After a few consecutive days of overcast, Tong’an finally bestowed clear skies. The beautiful sunlight splayed down on every nook and cranny of this ancient city filled with exorbitant and grandiose edifices strewn at random, even further underscoring the city’s magnanimity and grace, and at the same time dressing up the small courtyard near Yue Long Bridge in which Lu Cang temporarily resided to be even more elegant and refined.
“Big Brother Lu, are you finished?”Xi Zhen sat upright in the parlour as he called smilingly to Lu Cang, who was changing in the inside chambers.
“Yeah, let’s get going now,” Lu Cang answered, briskly walking out of the bedroom as he tightened the knots of his outer robe.
Today was the day of the sixth round of the Assembly of Heroes. In other words, as long as he could defeat today’s opponent, he could forever escape from the grasp of that freakishly mutated Jing and return to his free life as the king of the mountain bandits in Hangzhou.
Unexpectedly, the pretty youth Xi Zhen he had met only yesterday came early in the morning and said he wanted to go to the Assembly of Heroes together with him, making a few sprouts of pleasantness rise in Lu Cang’s chest. On the eve of the match that would determine his fate for next ten years of life, he was immensely nervous. Having someone to accompany him eased his nerves a bit.
“Big Brother Lu…” Flashing Lu Cang an attractive smile, Xi Zhen appeared indescribably innocent and cute.
Way lovelier than a certain freak. Grumbling in his mind, Lu Cang and Xi Zhen left the house together, heading towards the contest grounds in eastern Tong’an in quick strides.
“Big Brother Lu, I’m going first. Good luck to you today!” At the arena doors, Xi Zhen waved to Lu Cang. He smiled like a flower, then walked towards the platform for his division.
Lu Cang also gave a slight smile, waved back, and then took wide strides in the opposite direction towards his own division’s platform on the other end. Before he could get to the platform, he heard deafening gongs, drums, applause, and cheers emanating over in waves. This platform seemed much livelier than any other.