FIMA Ch75: The Grand Ritual

When Gu Siyuan and the Special Control Bureau group took a flight to the S City airport and then transferred to Fengdu County, it was already dusk.

The next day was the official start of the Grand Tournament. After eating dinner, everyone refrained from doing any extra activities and directly hurried back to their rooms to rest.

When Xie Xuanxing came out after washing up, he saw a familiar tall figure standing quietly on the balcony with his hands in his pockets.

Perhaps it was the sudden influx of a large number of strangers that boosted the small county town’s tourism industry; the usually quiet county town was brightly lit tonight, making the distant mountains look even darker and more ferocious, like dormant nocturnal behemoths.

Gu Siyuan stood before this worldly fireworks and the dark mountains. Tall, sturdy, with a broad back, he looked as if he could hold up the sky and support the earth, giving one an unparalleled sense of solid reassurance.

The late autumn night breeze blew in, ruffling his clothes and broken hair.

Xie Xuanxing’s heart stirred. He took a few steps forward, his slender arms hugging the man’s waist and back, pressing his face against the slightly cool clothing: “I love you to death, Boss Gu.”

Gu Siyuan slightly turned his head, looked at his little lackey clinging to him, reached out to pinch his chin, and narrowed his eyes: “Acting spoiled so late at night?”

Xie Xuanxing looked up and hummed softly: “What’s wrong with a hug? Is Boss Gu this stingy?”

“Not stingy, but as a mere bedmate, what right do you have to reach your hands out?” Gu Siyuan glared coldly at the person, the hand pinching his fair chin exerting more force.

“…” Xie Xuanxing.
Are you addicted to this ‘taking by force’ act now?

However, thinking of what happened the day before yesterday, Xie Xuanxing indeed found it quite thrilling. He smiled brightly and said: “Alright, Boss Gu, I was wrong. Please punish me to your heart’s content!”

Gu Siyuan reached out, scooped the person up horizontally, and walked toward the bedroom while saying coldly: “Don’t cry later.”

“Whoever cries is a grandson,” Xie Xuanxing boasted shamelessly.

However, a long while later, only the sound of someone whimpering and crying for mercy could be heard throughout the room.

But since tomorrow was the day of the Grand Tournament and Xie Xuanxing still had to represent the Special Control Bureau in the competition, Gu Siyuan only did it twice before stopping. He stroked his little lackey’s sweat-dampened black hair and lowered his head to place a soft kiss on his fair butterfly bones.

Xie Xuanxing curled up in his embrace like a small kitten, his body trembling slightly. Looking at the man pitifully with wide eyes, he asked: “Why is it that you’re the one moving the whole time, yet I’m the one who ends up more exhausted every time?”

Gu Siyuan said expressionlessly: “A matter of physique. Haven’t you discussed this kind of thing with that psychopath Luo Chuan?”

Xie Xuanxing’s face flushed slightly: “Why would I discuss this with Brother Luo Chuan?”
Although… we did actually discuss it, and the conclusion was that these two brothers are probably both mensao animals.

“…” Gu Siyuan was slightly confused and spoke bluntly: “Isn’t it obvious? You two are the same ‘model’, both being on the bottom. You should both have experience in this area?”

“…” Xie Xuanxing.
What do you mean ‘on the bottom’?! Looking down on me, are you?

Xie Xuanxing glared viciously at his boyfriend and huffed: “Hmph, since you put it that way, next time I want to try being on top! Maybe being on top only looks tiring, but actually saves a lot of energy?”

Gu Siyuan gave him a deep look and agreed readily: “Sure.”

“…” Xie Xuanxing.
Why do I feel like there’s some kind of conspiracy?

He tugged at his boyfriend’s sleeve and asked cautiously: “You’re really agreeing to it?”

Gu Siyuan didn’t hesitate at all: “Why wouldn’t I? We can try it right now. I’m also very curious about how it feels when you’re the one exerting effort.”

Flattered but overwhelmed, Xie Xuanxing immediately decided to know when to stop: “No need for today. Tomorrow, let’s try it tomorrow night. After I win the Grand Tournament competition tomorrow, consider it a gift to myself.”

Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes and touched his little lackey’s soft cheek meat, secretly thinking: Isn’t this a gift for me? Developing a new position…

He pulled the person deeper into his embrace and sincerely blessed him: “Then I wish you instant success tomorrow and a brave victory for first place.”

Xie Xuanxing really liked this blessing. Lying on Gu Siyuan’s hard chest, he nodded vigorously: “I definitely will. When the time comes, you better enjoy it.”
Not only will I get first place in the talisman-making competition at the Grand Tournament, but I’ll also be the ‘top’ (a 1) in bed for once!

“Alright,” Gu Siyuan remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head and gently bit down on his dark red lips. My little lackey really knows how to be endearing.

En…
Even when the two were on completely different wavelengths, they could still converse normally.

The Grand Tournament began at 10:00 AM the next day.

After eating breakfast, the Gu brothers, Xie Xuanxing, and Luo Chuan left the hotel together. The rest of the Special Control Bureau had already left a step earlier.

The central area of the county town wasn’t large. The hotel where the Bureau stayed and the Grand Tournament venue were in the south and north respectively, yet it only took a twenty-minute walk to get there.

Taking out their Special Control Bureau IDs for the venue security to check, the four of them had just entered the main gate when they immediately saw two familiar faces.

Han Mingye looked at the few people in front of him and narrowed his eyes.
During these days, the Old Ancestor had taught them an even more profound cultivation method and told them some things they had never known before—some very important things.
Soon… very soon, they would be able to wipe away their previous humiliation.
The shame these two Gu brothers had brought them could only be washed away with blood.

Looking at Xie Xuanxing, Xie Yuchen unexpectedly spoke amiably: “Xuanxing, you indeed came too. Since you’ve returned to S City, why didn’t you go back to the Xie family to visit?”

Xie Xuanxing cast a sidelong glance at him, seemingly nonchalant: “The Xie family seems to have registered for the Grand Tournament as well. Since you are the son of the Family Head, why aren’t you representing the Xie family in the competition?”

“…” Xie Yuchen was left speechless for a moment.

Xie Xuanxing didn’t have the habit of engaging in verbal spats with people. Seeing this, he walked past him and continued moving forward.
The Gu brothers and Luo Chuan completely ignored these people altogether. Only, as they brushed past, they caught a glimpse out of the corners of their eyes of Xie Yuchen lightly digging his nails into his palms and his instantly darkening expression.

Han Mingye stared coldly at the departing backs of the four. Then, he turned to hold Xie Yuchen’s hand and said slowly: “There’s no need to care.”

Xie Yuchen gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. Just as the Han Family Old Ancestor had said, he and Han Mingye were the Children of Destiny, people with great luck. Previously, they had only been interfered with by this Gu Siyuan, a guy who had popped out of nowhere.
After today, they would usher in a new world; they would bring order out of chaos, and everything would become clear once again.

On the other side, the group of four walking into the venue.

Gu Beilin suddenly said coldly: “Those two give me a really uncomfortable feeling.”
As a battle maniac, Gu Beilin had always possessed a beast-like intuition.

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow and said casually: “They seem to have learned the method of spiritual sense attacks.”

Xie Xuanxing looked at him: “I heard He Pan say before that these two have been in closed-door cultivation recently. Looking at it now, their strength has indeed increased quite a bit. Was it all just for today’s Grand Tournament?”

Luo Chuan said leisurely: “Before coming, I cast a divination. Although this trip will have many twists and turns, there is still a sliver of a chance for survival.”

“Only a sliver?” Xie Xuanxing looked at Luo Chuan.
You’re awfully calm.

Luo Chuan lazily draped an arm over Xie Xuanxing’s shoulder and sighed helplessly: “After seeing the equipment you guys brought, I feel like that sliver of a chance has probably been magnified infinitely.”

Xie Xuanxing’s eyes curved into a smile.

Most cultivators were completely ignorant of the potential variables that might occur next, fully immersing themselves in the grand event before them.

When Gu Siyuan’s group of four walked into the venue, a spectacular performance on the arena had just ended.
Next, a volley of salutes rang out, and the crowd erupted in fierce cheers.
The Grand Tournament officially began.

The competitions of the Grand Tournament were divided into Combat and the Hundred Arts, with the Hundred Arts further subdivided into Pills, Talismans, and Artifacts.
Of course, the one that attracted the most attention was still Combat.

The rules for Combat were very simple: one-on-one matches. Knock the opponent down, and if they can’t stand up within ten breaths, or if they voluntarily concede, the match ends.
During the combat process, as long as no one was killed or permanently crippled, there were no other restrictions. If you had the money to smash people with talismans, or use ancestral magical artifacts to suppress them, it was all allowed…

Gu Siyuan was extremely satisfied with this. So, after hearing the rules, he resolutely signed up to participate.

Boom! Crackle! Bang! Explosive sounds continuously entered the ears of everyone present. For a moment, everyone didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but mostly, they felt both angry and jealous.

The guy on the arena looked like a proper, upstanding person—a cold, elite professional—but his fighting style was completely lacking in refinement.

“This ‘Rich Bro’ really opens one’s eyes.”
“A talisman maniac… At this rate, apart from the heirs of the Four Great Aristocratic Families, who can beat him? He’ll reach the final rounds purely by smashing talismans!”
“Hmph, isn’t that just right? Then we’ll let the Four Great Aristocratic Families teach him a severe lesson. I just saw Eldest Young Master Han’s expression, it’s also extremely ugly.”
“Hahahaha, since it’s like this, why don’t we make a bet on how many talismans he’ll smash in this round?”
“Throwing huge handfuls like that, who can even count how many there are? We might as well guess how long his opponent can last.”

The speaker’s voice carried an uncontrollable tone of sourness and heartache. So many talismans! I might not even be able to use that many in my entire life!

…

Listening to the discussions, Xie Xuanxing shot an indignant glance at these people and muttered in a low voice: “It’s clearly because our Boss Gu is an honest and sincere person, which is why he’s only smashing talismans. If he actually used his spiritual sense attacks, you people would be the ones truly looking wretched! And it could even cause permanent damage to your sea of consciousness!”

“Truly not recognizing a good person’s intentions.” Eager to find an ally, Xie Xuanxing tugged at Luo Chuan beside him and asked confidently: “Don’t you agree?”

Luo Chuan held back a laugh, nodded, and spoke against his conscience: “Yes, yes, you’re right.”

Xie Xuanxing nodded as a matter of course: “Of course I am.”

Right at this moment, Luo Chuan and Gu Beilin suddenly moved in unison to the seats on the other side, distancing themselves quite a bit from him.

Xie Xuanxing blinked, slightly dumbfounded.

Just then, he heard the commotion around him grow slightly louder: “He’s coming, he’s coming, Rich Bro is coming to our side…”
“It looks like he has companions over here. I wonder if his companions will also smash talismans like that later?”
“Hahaha, maybe they’re a group of prodigals. I want to see too.”

The audience nearby burst into laughter, as if watching some amusing joke.

“…”
Xie Xuanxing lifted his eyes and looked at Luo Chuan and Gu Beilin—who looked like they wished they could shrink under their chairs—and seemed to understand something.
Hmph, you two disloyal guys!

Gu Siyuan walked over expressionlessly, acting as if he hadn’t heard the crowd’s discussions at all.
He reached out to pinch his little lackey’s puffed-out cheek and said faintly: “What’s wrong?”

Xie Xuanxing shook his head, reached out to hug his arm, looked up, stared at him intently, and thought to himself: Big Brother, you truly only have me left.

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