Chapter 36 - Listen to You for a Moment, Better Than Fighting Ten Matches
The opening dance performance lasted about twenty minutes.
Then all the body-painted dancers exited the stage, and the staff cleaned up the ring.
The official competition was about to begin for the night.
An emcee in work attire came on stage and said a few simple words, followed by the referees, and then the two contestants for the first match walked up onto the stage.
The two had very different builds, with the only similarity being that they both wore masks on their faces.
One was a monkey mask with a wide grinning mouth, while the other resembled some kind of feline creature.
"Are they allowed to wear masks during the match?" Lu Yuan asked Lin Zhiqin.
"It's not allowed, it's required," Lin Zhiqin shook his head and said, "The competition rules state that contestants must wear the masks provided by the organizers before going on stage."
"So many rules," Lu Yuan couldn't help but sigh. No wonder there were so few spectators and contestants.
Wearing masks would inevitably affect one's performance to some degree. It was understandable that some people didn't want to compete.
Just then, the two on stage began exchanging blows.
After a brief probing of each other, they quickly entered an intense clash, fighting fiercely.
Lu Yuan watched the battle for a while.
Although there were live feeds on all four giant screens, the distance was too great for him to accurately judge the exact level of the two fighters.
Lin Zhiqin should be able to tell. His eyes were much better than Lu Yuan's.
"These two are not as good as you. At most amateur Level 4 or 5.
It's hard to encounter any top masters before the semifinals.
Even if you do meet one, just forfeit directly. There's still the resurrection match.
Lu Yuan could tell Lin Zhiqin's words were meant to reassure him.
After thinking for a moment, he spoke: "I read the online event info. Seems like there's prize money to earn in the preliminaries, right?"
"That's right," Lin Zhiqin said, "For a valid match, the winner gets 5,000, the loser still gets 2,000."
"What's a valid match?" Lu Yuan caught these few words from Lin Zhiqin and couldn't help but ask.
Lin Zhiqin shook his head, then replied: "I'm not too clear either.
But I heard Mosart has some unique judging methods of their own.
It's related to their religious secrets.
In this regard, many major competitions can't compare to them.
Things like match fixing are so common, no competition can completely eliminate it.
But only Mosart managed to do so."
Unique judging methods. Valid matches.
Lu Yuan mulled over these two phrases, increasingly feeling that this so-called Mosart was shrouded in mystery.
Just then, the first match on stage ended.
The winner was the one wearing the monkey mask.
The whole fight was relatively harmonious and friendly.
One recognized his inferiority and conceded directly, while the other also stopped in time.
The referee came up to announce the result, then the next match began right away.
Lu Yuan saw the fighter who had just won take off his mask after getting off stage, revealing a refined, scholarly face.
As he hurriedly walked away, he was busy answering a phone call.
It seemed like he was rushing back home to cook.
"If I agree to participate," Lu Yuan turned to look at Lin Zhiqin, "how much of the prize money per match does Coach plan to take?"
"Your own prize money naturally all belongs to you," Lin Zhiqin said.
"Huh?" Lu Yuan was startled for a moment, then his brows furrowed.
Lin Zhiqin went through so much effort to get him to join, yet didn't want any of the prize money.
It was really hard to believe there were no ulterior motives behind such "thoughtful" actions.
Perhaps noticing his doubts, Lin Zhiqin smiled and explained: "I've already gotten a sum from the organizers.
Due to some reasons earlier, I signed a contract with them.
It requires me to have people participate and finish a certain number of matches.
The penalty for breach is high, so I have no choice."
Is that really so?
Lu Yuan didn't fully believe it.
But he couldn't think of any strong grounds for doubt either.
So far, other than feeling something was a bit off about the competition itself, everything else seemed normal.
Just as Lin Zhiqin said, it was a very standard, legit event.
Lu Yuan couldn't pick out any flaws.
"Actually for you, this is also an excellent training opportunity.
You have a solid foundation, next you need to practice fighting skills.
The contestants in Mosart's Night of Boiling Fighting Championship are not too strong, and there's none of those messy, dirty, shady business.
It's perfect for martial arts beginners like you to gain actual combat experience."
What Lin Zhiqin said solemnly was indeed the real reason that moved Lu Yuan.
There was money to earn, and he could also practice real combat, gain experience, and level up.
Even though some aspects of the competition seemed strange, and Lin Zhiqin always gave him the feeling that he was still hiding something.
However...
Who doesn't have secrets in this world?
He himself also had a secret - the Profession Panel.
There were other contestants besides him. Yang Jiandong had trained with Lin Zhiqin for a month and also "emerged unscathed".
Just based on this uneasy feeling, he really couldn't convince himself to give up such an opportunity.
At worst he would just fight for a month too.
But Lu Yuan was in no hurry to make a decision, he just continued watching the matches in the ring.
Lin Zhiqin was also not in a rush.
Instead, he set aside the topic and took the opportunity of the detailed live footage on the big screens to explain and analyze each match for Lu Yuan.
As a professional martial artist and gym coach, Lin Zhiqin's expertise shone through at this time.
Many techniques and skills the fighters used that Lu Yuan didn't notice at first glance, with just a few words from Lin Zhiqin, he instantly understood - "So that's how it is!"
After a few matches, Lu Yuan felt he understood real combat much better, like a big door had opened before him.
Thinking back on his previous real fights, whether in real life or in the Imaginary Enemy conscious space, he now felt they were just wildly throwing blows without any strategy or method - a "street brawling style".
Many ideas and inspirations popped up in his mind. His hands itched to enter the conscious space and find the middle-aged man in the alley to test them out.
When watching the seventh match, Lu Yuan glanced at his Profession Panel and was surprised to see that his Fighter profession experience had increased by over thirty points.
"Wow, comparable to the gains from a Ranked martial artist fighting once!
So this is what they mean by 'listening to you for a moment is better than fighting ten matches'?"
Lu Yuan was secretly delighted, and even felt a bit better disposed toward Lin Zhiqin, whom he had found annoying.
"Aawooo--"
Suddenly, a shout from the distant ring made Lu Yuan look up.
This was the seventh match.
It seemed to have ended.
But the winner, a man wearing an orangutan mask, did not get off the stage right away after his victory.
Instead, he let out a strange wail, half-kneeling on the ground.
Facing the sky, he violently tore open his own shirt.
Then his hands frantically scratched at his exposed chest, soon leaving it a bloody mess.
During this process his whole body spasmed as if having an epileptic seizure, while he repeatedly chanted some bizarre syllables.
"%&*#“
Lu Yuan saw that the referees on stage showed no reaction to this, but just watched quietly as the man did it all.
"What's he doing?"
Shocked and puzzled, Lu Yuan instinctively turned to Lin Zhiqin beside him.
Lin Zhiqin remained quite calm, however.
"A devout believer of Mosart.
What he's shouting is the name of Mosart's martial arts god.
I guess this is a unique form of worship for Mosart followers."
"That goat-headed one?"
Lu Yuan noticed the man was facing the huge statue of a goat head hanging at the top of the arena.
He seemed to see a flash of red light in the hollow eyes of the goat head.
"Yes.
Mosart's scriptures record that their martial god has the appearance of a goat-headed man with a blade in his left hand and a spear in his right.
Legend says this Mosart martial god can grant believers endless fighting spirit and indestructible physique in combat."
"After all, this is a competition held by Mosart. It's normal for Mosart followers to participate.
Don't be surprised if you encounter them going forward."
Lin Zhiqin had said earlier he didn't know much about Mosart, but his performance now seemed to suggest otherwise.
Lu Yuan didn't ask further, just nodded to indicate he understood.