Shi Renzhong glanced at the message on his phone and shook his head with a smile, "It’s really unexpected that the top and the very bottom of the ladder are a couple."
"Is even the last place on the ladder worth boasting about?"
Yu Meiling showed a look of disdain. After all, what Mutant here wasn’t within the top thousand of the ladder?
In her view, what was praiseworthy about Ji Xinghuo was his defense and Archery Skill, but other aspects weren’t worth mentioning. He had only managed to kill the Legendary mutant because he had that Electric Flying Sword. Without that sword, she was confident she could easily handle Ji Xinghuo.
Zhao Manying sneered and stared at Yu Meiling, saying, "You’re only fifteenth on the ladder, so why act like a master in front of me?"
Once these words were out, everyone else, except for Ji Xinghuo, felt insulted.
Their rankings on the ladder were even lower than Yu Meiling’s.
However, each one of them had been defeated by Zhao Manying, and even if they wanted to refute, they couldn’t utter a word.
Yu Meiling was suddenly at a loss for words and left the private room with a sullen face.
Shi Renzhong suddenly looked curious and tentatively said, "Mr. Ji’s capabilities must be more than just the last place on the ladder; I wonder if we might have a chance to spar?" He glanced at the Purple Lightning Sword behind Ji Xinghuo, "Of course, if Mr. Ji uses this Electric Flying Sword, then I concede defeat."
Aside from him, a few other competitive Mutants were also eager to try.
Ji Xinghuo initially wanted to decline.
However, he saw the expectation in Zhao Manying’s eyes and her intent to declare their relationship publicly, just to protect him and prevent others from looking down on him.
Even though this wasn’t what he wanted, since she had made such a gesture, he had to help her save face.
He couldn’t let people think that Zhao Manying had picked a useless boyfriend who didn’t even have the courage to accept a challenge.
"I’m ready anytime," Ji Xinghuo agreed.
He had been harboring a suspicion, or rather an intuition, that the Emperor Star Club might be involved in today’s events.
Although there are several clubs with different league levels that use the Tianqin Stadium as their home ground, Emperor Star is the most well-known, with the most funding and strength. The Quartz Group behind the club also owns part of the stadium’s shares.
What made that mutant think he could safely escape after he had supposedly killed Ji Xinghuo inside the Shield?
How did the bioroid even enter the stadium?
And the Mind Hacker lurking in the shadows, even if they really controlled the stadium management, how could they arrange the assassination plan so quickly?
The biggest flaw in the whole affair lay in the tickets.
The five tickets for his family were internal tickets given by Zhao Manying, registered under real names the day before yesterday.
After the Sword Bureau internally cleared out the mole, it became much more difficult for the enemy to track his movements, making the tickets for the opening game the only leak.
Ji Xinghuo had several suspects in mind.
The first was Zhao Manying herself since the tickets were provided by her, and she had taken the initiative to invite him to the event.
But he immediately ruled her out.
If Zhao Manying wanted to harm him, she didn’t need such a public setting as the opening game; she had plenty of opportunities already.
Next were the Emperor Star Club and Shi Renzhong.
As the owner of the Emperor Star Club, and having pursued Zhao Manying for many years, he might have been secretly tracking her movements, possibly even aware of Ji Xinghuo’s existence. Zhao Manying’s use of the club’s internal tickets couldn’t be concealed from him, even if she hadn’t appeared personally and had her private team go through a middleman for the tickets.
But when the sudden incident happened earlier, Shi Renzhong was also scared.
He even made a move to help Ji Xinghuo.
Of course, it was not impossible that it was all an act.
Ji Xinghuo couldn’t be sure, so when he saw Shi Renzhong, he approached the private room to interact with this man under the guise of thanking him.
He hadn’t expected that, because of a quarrel between women, Zhao Manying would expose their relationship.
But that didn’t affect the overall situation.
Unaware of Ji Xinghuo’s thoughts, Shi Renzhong’s lips curled up confidently, "Then let’s set it up. How about we set a date?"
"Next week," Ji Xinghuo looked at him, "when you have fully recovered from your injuries."
"My injury is no problem."
Shi Renzhong said his injury was not serious and he had almost recovered, yet he agreed to a private sparring next week.
Ji Xinghuo cautioned, "This is a private sparring session; I don’t want it blown out of proportion, nor do I want to see people hyping it up or livestreaming it."
Shi Renzhong readily agreed.
Ji Xinghuo said nothing more and left the private room with Zhao Manying.
Once they were far enough away, Zhao Manying said in a low voice, "Are you angry? Our relationship is bound to go public sooner or later. We can’t hide it forever."
"Forever?" Ji Xinghuo smiled and said, "I thought it was only for a hundred days."
Zhao Manying appeared startled.
She had almost forgotten their agreement to be a couple for just a hundred days. Clinging tighter to Ji Xinghuo’s arm, she said with a playful smile, "You couldn’t really bear to part with me, could you?"
"We’ll know when the time comes," Ji Xinghuo did not directly answer.
The two had been in a relationship for less than half a month; a hundred days were still a long way off.
Both tacitly avoided bringing up the topic again.
As they walked down a corridor, Zhao Manying suddenly pressed the "Stealth Ring" on Ji Xinghuo’s finger, activating its Silence effect and shrouding both their figures.
Her expression was more serious than ever as she whispered, "This is the second time you’ve been attacked. Although I shouldn’t pry, I think this time it might be related to Emperor Star Club."
Ji Xinghuo was surprised, "Why do you say that?"
Zhao Manying uttered the keyword.
"Actually, I’ve long suspected that Shi Renzhong had people follow me," she said coldly; "He has a strong desire for control and is a typical exhibitionist personality. Others might not see his true character, but I’ve seen through him a long time ago and kept my distance."
"So, you rejected his pursuit?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
"That’s only part of the reason," Zhao Manying shook her head, then looked directly into Ji Xinghuo’s eyes and asked earnestly, "Xinghuo, can I truly trust you?"
Ji Xinghuo was silent for a few seconds.
Meeting Zhao Manying’s gaze, as if trying to see into the woman’s heart, he nodded and said, "You can."
Although it was just one word, it weighed heavily.
Zhao Manying heard the sincerity and firmness in it, took a deep breath, and said gravely, "I have a score to settle with the Shi family, and even if Shi Renzhong were a perfect man, I couldn’t possibly accept his pursuit." Seeing Ji Xinghuo’s calm face, she added, "Aren’t you surprised?"
"A little, but I guessed it," Ji Xinghuo responded, "Is your target for revenge Shi Hongyi?"
"How did you know?" Zhao Manying was completely surprised.
"I guessed," Ji Xinghuo explained, "At the award ceremony before the competition, when Shi Hongyi went on stage, your mood seemed off, and I noticed it. Others might not see it, but having spent these days together, I’ve come to understand you well."
Zhao Manying bit her lip, "I thought I had controlled it well."
"What grudge do you have with the Shi family?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
"Shi Hongyi killed my father," Zhao Manying stated calmly, though Ji Xinghuo could see how heavily this weighed on her.
Ji Xinghuo remembered her father’s name was Zhao Ke, who died in an accident eight years ago.
So, it wasn’t an accident.
"My father was a senior manager in Quartz Group, working in the exploration department of Star Realm for over thirty years. Then one day, we received a notice from the company saying he died in a monster attack in Star Realm," Zhao Manying slowly narrated, "At first, we all believed it, but months later, I received the last words my father left behind and learned the truth."
"He was murdered by the group, then it was disguised as an accident."
"The cause was an Alien Species."
Leaning closer, her lips next to Ji Xinghuo’s ear, she whispered as faint as a mosquito, "It was a Solar Eclipse Species."
Ji Xinghuo’s eyes widened in an instant.