WBICDPH Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Deaf to Words, Seeing with the Eyes

“I concede.”

The moment those three words were spoken, the supervising elder outside the arena froze in disbelief for a brief second before immediately leaping onto the stage. He halted Yao Fang’s advancing sword, forced him back a few steps, and then announced the result of the match.

After a moment of confusion, laughter suddenly erupted from the surrounding crowd.

It came like a tidal wave, drowning out everything else.

“Hahaha… wait, what’s going on with Yanyu Mountain? A Golden Core cultivator just threw down his sword and surrendered to a Foundation Establishment opponent before the fight even started?”

“Yeah! I thought dropping his sword was some kind of trick, but he actually just… gave up like that?”

“What kind of people does Yanyu Mountain recruit…? He’s the disciple of one of the Three Sword Sovereigns, Xiaoyun Kong’s junior brother! One of the three great Sword Sovereigns is his master, another is his senior brother. The talisman cultivator in the first match was incredible, and even his junior sister just now performed well. So why is he the one who surrenders without even fighting? His opponent isn’t even that strong—just a Foundation Establishment cultivator weaker than him!”

“Seriously, that’s so embarrassing. If it were me…”

“A Sword Sovereign’s disciple throwing his sword and surrendering before the fight—I just can’t…”

Amid the laughter and jeers, countless mocking remarks rang out, some of them landing clearly in Han Ao’s ears.

He lowered his gaze, ignoring them. Bending down, he picked up Pojie and slung it back onto his back.

Those voices pressed down on him like mountains, weighing him down until he couldn’t lift his head or straighten his back.

The one laughing the loudest was Yao Fang, still standing in the arena. His voice grated harshly against Han Ao’s ears.

Han Ao disliked him.

The boy was both foolish and malicious. Yesterday, he had hurled insults at Lin Jin and nearly provoked Hua Nanzhi into drawing her blade for a private fight. Today, he had pushed Lin Jin into a dangerous situation that almost ruined his reputation.

Han Ao had come here intending to teach Yao Fang a lesson—but he couldn’t bring himself to raise his sword against another person.

He was afraid.

Staring at his own feet, Han Ao walked off the arena like a lifeless shell.

Step by step, he descended the stairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the hem of Lin Jin’s green robe rushing toward him. Lin Jin came to his side and gently patted his shoulder in comfort.

“It’s okay, A-Han. Let’s head back and rest.”

Han Ao’s expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth, about to respond—but before he could, a cold voice cut in from ahead of him:

“Why did you throw your sword?”

Looking up, Han Ao saw Xiaoyun Kong standing before him, dressed in a pale robe.

His brows were furrowed, his expression cold and serious.

There were still nearly a hundred pairs of eyes watching. Staying here would only invite more ridicule. Xiaoyun Kong clearly understood that, so he said nothing further and simply led his junior brothers and sisters away from the arena.

Only when they reached a quiet, secluded area behind the arena did he finally stop.

Turning back, he fixed Han Ao with a grave gaze and asked again:

“Han Ao, answer me. Why did you throw your sword?”

“I…”

Han Ao was still irritated. He lifted a hand to scratch his ear and replied casually,

“I didn’t feel like fighting, so I threw my sword and conceded. The rules of the Sword Trial don’t forbid it, and neither did our master. What’s the problem?”

In the original story, Xiaoyun Kong was a classic antagonist—driven by jealousy, noble and upright on the surface but dark and twisted underneath, repeatedly pushing the protagonist into danger.

Han Ao had always hated that kind of two-faced character, so with that bias in mind, he had never liked Xiaoyun Kong. Back at Yanyu Mountain, he avoided him whenever possible, speaking only when necessary.

Now, already in a foul mood and being questioned like this, his tone was anything but polite.

“Why didn’t you feel like fighting? You’ve already formed your Golden Core, while he’s only at late-stage Foundation Establishment. Your chances of winning were high.”

Xiaoyun Kong stared straight into his eyes, as if trying to see through him.

“Well—” Hua Nanzhi, equally confused, started to ask something, but before she could finish, Lin Jin jabbed her with his elbow.

She turned to see Lin Jin shaking his head seriously, signaling her not to speak.

Though she didn’t quite understand, she stuck out her tongue and swallowed her question.

“Not wanting to fight is not wanting to fight. What does that have to do with my chances of winning?”

Han Ao grew impatient and turned to leave.

“I’m tired. I’m heading back. Losing today means I’m out of the tournament anyway. Good luck to you guys.”

He waved casually and scratched his head as he walked off, his figure looking somewhat dejected.

Xiaoyun Kong watched him quietly. After a few steps, he let out a soft sigh.

“Han Ao, you shouldn’t have thrown your sword.”

“…!”

Han Ao suddenly stopped.

Clenching his fists, he spun around like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, all his pent-up frustration and anger erupting at once.

“What right do you have to say that? That’s my sword! I’ll throw it if I want to! Who are you to judge me?!”

His eyes were red as he glared at Xiaoyun Kong’s calm face, anger surging within him.

“Xiaoyun Kong, stop pretending! I don’t think I know what you’re thinking—you’re just blaming me for embarrassing Yanyu Mountain! Fine! My master and senior brother are Sword Sovereigns, my friend and junior sister both shone, and I’m the one who surrendered to a Foundation Establishment nobody before even fighting. I disgraced my master, I disgraced you—I’m the sinner, alright?! I’m already pissed off, so can you stop lecturing me from your high horse?!”

“You didn’t disgrace our master or me,” Xiaoyun Kong replied evenly, though a rare hint of anger colored his voice. “What you disgraced was your sword—and your dignity as a sword cultivator.”

It was the first time Lin Jin had seen him like this. Though usually cold, Xiaoyun Kong was known to be gentle and tolerant. But this time, Han Ao’s action had clearly touched a bottom line.

“Senior Brother…” Lin Jin stepped in cautiously. “Let it go. A-Han didn’t mean to—he just—”

“It cannot be let go.”

Xiaoyun Kong frowned, cutting him off.

“You haven’t realized your mistake. Han Ao, if this is how you treat your sword, then perhaps you are not suited to be a sword cultivator.”

“Always ‘sword, sword, sword’—I’m so done with it! Coming here was my mistake! I’m trash, and so is my sword! You think I even want to be a sword cultivator? I don’t care for it at all!”

As he spoke, Han Ao yanked Pojie off his back and slammed it onto the ground, even stomping on it twice before storming off.

“Stop acting all righteous while judging me—who do you think you are?! Get lost!!!”

“Han Ao! Watch your mouth when you talk to Senior Brother! Where are your manners?!”

Hua Nanzhi finally snapped, hands on her hips as she shouted after him—but Han Ao ignored her completely and ran off.

Xiaoyun Kong remained where he was. After a moment, he sighed softly, stepped forward, and picked up Pojie, brushing away the dirt and leaves.

Lin Jin hesitated before approaching.

“Senior Brother, give it to me. I’ll go talk to him.”

Xiaoyun Kong lowered his eyes and nodded.

As he handed over the sword, he blinked slowly.

“He seems to have a strong opinion of me. But have I done something wrong? Or said something that made him uncomfortable?”

His gaze was sincere, and seeing this, Lin Jin felt an indescribable helplessness.

He shook his head and forced a small smile.

“No, he’s just acting out. You don’t need to take it to heart. He was in the wrong just now—but surrendering in the arena… he has his reasons. I hope you won’t mind.”

“I’m not blaming him for conceding. That was his choice—no one else has the right to interfere.”

Xiaoyun Kong seemed like he wanted to say more, but in the end, he only sighed.

He gently ran a hand over the cold scabbard of Pojie.

“This sword doesn’t suit him. It’s too cold, too bloodthirsty, too heavy with killing intent. And you said he has reasons for being unable to wield a sword—I don’t know what they are. But if he doesn’t resolve them, today’s act of throwing away his sword could become a heart demon in the future. He may truly not be suited to remain a sword cultivator. Tell him to think it through carefully. If he decides to give it up, I will explain it to Master on his behalf.”

“Understood. Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Clutching the heavy, cold sword in his arms, Lin Jin said his goodbyes to Xiaoyun Kong and Hua Nanzhi before jogging off in the direction Han Ao had gone.

A sword cultivator’s weapon was no joke—it was heavy. After just a few steps, Lin Jin had to stop and rest. Eventually, he gave up and burned a communication talisman, calling Han Ao back to pick him up—and take his sword with him.

Though reluctant, Han Ao returned.

He took Pojie and slung it onto his back, pouting slightly.

“You’re really making me lose face. I’m the one who’s upset—you’re supposed to chase after me and comfort me. And now you can’t even carry the sword, so I have to come back for you? What kind of situation is this?”

Lin Jin shook out his sore arms and laughed.

“Between us, do we really need to worry about face?”

“…Alright, fair enough.”

Han Ao waved a hand and sat down on a nearby rock.

“So? Why’d you come after me? If you’re trying to get me to apologize to Xiaoyun Kong, forget it—I’m not doing it.”

Lin Jin sighed and sat beside him.

“Why do you have such a strong bias against him? He’s actually a decent person—not as bad as you think.”

“What do you mean by ‘as I think’? You’ve read the original novel too, haven’t you? Don’t you know what kind of person he is? Two-faced, constantly scheming against the protagonist!”

“But he hasn’t done any of that here yet. Isn’t it unfair to judge someone for things that haven’t happened? And besides, he might not even be like that.”

“We’re inside a novel! If he’s not like the book, then what is he?”

“Then what about Jiang Xianrou?”

Lin Jin looked at him.

“In the book, Jiang Xianrou exists—but here, she’s called Jiang Zhenfeng. Neither of us, who supposedly ‘know everything,’ has ever heard that name. How do you explain that?”

“I…”

Han Ao fell silent.

Irritated, he scratched his head and changed the subject.

“But Xiaoyun Kong was clearly targeting me just now. Didn’t you see that?”

“He wasn’t targeting you. He just thought throwing your sword wasn’t right,” Lin Jin explained gently.

Han Ao scoffed.

“I just don’t get it—what’s the big deal about throwing a sword? It’s my sword. I can do whatever I want with it. In the end, he just thinks I embarrassed everyone, but since he can’t criticize me for conceding, he found some excuse to lecture me.”

His tone remained sharp.

“What did he say after I left?”

“Nothing much. He just asked me to remind you that Pojie isn’t suited for you. And…”

“And what?”

“And if you can’t wield a sword because of psychological reasons, then you need to seriously consider whether you can continue as a sword cultivator.”

“….”

Han Ao fell silent for a long time.

Finally, almost stubbornly, he muttered,

“Pojie is the protagonist’s sword. How could it not suit me? He’s telling me not to be a sword cultivator—who knows what he’s really thinking? I’ll do it anyway.”

“A-Han, don’t be stubborn.”

Lin Jin gently held his wrist.

“Aren’t you afraid? Afraid of killing, afraid of blood, wanting to go home. Can you overcome that and become a sword cultivator, where every step involves battle? If you can’t resolve those fears, they’ll become obstacles—or even a heart demon.”

“…Lin Lin.”

Han Ao didn’t answer.

After a long silence, he looked up at Lin Jin, his voice lower, carrying an emotion Lin Jin couldn’t quite understand.

“I think… you’ve changed.”

“Huh?” Lin Jin blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Have you noticed? Ever since earlier, you’ve been speaking up for others.”

Lin Jin forced a small smile.

“I’m not speaking up for others. I’m just stating my thoughts. Xiaoyun Kong didn’t do anything wrong, and what he said makes sense—doesn’t it?”

“But I thought… in this world, the only real friend I have is you. And so far, you’re the only one I’ve treated as a true friend. But now it seems like you’re sincere toward everyone. To you, I’m no different from them—you weigh us all the same. That’s why you can sit here so rationally, judging right and wrong.”

Han Ao lowered his head, his voice softening.

For a moment, he felt truly alone—as if he were the only real person in the entire world.

To him, Lin Jin was real.

But now, Lin Jin was defending “characters” from a story—sitting here, speaking on their behalf.

They were supposed to be the same kind of people. But in Lin Jin’s eyes, he wasn’t special at all—he was no different from anyone else.

Lin Jin had already begun to treat this world as real.

And that… was frightening.

“I might sound ridiculous saying this, so let me ask you something.”

Han Ao pressed his lips together slightly.

“Lin Lin… if one day, I stand on the opposite side from Hua Nanzhi, Xiaoyun Kong, Liu Xun, and the others—if we raise our swords against each other and fight to the death…”

He paused.

“When that day comes… which side will you stand on?”