Chapter 493 - 492: National Finals

"The recent rumors of fraud in the Martial Arts Conference have drawn our attention. After a thorough investigation, no evidence of cheating has been found. All participants are in compliance with the rules, and the results of the matches remain valid."

This was the official clarification.

But—

The moment it was released, the internet erupted.

"Shady! Absolutely shady!"

"Clarification? Do you think we’re blind?"

"Damn, even the Martial Arts Conference is corrupt? I’m done watching!"

"Heh, it’s obvious—the contestant from Peace Dawn City must have powerful connections!"

"Even the officials are covering for him? Must be the son of some high-ranking Martial Arts Association vice president!"

"Bullsh*t! Anyone can see that guy is cheating. Do the higher-ups really think we’re all idiots?"

"Hah, interesting. Let’s see how long this shady business lasts!"

"@MartialArtsConferenceOfficial, go ahead—rig it so this guy wins the world championship! If you can pull that off, I’ll actually be impressed!"

"Embarrassing! You’re shaming the whole nation, @MartialArtsConferenceOfficial!"

"You people need to wake up! This is an international event. Would the Martial Arts Conference risk its reputation just to cover for one cheater? Maybe the kid’s actually that strong."

"Strong? Are you blind, lapdog?"

—---

In his apartment, Fenric scrolled through the endless curses and sneers flooding the internet.

"It seems I’ve become a celebrity," he said lightly.

The entire online world branded his matches as fraudulent, but Fenric didn’t care. The officials had already validated his results, and that was enough.

His state of mind was no longer that of ordinary people.

He pursued only the path of self. The opinions of strangers meant nothing.

"This isn’t so bad," he mused. "Even if it’s infamy for now... my reputation is growing rapidly."

A calm smile curved his lips.

Just then, his phone rang.

It was Xiao Linger.

Fenric answered, and her clear, concerned voice came through the line:

"Fenric, how are you?"

"I’m fine. Why?"

"Eh? That’s good. Just... rest early, okay? Stop looking at the internet. The semifinals are tomorrow."

Fenric chuckled. "You mean, don’t bother reading all the insults directed at me?"

Xiao Linger gasped. "You already saw them?"

"Don’t worry. A bunch of faceless trolls won’t affect me."

Hearing this, Xiao Linger let out a long breath of relief. "That’s good. I was afraid all that hate would throw you off and make you play abnormally tomorrow."

"Even if I do play abnormally, I’ll still win the championship," Fenric replied calmly.

Xiao Linger almost laughed at his arrogance. She admitted Fenric was strong, but winning the world championship was no simple matter.

After a pause, she hesitantly suggested, "Fenric... in the semifinals tomorrow, could you maybe change your strategy? Stop defeating everyone with just... one finger."

Fenric immediately understood. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Is that what you want... or what Old Master Xiao wants?"

Xiao Linger froze. She hadn’t expected him to see through it so easily. At last, she answered honestly: "Grandpa also hopes you can fight differently. Because of you, the officials are under enormous pressure. They even wanted to confront you directly, but Grandpa stopped them."

Fenric nodded. "Thank Old Master Xiao for me."

"Then... you’ll agree?" she asked hopefully.

"No."

His answer was blunt. "These opponents are too weak. Do you really want me to put on a performance for them? Sorry—I’m not interested."

Xiao Linger was speechless.

Just as she tried to argue again, Fenric added, "Tell the officials this: when the finals come, I’ll change my style."

"...Alright."

"Good. I’ll hang up now."

The call ended.

In her villa, Xiao Linger stared at her phone helplessly before glancing at her grandfather. "Grandpa, you heard him. I can’t persuade him."

Old Xiao only smiled and shook his head. "Forget it. Let him be."

—--

Half a month later.

On a flight to the Capital, Fenric leaned back in the plush leather seat of the first-class cabin, eyes closed, resting.

Around him, passengers stole glances filled with contempt, disdain, and even disgust. The flight attendants, too, seemed reluctant to approach.

In just half a month, Fenric had become the number one most talked-about figure in the Martial Arts Conference.

And the reason? His so-called "fake matches."

In Peace Dawn City’s Final Four, he had continued his streak, defeating even the famed CEO of Haisheng Group—a master of iron-body kung fu—with a single finger.

Representing Peace Dawn City, he advanced to the provincial tournament.

There, again, every opponent fell to one finger.

None could withstand him.

To Fenric, it had all been effortless. He easily secured first place in the province, and now he was headed to the Capital for the national finals.

But to the rest of the country, his victories looked absurdly fake.

Some sharp-eyed viewers doubted the idea of so many martial arts masters agreeing to throw matches, but most netizens didn’t think deeply. They simply followed the mob, convinced Fenric was a fraud.

As a result, he had become the single most-watched contestant in the tournament.

Every day, his name dominated the trending lists.

But all the attention was negative.

Even foreign media outlets picked up the story, ridiculing the country’s Martial Arts Conference as childish and corrupt.

Domestic netizens, seeing the mockery, only grew angrier. To them, Fenric was humiliating the nation.

Their hatred toward him multiplied.

By now, Fenric’s name was known everywhere. It couldn’t be smeared any darker.

But when infamy reaches its peak, it becomes traffic.

Every outlet that published negative stories about him saw their views soar.

TV stations begged to interview him, hoping to ride the wave of attention.

Fenric, of course, rejected them all.

One way or another, he had become the most talked-about "celebrity" in the country.

The hottest traffic magnet of them all.

Millions now waited eagerly to see how far the "shameless fraud" would go.

Fenric, unfazed, ignored the stares and drifted to sleep in his seat.

But beside him, Xiao Linger squirmed nervously.

As his assistant, she had borne enormous pressure these past two weeks.

The insults aimed at Fenric had spilled over to her.

Because of her beauty, jealous voices smeared her too—claiming she had a "special relationship" with Fenric.

The ugliest rumors called them a pair of "dogs in heat."

Xiao Linger felt deeply wronged. She was innocent.

Fortunately, the flight was short. After two hours, the plane touched down at Jade Capital’s airport.

"Fenric, we’re here!" Xiao Linger quickly shook him awake, eager to leave the hostile stares behind.