Xie Jue never imagined that one day, soone would issue him a duel challenge, demanding he pick up a sword and fight like a man to the death. The Second Young Master had been frail since childhood, suffering multiple severe illnesses in his youth. If not for the power and influence of the Marquis Mansion, which could summon the best doctors in all the land, the Second Young Master would have long passed away. Though his health eventually recovered, his martial prowess could never match those of his father and elder brother. Within the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, no one would even consider engaging in a physical fight with him—if they couldn’t beat him in a battle of wits, they would simply give up. Thus, the Second Young Master remained a singular presence. His intelligence compensated for his lack of martial skill. But to be challenged to a duel in Beiman—that, he did not expect.
"Why?" Xie Jue asked.
Xie Jue never thought he would find himself entangled in a romantic affair in Beiman and certainly had no understanding of the customs surrounding it. Facing the arrogant Dugu Jing, Lan Ningzhen explained with amusent, "In Beiman, if your sweetheart runs off with soone else, you can challenge them to a duel. Kill them, and the object of your affection will be yours."
Xie Jue, "..."
How crude. How barbaric.
"Kill them?" Xie Jue blurted out, "Isn’t that illegal?"
"Not illegal. As long as you accept the duel challenge, life and death are irrelevant." Lan Ningzhen said with a teasing smile, "Helian, would you duel for ?"
"Am I insane? I can’t defeat Dugu Jing." Xie Jue was self-aware. Though Dugu Jing, a newcor, was only a teenager and not yet at his peak, he was already a formidable general. Xie Jue stood no chance. Besides, he hadn’t wielded a sword in ages. If given ti to prepare, he might use traps and chanisms to gain the upper hand, but to imdiately confront Dugu Jing—defeat was inevitable. Facing such a hopeless scenario, Xie Jue would never take the bait.
"I’m heartbroken. You say you like , but clearly, your affection is shallow." Lan Ningzhen teased.
"I do like you, but I prefer staying alive," Xie Jue replied with a deadpan expression. To die in Fox City over a Beiman girl—if word reached the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, he wouldn’t need to show his face ever again.
After all, his father knew he was in Fox City. Who could say whether his father had spies there? His father denied it, but Xie Jue was sure he was lying. The Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had waged war against Beiman for generations, sacrificing countless lives. To claim there were no spies in Fox City was utterly unbelievable. Even if there were, there hadn’t been much news coming back over the years. Perhaps the lines of communication were cut. But if he were to die—and die so shafully—word reaching his father would indeed be mortifying.
"You’re nothing but the Second Brother’s pretty boy, stealing my wife. Step onto the stage; I demand a duel!" Though Dugu Jing was only fourteen, he was tall, almost the sa height as Xie Jue. His large, strong build paired with his prominent brow and deep-set features made him resemble the Beiman King—valiant and fierce, with a youthful arrogance. "Lan Ningzhen, are you blind? Abandoning for this pretty face? He couldn’t even endure one of my punches."
In Beiman, such words were deeply insulting.
Xie Jue, however, wasn’t bothered. Not in the slightest.
How to explain?
Beiman’s insults were repetitive at best—no variety, no novelty. They should learn more from Kyoto Imperial College. As a child, Xie Jue overheard far nastier taunts there, ones that rarely repeated. Compared to Dugu Jing’s words, those were far more cutting. He’d long grown immune to verbal attacks.
"Wait a mont. Who exactly is your wife? Let’s make this clear—I don’t want my na sared," Xie Jue interjected.
Dugu Jing widened his eyes in disbelief, "You dare deny our relationship, Lan Ningzhen? Not long ago, we rode horses together, competed against one another—and all of that was fake? I’ve truly misjudged you. I never expected you to be such a fickle-hearted woman."
"Ninth Prince, I already told you—if you want to marry , you need to defeat first. And you haven’t!" Lan Ningzhen elbowed Dugu Jing, adding with a mischievous grin, "I never imagined myself to be so popular!"
Xie Jue, "..."
Two n dueling for her, and she’s proud of it?
Judging by Lan Ningzhen’s expression, she was indeed sowhat smug, inexplicably pleased—with an air of self-satisfaction as she even touched her face and said, "Good looks really do attract admirers."
"I don’t care. Regardless, Father said you must marry ." Dugu Jing’s rage was palpable. He ignored Lan Ningzhen’s wishes entirely and turned to Helian Feng, "Accept my duel challenge!"
Xie Jue smiled faintly, "I can’t beat you."
"What’s this? Are you conceding? Fine—then stay away from Lan Ningzhen. She’s mine!" Dugu Jing, like a furious wolf, suddenly closed the distance between them. The crowd watched eagerly, pointing fingers at Xie Jue.
"No backbone at all—he’s giving up on a duel even though the woman he likes is right there."
"The Goddess grew up on Heavenly God Mountain and has poor taste—she actually favors this bookish man. He must’ve sweet-talked his way into her heart."
"The Goddess is better suited to the Ninth Prince."
"If you’re a man, you should accept the duel!"
"Refusing the duel disgraces all Beiman n!"
...
Xie Jue overheard their remarks. Though he appeared indifferent, he could not help feeling a twinge of annoyance. Why does turning down a duel an he’s not a man? Such boorish, barbaric customs!
If only he had Xie Xun’s skills, he’d stomp Dugu Jing into the ground right now.
"Oh, oh, Ninth Prince, don’t get worked up—I’m the one clinging to him." Lan Ningzhen looped her arm around Xie Jue’s teasingly. "Why get so angry? It’s clear he can’t beat you; why trouble him?"
"If he can’t beat , then concede already. Don’t compete with for her." Dugu Jing glared at Lan Ningzhen. Seeing her cling to Xie Jue infuriated him further. "You... let go of him! Stop flaunting your affection!"
"How fierce." Lan Ningzhen pretended to cower into Xie Jue’s embrace. "Helian, he’s bullying ."
Xie Jue looked at her dispassionately, "He’s bullying too."
Can’t protect you. You’re on your own.
Lan Ningzhen had a love-hate relationship with his sarcastic remarks. Hoping for Xie Jue to defend her was nothing but wishful thinking, so she said, "Ninth Prince, we previously agreed—you have to defeat to marry . You haven’t done that."
"I’ve won a few tis!" Dugu Jing had lost seven out of ten matches against Lan Ningzhen, but he had tasted victory occasionally. Naturally, he refused to accept her narrative. "Don’t play unfairly."
"I’m not being unfair. If you could win every ti, I’d definitely marry you." Lan Ningzhen proclaid with a smug facade of adoring powerful individuals, "What a pity—you still have room to grow. Stop trying to steal won before you’ve even matured fully. Little brother!"
"You..." Dugu Jing, outraged, pointed at Xie Jue, "What about him? He’s even worse at fighting than you."
"He is," Lan Ningzhen declared confidently, "the only man in the world who can defeat ."
"Liar! If that’s true, then et in the ring. Let’s duel!" Dugu Jing’s face darkened visibly, and his gaze at Xie Jue turned hostile. "Are you really a man, daring not even to duel?"
"No, I’m not." Xie Jue didn’t see any harm in admitting it. Not daring is not daring—what’s the big deal? "I can’t beat you."
"But you can beat her!" Dugu Jing pointed at Lan Ningzhen. "Are you both ssing with ?"
Xie Jue silently thought to himself, It’s her ssing with you!
"Oh, Ninth Prince, you simply don’t understand. When I fight you, it’s steel against steel, bloodshed. But when I fight him, it’s tenderness and affection—soft words and gentle love. I don’t fight back; I don’t argue. That’s why he naturally wins." Lan Ningzhen couldn’t hide her teasing tone. "So, little brother, don’t push yourself. Matters of adulthood and love are beyond your understanding."
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