Yan Jing’s initial reaction was one of pleasant surprise, born from his long-standing hope that the Evil Emperor was truly suffering from severe injuries. If the Evil Emperor were to fall from his peak, there would be no one left in the younger generation of China who could compete with him. Even if a new martial artist were to emerge, few understood how to manage their own reputation as well as he did.
Sometimes, in any given field, the strongest person is not necessarily the most famous—it is the one who is best at self-promotion. Yan Jing had built his career around marketing the name "Yan the Sword-Knight." In modern society, who would be foolish enough to slave away at training, fighting tooth and nail just to be crowned the greatest in the world? Making money while the fame was hot was what truly mattered. Once his reputation reached its zenith, it would be a natural conclusion that he be recognized as the foremost figure in the Chinese martial arts world.
Of course, Yan Jing had sufficient confidence in his own strength as well. Otherwise, if he couldn’t even beat Tsukahara Isshin, any talk of reputation management would be nothing but hot air. What puzzled him, however, was this: if the Evil Emperor were truly critically injured, why would he dare to come to Mount Tai? Did the Evil Emperor believe that even in such a weakened state, he could defeat Tsukahara Isshin?
Chapter 1512