Ike grimaced, tears welling up from the pain.
"What were you thinking? You were too careless!" Bill admonished Ike. "This kid didn't defeat you fair and square this time. He ambushed you, using dirty tricks, which is why you suffered such a heavy loss. Buck up later, and don't give him any chance to sneak attack!"
Even though Ike was outmatched, Bill outright accused Jiang Yi of ambushing him and using low-down tactics. This was the prevailing attitude in Simon State; no matter what they did to lose, they could always find excuses and slander their opponents in the process.
Jiang Yi was displeased. He had won fair and square, yet Bill, the foremost swordsman of Simon State, claimed he had ambushed. Anyone would find that unbearable.
"Shall we continue?" Jiang Yi asked Ike coldly. He intended to teach Ike a harsh lesson and see what Bill had to say then. He felt he had to educate them today.
The moment Ike saw Jiang Yi's gaze, a surge of fear welled up within him. He knew that if he continued to spar with Jiang Yi, he would be beaten even more severely. Ike had already lost his nerve. Pride was no longer important; he just wanted it to end quickly.
"Teacher, let's just call it off. I don't want to spar anymore!" Ike declared.
"You have no backbone! What are you afraid of? I already said it was this kid's ambush that caused you to suffer greatly!" Bill said angrily. "When you fight later, just stay alert, and he won't have a chance to sneak attack. With your skills, beating him would be very easy!"
Ike felt a pang of bitterness. He just wanted to escape. However, he had no choice but to obey Bill. Even though he knew he would only be thrashed in front of Jiang Yi, he braced himself and went forward.
"Stop dawdling, hurry up!" Jiang Yi said impatiently to Ike.
Ike took a deep breath, gripped his rapier, and lunged at Jiang Yi again. Before he could get close, Jiang Yi struck his arm with the branch he held. But it didn't stop there; Jiang Yi's branch kept hitting Ike's body. Ike was powerless to retaliate, his arm so battered he couldn't even lift the rapier. Jiang Yi had completely dominated Ike. It was obvious they were not on the same level. Finally, Ike couldn't take it anymore. He dropped his rapier and lay on the ground, shielding himself with his hands.
The scene stunned everyone. They thought, "This isn't a match; it's Ike being beaten unilaterally." It was like a child who had done wrong, being severely punished by a parent. Watching Jiang Yi's branch whip Ike with loud cracks, everyone gasped. Bill's face turned extremely grim. He had just been boasting about how formidable his student Ike was, only to be slapped in the face within minutes. Bill even began to think that even if he fought Jiang Yi himself, he wouldn't have much of a chance, perhaps at best a draw.
Jiang Yi, having vented his frustration, finally stopped. The branch in his hand was nearly broken! Ike, on the other hand, was covered in wounds from the branch, his body a mass of injuries, even worse than the last time. Seeing Jiang Yi stop, Ike quickly tried to scoot backward. This time, Ike was thoroughly terrified. In Jiang Yi's presence, he felt an invisible dread. Even if he were killed, he would never dare to fight Jiang Yi again!
"Let's continue!" Jiang Yi picked up the branch again.
"I'm not fighting anymore..." Ike said, his voice trembling with fear.
"That won't do. We haven't finished yet!" Jiang Yi said with a slight smile. "If we end it so quickly, someone will likely say I used some underhanded means to make you give up. I don't want to be misunderstood!"
Jiang Yi's words were deliberately aimed at Bill. As expected, Bill's face showed a hint of embarrassment upon hearing this.
"I am inferior in skill. Please spare me!" Ike pleaded with a crestfallen face.
"You're not sparring with me; you're deliberately beating me up! It was my fault before. I apologize, so please let me go!" Ike was practically begging Jiang Yi on his knees. Ike couldn't take it anymore. Not only had he been beaten black and blue by Jiang Yi, but he had also been disciplined in front of so many people, losing all his remaining dignity.
"Alright, seeing your sincere plea, let's call it a day!" Jiang Yi said with a gentle smile. Ike finally breathed a sigh of relief, a look of being saved from a disaster on his face.
"Haha, your swordsmanship is indeed astonishing!" Grand Lord Barry burst into laughter. The nobles and the others couldn't hold back their laughter either, letting it all out.
"This isn't a match at all; it's Ike being beaten unilaterally!"
"It seems Ike's swordsmanship is nothing special, utterly disgraceful! Fortunately, we didn't directly let Ike participate in the competition, or Simon State would have lost immense face this time. We would have no face left to show!"
"Exactly. We must not let Ike participate in the competition, or Simon State will become a laughingstock!"
...The nobles on the stage began to discuss. Bill's face was now worse than if he had eaten excrement. He felt that his old face had been utterly disgraced by Ike.
"Kid, you only used a branch, a common weapon, to spar. This proves nothing about your rapier skills being superior to Ike's. Even if you are strong, you can't be much stronger than Ike!" Bill intended to save some face and thus came up with another excuse he deemed very reasonable.
Jiang Yi was utterly speechless! Bill was truly adept at finding excuses. If he had sparred with Ike using a rapier earlier, Ike would have died countless times already.
"In that case, I will spar with Ike again using a rapier. Rapiers are quite sharp, you know. I wonder if I can turn Ike into a corpse in the first round!" Jiang Yi looked at Bill.
Bill's teeth ached with anger; Jiang Yi had directly exposed his flimsy excuse. No one present was foolish. If Jiang Yi hadn't used a branch, Ike would have met his maker long ago.
"Since that's the case, who is willing to lend me a rapier?" Jiang Yi asked the sword masters who were snickering nearby. Hearing this, those sword masters quickly handed over their rapiers. Ike had been arrogant and had even beaten them up earlier. They had been fed up with Ike for a long time and were glad Jiang Yi could help them vent their frustrations.
Seeing that Jiang Yi was serious, Bill's expression turned grim. Ike, meanwhile, broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes filled with terror. He didn't want to die at Jiang Yi's hands.
"Teacher, I really am no match for him. If he spars with me using a rapier, my life will be forfeit!" Ike said with a mournful face.