He mostly fought and played around with the children of aristocratic families. When facing an opponent like Yin Jie, who grew up in the wilderness and has a high level of comprehension, he will be at a disadvantage."
Jiang Ling said nothing, but she actually understood in her heart.
Zhou Jing'an quietly held her hand and said comfortingly, "Tian Yang is already at least second place, and he has fulfilled his original promise."
"I know," she said, "I'm just worried that Master Cheng and Aunt Zhu Yun won't relent."
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