Zuo Men stood with his arms crossed, seemingly confident in this match. Beside him, Ku Dinghai, a general from Xizi Kingdom, appeared somewhat worried.
"Lord Zuo, do you have confidence in this match?" Ku Dinghai asked.
Zuo Men's gaze swept across the arena to Liu Shinian and Xue Gucheng. Seeing them laughing and acting without regard for propriety, he closed his eyes and said,
"Underestimating the opponent before a match is a dangerous thing."
Ku Dinghai was bewildered, unsure if Zuo Men was referring to Liu Shinian's team or their own.
Zuo Men opened his eyes and looked ahead, saying, "Don't worry, we will definitely win. After all, we have also received training."
He turned his head and offered Ku Dinghai a confident smile.
Ku Dinghai, seeing his self-assured demeanor and unwavering confidence, felt greatly encouraged and also believed they would surely win.
Everyone endured the anxious worry for the time it took for one stick of incense to burn.
As the lit incense turned to ash once more, at Lin'er's prompt, I blew the whistle again.
Under everyone's gaze, Liu Shinian's team and Zuo Men's team consciously walked onto the arena, standing on either side of the white line in the center.
I entered the arena, took the cleaned rattan ball from a guard, and went to stand between them. Looking at Zuo Men and Liu Shinian, I asked them, "Are you ready?"
"We are ready!" The reply was loud and full of confidence. It seemed they had all come with the determination to win. I spoke again.
"Before the match begins, let's have a friendly handshake."
Liu Shinian extended his hand first. Out of politeness, Zuo Men also extended his hand and grasped it.
Liu Shinian smiled slightly, full of anticipation, and said, "I wonder who will emerge victorious in this match."
Zuo Men replied without reservation, "I believe the god of luck is on our side."
"Oh, then let's see who has the real skill in the competition."
"Alright."
After a round of sincere pleasantries, the two men silently released their hands.
Watching their competitive spirit, I secretly approved. Then, taking out the gold coin from my怀, I asked them, "Do you choose heads or tails?"
Liu Shinian said, "I choose tails."
Zuo Men said, "Then I will choose heads."
"Good." I tossed the coin into the air, then caught it in my palm and covered it. Slowly, I opened my hand to reveal it was heads.
I then announced to everyone, "Zuo Men will be the one to kick off this match." I handed him the ball, stepped back three paces, and blew the whistle, shouting, "Begin!"
Zuo Men took the ball, smiled triumphantly, and at the command, he lifted his foot and, under everyone's watchful eyes, kicked the ball forward.
The players behind him and behind Liu Shinian also moved quickly.
Xue Gucheng could have easily intercepted the first ball of the match, but out of sportsmanship, he decided not to reveal his full strength. Instead, he let Zuo Men's team have it. The young player from Nanhai City, unwilling to intercept, passed the ball and scored.
The Xizi Kingdom soldiers and Nanhai City soldiers, who had been watching with bated breath, finally relaxed as they saw the goal. They cheered, "Goal! Goal!"
Lin'er looked at the two teams fiercely competing on the field and thoughtfully asked, "Demon King, who do you think will win this match?"
I shook my head, unable to predict anything. "I think their strength is quite evenly matched, and it will be difficult for either side to win."
"Look at Zuo Men's team; they are steady and powerful. Their defense is like an impenetrable cage, but their speed is slightly lacking."
I looked closely, and indeed, it was as he said.
After letting the first goal go, Xue Gucheng began to take the match seriously. When they kicked the second ball towards the goal, he moved with lightning speed, intercepting it with a kick as swift as a flash of lightning, like a gentle autumn breeze.
By the time the opponent reacted, he had already kicked the ball behind them and passed it to Yan Wushuang.
Yan Wushuang leaped sideways, dribbled the ball with agility, easily weaving through the crowd, and scored with a single kick.
"Wow! Such speed!"
The spectators at the sidelines were all amazed. The erratic footwork, elegant posture, and rapid speed made it seem as though the outcome of the match was already decided.
This caused the Nanhai City and Xizi Kingdom soldiers, who had been full of anticipation for victory, to deflate. They sat silently in their seats, awaiting defeat.
However, perhaps everyone had underestimated the soldiers' capabilities. With a mere glance from Zuo Men, his teammates understood his intentions. They nodded and began to clap their hands one by one.
Then, they shifted their formation, creating a dispersed triangular pattern. Only three players pursued the ball, one blocked, while the others waited at designated corners, poised for action.
The player carrying the ball this time was Tai Yuan, the Mountain Master from Tai Lai Mountain, on Liu Shinian's side. Tai Yuan was robust and a player of strength. He was more suited as a defensive blocker, but carrying the ball made him appear somewhat clumsy.
Zuo Men seized the opportunity. With a raise of his hand, a slender and swift young player rapidly approached and, through a positional shift, took the ball.
Liu Shinian caught up and tried to kick the ball sideways, but the player was a step ahead. He kicked the ball away, passing it to an independent player positioned in a triangle to his left, safely away from Xue Gucheng and Yan Wushuang.
The players in the rear triangle quickly shifted their positions, adjusting to the forward relative positions. If anyone tried to steal the ball, they would kick, receive, and pass it, making it impossible to catch, and then they would score.
"Goal! Goal!" The Nanhai City and Xizi Kingdom soldiers, who had been dejected, suddenly had their eyes light up. They jumped up excitedly, cheering as if victory already belonged to them.
Hei Feng and Feng Xiaoyi were also watching. Hei Feng remarked, "Their matches are truly exciting. I even feel a surge of excitement."
Feng Xiaoyi laughed and patted his shoulder.
"Don't just talk about yourself; I feel the same. Both sides are top-tier experts. Although Zuo Men's team might be inferior to Liu Shinian's in terms of martial arts, Zuo Men's team are soldiers who have fought battles. In terms of strategy and troop deployment, Liu Shinian's team is still slightly outmatched."
Hei Feng agreed with his assessment, concluding that it would be truly difficult to determine a winner between Zuo Men's team and Liu Shinian's team.
As time ticked by, the score recorded in red and blue paint on the dark wooden board showed no significant difference.
At times, the scores were tied; at other times, there was a difference of one or two points. When the wind blew and the incense burned to ash, and the whistle sounded, the score on the field was miraculously tied.
I announced, "Halftime break."
Liu Shinian wiped the sweat from his forehead and praised Zuo Men, who was about to go for a break, "Not bad. I didn't expect you to be so skilled."
Zuo Men laughed heartily and returned the compliment, "You are also good. I hope you will play well in the next half."
"Alright."
At this moment, a maid handed Zuo Men a towel. Zuo Men casually picked it up and tossed it to Liu Shinian.
Liu Shinian caught it, his eyes filled with confusion.
Zuo Men said with a hint of arrogance, "Wipe the sweat from your forehead." Then he walked off the field to rest on the sidelines.
Liu Shinian smiled unconsciously as he watched Zuo Men's retreating figure. He looked at the towel in his hand and wiped his face with it, thinking to himself.
"Zuo Men appears unapproachable, cold and ruthless, but I didn't expect him to be so thoughtful and considerate."
I looked at everyone on the field and decisively walked over to Zuo Men's team to greet them.
"Hard work, hard work. I was impressed by your synchronized play and back-and-forth exchanges. It was truly eye-opening."
Ku Dinghai looked at me and smiled helplessly, not hiding anything as he directly asked, "Demon King, aren't you worried that we'll leave once we win?"
I chuckled and sat down beside them, generously stating, "Don't worry, don't worry. If you leave, that's good; it saves on rations."
Fan Sheng leaned in and said with a smile, "Demon King is truly humorous. You're afraid we'll eat you poor."
I waved my hand, "I can't help it. If you want to leave, I can't stop you, but it's quite nice to chat with you."
Fan Sheng chuckled and said, "Our meeting is fate. I am also very happy to have met such an open-minded ruler as you."
"I wish I had met you all sooner, then we could have become good friends."
Bu Yu also came closer and sat beside me, saying, "It's not too late now, are we not friends right now?"
I shook my head, looking at the blue sky and white clouds with a hint of melancholy, "If only time could last a little longer. I really want to get to know you all better."
"There will be opportunities."
Even though he said that, everyone knew that once they left Nanhai City, they would either be enemies or adversaries. In that case, would there still be opportunities? No one knew.
After a brief chat, Lin'er walked over and informed me, "Demon King, the break time is almost over."
Only then did I slowly stand up and encourage them, "Good luck!"
They also responded, "Good luck, good luck."
I patted Zuo Men, who had been silent, and walked in front of him, saying, "Very good. I'm rooting for you."
Then I returned to the main platform. The four elders sat beside me, ready to change the incense.
Elder Wangu looked at the nearly burnt incense and said to me, "Demon King, is it about time?"
I nodded and replied, "It's about time."
Elder Heiyi then stood up and walked to the foremost square table to replace the half-burnt incense with a new stick.
The whistle sounded again, followed by the familiar voice saying, "The halftime break is over. Liu Shinian's team and Zuo Men's team, please come onto the arena."
Then, the two teams slowly ambled onto the center of the arena.
I then said, "Liu Shinian's team will kick off this match." I paused for a moment until the guard handed the ball to Liu Shinian, and then I said, "Begin!"
Liu Shinian smiled slightly and placed the ball at his feet. The players behind him gradually moved into Zuo Men's territory. Then, with a strong kick, the ball flew out in a parabolic trajectory, landing in Xue Gucheng's hands.
Facing the several players closing in, he remained calm. He kicked the ball and smoothly sidestepped, but he didn't pass to anyone. Instead, he flashed forward with smooth movements, easily scoring a goal.
"Yay! Go!" The crowd outside the arena also became excited.
However, Zuo Men's team did not lose heart. They seemed to have devised a counter-strategy.
Zuo Men placed his left fist in his right palm, then raised his left thumb, signaling to his teammates on either side. The people nearby immediately understood what they needed to do.
They then dispersed, adopting the same triangular formation as before. Xue Gucheng was still carrying the ball. Facing the triangular formation, he still chose to dribble the ball himself.
However, strangely, there was no one to block him on the path ahead. Although he was puzzled, he wasn't worried. In that moment of distraction,
Suddenly, three figures darted out and blocked his path. With the goal in sight, he did not hesitate and shot the ball sideways.
The people outside the arena cried out. Suddenly, the wall of players parted, and a robust, imposing figure firmly grasped the ball.
Everyone looked at that person in disbelief. Amidst the silence and astonishment, the person slowly raised his head, revealing it was Zuo Men.
"Such powerful skill!"
A wave of uproar swept through the crowd. Everyone's eyes widened, yet they sincerely applauded with admiration.
Under everyone's gaze, he smiled triumphantly, kicked the ball to a player in the triangle ahead, and then, using a left-right relay, passed it into the opponent's goal.
"So strong!" Tian Long, watching from the sidelines for a long time, exclaimed with genuine admiration.
"I didn't expect Zuo Men to be so unfathomable," Qing Yu remarked.
"It seems Nanhai City's strength is far superior to Black Mountain. If that's the case, how could they have lost Nanhai City and been defeated by the Ten Thousand Demon King?" Wang Yuan voiced the question that had been on everyone's mind.
Tian Long analyzed, "If that's the case, there's only one possibility: arrogance. The more something is underestimated, the more likely it is to become a fatal weakness."
"Yes, I agree."
As Zuo Men's team scored more and more goals, and the score difference widened, Liu Shinian was forced to activate their secret training technique: "Speed Duel."
Liu Shinian made a thumb-up gesture to Ye Changfeng, Zhu Yan, Gui Ye, and Fu Zimo, indicating forward movement. They immediately understood.
When the opponent passed the ball, Yan Wushuang and Xue Gucheng deliberately defended at the back, waiting for the rattan ball to be kicked.
Then, Yan Wushuang charged forward, and Xue Gucheng moved from behind. The ball grazed Yan Wushuang's fingers, and Xue Gucheng leaped sideways to catch it.
He then exchanged a look with Yan Wushuang, signaling the hunt was on. The two of them passed the ball back and forth, charging forward side by side, the surging airflow forming two intersecting dragons.
The Four Great Villains cleared the path ahead of them, moving rapidly like two invisible walls, clearing all obstacles for them and scoring smoothly.
This scene stunned everyone present. Everyone was dumbfounded and astonished.
Even I, who had witnessed countless football matches in the human world, was dumbfounded and frozen in place.
I never imagined football could be played like this. It truly refreshed my understanding of the sport.
Perhaps because this move consumed too much energy, they eventually opted for a combination of speed and passing, and in doing so, they gradually caught up in the score.
As I watched the setting sun gradually descend in the sky and the long incense in the four-legged cauldron on the main platform nearing its end, I decided to remind them.
"Players on the field, please note that time is running out. You can score at most two more goals."
Upon hearing my words, everyone's hearts involuntarily clenched. In an instant, silence fell, and only the thumping, anxious heartbeats could be heard.