Chapter 30: Treating a Cough Is No Trivial Matter!

With that goal, the Gentlemen of the Bamboo Grove team crushed the morale of the Cultivators. Kuang Xiangde, the owner of Wishing Green Pavilion, eyed Luo Gan, finding him familiar. He quietly confirmed with his assistant whether Luo Gan was a regular customer. Meanwhile, the mysterious scholar in the VIP box made meticulous notes, his gaze never leaving Luo Gan, who had piqued his curiosity.

In the final round, the two elderly men of the Cultivator team hung their heads in despair. The "collision" tactic they had always prided themselves on had been disrupted by an outsider, and the advantageous situation had been reversed. Now, facing the aggressive Luo Gan and his two companions—fierce as tigers—the old men were like lambs to the slaughter.

At the referee's signal, the coughing elder suddenly dropped to his knees, launching into a melodramatic display. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he coughed violently, lamenting that with the other old man gone, he no longer wished to live. His theatrical grieving on stage left the referee at a loss, tears streaming down his own face as he, and the entire crowd, fell into collective mourning. The magistrate Lu glanced around uneasily, weighed down by the pressure, but knew he could not easily reverse his prior decision. Han Chong and Han Xiaozhi, moved by pity, showed sympathetic faces, but Luo Gan, having seen through their tricks, trusted them not at all.

Sure enough! At that very moment, the grinning elder seized the ball and charged towards the "Flirtatious Eye" of the Gentlemen of the Bamboo Grove. Luo Gan, without moving his body, simply stretched out his foot and intercepted the ball. While the crowd was still reeling from shock, Luo Gan took off in a sprint towards the opposing goal!

The coughing elder tried to rise, but his legs had gone numb from kneeling too long; stumbling, he could only grab hold of Luo Gan's right thigh. The referee, still lost in grief, failed to notice this blatant foul.

Luo Gan, feeling as if his feet might lift off the ground, seemed weightless as he leapt forward with the ball! The coughing elder, clinging desperately, was hoisted into the air. Luo Gan gathered all his strength in his right leg for a powerful shot!

As the ground receded below, and the ball loomed towards his face, the coughing elder was caught in a dilemma: let go and crash to the floor, or hold on and risk being kicked like a ball, his dignity lost forever.

In that split second, the coughing elder even forgot to cough. With the ball just inches away, he squeezed his eyes shut and turned his face, clutching Luo Gan's muscular thigh for dear life.

Tens of thousands held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Then Luo Gan shouted, and the ball slammed into the old man's back with a loud "thud," soaring past the "Flirtatious Eye" and into the goal!

Three to one! The referee, just finishing his tears, caught the goal at that very instant and announced the result with stirring passion. Yet the crowd did not erupt in cheers as expected. Instead, anxious debate broke out as everyone worried about the fate of the coughing elder.

Luo Gan and the old man landed safely. A white wig fell from the elder's head, revealing a disheveled figure. Han Xiaozhi and the grinning elder hurried over to check on him.

The coughing elder opened one eye, then the other, remaining eerily silent. It turned out the hair was a wig; underneath, his hair was thick and black, making him look barely over forty.

Luo Gan, now truly alarmed, thought, "Oh no, what if someone dies during a game?" With Magistrate Lu present, if the old man really had an accident—and at midday, no less—he’d be executed on the spot. In this cold weather, no one would dare stop it; he'd be left all alone, what a pitiful fate! Only now did Luo Gan feel true fear.

Suddenly, the coughing elder burst into hearty laughter. "Oh! Years of coughing, cured by a single strike from the ball!"

So it was a false alarm. The grinning elder, seeing his companion's "illness" miraculously cured, wept tears of joy alongside him. The young referee, moved once more, declared the Gentlemen of the Bamboo Grove the victors!

Seeing the situation, Luo Gan knelt down and gently cradled the coughing elder's head in his arm, affectionately saying, "Care for the sick and elderly, and coughs will be cured without delay!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. Han Xiaozhi and Han Chong stared in disbelief—was such a thing even possible?

The three—Luo Gan, Han Xiaozhi, and Han Chong—embraced as if they had just won the final victory. In their joy, Luo Gan noticed the armored warriors' captain eyeing them with open hostility.

Before long, the armored giants crushed their opponents and claimed victory. Han Xiaozhi trembled nervously, Han Chong remained stoic and calm, and the anxious Luo Gan waited with them backstage for the final match.

Old Master Lin brought the Tiger Roost Pavilion crew to join the excitement. Spotting Luo Gan and the others fidgeting backstage, he greeted them.

Old Master Lin said, "Well, looks like your match is over! Losing isn't the end of the world—you’re all in one piece, aren’t you?"

Han Xiaozhi sighed, and Old Master Lin hurried to pat his shoulder. "Chin up, Xiaozhi! You’re a promising lad, diligent in your work, with a bright future ahead. Don’t let a single loss get you down!"

His exaggerated tone and expression made Han Xiaozhi’s forced smile even more awkward.

Han Chong, not keen on such demoralizing words, seized his chance to put on a brave front. "Old Master, just you wait—we’re going to take home the grand prize!"

Old Master Lin looked from Han Chong to Han Xiaozhi, then at the freshly victorious Armored Warriors, and, after a pause, declared in a dramatic tone, "Go out there and fight! If you need a doctor afterwards, leave it to me!"

Han Chong was annoyed by this kind of encouragement, while Han Xiaozhi burst out laughing.

"Brother," Han Xiaozhi said, "those armored guys are terrifying… their opponents all leave battered and bruised, as if they’ve been in a brawl."

Han Chong, as always, crossed his arms and feigned indifference. "Never seen the world, have you? A little rough play is nothing."

"Brother, it’s not the guts, it’s the venue," Han Xiaozhi corrected.

Han Chong rapped Xiaozhi on the head. "Splitting hairs, are you? If you’ve got the nerve, show it on the field!"

Xiaozhi yelped in pain and fell silent, watching Luo Gan’s grave expression.

"Look, when has Brother Luo ever been this tense? Maybe we shouldn’t play," Han Xiaozhi murmured, his words only deepening Luo Gan’s unease.

Miss Juntao descended from the Wishing Green Pavilion, greeting the nobles and officials. Luo Gan gazed at her, entranced, thinking that such beauty was surely a fleeting dream, a fantasy too extravagant to entertain. Deflated, he watched as Juntao searched the crowd, caught his eye, and offered him a gentle, serene smile.

That single smile ignited all the passion in Luo Gan’s heart. I must win! I have to win!

Luo Gan’s eyes sparkled as he bounced on his toes to warm up. The thick cotton robe soon had him sweating, making him feel chilled and uncomfortable.

Inspiration is a fleeting thing, and Luo Gan seized it in that very instant.

Han Xiaozhi, still dejected, muttered, "We’ll lose anyway. Let’s just surrender early."

"Lose?" Luo Gan replied. "I’m not so sure."