Chapter 96 Golden Sword Tournament
Wallace said, “I think Master Sullivan’s arrival is significant too. That’s why I came here to inform you at once, Young Master.”
Leonardo asked solemnly, “Did he just arrive or did you just receive the news?”
Wallace replied, “He just arrived.”
Leonardo said, “Master Sullivan did not notify me in advance of his arrival at Jipsdale, and he did not come to our place either. Something’s odd here.” He paused for a few seconds before continuing, “Anyway, hurry up and do the necessary preparations, Mr. Moralez. I am paying Master Sullivan a visit.”
A hint of relief flashed across Wallace’s eyes. At least Young Master has not lost his mind completely. He still knows the importance of getting on Master Sullivan’s good side.
After all, Yasir Sullivan was one of the leaders among the lineage of Strikezone Martial Arts’ disciples to which Leonardo belonged.
Their founder, Edward Weiss, first established Strikezone Martial Arts in Southeast Aploth. Then, he set up a military force in the southern region. Even some of the most revered beings in the nation were afraid of Edward, much less Leonardo.
Moreover, Edward’s cultivation had reached a stage many could only dream of. He was a being that even Leonardo had to worship.
As for Yasir Sullivan, he was Edward’s junior. Yasir was the person in charge of Strikezone Martial Arts in Southeast Aploth and a very formidable man.
Leonardo did not dare to show the slightest negligence in handling Yasir’s sudden advent.
An hour later, Leonardo departed to Jipsdale Hotel immediately after preparing an expensive gift.
Outside, the sky was dark as night had descended and the autumn wind soughed.
Brilliant lights adorned the Jipsdale Hotel’s building.
Leonardo appeared elegant, wearing a black tuxedo. Wallace trailed behind him with a gift box in his hand. Inside the gift box was a precious piece of artwork.
Yasir was an artwork collector, so Leonardo deliberately prepared this gift for him.
The two of them arrived at the entrance of the presidential suite where Yasir was staying.
Two bodyguards dressed in black stood on each side of the room door. Their skin was tanned, and their eyes were menacing. Leonardo could sense their malicious intent after one glance at them.
Evidently, those bodyguards were not just ordinary bodyguards available on the market. They were real assassins.
“I’m Leonardo Young. I’m here to visit Master Sullivan. Please help me to inform him of my arrival.” Leonardo had always been an arrogant person, but he appeared unusually humble at that moment.
The two poker-faced bodyguards cast a glance at Leonardo. One of them said, “Wait here.” Then he pushed the door open and entered the room.
He exited the room a few moments later and said to Leonardo, “You may enter now.”
Leonardo thanked those bodyguards. Just as he was about to step through the door with Wallace, the bodyguards halted Wallace. “Master Sullivan will only meet with you. Outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering.”
Leonardo did not dare to defy Yasir’s instruction. He took the gift from Wallace and said to him, “Wait for me here, Mr. Moralez.”
Wallace nodded.
Although they had yet to see Yasir, both Leonardo and Wallace could sense his overwhelming presence originating from within the suite.
Leonardo entered the presidential suite under the bodyguards’ guidance.
Bright white lights from the luxurious chandelier illuminated the entire suite.
Upon stepping into the room, Leonardo immediately noticed Yasir, who was seated on the couch in front of a small table. Sitting on the couch opposite to Yasir was another young man.
That young man appeared around twenty-two years old and had a gentle exterior. He was dressed in a white outfit and was brewing a pot of coffee.
He did not look up when Leonardo walked in.
Yasir was not a bald man. He wore a black outfit and had a kind and easygoing appearance, similar to an academician.
Yasir was sipping on a cup of coffee while wearing a neutral expression.
His calm demeanor when he sat there was as if he was unperturbed by anything or anyone. At that moment, Leonardo felt that nothing in this world could disrupt Yasir’s peace of mind. It was as if he had become an eternal being, unfazed by the changes in his surroundings.
In his opinion, that state of mind reflected Yasir’s advanced cultivation stage.
He bowed and greeted Yasir politely, “Good day, Master Sullivan.”
However, Yasir acted as if he had not seen or heard Leonardo. He continued to sip on his coffee and completely ignored Leonardo.
Leonardo did not dare to move. He maintained his forward stooped posture while silently experiencing the heavy atmosphere inside the room. He had a feeling that if he had shifted even an inch before receiving Yasir’s acknowledgment, he would be facing horrible consequences. That was why he was being so careful.
After a few seconds, beads of sweat had covered Leonardo’s forehead.
Yasir suddenly piped up after a long while, but he spoke to the young man sitting opposite him. “Levi, your techniques in coffee-brewing had improved significantly.”
Levi’s full name was Levi Henderson. He was Yasir’s trusted disciple and had been learning from the latter since the age of ten. Levi had a high level of cultivation, but he possessed a calm and gentle demeanor as if nothing could ever anger him. Besides, he was meticulous and impeccable in handling all of his tasks. That was one of the reasons why Yasir trusted him.
At that moment, even after receiving Yasir’s praises, Levi did not appear smug. Instead, he kept his composure and smiled faintly. “That’s what you’ve taught me. We should always take things seriously, and that includes brewing a pot of coffee.”
Yasir responded with a contented smile. Only then did he turn to look at Leonardo.
Sensing Yasir’s gaze on him, Leonardo instantaneously felt an overwhelming pressure.
Drenched in sweat, Leonardo exclaimed at once, “Master Sullivan, I am aware of my grave mistakes!”
Yasir said, “Oh? What mistakes have you done?”
Leonardo felt relieved after seeing that Yasir was willing to speak to him. He was not afraid of Yasir’s scolding. On the contrary, Yasir’s silence and unwillingness to acknowledge him scared Leonardo out of his wits. Keeping his body bent and head lowered, he explained, “I have tainted Strikezone Martial Arts’ reputation because of my incompetence.”
Yasir snorted. Hearing Yasir’s response, Leonardo immediately felt chills traveling down his spine and suffered from feelings of suffocation. Yasir said coldly, “If not for the person behind you, I would have kicked you out of the clan.” After a brief pause, he added, “How could you allow a mere mercenary to trounce every disciple of Strikezone Martial Arts? Are you aware that others now treat our clan as a laughing stock even on the international level?”
“I’m terribly sorry!” Leonardo apologized frantically.
Yaris elaborated, “This matter had even caught Edward’s attention. I have come here because Edward has asked me to resolve this issue.”
Leonardo was stumped as he did not expect his problem with Lawson to have alerted Edward. The current turns of events were beyond his imagination. That issue was no longer a personal grudge between Jonathan and him.
“I am willing to receive any punishment for my lack in capabilities. Please pass your judgment, Master Sullivan,” Leonardo pleaded.
Yasir said, “Although you failed our clan, you do not have to beg for retribution if you manage to redeem yourself. However, the inability to do so will result in your expulsion from Strikezone Martial Arts forever.”
Strikezone Martial Arts was an existence of utmost glory and pride. Leonardo had attained his current achievements largely because of Strikezone Martial Arts’ influence. Facing expulsion from the clan would be a devastating blow to Leonardo.
He took a deep breath before declaring, “I know what I should do now, Master Sullivan.”
Yasir questioned him, “Is that so? What is the plan you have in mind?”
“I will send a challenge invitation to Jonathan Lawson. If I fail to redeem myself, I will bring that disgrace to my grave instead of tarnishing the clan’s reputation.”
“If you lose, do you expect us to repeatedly send that mercenary challenge invitation until we defeat him? How do you think the public would view us? They will say that Strikezone Martial Arts is a third-grade clan that resorts to bullying others with our numbers.”
Leonardo was stunned. “Master Sullivan, what are your suggestions?”
Yasir glanced at Levi and said, “Explain it to him, Levi.”
Levi stood up. He gave off a usual gentle vibe without many expressions showing on his face. “Leonardo, the story behind that conflict between you and the mercenary, Jonathan Lawson, had spread like wildfire. Hence, local and overseas members of the martial arts world were aware of the events that had led up to the previous undesirable outcome. If you send Jonathan a challenge invitation now, he may not necessarily accept your challenge. Even if he does not accept it, no one will criticize him because he has the option to do so. Therefore, sending him a challenge invitation is not a wise move.”
After pausing briefly, Levi continued, “What we have in mind is for us to collaborate with a few famous martial artists and organize a Golden Sword Tournament. Then, we will convince Jonathan to join this tournament. Naturally, you will be one of the participants too. We hope you will achieve an outstanding result in this tournament to reassure the public’s view of Strikezone Martial Arts’ prestige. At the same time, you can seize this opportunity to get rid of Jonathan. In this way, no one will condemn us and say that we are seeking revenge on him if he happens to die during the tournament.”
Leonardo’s eyes lit up. He thought that was a brilliant idea. However, after a few seconds, he asked worriedly, “What if Jonathan is reluctant to join this Golden Sword Tournament?”
Levi replied, “When there’s a will, there’s a way. You are a very smart person, Leonardo. I am sure you can come up with some ideas to make him join the tournament.”
A cold gleam flashed across Leonardo’s eyes as he nodded.
I have to say, hosting this Golden Sword Tournament is a great idea. If Strikezone Martial Arts can manipulate this tournament right, we can make our clan more reputable and popular by negating the circulating negative news following that incident caused by Jonathan. Besides, we need this tournament to prove our worth. With this plan, we will be able to kill two birds with one stone.
Leonardo realized sending Jonathan a challenge invitation was a stupid idea since everyone knew about the life-and-death battle between Jonathan and Randy. After the battle, Jonathan had announced that he would no longer face a series of opponents in a match. Hence, no one would comment on Jonathan’s decision even if he declined Leonardo’s challenge.
However, things would be different if they were fighting in a tournament because Jonathan would not have a reason not to accept a battle.
Nonetheless, their first priority was for Jonathan to participate in the Golden Sword Tournament. If he was not willing to attend, Leonardo and the others would not be able to carry out their plan.
Yasir was rather thoughtful. To prevent other members of the martial arts world from knowing Strikezone Martial Arts was plotting this matter, he and Levi deliberately stayed hidden from the public eye. In the following days, Yasir utilized his connections to meet up with the leader of the Martial Arts Association in Yaleview, Edgar Dunn. He had given Edgar a sum of money and extra funds for Edgar to organize the Golden Sword Tournament.
Edgar was a renowned man in the martial arts world. He had gladly received Yasir’s check and immediately contacted a few famous masters within the nation for a discussion that same day. In the end, all of the masters had also promised Yasir to select a few of their best disciples to join the tournament.
The Golden Sword Tournament’s rewards were lucrative.
The final winner would also receive an honorary golden sword.
As a result, the Golden Sword Tournament was successfully established by Edgar alongside a few masters from different clans. The organizers decided to hold the tournament at Fairlake.
After all, Fairlake was the place of origin for martial arts.
The tournament’s missions were for spiritual fighters from different backgrounds to hone their skills as well as to promote Chanaean martial arts.
