Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 110 - Before the Competition

Tang Jie pushed the door open and walked in. Wang Qianya was leaning against the bed, her face showing signs of fatigue.

“Are you feeling any better?” Tang Jie walked closer and asked with concern.

“Much better. Why don’t you get some more rest? These past few days must have been exhausting for you. My legs are still sore,” Wang Qianya replied, her tone light but warm.

Looking at Wang Qianya’s radiant face, Tang Jie thought to himself: if she could remain so optimistic, he shouldn’t let himself get bogged down by worries. He needed to come up with a solution quickly.

“By the way,” Wang Qianya said, turning to Tang Jie, “the ancient martial arts tournament is only a few days away. How do you feel? Any progress? When the time comes, you’ll be representing me. Don’t let me down, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I definitely won’t let you down-or Uncle Wang, either.” Tang Jie exuded confidence, though the truth was, he wasn’t entirely sure himself.

“I knew you’d win,” Wang Qianya said with a smile. Then, as if reminiscing, she added, “Oh, after the tournament, let’s go back there to watch the stars. I really miss that place right now.” She was suddenly nostalgic for that mountain at Lifedeath Cliff, for the cave where she and Tang Jie had once cuddled together, gazing at the sky full of stars-a moment so beautiful it felt unreal.

“Alright. Once you’re feeling better, I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” Tang Jie replied, comforting her. But inside, his thoughts were still consumed by the tournament.

“Tang Jie,” Wang Qianya suddenly asked, her eyes fixed on him, “do you have a wish?”

“A wish?” Tang Jie was momentarily taken aback.

“I want to win this competition,” he said after a brief pause.

“That’s not what I mean,” Wang Qianya said gently. “I mean, do you have any personal wishes or dreams?” She looked at him intently, her expression serious.

Tang Jie thought for a moment. If he had any wishes, at the beginning it was to complete the old man’s mission and regain his freedom. After that, it was to become the strongest. And if he had to go further, perhaps it was to find a woman he deeply loved and spend his life with her.

But all of these were still in the process of being realized. Thinking of this, Tang Jie shook his head. Life was long, and if one were to count all their dreams, who knew how many there would be?

Seeing Tang Jie shake his head, Wang Qianya seemed a little disappointed. Her face, usually so cheerful, had a hint of unhappiness.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Tang Jie noticed that Wang Qianya’s expression seemed a bit off and asked with concern. As he spoke, he prepared to turn and call for someone.

“I’m not feeling well. It happens every time I look at you,” Wang Qianya said, her tone carrying a hint of complaint.

“Why? What did I do to make you uncomfortable?” Tang Jie, completely preoccupied with thoughts about true qi and inner strength, failed to catch the meaning behind her earlier questions.

“Forget it. The more I talk to you, the worse I feel. I’d rather not say anything.” Wang Qianya turned her face away, pouting slightly. Tang Jie stared at her for a moment, her angry yet adorable expression finally cluing him in. Smiling mischievously, he said, “I do have one big wish. Do you want to hear it?”

Hearing these words, Wang Qianya’s expression immediately brightened. She turned back to him, her face full of curiosity and anticipation. “What is it? Tell me.”

Tang Jie looked at her, purposefully dragging it out, narrowing his eyes and giving her a roguish smirk instead of answering.

“Say it! Hurry up!” Wang Qianya urged, playfully hitting his hand with hers. Her petite fists tapping against him only made her look even more endearing. Tang Jie was momentarily dazed.

“Close your eyes, and I’ll tell you,” Tang Jie said, his voice soft as if under her spell. His eyes shimmered with a playful, yet bewitched, light.

Wang Qianya didn’t suspect anything and obediently closed her eyes.

“Agh! Tang Jie! You… What are you doing?” Wang Qianya’s eyes flew open. She felt the cool sensation of his lips brushing hers. Realizing what had just happened, her cheeks turned bright red.

Tang Jie froze for a moment as well, then looked at her innocently. “I didn’t do anything. What are you talking about?”

“You’re awful!” Wang Qianya exclaimed, feigning anger. Her tone, however, carried a trace of undeniable shyness. Tang Jie chuckled as he looked at her and said, “If you feel like I took advantage of you, I can give it back to you.”

“How would you give it back?” Wang Qianya asked, her face flushed, her eyes darting about like glimmering stars.

“Obviously, you’d have to take it back from me.” Tang Jie leaned forward, shamelessly closing the distance between them.

“You…” Wang Qianya could hardly contain her embarrassment. Frustrated but helpless, she watched Tang Jie’s face inch closer. Then, an idea flashed in her eyes.

“Alright, then. Close your eyes too.”

Tang Jie thought to himself, “Whatever happens, I win either way.” With that in mind, he closed his eyes, ready to let her make her move.

Wang Qianya smiled slyly. She quietly pulled open the drawer by her bedside and took out a carbon fiber pen.

“Keep your eyes closed, and don’t peek! You can’t open them unless I say so,” Wang Qianya said sweetly. As she spoke, she uncapped the pen and began delicately drawing on Tang Jie’s face.

Tang Jie had no clue what was happening. All he felt was a soft, cool sensation gliding across his face. Truth be told, the gentle motion felt oddly soothing.

“Alright, you can open your eyes now.” Tang Jie heard the words and opened his eyes, only to see Wang Qianya looking at him with a shy yet triumphant expression.

“Didn’t you say you were going to take it back? How is this it?” Tang Jie asked, sounding slightly disappointed as he looked at her with a bit of dissatisfaction.

He had been expecting something more exciting-a passionate kiss perhaps, the kind you’d see in a romantic French movie or a heart-pounding American drama. But all he got was…whatever this was-a little doodling on his face. Truly uneventful.

“Alright, now go on. It’s probably almost time for dinner, and I need to change before I come downstairs,” Wang Qianya said, hurriedly urging him out.

Tang Jie reluctantly left the room, and Wang Qianya, who was still sitting on the bed, suddenly heard a loud scream coming from outside.

“Ahhh! A ghost!”

Crash! The unmistakable sound of a teacup shattering followed the scream.

Wang Qianya couldn’t hold back her laughter and doubled over on the bed. Well, that would teach him not to mess with her!

After a while, she finally managed to stop laughing and got out of bed. Yet, when she thought about the scene that had just unfolded, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sweetness in her heart.

Two days passed quickly. Wang Qianya had recovered significantly, much to Tang Jie’s relief. Over these days, he had stayed by her side, and many sweet moments brought them closer. Yet, the impending ancient martial arts tournament began to weigh heavily on his mind once again.

The night before the competition, Wang Qianya prepared the outfit Tang Jie would wear for the big day. After dinner, Tang Jie sat in his room in seated meditation, trying to steady his mind. However, no matter how much he focused, no significant changes or breakthroughs occurred.

Feeling slightly frustrated, he eventually gave up for the moment. Lying down to rest, his hand inadvertently reached into his pocket, where he felt the familiar icy chill of the iron piece. Instantly, his thoughts drifted back to that strange incident on Lifedeath Cliff.

He suddenly remembered that he hadn’t used his true qi to inspect the iron piece since that day. Back then, when he had placed the ancient coin into it, a mysterious white light had flashed. Could something have changed?

As realization dawned on him, Tang Jie inwardly cursed himself for being so careless. Without hesitation, he retrieved the iron piece from his pocket and held it in his hand. Concentrating his true qi, he channeled it into the iron piece.

Slowly, new content began to appear on the surface of the iron piece. Tang Jie’s eyes widened in astonishment. Sure enough, after the white light that day, the iron piece had undergone a transformation.

Overcome with excitement, Tang Jie carefully examined the newly revealed details. As his gaze swept over the surface, he uncovered an astonishing secret-a discovery so shocking that his heart raced with anticipation.

Before long, a servant came to inform Tang Jie that Mr. and Mrs. Wang wanted to discuss something with him in the study. Tang Jie tidied himself before following the servant to the room.

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Wang saw Tang Jie, they smiled kindly to greet him. However, Tang Jie couldn’t help but notice the fleeting look of disappointment that briefly crossed their faces.

“Tang Jie, is there something important you wanted to discuss?” he asked politely after taking a seat.

“Tang Jie,” Mr. Wang began, his tone earnest. “Tomorrow is the ancient martial arts tournament. We’ve already made arrangements for you to participate on Qianya’s behalf. How are your preparations coming along?”

“I’m ready,” Tang Jie replied confidently. “Don’t worry, Uncle and Auntie. I’ll do my best.”

“That’s good to hear.” Mr. Wang’s tone was comforting, though there was a faint trace of resignation hidden beneath it. “Your Aunt and I have decided-just give it your best shot. Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s not essential to win the championship, as long as we participate.”

Tang Jie nodded in acknowledgment, choosing not to press the matter.

“Alright, let’s not keep him up too late. He’ll need to be well-rested and full of energy for tomorrow,” Mrs. Wang suggested kindly.

With that, Tang Jie graciously bid them farewell and returned to his room.

Once back in his room, Tang Jie walked to the window and gazed at the beautiful night sky. His eyes glimmered with a determined and aloof light. He had committed the newly revealed content from the iron piece to memory.

Whether he could win tomorrow’s competition hinged entirely on what happened tonight. Resolving to prepare, Tang Jie walked over and locked the door securely, then drew the curtains. He sat on the floor and began circulating his true qi according to the new method outlined by the iron piece.

Before long, he felt a potent new energy coursing through his body. While the power wasn’t overwhelming, there was an incredible sense of clarity and fluency to his true qi’s movements. Even more astonishing was the sensation in his dantian-it was continuously absorbing the heaven and earth spiritual energy around him. Soon, he felt as if he had entered a profound and ethereal realm, completely immersed in focus.

Time slipped away unnoticed. When Tang Jie finally opened his eyes, he glanced at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find it was already midnight. Yet, he felt as though only a brief moment had passed, and he wasn’t fatigued at all.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang’s earlier words echoed in his mind. He attempted to gather the true qi within his body, and to his surprise, it felt utterly pure and pristine-an experience unlike anything he’d ever had before. However, he still couldn’t gauge just how powerful this energy was. Could it be that the true extent of strength would only become apparent during tomorrow’s competition? Only then would he know for sure.