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The crushing defeat in the field opened the eyes of City Lord to the deplorable state of his men. Ikasa's words hammered the point home.

City Lord clenched and unclenched his fists as he battled with raging emotions.

He was angered by the sheer incompetence his men had displayed; Despaired by the fact that they were the best of his guards.

Interspersed in those negative emotions was a little relief. Relief that they still had some time and this situation could be remedied.

When Commander Lu Shao woke up, he didn't dare meet the City Lord's eyes. His haughty pride was replaced by an insurmountable wave of guilt. Today, he had lost the face of not just City Guards, but also City Lord.

Mo Fan took the losing team away from the City Lord's eyes. He understood that at this moment, his master didn't want to see any of their faces.

Taking deep breaths, City Lord calmed his rage before turning to Ikasa.

"Merchant of Manuals! When you promised my men would be better than most after using your manuals, did you lie to me?"

The Lord of the City thundered, radiating his dignity. Ikasa was taken aback by the sudden accusation. However, he did not become anxious.

"City Lord, the spar was not a battle of whose techniques were better; It was about who excelled at execution."

Ikasa patiently explained, choosing his words carefully. Seeing the City Lord reflecting on his words, he continued.

"Even though your men had similar high grade cultivation methods, their Battle technique dragged them down. Their unfamiliarity with techniques dragged them down."

The bearded man could see the truth in his words. He had watched the fight from start to finish. His denial stemmed from his reluctance to admit the inferiority of his men.

The City Lord sighed as his eyes looked in the direction of the City. He stroked his beard as he tried to come up with a solution. Better techniques could only bridge the gap to a certain extent, they needed a more effective solution.

When he couldn't think of one, he turned to Ikasa.

"Do you have  a solution?"

Ikasa hesitated and took his time to answer.

'If I say it, it would mean disrespecting the entire force of City Guards. But there is no better time to make him accept it.'

He affirmed his resolve and suggested, "City Lord, your guards have become set in their ways. Changing their fighting methods to dealing with beasts will be hard before the tournament."

"Speak clearly. What do you suggest?" Zhen Wu asked, narrowing his eyes.

"How about choosing men from my force and letting them participate in the tournament?"

"Impossible!"

The City Lord stood up, shooting down Ikasa's suggestion. The young man couldn't understand why the City Lord would react so animatedly.

'I am suggesting that you let me do all the work and enjoy the fruits! I haven't even put forth my conditions yet!'

Zhen Wu calmed his quivering beard and sat in his seat again. Feeling Ikasa's questioning gaze, he offered him an explanation.

"The Tournament is a matter of prestige. Not just for me but the County Governor who appointed me as well."

Ikasa nodded, expecting him to continue.

"To supervise the fairness of the tournament and assess my performance, the Governor will send someone to arbitrate competition."

When the City Lord mentioned an arbitrator, he had a complicated look in his eyes.

"But wouldn't winning put you in a better light?"

Ikasa asked instinctively to which City Lord declined to answer.

The young man rubbed his chin. Knowing how the hierarchy worked, the superiors always preferred winning to losing.

'If there was a better chance to win, why would City Lord reject it? Is it because he is afraid of  tarnishing their reputation?'

Light Bulb lit in his head as he came to understand the reason behind the vehement rejection.

"So if you use my men, the Hu Clan or the Monstrous Flame Sect can cry foul and you don't want that, correct?"

Ikasa speculated, gauging the bearded man's reaction.

With a subtle nod, he confirmed his thoughts.

'Putting my men is a no go.'

He crossed that option off the list. Stumped for options, Ikasa tried to approach the problem from a different angle.

'Wait, Isn't the problem not having enough practice with subduing beasts? Just let them form an adventurer party and go to the forests!'

'No, it is too late for that. Just a week left. If they are injured, it will affect their performance in the tournament.'

One cleanly shaved young man and another bearded older man were lost in thought, trying to find a way to secure victory.

That's when Ikasa's eyes fell on the Honeygold Tree at the center of the open space. His eyes lit up as he was reminded of the incident with Chu Kuang.

'If the Fox can make an Abyss Lion from shadows, can't it make other animals too?'

Ikasa turned to the City Lord with a wide smile.

"City Lord, I can take care of this problem. The team just needs to reside in one of these rooms for the upcoming week and train under Feng Yan, without complaint. You will see improvements within the next few days!"

The evil grin Ikasa sported did not inspire confidence. However, the City Lord had no better options before him. He sighed and entrusted his men to Ikasa's mercy.

"If they clinch the first place, I will owe you a big favor, Brother Ikasa."

The City Lord said, patting his shoulders. He exposed his vulnerable side before covering it up quickly.

When looking at the City Lord's departing back, for the first time Ikasa felt like he was looking at the back of a man who was in a do or die situation.

While Ikasa was dealing with the City Lord, other forces in the City were not quiet.

In the main hall of the Hu Clan…

"Did you ascertain the locations of the beasts? Can our men fight any one of them head on and defeat it?"

The Clan Master of the Hu Clan questioned the seats below him. Defeating a Spirit Condensation Stage beast was a momentous task and it was only natural that all three forces treated it with seriousness.

The Second Seat, Yao Mao and the Third Seat, Cui Chen of the Hu Clan squirmed in their chairs. As Sense Realm experts, they knew it was their responsibility to lead the team to victory.

"All three beasts are powerful and defeating them in a fair fight would be incredibly hard not just for us but anyone!"

The Clan Master narrowed his eyes at the answer. The frown on his face expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Would you have more confidence if I grant you the Dragon's Blood Saber?"

The two seats exchanged glances and saw the joy reflected in the other's eyes. Just as they were about to assure their Clan Master of a successful kill, 4th, 5th and 6th seats stood up to protest.

"Clan Master! The Dragon's Blood Saber is only rightfully wielded by the chosen one! This has been our tradition for the past 80 years, since the Saber's inception. How can we break it?"

The fourth seat, Qi Shu clung to the traditions and appealed to abide by them. The Fifth seat was much more rebellious and he directly challenged the right of Clan Master to lend the Saber.

"If the Second Seat and Third Seat want to undergo the trial and win it from you, we have no objection. But you cannot lend it willy nilly!"

"Clan Master, you should not forget that the Saber represents your position as well. Are you choosing one of the seats for succession?"

The First seat, Qing Mo, who was also the Clan Master of the Hu Clan, glared at the dissenters. His pure white eyebrows flared with rage when he heard the disrespectful words of the fifth and sixth seat.

"Silence! You imbeciles would rather fight amongst yourselves even when we might lose the tournament? If we lose the tournament, do you think our businesses will be spared?"

His words had the intended effect. The Fifth and Sixth seat swallowed their complaints and quietened.

"Until the end of the tournament, I am lending this Dragon's Blood Saber to the Second Seat, Yao Mao."

Second Seat had a smug smile on winning the right to use The Saber! This Saber was not only a Superior Weapon crafted by the Forger in a Tier 1 city, it also decided the right of succession in the Hu Clan.

However, his joy did not last long. The Clan Master's next words wiped the smile off his face.

"If Yao Mao cannot bring the head of the beast back with this Saber, I will use it to chop his head off!"

This domineering attitude was the reason why this bunch of arrogant individuals were united under the old Clan Master!