Chapter 2129 — The Championship Contest
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Wei Zhao sneered inwardly. From Ma Dashen's earlier matches he had already worked out the man's tactics, so he was in no hurry. He simply stood where he was, motionless, watching Ma Dashen.
Time slipped past, second by second. One minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes...
The two men on the platform were still glaring at each other, showing not the slightest intention of lifting a hand!
This match ought by rights to have been the most brilliant, the most interesting of the whole singles platform challenge. At the start, every old master present, every sect master, every disciple of every family had stared unblinking at the platform, eager to see these two fine fighters trade blows...
But now, twenty minutes gone with neither man moving, the crowd below was growing anxious and losing interest. What game were these two playing? If they meant to fight, then fight—why would neither make a move?
Jingang Zuan frowned. He had not expected Wei Zhao to use this tactic too! Normally, when Ma Dashen fought, the opponent struck first and Ma Dashen defended throughout, hunting for an opening amid his defense to strike back. But now Wei Zhao would not move—was Ma Dashen to strike first instead?
The moment Ma Dashen attacked, he could no longer run the heart-method of the Golden Bell Cover with his whole mind. Distracted even slightly, the Golden Bell Cover might not be as formidable as when his qi was properly circulated—and what if he were knocked off the platform?
So Jingang Zuan fretted, cursing Wei Zhao silently as shameless. The man knew perfectly well this was the Golden Bell Sect's own tactic, yet he aped it, standing there defending and never attacking. How was the match supposed to go on?
But Jingang Zuan had no way to say so. After all, in Wei Zhao's previous two matches he had not lifted a hand either—he had conceded without fighting. So if Jingang Zuan tried to attack Wei Zhao on the pretext of his not moving, that would plainly not wash. He thought it over: the only way was to needle Wei Zhao into striking first...
But just as Jingang Zuan was about to open his mouth, Wei Zhao spoke first! Wei Zhao was watching Ma Dashen's movements and Jingang Zuan's alike; the instant either of them looked ready to speak, Wei Zhao would get there first.
"I say, Ma Dashen, is this really the best the Golden Bell Sect can do? I stand here and let you hit me, and you still won't lift a hand?" Wei Zhao laughed mockingly. "Don't tell me the business with Ma Zhu and Jin Wudi has left you all traumatized—afraid to make a move?"
"You—you're talking nonsense!" Jingang Zuan flew into a rage. Those were exactly the words he had meant to use to needle Wei Zhao, and Wei Zhao had said them first. Shocked and furious, he had no recourse but to retort, "Wei Zhao, you little wretch! You know full well the Golden Bell Cover turns defense into attack—that is our tactic. Are you deliberately picking a fight with us? In our last few matches everyone saw with their own eyes that this was our tactic. Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Which of your eyes saw that it was on purpose? And besides, what my tactic is—do you know? In my last two matches my opponents never made a move. Where did you learn that my tactic was not to defend and turn defense into attack?" Wei Zhao shot back.