After the partner competition, the league gave the players one week to adjust.
This week, Xiao Han needed to concentrate on his preparations for the three-person competition, and thus brought Shen He and Liu Hong to the challenge arena every day. According to the competition system, it was best for Liu Hong to take the lead, with Shen He being the transition, allowing Xiao Han to be the final guard. However, this lineup was definitely not Mojue’s strongest lineup in the area. If Shen He was replaced by Qin Mo, the lineup would definitely be more stable.
Having realised this, Shen He was very curious, and found an opportunity to talk to Qin Mo in secret. “Master, wouldn’t it be easier for Mojue to win the championship if you go to the arena?”
“My decision was made after considering the future competitions,” Qin Mo explained. “You have a good grasp of theoretical knowledge, but you still lack actual combat experience. So, going to the arena with Xiao Han will help you gain that experience.”
“I am very happy to have this opportunity, but… but…” Shen He blinked.
He hesitated for a long time, but Qin Mo saw through his thoughts immediately. “You’re not confident, are you? Are you afraid of losing the championship?”
Blushing, Shen He scratched his head. “To tell you the truth, my personal level is far worse than the many great gods of the league. I will have to fight alone in the arena, and I will go second. If I am targeted by the opponent, and the gap is too big, god Han will be very pressured as the last player…
Qin Mo patted his apprentice on the shoulder lightly. “Don’t overthink it. Mojue’s points are far ahead of the rest right now. I don’t ask for you to win the championship.”
“However, we’ve already won two small competitions,” Shen He protested. “If we can win the arena also…”
Qin Mo interrupted him immediately. “Concentrate on preparing for the competition. Listen to Xiao Han’s arrangements, and don’t focus on the results too much.”
Shen He had no choice but to drop the subject. “Alright, I got it,” he smiled. “I’ll do my best!”
With Qin Mo’s brief explanation, Shen He had already understood Qin Mo’s plan—— it was because Mojue won the first two competitions that they now stood first in the rankings, around 10 points ahead of the second-place team. Thus, in this three-person arena, Mojue did not need to win the championship. Qin Mo used this as an opportunity to send Shen He to the arena, obviously trying to train him and stabilise his state, in order to prepare for the team competition in the later half of the year.
Shen He was moved by his master’s good intentions, and resolved himself to train harder.
In fact, Qin Mo had never wanted to win the championship of the three-person arena. After all, Shen He was not the only newcomer who lacked experience. Liu Hong’s current level was also not comparable to the first-class output players of the league. Although she had three years of competition experience, she had been playing a healer all this time, and had only recently switched to playing output. It was not feasible for Qin Mo to ask her to defeat old players like Sang Jun, Nie Yuzhu, and Chen Jiang, who had played output professions from the very beginning.
In Mojue’s lineup for the three-person arena, only Xiao Han was their trump card. Liu Hong and Shen He had been sent to train.
Such a lineup would put Xiao Han under great pressure, but this was also something Xiao Han took the initiative to request. He wanted to share Qin Mo’s responsibilities.
***
Since Xiao Han was in charge of the next competition, Qin Mo did not have to worry about it, and had a rare opportunity to relax. However, he wasn’t letting himself stay idle; Qin Mo sorted out the information about the players from the major teams, preparing for the competitions in the second half of the year.
The data provided by Wu Zewen was very detailed. Sorting everything from the beginning, Qin Mo made a comprehensive evaluation of all the teams in his heart.
From the data, it was clear that the team with the most great gods, aside from Mojue, was Dynasty—— Chu Jianxin was the front-row player most resistant to pressure, while Sang Jun and Lin Yao were a close-ranged and long-ranged output respectively. These people all have over three years of game experience, and had been instructed by their predecessors, Tan and Cheng. Wen Hua, who was paired with Lin Yao, was slightly inferior to his partner, but his performance was extremely stable, and had never made a mistake in competitions. The other players on the team were not outstanding, but were not weak either. Indeed, Dynasty was the most stable team at the moment.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Rfza kfgf atf afjwr bo Mgbra Zbbc, Qlatbea Mlgf, jcv Vxs. Kb Hlc Zb, atf ragfcuatr bo atfrf afjwr kfgf mbwqjgjyif ab fjmt batfg. Ktfrf atgff afjwr kfgf yjmxfv ys atf Vfnfc Vajg Xgjrr miey, atf Dgbchf Vqjggbk miey, jcv atf Qlcv Jbibeg miey, jcv tjv wjcs bearajcvlcu qijsfgr. Pc Mgbra Zbbc, jrlvf ogbw atf wjgalji rlyilcur Jtfc Aljcu jcv Lf Tef’r vbeyif ktlq mbwylcjalbc, atfgf kjr jirb j ybcf ojc oibk fzqfga mjiifv Ebcu Ljlylc, ktb kbc atf jii-rfma mtjiifcuf jgfcj mtjwqlbcrtlq obg tlr qgbofrrlbc. Mgbw Qlatbea Mlgf, atfgf kjr atf atgff-qfgrbc wfiff mbwylcjalbc bo Rlf Tehte, Alcusjcu, jcv Itbe Tjcylcu. Ojra yea cba ifjra, Vxs tjv atf vbeyif rewwbcfgr Hle Ibcuqlcu jcv Tejc Wl, jr kfii jr atf wlix ubvvfrr Itbe Wefkfl.
The overall strength of teams backed by clubs was among the best. In comparison, the strength of National Grace was a little weaker, perhaps due to manager Xu’s excessive interference in the team, affecting their formation in the early stage. Li Junru’s ability to lead the team could not be doubted, but National Grace did not have many outstanding players on the team. Aside from her partner, An Ling, the healer Chang Wenxuan, and the assassin Cheng Yuqing, the performance of the other players was relatively mediocre.
Among the non-governmental teams, Su Cheng’s Interlude was performing the best overall, while Whisper and Sword Song were comparable in terms of level. Graceful Beauty was not worth any consideration. However, Whisper had Luo Yuan and Wei Guanghua, while Sword Song had Lin Shuangcheng. Neither of their teams could be underestimated in the team fights.
***
Qin Mo earnestly studied the player information of the various teams, while Xiao Han concentrated on bringing Shen He and Liu Hong to the arena. A week passed by quickly, and the official website of the league was finally updated with a list of all registered groups—— a total of sixteen teams signed up for the three-person arena. Sky, Without Fire, Sword Song, Frost Moon, Interlude, and National Grace all registered two teams each, while Mojue, Dynasty, Whisper, and Graceful Beauty only had a single registered team. The teams were divided into four groups, A to D, and the top two from each group would qualify for the top eight.
Due to the lack of healers and auxiliary players in the arena, the number of registered teams was reduced by half. Thus, points could only be earned after entering the semifinals and reaching the top eight.
Mojue’s lineup was assigned to group A, which also included the combination of Li Junru, An Ling, and Cheng Yuqing from National Grace. Group A also included Dynasty’s Lin Yao, Wen Hua, and Sang Jun, as well as a team of three newcomers from Interlude.
As soon as the list was released, many netizens began wailing—— Group A was definitely the group of death.
Aside from Interlude’s newcomers, who were destined to be eliminated, the remaining three teams had to compete for a qualifying quota. Mojue, National Grace, and Dynasty were all sorted into group A, and the situation wasn’t optimistic.
Even more coincidentally, National Grace’s Li Junru and Chen Yuqing were once defeated by Mojue’s Liu Hong and Shen He, while Dynasty’s Sang Jun had also lost to Xiao Han. The road was truly too narrow, for all these people to be grouped together. Whether Mojue could win again, or their opponents could get revenge was unknown. The game had not yet started, but everyone was able to smell gunpowder in the air.
Seeing the list of groups, Qin Mo immediately sent a WeChat message to Sang Jun. “Weren’t you not registering for the arena?”
Sang Jun didn’t type out a message, instead sending a voice recording over in response. “I didn’t intentionally lie to you, captain Qin,” he lamented, his tone helpless. “When I was chatting with you, I really did have no plans to participate. Originally, I wanted Lin Yao and Wen Hua to team up with Chu Jianxin for the three-person arena, but captain Chu wanted me to participate…”
Since the other party wasn’t typing, Qin Mo was also too lazy to type. “So, you were convinced by Chu Jianxin?” he asked.
“He’s too eloquent,” Sang Jun explained. “I couldn’t convince him otherwise.”
A vague sound was heard from the background. “Sangsang, don’t say it like that. I’m obviously doing it for your own good. What use does staying in the team to train have? It’s better to go out and exercise.”
Sang Jun’s tone was helpless, but a smile could be heard from his voice. “Did you hear that? He himself wants to be lazy and stay in the club, so he pushed me out to exercise. Truly, friendship does not last in the face of personal interests.”
Qin Mo was unable to understand the relationship between Dynasty’s pair of jokers, and he was too lazy to look into it. “Since you are participating in the arena competition, is the friendly match still on?”
“Captain Chu says that he will play against you in the three-person team format to test the new rules. How does Friday night sound?” Sang Jun replied.
“Alright,” Qin Mo replied simply. “We’ll talk more then.”
***
In the blink of an eye, April had ended. Xiao Han would bring Shen He and Liu Hong to Beijing tomorrow, to participate in the KOF arena competition.
That night, while Xiao Han was packing his luggage, Qin Mo took the initiative to knock on his bedroom door. “How’s the packing going?”
“It’s about done,” Xiao Han replied.
Locking the suitcase, he turned around to glance at Qin Mo. “Do you have anything to say to me?”
“En,” Qin Mo nodded, entering the room. “The match is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Are you prepared?”
“Relax,” Xiao Han smiled, tugging Qin Mo over to take a seat on the bed. “I have a bottom line.”
“The grouping this time is not very good,” Qin Mo analysed. “The main reason A-Hong was able to defeat Li Junru in the individual competition was because Li Junru was only familiar with her healing style. However, after this period of competitions, A-Hong’s playstyle will no doubt have been figured out by the major teams. Wanting to defeat Li Junru again will not be easy.”
“I have also thought about this,” Xiao Han nodded. “Li Junru’s ability is very strong, so the game against National Grace will have to be arranged properly. Shen He also managed to defeat Cheng Yuqing in the group stage of the individual competition, but both players have made immeasurable improvements in this time. Everything will depend on their performance on the day itself.”
“En,” Qin Mo stared at Xiao Han seriously. “No matter what the end result is, you should not blame yourself. Just trying your best is enough, no need to put too much pressure on yourself.”
“Don’t set up a flag so early, I will think of a way,” Xiao Han laughed.
Qin Mo was puzzled. “What flag?”
“The word ‘flag’ means ‘flag’,” Xiao Han explained. “To set up a flag is like Cheng Wei’s poisonous milk. Your words of ‘Just trying your best is enough, no need to put too much pressure on yourself’ is like setting up a flag saying that I will lose…”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Qin Mo hastily explained, realising what Xiao Han had meant. “I’m worried for you. We won the championship in both the individual and the partner competition, and if we don’t manage to get the championship this time… I’m not participating, and the fans will definitely blame you. You’re helping me to shoulder the responsibility, but I’m afraid that your burden is too heavy. I don’t want you to demand too much of yourself.”
“Why do you need to be polite with me?” Smiling, Xiao Han pulled Qin Mo into his arms for a hug. “Relax, I’m very clear about Shen He and Liu Hong’s state. Don’t forget, I was Canglan’s captain, and am someone who can stand beside you, shoulder to shoulder.”
“…” Qin Mo gently returned the hug, his heart warm. “It seems like I thought too much.”
—— The reason you thought so much, was because you care for me.
—— Haven’t you realised that you’re gradually paying more attention to my feelings?
Thinking of this, the corners of Xiao Han’s lips quirked upwards. Securing his grip, he hugged the person in his arms tightly.
The Qin Mo who appeared cold and serious was actually so soft when in his arms. Xiao Han really wanted to hold on to him forever, never to separate.
The two hugged each other in silence for a little while. Seeing that it was getting late, Qin Mo gently pushed Xiao Han away. “Alright, it’s time to go to bed. You still need to go to the airport tomorrow.”
“How about you sleep with me tonight?” Xiao Han suggested sincerely.
“You’re already so old, do you really need someone to accompany you to sleep?” Qin Mo got up, preparing to leave, but Xiao Han immediately held on to his wrist.
“I’ll be going to Beijing for a competition tomorrow, while you’ll stay in Changsha. We won’t be able to meet each other for half a month,” Xiao Han explained, looking at Qin Mo. “A day of separation feels like four autumns…”
“It’s three autumns.” Qin Mo couldn’t help correcting his terrible chinese.
“Without you by my side, I will miss you a lot,” Xiao Han coaxed. “Just sleep with me for this last night.”
“Why do you say it like one of us is about to die…” Qin Mo glanced at him helplessly. Faced with Xiao Han’s warm gaze, Qin Mo finally relented. “Well… fine.”
The both of them had already showered. Placing his luggage off to the side, Xiao Han lay on the bed happily. After making sure Qin Mo was securely tucked beneath the quilt, he hugged Qin Mo close, squeezing their hands together and interlocking their fingers.
Qin Mo didn’t struggle, and held Xiao Han’s hand contentedly. “Sleep.”
Xiao Han turned off the bedside lamp. In the dark, the two people were silent for a little while, before Xiao Han finally whispered. “Xiao Mo, two people sleeping under the same blanket, does it feel like a couple?”
“What couple?” Qin Mo coughed. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Leaning over, Xiao Han kissed Qin Mo on the cheek, his warm breath blowing in Qin Mo’s ears. “We’re just chatting under the quilt. It seems like we’re missing something?”
Knowing what Xiao Han meant, Qin Mo’s cheeks flushed red. His sensitive ears were warmed by the heat of Xiao Han’s breath, causing his emotions to become a tangled mess.
It was impossible to see his flushed ears in the dark, but his rapidly pounding heartbeat already betrayed his emotions.
After a long while, Qin Mo took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he replied. “When we are free, I will satisfy your ideas. Now… there are too many competitions, and I am not in the mood. I hope you understand.”
Listening to the soft voice in his ears, punctuating the quiet night, Xiao Han’s heart was filled with delight——
“Satisfy my ideas? This is what you said, you can’t renege on it.” Xiao Han hugged Qin Mo tightly, not making any extra moves.
“… en.” Qin Mo responded quietly, closing his eyes.
However, he didn’t realise that Xiao Han’s mind had long since drifted to various locations and positions that he could use, and that he was planning to eat Qin Mo cleanly…
Qin Mo didn’t expect that his words had inadvertently dug a large pit for himself.
Hahaha Xiao Han is such a cute 😅
Lol, he is indeed cute 😏
[ However, he didn’t realise that Xiao Han’s mind had long since drifted to various locations and positions that he could use, and that he was planning to eat Qin Mo cleanly… ]
I can’t wait for that 😈😈😈
Thank you for the chapter~~! ❤️
Waiting for Qin Mo to be eaten cleanly by Xiao Han * 😈
You’re welcome~❤
Wahhh dog food!! Another enjoying chapter!! Thank you
eating dog food in this chapter, you’re welcome~❤
Xiao Han, focus and bring some results worth rewarding first lol.
hahahaha qin mo underestimated xiao han’s dirty mind!! you definitely pitted yourself 😂😂