Chapter 39: The Competition Tournament, Section 10

Hei Fa was a bit tired.
The half-month-long preliminary rounds had nearly drained his energy. In the enclosed cabin where time had no meaning, he had participated in fifteen matches in a row, using every ounce of his strength. Yet the final results still left him dissatisfied.
Each of the fifteen matches was unexpectedly difficult. He didn’t know if other contestants faced the same challenges, but for him, such matches were truly astonishing.
Every time, it was fighting against many opponents with limited resources, and every time, it was full of difficulties. If this was how the commanders of the Moore Empire were trained, Hei Fa had little confidence in the journey ahead. In fact, if the empire’s generals could pass such trials, Hei Fa wasn’t even sure if he could win in actual battles.
Since arriving in this other world, Hei Fa had relied on his experience and skills, far beyond those of his peers, to fight. These were things he had gradually accumulated on Earth and were also his pride. But after these few battles, his pride was completely shattered. After those fifteen matches, Hei Fa really wanted to know what other empire generals would do. Had they also won through difficulty, or at least drawn?
But he couldn’t. The empire’s competitions were strictly protected. Unless a commander allowed it, no one could obtain any information about their strategies. And during those fifteen days confined in the cabin, he had spent each day exhausting himself—how could he possibly get information about other commanders?
But today, it could finally come to an end.
Hei Fa estimated in his mind. Based on his performance so far, he should be qualified to advance. Although he hadn’t won every match, his win rate was still 90%. If such results still didn’t secure him a spot in the empire’s final round, then Hei Fa would have to consider returning home right away.
The sound of his leather shoes echoed sharply on the ship’s hard deck. Hei Fa’s mood relaxed. Through the window beside him, he saw the starry sky outside, still clear. Only, there were significantly more warships and space stations than before he started competing. He hadn’t expected the Moore Empire’s competition tournament to be so attractive. There must be thousands of ships outside. If all these warships joined forces, crushing any race would be effortless.

At this thought, Hei Fa grew annoyed. He shook his head and finally decided to give up on these pointless thoughts. He would take a bath, enjoy some long-missed red wine, and then have a good sleep. He was tired—extremely tired. If possible, he really hoped to fall asleep right away.

The sound of heels tapping on the deck gradually faded away…

Hei Fa, eager to fall asleep, didn’t know that the numerous warships outside hadn’t always been there—they had been drawn there because of him. Nor did he know that the organizers of the competition were now utterly flustered because of him, contestant number 336!!

A living room, a luxurious one.

Three old men—old men who, like Duke Zi Yan, could fall into their coffins at any moment.

“Who!! Who is it!!!?”

“Slam!” A delicate stone slab was thrown hard onto the table. An old man with a body as dry as kindling roared in anger beside it!!

“Damn it! Who has created so many deadly situations for this contestant number 336?! Doesn’t he know that such actions can easily cause fatal psychological damage to him? Over the years, how many excellent commanders has the empire lost because of such blows?! Even the competition itself is affected. Why hasn’t anyone learned their lesson?! Tell me, who did this?! I’ll skin him alive!!”

The old man with the dry body was so angry that he trembled. His gray beard fluttered wildly due to the intensity of his anger—almost like a fighting rooster.

But none of the other two old men present, nor the staff around them, showed any reaction. They knew too well about this old man’s temper.

General Suixing! One of the grand dukes granted a title personally by the empire emperor. More famous for his explosive temper than his glorious military record, it was precisely because of his fiery nature that the emperor bestowed upon him the title “Suixing.” Legend has it that he even confronted the emperor himself over an unfair matter, slamming the table in protest. As one of the organizers of this competition, the general continued to display his usual temper, becoming furious at any sign of unfairness.

But the other two old men present knew that the reason General Suixing was so enraged now was not solely about fairness. What was more important was the performance of contestant number 336.

After a series of tough competitions, Participant No. 336’s performance has surprised everyone. His exceptional leadership skills even surpass those of all current commanders in the Empire. From any perspective, he is a rare talent. If such a person were to suffer psychological trauma due to the brutal competitions, it would be the greatest loss for the Empire in thousands of years—something no one could accept.

Is that why General Shuixing is so angry about the competition arrangements? But why doesn’t he think that without these arrangements, who else could have discovered Participant No. 336’s uniqueness?

“Calm down, Shuixing. Getting angry won’t solve anything. If you really want to find a culprit, maybe I can help you.” In the tense atmosphere of the living room, an old man with white hair and beard tapped on the table, finally silencing General Shuixing’s outbursts. But in response, General Shuixing glared at him angrily.

“Very well, then tell me who it is. I promise I won’t get angry. Really, I won’t.” General Shuixing took a deep breath before responding coldly.

To be honest, he was well aware of his own status. Although General Shuixing was a top figure in the Empire, compared to the other two present, aside from his temper, he had nothing to be proud of.

Like the man who spoke just now. His name was Galaxy, a title bestowed personally by the Emperor of the Empire. Compared to other dukes, Duke Galaxy always seemed low-key. But if one ignored him just because of his low-key demeanor, they would suffer greatly. Duke Galaxy was the behind-the-scenes boss of the Empire’s largest business organization, “Tasca,” possessing wealth and resources that could rival nations. Without exaggeration, with just one word from him, half of the Empire could be paralyzed, with all commercial activities coming to a halt.

Such a person naturally couldn’t be offended. So despite General Shuixing’s fiery temper, as soon as Duke Galaxy spoke, he had to lay down his arms. Otherwise, his fleet might face difficulties in supplies in the future.

The atmosphere in the room was tense. General Shuixing’s gaze was no joke. Years of warfare, combined with his explosive temper, meant that most people would be terrified even at the sight of him. Yet Duke Galaxy remained calm, as if unbothered at all. He first picked up the glass on the table and took a gentle sip before speaking slowly.

“The answer is actually very simple. The reason why contestant No. 336 kept facing dead-end matches is because someone is manipulating things. And that manipulator—Sui Xing—is right in front of you.”
“It’s you!!!?” General Sui Xing raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to curse, but then stopped abruptly. He saw that the last old man in the room, who had remained silent until then, suddenly waved his hand.
General Sui Xing was extremely domineering. But if one had to find someone in the empire who could scare him, then this last old man was one of them. Though he looked quite ordinary—so ordinary that you’d never notice him on the street—across the entire empire, almost everyone feared his name.
His name was Si Chen. He belonged to the empire’s internal affairs system and served as the Grand Duke in charge of evaluating and punishing all officials. “Si Chen” was the title given to him by the emperor himself. Within the empire, the power held by this Grand Duke Si Chen made all subjects live in constant fear. At any moment, if someone fell into his grasp, their life would likely be in danger. The Grand Duke’s direct troops would drag them out of their beds and lead them straight to the execution block.
In short, Grand Duke Si Chen was the emperor’s executioner, a sword hanging over all officials’ heads. Moreover, his own organization was also extremely famous—the largest assassin group in the empire, “Viper’s Kiss,” was his creation.
Of course, such a person could not be offended. So as soon as Sui Xing saw him wave his hand, he immediately fell silent, behaving like a well-behaved child.
“Be quiet, Sui Xing. Galaxy is doing this out of good intentions.”
“This… is still considered good intentions? Si Chen, do you know what kind of matches contestant No. 336 faced? Those were all unsolvable puzzles accumulated over countless years by the empire. How many generals have died from them? If not for that kid’s luck, the empire might have lost its finest commander in a thousand years.”
Grand Duke Sui Xing grew anxious but dared not speak loudly in front of Grand Duke Si Chen, causing his face to turn red with frustration.
But it was clear he was getting too involved. In the entire living room, he was the only one showing such reaction; the other two old men seemed unaffected, continuing to close their eyes. After a while, General Sui Xing grew bored as well and slumped back in his seat.

“Very well. Death Dust, since you also think it’s out of good intent, I won’t say anything more. But I expect you to give me an explanation. As a member of the three-person team for the competition, I have both the need and the right to know the whole story.”
“Well…” The Galactic Duke finally spoke again, but hesitantly.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just not the right time yet. Wait a little longer. The final round is about to begin. By then, I’m sure you’ll understand the reason.”
“Do you promise?” General Shuixing narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
“I promise,” the Galactic Duke nodded firmly. When he glanced at Duke Death Dust beside him, he found that the latter had already closed his eyes—seemingly asleep…