Chapter 125.1: Finals begin
Seeing Gu Lingjun's serious expression, Lu Heng felt a mischievous urge rising. How could he, an experienced driver with memories, fear this rookie with no memories?
"But I don't have anything you would like," Lu Heng said.
It was still a line from that ridiculous fanfic. Lu Heng just wanted to see if Gu Lingjun actually had the courage to utter the next shameful line.
"Then use your delicious body as payment," Gu Lingjun replied, his expression calm, his tone steady, looking as though he were discussing something entirely normal rather than delivering this cringe-worthy line.
Ooh, you actually dare to say such a shameful line! Lu Heng got a serious case of the chills. He took a deep breath and shook off the goosebumps crawling all over him.
Gu Lingjun noticed Lu Heng's silence, his jawline tensing slightly.
Lu Heng stood up and strode over to where Gu Lingjun was seated on the sofa, staring at him aggressively.
Gu Lingjun imperceptibly leaned back, blinking rapidly.
You have the desire but not the courage, eh? Lu Heng smirked inwardly. He leaned forward, placing his right knee beside Gu Lingjun's leg on the sofa, grabbing Gu Lingjun's collar with both hands.
Lu Heng slowly moved closer, stopping about ten centimeters away, staring into Gu Lingjun's eyes. His tone was soft: "Hmm? I didn't catch what you just said."
Staring at the face so close to his, Gu Lingjun's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was lured into answering, his voice slightly hoarse: "Promise yourself to me."
Lu Heng chuckled lightly, "As you wish."
And with that, he lowered his head, closing the ten centimeters between them completely.
Gu Lingjun felt the slight coolness of Lu Heng's lips against his own, followed by a warm, moist sensation grazing the corner of his mouth.
Gu Lingjun's hands clenched into fists, so tight that faint veins bulged on his forearm. Then he loosened them, and with the sudden, fierce precision of a big cat striking prey, he pressed his left hand against the back of Lu Heng's head, pulled his waist closer with his right, and in one swift motion, drew the person he liked into his embrace. He took control, lips and tongues entangled passionately.
Seated on Gu Lingjun's lap, Lu Heng couldn't help but think: As expected of the super aggressive Lord Junlin; even a kiss feels like he's charging into battle. But these wandering thoughts didn't last long before he was completely swept into the endless vortex.
By the end of the kiss, Lu Heng was the one who admitted defeat. At this moment, he was pinned on the sofa, the soft cushion beneath him and Gu Lingjun's strong and scorching body over him.
Lu Heng braced his hands against Gu Lingjun's shoulders and gave a strong shove.
Thud—
Gu Lingjun landed on the floor, blinking in confusion as he looked up at Lu Heng, eyes still smoldering with desire. Realizing he'd been pushed off the sofa, he pursed his lips and simply stared straight back at Lu Heng.
Lu Heng saw a hint of grievance in Gu Lingjun's eyes, chuckled, and reached out to pull him up. "I need to save up my energy and prepare well for the finals, so let's stop here today."
"I'll accept the deposit, and you'll pay the rest after the finals," Gu Lingjun replied.
"…" Way to focus on the key point, Lu Heng ridiculed inwardly. That heretic sub-forum really had taught Gu Lingjun quite a lot. It turned a novice, once solely interested in Martial Arts, into someone confidently speeding down a highway.
The results for the groupings in the National Ancient Martial Arts Conference finals were out.
The finals would be split into two divisions, A and B, with two subgroups in each division. The ultimate championship match would take place between the winners of Division A and Division B.
In the rookie group, the two most anticipated competitors were none other than EternalMoon, who had burst onto the scene, and Zhou Yishu, who had made a comeback through the Resurrection Challenge. Given the conflict between them, a showdown was all but guaranteed to draw everyone's attention.
But when the groupings were announced, the spectators were disappointed. EternalMoon was placed in Division A, while Zhou Yishu was assigned to Division B. This meant that if they were to meet in the competition, it could only happen in the championship match.
Moreover, luck didn't seem to be on EternalMoon's side; he was placed in the same division as the top seeded contestant. EternalMoon's fans were a little anxious—not because they doubted his abilities, but because the No. 1 seed was indeed a formidable opponent.
The No. 1 seed was from the Gu family and had registered not under his real name but a code name: Gu Thirteen. Martial Arts circle insiders all knew that Gu Thirteen was the most outstanding of the new generation of the Gu family.
He had graduated with excellent grades from the Gu family's intensive training camp not long ago, and had already begun independently hunting Black-tier prey, as evidenced by the Black-tier mutated creatures he submitted to the tournament committee for registration.
Even ordinary people could tell from the videos on his profile that Gu Thirteen was no ordinary competitor. While EternalMoon's profile was filled exclusively with hunting videos, Gu Thirteen's page featured an array of sparring footage.
There were clips of him sparring with peers, training with Black-tier Martial Artists, and even a daring challenge against a Earth-tier Martial Artist. A mere 18 years old rookie, Gu Thirteen managed to hold his own against a Earth-tier opponent for a significant time—a remarkable feat that showcased he was a rare Martial Arts genius.
This was precisely what worried EternalMoon's fans. Unlike Gu Thirteen, EternalMoon appeared to have little experience sparring with others.
Observant netizens had pieced together a few key facts from the pitifully little information revealed by EternalMoon.
Firstly, EternalMoon is a solitary Martial Artist with no family influence backing him. This became evident during the skinning incident. While EternalMoon was training abroad, rumors and slander flooded the Internet, leading to a steep drop in his popularity. Such a hit to one's reputation could be devastating for a Martial Artist. Had EternalMoon been backed by even a minor Martial family, they would have intervened to defend him, stepping in to curb the spread of rumors rather than letting the situation deteriorate.
Secondly, EternalMoon has never received formal Martial Arts training. Both his footwork and blade techniques differ greatly from any recognized Martial Arts systems.
According to the analysis of some expert Martial Arts enthusiasts, EternalMoon's footwork seemed to be some long-lost Ancient Martial Arts.
As for his blade technique, it was even more astonishing. It appeared that EternalMoon developed his own style. In his earliest hunting mutated snake video, his blade skills were still rather rough, with many movements that did not conform with standard Martial Principles. However, in his later videos, even casual viewers could observe how his blade technique had evolved. It grew smoother and more cohesive, resembling a fully developed Martial Art.
Countless talented Martial Artists dreamed of creating their own Martial style. After all, compared to the Martial Arts passed down by predecessors, a self-created style was definitely the most suitable for the creator's own Martial Path. Should one succeed, it was like finding a wide path straight to the Heaven-tier. However, creating one's own Martial Arts was easier said than done. Over the last several hundred years, only one person had truly succeeded: Junlin, the youngest Heaven-tier Martial Artist.
Now, EternalMoon seemed to be pursuing a similar path. His supporters were naturally concerned that EternalMoon might face setbacks halfway through and eventually abandon this endeavor to follow a traditional Martial Art. But the pressing issue now was that EternalMoon's blade skills were honed primarily through combat with mutated creatures.
There was a world of difference between hunting mutated creatures and sparring with Martial Artists.
There was some uncertainty about whether EternalMoon's blade techniques, honed through solitary hunting, would be just as unstoppable when facing an opponent who was equally matched or slightly stronger.
Beyond EternalMoon's die-hard fans, more people seemed to have a pessimistic outlook.
This was evident in the betting odds set by underground casinos. The odds of EternalMoon reaching the semifinals were 0.82, but the odds of him making it to the final were 4.8. In other words, most people expected him to lose to the No. 1 seed, Gu Thirteen.
On the other hand, Zhou Yishu, competing in Division B, had odds of 1.3 to reach the final.
No matter how turbulent these pre-match analyses were, the final stage of the National Ancient Martial Arts Conference officially began.
On the first day of the schedule, Lu Heng didn't have a match. The early rounds also did not require the presence of a heavyweight judge like Gu Lingjun.
And so, with both of them suddenly free, Gu Lingjun's long-lost "loving" homemade dinner made its triumphant return to the table.
Gu Lingjun was quite a talented cook. After all, gifted people tend to pick things up quickly. Lu Heng had missed his cooking during the busy training period, so he was looking forward to the meal.
Just as the table full of dishes were laid out, the doorbell of Gu Lingjun's house rang.
Gu Lingjun's eyebrows creased ever so slightly before he got up to answer the door.
"Little Great Uncle," came two respectful voices from the doorway.
Little Great Uncle? Lu Heng couldn't help laughing when he heard it. He'd heard that Gu Lingjun was of a very high generation in the Gu clan, and here was the proof. From the voices, he guessed these two addressing him as Little Great Uncle were likely around his own age.
A moment later, Gu Lingjun led two boys around 18 years old into the room.
Seeing who had arrived, Lu Heng was a bit surprised but then quickly understood.
He recognized both of them from the tournament's official site: one was the top seed of the newcomers' bracket, Gu Thirteen, and the other was the fifth seed, Gu Fourteen.
The Gu family had only sent these two newcomers to compete in this tournament, so it was natural that, as their family elder, Gu Lingjun would be paid a visit by them now that they'd arrived in S City.
When the two entered and noticed someone else in the living room, they froze.
Gu Thirteen spoke up, "Sorry, Little Great Uncle, we didn't expect you'd have a guest. Should we come back another time?"
Gu Lingjun replied, "No need. Ah Heng is not a guest."
Seeing the two boys exchange uncertain glances, Lu Heng smiled and gestured, "Grab a seat. Gu Lingjun and I are close, so don't worry about it."
Close? With Little Great Uncle? Gu Thirteen and Gu Fourteen looked at each other, each seeing the horrified look in the other's expression.
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