Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 45: I Lost Fair and Square

Feeling the supportive hand on his back, You Su looked up at Gu in surprise.

To be honest, You Su’s impression of Gu wasn’t favorable. While others might see Gu as a dignified and stern envoy from Divine Mountain, You Su saw him as a hypocrite who used his status to pressure others. If it weren’t for the need to appease Gu and secure the opportunity to study at Divine Mountain, You Su would never have apologized that day.

Gu didn’t seem to mind the young man’s look. He continued, “These two young men are indeed rare prodigies. Even within the Mystic Firmament Sect, few possess such strength at their level. In this battle, they both displayed their unique talents, and in that sense, neither of them can be considered a loser. However, because of this, I cannot declare the match a draw.”

“Victory and defeat are both gifts, the spoils they have earned today. The process is important, but we must not confuse it with the result. A loss is a loss, and a win is a win. To declare the winner a loser is to belittle the winner’s efforts, and to declare the loser a winner is to insult the loser’s perseverance. Their paths in the Dao are long, perhaps even longer than ours, and they will experience countless victories and defeats. Rather than let them now adopt the detached attitude of the elders, it’s better to let these spirited young men remember the truth: Remain humble in victory and resilient in defeat.”

“Therefore, You Su wins! Wu Cheng loses!”

The crowd’s earlier excitement had cooled somewhat after Gu’s words. Outsiders truly had no right to decide the outcome of a battle fought by others. It would be disrespectful to the two fighters.

City Lord Liu, Qi Daodong, and the others wore solemn expressions, though they maintained superficial smiles.

At that moment, a sharp voice rang out from the crowd: “Elder Gu, didn’t you say not to focus too much on winning or losing? Why does it sound like victory and defeat are so important right now? Besides…”

“Besides, I don’t think my brother lost! You Su can barely stand! My brother only gave in to avoid hurting himself!” The speaker was short, with a sly, rat-like face. It was none other than Wu Ping.

“Ping’er!” Wu Xueting, the head of the Wu family, sternly rebuked Wu Ping. Even Qi Daodong’s smile faded as he frowned at the boy who had spoken up for his brother.

Qi Daodong and the others understood that this wasn’t about winning or losing. No matter how many holes one could poke in Gu’s argument, it didn’t matter. What mattered was Gu’s stance on the matter. By refuting City Lord Liu, Gu had made it clear that he was determined to declare You Su the winner regardless of whether the crowd agreed.

Continuing to argue would be pointless and would only make their motives appear impure.

Gu wasn’t angry. He glanced at Wu Ping, who immediately shrank back. Just as Gu was about to explain further, someone else spoke first.

“Wu Ping, don’t be rude! Elder Gu never said that victory and defeat are unimportant. Moreover, You Su can barely stand because he forcibly retracted his profound energy to avoid injuring me after I conceded. In this battle, I, Wu Cheng, lost fair and square!”

Wu Cheng’s voice grew louder as he spoke, no longer addressing Wu Ping but declaring his defeat to the entire crowd.

You Su’s emotions were mixed. Wu Cheng’s reaction was even more unexpected than Gu’s.

Gu’s intervention could be seen as compensation for forcing You Su to apologize earlier. But Wu Cheng had no reason to speak up for You Su. He could have remained silent and lost nothing.

By speaking out, Wu Cheng had not only gone against the wishes of his elders, but had also openly acknowledged You Su as the rightful winner of the day – a fact that no one could change.

“Well said! As expected from Elder Gu’s foresight. Wu Cheng’s understanding of resilience in defeat will surely drive him to strive even harder. You Su, don’t let your pride slow you down. Keep improving. Both of you have grasped Elder Gu’s wisdom, and your future is undoubtedly bright. You will surely bring glory to the name of Chuyun City!”

City Lord Liu, unwilling to prolong the debate over victory and defeat, quickly wrapped things up.

After that, Gu and City Lord Liu took turns delivering some formal remarks, encouraging the city’s cultivators to remain steadfast in their pursuit of the Dao and acknowledging the efforts of all the participants. With You Su’s victory, the five-day Ascension Assembly finally came to an end.

Gu also announced that on the following evening, his last day in Chuyun City, he would host a banquet at the city lord’s mansion. He would invite all the sect leaders and participants, rewarding those who had performed well and announcing the final selection of affiliated sects and the quota for studying at the Mystic Firmament Sect.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the once bustling city lord’s mansion now felt empty.

With the help of Gu’s profound energy and the Spiritual Healing Pill, You Su was able to walk on his own. He didn’t slip away quietly with the crowd.

Gu watched You Su’s retreating figure and shook his head slightly, sighing. What an amazingly resilient young man. Only someone like him could grasp sword intent at such a young age, something that even centuries-old sword masters have trouble grasping. The previous disciple of the Lotus Sword Venerable was already a top prodigy. Her next one might be just as exceptional.

On his way back, You Su was surrounded by an even larger crowd than before. The owner of his favorite restaurant even offered him free meals for life, while the shopkeeper of the Zhaiyun Clothing Store was so delighted that she wanted to shower him with new clothes.

You Su thanked them all, bought some medicine from a pharmacy, and then quietly left the crowd. When he reached the secluded West Willow Road, he was alone again and felt a deep sense of relief.

But then, a figure blocking his path brought back memories of all the times he had been ambushed in the past.

It was Wu Cheng.

“You still want to fight?” You Su frowned slightly, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. His legs were still weak, and he couldn’t run away like before. The only option was to fight.

“No, I’m done fighting. Like I said, I lost fair and square.” Wu Cheng smiled and walked slowly toward You Su. He was still wearing his bloodstained clothes, clearly having waited here for some time.

You Su didn’t let down his guard, his hand still gripping his sword.

“Don’t be so tense. I just came to talk. You don’t like to talk before a fight, but can’t we talk after?” Wu Cheng stopped two meters away, a distance that felt neither threatening nor too far away.

“If you have nothing to say, step aside. I’m in a hurry to get home.” You Su’s tone was cold and unfriendly.

Wu Cheng seemed to have expected it. He stepped aside to let You Su pass, gazing at the lush leaves as he said, “My master isn’t as petty as you think. At first, he did ask me to challenge you, but everything after that was my own doing. Even if you beat me, he wouldn’t actually take any action against you.”

“Hmm.” You Su didn’t stop and continued walking.

“So if you had agreed to fight me earlier, I wouldn’t have bothered you anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known how strong you are.”

“That’s no excuse for you to keep bothering me.”

“You’re right. I was too fixated before. I won’t bother you again.” Wu Cheng looked relieved, as if a weight had been lifted. He turned to watch You Su’s retreating figure and solemnly said, “You Su, the next time we meet, it will be at Divine Mountain. I will win.”

You Su walked silently, disappearing around the corner of the alley. His cold voice echoed faintly:

“Next time, I won’t hold back.”