Chapter 21: Sect Leader, Please Enter the Game

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Sect Leader, Please Enter the Game

People loved to overcomplicate simple matters; therefore, conspiracy theories never went out of style.

Gongsun Jie’s heart trembled. He felt increasingly glad that he hadn’t charged blindly into Sirius Valley to go on a killing spree. After all, hidden enemies were always the most terrifying.

He wondered who was pulling the strings behind Lord Li. Was it the Red Flame Sect, or some new organization? What were they plotting? Who else besides Cao Bin was a mole within the Profound Light Sect? And when exactly had Cao Bin been turned?

A barrage of questions instantly flooded Gongsun Jie’s mind. He forced himself to calm down. "Who exactly are you?"

"Do you want to know the truth behind all this?" Li Ye smiled, his expression profoundly meaningful. He turned to look toward Sirius Valley. "Sect Leader Gongsun, assist us in completing this match. If you win, I’ll tell you the entire truth."

Gongsun Jie glanced at the commoners lining the road, who were staring at him as if he were a performing monkey. Hearing the cheers echoing from within Sirius Valley, a wave of deep exasperation washed over him. "You’re clearly just trying to trick me into participating in your bullshit match. I won’t fall for your trap..."

"Elder Gongsun, the match is also part of the conspiracy," Li Ye said calmly, radiating unshakeable confidence. "If you don’t dare to step onto the board yourself, how can you ever see through the fog before your eyes?"

Gongsun Jie shot him a cold glare and turned to leave. Knowing it was a trap and still walking into it was the height of stupidity. The right move was to leave immediately, then ally with other sects to secretly investigate this so-called Fun People Club.

"If you leave now, tomorrow all of Weining City will be spreading rumors of Gongsun Jie’s cowardly retreat without a fight at the entrance of Sirius Valley." Li Ye didn’t move a muscle, speaking at a leisurely pace. "Since Sect Leader Gongsun has come to Sirius Valley, you should be well aware of my promotional capabilities. The peddlers on the streets, the red-eyed gamblers who have lost it all—their tongues can be quite unforgiving! Does Sect Leader Gongsun truly not care about his reputation?"

As if struck by a paralysis spell, Gongsun Jie abruptly stopped in his tracks. When he turned back, his eyes were bloodshot. "Scoundrel," he ground out through gritted teeth. "You push people too far."

"Sect Leader Gongsun, our ambitions are vast, and our plans must be foolproof. The think tank behind us has considered every possible angle." Hearing that the spectators inside Sirius Valley were already taking their seats, Li Ye looked at Gongsun Jie with a beaming smile. "Sect Leader Gongsun, after you. Even if you want to call for reinforcements later, you at least need to know what we do first! Or is it that you, Elder, lack the confidence to leave Sirius Valley alive?"

"If I want to leave, no one can stop me," Gongsun Jie glared at Li Ye, his voice vicious.

"Elder Gongsun, our focus has always been the match itself. If we were to detain the Sect Leader of the Profound Light Sect in front of the entire population of Weining City, I’m afraid no one would participate in our future matches. The loss would outweigh the gain." Li Ye chuckled. "So, you really don’t need to overthink it. If you can kick your way to victory in this match, we will naturally spread your fame as well."

Spread his fame? Did the dignified Sect Leader of the Profound Light Sect really need them to spread his fame?

However, just as Li Ye had pointed out, he represented the face of the Profound Light Sect. He couldn’t afford the humiliation of being scared off by a few words from a nameless junior in the martial world.

Gongsun Jie took a few deep breaths, forcing himself back to a state of calm. "And what if I injure Sect Leader Li during the match?"

Given his senior age and exalted status, he was absolutely unwilling to call him "Lord Li." After thinking it over, he simply bestowed the title of "Sect Leader" upon Li Ye as well.

As long as he was willing to participate in the match, everything was negotiable.

Li Ye smiled faintly, looking at Gongsun Jie. "Sect Leader Gongsun, the match is like a martial arts arena—life and death are up to fate. If you can kill everyone on our team during the game, it will naturally count as your win."

A flash of killing intent darted across Gongsun Jie’s eyes. "Good, good, good. Then I shall agree to participate in this match of yours. I will brave your dragon’s pool and tiger’s den to see exactly what you have up your sleeve."

No one understood the operating principles of Demon Qi. Watching Gongsun Jie take the bait, Li Ye smiled from the bottom of his heart. He stepped aside, clearing the path. "Sect Leader Gongsun, after you."

With a cold snort, Gongsun Jie took large strides and entered Sirius Valley.

When they saw Gongsun Jie and Li Ye walking in together, Tong Yi from the propaganda department channeled his Inner Strength from the stands. "Welcome, Sect Leader Gongsun of the Profound Light Sect!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

On the hillside, the beating of drums erupted. The sound of over ten large drums was utterly deafening.

At the same time, thunderous applause, cheers, and the ear-piercing blasts of horns and suonas suddenly erupted from the stands on both sides. The musicians didn’t care what tune they were playing; as long as it made a loud noise, it was fine.

Many people raised pre-prepared support banners, waving them back and forth. The banners bore slogans like "Gongsun Jie Will Win."

On another hillside, fans raised completely different banners reading, "Fun Seekers Will Win," "I Love You, Shi Xiang," and "Kick Him in the Balls." Others waved the flags of the Fun People Club, screaming at the top of their lungs as they whipped the fabric through the air.

Li Ye knew this world didn’t have soccer matches, so he had planted shills in advance to guide the audience on how to properly watch a game. Once the atmosphere was hyped up, the rest of the audience’s emotions would naturally be infected, and they wouldn’t be able to help but immerse themselves in the frenzy.

Although the renovations on Sirius Valley weren’t completely finished, it already possessed the basic scale of a soccer stadium. Inside the valley was a massive expanse of flat ground, marked with various boundary lines drawn in lime powder. Li Ye had even constructed two decent-looking goalposts.

Surrounding the pitch were numerous hand-crafted billboards. Some read, "Hongfu Tea House: Brewing the Best Tea for You," while others boasted, "Fengmingxuan Silk Shop: Silks as Smooth as a Baby’s Skin," or "Century-Old Vintage—Mountain Bamboo Green."

The hillsides were packed with wooden benches, along with boulders that naturally served as perfect seats. At this moment, the hillside stands were filled with a diverse crowd of spectators. There were men and women, young and old, all of whose eyes brimmed with immense curiosity.

When the cheers suddenly erupted, they had been a bit at a loss for what to do. After all, their usual forms of entertainment were mostly limited to listening to storytellers, watching operas, or viewing acrobatics. When they saw something wonderful, they would cheer, but they were far more restrained. It was nothing like the explosive enthusiasm of the crowd here in Sirius Valley!

However, there were gamblers mixed among the spectators, and when gamblers got fired up in the casinos, they too would shout and holler. Moreover, they had placed heavy bets this time. Infected by the surrounding emotions, these people instantly ignited. They joined the fray with loud shouts, waving their hands wildly. Some yelled for the Fun Seekers to win, while others screamed for Gongsun Jie’s victory, cheering on whichever team they supported.

The roaring cheers reached their absolute peak when a group of scantily clad brothel girls ran onto the field and performed a spicy, provocative dance.

On the stands directly facing the valley were the VIP seats. The various officials of Weining City, along with the city’s wealthy merchants and dignitaries, sat there with fresh fruits and wine set out before them. Mindful of their status, they didn’t yell and scream like the commoners, making them the quietest group in the venue. But amidst this ocean of joy, they appeared rather out of place, even a little awkward.

However, their young sons and nephews seated below them all had sparkling eyes. They looked around excitedly, as if they had just discovered the most novel thing in the world. Their previously jaded hearts suddenly sprang to life in this moment, and their earlier complaints about Li Ye vanished without a trace.

Seated at the very highest position in the stands was the Prefect of Weining City, Wei Mingze. The only reason he had accepted Li Ye’s invitation was to see exactly what this so-called Fun People Club was up to.

Weining Prefecture was his jurisdiction, and the imperial court was inextricably linked with the martial world. The Fun People Club had challenged every single sect, big and small, around Weining City, one after another, and now they had aimed their spears at the Profound Light Sect. They were clearly gearing up for something massive. If he didn’t get to the bottom of this and things blew out of proportion, his superiors would demand accountability, and he would be the first one they punished.

Yet, what Wei Mingze hadn’t expected was for Gongsun Jie to actually respond to the Fun People Club’s provocation and come to play a match against them.

Amidst this ocean of joy, Prefect Wei Mingze’s brows were tightly knitted, his face as dark and heavy as deep water. Shi Xiang of the Red Flame Sect and Gongsun Jie of the Profound Light Sect... The righteous and demonic paths had actually mixed together. He feared that a major disaster was truly brewing.

But as for why they had put together such an outrageously extravagant sporting event, the Prefect couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he tried.