Chapter 193: A Dramatic Final
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang still didn't realize that his secret had been exposed. His body trembled from the fiery pain burning across his back.
Then, after some time passed and no more strikes fell, he sensed that something was off.
Confused, he turned his head—only to find everyone staring at him with bewildered, almost horrified expressions.
Their gazes, he quickly noticed, were all fixed on… below his waist.
"What are you all looking at?" he thought uneasily. Shifting his eyes downward, he froze.
The sight that greeted him made his whole body go stiff.
He had been stripped bare—the shameful truth laid open for everyone to see.
The one secret Yu Xiaogang feared above all else—the fact that he was a eunuch—was now known to the entire world.
His mind went blank for several seconds before he understood the meaning behind those eyes fixed on him.
Then his face turned bright red, the shame so overwhelming that blood rushed to his head. In a burst of humiliation, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
The guards and red priests exchanged awkward glances, unsure what to do. Finally, they turned toward Bibi Dong.
"Your Holiness, should we… continue the punishment?" one of the priests asked tentatively. They had barely landed twenty hits—half the sentence still remained.
Bibi Dong frowned, waving her hand dismissively. "Forget it. Give him something to wear. The sight disgusts me."
The priest immediately dropped his weapon, retrieved a long pair of trousers from his storage device, and tossed them over Yu Xiaogang's lower body.
As the fabric brushed his wounds, the sudden sting jolted Yu Xiaogang back to consciousness.
His vision swam for a moment, then focused… on Flender's uneasy face—and the strange mixture of pity and discomfort in everyone else's eyes.
Lying weakly in the rest area, he heard Flender's voice stammer awkwardly: "Xiao Gang… don't take what just happened to heart, you…"
His words trailed off. What could he possibly say?
How did one console someone who had just been beaten senseless and publicly revealed as a eunuch?
Flender opened his mouth again but couldn't utter a single word.
Yu Xiaogang's mind flooded back to the scene of his humiliation. His complexion shifted from pale to green, then back again. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and vanish.
"Xiao Gang," Flender said after a long silence, "you're injured. Maybe you should leave for now—go back to the hotel and rest?"
It was a reasonable suggestion. After everything that had happened, Yu Xiaogang's reputation was in ruins. Hiding away for a while might have spared him further shame.
But Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, shaking his head. "No… I'm fine. Just a few wounds. I won't miss Tang San's final match."
Feeling the countless eyes full of ridicule and scorn upon him, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists tightly.
Go ahead and mock me! he screamed inwardly. Laugh while you still can! When Tang San wins the championship, you'll all regret it!
My student—my disciple—is the greatest genius alive!
His anger smoldered beneath his humiliation as he staked everything on Tang San's victory—the only redemption he had left.
…
"Well, that bit of foolishness is over. Let the competition resume," Bibi Dong said coolly, gripping her scepter as her voice echoed across the plaza.
"Shrek Academy forfeits and will enter the losers' bracket. Spirit Hall Academy and Heaven Dou Royal Academy, prepare to compete."
Just as the referee moved to restart the match, Luo Ling's calm voice interrupted.
"Apologies, Your Holiness," he said, raising his hand slightly. "Heaven Dou Royal Academy also chooses to forfeit. We will join the losers' bracket as well."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong's eyebrows arched with faint curiosity. "You wish to forfeit too?"
She looked at him with interest. Luo Ling had told her earlier that he would make Yu Xiaogang's humiliation spectacular—but she hadn't expected him to add more twists to the show.
And indeed, Yu Xiaogang was already thoroughly disgraced.
"Yes," Luo Ling replied politely. "I must admit, I'm quite curious about Tang San of Shrek Academy. It's rare to see a twin-spirited soul master, and I'd like to face him personally."
"If we fight Spirit Hall Academy today, we might exhaust our strength—or sustain injuries—and that would hinder tomorrow's match. So, I'd rather wait."
His tone was modest and respectful, earning nods of approval from several high-ranking observers and independent soul masters.
Though renowned for his overwhelming power, Luo Ling's humility only made him more impressive.
In the eyes of the spectators, he was not only talented but also virtuous—an ideal prodigy destined for greatness.
Tang San, by contrast, was viewed quite differently. To most, he seemed capable but merciless, with a cold, calculating heart.
"I see," Bibi Dong said with a slight smile. She knew full well Luo Ling was fabricating excuses—but she didn't mind indulging him. "Very well. Spirit Hall Academy advances directly to tomorrow's championship match. Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Shrek Academy will meet this afternoon in the losers' bracket."
With that, she rose gracefully, turned, and began withdrawing from the stage.
The members of Spirit Hall followed her lead, many casting one last glare of disgust at Yu Xiaogang before leaving.
Thus ended the morning session of the finals, barely begun and already concluded in farce.
The spectators could only laugh or sigh. It was absurd—but entertaining nonetheless.
At the very least, Yu Xiaogang's misfortune had given everyone a new story to gossip about over drinks.
As the audience dispersed, a few groups chose to remain, unwilling to lose their seats before the afternoon's battle.
Yu Xiaogang lay face down in the Shrek rest area, feeling the weight of whispered jeers surrounding him.
He didn't need to listen closely to imagine the rumors already spreading—how much worse they would be once the gossipers left the city.
By evening, his shame would echo through all of Spirit City.
And after the tournament, his humiliation would spread across the entire continent.
He, Yu Xiaogang, once known as "The Grandmaster," would forever be remembered as the eunuch of the Spirit Arena.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, forcing his fury down.
There was only one way to reclaim his honor.
Tang San had to win the championship.
If Tang San triumphed and became the center of the continent's attention, Yu Xiaogang—the teacher behind that genius—would bask in borrowed glory.
Then, perhaps no one would remember today's humiliation.
Turning to Tang San with burning eyes, Yu Xiaogang gripped his hand tightly. "Xiao San… you must win this championship!"
Tang San froze for a second, then heard his teacher continue, voice trembling with desperation. "My whole reputation now lies with you."
Yu Xiaogang forced a smile—a smile sadder than tears.
Tang San hesitated for a heartbeat, then understood.
He was clever enough to see through it all.
Even so, the thought of his teacher being a eunuch still left him uneasy, almost disturbed.
But if winning the championship meant restoring Yu Xiaogang's dignity, then he would bear that burden without hesitation.
"Don't worry, Teacher," Tang San said solemnly. "I'll win the championship—for you."
(END CHAPTER)
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