The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

The competition continued in the square.

When Wang Long returned to the edge of the ring, it was just in time for the third round of drawing lots.

The golden token fell from the sky again and landed in his palm.

"Number 17."

Wang Long glanced at the numbers, then his gaze swept across the crowd, searching for his opponent.

In the crowd, a lean man looked down at the token in his hand, then looked up and met Wang Long's gaze.

The man was in his early thirties, not tall, but strong and muscular, with a pair of triangular eyes that gleamed with a cold light.

He held a short knife in his hand; the blade was pitch black and had no reflection whatsoever, clearly coated with some kind of special paint.

Wang Long noticed that this person's aura was more than one level stronger than Zhang Tiezhu's.

It's actually mid-stage Rank 3!

The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out.

"Round 3, Match 1 – Wang Long, a servant of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion, versus Su Leng, a servant of the Earl of Yongning's mansion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur arose in the square.

"Su Leng? That assassin from the Yongning Marquis's mansion?"

"I heard he used to be a notorious assassin in the underworld, specializing in clandestine jobs, and had no fewer than a hundred lives on his hands."

"At the mid-stage of the third rank, combined with his superb assassination skills, it is said that even fourth-rank martial artists have suffered at his hands."

"That old man's luck has run out. He's going to be lucky to escape with his life, if not dead."

Wang Long ignored the warning and slowly walked onto the stage, though he was still somewhat uncertain.

The opponent is indeed a formidable adversary.

"Sister-in-law, will the old man be alright?"

Qin Minglan looked worried; she wasn't even sure she could win against Su Leng.

"Just watch."

Although Luo Hanyi appeared calm on the surface, her right hand was clenched tightly, indicating that she was also uncertain.

Qin Minglan didn't say anything more, staring intently at Wang Long on the stage, silently cheering him on in her heart.

"Old man, you absolutely must survive!"

Su Leng stepped onto the arena, her steps light and almost silent.

The two stood in the center of the arena, three zhang apart.

Su Leng stared at Wang Long, a cold glint flashing in his triangular eyes.

"Old man, your move just now was indeed beautiful, but that was because Zhang Tiezhu was too stupid to confront it head-on."

"I won't give you a chance!"

Wang Long smiled, said nothing, but bowed slightly and made a "please" gesture.

The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out.

"start!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Su Leng moved.

Instead of charging straight at him like Zhang Tiezhu, he swayed and vanished into thin air, becoming a black shadow.

Wang Long's pupils suddenly contracted.

So fast!

This wasn't the speed of a frontal charge, but rather a strange footwork that made it impossible to track his movements.

The dark figure moved around the arena, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes in front, sometimes behind.

Wang Long stood still, motionless.

His gaze followed the dark figure, but he found that he couldn't keep up with its speed at all.

The movement technique of a mid-stage third-rank cultivator is indeed incomparable to that of a second-rank cultivator.

"laugh--"

A whooshing sound came from behind!

Wang Long instinctively turned to the side, and a black light grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash in his sleeve.

Blood seeped out, staining the tattered clothes red.

Wang Long glanced at the wound on his shoulder and frowned slightly.

That's a really fast knife.

If he hadn't reacted quickly, that knife would have slit his throat.

The shadowy figure disappeared again, only to reappear in another direction.

"laugh--"

Another stab.

Wang Long was unable to dodge completely this time; the blade grazed his arm, leaving a shallow bloodstain.

After a brief exchange, Wang Long realized that he would not be a match for Su Leng in a direct confrontation.

To win, you need to take a risky move!

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

Three consecutive slashes, each faster and more ruthless than the last.

Wang Long was struggling to stay afloat, and three more wounds appeared on his body, the blood staining large areas of his tattered clothes red.

In the stands, Qin Minglan suddenly stood up, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, staring intently at the ring.

"Old man—"

Her voice was clearly anxious.

Luo Hanyi didn't speak, but her fingers gripped the armrests of the seat tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Her gaze was fixed on the aged figure on the arena, a hint of tension flashing in her eyes.

Luo Hanyi was ready to admit defeat.

Wang Long cannot die; she needs him to become stronger!

The servants in the square whispered among themselves.

"As expected, that old man is no match for Su Leng."

"A mid-stage third-rank assassin is not even in the same league as Zhang Tiezhu, who is a second-rank assassin."

"It's already quite impressive that we've managed to hold on this long; anyone else would have collapsed by now."

"If I encountered that, I'd probably be dead in one stab."

On the arena.

Wang Long stood in the center, his body covered in seven or eight wounds, dripping with blood, looking utterly wretched.

His breathing was a little rapid, but his cloudy old eyes remained calm.

Su Leng's figure stopped in the distance, a hint of mockery flashing in his triangular eyes.

"Old man, let's see how long you can hold out?"

"The next strike will send you on your way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a black shadow once more and pounced on Wang Long.

This time, he didn't test the waters; instead, he went all out.

The short sword, imbued with sharp spiritual energy, aimed straight for Wang Long's throat!

Wang Long stood still, without dodging.

He closed his eyes.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"He closed his eyes?!"

"Is this a surrender?"

"It's over, he's definitely dead after this strike!"

Qin Minglan's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she took a step forward, but was pulled back by Luo Hanyi.

"Sister-in-law! He—"

"Watch."

Luo Hanyi's voice remained cold, but her hands were trembling slightly.

However, Wang Long has the protective mirror she gave him, so he won't die!

At worst, I'll help Wang Long admit defeat.

On the arena.

The blade is getting closer and closer.

Just as the knife tip was about to pierce Wang Long's throat, Wang Long suddenly turned to the side.

The dagger missed his throat, but it pierced his right shoulder!

"puff--"

Blood splattered!

The short sword pierced through the shoulder, with the tip protruding from behind.

Wang Long groaned, his body stiffened abruptly, but he did not fall.

Su Leng was stunned.

He never expected that the knife would pierce his shoulder, and even more unexpectedly, the knife in his hand got stuck and he couldn't pull it out.

"Damn it!"

Su Leng was taken aback and raised his left hand, but before he could make a move...

Wang Long moved. He gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist with his left hand and pulled it out sharply!

A flash of cold light!

The sword energy swept out, stunning Su Leng in front of him.

The longsword pierced straight into Su Leng's heart!

"puff--"

The tip of the sword protruded from Su Leng's back, and blood dripped down the blade.

Su Leng's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He lowered his head, looking at the long sword piercing his heart, then looked up at Wang Long.

His face was filled with disbelief!

Wang Long's face was covered in blood, and a maniacal laugh clung to it.

"You...you're crazy..."

Su Leng squeezed out these words, and her body slowly went limp.

"boom--"

The dull sound echoed across the square.

A deathly silence.

Wang Long was still standing on the arena, the short knife still stuck in his right shoulder, and the long sword that had pierced Su Leng's heart in his left hand.

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped.

Wang Long is risking his life.

Never before in the history of the competition has there been such a crushing victory!

Yes, this is a life-or-death struggle!

The eunuch was stunned for a while before he came to his senses and announced in a shrill voice.

"Match 17, Zhenbei Marquis's Residence, Wang Long wins!"

The square instantly erupted in chaos.

"He won?! He actually won?!"

"He...he deliberately didn't dodge?"

"Mid-stage Rank 3! Su Leng was a mid-stage Rank 3! And he was just killed like that?"

"He underestimated him. If he had gone all out, that old guy would be dead already!"

Amidst the clamor of discussion, Wang Long slowly turned around and stepped off the stage.

The dagger was still stuck in his right shoulder, and blood dripped down his arm, leaving a shocking trail of blood on the ground.