World’s First Martial Arts Tournament?

Adam ultimately declined to try the legendary Confucian Cuisine, because Shandong was not part of their travel plans.

Although Yun Jinshu said he could bring chefs over from the Confucian Mansion, Adam still refused, saying it would be making too much of a fuss for no reason. No matter how famous Confucian Cuisine was, it was only a small part of Chinese cuisine. Adam did not think the food they had tasted along the way would be inferior to it.

"Eh? Right, are there many practitioners in the Confucian Mansion?"

After lunch, once they returned to the car, Adam suddenly recalled this matter.

After all, from their previous conversations, he had learned that China had practitioners of the Ru School, and that it had once been an extremely mainstream path of cultivation. So what about the Confucian Mansion?

This thousand-year-old family, which had been born alongside the Ru School, should not have held a lower status than the Dao School’s Mount Longhu. Logically, its status should have been even higher. The Dao School had many sects and the Four Celestial Masters, but the Ru School had only this one Supreme Sage.

"There used to be quite a lot of them. Unfortunately, a Ru School practitioner’s abilities are closely tied to the principles they study. Those scholars who read about rulers ruling, ministers serving, fathers being fathers, and sons being sons…"

Yun Jinshu shook his head.

"After the founding of the nation, the Ru School suffered a severe blow for a time. Practitioners of Neo-Confucianism almost vanished. The School of Mind fared somewhat better, but it was too difficult, so there were not many people studying it either. Nowadays, there are more newly established schools founded after the nation’s establishment. They take the Four Maxims of Zhang Zai as their foundation and study the Six Arts of a Gentleman."

Adam came to a realization. So that was how the Ru School cultivated… Still, he remained curious about what China’s mysterious powers were actually like. Unfortunately, he had scarcely seen Chinese practitioners fight so far.

If he had to name one, he had only seen Miss Hongguo’s Penglai Flying Sword, and even that had merely been a fleeting glimpse.

If the Eastern magic of Hong Kong, based on the five elements, wind, and thunder, still bore some resemblance to Western magic, then the mainland was even more distinctive.

The Heaven and Earth Array from before had made it clear that, aside from sharing the same underlying rules of the world, the mainland’s techniques, forms of expression, and cultivation methods were vastly different from Western magic.

How did Ru School practitioners fight? Did they recite poetry and battle over state and nation like in The Sacred Path of the Confucianist? Or did they, like the Celestial Phenomenon Realm in Knife in the Snow, commune with heaven and man to predict their opponents’ moves?

Yun Jinshu and Yun Yanhu wore slightly odd expressions in response to Adam’s question.

"Mr. Adam, what you’re describing is from fiction, right? State and nation and all that… How could that be possible? The Ru School primarily cultivates the spirit. Their combat methods center on military rites and archery, with swordsmanship, calligraphy, painting, and the like as supplementary arts."

After Yun Jinshu finished, Yun Yanhu added, "That’s right. The Ru School does have communion between heaven and man, but it is simply a sixth sense that emerges after nourishing the soul internally and reaching a certain realm. It is uncommon, but it is not unique to them. The Dao School has sudden intuition, Buddhism has the sixth consciousness, and martial artists have the Way of Utmost Sincerity, which lets them foresee…"

"Wait a second, the Way of Utmost Sincerity can foresee? Isn’t that from the Doctrine of the Mean?"

Adam’s words startled Yun Yanhu.

"Mr. Adam, you really do know Chinese culture well… That is indeed the case, but they were originally referring to the same thing. The older generations of martial artists were not particularly educated, so they simply borrowed the phrase."

"I see."

Adam nodded, becoming even more interested in Chinese practitioners.

Yun Yanhu had clearly noticed.

"Mr. Adam, are you interested in Chinese practitioners? As it happens, the nationwide competition held once every five years will be taking place next year. Would you like to go watch?"

"A national competition?!"

Adam was stunned. There was actually something like that?

And it was held once every five years too. So this was the World’s First Martial Arts Tournament, huh?

"More accurately, it has now been renamed the National Martial Arts Championship. It is the same event. Ordinary people compete in martial arts forms, while practitioners compete in combat. Of course, ordinary people cannot watch the practitioners’ matches."

Adam could not help opening his mouth. That name… really did fit the national context better than the World’s First Martial Arts Tournament.

But honestly, Adam was genuinely tempted.

"Are there many participants?"

"Of course there are. Outstanding disciples from practically every sect attend, and The Office also extends offers to practitioners who perform well. Once they join, they get an iron rice bowl within the system."

Yun Jinshu said this as though it were only natural, and Adam suddenly understood.

"Don’t tell me you two got into The Office through the World’s First—no, the National Martial Arts Championship too?"

"Hehe~ This humble one took third place in the tenth National Martial Arts Championship three years ago, wielding twelve Crimson Flame Flying Tridents!"

Yun Jinshu grinned broadly.

Yun Yanhu quietly said, "I came fourth. I surrendered directly. If we had truly fought, our victories and losses would always have been evenly matched."

Crimson Flame Flying… Tridents?

Adam blinked. It seemed the definition of "sword" in Shushan flying swords was broader than he had imagined…

But in a one-on-one competition like this, third and fourth place should have been the losers of the semifinals. So who had taken first and second?

Although he was somewhat curious, Adam did not ask at this moment and spoil the mood.

"Then I really am interested… So when do tickets usually go on sale? And where can I buy them?"

"They generally go on sale two months before the competition begins. Ticket booths will be set up at The Office’s branches, but if you want to go, Mr. Adam, we can contact The Office and arrange a VIP ticket for you."

Yun Yanhu said it as though it were obvious.

Given Adam’s current circumstances, even setting aside the identity they had uncovered, the artifacts still being restored and catalogued alone made him a VIP among VIPs.

Adam did not stand on ceremony either. Insisting on buying the ticket himself would have been too pretentious.

"Then I want one with a good view!"

"That’s guaranteed!"

As they spoke, a sheet of paper suddenly appeared in front of Adam. As the car sped onward, it drifted straight toward his chest.

"Who goes there?!"

Two sharp shouts rang out. A streak of azure light burst through the window, while another streak of azure light flicked the paper up before it could land on Adam’s chest.

"Calm down! It’s not an attack!"

Adam hurriedly said. That slip of paper was what he had left Isidora to contact him with.

Yet it was only then that he realized the true worth of his two bodyguards. Though they bickered with each other normally and occasionally acted foolishly, their vigilance was always at its peak.

From the instant the paper appeared to the moment the two reacted, not even the time of a blink had passed. In the speeding car, the paper had not even had time to fall onto him.

Adam reached out and took the paper, then glanced at it. The azure object was unmistakably a strangely shaped weapon: thick in the middle, with sharp blade-like points at both ends. It resembled the legendary Emei Daggers somewhat, while its overall shape was also like an elongated shuttle.