Chapter 261: Ridicule
While Johanson recited 'The Ten Commandments for an Assassin', Zen Luo sat on the ground. He asked the referee loudly, “Sir, since my opponent will not fight with me face-to-face, can I just sit here and rest?”
The referee inside the arena looked confused. Since each warrior had a unique way of fighting, he did not answer Zen's question.
But Zen had asked the question loudly enough for the audience to hear.
Of all the fights during the All Peaks Competition, the ones in which Zen participated were the most interesting. Zen had drawn more attention than most participants, including Rocher!
As Zen was only at the second grade of the nature level, there was a huge skill difference between him and the other contestants. Every disciple was curious to see how Zen would perform in the competition.
Moreover, Zen's last fight against Vale had so many ups and downs. The disciples were expecting to watch a more lively fight!
However, this battle between Zen and Johanson was not as per their expectation. From the beginning, neither side spoke to the other. They stood on the court, face-to-face and then attacked each other only once. They even didn't collide into each other! The fight seemed dull.
Zen's words confirmed what the audience had felt. By speaking out loud, Zen was letting the onlookers know that it was because of Johanson that the fight was boring.
“Shoot! What's the matter with Johanson Jiang?” a disciple asked. “Zen is sitting on the ground and doing nothing. And Johanson does not dare to attack him!” he added.
“Is this a competition? I'm feeling sleepy,” another disciple said. “Is it true that Johanson is a personal disciple of a saint? Maybe he was only boasting as he cannot face Zen! He can't be one of the top five disciples on the list! It looks more like he is one of the last five!” a third disciple remarked.
“That's true. Maybe Johanson is the timidest personal disciple. He has not shown up before now, nor does he dare to fight. Why doesn't he just admit defeat? I am falling asleep waiting for some action!” another disciple added.
What Zen had said was an eye-opener. Soon the disciples were even more dissatisfied with what Johanson was doing and started to discuss among each other.
Seeing what was happening, all the personal disciples, including Patrick and Tracy, smiled.
The personal disciples in the audience knew why Johanson was behaving peculiarly. Johanson's ambition was to be a top assassin. It was impossible for an assassin to fight against others face-to-face like a regular warrior. Asking an assassin to fight like that was the equivalent of expecting an archer to compete with cavalry.
Assassins were experts in moves that killed a person in one hit. Johanson might attack only once, but that was enough to decide the result of the match.
This was why fighting against an assassin was boring. Anyone who understood this would know that a silent fight was even more dangerous than a regular one! Not all conflicts were settled with visible weapons. Sometimes psychological warfare or psywar was required.
Johanson had done this well from the beginning. At least as per Tracy, Patrick, and the other personal disciples, Johanson had performed perfectly. He had successfully remained hidden. Neither Zen nor the personal disciples at the Illuminating Soul Realm were capable of finding him.
But Zen's comment had destroyed everything Johanson had worked for.
The sarcasm from the audience made it seem like Johanson's high-level hiding skills were something they could ridicule.
Patrick Pei, who was always serious, said with a smile, “Zen is naughty! I want to know how Johanson is feeling now. He must be hiding somewhere nearby.”
“HaHa, I think he is probably inflamed with rage!” Tracy's eyes shone as she replied, “I am more eager about fighting against Zen! After I win, I can do whatever to him, right? What should I do to punish him?”
“Aren't you worried that you may lose? If that happens, Zen can do whatever he wants to you!” Patrick laughed as he asked her.
Tracy's expression conveyed that she didn't quite care. Then she giggled and said, “If that's true, then I will allow him to do anything to me! Who knows what he will do?”
Everyone was rendered speechless at Tracy's comment. Patrick rolled his eyes and sat on the ground. He could do nothing to this crazy girl, and he was always speechless due to her eccentricity.
At the same time, Johanson who was hiding nearby clenched his fists. He was upset.
He understood why his master instructed him to kill Zen. His opponent was truly a wicked guy.
He was troublesome and fiendish!
Hearing the acerbic comments from the audience, Johanson was tempted to rush out and kill them one by one! But instead, he closed his eyes and tried to restrain himself.
The disciples of each peak were as weak as bugs when compared to Johanson's abilities. He could kill them using only his finger. But now they dared to criticize him and even defamed him. How could they have the courage to do that?
This was all Zen's doing! He was the only one to be blamed.
The more Johanson thought about it, the more he despised Zen. Just as Johanson was contemplating his feelings toward his opponent, Zen turned in Johanson's direction, as though he could sense something. A pensive expression could be seen on Zen's face as he continued to stare in Johanson's direction.
Johanson felt anxious at once. He calmed himself and continued to recite 'The Ten Commandments for an Assassin'.
'Control myself. Control myself...
Guard against arrogance, rashness, anger and...'
Johanson was now in such a situation. He was annoyed but had to hold back his emotions. This was a frustrating situation to be in.
Johanson had thought that he could easily control the fight against Zen. He wanted Zen to panic and fear him. He had intended to drive him insane, step by step. Then he could conquer Zen's defensive force spiritually and make Zen breakdown. But now everything seemed to be in the opposite way.
Zen sat on the ground leisurely and even closed his eyes to rest. Johanson became more and more furious when he heard the onlookers' comments.
He could not stand it anymore!
If this continued, Johanson knew he would become too anxious and would probably expose his position to Zen. So, he decided to attack Zen as soon as possible.
The comments from the disciples were another reason that drove Johanson to act prematurely. He was ranked the fifth among all the disciples of the Cloud Sect and yet, he was being spoken about as if he was a failure!
The black shadows that had been floating in the sky now started to whirl. And Johanson mixed with them and moved at the same speed.
Even though Johanson chose to start the fight, the disciples still spoke poorly about him.
“Johanson finally made a move. The rumor is that he is practicing the skills of an assassin. And as an assassin, Johanson must learn how to be patient. I can't believe he decided to start this soon. I can tell that he will lose the competition!” one disciple said.
“I agree with you. Being an assassin, Johanson should act like an assassin. I heard that there was an assassin in the Easton Region who concealed himself for half a year to kill his target. That is what an assassin should do! Johanson is far from being that assassin. He doesn't even have the right attitude!” another disciple continued the conversation.
Hearing what the disciples were saying, Johanson very nearly went mad!
'These idiots are going too far. When I was waiting and didn't fight, they said it was boring to watch the fight. Now I have decided to fight, the disciples still have a reason to speak badly about me. They don't know when to stop!' Johanson muttered in his mind.
A moment later, Johanson had no time to consider what the disciples were saying. Once an assassin decided to commerce, he must kill his target in one strike! He could not change what had happened before, and now, he must kill Zen!
The black shadows whirled faster, and so did Johanson.
Since Zen was still sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, Johanson felt as though something was not quite right. Zen seemed not to care about what was happening in the arena.
As Zen was still as calm as before, to Johanson, it appeared as though Zen was looking down upon him and provoking him! Johanson decided to implement his plan.
'It doesn't matter what you plan to do or how highly others speak of you. You are going to die!' Johanson thought.
An assassin would not hide his aura at the moment he started his move.
When a leopard hiding in the grass rushes at an antelope, it roars at the same moment. The sound not only terrifies the prey but it also freezes it for a short moment, thus giving the predator a good opportunity.
Johanson was the leopard while Zen was his antelope.
A nearly solid aura rushed toward Zen. It was Johanson's killing intent!
And his killing intent was unique. A force of his soul was hidden in it.
Even a warrior at the Illuminating Soul Realm could not stand Johanson's attack. Zen was only at the second grade of the nature level. He would be unable to bear this killing intent especially since it included a soul attack!
Johanson had collected some information about Zen. He had watched the fight between Zen and Vale from the beginning to the end. Johanson also noticed a detail that Vale had said something about one of Zen's trump cards. Zen seemed to be able to attack with his soul.
But Zen was only a warrior at the second grade of the nature level. How strong was his soul?
Johanson had eaten a soul-nurturing herb each day since he was a baby. The price of a soul-nurturing herb was very high. One plant cost as much as over a hundred cubic crystals!
Although the Burning Sky Empire had destroyed the Shadow Group, the Shadow Group was still wealthy. And most of their fortune had been spent on Johanson who was their only hope.
Even the eldest sons of the top seven noble clans could not afford to eat a soul-nurturing herb each day! It was true that the top seven noble clans had the money to buy many soul-nurturing herbs. But, they could not pile all their resources onto one person. That was too risky.
However, the situation was different for Johanson. He was the only hope of the Shadow Group in nearly three hundred years. He was the only talent among them all!
Having eaten so many soul-nurturing herbs, Johanson had felt his soul grow day by day. And after he had cultivated his soul for so many years, Johanson was confident that his soul was more powerful than that of the warriors at the same level as him.
That was why he didn't pay attention to Zen's soul attack. In his eyes, there was no comparison between his soul and Zen's!
In Johanson's mind, he could easily turn Zen into an utterly useless person without a soul just by using his killing intent!
'Zen Luo, let me see how you will deal with my killing intent!' Johanson scoffed in his mind.