Translator: Myuu Editor: Myuu
Yan Liqiang could see from the way Liang Yijie introduced him that the latter had mentioned him many times before in front of his friends, probably in regards to the Blackwind Bandits incident. For Yan Liqiang, he did not like to blow his own trumpet, so he humbly shook his hands in denial.
“Brother Liang, you are exaggerating. I was just lucky! Besides, you took such good care of me from Gan Province all the way to the Imperial Capital, so I am in debt to you!”
“Haha! We have been Yijie’s friends for years — it is rare to see him praise anyone to such an extent. He told us that you are a master of archery, Liqiang. He even said that you are worth a hundred opponents simultaneously and a prodigy in archery cultivation. Let’s have a match someday!” The person who spoke was a young man in his twenties, standing right beside Liang Yijie. He stood out as the tallest in the group, even taller than Liang Yijie by a few inches. He had a dark complexion which complemented his bright eyes.
While this man was excitedly talking about the archery match he wished to have with Yan Liqiang, the latter also noticed that the man’s broad shoulders and long arms were in perfect proportion. Calluses could be seen growing on his right thumb and index finger. It was immediately apparent to Yan Liqiang that this man was accustomed to archery, and most likely good at it too.
“Haha! Liqiang, let me do the introductions. This man who wants have a match with you is Zhang Yunduan. He always wants to have a match whenever there is a worthy opponent in archery.” Liang Yijie continued to introduce the rest of the group to Yan Liqiang too. Their names were Yuan Beihong, Zhang Rui, Yin Yajie, and Miao Yushen, while the two girls were Feng Ting and Hua Ruxue respectively.
It was a well-mixed group as each of them had their own unique abilities. Yuan Beihong was a huge muscular man with a pair of fierce-looking eyes, highlighted by a pair of thick eyebrows. Among everyone, Yuan Beihong had the most special weapon — a pair of iron sword breakers [1] that he carried on his back. Zhang Rui was the thinnest among them, and he was always smiling with witty-looking eyes. He carried a rapier, and it was hard for Yan Liqiang to tell whether it was actually a weapon or a decorative item. Yin Yajie was a handsome-looking man with perfect facial features. He seemed to be always cool and collected, and he was the only one in the group who kept a mustache, making him appear more mature. Miao Yushen was a gentleman who dressed like a wise scholar. He carried a paper fan and appeared to be a very observant man. Yan Liqiang noticed that Miao Yushen had already examined him from head to toe a few times ever since Liang Yijie was introducing him to the group.
As for the girls, Feng Ting was a beauty with a perfect oval face. She was wearing a green dress which brought out the grace in her. She carried a pair of crescent-shaped knives on her waist. Hua Ruxue, on the other hand, wore a white dress. Her attractive eyes, perfect figure, facial appearance, and temperament made her a peerless beauty.
More than half of the crowd’s gazes were fixated on Hua Ruxue’s beauty ever since they arrived.
“Isn’t the girl in the white dress Hua Ruxue, the Sword Fairy?”
“That’s right. I saw her at Chuiyue Restaurant last time. She indeed looks like a fairy!”
Yan Liqiang could not help but overhear the whispers among the crowd. It seemed like Hua Ruxue had stolen the limelight even though Liang Yijie was supposed to be the main character today.
Xu Lang also had eight to nine men by his side. There were a few familiar faces in the group which Yan Liqiang recognized. Those were the men Yan Liqiang met in the servant quarters the other day, including the man who provoked him. His name was Gao Yufeng, and he was a bodyguard who worked for Vice Minister Qu, just like Xu Lang.
Xu Lang and his gang appeared to be full of confidence. They saw Liang Yijie from afar, and Xu Lang held his head high without a trace of fear in his eyes. He even gestured a throat-slashing sign at Liang Yijie to intimidate him while his gang laughed.
The Arena of Life and Death was filled with people, but as soon as both teams arrived, the crowd automatically gave way for them to enter the center of the stage.
“Brother Liang, be careful. Since Xu Lang invited you to the duel himself, he must be well-prepared!” Yan Liqiang advised Liang Yijie in all seriousness.
“This is a duel of life and death, of course I will give it my best. I have always wanted to confront this man. Now that I have been given the chance, I will not let this life and sword of mine go to waste without a good fight!” Liang Yijie laughed heartily. He patted Yan Liqiang’s shoulders and nodded toward his friends before he leaped onto the stage. It was a graceful leap as his body twisted in the air — he accurately took another step in the air and landed on the corner of the stage which was three zhang away with both feet.
This was merely a sneak peek into the martial skills he mastered, but it was enough to silence the crowd surrounding the stage. They were undoubtedly impressed as they all stopped chatting and turned their attention to him.
On the other side of the stage, Xu Lang wasted no time as he followed suit and leaped onto the stage. He stared at Liang Yijie as he laughed like a hyena as the scar on his face moved like a living centipede. “Liang Yijie, today’s date will be your death anniversary next year!”
“Keep the crap to yourself! You are looking for death, and I will give it to you!”
Looking at Liang Yijie and Xu Lang, the two referees standing in the middle of the stage wearing law enforcer uniforms asked, “Do both of you clearly understand the rules of this stage?”
They both nodded.
“To avoid any confusion, let me repeat the rules once again. Both of you are deemed to voluntarily take part in this death duel on this stage. No one outside the stage is allowed to give any sort of support to the both of you. Violators of this rule will receive the death penalty. Weapons, concealed weapons, and armor are allowed on stage, but they may not be dipped in poison. This battle will not stop until one of you succumbs to death, or if both parties agree to stop the fight. If you agree and accept the rules of the battle, place your fingerprint on the consent form! The battle will start once I hit the gong.” One of the referees read the rules aloud, and as he finished reading, his colleague took out the agreement. He handed it to Liang Yijie, and after Liang Yijie printed his fingerprint on the paper, Xu Lang printed his too.
Once the two contestants placed their fingerprints on the agreement, the referees quickly rushed out of the ring. Without any delays, they took out a gong and raised the hammer in the air for a few seconds. With everyone holding their breaths, the referees hit the gong, signifying the start of the battle.
Clang…!
As soon as the gong rang, Yan Liqiang saw Liang Yijie lunge toward Xu Lang. Xu Lang, who was on the other side, ran toward Liang Yijie too. They met at the middle of the ring and greeted each other with the white and red flashes of swords. It was followed by sounds of weapons clashing against one another.
